stronger

I can't say I've loved everything that's taken place in the past few years in my life. Changes come that completely throw me for a loop at times. Try as I might, I can't control every element of my life, especially not the decisions of others.

The past few years have been teaching me something new though -- when you allow time to run its course, those experiences that may have taken you by surprise - those are the ones that make you stronger. Those are the things that make you the person you are today.

So, yeah, if I had total control there are things in my life that I'd probably change - ill experiences I'd rather do without. But, if I had my way, I certainly wouldn't be near as strong as I was made to be.

heartbreak

It is estimated that 2 children are sold every minute.

About 1.2 children are trafficked annually.

The United Nations estimates the total market value of human trafficking at $32+ billion a year.

Human Trafficking is now considered the 2nd largest and fastest growing illegal trafficking activity in the world.

www.ijm.org
www.love146.org
www.unicef.org

granola

Despite my deep love of granola, I have never tried making any from scratch... until today that is. And, for whatever reason, I didn't expect the granola to release such an enticing aroma while cooking. The scent of cooking oats fused with coconut oil was oh-so alluring. Needless to say I was quite anxious to taste the result.














I was rather pleased with the product - a granola that tasted so completely natural and fresh - nothing like the packaged processed store-bought varieties I so frequently consume. In the end, it had a nice sweetness that wasn't too overwhelming - just what I was hoping for.

FYI: I followed a recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking with a few slight alterations.

in the kitchen

There is something therapeutic about baking and cooking, so I'm hoping to do a lot more of it this summer.

Today, I tried my hand at baking some "healthy" cookies. I must say it's a bit odd making cookies without butter, eggs, flour or sugar. They actually turned out to be pretty delish if I do say so myself. Check out the recipe here.