Healthy Almond Poppyseed Muffins

We're all big fans of Costco's Almond Poppyseed muffins, but we're trying to avoid seed oils as much as possible. It turns out melted butter works great instead of vegetable oil in muffin recipes, so that's a win. 

We also had a whole bunch of good zucchini that I wanted to put in muffins, but my kids aren't crazy about the texture of traditional grated zucchini in muffins. So I wondered if it would work to puree the zucchini, and use it that way. Turns out it works great. Just put the raw zucchini in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. No need to cook it or strain it or drain it.

And finally, why use poppyseeds when you could use chia seeds? Chia seeds are a great source of protein, and I only had one tablespoon of poppyseeds on hand, so I was happy to do half poppyseeds and half chia seeds in this recipe. I think next time I'm just going to skip the poppyseeds and do all chia seeds. 

Recipe:

1 pound pureed zucchini (about two small)

1 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs (or 4 medium eggs)

4 Tablespoons Almond Extract  

2 Tablespoon Poppyseeds (or Chia seeds)

3 cups flour (may substitute up to 1/2 c protein powder)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix together wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients, combine until just mixed. (Did you know over-mixing muffin batter can give the muffins a dry texture? I just learned this.) Pour into muffin tins, bake at 375 for 12-18 minutes.

P.S. The small 4 oz bottles of Almond Extract at the grocery store has enough extract for two batches of muffins. I searched high and low for a bigger bottle, and have been really happy with this Almond Extract from Amazon. It ends up being half the price per ounce!

One Rural Doctor's Thoughts On Covid-19

photo by Bess Blakey

This article has been shared with permission from the author, who just happens to be my father. He has been a physician for many years, and serves as the medical director at a small hospital in a little town in Idaho. These words are relevant to all of us, especially to those of us that live in areas that haven't been hit hard yet by the Covid-19. 

If you don't have time to read all of this, read the end.

SOME THOUGHTS ON COVID-19 IN BOUNDARY COUNTY

by Gregory Botkin M.D.

31 March, 2020

I will begin with an apology. If you are reading this with hope of finding scientific clarity you will be disappointed. I thought the best way to do this would be to address the questions that now haunt the people of our county.

Is COVID here? 

As of this writing we have no laboratory confirmed cases in Boundary County. The hospital has sent out 17 or so. 13 came back negative, four are pending. I think it a mistake to estimate viral presence by lab results. We may have had COVID in this community for weeks or months without knowing it. The signs and symptoms are often very mild.

How many of us will be infected? 

As stated above, there may already be some penetration into Boundary County. Corona Viruses are highly contagious and spread through a region pretty easily, especially if the population is immunologically naive. Isolation may slow this down. I do not believe it will stop it. I cannot guess at percentages because we have not yet been able to collect critical immunological data. That should begin to change this week as we start measuring IgG antibodies.

Are the isolation mandates reasonable? 

This is impossible to answer without good prevalence data. We hope we are slowing the surge in emergency departments and ICUs in the areas hardest hit, which now seems to be worth the sacrifice. I am watching the numbers from Singapore, wondering if lockdown really stops viral spread. Prescient governance with balanced liberties ought to be a work in progress. The ecology of COVID will be better understood in a few weeks; one would hope such intelligence would increasingly inform policy.  

Why do a few people get deathly ill with COVID while many, perhaps most, have minimal symptoms? 

We don’t know. This is being looked at very closely. We are desperately trying to find treatments that block the metabolic breakdown we see in our most severe cases. Maybe it’s personal genetics, or past infections, or environmental exposures, or some combination of these. Thankfully extreme disease seems to be rare.

Are there things I can do, besides isolation, to lessen my risk? 

There are no shortages of folk remedies for COVID. Many are biochemically plausible. Garlic, fungi, zinc, Vitamin C, strong teas, Brazil nuts, etc. We have good research explaining the anti-viral properties of some of these measures, none of it specific for COVID. Do your homework and try these protections if you are so inclined. Getting outside for exercise, work, and gardening may be the best medicine of all, especially during the beautiful springtime weather just ahead.

Why has testing been so ineffective? 

