Where Did All The Muffins Go?

I love muffins.  One of my favorite kinds is bran muffins.  I've only tried this one recipe, and when you've found a good one (blessing #249), why keep looking?

I'm thankful that I'm starting to get my energy back (#250). . . slowly.  On Saturday afternoon, I made Bran Muffins . . . and by Sunday afternoon, they were all gone. 

Within 24 hours.  Gone!

Okay, I'll admit that Jacob was home over the weekend.  He tells me often that college cafeteria food is not at all like home cooking.  So, he brings his appetite home with him on weekends.  That's where half of the muffins went.  After doing some calculating, we discovered that I ate the other half.  Yikes!  Guess my appetite is back. 

So, on Sunday afternoon . . . I made some more. 

I've been making this recipe since I was in high school.  It's a keeper!

Bran Muffins
2 1/2 c. Bran Flakes
1 1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1/3 c. oil
1 1/4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar

Mix together milk, egg, oil, and bran flakes.  Then add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Spray muffin tins.  Fill 2/3 - 3/4 full.  Bake at 375 for 17 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Fun and Colorful

I haven't posted anything for several days.  And you're probably wondering where I've been. 

After 10 days of doing nothing but lying on the couch, I'm starting to feel better. (Blessing #245)  Must be a combination between Julie's delicious chicken noodle soup (#246) and that powerful shot I got in the doctor's office Friday (#247).  Jenica hates shots, and has even tried to run out of the doctor's office to avoid her annual flu shot one year.  But I am so thankful that the shot I got on Friday was powerful enough to get me on the road to recovery.

It's good to be back!

Since I began feeling better yesterday, we began a project in my our kitchen.  The first project we did, after buying our home 16 years ago, was replacing the kitchen cabinets.  And I still love my our white cabinets.  But we I could never decide on the hardware for the doors and drawers.  Until now!

What do you think?

They bring a little fun and color to my our white cabinets.  (#248) 

One of Chad's favorite sayings is "what's yours, is yours.  And what's mine, is ours."  Always spoken with a smile and a wink.

The Year of the Dragon

Today, we celebrated Chinese New Year.  (Blessing #237)  Jillian loves everything that has to do with China, so she was excited for this day to come.  They talked about the Chinese New Year (CNY) in school, and her weekly reader was full of fun information about this Asian celebration. 

Chad picked up the girls from school since I'm still battling mycoplasma pneumonia.  He treated them (and me) to Sonic's Happy Hour.  (#238)  Gotta love half-price drinks on a special day like CNY.

I had found some fun ideas on Pinterest.com for CNY.  She colored and made this dragon.  Don't ya just love that smile?  (#239)

She made this Dragon Mask.  This is the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Dragon.  She loves using scissors to cut things out, so she was all about this project!

As you know, Jillian LOVES to color.  She could spend hours with her crayons, markers, and colored pencils. 

Jenica made Chinese New Year Cookies (aka "Haystacks") after school.  Because I am still sick, Jenica made the cookies. (#240)  They only take 15 minutes from start to finish, including getting everything out AND doing the dishes.

Here's all you need:  1 pkg. butterscotch chips + 1 pkg. chocolate chips + 1 1/2 c. chow mein noodles + 1 c. peanuts.  (I like to add a little vanilla also.)

Melt the chips in the microwave on 80% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. 

Then, add the peanuts and chow mein noodles and stir well.  Place on waxed paper using teaspoons.  Put in fridge for a few minutes to help them set.  Makes around 30 cookies.

And Chad made supper. (#241)  He called The Gourmet House for chinese take-out.  Just in case you're wondering what Jillian ordered:  1 cup of egg drop soup, 1 cup of won-ton soup, and 1 cup of steamed rice.  This is how excited she's been since coming home from school today.  Those pigtails are so stinkin' cute!

Jillian's order:

Jillian was Miss Chatter-box tonight.  (#242) She even ate the wontons out of her soup with chopsticks.  Needless to say, she was the last one finished eating.  It was entertaining, just watching her use those chopsticks with her soup.  (#243)

We saved a fortune cookie (and an empty box) for Jacob.

