Banana Crumb Muffins
Original recipe makes 10 muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
tablespoon butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease
10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda,
baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas,
sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the
flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared
muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour
and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture
resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
~Isabel Delacruz~
source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Crumb-Muffins/Detail.aspx"
~
Word of the Month:
Affection
Fond attachment, devotion, or love. Emotion; feeling; sentiment:
~Eliza Bennet~
~
Movie Review:
At the age of 4 a little girl who still had never
spoken a word was diagnosed with autism. Her
mother was told that her daughter should be
institutionalized. But this little girl's mother
never gave up on her. This girl struggled
through life, not understanding the people
around her and she was continually picked on
for her "lack of intelligence." But her mother
worked endless hours teaching her little girl to
talk and to be able to interact with people. It
hurt the mother's heart when kids would pick
on her sweet little girl. But she knew her
daughter was "different, not less."
Years later this little girl has grown up and is
an American doctor of animal science and
professor at Colorado State University, a
prominent author and speaker on the subject of
autism, and consultant to the livestock industry
on animal behavior. This special girl is
portrayed in an award-winning biographical
film - Temple Grandin.
All because her mother never gave up.
~Charity Clothespin~
~
The Benefactor
A serial by Aelsa Butler
A young widow sees the hand of God providing
for her through a mysterious friend.
To read earlier entries, please visit our website.
Two
"She's what?!" Bryn could not believe her ears.
"Anemic." Bluntly, the doctor handed her a sheet of paper. "I'm sure this isn't easy for you, but I can't change the test results."
"Low red blood cell count. I... just don't get... I mean, I already know that she's borderline diabetic. I don't understand! Josie doesn't eat junk food, I breastfed her for over a year, and I buy organic when I can. By the books, this shouldn't be happening to her. She should be perfectly healthy."
"What is her father like?"
"Dead." Bryn said sharply. "But he was a Marine —180 pounds, fit as a fiddle, and as healthy as they come. He died in combat of a head shot wound about a year ago." Her voice caught. "There was nothing wrong with that man."
"I see." The doctor stood with a busy glance at his watch. "Well, Dr, Kinglet should be ready to see you now. Please wait here."
Offended by his lack of sympathy and impatience, Bryn merely nodded with a frustrated sigh, and brought her legs up on the examination table, pulling her daughter closer. "Strong. I said I'd be strong."
There was a knock at the door. Lifting her head, Bryn invited the new doctor in. When the door opened, and he entered the room, Bryn found herself surprised. He was not the stereotypical graying, short, slightly overweight physician. Somewhere in his early thirties, with wavy dark reddish blonde hair and just about six foot, Bryn wondered how he didn't become a real estate agent, actor, or journalist.
"Hello. Mrs. Meadows, believe?" He smiled and took his seat. "I'm Eric Kinglet. I hear your daughter has anemia."
"Yes. This is Josie. She was acting really weird yesterday, kind of dreamy, which I attributed to her struggle with being hyperglycemic, but before I could get her some grapes or something, she completely fainted. I brought her to the ER, they ran the tests, and here we are. I just don't get why all these things are happening, because I'm perfectly healthy, my husband was perfectly healthy, and I've always fed her the right food. I also don't like working with Dr. Gregg, because he blows me off on doctors like you who have a million other places to be, and I don't have the money for treatments." Bryn realized with some embarrassment that she sounded like a maniac losing control, going headfirst off a worry-cliff.
But Dr. Kinglet only cracked a lopsided smile. "I understand. Well, starting with the Dr. Gregg thing, don't worry about it on my behalf. My next appointment isn't until eleven thirty. If you continue to feel that Dr. Gregg is not the right fit for you and your daughter, feel free to switch doctors at any time— Dr. Gregg is my boss, and I completely understand your misgivings regarding him." He chucked softly and reached for the test results. "Next, let's talk about the diagnosis. Fainting is a sign of severe anemia, but she is very young, and will probably not have a heart attack or anything else really serious, because, as you say, she is relatively healthy. When you say she was acting kind of dreamy, she was probably dizzy, and it's possible that the fainting was due to other things in addition to the anemia, such as the hyperglycemia, or even just hunger. Anemia is actually fairly common, so it is possible that you have a history of anemia in your family without knowing it. Jaundice, aching or weak muscles, shortness of breath, rapid heart beat and coldness of skin are all symptoms that accompany less severe cases. Do any of those symptoms sound familiar?"
Bryn shrugged. "Maybe. I can't really answer questions like that right now."
"What do you mean?" This comment seemed to sadden and slightly confused the doctor, and he leaned back.
This was taking an awkward turn. Bryn didn't ever really want to talk about herself, especially to a stranger. "I mean that I've got so many things going on emotionally, that I can't tell if I'm okay physically. Put simply, I'm mourning the death of my husband overseas, and until I conquer that, I won't be able to know what's normal."
Bryn could tell Dr. Kinglet wanted to know more, but with some obvious reluctance, got back on track.
