German Chocolate Cupcakes

I have a TON of select cooking magazines that I save but never go back to once I've looked at them (Penzey's ONE, Taste of Home, and Cooking Club) so when a friend ordered German Chocolate Cupcakes instead of heading towards the Internet, I headed for my magazines. I remembered seeing this recipe in Penzey's. If you never heard of Penzey's ONE, it's worth checking out. Good recipes and stories. These turned out perfectly. I ate one for breakfast so am on a bit of a sugar rush right now. I had to test them before giving them to my friend, right??

Be Encouraged

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Go! It says to go! I'm reading this verse this morning and getting a little sad that I cannot go serve on a mission trip this summer. I would go each summer if I could. My ministry gift is definitely service. He commands us to go out and spread the gospel but there are times in life that going isn't feasible. Most of the time during early motherhood this is the case. When I read the verse again it completely had me focus on the teaching aspect instead of the going aspect. If our mission field cannot be all over the world, then our mission field is right in our homes. We are to bring our children up in the Lord, teaching them how to honor God by obeying His commandments.

Am I doing this to the extent that I should? Am I teaching by showing them an example of a godly woman? Am I getting them engaged in the word enough? There are plenty of unanswered questions and plenty of doubts that go along with motherhood but right then it assures me that Jesus is always with me, even when I am not adequate. There is so much comfort in knowing I am not alone in this.

Like I heard in a prayer this weekend, "Lord, you do not need us, but you invite us to go along with you in the journey." Lord, let me accept this invitation to the fullest and let my children grow up knowing You!

Style Your Sole for Ukrainian Orphans

Last year at this time I was getting ready to leave for my mission trip to a Ukrainian orphanage. Little did I know how much that trip would change my life. This year I am not going on a mission trip but we were blessed to be a small part of one. Our church bought 300 pairs of TOMS shoes to be brought over to Ukraine this year (which means 300 pairs of shoes also where given to those in need somewhere else!!). We got to attend the Style Your Sole event where our family designed a few pairs of those shoes and make a few cards for the orphans that will receive them. If you have never heard of TOMS, you really need to check them out!!

What Fun! Box Tops! Do You Collect?

I want your help! I was asked to attend the national Box Top University as a blogger attendee. What is so cool about that is that I am the PTA Box Top Coordinator at the girl's school - which the General Mills people didn't know before they invited me. What is also cool is that they were going to fly me up there to attend. And what is ironic, is that I will already be up there visiting family. I couldn't convince my husband that it was a good idea for me to fly and for him to drive up there with the girls. Where's the love? Of course I am kidding, no spouse would ever ask that in all seriousness!

So what I need to know from you.....Are you involved in the Box Top for Education program in your school, and if so, what cool ways do they promote the program? Would you send me your box tops if I sent you a SASE? LOL - Box Top Coordinators will try to get them however possible :)

Anyone? Anyone?? Thanks in advance!

Random Pics

My New Cake (and it's now my favorite)

Love this new cake. Go see it over at Sarah Bakes!

Raw "Oatmeal"

I find raw food very intriguing. I know that it is great for you. We eat too much highly processed foods. I know there is a nice variety that I could make. I know that I wouldn't get any buy-in from the rest of my family (except for smoothies). But because we all eat different breakfasts, I can definitely do raw breakfasts for myself. This morning I made a raw oatmeal and was very pleased. I am not subjecting you to a picture of it because it looks like a bowl of brown mush.....but yummy brown mush none the less!

Raw "Oatmeal"

1 Tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
2 apples, pealed and chopped
1 banana
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup almond milk or water

Soak flax and chia seeds overnight. Drain seeds and put everything in the food processor or blender. Blend until desired consistency (I left the apples a little chunky) and enjoy! Then eat the apple peel because it's good and good for you :) This is supposed to make 2 servings but each serving is only 170 calories, not enough to sustain me until snack, so I ate the whole thing.


I made a raw apple pie over the weekend and while it was very good, I still want to work on making the filling a little less wet. Here is a picture of it without the cranberry/red grape/blueberry topping. The crust was like a Larabar. YUM!!!

