Joy In Our Journey
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  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
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A little vegetable humor here . . .

8/31/2013

0 Comments

 
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Check out my Trim Healthy Mama Visual Shopping Guide...a great way to visualize the types of items you'll be wanting to consider for your Trim Healthy lifestyle!

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Finally, a real, Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookie!

8/20/2013

21 Comments

 
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This page contains affiliate links.

    I've had a hankering for some cookies lately.

    Not the low-carb kinds that taste like a cake-ie instead of a cook-ie.  ☺

    I tried a peanut butter cookie recipe that was raved about on the internet, but the texture was all wrong:  eggy, cakey.  Not what I was looking for.

    So.  I blame Trim Healthy Mama for all of this, because before using THM, I didn't really adapt recipes.  I might add an ingredient or leave an ingredient out once in a while, but mixmaster I was not.

    Until now.  Now, it's almost an everyday occurrence, to tweak recipes to make them work for my personal tastebuds, which sometimes can be fussy.

    Here's my version of a delicious, peanut butter cookie that actually has the texture of a real cookie.

    Yummy goodness!  I know you're gonna enJOY this recipe!

Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies ("S" recipe for Trim Healthy Mamas)

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  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup erythritol or Truvia, plus additional
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 6 Tbsp. sugar-free vanilla syrup (DaVinci or Torani)
  • 1 cup no-sugar, natural peanut butter
  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • Optional:  Polaner Sugar-Free Raspberry Preserves
  • Optional:  3/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips or chunked up no-sugar Skinny Chocolate or Lily's Chocolate bars
  • Optional:  2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (reduce almond flour by 1 Tbsp.)

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or use a Silpat baking sheet on top of cookie sheets.

    Combine all ingredients in medium-to-large sized bowl by hand, or with hand mixer. 

    Place heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the parchment paper or Silpat baking sheet.  Place two additional tablespoons of erythritol or Truvia into a small dish.  With a glass or cup, flatten tablespoons of dough with oiled bottom of glass dipped in erythritol/Truvia. 

    Bake for 8 minutes; rotate cookie trays and bake for an additional 4-10 minutes until golden brown on edges.  Let cool on cookie sheets; remove and store in sealed container.

    Want to make jelly thumbprints or peanut-butter-chocolate, or peanut butter chocolate chip cookies?  Just use the optional ingredients as desired to change up the recipe for yourself!
    Makes approximately 24 cookies (1 cookie per serving):  11.9 grams fat and 2.4 net grams of carbs. 
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    Have you seen my Visual Shopping Guide for Trim Healthy Mama/Low-Carb shopping?  It's been helpful to many people so far.  Check it out!

You won't want to miss my FREE low-carb and Trim Healthy Mama recipes, tutorials, giveaways, and deals - get them delivered fresh to your inbox!

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    This recipe for Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies has been shared as a part of Trim Healthy Tuesdays!  Find more fun and helpful THM tips and recipes at Gwen's Nest!
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21 Comments

The Icing On the Cake:  Christian fiction book review

8/18/2013

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This page may contain affiliate links.


    If you have a sweet tooth, don’t read this book!! 

    If you don’t like to laugh, don’t read this book. 

    If you don’t like reading about people problems and personalities, don’t read this book. 
    Otherwise, The Icing on the Cake is quite a fabulous way to spend several hours of enjoyment.  ☺

    Scarlet Lindsey is a young woman who lives on Galvaston Island, off the coast of Texas, and has just opened up a new bakery in a popular area of her town. 

    Her somewhat elderly Aunt Wilhelmina (called “Willy” behind her back) has funded this project and is determined to keep her finger on all aspects of the venture. 
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    Scarlet has many doubts about her own abilities, other than her baking, but has always admired her heroine, Lucy—as in “I Love Lucy”—and often thinks back to how Lucy would get herself out of the messes she has created.  Scarlet’s life is complicated by the fact that she has many friends and admirers and tends to never say no to requests.  For instance, she is deeply involved in helping the teens in her church (of which her father is pastor) raise funds for a third-world country trip; being maid-of-honor in her very best friend’s upcoming wedding and in fact, will be making the wedding cake for that occasion as well; she is deeply empathetic with the plight of at least one youngster who lives a very rugged life within her city; she is passionate about her bakery and making a success of it. 

    Scarlet has a very capable helper in her bakery: Kenny, a wonderful problem-solver in her many escapades.  However, an accident sidelines him for a while, and in steps Armando, the brother of a special friend.  Oh, did I mention, there is just a little bit of romance within this story? 

