Peanut Butter fudge with a twist

A friend recently shared her favorite recipe for peanut butter fudge.  I was eager to try some for Thanksgiving, but because I never have been good at following rules, I decided to put my own spin on it.  If peanut butter is good, then peanut butter with chocolate is even better right?  Right!

I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com, but made some changes based on other reviews of the original recipe. 

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm.

Once the fudge hardened, I spread the top with chocolate ganache (melt 3 T butter or heavy cream with 1/2 cup chocolate chips) and popped it back into the fridge to cool.  Chill until firm and cut into squares.               

There are no words to describe the goodness.  I think I felt the earth move...and this is coming from the girl who completely missed the earthquake last week here in Texas...didn't feel a thing, but this fudge moved me.

I guess I can say it's my own recipe...sort of.  I'm calling it Fudgey Peanut Butter Cup Goodness.  Clever hu?

Rolled fabric flowers

I'm a scavenger when it comes to the internet.  I love hunting for recipes and tutorials that show me how to do what I can envision in my head, but don't know how to do.  Jamie at Creating Home Journal asked if I had a tutorial for making the rolled fabric flowers.  I've considered making blog tutorials for some things along the way, but decided since I barely have time to blog as it is that it's just better to point people to talented bloggers who have time to make great tutorials.

Here's the quick, 30-second Youtube video I used to learn to make rolled fabric flowers.  I watched quite a few other videos, but some people seemed to make this super simple project a bit too complicated.  The only thing I would add to this lady's instructions is to glue the flower a bit as you go.  That way it won't "pop" apart so easily.  Just watch those glue gun burns...yikes!

Gettin' my craft on!

When Mike and I were first married I was constantly crafting.  I said "craftING", not "craftY"!  Being newly married and broke, it was the only way to decorate our little apartment.  Give me can of spray paint and I could transform just about anything...and I did!

Over the years life has left me less time for the creative side and I find myself missing it.  The time and mental energy it takes to start a project (not to mention FINISH a project) is just not there.  Pinterest has been the jump start I needed to get the creative juices flowing again.  Yes, I'm officially a Pinterest addict.  Here are a couple of things I've done this past week.

Most of you are aware of my affinity for SB salted caramel mocha.  My budget was taking a major hit, so I decided I had to learn to make my own.  I'm not one for a whole lot of testing.  I would rather find someone on the internet who has already done the work and then "borrow" their final product.  Isn't that why Al Gore invented the internet?  Anyway, I went in search of a recipe to create my own coffee goodness and boy did I hit the Motherload.  This gal did the testing and found the perfect recipe.  Crossing my fingers, I gave it a try and oh.my.goodness!  I am in salted caramel mocha heaven...if there is such a place.  Check it out and try one for yourself.  Then send me a note telling me how much you appreciate me finding this recipe for you!

I also was able to create some of the rolled fabric flowers that are so hot on Pinterest right now.  I made one to go on Emma's sweater that matched the scarf I was wearing for our family pics yesterday.  Other than a few (OK, several) hot glue gun burns, it turned out great and I'm happy to be crafting again!

It's peanut butter jelly time!

Today I pulled out an activity from my days as a jr. high teacher.  I love looking for learning opportunities we can enjoy together, regardless of age or skill level.

For the assignment each one was to write down the necessary steps to make a pb&j.  Sounds easy right?  That's what they thought!  The results were hilarious as I followed their directions to the letter. 

"Put the knife in the jelly."  So I put the knife in the jelly...and left it there. 

"Spread peanut butter on the knife."  So I stuck my finger in the peanut butter and proceeded to spread it on the knife.

"Put the two pieces of bread together."  And I did...condiment side out!

The funny thing was that all the kids were pretty confident their description was sufficient until they began to see the first one play out.  Then the laughter began.  I loved hamming it up and making it silly, but ultimately it led to a wonderful discussion on both written and oral communication.  As a writer, it's our job to make sure we're writing in a way that allows the reader to paint a clear picture in their mind.  I often remind the kids that writers are essentially artists - words are their medium of choice.  

So now they're outside "communicating" with one another on the kickball field.  Not a lot of "book work" has taken place today, but there's definitely been a whole lotta learning going on.

How Great Thou Art - Carrie Underwood

I just watched Carrie Underwood performing How Great Thou Art for a CBS country music special.  I am not a country music fan, but after today I think I'm a Carrie Underwood fan.  I was reminded so vividly as I watched her stand for Christ on a stage that represents a godless society that someday, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! 

Thank you Carrie for standing for Christ in such a public way and declaring the greatness of His name! 

 

Thankful for nothing

Today I'm thankful for nothing.  That's right - nothing.

For the first time since June we have NOTHING on our calendar.  No early morning football practices, no late afternoon football practices, no games, appointments - nada.  For the first time this school year we can enjoy being together without having to fit school around everything else.  We can wake up slowly, eat breakfast together and laugh while we do our chores.  We can snuggle on the couch and do our read alouds.  We can take our time getting things done and we will.

As football season ends in a couple of weeks and we're already starting basketball, I'm not sure when we'll have another day like this so I intend to savor it. 

Yes, today I am incredibly thankful for nothing.

One Thousand Gifts

A few months ago I began a journey through Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts.  I say 'journey' because it's not a book you read cover to cover in one sitting, or even two.  It's one of those you chew on.  You read a few pages and ponder.  Sometimes just one paragraph left me breathless, wondering if I could honestly dare to live fully right where I am.

The premise of One Thousand Gifts is eucharisteo - learning to live a life of true thanksgiving and in doing so finding joy.  The Greek word eucharisteo is a verb - an action word - to be thankful, to give thanks.  It is something we do, not something we are.  I can learn to be a thankful person, but am I someone who is always looking for opportunities to give thanks?  The difference is being versus doing.  I don't want to simply BE thankful. I want to live a life of thankfulness - to DO thankfulness.

I think the thing that struck me at first was understanding the importance of thankfulness for ALL THINGS.  We are all quick to thank God for our spouse, kids, home, etc.  Those are easy (sometimes!).  Learning to live a life of true thanksgiving means watching for Him everywhere; looking for the Lord and his work in everything around us.  It is relearning how to view life.  Not through our own self-centered lens, but through an eternal lens; a lens that seeks to open our eyes to true joy.  Oftentimes that 'true joy' has nothing at all to do with our circumstances and absolutely everything to to with His plan.

Following the author's example, I started my own eucharisteo list...my list of 1,000 gifts.  In doing so my eyes have been opened to so much of what I was missing.  Things that have been there all along, but in my shortsightedness I passed them by.  In missing them, I missed an opportunity for joy. 

#8 - quiet, unhurried reflection

#12 - friends willing to share the load running early morning football carpool

#15 - a moment of self-control

#51 - kids laughing with their friends

#58 - puddles

#64 - my oldest son, himself a man, kayaking across the lake - alone - he is his own

#91 - letting go of unspoken expectations

#102 - daily chores, the reminder of a full house

Learning to live fully in each moment means slowing down to see what is right in front of me.  I don't want to come to the end of my days and realize I missed a life of joy because I was too busy BEING rather than DOING.