This post has also been linked to:
Mouthwatering Monday at Southern Fairytale
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
Tuesday at the Table at All the Small Stuff
Hearth and Soul at A Moderate Life
Recipe Swap at Prairie Story
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Kung Fu Panda Giveaway

Kung Fu Panda is back! General Mills is teaming up with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 2 to bring the action-packed adventures right to your breakfast table.

Throughout the spring, spin fighter toys featuring Kung Fu Panda 2 characters including Po, Tigress, Shifu, Monkey, Lord Shen, Mantis, Crane and Viper can be found inside specially marked boxes of participating General Mills cereals.

Let the games begin with one spin fighter toy in each box. Simply cut out the targets on the box and then use your spin fighter to try and knock them down. With eight character toys to collect, the Kung Fu fun can continue all summer long!

Just today we were reading Alexander and the No Good Very Bad Day, where it talks about toys in cereal boxes. I let me kids know that there were toys in the boxes all of the time when I was growing up. I remember trying to get to the toy before my brother did :) They wished they had the same. LOL - and now there are!

The Kung Fu Panda 2 prize pack includes:

one box of a participating Big G cereal

a Kung Fu Panda 2 spin fighter toy

the original Kung Fu Panda movie.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which character from Kung Fu Panda is your child’s favorite? Or if you have not seen it, do you plan on seeing Kung Fu Panda 2?

Additional Entries:

2. Follow my blog.
3. Subscribe via email to my blog. - 2 entries
4. Add my button to your blog - the HTML is on my side bar - 2 entries

I will choose a winner using random.org on Monday, May 23.

The prize packs and information were all given to me from General Mills and DreamWorks through MyBlogSpark.

MIA

Breath. Breath.

It's been a crazy week. We have been going, going, going since last Friday evening. Mark and I went away last weekend (gasp - we missed his birthday AND Mother's Day). We'll have to make that up with the girls this weekend. And while it was a relaxing weekend, being away left me unprepared for the week.

On Monday, Mark's softball team won the state semi-finals but lost in the championship game on Tuesday. Second in the state is pretty darn good! So few students get to play at that level. Awesome job!!

The games meant late nights and while the girls recovered quickly, I did not. I felt run over by a train by Wednesday. We sat down to dinner on Wednesday and realized we had not had a meal together in a week. So I am now trying to catch up this weekend. I have some great Little Big stories as she has been in rare form this week.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Terra Cotta and Mother's Day Tea

Mother's Day Tea :)

This Saturday, Mimi had 3 first place finishes at the Terra Cotta Challenge, a karate tournament put on by Fortress Hill, her karate studio. She won 3 terra cottas :) She is one focused kid!

Unplanned DVD Review and Giveaway

I had the chance to preview the Unplanned DVD, the documentary based on the book Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line by Abby Johnson. Abby shares a truly unique view of the abortion industry because she has been there and courageously walked away.

Abby Johnson has a story to tell that few others could. Brought up in a pro-life Christian home, her journey begins like many others. She did well in school, went away to college and explored different opportunities to find herself. Little did she realize how much these experiences would change her life. She was involved in a few relationships that produced pregnancies, ending in abortions. She started out volunteering with Planned Parenthood at a clinic she would eventually become director, completely believing she was an advocate for woman, helping them in times of crisis. This changed when she assisted with as ultrasound guided abortion. The lies that she was told and had told thousands of other women became clear. She left Planned Parenthood and sought help at the neighboring Coalition for Life office that she had been at odds with for the last 8 years.

This is a powerful documentary that sheds some light on the agenda of Planned Parenthood. It also dissolves the myth that all abortion clinic demonstrators are hateful people, placing blame on woman and condemning them to hell. Much time is given to the Coalition advocates and their mission outside the clinic’s fence.

You can go see the DVD trailer HERE.

There is a Unite for LIFE webcast featuring Abby Johnson that will benefit pregnancy care organizations on May 17 at 8:00 p.m. (in all time zones) at http://www.uniteforlifewebcast.org/. You can sign up to participate at that web site.

If you are interested in receiving a gift certificate redeemable for the Unplanned DVD please leave a comment below. I will choose a winner using random.org on Monday, May 9.

The DVD and certificate for the giveaway were given to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.