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Friday, April 2, 2010

My morning and a healthy low fat treat!

I am linking up with One 2 Try for Friday Follow. If you want to find some different blogs to follow head on over and see all the links!


I like to get up early in the morning....
... I like my quiet time.

Every morning,

I crawl out of bed at 4:30 a.m.


It's so much cozier in my warm bed, but I know that if I don't steal away now...

I will not have another opportunity at quiet, uninterrupted time.


I pull on my workout clothes and a hoodie...


...stuff my toes into my soft warm slippers...
...and make myself a nice hot cup of herb tea.

The house is dark.
Quiet. Still.

You can hear the water trickling in the fish tank. But nothing else.

My cup warm between my palms.


Husband. Daughter. Son. Dogs.
All in bed.

I sit down at the table, say a little prayer....


...and open my scriptures...

...I'm coming to love this time with my scriptures...


...The time slips by so fast! ...

I put on my running shoes, jacket, headband, gloves and running watch

I slip out of the house to the dark quiet street, lit by the moon and street lamps for a quick run.

I love the quiet, the solitude, the peace.

My steady breathing, my quiet footfall....


...I finish my route and return to the quiet, dark, still house...


The sun starts to come up...

and rustling can be heard in the rooms.


Husband is still sleeping, he stays up way to late...


...Sloan is popping into the shower...


...Chauncey is wandering down to the other shower...


The day, whether I like it or not, it about to begin.


And it won't be for another 23 hours that it will be this quiet and dark and still again.


But no matter how tired I am...

I find a way to crawl out of bed before the rest...


...because if I don't...


...I *feel* it.







I'm going to share a little secret with you. I don't eat the baked goodies I make. I taste them, then I put them under glass for my kids and sweet hubby to eat. So, I'm going to share one of my favorite almost fat free snack with you! If you're use to eating the high fat popcorn, you'll have to make this a few times before you really start to enjoy the taste of the popcorn and not butter. I remove the un-popped corn kernels that's left in the bottom of the bowl, then I reuse the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It doesn't stick really well to the popcorn, and I don't want to use a lot of Pam.

Carol's Cinnamon Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn
3 tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pam

I use an air popper to pop the popcorn. Pop it into a big bowl.

Mix the Splenda and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spray the top of the popcorn in the bowl with the Pam and sprinkle with the Splenda mixture. Toss with a spoon, then spray and sprinkle again, toss and spray and sprinkle again. Now enjoy this nice treat!




Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a Chunky Bling Ring! You can find all the details here!

Traci over at Beneath My Heart is doing a great giveaway! You could win a $25 gift card to Garnish, a really fun online store that has lots of fun containers for packaging food.

You can also win a $50 e-card to Slim Perfect, an online fitness clothing store. Stop by Today's Giveaway for all the details!



10 comments:

prerna said...

Am an early riser too and even though I push the snooze button once too much, I still love getting out of bed before everyone else, simply because like you, I cherish my quiet time:-)
Thnxs for the yum recipe. Quick question- am from India and so don't think we get Pam here. Any substitute??

Let's Just Give It Away said...

Wow that is too early to me. Following you from Friday Follow. :)

www.letsjustgiveitaway.com

Pokey said...

Great post, Carol! Into God's Word first, always a great beginning. I have been an early riser from childhood, but when I became a mom, I would feel I was running to catch up all day if not the first one up.

Thanks for the popcorn suggestion, I love popcorn, and really need to work on getting the fat intake reduced.

Thanks for the inspiration! pokey

Jess said...

How long have you been waking up that early? I've been thinking lately that it would be good for me to get up before my family to pray and read my bible but I have always had a really hard time waking up in the morning. This post was very inspiring, thanks.

Carol said...

I've been getting up early for about 5 years now. The scripture study was a New Year's resolution, and I'm really lovin it!
In the summer I leave the house about 5:30am to go for long runs in the mountains a few times a week. Gotta get done before the rattle snakes come out!

VJ said...

Just stopping by from New Friend Friday!

Vicki
http://inthesandboxcomics.blogspot.com/

Rockin Momma said...

I'm a new Friend Friday Follower! Visit me at http://www.rockindeals4you.com/?p=1116 and sign up for my newest giveaway!

Linda @ Linda's Lunacy said...

Hi
I stopped by from Friday Follow. I'm following you now.

That popcorn sounds good, I'm going to have to try that!

Jennie said...

Loved your post today :) I keep thinking about getting up before the kids, but I like it when they come and cuddle with me in bed! I'll probably start getting up earlier this fall ;)

Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas said...

Hi.. I’m Barb from Friday Follow..I'm new to this but have found such wonderful people doing these parties & link ups. I wish the rest of the world could be as uplifting & supportive to each other as I have experienced here. I hope you will pop over to see my blog & get inspired for your family/ home & that you w, too.ill become a follower of mine too!! Barb
P.S. I am having my own link party (Monday April 12th) for recipes, crafts, makeovers, whatever you have been working on…“My Creative Space Monday” @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com
…..I’d love you will join up