Vim and Vigor

A summer reading challenge for my teen daughters

 

( My second eldest daughter, is pictured above.)

This summer, I decided to put out a fun challenge for my daughters. During their free time...which they do have...between youth work trips, vacation with the family, volunteering at our local vacation bible school, working as junior servants at a local camp, not to mention time with friends! It sounds like every minute of their summer is taken up. However, they do have plenty of free time, to just be themselves.

For those of you who may be curious, I have 3 daughters. Two of which are teenagers, (turning 17 and 16 this summer), and one daughter who is just 5. My two boys are young as well.

So, onto the challenge.

I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of books for reading this summer, (and yes, I told them I'd pay them for completion of the challenge ;) These books are at times, challenging, entertaining and inspiring. Most of them I have read, though some came recommended by good friends. Of course, there are so many good books out there, it was hard to narrow it down! 

They have to have read 12 of these books by the end of the summer....which brings us to one a week...(I am saying the challenge is roughly 12 weeks from June through August. One of my teens is a voracious reader, and one could take it or leave it. (Hence the money reward!) Some weeks they will be so busy, no reading will get done at all, I'm sure. But, other weeks there will be plenty of leisure and reading time. I hope your daughters, (or you!), might enjoy and grow from some of the books listed......

1. Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

2. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

3. Any 3 missionary stories you haven't read yet, from YWAM publishers (Example of one.)

4. See number 3.

5. See Number 3.

6. Let me be a woman Elisabeth Elliot

                                        -- or --

     Passion and Purity

7.  A young woman after God's own heart by Elizabeth George 

8. I kissed dating goodbye by Joshua Harris

9. A young woman's guide to making the right choices by Elizabeth George

10. Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy

11. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

12. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

13. Joni: An unforgettable story by Joni Eareckson Tada

14. Life without limits: Inspiration for a ridiculously good life by Nic Vujicic

15. A long walk to water: A true story by Linda Sue Park

 

 

:: This Moment ::

Teaching the art of "gentleness" to our 2 yr. old

This Moment is inspired by Soulemama

Double chocolate chip cookie recipe

 

This recipe is something one of my daughters came up with yesterday. I am excited because I LOVE the Double chocolate cookies they sell at Subway.....even though I am sure they are full of mystery ingredients. Not something I want to think about my family eating often. 

We try to stick to the 80/20 rule. We eat real food with no mystery ingredients 80% of the time...and so the 20% of the time that we do have food that's not so good for us, I don't worry about it. 

We live in a REAL world, with REAL temptations. And, we also have 5 (going on 6!) children in our family. I don't want to be known as the "food nazi mama", who never lets her kids have birthday cake at a party, or snacks at a church event because they are aren't always "real food" snacks.

These cookies would freeze well, so make a big batch, and enjoy them without the guilt!

 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (we use sea salt)

1 1/3 cup sugar (we used raw cane juice crystals)

1 Tablespoon molasses

2 sticks of butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (we made our own; learn how here)

2 eggs (we use free range from a local farm)

2 cups chocolate chips

1/4 cup milk (we use raw, whole milk)

A dash of all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together dry ingredients, (except chocolate chips), in a bowl.

Add, molasses, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Now fold in the chocolate chips.

 

Spoon tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.

Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.