RECIPE

Chocolate Coconut Balls
(almost raw)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
2 Tbsp almond butter

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Roll into Tbsp size balls and roll in a little bit of extra unsweetened shredded coconut.
Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Eat right from the freezer or let thaw a few minutes.
Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer.

I found this recipe from Ruth Naylor in her cookbook Gleefully Gluten-Free! Healthy Desserts & Snacks. One of my favorites and for you health nuts it is an extremely healthy and satisfying treat. Bonus: it only takes about ten minutes to make!  I had my oldest son help me mix it all together and I rolled it into balls and let him roll it in the coconut and put it on the paper plate! Even my kids love this treat.

Hubby/Best Friend

I have been feeling exceptionally grateful for my husband as of late. The cliche of I fall in love with you all over again every single day is so true in my marriage. I just have to say I am the luckiest woman in the world and couldn't ask for a better husband or best friend! I already said he does most of the work in our garden, but he also does the laundry, the vacuuming, the dishes about 3/4 of the time, maintenance on our cars, regular furnace filter changes, fills my car up with gasoline regularly (because I hate to do it!), makes sure I always have a supply of the vitamins and supplements I take each day, works full time as a carpenter to help provide for our family, is one of the most loving fathers I have ever met, is patient and gentle with me and our children, is a great example, and is just an all around amazing person! And I don't have to ask him to do those things, he just does them! I know I take him for granted more often than not. I have to admit that when my youngest refused to come to me and only wanted daddy I was quite jealous, but it was so sweet to see daddy playing with our baby boy. I want him to know how much I love him and how grateful I am for all he does for me and our family. And of course for all of the support he gives me in my journey to becoming a full time author. I love you babe!

About Me

I am thinking of starting a Q and A. If you have a question to ask (and it is intrigues me!) I will answer you back. I will post the question and my answer at my earliest convenience. For some very basic Q's and A's...

Q: Favorite color?  

A: Purple (surprise! haha).

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: A black lab/chow (chab chab) named Sam and a black house cat named Zee.They have actually grown to really care about each other and it is so sweet! My oldest son also has a frog that we raised from a tadpole (named Frog) and a gold fish to keep him company (named Fish). Isn't my little guy so original! My husband and I also had rats when we were first married (Prince and Scruffy), they are really smart and fun. Unfortunately they only lived about 2 years. We had to take down our cool tropical fish tank when we first moved into our current home because the excessive amount of sunlight it received kept the algae thriving too well and nothing we did helped for very long. 

Q: Favorite hobbies?

A: Besides the obvious reading and writing I also love to sing and cook. I might not be the best at singing or cooking, but they sure make me smile! 

Q: Where is your favorite vacation spot?

A: I haven't been very many places, but a place I have always loved since I was a little girl is the west coast. Especially the beautiful scenery between Longbeach, WA and Tillamook, OR. There are a thousand places to camp or rent along there and I recommend anywhere closest to the water!

Q: What is your greatest ambition?

A: If I could ever become a full time writer I would feel so blessed! However, I am currently an RN and I absolutely love my work. I am blessed with a great career in a great company and may decide to some day further my education and get my Master's. Who knows, I may even decide to keep going and become a Nurse Practitioner! 

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: The first response that comes to mind is, "I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens!" -Drew Barrymore as Danielle in Ever After

Q: What inspired you to write Healer's Destiny?

A: I have been writing silly things ever since I was little and I love to let my imagination run away to where ever it pleases. Healer's Destiny started taking form right after the birth of my first son. As explained in "Sweet Baby Boy" I am in the habit of rocking my children to sleep. This habit probably formed because my first son was such a horrible and stubborn sleeper (or stay awaker). While I spent those long hours rocking him in the chair, trying to keep from getting frustrated, I would think about my fantasy worlds. Healer's Destiny was born! Every character was formed and every landscape took shape in that wonderful (and I swear ancient) rocking chair.   

  

Now your turn! Send me a question and I will do my best to answer!

  

WHY GARDEN?

