Thoughts for Thursday

For the remainder of the summer I'll be joining Natalie and others for Thoughts for Thursday. This particular Thursday (ok this whole week) has held a lot of ups and downs. It's nice to sit and reflect on some of the "ups".

[one]

This week held a lot of fun. One of my most favorite moments was the day that included these two sweet little babes. G and I drove over the mountain to visit my dear friend and her precious little boy. I love the girl time we get to spend together. Our time has only been sweetened by these two redheads. As they get older their interactions become that much more entertaining. Today they enjoyed some water table time. 



Puppy kisses

 

 

 

 Could these two be any cuter?!

[two]

On Tuesday I sent my hubby down the river...okay, he went on a river trip with some buddies for work. Being the perfect wife that I am (you may laugh now), I could not send him off without some goodies. That's just not my style...and lets face it, his work buddies have grown quite accustomed to sweets being sent their way. I pulled out my homemade Choc It To Me Brownie recipe. I have not made this in forever! Truth be told, these rich, fabulously delish confections probably add 10lbs with each batch, but they are so worth it. I made another batch this week to take to a friend and her adorable family. You will only be doing yourself a disservice by not making these ASAP.

 Click on the link for the recipe. Enjoy!

Choc It To Me Brownies

[three]

On Sunday I had a major mommy fail. After church I took G out for a Mommy and Me lunch. She was great. We then headed to Walmart to grab a few things.  Upon leaving and putting her in the car, she asked for Bella, her best buddy, the moose. Bella was no where to be found. I searched the parking lot, the vehicle,  every bag, etc. No Bella. I called the restaurant. No Bella. I cried, she cried.

We came home where she continued to look and call for Bella. This mommy's heart was broken. I posted my fail on Facebook and a while later my friend called. She had seen Bella at Walmart!  Bella was on a display case near the sporting goods. I was elated! My friend called the store and had one of the workers go see if she was still there. Bella was safely retrieved and placed in customer service.  We had to forgo normal bedtime and made the 30 minute drive to town to pick up my baby's best friend. Thanks be to God for His goodness. Mommy and baby went to bed happy. ("Back Up Bella" arrived in the mail yesterday...just in case.)

[four] 

Speaking of our little gem, she took her first steps...completely independent of any assistance...this week! She took 3 steps earlier this week and then took 5 more today! It may not be much but it's progress!

 

 

 

 

Ta-da!

[five]

In an attempt to clear some clutter, I went through some things and have decided to put forth a little footwork to participate in a large local consignment sale this August. I've been to this sale several times, both in the fall and spring, and I always make out really well. I'll not only be shopping this year, but I'll also be cosigning. If you are local or close, I hope you'll also take advantage of this great sale that benefits many in our community through financial giving and item donations. Take a moment to find out all about KidzKraze!

Cake Pop Extravaganza!

 I. Love. Weddings. I've always loved them...call me a hopeless romantic but there is just something magical in the air at these types of events. The Morcom/Sprinkle Wedding was no exception. I've grown to know and love these two over the last few years and their marriage was one that many called from early on. They are perfect for each other. God has joined two souls in a most beautiful union.

Leading up to this whimsical celebration of love, I had quite a task before me. I had the honor of making the guest favors for the reception. I've never taken on an order this large (with the exception of my camp cook days where a couple hundred of everything were always on the menu).

The process begins by making your favorite batter (homemade or boxed...whatever works for you). In this case, I made five flavors: Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Orange Crème, and Red Velvet. Once the cake is baked and cooled, I crumbled it into a gallon bag and placed it in the refrigerator.

After about 30 minutes I took out the cake and mixed it, along with about a 1/2c of homemade butter cream icing (yum!). It does not take much icing. Remember you can always add more, but you can't take away.

I used a melon baller to scoop out the cake to get uniform sized balls. Roll gently in your hands, making them as compact as possible. Set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Stick them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes but no more than 45 minutes.

Right before you take the balls from the freezer, melt your chocolate. I used a combination of Almond Bark and Chocolate chips (about half and half). Melt for about 20 seconds and stir. Continue melting in 10 second intervals until the chocolate is smooth.

Have your dipping station ready prior to beginning your cake pops. This means, sticks, wax paper to set the pops on and any decorations you wish you use (unless you are icing decorations afterwards).

Take a stick and dip it about a centimeter into the chocolate. Immediately push it about 1/3 of the way into the cake ball. Quickly dip the whole cake pop, up to the stick, in the chocolate. Gently tap the stick on the side of the bowl while slowly swirling the pop several times in order to allow the chocolate to coat the pop evenly.

