A Random Recipe: Peach Crumble Crisp

as i was munching on trader joe's granola yesterday i thought to myself: this would make for a speedy topping to a fruit crisp! and then i spied some peaches atop my refrigerator and decided to try it out!

today we were met with success- the kids and i loved it! (though Clover said it would taste even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, to which i concur).

so as we say goodbye to summer and begin looking for signs of fall, here is a transitory dish with some of the best ingredients of each season: peaches and cinnamon and crumbly toppings!

here is how to make my original random recipe:

Peach Crumble Crisp
serves 8-10 (or in family language: feeds 3 kids 7 yrs and under, a mama who went back for seconds with enough left over for a few sneaky mouthfuls while cooking dinner, a serving for grandma who stopped by and a decent helping for their dad when he gets home)

Ingredients:
5 ripened peaches
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (if you have never heard of this, substitute with cornstarch)
1 tbsp coconut flour (if you haven't heard of this either, substitute with wheat flour)
2 generous tbsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (sucanat or coconut crystals would work well too but may need a little extra as it isn't as sweet)
TJ's Vanilla Almond Granola Cereal (any granola you have on hand should work but this is the one that inspired me and it pairs deliciously)
half a stick of butter

Instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. grease a smallish baking dish (as you can see by the picture i used a small square baking dish)
3. pit and slice peaches, then cut slices in half
4. in a bowl, toss peaches with arrowroot powder, coconut flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar
5. pour mixture into baking dish
6. generously sprinkle granola over the top of the peaches until they are completely covered
7. slice pads of butter and evenly distribute over the top
8. bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees; finished when peach mixture is bubbling and granola is lightly browned
9. remove and let sit about ten minutes before serving
10. best enjoyed warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

to Kairos (Nov 2014): Bites of Brownies & Sacrifice

This weekend I was scheduled to bake for Kairos Quest. Normally I would have grabbed a baked good from the store (being pregnant, 3 little kids and lots of Sunday responsibilities makes weekend baking difficult) but due to our family's ever growing dietary restrictions, baking from scratch is our best bet. As I stood over the stove, shifting my weight from right to left and willing the baking chocolate to melt faster, thoughts of mothers and fathers thousands of years ago began to play in my mind. 

How many pregnant women with full and bustling lives and less amenities to make life happen had spent their time preparing offerings to The Lord from the best their kitchens had to offer? There IS something to the sacrifice. The giving of your time, your money, your skill your best. And even still, God is looking for this heart condition: O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken an contrite heart, o God, you will not despise. 

I have been thinking on this passage for a couple of weeks now. I prayed for myself yesterday to bake with a joyful heart, despite what would not get done around our home. I prayed for each little mouth that would bite into these brownies, that they would hopefully enjoy the taste of gluten free healthiness 😬, but most of all that they'd feel a sense of Gods love and get to encounter Him at our worship gathering. I prayed for our volunteers and our teachers and for future volunteers as well. And I prayed for all of you coming tonight, that the heart condition would be what matters most, for it is what makes the most of any encounter with God, be it prayer, worship, serving, or actively listening to the message. 

❤