A long time ago, a friend from church told me that in her prayers, she’d seen my life filled with such abundance that I would stop in my tracks and wonder why.
Every once in a while, I think back on this lovely friend, and her vision of my life, and I smile, because somehow in those moments, I’m filled with a gratitude and the very present knowledge that life is good, and everywhere I go, I’ve been shown grace and favor and love.
I know from my years (though not many, but neither too few) on this earth that it’s easy to overlook the things we have in our hands and wish for a better life.
It’s easy to look at what our friends or neighbors have and to covert those things – things like financial stability, being able to take one year off work to just travel the world, having careers they love, being married, whatever it is.
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It’s so effortlessly easy to forget what we’ve been given, or think less of it, when comparison comes into the picture.
I’ll be honest and truthful and admit that while I’m celebrating four years in Argentina, there have been times when I’d feel more overwhelmed with complaints than gratitude.
There have been days where I’d wish we were already re-located somewhere else, something where economic stability was the norm and not a mere memory, someplace different, anywhere else. In those moments, it’s easy to feel disappointed with life and worried about the future, and these fears and feelings of anxiety rob me of my ability to look around with sparkling eyes at what the present has to offer.
But today, as I take steps back and look at my life from the view of an observer, as I think back on my friend and her vision of abundance in my life, I realize that it is true.
I am blessed and am so much more fortunate than I could ever wish for.
I’ve learned independence and am living in an apartment, that while rented, is still my own.
It may be messy and small, but the mess is mine, and I unconsciously smile when I open my front door, because a rush of happiness fills my heart when I see my place. I look at the living room and my eyes fall on the wall above our white couch – where my painting hangs and says “Home is where the heart is” – and I’m grateful that I’ve had the chance to take up painting.
I’m thankful for Juan, and his encouragement and love, and I know that taking the risk and moving to Argentina was the right thing.
My thoughts go towards the many friends that I have made here – a few of whom have gained my confidence, trust and love, and the many more that I’m still getting to know better, but whose company I already enjoy.
I’m amazed that I’ve learned a completely new language in just four years, and this ability to speak Spanish, while not perfect, is a key tool in forming relationships and bonds and gives me confidence in a country that is not my own.
I’m glad for the job I found and have, and that its relaxing schedule allows me time to take up painting and photography and cooking and still leaves me time to write and blog my heart out to those who take the time to read. I’m glad I can live my story, without feeling the pressure to be who others expect me to be.
I’m so utterly grateful that now, instead of just one home, I have two (one in Singapore, the other in Buenos Aires).
Suddenly the world, which used to seem so crazy huge, now feels much smaller and nearer.
And while I’m literally 30 hours away by plane from my physical family, I have a family here that welcomes me with ever-open arms, and for that I am so enormously thankful.
I made this bread the other day, during the first days of autumn, when chilly winds kept me close to the kitchen, yearning for warmth.
The cold was another excuse to switch on the oven and bake, and I proudly did it anyway. As I leaned against the kitchen counter, one hand holding onto the glass bowl, the other mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon, I felt the heat from the oven filling up my tiny kitchen, comforting and friendly.
I thought about how Juan would later eat the bread, for tea or breakfast, with a smear of strawberry jam on the top, and I felt so fortunate to have someone like him to cook for.
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Life’s good, even in the days of cold, and where we look for it, there is magic, there is love, and there is happiness.
Days like these leave me in awe, of truth of my friend’s vision, of the abundance of joy and love and good things that are in every nook and cranny of my life, that have appeared and accompanied me in every instance since I’ve moved here.
And while I wonder why I’m so fortunate, I know it’s because I am blessed and God’s abundance flows freely.
GRAIN-FREE FLAX ALMOND BREAD (Makes 1 loaf)
Adapted from: Living Healthy with Chocolate
Ingredients:
1) 2 cups of almond meal
2) 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds
3) 1 teaspoon of whole flaxseeds + more for garnish
4) 1/2 teaspoon of salt
5) 2 teaspoons of baking powder
6) 1/2 cup of tapioca flour (or arrowroot powder)
7) 6 tablespoons of butter (or coconut oil)
8) 4 eggs, whisked very well
9) 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
10) 1/2 cup of unsweetened plain Greek yogurt (or coconut cream)
Steps:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit (180 deg Cel)
2) Mix the almond meal, ground flaxseeds, whole flaxseeds, salt, baking powder and tapioca flour in a large bowl until well combined
3) In a small saucepan, melt butter and then let it cool for 5 minutes
4) Whisk the melted butter with the eggs, apple cider vinegar and yogurt, making sure to whisk well to ensure a light and fluffy bread
5) Gently mix the wet ingredients with dry ingredients to form a batter, but do not over mix or batter will become too dense and oily
6) Pour the batter into a well-greased loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with whole flaxseeds.
7) Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
8) Once baked, allow bread to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from pan
*Note: Because of the ground flaxseeds, this bread tastes more savory than sweet. It goes well toasted with both sweet spreads but is also great with ham and cheese and scrambled eggs, just so you know.