The science of building a reliable chemical test is highly complex. It takes trial and error to get it right and no one had time for that. The biochemists brought us the best tests they could make. It was an amazing bit of chemistry but far from perfect. In addition, sampling technique must be precise for reliable results, and no one knew what made for best technique. Nasopharyngeal sample? Oropharyngeal? Bronchial washings? Automated or manual processing? Then came the shortages – not because of conspiracy or mismanagement, but because you can only cook so many pancakes at once and some people have to wait. The shortages necessarily forced eccentric testing philosophies. Whom should we test? Asymptomatic juveniles? Yesterday’s trauma death? The various tabulations are going to paint very different pictures of COVID’s virulence.

We are now looking back with the realization that many of the negative tests were probably false negatives.  There are estimates of 50% error rate in China, and what we have used here in the states through the CDC may not have been any better.

Expect a change this week. A new generation of very precise tests has been cleared by the FDA and is being shipped to the front lines.

Can we have some of those tests? 

Yes and no. Our hospital has been capable of doing this kind of analysis for a couple of years. We have the instruments here to run the most accurate testing protocols available with a turn-around time of about 45 minutes. Unfortunately all the new testing reagents are going to the areas hardest hit by the pandemic. We will begin next-generation testing the moment we receive our reagents.

Will we, the Boundary County public, know the results? 

We report numbers to the CDC as mandated so they can monitor trends. I believe locals should have effortless access to local data. Names and identities must remain private, so we must take care to publish results accordingly.

If I develop cold-like symptoms could it be COVID? Are there other viruses still going around?

When we evaluate respiratory disease here at our hospital we screen for 17 pathogens that commonly cause upper and lower respiratory disease. This is a lab test. So we usually have a rough idea of active infectious disease in our county. There are currently a handful of pathogens that could masquerade as COVID.

If I get severely ill what can I expect? Is our hospital ready? 

I have been impressed with the work the hospital is doing to get ready for this. We have a college of well-trained and well-informed workers who are putting the pieces together with careful confidence. But please remember: when a Boundary County resident becomes ill they should expect support from a network of caregivers – not just our hospital. Your primary care provider will play a big part. Paramedics are ready for specialized transport if necessary. Suppliers will be needed for home oxygen and equipment. Our Panhandle Health District will assist us with organization, especially as we follow those who remain ill in their own homes. Kootenai Health in Coeur D’Alene or other hospitals in Spokane may be part of your care, and their state of preparedness is both smart and strong. Together we will master this, one case at a time, although none of us know how that will look.

I would like to cut through the fog and read the scientific papers myself. Can I do this? 

The journals I read are making daily updates. If you have access to the internet you can read the same reports. Look at UpToDate for clinical summaries. Their material is reliable, succinct and easily understood. Go to the American Society for Microbiology for molecular biology, epidemiology, testing and policy recommendations. The American Chemical Society covers the molecular details of the science, some of it very complex, some of it plain. These three publishers, along with many others, have established open access to their COVID-19 materials. Boundary County residents should take advantage of this unprecedented movement in scientific publishing.

What comes next? 

What comes next will be difficult. We will have some positive test results from people right here in our county. When you get that piece of news it may feel like the demon of plague has planted his feet on our soil and started swinging his scythe. We will feel even more frightened than we feel today, and we will be tempted to reach for whatever weapons we have in our defense.

In my mind something else is happening.

These positives, these members of our community who show current or recent infection, are the earliest pioneers of an emerging society. Some will be actively fighting this thing, crushing and shredding viral particles day by day, killing this disease, perhaps preventing it from coming to your door. Think about that. These souls will be quarantined, largely unaided by medical science, isolated from the community’s companionship, supported entirely by devoted (and co-infected) friends and family. Some positives will have finished that battle, perhaps effortlessly, perhaps through indescribable pain and struggle, a few having come within heartbeats of death. And some positives we may lose. These will be our most fragile neighbors, lost in that fight, lost in the same way we lose neighbors every year to influenza and norovirus and cold viruses and heart disease.

As we do more testing in Boundary County the number of positives will probably rise. This does not signal the end of our world. It does signal the need for unusual courage, careful analysis, and extraordinary compassion. Medical science cannot stop this storm. But it can assist a good community that is determined to gracefully and courteously push through to the other side. And after twenty three years of practicing medicine here I believe this is who we are.

Are you finished yet? 

