Chocolate Almond Joy Bars
(A Diana Special)
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup coconut milk (canned)
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- ¾ cup palm sugar
- ½
cup blanched almond flour
- ½
cup coconut flour
- ¼
teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼
cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, almond extract and palm sugar
- In a smaller bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda
- Mix dry ingredients into wet with a handheld mixer
- Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips
- Grease
an 8" by 8" baking dish
- Pour batter into dish, then sprinkle shredded coconut and remaining chocolate chips on top
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes
- Cool for 1 hour
- Serve
We’re Not Blended We’re Pureed – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds
A circle is a symbol of unity, eternity, and completeness. The wedding
ring represents eternal love and the persistently renewed promises of a
couple. Some Scandinavian women wear three bands: one each for
engagement, wedding, and motherhood. In medieval England, a bridegroom
would slide the ring partway up his bride’s thumb, index, and middle
finger, saying “In the name of Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit,” as he slid the ring up each finger. He then placed the ring on
the next available finger, the third finger of the left hand. Today,
the wedding ring is an easily identifiable indication of marital
commitment. Luanne and her husband-to-be had special matching
gold bands made for all members of their blended family. The family
members exchanged the rings during the couple’s wedding ceremony.’ (I loved this idea!)
If
you have ever been married, had children and then found yourself single
again, no matter what the reason, this book is for you! Author Diana
Lesire Brandmeyer and Co-Author Marty C. Lintvedt (a licensed, nationally certified professional counselor), through the writing of We’re Not Blended
We’re Pureed have given us a list of what to expect, what not to expect
and what you might never have dreamed of expecting, if you take your
family and combine it with another. They cover everything from how to
plan the wedding, while including the kids to which home is the most
practical to take up residence in. Diana, through her own experience, as well
as the experiences of others, walks you through the emotions that
you may find yourself feeling, those that your soon-to-be or already new spouse
may feel, and just as importantly, the
feelings the children may be feel. And she doesn’t stop there!
Some
of the topics brought to light are simple things such as…do I take my
kids to your dentist or their own dentist or do find a new one for all
of them? Same with pediatricians. In her own experience, she moved
over an hour away from her home as well as her 2 son’s old fashioned
doctor who didn’t mind being called in the middle of the night. Her new
stepson’s pediatrician is stuffy and makes her feel incompetent when
asking questions. And since she did agree to move into her new
husband’s home, what happens to her own home? Can they afford the
upkeep on both or should they sell hers? And how does she make his home
hers? Since the house originally belonged to he and his deceased wife,
there are memories in every nook. Can she change these and start new
memories?
And then there are
the kids themselves. Diana, who also lost her husband, has 2 sons. Her
new husband has 1. Her sons follow a routine requiring them to be in
bed at set times at night and rising early. Her stepson is quite the
opposite. He stays up late and sleeps late. Who takes control in
making the changes…husband or wife? Or should there be a new set of
rules set into play?
Authors Diana Lesire
Brandmeyer and Marty C. Lintvedt, go on and on bringing up one possibility after another. They hits on things that I personally would have never thought of. There's religion, holidays, money and of course the deceased’s surviving family to
consider. And one topic I would have missed completely is adoption.
Should the kids be adopted by their new parent or left with who they
already are? And most
important…how do the kids feel about not just the adoption but all
topics. It seems that for a lot of us out there, we think about what we
want and forget to ask the kids how they feel about our decisions,
which is a mistake. Your decisions will affect their lives too.
I could go on and on
about this book as it goes on and on all the way into the empty nest
stage, but I won’t because I want you to read it for yourself. We’re
Not Blended We’re Pureed is one of the best books I’ve ever seen in
offering help for families that are planning blending. The ideas,
suggestions and experience given to us by the author is without a doubt...
priceless.
228 Pages
ISBN# 978-0-7586-1791-0
I love that title and am looking forward to reading this one.
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