Place on the wax paper and decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, etc. If you are icing the decorations, allow the pops to dry completely.

Strawberry with White Chocolate and Sprinkles

Chocolate and Chocolate...enough said

Red Velvet and Light Blue colored White Chocolate with Sugar Crystals

Package or display your pops as you wish.

Vanilla with White Chocolate and Teal Stripes

I was thrilled to see my work displayed along side their beautiful table settings. 

   

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Saturday began before the sun as G and I headed out to meet one of my dearest friends at a consignment sale about an hour from home. It was quaint but I found several great deals and enjoyed adding some much needed items to G's Spring wardrobe. We then visited a local toy store that I have been eager to go to since my friend told me about the place. I picked up a book and a couple goodies for G's Easter basket. After a morning of walking around downtown we made our way back to a local eatery for lunch. I enjoyed their classic Buffalo Chicken Fingers while my friend enjoyed her Smothered Chicken. You know something is good when it tastes just like the delicious smell outside.

Girls Day 3.22.14

I loved catching up. She filled me in on her pregnancy (yay!!!) and other exciting tidbits regarding her family. Our friendship has grown so much over the last several years and I always looking forward to picking up right where we left off. Amidst the laughter and conversation, my poor baby became quite sick. Let's just say she went through two outfits, a blanket and several napkins...not to mention she lost her shoe, which my friend graciously retraced our many steps to find. We decided to call it a day and head home. She had a low grade fever and was very clingy. She also did not want to eat, which is a sure sign that my child is sick.

After a pretty restless night for both myself and G, Sunday morning brought about a need want for some comfort food...something that soothes the soul while it fills the tummy. While I missed my church family, I knew it was best to give her a day to recuperate.

I opted for a new recipe that I found on Pinterest. It was a delicious Baked Apple Oatmeal. I enjoyed a slightly altered version of that from The Dietitian Diaries.

Mommy's Little Helper

I began by halving the recipe. As where she combines everything in a casserole dish, I chose to mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

I then evenly distributed the mixture into two smaller baking dishes. I topped the mixture with another sprinkling of brown sugar and a tablespoon of chopped pecans.

I then poured 3/4c. evaporated milk over the oatmeal and placed them in the oven to bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. (I would have used regular milk had I not run out. This would probably cut down on the calories).

Yum! This dish was perfect! The only thing that could possibly make it better would be a dainty drizzle of caramel sauce...hmm...maybe next time? By the way, I took left overs for lunch and they were just as good!

 

 

 

 



 

Going Stir Crazy!

I can't believe I have been inside this house since Thursday!!! Between fighting a sinus infection, the hazardous weather and my sick daughter, I had no reason leave and really no where to go. I'm actually welcoming the work week tomorrow!

A lot of my energy is coming back, which is also welcomed. I've felt so lethargic over the last week that having some pep back in my step is nice. Today I got motivated and began cleaning out my kitchen cabinets (I still have a lot to do), painted my nails, got my sister-in-law's  birthday gift together, made lunch, moved some tubs down to the basement, began some laundry, walk/jogged for 20 minutes and I have every intention of cleaning the bathroom and my daughter's room before going to bed. I may regret all of this activity tomorrow but I'm tired of being stagnant.

My exercise ambitions begin tomorrow. I got a head start today by reconnecting with my treadmill. I was pretty impressed with what I accomplished. I signed up for an exercise challenge through one of my Spark Teams on Sparkpeople. The challenge requires me to get at least 30 minutes of exercise (not including everyday things like cleaning) at least 6 days a week. I'm still trying to decide how I want to approach this but one thing I do know is that I am going forward. I am going to do my best! I'm already looking at my week. I have a dinner at my in-law's tomorrow night and a meeting Tuesday evening. This may make things a little tricky with everything else that is still required of me but I can't let those things be excuses.

I'm really proud of how I've taken control of my eating. I am seeing great results. Over the last 3 weeks I've made it down almost 12 pounds!!! This has happened through a lot of prayer, good choices, discipline and conscious eating habits. I can't wait to do my official Weight Loss Check In blog post at the end of the month.

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With this in mind, I've been trying to find some things that I can make for various occasions and events. Every Tuesday my first grade teacher team meets to discuss, plan and review various items for the school year...and of course there is food! I'm known for my baking and always try to please...however, baking goodies does not necessarily lend its hand to tempting treats (I can't bring myself to making brownies out of beans...tried it once...epic fail). I discovered this recipe for Healthy Cinnamon Roll Scones. I'll be making these for Tuesday...I hope they taste as good as they look!

 



 



I LOVE this!!!
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