Avalanche Bark

So, here is a recipe. It is an adaptaion of an adaptation of a recipe for a treat that my friend made when she worked at a chocolate shop. My kids seem to think it is super yummy!

Avalanche Bark

11 - 12 oz. White Chocolate Chips

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

5 C. Rice Crispie Cereal

Add ins:

About 3/4 C. Milk Chocolate Chips

About 3/4 C. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

About 1 1/2 C. Marshmallows

(I say about because I did not measure at all, I just eyeballed it)

In a large pot, stir white chocolate and peanut butter over med-low heat. Stirring constantly. When melted, remove from heat and pour in cereal. Stir until completely coated. Stir in all the extras. Press into a 9x13 pan. I lightly sprayed it with cooking spray first, but it may not have been neccessary.

This recipe is fun because you can change it and throw in pretty much anything you want. Here are some ideas:

• Replace the white chocolate with 6 oz milk chocolate and and 6 oz butterscotch chips add in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
• Replace the peanut butter with butter and add in some peppermint extract and chopped peppermint candies
• Rocky Road? Replace the peanut butter chips with nuts
• Trail mix Bark? Replace the add ins with some trail mix
• Let the kids choose the add ins!Use your imagination and have fun!!

Pace Shoop

Today I spent the entire day with two astronauts! Two little astronauts. They used my dinning room chairs to build a space shuttle, and they blasted off to the moon. Over and over and over and over and over again. Just when I thought they had run out of fuel, or the game was getting old, they climbed in and counted down again...6...5...4...3...2...1...0...Ignition, Blast Off! I don't know if that's what they really say when the shuttle is taking off, but that's what Gavin says, and he's usually pretty acurate. In between trips to the moon we had to listen to a CD with songs about space, and we had to read books about space, and Caden even had to take a nap with his space suit. Actually, to Caden it was his "Pace Shoop". His pace shoop was really a rain coat that looks like a fireman's jacket. That's ok, he's usually not very acurate. But he sure is cute. And he knows it. He brought me his space suit and said, "Mama, me yook cute in my pace shoop?" Oh, yeah baby! You look adorable in your pace shoop! I couldn't have planned a better school day myself!

Gotta Have a Plan, Man!

I'm a planner. I plan things. I write lists. I cross things off my list. It's what I do. Sometime God teaches me lessons in this area. Like yesterday, for example. I had a list, it seemed a mile long to me. Oh, I'm also a scheduler. Naptime is scheduled for 2 o'clock everyday. I get a little nutty if my kids miss their naptime. So, I had a list, and on my list was to take something to a friend who was running her Mom's group in the morning. Would I like to leave my kids in the nursery and go have fellowship with the other moms, she asks. Of course not, I have a list, I have a naptime scheduled, doesn't she know that? But, I do have time for maybe a little tea...that little tea turned into me spending a great 2 hours with some friends, having tea, holding my good friend's new baby, and soak up wisdom from other moms. Wonderful things that I would have missed if I had stuck to my plans. We had a discussion topic which was, being too busy and how to say no. Sometimes I am the most blessed when my plans go awry, or should I say when my plans are thwarted!

So, I got all of my errands done, and guess what? I was home at exactly 2 o'clock! Naptime!! Yippy! I get the kids down and snoozing, crack open my Bible, and continue reading in Psalm 33. What should I read but, "The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations; He thwarts the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation." Thank you, Lord. I get it.

His plans stand forever, and His plans include Me! I'm gonna miss out on those plans if I am too busy with my own.

Getting Ready

"Ok...now I'm ready for school, mom..."

Lisa's Stuffed Shells

By popular demand, and by that I mean Rachel, I have decided to include recipes on my blog. I really enjoy cooking, sometimes. I really love baking. Well, actually I like the end product more than the proccess. Anyway, here we go. I made this for dinner the other night! It was yummy and easy. I'm not big on measuring, and I'm totally into changing the recipe until it just barely resembles the one you're supposed to be following. Then I call it my own. Like this...

Lisa's Stuffed Shells

1 box (12 oz.) Jumbo Shells, Cooked

15 oz. Ricotta Cheese

1 1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

½ tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

about 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

28 oz Jar Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb - 1 lb. Ground Turkey (or beef, but beef is bad for you!)

Minced Garlic to Taste

Heat oven to 375°. Brown meat in skillet with garlic and salt. Add sauce and heat through. In large bowl, combine egg, cheeses, seasoning, salt and pepper. Meanwhile you can be cooking your shells. If you could do all three at the same time, that works best. Stuff shells with cheese mixture. I put the mixture in a large ziploc bag and snipped off an end and squeezed it into the shells. Place in a 9x13 baking dish with a bit of sauce in the bottom. Cover with sauce. Top with additional cheese if desired. And why wouldn't you desire it? If you were concerned about fat content you wouldn't be making this dish. Besides fat=flavor, everyone knows that. So, after you cover it with the desired amount of fat, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Here's a tip-if it seems like it is a little dry or it might get dry as it bakes, throw some tomato sauce on top of it. It adds moisture. The other night, I got to this step, and my husband decided we were going somewhere, so I put it all in the fridge before baking it. The next night it was a little dry so I dumped 2 cans of tomato sauce on it and baked it. It came out as good as ever! I also put some butter and garlic on some slices of french bread and broiled it for a minute or two after the shells were done. Yummm...

50 Million Red Envelopes

50,000,000 red envelopes could make more than a meaningful impression at The White House!

Please join many in spreading this message and bombarding this administration with 50 Million RED envelopes, one for every child who died before having the chance to live since the passing of Roe vs. Wade. Maybe it will change the heart of the administration.

Here is what you can do:
Get a red envelope. You can buy them at most stationary or card shops, or maybe you have one just lying around the house (left-over, unused Christmas cards?). On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington, D.C. 20500

On the back, in your own handwriting, send the following message:

This envelope represents one child who died in an abortion.It is empty because that life was unable to offer anythingto the world. LIFE begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Pray that this will send a clear message to our president. Then tell every one of your friends who you think would send one too.

50 million red envelopes, one for every child who has been aborted, could change the heart of our president.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Meet My Five-Year-Old...Rambo

I love having a five-year-old. The things that come out of their mouths can be hilarious, profound, or just plain wacky! My adorable Gavin has shown us recently that he has an innate sense of Rambo-ness, as you can see from the picture. I don't know how a boy can nail the Rambo look without actually ever seeing Rambo.

The other day, I overheard the end of a conversation between him and his daddy. It was pretty quiet until Gavin yells, "Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?!"

Yesterday, we were sharing some quality one on one time together. We laughed, we played, we cuddled. Then out of nowhere, he looks lovingly at my face...looks at my wrinkles, and says, "mom, you have cracks on your forhead! One, two, three, four! You have four cracks on your forhead!"

Gotta love their honesty...their brutal, brutal honesty.

Serious Play

My boys seriously know how to play!