Okay, so I don't have a high horse about organic living, though I can see the benefits and how it is better for our bodies to choose such a lifestyle. However, my high horse is focused on the simplicity of gardening. This is my family's second year of growing our own garden and the blessings from it have been so amazing. Not only do we have our own worm hole leading into the produce section at the local supermarket, but we also have a responsibility as a family to work together to keep the supply going. It amazes me that my five year old is so willing to help water our plants and keep an eye out for weeds. I have what I like to call a "black thumb" (yes, I kill bamboo!) so my hubby tells me what to do and my five year old reminds me to do it so it gets done. Without my family and a little faith it wouldn't be successful. I will admit my hubby spends more time working in the garden than I do, but he tells me how I can help.
Our family lives in a townhome with almost no land to speak of. How do we garden you ask? Containers! We never thought it would be so successful, but we filled up our pots with normal potting soil and we feed them once a week while watering to keep the nutrients replenished. Our front patio is covered in beautiful plants that give us a rich supply of fruits and veggies all through summer and fall. The best part is going out front to pick some tomatoes for our fresh BLTs or peppers to go in our breakfast burritos. We thank our Heavenly Father daily for the large supply of fresh food he gives us through a little work and tender loving care!

SWEET BABY BOY

I have to admit, I rock my baby boy to sleep at night... or my hubby does. Just like we did with our first sweet baby boy. The problem, you ask? When sweet baby boy wakes up he can't get back to sleep on his own. In fact, my oldest still needs us to be in his room until he falls asleep also. It is very convenient at bedtime that we decided to have our boys share a room. The best part about it though is the family time it gives us before bed. We read as a family, say our prayers, and then mommy sings. It has always been that way and I hope it always will be. I have to remind myself at four in the morning that when sweet baby boy wakes up and needs me it is really a blessing. As he gets older he isn't going to depend so much on his parents and I will lose that special time with him. It reminds me of the song "Your Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins. And the more I think about it, the more I realize I really am going to miss it.

RECENT READ

Airel

Loved this book by Aaron Patterson! I felt the entire story was very original and going from one time period to the other was fantastic! I couldn't get from one page to the next fast enough. Airel is descended from a fallen angel as described in the book of Genesis. With the presence of the Brotherhood she develops the gifts that the fallen angels brought with them from heaven. All of the physical and emotional changes from growing up are compounded with the supernatural changes she is facing. She is being hunted though she is unaware until she is kidnapped. With her is the love of her life, Michael, who just happens to hold a very dark secret. Airel faces the twisted idea of becoming attached to her captor and also faces the abstract idea of where her powers come from. Left open for the sequel, I am very excited to jump into the next book, Michael. Very well written! Read it and share your thoughts!

RECENT READ

Witch Song

This book, by Amber Argyle, was amazing! It is about a young witch named Brusenna who has to learn how to use her powers by herself after her mother disappears along with all the rest of the witches of their world. The way the witches in this story use magic is by singing (very original!). Following her mother's journal, Brusenna finds a hidden and deserted community named Haven where she finds a library of magical songs and histories that she studies. Aided by a young man named Joshen (yes there is a sweet little romance built into the story) and a group of sailors, Brusenna searches for the evil witch Espen who has captured all the other witches and is using their powers to wreak havoc on their world. By doing this, Espen hopes to gain control of all mankind. Brusenna not only fights a long sea voyage, witch hunters, bad weather, hunger, fatigue, serious wounds, and even a shark, but she also fights her own self doubt and feelings of inadequacy. This is one of a very long list of favorites I hope you will take the time to read and enjoy! If you have read it, let me know what you thought. I, personally, can't wait for the next in the series!!!           

WELCOME

Hey everyone! My name is Julee and welcome to my blog. Thank you for your patience while I am learning how to do this, it takes me a lot of practice to learn new things when pertaining to technology. haha I do plan on making regular updates and answering all questions I can that I receive. So please keep checking back with me and feel free to ask away and get involved in my blog! I hope to tell you more about my book, Healer's Destiny, and also about my family, home life, favorite books and authors, and anything else I might decide to talk about. Hope you enjoy and thank you for all of your support!

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 Healer's Destiny  by Author  Julee F Page. A Wonderful YA read!! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164594.