Have Your Apple [Crisp] & Eat It, Too

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Yesterday, I went to a bbq with friends. Granted, it was inside, and our hamburgers were grilled courtesy of George Foreman. But nonetheless, it was a bbq - we wore cute summery clothes, brought covered dishes and sipped on cold drinks. Thus I decided on the spot that bbqing should happen at least once a week from now through the summer.

My assignment for the get-together was to bring a dessert (no surprise there). With the endless possibilities of dessert choices - pies, cookies and cakes, oh my - I settled on bringing something with fruit. So apple crisp it was. It was really easy to make and even more delicious to eat. Minus the whole oh-man-I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that feeling afterward. Because you'll feel at least a teeny bit proud of yourself for getting at least one [or two] servings of fruit in your day.

I knew apple crisp and I were going to be friends as soon as the toasty cinnamon smell filled my kitchen . . .

Healthy Apple Crisp

[from here]

What you'll need:

1/2 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose [or wheat] flour
2/3 cup firmly packed brown [or raw] sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg [optional - I didn't have any at home so I skipped using it]
3 tbsp butter, melted
4 Granny Smith apples [or, if you're short on time, 2 cans of all-natural apple pie filling]*
1/2 gallon low-fat vanilla ice cream or fro-yo


What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. While it's preheating, spray/grease a 13"  x 9" baking pan. I used glass but ceramic or your pan of choice should be a-okay.

3. Grab a mixing bowl and throw in everything but the apples and ice cream - that would be the oatmeal, flour, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg, as well as the butter. Stir until it's well mixed and small clumps of oats and flour begin to form.

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4. Next, suds up and clean those apples. Then peel, core and slice them into skinny slices. *Or if you're going the apple pie filling route, simply take your handy-dandy can opener and open your apple cans. Convenience to the max!

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5. Take your apple slices or pre-made apple filling and spread it evenly over the bottom of your baking dish.

6. If you've ever been a flower girl, here's your time to shine, again: grab a small handful of the crisp mix and gently toss over the layer of apple like you would down the white aisle runner on the big day. Repeat until you've covered it all/run out of mix [err . . . petals].

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7. Pop it in the oven and let it bake for about 28 to 30 minutes. When smells of crispy apples and baked cinnamon will begin to waft out of the oven, it’s close to being done.

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8.  Cut yourself a slice and enjoy. Serve it while it’s still warm with a scoop of ice cream/fro-yo if you’re so inclined. I left the ice cream at home yesterday so we had it sans topping and it was unabashedly yummy.

How much it makes:

10 to 12 small bowlfuls

Free Classes During DC Yoga Week

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Whether you're a yoga guru or a causal class attender, there's something for everyone during DC Yoga Week. From May 15th to May 21th, studios around the District are opening up their doors for free or greatly discounted classes.

If you've ever looked at the Mall and thought, "This would be a great place for a sun salutation," you will not want to miss Yoga At The National Mall this Sunday. Hundreds will gather at 1:30 P.M. during this sixth anniversary - all ages and levels of experience are welcome. 

The mission behind this yogalicious week is to" increase awareness about the benefits of yoga and meditation for people living in the DC area, in an attempt to help encourage greater physical health and well-being in our community." So grab a mat and try out a few classes. And not to worry, NoVa, your week of all-things-yoga is coming soon to a studio near you!

DC studios offering F-R-E-E classes:

- Unity Woods:

- Flow Yoga Center

- SomaFit

- Bikram Yoga Tenleytown

DC classes at $5 a pop:

- Unity Woods

- The Studio DC

- Flow Yoga Center

- Bikram Yoga Dupont

- Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill

- Capitol Hill Yoga

- SomaFit

- Bikram Yoga Tenleytown

- Stroga

- Tranquil Space Yoga

True Story

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"When all is said and done, Satan cannot win, and you cannot lose."

Bible study teacher and writer extraordinaire
Beth Moore, Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman

Mother's Day, Pants Check + Tornado Relief

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• This Sunday is Mother's Day. If you haven't already snagged something lovely for your mama, check out Refinery 29's gift guide for last minute inspiration. It's better late than never, right?
  

