Sunday, January 22, 2012

Banana Muffins

In honor of Valentine's Day... I just wanted to use my new heart pan!

 The recipe is for Banana Bread, but I used it to make Banana Muffins instead.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I left these out)
**I added 1 tsp. Vanilla and cinnamon sugar on top. 

Cream together margarine and sugar; add eggs. Combine flour and baking soda. Add bananas. Place in large greased bread pan or 2 small loaf pans or if you're me 2 large muffin pans. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (loaf) and 10-12 minutes for muffins.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

100 Years Old

I keep seeing 100 days of school crafts all over Pintrest. I work with toddlers and preschoolers so we don't celebrate the 100th day of school. Last night I was babysitting and I decided to try an activity with the kids. After having a conversation about growing up, becoming a grandparent, and living to be 100+ years old I asked them to draw themselves at 100 years old. I participated in this activity too and we had the oldest child (11) decide whose was the best. We each got to draw ourselves twice and below are the pictures we gave to Garrison to judge.

Levi currently 7. Rock star hair, necklace, belt with an L and a very realistic tongue.

Me and the winner of the contest :)
Gloria currently 5 looking good at 100. She doesn't even have curly hair, but it's cute and I love the sunglasses!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

When Life's Not Working

The other night I started reading, "When Life's Not Working" by my pastor, Bob Merritt. I cannot put the book down, it's right on! Bob has a gift of being able to make all messages at church real and relevant and his book is just the same. I've been taking notes as I read and here's a few things I have written down:
- "If life's not working as you had hoped, take charge of your life, get on a different path, and watch how God puts the pieces back together." I love this quote, exactly what happened to me about 7 months ago.
- "Discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life's problems. Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can only solve some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems."
- (Discipline) "It's having a goal, rolling up your sleeves, and doing what's necessary to achieve it, believing that all the handwork and sacrifice upfront will pay off somewhere down the road."
- "You want to measure how much you love God, look at how much you love, care about, and are considerate of others. If you couldn't care less about others- if you're not considerate and generous toward others- that's a sign that God's love has not fully penetrated your heart."
- "When we are disobedient, it's usually God's protective presence that we forfeit, and that makes us vulnerable to attacks, loss, and failure.
- "Setbacks and deficits are opportunities to display God's power and to build our faith."
- "God is wiser, more powerful, and more willing than any therapist, book, saying, or person, and he will do for you what you cannot do by yourself, if you'll just go to him and ask."
- "God waits for and responds to his children who come to him in prayer. It's not automatic. God's timing isn't always our timing."
- "Sometimes all you can do is get through one more day, then another, and another after that, believing that God is teaching you, strengthening you, and doing something in you that will make you more complete. It might take you 8 weeks or 8 years. But often the only difference between those who succeed and those who don't is flat out perseverance and giving it just one more day."

After wandering the bookstore at church I came up with a list of other books I'd like to read:
- Boundaries in Dating, Dr. Henry Cloud. Bob is always referring to Henry Cloud so I am interested in reading many of his books.
- Prayer Coach by James I. Nicodem
- Redefining My Life (Apparently didn't write down the author)
- To Save a Life by Britts
- They Like Jesus, but not the Church by Dan Kimball
- Letter's of a Skeptic by Dr. Gregory A. Boyd

Back in September I bought, Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. I haven't finished this book yet, but what I've read it great! It's about a 4 year old boy- Colton who told his parents he left his body during the emergency appendectomy- and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was in surgery. He talks about visiting heaven and sharing events that happened before he was born.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

2012

Instead of a New Year's Resolution, I wrote a list of things I would like to do in 2012. Most of these revolve around my faith and Eagle Brook Church. 2012 is the year I am going to grow in my faith with Christ. After the Christmas Eve service at church I started thinking about becoming an Early Childhood Pastor. I have wanted to be a pastor for years, but I was raised Catholic and my dad said only guys can do that. Not true at Eagle Brook! I've been praying about that, but well see where God leads me. So I digress, here's a part of the list: 

Holidazzle (Actually be in it)
Pass the MTLE basic skills test
Get involved with the 20's & 30's group at church 
Feed My Starving Children
Pass the two science classes I need with labs
Finish the MN Transfer Curriculum
Read the New Testament
Volunteer at Revolution as a small group leader
Be a Roller Girl at Jon's book signing
Join a Small Group
Be baptized at Eagle Brook
Mission Trip with Eagle Brook Church
3 Day Breast Cancer Walk

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Diesel

We got a new kitty originally named Cresent, but we changed it to Diesel. We drove 3.5 hours to pick him up. We never met him before buying him, my sister found him online at "Headwaters Animal Shelter." We've been looking for a kitten for months at the Animal Humane Society, but had numerous failed attempts instead. Diesel was supposedly a "medium haired" cat, but the second I saw him I knew he was short haired. My mom didn't want a short haired Tabby cat, but she has fallen in love with him. He is such a trouble maker and gets into everything! He purrs the second you touch him, loves to be held, and to my surprise he really enjoys car rides. We have an older cat and she is very territorial and hisses at him whenever she sees him. Our dog, Sophie has a bond with him. Tonight they snuggled up together in Sophie's bed... they'll be good buddies. I'd like to introduce our newest family member, Diesel! Enjoy the pictures! 

Driving home. He loves car rides- we've taken him on a few since then.

1st time Sophie and Diesel snuggled together- They'll be buddies.

He looks so innocent, but trust me, he's not!

1st time Sadie and D snuggled together- Break through moment!

Playing with the glass lamp.

People in our family think he looks like a girl...

Trying to type a paper is hard when there's a cat laying on your stomach.

I don't even have words for this. Too cute!
Everyday when I get ready for work he plays with water in the sink.
Welcome to the family Diesel!! We love you even though you're a little spitfire!

Thank You's

Here are a few Thank You cards I have made for the families of the Preschool and Toddlers I work with. It took a long time, but it was fun and I know the parents will enjoy the cards.







Chocolate Chip Cookies

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
barely adapted from Anna Olson, Food Network Canada
Ingredients: 
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 
3/4 c. brown sugar 
1/4 c. granulated sugar 
1 egg 
2 tsp. vanilla extract 
2 c. all purpose flour 
2 tsp. cornstarch 
1 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 tsp. salt 
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.
4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)
5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen.  Try not to eat them all.
**The fluffiest, chewiest, most amazing chocolate chip cookies I've ever had--all thanks to a very surprising ingredient.

HillBilly Wine Glass

This was a parent teach gift to me from one of my toddlers. 


The message says, 
"HILLBILY Wine Glass.
Hey Ya'all- You don't have to be a rednect to enjoy this one of a kind glass, but you do have to have a sense of humor. Each Hillbilly Wine Glass is equipped with its very own travel lid! Just fille with your favorite beverage & enjjoy the good life! 
Care Instructions: Hand wash in warm soapy water, air dry."