Adoption journey

Over the past year, the Lord has been growing, teaching, and challenging our family in so many ways! We are responding to the Lord's leading and are expanding our family through the adoption of a precious baby!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Snow Days Baking

Snow Days are always a fun time for baking!! It's very practical... keeping the oven on helps warm up the house;) We have been blessed with several snow days this week... so there is lots of baking going on in our home!! Two of the recipes from this week are "healthified" Oatmeal Cookies and Yummy Baked Blueberry Cake Doughnuts. For those of you who don't know my cooking style, I am not great at measurements and I am ALWAYS tweaking recipes! I hope your family enjoys these recipes as much as mine!!

Healthified Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe originated from my Mom's Oatmeal Cookie recipe (from a pudding box), but has many changes.
Ingredients:
11/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar or splenda (optional)
1 pkg. (4 serving) Jello Instant Vanilla/French Vanilla Pudding
2 eggs
2 TBSP - 1/4 cup ground flax seed
3 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick cooking)
Optional add-ins: raisins, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts
Directions:
Mix flour with baking soda.
Combine sugars, butter, applesauce, and pudding mix in large bowl.
Add eggs and flax seed.
Stir in oatmeal, then add-ins (my family does 1/2 batch chocolate and 1/2 batch butterscotch)
Drop by teaspoon full onto ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

Yummy Baked Blueberry Cake Doughnuts - 
a great morning delight for your entire family!!

Servings: 9 large doughnuts (I have large and small doughnut trays and this recipe usually makes 9 large donuts and a tray of one dozen mini doughnuts)
Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter (can substitute applesauce)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ground flax seed (about 1-2 TBSP... I just pour;)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute up to 1 cup whole wheat flour-- 1 1/2 cups AP flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup frozen/fresh wild blueberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lightly coat doughnut tins with cooking spray.
In a food processor or mixer, combine butter and sugar. Process until smooth. Add eggs and process until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and process until smooth.
Add the baking powder, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Process until well mixed. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and blueberries. Toss until the blueberries are evenly distributed and coated with flour. Add the wet ingredients from the processor. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Transfer batter to a large plastic bag. Twist close the top. Use scissors to snip off one bottom corner of the bag, creating about a 1/2-inch-wide opening.
Holding the bag over the prepared pan, gently squeeze batter into each doughnut mold.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. (shorter bake time for mini donuts).
Place doughnuts on cooling racks and pour/spread glaze over doughnuts.
Glaze recipe
Makes glaze for 24 doughnuts
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Happy Baking!!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Valentines for Orphans

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

 
Valentine's Day is a day known for showing people how much we love them, with words, acts, and gifts. Would you like to join us as we tell and show children at the Arkansas Baptist Children's Home in Paragould how much God loves them? 


How can you help?

1) Make Valentine's with your children and discuss James 1:27 with them (how God wants us to love the fatherless).

2) Join us on Monday, February 14 to deliver these cards and play with the children. We will be leaving Williams Baptist College around 3 or 3:30pm and meeting at the Paragould Children's home around 4pm. If you live in Jonesboro, please feel free to meet us there!

3) If you live in another area, consider leading a group to a children's home in your area.
 
Contact me via email/facebook if you are interested in serving with us!
kelly_goza@hotmail.com

Friday, January 7, 2011

Living the Single Life to the Glory of God - WBC Girls' Retreat

I know the girls retreat was in November, but I'm finally getting a moment to recap some of our discussions from the WBC Girls' retreat:) I was absolutely blessed to be a part of this and I really enjoyed getting to know you WBC girls better! I was encouraged and challenged to hear your hearts for our Lord, your passion for ministry on our campus, and the ways you honor Christ in your relationships! 
The main focus of the retreat was "Living the Single Life to the Glory of God." Here is a recap of one of the sessions that focused on how you can practically live out the single life in college to the glory of God...

