Easy Apple Breakfast Bread

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Prep time 15. Bake time 70.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour                                          1 cup vegetable oil

2 medium apples – peeled and diced                      2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon salt                                                       1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda                                          2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup walnuts or raisins (optional)                           3 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, nut or raisins and apples in large bowl. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs and cinnamon in a small bowl; add to flour mixture and stir unit just moistened. Evenly divide between 2 loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. About 70 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Toddler in the kitchen tip –My little one isn’t ready to scoop and measure ingredients yet but he loves to dump. I pre-measured everything and put them in small plastic mixing bowls so he could dump them in at the right time (I put the salt and baking soda in with the flour and the cinnamon in with the sugar.) I also let him crack the eggs. He said that was "SO FUN"! Just make sure you add the eggs first so you can scoop out any shells bits. 

The bread tasted great, the house smelled amazing for hours and making it with him was a blast.

I long to hold you

I don’t have a very snuggly kid. He gives great hugs and kisses and will occasionally sit on your lap for a short story, but for the most part, he prefers to be in constant motion. He was only 8 months old when he stopped letting me rock him to sleep. I love that he is independent but I miss those days.  

Saturday morning he woke up with some tummy troubles. From 7am until about 12:30 he sat in my lap. He wasn’t in terrible pain or anything dramatic, he just didn’t feel good and wanted to cuddle with Mommy. We watched The Lion King and most of Finding Nemo then read Are you my Mother?, Go Dog, Go! and Green Eggs and Ham approximately 637 times. Each. 

He took a short nap on me around 9:30 and as I stroked his little cheek, I had to smile. I don’t ever want him to be sick or hurt, but at the same time I love that he came to me and let me take care of him. I love that this fantastic, sweet, independent little creature slowed down, for the first time in almost 2 years, enough to curl up in my lap and just be close to me.

As I said a little prayer for him that he would feel better and thanked Jesus for letting me be his Momma, I had a God moment. This is what He wants from me.

“…How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together around Me, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you would not!” Luke 13:34

He wants me to stop being in constant motion. He wants me to put aside everything else, crawl into his arms and just be with Him. He is my dad. He loves me so much more and so much better than I can ever love Justice and though he’s proud of me and takes pleasure in seeing me accomplish things, what he wants most of all is for me to snuggle up with him every once in a while.

Like Justice, I give hugs and kisses to God, little prayers of thanks and praise throughout the week. And I may sit with Him for a few minutes to hear a story but it’s not until I’m sick or hurt (usually emotionally) that I really tuck in with God and let Him take care of me. 

I remember how close I felt to God as we traveled through infertility. I know He is always beside me, but during that time I was actively reaching for His hand. I spent hours in prayer and meditation. I read and read and read His word. And I felt at peace. During the most challenging years of my life, even when I was aching for a child, I was at peace.

Why is it so hard to keep that closeness when things are good? 

That is my simple prayer this week. Help me to be still Lord.

He is, I am, and we are.

Once again I am blown away by the talents God gives other people. I was searching for new music and found myself lost in the world of Audrey Assad. WOW! God is using her for some amazing things. Her perspective and ability to share her insights in such an eloquent way is absolutely divine.

This is a short post from her blog from years ago ...

“Don't you see Me watching you?” He asks, His laughter thinly veiled. I feel simultaneous terror, exhilaration, and amused. He is funny…and watchful. Something He once told me is ringing in my ears…”I’ve known you forever.” Suddenly I feel so seen. He is a witness to my entire life, from the knitting of my bones to my tiniest discontentment, my most secret joy. How strange and beautiful to be seen, to be watched, to be witnessed.
I am more naked than I understand. Even my skin doesn’t come between my God and me, nor does the rib cage around my heart. No. He is, I am, and we are. I am a pulsing vein, and He is lifegiving, oxygen-supplying Blood. I breathe the air of heaven in His whispers.
And everywhere I look He winks at me.

WOW! Right?

I am amazed at the gifts she has. For me, it's easier to see God's hand at work in gifts I don't have. Not only can't I write like this, I can't even think like this until God puts someone like Audrey in front of me. I'm not envious of her writing ability but I'm envious of her ability to see Christ in such a vivid way. I want that.

Precious Lord,
Thank you for the gifts you have given me: mercy, service, encouragement. You have given me so much but still I pray today that you open the eyes of my heart more. I want to see you in all of creation and praise you with every pulse of my veins. I want to see you wink at me everywhere I go. I want to please you and praise you and share you in everything I do.

I love you. Amen.