    All  the characters in this novel have background issues which influence what and how they are living and making decisions.  They are “normal” people who have been greatly affected by “little” things that happened in their childhood or by unthinking people saying things that should never have come out of their mouths.  Scarlet is quite sensitive to some of her issues and sometimes overcompensates for what she feels are weaknesses in her own life.  She is also a great listener and is able to help others overcome their own issues. 
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    Each chapter in this book has a small quote at the beginning; one which this reader appreciated said:  “Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”  It is a challenge to overcome the thought that one must get to the kitchen and whip up a batch of cream cheese frosting after finishing the book.  Lots of good laughs throughout, but also great recognition of the grace of God in our lives; He is our Companion, our Healer, our Partner in all we do.  I know you'll enjoy The Icing on the Cake!
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I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based solely on my experiences while reading this book.

0 Comments

Homeschool/Teacher Discount Card Sign-Up at Joann Fabrics

8/10/2013

2 Comments

 
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This post contains no affiliate links.

    Joann Fabrics & Crafts has now opened up this next school year's sign-up process to receive a teacher/homeschool discount card for everything in their store!  Yeah for frugal living and helping you save a little bit of money with each purchase during this next school year!

    After you sign up, you'll receive a 20% off coupon in your email, and then after 3-4 weeks, you'll receive your 15% off discount card in the regular mail.

     Here's the link to sign up:
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http://www.joann.com/teacherrewardsform/?icn=teacherrewards&ici=TeacherRewardsEnroll

    They won't ask you online to "prove" that you are a homeschooler, but the first time you take your Joann's homeschool/teacher discount card in to the store to be validated, you'll be asked to show something to "prove" that you are a homeschooler. You could use a card or letter from HSLDA to show that you are a member of that group or any homeschool association; you could also show them the letter you receive from your local ESD or school office that you have registered your children for homeschooling.

    If you are a teacher currently working in a school district (private or public), you'll need to show them evidence that you are teaching in that school district. 

    Have there been any other types of documentation you've used to show Joann employees that you are a homeschooler? Let me know!
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2 Comments

Frugal Educational Deals for Your Family

8/8/2013

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This page may contain affiliate links.
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    Looking for some fun, educational, frugal choices for your family as summer wanes away? 

    I was surprised to learn that these DVDs are currently selling for a great price right now! 

    When my girls were younger, they didn't fully understand Liberty's Kids programs on PBS, although Kelsi did enjoy them.  Brittany was simply too young at the time to figure out what they were about.
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$6.99 right now!

    So maybe this seems silly to you, but it made perfect sense to me.  When I saw that the complete series of Liberty's Kids on DVD was priced at under $7, I was thrilled!  That's 40 episodes - woot! 

    We won't be diving back into U.S. history for a couple more years, so this is a fun way to watch the beginnings of our nation and have some fun while watching and learning together with the DVD! 

    Brittany, at age 13, definitely understands what's going on in the DVD now - and while history isn't her favorite educational subject, she'd rather "watch" history instead of "read" history, so it's a win-win for all involved.  We're all enjoying watching this together!

    Don't worry.  I'll "make" her read more about U.S. history when we reach that point in our history studies again.  :)  I'm one of those "mean mommas." 

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The price varies from day to day (reg. $79.95)
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$6.99 right now!

    My girls loved-loved-loved The Magic School Bus episodes on PBS when they were younger.  I'll admit it:  my children are officially too old for The Magic School Bus anymore, but I still think they are made very well and present a broad exploration of a topic.  A few episodes point back to evolutionary concepts, which may or may not bother you as a parent - just so you are aware of this.

    I don't remember us ever being able to view Where on Earth is Carmen SanDiego, but I do remember having an inexpensive computer game featuring Carmen SanDiego.  It was a bit hit in our home!

    These educational DVDs are priced well for families and libraries.  I don't know how long they will be priced like this, although I do know that the Liberty's Kids DVD has been at lower prices off and on this summer.

    What are your favorite children's educational DVDs?
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The Letters:  Amish Fiction book review

8/4/2013

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This page may contain affiliate links.

A quick summary:

    When widow Rose Schrock turns her Amish farmhouse into a bed and breakfast, she expects there might be problems. The reaction of her cantankerous mother-in-law for one. Disapproval from the church for another. But what she doesn't expect is that the guests at the Inn at Eagle Hill will spill their problems into her life and into her heart. She also never expects the kind of help and support she gets from Galen King, the quiet and rugged horse trainer next door. Love, Rose discovers, can bloom in the most unexpected ways.