There are numerous ways to minister while SINGLE vs. married!
1) Time and Independence!! Your time is your own (not your husband's or your kids'). You have more time now than you EVER will!
Use this time to...
A) Grow in your walk with the LORD, through Bible study, quiet time with the Lord, prayer, journal and read.
B) Get equipped to serve - spend an immense amount of time in the Word, memorize Scripture, get in small group Bible studies, have a prayer/accountability partner, take classes
C) SERVE!  GO on mission trips, minister to those younger than you – youth or children, volunteer in your community and church, teach Bible studies, minister to orphans and widows, etc.
D) Take care of the body God has given you. When more people are added to your life (husband and kids) it will be more difficult to remember to take care of yourself. Learn good health and eating habits now, so you can continue to model those for your future family.
2) Grow an undivided heart for the Lord! While there are fewer distractions, learn to love Christ more than this world and put Him as your first priority.
3) GO... MISSIONS!!! 
  1. Unless you are called to full time missions, you will not get opportunities like this for a long time! If you’re called to missions you should be going NOW too!
  2. Whether it is Africa or Arkansas, one week or an entire year... GO!!
  3. Check out this link for more opportunities to GO! 
4) Take time to see and hear (by listening to God through His Word) who He has created you to be and who He has called you to be and do!!
    1. Get to know God, His heart and His will (shown all throughout Scripture) and seek His direction for your life. Don’t just let wait for it to fall in your lap.
                                                              i.      For example: if you’re a missions major…do missions!
                                                             ii.      If you’re a ministry major… do ministry!
                                                            iii.      If you’re an education major… work with kids/youth!
                                                           iv.      If you’re a business major… practice good ethics and a strong work ethic while in school (that won’t just change as soon as you want/get a job)
5) GIVE – more than just tithe, give until it hurts and then keep giving! You are the only mouth you have to feed:-) Grow a selfless giving perspective now, so you can continue to walk in that way when you get older and finances get more complicated.

Remember, the Lord has you in this season of life for a reason! There are ways that you can minister now, that may change when job, spouse or kids are added into the picture. Live to the glory of God in this season and time... you and those around you will be blessed!

 Set an example in speech, life, love, faith and purity” 1 Timothy 4:12
A special thanks to the girls on the panel (Becca, Natalie, Jill and Jenny) 
for setting such a great example to your peers in speech, life, love, faith and purity!!

QUESTION:
I would love to hear new ways the Lord is challenging all of YOU to set an example in SPEECH, LIFE, LOVE, FAITH, and PURITY!



    Thursday, December 30, 2010

    Catering for Adoption

                  Dinners          
    Serves 2-4 people
    (suggested donation)
    Serves 4-6 people
    (suggested donation)
    Chicken Gumbo File (soup)
    $15.00 (1 Qt.)
    $25.00 (2 Qt.)
    New Orleans style
    Red Beans & rice

    $15.00 (1 Qt.)

    $25.00 (2 Qt.)
    Crawfish or Shrimp Ettouffe

    $18.00 (1 Qt.)

    $30.00 (2 Qt.)
    Jambalaya
    $18.00 (1 Qt.)
    $30.00 (2 Qt.)
    Chicken Tetrazzini
    $15.00 (6 x 8 ½ pan)
    $25.00 (9x13 pan)
    Lasagna          
    $15.00 (6 x 8 ½ pan)
    $25.00 (9x13 pan)
    Mexican Chicken Spaghetti
    $15.00  (6 x 8 ½ pan)
    $25.00 (9x13 pan)
    Vegetable Beef or Chicken Soup

    $15.00 (1 Qt.)

    $25.00 (2 Qt.)
    Chili (traditional or white bean)
    $15.00 (1 Qt.)
    $25.00 (2 Qt.)

    New Healthier Options
    Suggested Donation
    Homemade Granola (with almond, walnuts, & flax)
    $10 (per 1 quart)
    Homemade Plain Yogurt
    $5 (per 1 quart)

    Desserts
    Suggested Donation
    Peanut Butter Pie
    $15.00
    Butterfinger Cake (9x13 pan)
    $18.00
    Chocolate chip cookies (per dozen)
    $10.00
    Peanut butter balls (per dozen)
    $15.00
    Chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies “no bakes” (per dozen)

    $10.00
    Peanut Butter Cookies (per dozen)
    $10.00
    Chocolate Fudge
    $12.00
    Cupcakes (Per dozen)
    $12.00
    Decorated sugar cookies
    (Per dozen)
    $12.00

                        
    Breads
    Mini loaf
    (suggested donation)
    Large loaf
    (suggested donation)
    Zucchini bread

    $7.00

    $14.00
    Banana bread (with choc. chips, blueberries or nuts)

    $7.00

    $14.00
    Dinner rolls
    $5.00 dozen
    $10.00
    2 dozen
    French bread
    X
    $5.00
    Sour dough bread
    X
    $5.00
    Whole grain sour dough bread

    X

    $7.00

    Tuesday, December 14, 2010

    Adoption Update and Christmas shopping!