"Anyway, even if you do not have a history of anemia, I believe there are things you simply can't control." He paused again. "Mrs. Meadows, I know it's kind of awkward, but put very bluntly, you and I go to the same church. I know a little about you and your past, and I want you to realize that God has a plan for your life, and for Josie's. This is a part of that plan, and you have to realize that God isn't bound by genetics and medicine, because he made them, so we need to put that behind us, and try to move forward to help Josie feel better."
Bryn smiled. It was kind of weird, but she realized his acquaintance with her was well-founded. "It thought your name was familiar! I've only been coming for a month, but I know you're a deacon there. Well, it's nice to meet you! Anyway, I know you're right, but it's just frustrating, you know?"
"I do. I work with a hundred kids and their parents who are frustrated, and I want to help you not only treat the condition, but help you deal with that frustration at the same time—but trusting God is going to be a critical part of that, and as I work through the physical, we both need to accept that God is in control, which will help us emotionally."
Bryn nodded.
"Okay, treatments are not actually that pricy. The most expensive option is blood transfusion, but that is also the least preferred. We won't need that for your daughter. Basically, she needs to take iron supplements, which I'll prescribe for you now, and occasional blood tests to monitor her progress. With these precautions taken, she will in all likelihood live a very normal life. Besides the supplements, be sure she's eating foods high in iron— red meats, leafy vegetables, eggs— with foods high in vitamin c to help her process the iron. That would be fruit like strawberries, cherries, citrus, kiwis, as well as more leafies and brussel sprouts. In this way, you will be more than able to control the condition."
"Thank you so much." Bryn exclaimed as she finished taking notes, scribbling as any as she could while he shared the information. "Would you mind giving me your card so I can call you if she needs something?"
"Sure thing. Here you are. I'm glad I've been able to help. I do have to get going, but feel free to make another appointment as needed." He stood, and extended his hand, which Bryn shook. "See you Sunday." He cracked another sideways grin, and took his leave.
Bryn collapsed into her car seat. She knew she should be feeling confident and at peace after the things Dr. Kinglet had said, but her heart had suddenly become heavy again, and she couldn't even pull out. Josie seemed likely to fall asleep, and the reminder of there being a carefree state drove Bryn to rest her head on the steering wheel and cry.
"I can't do this, God, I simply can't do this." After a few minutes she sat up and sighed, brushing away her tears. "But I've got no choice. I have to push through and be strong."
That evening, after she'd put Josie to bed, she collapsed onto her own bed, pulled a box of tissues to her, and dialed her pastor's wife.
"Hello, Carrie speaking."
"Hi, Carrie, this is Bryn."
"Hey! What's up? How did that appointment go today?"
Bryn sighed to try to clear the lump that was already rising in her throat. "Her red blood cell count is low. She's officially anemic."
"Oh, Bryn."
"Well, it's not as bad as it could be. It was pretty bad at first, because Dr. Gregg didn't talk about it with me, but threw me off on a colleague, who did a much better job of communicating with me. You know Dr. Kinglet, I think."
"Oh, Eric! Yeah, he's a great guy!"
"Yes, and I've decided to switch over to him for any future things. Anyway, he told me that I just need to give her these iron supplements, and feed her certain good foods, and it will be under control. The thing is that, for the next year at least, there will be occasional blood tests and doctor visits to pay for. I don't know how I'm going to pay for that."
"Bryn, don't stress yourself out over the future. I know that your husband would be very sad to think that you are so worried. Keep your chin up." Her voice sounded encouraging, with a smiling tone.
"I know he would, but I can't hear him anymore. He's not there to call and counsel me. I have to face this stuff all by myself, Carrie."
"Bryn, you are not all by yourself. Besides Lou and myself, you have a Friend who will never leave you. God is waiting to take this burden from you. He is waiting for you to give it to him so He can show you how strong He is, and how free you can be. You can't do this by yourself, Bryn. I mean, you can try, but you will fail."
Bryn couldn't say anything. The catch in her throat wasn't going away.
"Bryn, there's someone here in Princeton that loves God and His people. This person, generally assumed to be male, makes it his business to help care for the local believers, and even some of the lost, by leaving money for them in various places. It's always the same; a white business-size envelope with a name typed on it, and a yellow sticky note with a hand drawn smiley face. Inside, is an amount in cash. The people of Princeton call this unknown individual "The Benefactor". His identity is a closely-guarded secret. We ourselves were recipients of such gifts a couple of years ago, when Lou was battling cancer. This is an example of the amazing and mysterious ways through which God provides for His children. He will never ask you to do this alone, Bryn, and what's more, if you try, He won't let you."
Bryn listened in amazement to the last sentence, tears spilling down her cheeks. Unable to trust herself to speak, she listened as Carrie gently called her name a few times, then all Bryn heard was a soft click.
"God will never ask you to do this alone, and what's more, He won't let you."
Editor/Author Note: This serial is a trial run on
my part. I’d love to get fellow amateur writers’
opinions on it as I experiment with the idea of
completing this novel. Thank you! ~A