And to celebrate CNY, I let her paint my toenails . . . something she's been wanting to do.  She did an "A-B Pattern" using 2 different colors.  She was so proud of herself, which is fun to watch her confidence grow.  (#244)

Beautiful!

Mycoplasma Pneumonia

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. ~ Psalms 73:26

It's been a bad week around here.  Chad started getting sick Tuesday night.  I started getting sick Wednesday afternoon.  By Friday, I was so sick that I took Jillian to school and headed straight to the clinic in hopes of getting an appointment right away.  (Chad went back to school, although he probably shouldn't have.) 

My test came back positive for mycoplasma pneumonia.  I felt like I had been hit by a really big truck.  There's only other time that I remember feeling this bad.  When my appendix flared up and I had emergency surgery to remove it. 

My headache was gradually getting worse, and nausea set in Saturday morning.  I couldn't keep anything down.  It was awful.  And I couldn't take my medicine on an empty stomach.  Finally, around 4:00 we decided a trip to the ER was necessary.  They gave me an IV for fluids and some "magic meds" for my nausea and headache. 

But God was still present, even when I wasn't feeling good.  Too bad the "cleaning fairy" wasn't present.  After 2 days of doing absolutely nothing, our house is a disaster. 

Even though I felt totally rotten, I did recognize a few blessings.  (Blessings #224-236)

• A husband who would do anything for me, even though he didn't feel good either.
• Jacob's girlfriend Sami, who picked up Jillian from the hospital.  They went to Subway to get Jillian some food, before going back to Sami's home to hang out for a while.
• Green Tea.  Chad tried hard to keep fluids in me.
• My cozy quilt, made for me by my mom and great-grandma Daisy.
• Sprite from Sonic Happy Hour.  Delivered by a good friend.
• That Jenica could hang out with a friend, and even spend the night, to stay away from our nasty germs.
• Clorox Wipes.  An easy way to try and keep germs away. 
• Saltine Crackers.  Once the nausea subsided.
• Flannel jammies.
• Advice from my sister.  Migraine tips.  I now have a better understanding of what Erin goes through when she gets her frequent migraines.
• Encouragement from my facebook friends and others.
• Knowing that this too shall pass.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. ~ Psalms 73:26

A Thankful Heart

I've been reading a new book. It's actually a daily devotional book.

And I love it, because the words in this book are based off of scripture and God's Truths.  But it's also written in first person, as if He is speaking directly to me.  (Blessing #215)

As you know, this blog is based entirely on looking for God's Blessings in each and every day.  I want my focus to be on Him and the gifts He gives me.  And when I read today's devotional in Jesus Calling, I couldn't help but smile.  It started out like this: 

"Come to Me with a thankful heart, so that you can enjoy My Presence.  This is the day that I have made.  I want you to rejoice today, refusing to worry about tomorrow.  Search for all that I have prepared for you, anticipating abundant blessings and accepting difficulties as they come.  I can weave miracles into the most mundane day if you keep your focus on Me. . .  

. . . Come to Me with all your needs, knowing that My glorious riches are a more-than-adequate supply.  Stay in continual communication with Me, so that you can live above your circumstances even while you are in the midst of them.  Present your requests to Me with thanksgiving, and My Peace, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your heart and mind."

My favorite verses come from Philippians 4:4-7, which is exactly where the thoughts from today's devotional came from.  (Along with Psalm 118:24)  These verses have helped our family  (#216) through many trials that have come our way, as a result of health challenges for each one of us (rheumatoid arthritis plus four heart conditions). 

We are a "special needs" family, and our annual medical expenses would blow your mind.  But God blows my mind when I look at how He has blessed us through some really hard stuff.  (#217)  He always provides the strength I need to make it through.  (#218)  And with my focus on Him, I can see Him in the small stuff too.  There's that "thankful heart" again.   