• Do stretchy yoga pants really count as pants? What about jeggings? For your reading pleasure, the folks over at StyleIte have put together a hilarious step-by-step guide to make sure that those things on your legs are indeed pants.
  
  
• The big brick house of Home Alone fame is now up for grabs. According to Jezebel, you, too, can play Kevin McAllister and pull your fair share of paint can flinging and crowbar slinging shenanigans in the home's 14 rooms. For $2.4 million, that is. 
  

• After hundreds of tornadoes crashed through Alabama, leaving only a path of destruction in its wake, it's hard to imagine how much grief and loss they've experienced. Patra, a fellow Southern belle and the fabulous blogger behind I Do Declare, has posted a great list of ways we can help those who were severely affected by the storms.

It's Raining? How Ironic

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You know those days when something happens that's so wonderfully inspired and it makes you think, "I couldn't have even planned this!"? That was my morning.

I was quickly walking from my apartment to work in the midst of the morning downpour, thinking to myself, "Really? It has to be raining right now? I love showing up to work soaking wet." But as I kept walking, my iPod, set to shuffle, started playing "Grace Like Rain." Oh my goodness. It was so cool to suddenly hear

"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me

Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."

Sometimes God reveals his truths to us in a literal way, like He did this morning. His grace has been poured out on us abundantly [1 Timothy 1:14] and we are justified freely through Christ's redemption [Romans 3:24].

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see so clearly."

He has redeemed us through his blood; we have the forgiveness of sins and the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7].

"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed!"

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." [2 Corinthian 12:9]

"When we've been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to see Your praise

Than when we first begun."

And you know something? I didn't so much mind getting wet after that.

Click here to listen to  "Grace Like Rain" by Plumbline.

What's In Your Purse?

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Clutch, tote, purse, satchel, handbag - it has an unending supply of names. [Even the men have jumped aboard in on our bag-carrying ways]. Regardless of what we call it, it's main purpose - besides being adorable and matching our outfit, of course - is to assist us in hauling our necessities all around the city. To work, out for lunch, for errands, grocery shopping, out to dinner. . . you name it, our purse goes there.

Want to know a little secret? I went through a phase [a very short one] where I insisted upon not carrying a purse at all. It weighed me down, I didn't want to have to worry about it coordinating with my current clothes, blah blah blah. So, instead, I kept everything I needed in my . . . car. Yes, you heard that right. My trusty Corolla became my clutch, tote, purse and handbag all rolled into one. If I couldn't carry it with me, I simply tossed it in my backseat.

Think of Mary Poppin's carpet bag, just scattered throughout my car. Good times.

But not that I've grown up kind of grown up, I prefer to use a nice, large purse for everyday use. Some things that can most assuredly be found in it at any given time: car keys, quarters, floss [though I'm trying to break myself of my bad habit], makeup, my fave black Moleskine, Burt's Bees hand sanitizer, a few pens, my phone charger, the Bible, a water bottle or coffee thermas, Emergen-C packets, sunglasses, ear buds, a collection of random of business cards, fliers, several wrappers and other bits and pieces of things I'm not exactly sure of.

Perhaps spring cleaning my purse is in order? Yes, it's decided.

What's in your handbag? Are you a stuffer? Or do you fill it with just the basic essentials?

Making A List, Checking It Twice

Inspired by my friend W's charming blog, I decided to put together my own list. Of what? What to list, what to list. And then I decided: things that make today a lovely day. So here goes:

• waking up while it's still dark out but knowing that my Heavenly Father is in complete control of the day about to unfold

• insanely funny co-workers, as mentioned here and here. We have more fun in a coffee shop than should be allowed.

• newly painted spring pink nails

• a 12 minute nap. Not that I timed it exactly but that's pretty close to accurate. 

• studying through the book of Esther with my small group. Seriously can't get enough of!

• when friends bring back souvenirs from their trips abroad. I'm now the proud owner of a sparkly little rojo zapato magnet. Will be adding to the fridge right away.

• free Chick-fil-A for dinner, courtesy of Teacher & Admin Appreciation Week. To whoever decided to officially celebrate educators everywhere, you're the best!

• my after-work workout. It feels so good to run/walk/bike ride and enjoy the beautiful weather. Enough said.