Today is our last day of skiing for the season, and it also happens to be the first day of World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine that my boys will be participating in. Their final meal is supposed to be lunch today, and they will break their 30 hour fast at 6pm on Saturday evening. The 30 hours will include sleeping overnight with all of the local teens involved, but it will also include service projects in the community, games, and biblical discussions regarding hunger and our call to feed the hungry. Participation also requires raising money that will go directly toward feeding hungry children, and if you’d like to support them in this cause, here’s a link to Kory’s fundraising page.
Speaking of hunger and those in poverty, we sent Robert off to the Dominican Republic last night. He’s traveling with two grad students from our church who have a passion and great ideas for helping out in an area of need there. This is a preliminary visit to discern the specific needs of the community and ascertain the feasibility of taking a group from church there in the future to work on projects to benefit the people living there.
Skiing and fasting will be a challenge today! My crew is always famished on Friday afternoons and evenings when we arrive back home ~ and that’s after stopping for snacks along the way. So, we’re taking extra care with the packing of lunch for the mid-skiing-day-lunch = plenty of protein and filling foods!
My Facebook news feed has provided me with all sorts of food inspiration, and this week the theme seemed to be “Blondies.” There were two different varieties and both were naturally gluten free! I didn’t have all of the proper ingredients to make either of the recipes my friends posted {Thanks, Jenny and Alyssa!}, but I did come up with a similar recipe last night.
Feasting Before the Famine Bars
{a.k.a Quinoa Peanut Butter Bars}
1 1/2 quinoa flour {I ground whole quinoa in my Vita Mix grain container}
1/2 cup flax meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter, smooth
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 package {12 oz} chocolate chips
Beat together butter, peanut butter…then eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. In another bowl sift together quinoa flour, flax meal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly before serving.
These are pretty packed with protein! Quinoa, flax, and peanut butter all contain quite a large dose of it. It won’t keep my guys full for 30 hours, but I’m hoping it will help them recover from skiing a bit while preparing to fast!
Oh ~ and please pray for ALL of the men in my family who are engaged in much ministry and outreach over the next few days! I’m so proud of them. I wish I could say the same for Kayla and myself, but alas…we will be doing a very privileged American thing = Easter dress shopping. ☺