P.S. If you’re wondering why I’m trying to eliminate wheat from my life, I strongly recommend Wheat Belly – a book that will empower you and make you determined to get rid of wheat and it’s terrible health effects!
So I Can’t have yogurt or coconut. What would you suggest to use in place of the coconut cream or the yogurt?
Hi Wanda, you can use the same amount of cashew-based cream/yogurt if you can take cashews.
Thank you for your beautiful blogs, also your glutenfree receipes are amazing,
I can’t have wheat so bread is off limits for me until I discovered your receipes?
Thank you so much, wishing you a very happy new year Mary 🎉
Hi Mary, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for your kind words, and I’m glad you enjoy the blog and the recipes. Happy new year and hope to see you around the blog again sometime soon!
Looks delicious. My daughter is gluten free so I will definitely try this one. I’m doing keto. Do you have the carbs calculated for this? Did I over look it?
Hi Susan, unfortunately I don’t have the carbs calculated for this. But I believe you and your daughter are going to enjoy it!
Hi
Thank you from writing from the heart. It was something I truly needed today. It is so easy to get caught up in life demands. We forget to appreciate the small things in life that in reality are the biggest things. I have been blessed to married to my best friend for 27 years an have two grown children we have raised but lately I have been down cause of small issues. My health and I am not where I really want to be living at but at the same time I am happy. It just seems like a constant uphill climb but we forgot to look around to see who is climbing it with us. Please keep blogging. I am guilty I usually just jump to the recipe but I truly enjoyed reading your blog an I will make that bread today with a smile on my face.
Smiles
Hi Nora, thank you so much for your kind words.
It touches me to hear from you, and my heart goes out to you during these times that you feel down. I know it’s not always easy to see the bright side of things (even being a natural optimist), and there are difficult days that makes the light at the end of the tunnel seem farther away. Hang in there, I hope your health gets better bit by bit, and that you feel better soon. Please know I’m thinking of you!
Also, thanks for writing again and sharing your thoughts, it always makes me feel more connected to others 🙂
Happy 2022 to you, and may this year be the best year yet!
xx,
Felicia
Thank you Felicia
I made that wonderful bread of yours even my picky 22 year old son just loved it. It will definitely is being added to my recipe book.
Smiles
Nora
Awww, it makes me so happy to hear that Nora!
Thank you for sharing, glad you and your son enjoyed this flax almond bread 🙂
Hope to see you around again soon!
xx
felicia
The arrowroot powder has a lot of carbs in it, any substitute for it with less carbs? Thanks.
Hi Jane, it’s not easy to find a less starchy substitute for arrowroot powder given that few flours are similar in terms of the characteristic. The closest substitute would be tapioca starch but it also has quite a few carbs.
Thanks so much for the blog. I have been strengthened and encouraged by your comforting words. I truly needed to read your blog today. Thanks again.
Mary, I can’t tell you how much your words mean to me – I am so glad that you feel encouraged by the blog as that’s what I hope for everytime I write a post. Sending love!
Can I use buckwheat flour instead of tapioca flour?
Hi vic, you should be able to, although I don’t know what proportions exactly you should use for the substitute. Let me know how it goes if u make it!
You know I was so full of complaints these past few days, and stress, that I also forgot about all the things I have to be thankful for. I have wonderful friends and family, and a roof over my head and good food on the table, and as frustrating as life can get, I should always be thankful for all the love I am surrounded by. 🙂 Your posts always brighten my day, Felicia, because they remind me to smile! That, and I can’t help but smile and drool over this grain free almond bread! Cut me a giant slice to have with my coffee for sure! <3
Jess, your comment completely made my day! I love knowing that what I write reminds you to smile and that it makes you happy, even if it’s just for a moment. I think, that’s true satisfaction for me!! Sending a large slice of virtual almond bread your way!! and plenty of love!!
Felicia: cómo siempre… re lindo lo que escribís!!! Y estoy muy tentada con estas última receta, el sábado compro los ingredientes!!
Hoy cociné un pan de miel pero no logro darle el punto. Siempre me queda un poco crudo adentro. Ya lo voy a lograr, porque me encanta. Eso sí, tiene harina de trigo.
María! Gracias por leer siempre! Ojala que te guste este pan! Tene en cuenta que como es una receta que no lleva harina, la textura obiamente va a ser distincta al pan que estamos acostumbrado. Pero me encantó este pan igual! Avisame si salío bien o no!! Un beso!
p.d. hay un truco facil de chequear si la parte adentro del pan queda bien (por ahí ya lo sabes!). Uso un toothpick (escavadientes) y pincho el pan in el medio. En general, cuando el toothpick sale limpio, ya esta el pan. Si no sale limpio, deja el pan en el horno unos 5 minutos más y fijate de nuevo! 🙂
This is a very thought provoking post and I’m glad to have found you again. 🙂 What a beautiful almond bread and yes, life is good and sometimes we just need to step back and take a look around our home and feel the love. Hello Felicia.
HELLO Seana! I’ve missed you! thanks so much for dropping by and leaving your comment. I hope you’ve been well? Sending plenty of love!