This morning, Jenica and Jillian both wanted me to french braid their hair before school.  Because we were all ready for school a little early (hard to believe, I know), I had time to put their hair in a french braid.  (#219)  There was, however, a time when my arthritis wouldn't have allowed me to braid their hair - especially in the first hour of the morning.  But today, I can.  I'm thankful that I can get up in the morning without any aches and pains.  (#220)  It hasn't always been that way.  But with God's help, I've learned how to listen to my body, and what I can do to try and prevent flare-ups.  (#221) 

Even though I'm feeling pretty good, I know that a flare-up can happen again. It's just a matter of time.  I'm no longer sad about what I've gone through.  Instead, I've realized what an honor it is that God chose me for this kind of trial.  He wanted to give me the opportunity to grow in my faith, in ways that I wouldn't have, had it not been for my RA.  (#222)  God has shown me that it's good for me to be weak, so I can experience His strength. (#223)

I can't wait to read tomorrow's devotional.  I'm sure it will be just as good as today's.  Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Janet

PS - We woke up to a little SNOW today!  Yay!  (Blessing #223)

White Chocolate Pie

What makes your favorite recipes, your favorites? 

Each of my kiddos have favorites for their own particular reasons.  Jacob loves meat, as long as there's no vegetables touching it.  Jenica loves my sour cream potatoes recipe, although she really isn't too picky and doesn't mind veggies.  (She's a lot like me in that aspect.  Oh, and we both love seafood, unlike my other 2 kids.)  Jillian loves noodles, as long as there are no meat or vegetables near them.  She's still picky, but it's getting better.  In fact, she came home from school the other day and announced that she likes peas now.  This means that she'll now eat two vegetables: corn and peas. We are making progress!  (Blessing #212)

Another one of our favorite desserts is White Chocolate Pie, which is a recipe I got from the Quick Cookin' Magazine that I subscribed to as a gift from my mom (thanks, mom! - #213) when I was working full time.  It was full of quick & easy recipes.  And many of the recipes from the magazine made it into my recipe box.  Including this one for White Chocolate Pie.  It's amazing!

White Chocolate Pie
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 carton (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed, divided (I used my homemade whipped cream)
1 chocolate crumb crust (I used Oreo this time)
1 1/4 c. cold milk
1 small pkg. Instant White Chocolate Pudding
Food Coloring (I used purple to make "lavendar" this time)
Mini Chocolate Chips

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/4 c. whipped cream.  Spread over crust.  In same bowl, mix milk and pudding.  Beat on low 2 minutes.  Pour over cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate 2 hours or til firm.  Tint remaining whipped cream.  (I use pink when I make it for Valentine's Day and green when I make it for St. Patrick's Day.)  Spread whipped cream over cream cheese and pudding layers.  Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.  (The more, the better, in my opinion.)  Makes 8 servings.

Mini chocolate chips are the best!  Three cheers for whoever came up with the idea!  (#214)They're perfect for sprinkling on top of ice cream, adding to cookies, on top of frosted cupcakes, in muffins, in cheesecakes, in pancakes, in banana bread, and sprinkling on top of White Chocolate Pie. 

4th Time's A Charm

We had a few friends over this evening, and I wanted to make a yummy dessert to share with them.

I was all set out to make a cupcake version of one of my favorite chocolate cakes.  Before I go on . . . there aren't any children looking over your shoulder, are there?

Is it safe? 

I've had this cake at pot-lucks many times, but I've never attempted to make it myself.  I'm sure you've had it before too.  In fact, if you ask your mom, she's probably tasted this cake also.  It's the "Better Than Sex Cake."  But we're calling it the "Better Than Almost Anything" Cake.  (There are children in the house!)

However, I wanted to make the cupcake version after a friend told me about the "Better Than Sex Cupcakes" her sister made a couple weeks ago.  She said, "they are AMAZING."  (There's that word again.) 

I grew up baking everything from scratch, thanks to my mom and Mrs. Kopf, my home ec teacher.  (Blessing #209)   It's so much better than cake mix out of a box, right?  And it's really not that tough.  All you do is dump everything together, mix it up, and pour it in the pan.  I searched the internet for a cupcake version and found 2 recipes. 

