Corn Packs

Here in Oregon it is ... well, freezing in the winter.  Being a Colorado-girl from the Rocky Mountains you'd think I could handle cold.  But I've learned a valuable lesson -- the humidity in Oregon makes the cold way worse than the dry cold in Colorado!

Our house was built in 1918...  Let's just say...no insulation, inefficient furnace, etc.  You get the point.  And if you didn't, the point is -- it's COLD.  So we've come up with very creative ways to stay warm.  The most common one is to simply make a Corn Pack...actually, we make Rice Packs as it is easier to find rice than it is to find non-popping-corn. (At least, that's my opinion.)

If you want to make one though, this website has a great step-by-step instruction to make a very easy one! :)  Hope you stay warm as we finish out the winter -- and maybe these Rice or Corn Packs will make it a more pleasant task!

Google on Femininity

        Recently, while searching for ideas for this blog, I had the brilliant idea (or not so brilliant) to search for the word “Femininity” on Google.  Suddenly, before my eyes appeared the most horrendous words and images.  I closed the browser as quickly as possible but the images had already managed to burn themselves into my mind.  Was this Google’s definition of femininity?  If so, they has missed the mark completely! Despite my highly filtered internet connection, Google had managed to corrupt that word so thoroughly, that I’m not sure if there would have been anything left on the screen if my filter had been more successful at doing its job.  But it was not just Google - Google only displayed the rest of the world’s definition of what femininity is all about.  

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Let’s start by getting a few things straight.  Femininity is not about being a girly-girl with pink frills and a  “Don’t break my fingernail” attitude.  Femininity is not about wearing skirts and perfume, nor is it out to prove to the world that women are superior to men.   Google’s definition seemed to be biased around any sort of perversion that had anything to do with a woman’s figure.  But each of these perspectives is wrong.  They have perverted and shown off something that was designed to be very good and very special when between a man and his wife.  Something that had been created to be a very valuable treasure, has been turned into a cheap thing that you can buy at any gas station.


So what is true, pure, real femininity?  The answer to that is something that can never adequately be described by words.  It begins in the heart with a gentle and kind spirit.  Femininity is very difficult to achieve without being able to see a good example of it lived out in real life.  But it is possible.  The biggest problem is, there are so few truly feminine women left.  Some of the most feminine women that I have ever seen have characteristics such as, an un-explainable strength, and yet they are quick to serve others.  Self respect - not in a prideful way, but displayed in such a manner that they know they do not have to show off their bodies to gain attention or value.  Women like these are not just born, they work to become the way that they are.  That is what pure femininity really is - not some perverted thing that makes men act like animals rather than being the men that we truly need them to be.  Femininity may be a very bad word in today’s society, “Pure” femininity is something greater than money could ever hope to buy. 


  ~ Missy 

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We Need Your Vote!

          Hello to all our Pure Femininity readers!  We need your help!  If you have looked around on our blog at all, you may have had the thought that PF could really use a new look.  We completely agree! - but we need your help!  We have a few new blog designs but we just can't chose which one would be the best and so we're asking for your help!  Post a comment and let us know which new look is your favorite!  We also need help choosing the font for the header of our blog and would appreciate your vote on that as well!  We would love to hear from you!


Backgrounds:

Background #1

Background #2

Background #3

Headers:

Header #1

Header #2

Header #3

Thank you for your votes!

Worldly Christianity?

I've been thinking a lot about Christianity and what it really is all about.  For instance this is how people now seem to equate Christianity:

1. Tim Tebow.  A football player who prayers by the sidelines and thanks his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2. Billboards that say "Why you should accept Jesus' friend request."
3. Wearing shirts that say "Satan Sucks" or "WWJD."

Now, that doesn't mean that any of these things in and of itself are bad...  I don't necessarily agree with all of them, and none of them am I a particular fan of.  But this is how Christianity equates itself now.  It's all about who has the loudest voice.  All about the biggest fad.  And oftentimes they aren't "bad"...they just are not the "best."

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 states: "That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you make lack nothing."