Almost. I would like to tell you some of those things that crowd into my mind in hard times…because this disease, like so much in medicine, can break your heart. I would like to write some of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful we have time to prepare. We can look at Italy and China and Seattle and try to calculate what might best serve us here. I am thankful for the personnel and infrastructure in our medical community, which I believe to be unusually solid. I am thankful for the heroes I work with, nurses and lab technicians and physicians, all these with families at home, putting on their gear and going out to do the exam, collect the samples and ascertain the extent of a patient’s illness, every time, every case. I am thankful for the brilliant and cooperative spirit I have seen in medical sciences worldwide, and for open access, for the internet, and for educational and cultural opportunities for those isolated at home.

I am thankful that winter is on the run, that the fields are ready for the farmer’s wisdom and the farmer’s seed, and that an extravagant inland northwest is about to dress herself in springtime’s glorious light and quickening perfumes.

I am thankful to be reminded of human frailty, remembering that it is common and universal, as are spontaneous expressions of human mercy. In our suffering, as in our instinctive turning to attend the suffering, we are disclosing the deeper qualities of who we truly are, and the similarities now manifest in every region of the earth confirm our enduring place in the family of man.    

I am thankful for our immune systems. I am deeply thankful that this virus touches our little ones with a light hand. I am thankful for those who have fought this virus and crushed it, for the way these raise their fatigued bodies and tested minds, and for the way they seize hold of today, ready to receive the best gifts their new world has to give.

GTB

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is our favorite. My parents and siblings all come together and we feast and fellowship.

Easter

Happy Resurrection Sunday from our family to yours!

Courage, Dear Heart.

For Rebecca.

Drinian’s hand shook on the tiller and a line of cold sweat ran down his face. The same idea was occurring to everyone on board. “We shall never get out, never get out,” moaned the rowers. “He’s steering us wrong. We’re going round and round in circles. We shall never get out.” The stranger, who had been lying in a huddled heap on the deck, sat up and burst out into a horrible screaming laugh.

“Never get out!” he yelled. “That’s it. Of course. We shall never get out. What a fool I was to have thought they would let me go as easily as that. No, no, we shall never get out.”

Lucy leant her head on the edge of the fighting top and whispered, “Aslan, Aslan, if ever you loved us at all, send us help now.” The darkness did not grow any less, but she began to feel a little—a very, very little—better. “After all, nothing has really happened to us yet,” she thought.

“Look!” cried Rynelf’s voice hoarsely from the bows. There was a tiny speck of light ahead, and while they watched a broad beam of light fell from it upon the ship. It did not alter the surrounding darkness, but the whole ship was lit up as if by searchlight. Caspian blinked, stared round, saw the faces of his companions all with wild, fixed expressions. Everyone was staring in the same direction: behind everyone lay his black, sharply-edged shadow.

Lucy looked along the beam and presently saw something in it. At first it looked like a cross, then it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a whirring of wings it was right overhead and was an albatross. It circled three times round the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded dragon at the prow. It called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words though no one understood them. After that it spread its wings, rose, and began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to starboard. Drinian steered after it not doubting that it offered good guidance. But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, “Courage, dear heart,” and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.

In a few moments the darkness turned into a greyness ahead, and then, almost before they dared to begin hoping, they had shot out into the sunlight and were in the warm, blue world again. And all at once everybody realized that there was nothing to be afraid of and never had been. They blinked their eyes and looked about them. The brightness of the ship herself astonished them: they had half expected to find that the darkness would cling to the white and the green and the gold in the form of some grime or scum. And then first one, and then another, began laughing.

-C. S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Chapter 12

BessBlakeyDesign

I am so pleased to announce the launch of my very own Etsy store! I've always loved making jewelry, and now I can share it with the world! If you're interested in seeing more, head on over to etsy.com/shop/bessblakeydesign

Bryan and Juliette

I took this last week late one night. I'm realizing it is one of my favorite photos ever. I never cease to be amazed at what a great father this man is.

Sisters

My four daughters, each when they were one day old.

Juliette Margaret

We are so thrilled to announce the birth of our fourth daughter, Juliette Margaret Blakey. She came screaming into our world last night at 10:52 pm. After a bit of a scare and mad rush to the hospital awhile after dinner, we learned everything was actually fine, but that those contractions I'd been ignoring actually were labor, which I had a hard time believing. And then in almost no time, she was in our arms, 7 lbs, 3 oz, 20 1/2 inches long, and perfect and healthy and so wonderful. We are so thankful to God for His grace and goodness to us these last nine months, and are so overjoyed to have her here.