My first attempt at recipe #1 was a failure.  Part of the reason, was I over-filled them.  What a mess!

The only way I can explain the difference in texture and color of these cupcakes, is that the pan on the right is airbake, and the other is not.  Weird, I know.  My awesome husband helped me clean up the mess (#210), after we got the fire put out in the oven.  It was just a little fire where the batter fell onto the burner, so all is well.  But it sure stunk up the house for a while.   

I don't throw in the towel that easy, so I skipped my workout at Curves this morning and tried it again, filling the cupcake liners only half-full this time.  See how attempt #2 turned out?  

Not good.  Failure #2.  What causes the big craters in them? 

I searched the web for another recipe, and decided to try again, with a new recipe.  Things seemed to be going better.  Until I took them out of the oven. 

Why do they keep doing this?  Failure #3.  They don't taste too bad, but they look horrible.   Chad says, "God is trying to teach me patience."  (#211)

I didn't have time to try again, so I swallowed my pride and went to the store and came home with this:

After I get it all jazzed up with toppings, it will be delicious.   Next time, I will make my cake by scratch. . . I just ran out of time today. 

After poking holes in the cake with a chopstick, I poured sweetened condensed milk over the top.

Next came the caramel sauce.

I then covered the pan and stuck it in fridge four a couple hours.  I made the whipped topping while it was chilling.  And here's the finished product:

DEE-LISH!  Here's the recipe for the cake that actually turned out.  I won't waste your time with those awful cupcake recipes.

Better Than Almost Anything Cake
1 chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (or more) caramel sauce (see below)
Whipped Cream (see below)
Heath Toffee Chips
Mini Chocolate chips

Bake cake as directed.  As soon as you take it from oven, poke holes in top of cake with chopstick, about 1" apart.  Slowly pour sweetened condensed milk over top of cake and let it soak in.  Slowly pour caramel sauce over top of cake.  Cover, and put in fridge for a couple hours or overnight, to let the flavors blend.  Sprinkle with toffee chips and mini chips.  Then, top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with more toffee chips and mini chocolate chips.  Store in fridge.

Caramel Sauce
1 c. light corn syrup
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
In 2-quart saucepan, heat corn syrup, brown sugar and butter to boiling over low heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream; heat to boiling. Cool about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Store covered in refrigerator up to 2 months.

Whipped Cream
4 c. cold heavy whipping cream (1 Qt)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. granulated sugar
Whisk & large bowl - in the freezer for at least 15 minutes
For best results, make sure your heavy cream, whisk, and bowl are all very cold. Whisk cream on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds.  Increase speed to medium and continue whisking for about 30 seconds longer.  Increase speed to high.  Just before the cream becomes soft and billowy, slowly add vanilaa and sugar at the sides of the bowl, and continue whisking.  Stop whisking when the cream has doubled in volume and is smooth, thick, and forms hard peaks.  Be careful not to over beat or it will turn to butter. Use half of the whipped cream on cake, and freeze the rest for later.

As I was searching for a good "from scratch" recipe, I happened upon the recipe for "Better Than Johnny Depp Cake", which I'd like to try some day.  It's the modern-day version of the "Better Than Robert Redford Cake".  If you want to know the history of this cake, check out her blog by clicking the link.

Our friends loved the cake, by the way.  And when Jacob came home from college tonight he said "what in the world happened to those cupcakes?"  (They're going in the garbage tomorrow.)

When the Wind Blows

The weather yesterday and today isn't very pleasant.  The cold north wind was gusting up to 45 mph all day yesterday.  I'm not sure what the wind chill was, but if it would snow, we'd have a blizzard.  (The farm-girl in me always keeps an eye on the weather.)

I had an appointment to get the oil changed in our car yesterday morning in Lexington, and the semi trucks were having a hard time with the wind.  As I traveled down the interstate, battling the wind, I was thinking of all the times God has protected me and I didn't even realize it.  (Blessing #201)  He protected me yesterday (#202), which I was very much aware of.  But there are many times that He protects me and my family, which I'm not even aware of.  And I'm so grateful for those unseen blessings.