I have noticed the majority of Christianity wants to be accepted and mainstream by the entire community.  But in Thessalonians, we see that this is not how God destined Christianity to actually be.  We are to lead quiet lives and to let our actions be more than our words.  It is not about being the best football player, the best billboard, or the best phrases.  It is about our actions and quietly living for Christ.

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

With my husband getting up at 5:30am every morning to go to work, I usually am a little too groggy and pressed for time to make him a full breakfast in the morning.  So I look for things that I can make the night before and quickly warm up or simply serve the next morning.

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One of our favorites has become the Baked Oatmeal!  It is simple and easy to make and relatively healthy...especially if you make a few changes.  The changes I make are these:

• Substitute 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup applesauce (if you do this, be SURE to grease the pan!)
• Substitute 1 cup regular milk for 1 cup almond milk
• Substitute 3/4 cranberries for 3/4 apple chunks

Simply back with these changes and you have an amazing, pre-prepped breakfast! :)  Hope you have many yummy breakfasts in the future!

RAW Carrot Cupcakes

If you are looking to eat more healthy and want a special treat - this is an absolutely wonderful recipe!  I hope you will try it and enjoy!

This recipe is very flexible and so every time we have made it, we have tried something new!  It turns out amazing every time! ........ well...... almost every time. ;)

~ Missy

Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe by Missy


1 1/2 cups almond flour   ( View how to make your own almond milk/flour )
1 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 cup ground flax seeds
6-7 tablespoons ginger (Yes, I said tablespoons)
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup honey or agave


Thoroughly mix all of the above together then chill the dough for 30-60 minutes.  Press out the dough on a flat surface that is lightly sprinkled with almond flour.  Use extra almond flour to help keep the dough from sticking. Cut out desired shapes by with a knife or cookie cutters and use a spatula to gently move each cookie onto a dehydrator tray.  Dehydrate overnight or 10-15 hours.  Cookies should still be soft but not dough-like.


Great for Christmas gingerbread men or all year around cookies!

Brussel Sprouts Surprise

Recipe Delight - Brussel Sprouts!

Okay, chances are that some of you are thinking 'did she really say Brussel Sprouts? Gross!"  Well, I did say it and I want to share a recipe that I had the happy accident of stumbling into this past week.

I have never been a fan of brussel sprouts.  I tried fixing them once and the only person who really liked them was my Mom - but then she likes things the rest of us don't. . . i.e. clams. *Shudders*

So, when she handed me a bag of brussel sprouts and told me to make them the way I had made them before, I didn't know exactly what to do (as I had tossed that recipe. :D). 

I didn't have much time, so I tossed them together with a couple ingredients and stuck them in the oven.  The result was astounding - and everyone loves them!!!  Including me.

So, without further ado, the recipe:

Ingredients:1 bag brussel sprouts
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning Mix (I used store-bought, but you can find a recipehere.)
Pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Lightly oil a shallow glass baking dish.  Wash and quarter the brussel sprouts into the baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and pepper. Cover the dish with foil and pop your lovely veggies into the oven and wait about an hour, stirring once.  Jealously guard your serving when it comes out of the oven, you may not get anymore. 

I really love the way these turn out, they're so creamy when you bit into them, yet there are those lovely crispy parts that are somewhat black and delicious - as they are roasted.  Sorry I don't have a picture, I was too busy eating them!

So, there is one problem with my recipe, it doesn't have a name.   I was in favor of calling them simply "Roasted Brussel Sprouts", but Missy, my sister, insists it must be called the "Dollhouse Cabbage Casserole"!

This is where I appeal to you, my dear followers.  I need your vote on the name.  Should it be one of the above, or something completely different?

Happy in the kitchen,

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Recipe: Sour Cream Twists

Ever want some sweet bread, but nothing too sweet?  Want something unusual, but something everyone will still like all the same?

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A friend of mine posted this recipe (Sour Cream Twists) on Facebook and I decided to give it a try for an appetizer contest at a Christmas party.  They were a huge hit.  Within 3 days I had given out the recipe 10 times - they were that good!  :)

These Sour Cream Twists might not be the healthiest thing around, but they are perfect for serving with teas, coffees, or hot chocolate.  Hot or cold - they are deliciously light and sure to be a hit amongst whomever you serve!

Sour Cream Twists