Nine Years

This photos was taken 9 years ago today. I was so excited to marry this man, but honestly, I still had those tiny twinges of uncertainty. What if he's not actually perfect? But then I would remember the way he treated his mother and sisters, those in authority over him, and those at his service, and I knew he was a good man.

Truthfully, our marriage hasn't been perfect. We are two imperfect people, and we have had a few trials and tears along the way. But because he has shown me what it looks like to be humble and ask forgiveness (for both great and small offenses), our home is rich with joy and laughter.

He is gentle and strong, firm and gracious, patient and hard working, smart and just the right amount of nerdy. He does dishes, makes lunches, changes diapers, and gets up in the middle of the night to rearrange blankets for small people. He cares for me tenderly all the times I am sick or unwell. He reads to, dances with, sings with, teaches, plays with and tickles our children. He loves learning, exploring, and adventures, as well as quiet evenings at home. He laughs easily, forgives quickly, loves fiercely, and hates what is evil. He is faithful, wise, generous, thoughtful, kind, and a better man than I ever hoped for.

He is a good man.

Happy anniversary, Bryan. I am so thankful that God saw fit to make you my husband, and I look forward to growing old together. I love you so much.

Number Four!

Baby number four is due in April! We got this lovely little surprise a few weeks ago.

This morning we got our first look at our beautiful baby #4! She (chances seem likely that's it's a girl) is 8 weeks today, and about the size and shape of a gummy bear. Official due date is April 14. I can't wait to meet this little person in seven months!!!


The first thing I noticed was the beautiful little heart, flickering away on the ultrasound screen. What joy to hear the wonderful wumpa-wumpa of a strong hear beating about 162 times a minutes.

The little white ring is the yolk sac, and next to it is our tiny baby, laying on it's side. You can see the head, an arm, and there's even a tiny little butt.

Bounty

Today I harvested some fruit and veggies, and grabbed a couple of eggs from the hen house. So amazing to have food just growing in my backyard!

I Must Speak

I must speak. Not because I think that I'm so important that my words will change anyone's mind; I know the internet is a lousy place for real discussion. But because truth is worth proclaiming, whoever the audience. And what I must say is this:

Abortion is the slaughter of an innocent child. Religion has nothing to do with that definition.

I know those that are pro-choice like to sadly smile and claim that no one really loves abortion, but a women must have the right to choose what happens to her body.

I call BS. We don't get to "do what's best for us" at the expense of others. Imagine if I left my young kids at home alone for the day and went out to get a manicure, sip fancy coffee, and do some shopping. My body, my choice, right? Or what if I didn't want them to suffer neglect while I was gone, so I just lined them up and killed them in a way that ensured their bodies were still good for medical research. Planned Parenthood would have us believe that would be the best choice for me to make.

Parents aren't free to cut their children's faces open and donate their brains (with monetary reimbursement, of course) simply because they don't want to be bothered with the responsibility of potty training, or middle-of-the-night drinks of water. But my body, my choice, right? I would argue that children are an inconvenience to a parent's body, whatever the stage of life. Perhaps less so with time, but the sacrifice of one's choices doesn't end when the umbilical cord is properly tied and cut.

Have you seen the sobering undercover videos? They are not meant to fear monger politicians into taking away women's rights. They are being shown to expose murder, and hopefully to save future lives. We now know that babies are being dismembered and sold for parts in a barbaric manner. But the real horror is that they are being killed in the first place.

Please don't get angry and claim that we would all be adopting children if we really cared. So many of us that are pro-life are using the resources we have to help orphans and widows in ways that we are able, and loving the kids that are in our lives at the same time. My heart aches for those women and children, and I have wept for a child murdered that we once invited to be a part of our family.

And so I say again, abortion is the slaughter of an innocent child. Size, reasoning ability, planned existence, lung capacity, or body fat percentage do not qualify if a child should live or die for someone else's convenience.

Hair Cuts

So we did the bangs in May, and then shortly thereafter Elaina starting asking me to cut the rest of her hair. So we finally did.

At the last minute, Chloë decided she wanted a hair cut too!

I think they look so cute and sophisticated!

Norah is still working on her baby fuzz, no official haircut for her yet. But she's one now, so I need to put those pictures up at some point.