    We have completed out home study and are officially approved for International Adoption!! We are currently working on our dossier, which is a large amount of paperwork that covers our entire life time (birth certificates, marriages license, bank records and every other paper imaginable)!!

    Check out our Etsy shop on-line to purchase an Africa shirt, crocheted winter hat, afghan, Christmas stocking, and more!

    Are you a coffee drinker? Buy coffee and support our adoption! http://www.justlovecoffee.com/Gozafamily

    If you are somewhat local, check out my food catering...for everyday meals, as well as parties!

    We also have a donate button on our blog if you feel led to financially support our adoption.


    Thanks for all of your prayers, encouragement and support along this journey!
    Merry Christmas!!

    Saturday, December 4, 2010

    We're APPROVED... and Christmas shopping for Adoption!

    We are officially APPROVED for International Adoption!! We have completed our home study! Our case worker with Bethany Christian Services is wonderful and such a blessing to have walking beside us on this journey! Since our home study is now complete, we will be preparing our dossier and sending that out in the next couple of months. Check out one of our exciting events coming up this month!

    Christmas shopping for Adoption will be held Monday, December 13, from 6:30-9:00pm at Families Inc. in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
    Drop in and Christmas shop from the following vendors:
    Mary Kay Cosmetics - Elizabeth Brown
    Scentsy Flameless Candles - Jennifer Yates
    Thirty-One Gifts - Courtney Adams
    R J  Designs - Malinda Condra
    Pampered Chef - Misty Magel
    Goza Family Crafts for Adoption (Africa shirts, knit hats, girls hair bands/bow, jewelry, purses, paintings, blankets) - Kelly Goza 
    Just Love Coffee - Amazing coffees and blends from Africa, Central & South America
    Also featuring a Silent Auction for a portrait drawing by incredible artist and art professor Stephen Strickland, who's art work is displayed in galleries in New Orleans, Mobile, and Hattiesburg.
    Food samples from Kelly Goza's food catering! Check out the December and Christmas menu and let me help you with your Christmas baking, parties, as well as everyday meals!

    Entry fee:$5 (goes directly to support Goza family adoption).
    Contact Kelly Goza with questions or orders.
    kelly_goza@hotmail.com

    Wednesday, December 1, 2010

    Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

    It's nearing Christmas time and our family is gearing up to take our annual Christmas card picture tomorrow with wonderful photographer Katie Harter! Since we live at least 500 miles away from ALL of our family and many friends, we like to send photo Christmas cards! Our family and friends have enjoyed seeing our growing family through the beautiful photo cards from Shutterfly and will receive a beautifully designed Shutterfly Christmas photo card from us once again this year!
    We enjoy displaying many pictures of our family and little guys on our Christmas cards! This Initially Yours Green Christmas Card is a 5x7 beautiful Shutterfly Christmas card that can display many cute family moments!
    The Merry Montage 4x8 Christmas card is another great example of a Christmas card that allows you to show off numerous pictures of family member and cute kiddos!

    Our family is growing and changing and we enjoy giving a letter with a family and adoption update with our Christmas cards. Shutterfly's Christmas Letter Card helps us to share three family photos, as well as our Christmas message, all on one beautiful card!
    Our family always debates over which pictures to include on our Christmas card. This year, with so many wonderful option from Shutterfly, I don't know how we will be able to choose only one Shutterfly Christmas card!

     Another favorite product and annual purchase from Shutterfly is their beautiful Photo Calendars! I enjoy compiling pictures of our family for both sets of grandparents to enjoy throughout the year.

    If you are searching for a great photo Christmas card, I highly recommend Shutterfly Photo Christmas cards!