With inspiration from a true story and her signature plot twists, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Stoney Ridge for a fresh story of simple pleasures and strong faith in a complex world.

Joy In Our Journey's thoughts:

 
    The Letters is an Amish story, an Amish family with many complicated problems to solve, and an interesting view on their lives as God-fearing people who want to do the right thing but keep running into obstacles.  Young girls (and some men) looking for love and hoping to fulfill their dreams are often thwarted in their goals and have to look at alternatives. 

    Rose Schrock is a widow raising four children (five actually, but the oldest ran away from home and hasn’t yet returned).  Rose was left with some very troubling business problems by her late husband and she has taken it upon herself to make everything right, even if it takes the rest of her life to do so.  She is living with her mother-in-law who is suffering from something affecting her brain and thus, her thinking, and she has become very difficult to live with.  The family is very close, very loyal to one another, and very caring about each other’s burdens.

    Rose decides to make their house into a bed-and-breakfast and with a neighbor’s assistance, accomplishes this in a beautiful way.  Her very first guest, an “Englisher” is a woman who comes to their home with a huge pack of troubles herself.  The bed-and-breakfast soon becomes an oasis for this woman and she, in turn, is able to assist Rose in overcoming some of her own fears.

    There are many twists and turns for this family, with each member of the family facing their problems in special ways.  It is a fun story and brings smiles—and tears—to the reader.  How they eventually work out their problems with the help of God and His people is well worth reading about.  Rose is told by a friend, “Things can get good again,” and her realization of this truth brings much peace to her heart.

About the author:

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Suzanne Woods Fisher
    Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

    The Letters is available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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   I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based solely on my experiences while reading this book.

0 Comments

Busy on the Home front

8/4/2013

0 Comments

 
    If you think you haven't heard from me for a while, you're right.

    You haven't!  We've been a little busy on the home front.

    July has rushed past me, faster than I can even catch my breath!

    Here's a snapshot view of what July looked like for my family. 

    Are you ready? 

    Get set?

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    We started off the month with our annual 4th of July celebration with the family.  So that definitely means decorating for this special occasion:


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    ...and preparing some great food:
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Not really purple; Brittany was just having fun with photos that day!
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...to share with my family!

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Elmer, me, Brittany, Kelsi, and my parents

    We're not patriotic or anything.  :) 

    Yes, we enjoy the decorations, food, and fellowship with family, but we also have made it a tradition to read aloud the Declaration of Independence on Independence Day.  It's something that we all look forward to.  If you haven't read through it recently, I highly recommend it.  Many of the items listed there for reasons why our nation's founders wanted to separate from the British Crown are what we are actually suffering through as a nation right now.  Quite sad.


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   Then, I had two weeks left to finish the preparations for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party...

...which meant that my twin sister, Kristina, came down from Alaska for a visit!
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Kristina and Julieanne

    The six days I spent with my sister went quickly, too quickly.  But it was so wonderful to see her, the second time in about 7 years. 

    In no time at all, my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party was here!  Guests arrived from all over the west coast.  It was such an honor to be able to host this celebration.

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    That weekend was filled with social functions, at our church, and at our home.  It was fabulous to see so many relatives and friends together in one place!

    Since that weekend, we've had close friends come down to stay with us for several days, and we made a trip to Crater Lake.

    We've also hosted some missionary friends of ours who are visiting here from Florida.

    Among all these activities, our oldest daughter, Kelsi, has been performing in the orchestra for Fiddler on the Roof - so that means lots of rehearsals and performances.

    I think I've gone through a lot more gasoline this month, driving hither and thither!

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    What's planned for August?  I hope to share with you some handwriting practice pages full of interesting Amish sayings...and I plan to show you how we celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  We've been doing final preparations for our local county fair, and soon I'll be working hard on planning for our upcoming school year.

    In the midst of that, I hope to share with you some new book reviews, although my plan is to share them no more than one day per week.  You might find one day here each week that contains several book reviews altogether.

    I'd also like to continue sharing some low carb and no-sugar recipes we are using with our Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle.  We've really enjoyed making this a part of our family's lifestyle during the last six months.

    Hopefully, your July was filled with some JOY and fun!

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This page may contain affiliate links.

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    ​​Hi!  I'm Julieanne!
    You'll find me in the kitchen
    ​trying new 
    Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​


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Most Viewed on Joy In Our Journey:

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