Failed Plans

People who know me know my love for a good plan. Especially my siblings. They give me a hard time about the way I ask "so guys, what's the plaaaaaan?" If something needs a plan, they'll joke about just letting me be the one to make one. Because I'm a planner. I find comfort in knowing what to expect. I like being able to anticipate what will happen, and have learned that I actually don't like huge surprises. Some friends threw a surprise party for me for my 22nd birthday, and I actually was irritated at the whole situation!

So I plan when I can, and try to adapt when I can't. Huge decisions like buying a house, having kids, and even planting a garden definitely need a plan. I know in my head that ultimately God is the One that really has The Plan, but He obviously gave me a brain for planning, so plan I shall.

I love being a mom. Some days are crazier than others, and these years of raising little ones are usually pretty crazy. Usually my daily plan consists of feeding everyone at least five times. Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Bedtime Snack. Sometimes I even get other stuff done. Sometimes I even get other stuff done, but life is pretty intense right now. Chloë turned 5 in June, Elaina is 3 1/2, and Norah just turned 1 in July, and still enjoyed nursing several times a day and night. Bryan and I felt led to add one more child to the mix, but I had it all figured out that we would wait until January to get pregnant. My last pregnancy and post-partum recovery was so hard. I needed some time to mentally prepare for 8 months of the stomach flu, and whatever post-partum anxiety and depression was likely to follow.

Then I woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago, and figured I'd better take a pregnancy test. Just to be sure that drinking a beer at my brother's wedding a few days later would be fine. Bryan was about to leave for work, but I told him he should stay a couple of minutes. Just in case.

But instead of seeing one line on the test, there were two. I've taken about a hundred negative pregnancy tests, but have only ever had three positives. And this one was definitely positive. I felt my hand covering my mouth, and wondered why that's a thing. Hot tears started streaming down my cheeks, but I quickly brushed them away, hoping their absence would bring clarity to my emotions. "Babe, it's positive," I whispered to Bryan. We both almost didn't believe it. We couldn't be pregnant. Could we? Apparently we could. The tears kept coming, and I still didn't know why. Bryan hugged me. "I'm not ready," I heard myself saying. Memories of my last pregnancy flooded my mind. Not being able to get off the couch to get my girls a snack. The migraines completely flattened me. Throwing up until I needed IV fluids. My legs buckling under me from the pinched nerves in my hips. The anxiety that robbed my family of me after Norah was born. I wasn't ready to be thrown into the year that suddenly lied ahead.

Bryan knew what I meant. He remember it all too. "I'll take care of you and the girls," he said, still holding me. "Everything will be okay."

Bryan had to leave for work, and I tried to putter around to get things ready for my out-of-town siblings that were coming to stay for our brother's wedding. But my head was spinning.

When people anticipate a hurricane, they prepare. We may not have had much warning before the morning sickness hit, but I jumped into scramble mode to prepare before it did. A little deep cleaning, some extra food in the freezer and pantry, and all the laundry. Plan or no plan, I'm growing a baby, y'all!

The fact that this baby was a surprise has no bearing on her value. She (because it would seem that chances are likely) is loved and wanted, despite our inability to plan our future. Her personhood is not determined by our inability to plan her existence. She is our poppyseed sized child, and we will fight with all that we are to preserve her life.

I know some women ache for the chance to have a child. When Eve was cursed with "sorrow and conception; in pain you shall bring forth children," I know God wasn't just referring to the pain of contractions during labor. I know there are so many wonderful women that pray for the gift of pregnancy, and this isn't meant to make light of that in any way. My trials may appear insignificant to some. I'll never understand the ache that comes from years of praying for a baby. Instead, I feel an odd sense of guilt for being pregnant without trying. Tears of frustration at the unfairness have soaked my pillow. Not for any unfairness towards me, but for the empty cradles of others. God, why give me four babies when so many have none? And then I remember that every good and perfect gift is from above, and thank God for his blessings on my life, and pray again for those still waiting.

Norah's First Birthday

Norah turned one on the third! And we celebrated with Bryan's family yesterday. She's such a sweet little grown up baby.

Bangs

Elaina has been asking me for bangs, so I finally gave her some today.

And then of course Chloë decided she wanted some too.

I have very mixed feelings about it.

Cocoa in a Tea Pot

Elaina got a sweet little tea set from Mr. Dan for her birthday. She loves having little tea parties, and sometimes we get to have hot cocoa for a special treat. One morning last week, Chloë was at school and Norah was napping, and we had such an occasion.