When I entered the dreaded construction zone yesterday, I didn't grumble (this time) about the reduced speed of 55 mph.  I began thinking about what Jenica told me this week as she studied for a social studies test.  She told me that in the year 1900, the speed limit was 25 mph.  And if you were to travel across the country, it would take you 52 days.  I'm thankful they don't make cars like they used to.  (#203)

I am so thankful I live today, and not back then.  For many reasons.  But today, I am thankful that the speed limit is no longer 25mph.  (#204)  And that I can stay all nice and toasty-warm inside my car, while the windchill outside is hovering around zero.  (#205) 

The fierce wind, however, ended up giving me a good laugh.

I made a stop at Wal-mart before coming home.  The Kearney Wal-mart can make me crabby and anxious to leave, but not the Lexington Wal-mart.  It's friendly, inviting, and clean.  (#206)  Plus, you don't have to park a mile away.  And when it's windy like it has been, you appreciate the short walk. 

On my list yesterday:  16x25" furnace filters.  They've needed replaced for over a month now.  Actually, 2 months is probably more accurate.  (I tend to lose track of things like that during the holidays.) 

Okay. . . so, I finished up my shopping and left with several sacks, a jumbo pack of TP,  and 2 big furnace filters.  The greeter says, "Thanks for shopping at Wal-mart," and I smiled while making my way out the doors . . . with my cart . . . and into the W-I-N-D! 

WOOSH!

The 45 mph wind quickly grabbed hold of my furnace filters and lifted them out of my cart.  As I grab them before they took off like frisbees (moms learn to have a very quick reflex), the wind pushed my cart away from me.  I manage to grab the cart before it got too far away, and put the filters back inside.  Just as I got turned around and headed back into that fierce north wind, the filters acted as big white sails on a boat and yanked my cart back in the wrong direction.  I tried to keep a firm grip on my sails (aka: filters), stear the cart, and locate my car . . . with my long scarf whipping around my face to create another obstacle . . . and the wind was winning.  The only way I could get to the car was to walk backwards, and pull the cart instead push it.  I must have been quite the site.  But I made it!  And so did my filters!  The wind gave me (and the Wal-mart doorman) a good laugh yesterday.  (#207)

On the way home from Lexington, I was driving with the wind at my back.  That created a nice tail wind, and so I decided to clear out my "gas mileage" on the car to see how high it would get now that I was going with the wind.  That might seem like no big deal, but to me it was.  If you've owned an SUV, you know what I mean.  We traded our gas-guzzler a couple months ago, so I got pretty excited to see my gas mileage average between 40-41 all the way home.  (#208) 

When I headed to Lexington yesterday, I wondered, "how am I going to find a blessing in this kind of weather?"  Little did I know . . .  I can always find opportunities to be thankful.

Back to College

Jacob is all set to begin his second semester.  Yesterday morning, we went to UNK to get him all settled into his new dorm room.  Most of the students won't return for classes until Sunday, so there wasn't much activity on campus yesterday.  That was good (Blessing #195).  It gave Jacob a chance to locate his classes and take care of some last minute details before Monday. 

I am taking advantage of every opportunity to spend with Jacob, because I know that one day, he plans to live in a big city, far away, solving crime.  He's looking ahead . . . dreaming of what might be . . . and setting goals on how to get there . . .   He is realizing how the decisions he makes today will affect the rest of his life.  And he wants to do it right. 

I love the one-on-one time I get with Jacob, and I definitely recognize this as a blessing.  (#196)  We were about 10 miles from Kearney, and Jacob realized that he forgot his UNK ID and billfold back at home (#197).  So, we turned around and went back home to get them.  How is that a blessing?  It gave us a little more uninterrupted time together.

Being on campus brought back so many memories (#198).  When I went to school there, it was known as Kearney State College.  That was a long time ago.  I was one of the last classes to graduate under the "KSC" name.  Campus hasn't changed that much.  And it was fun taking a stroll down memory lane. 

Bad News and Good News ~ When we went to pick up a "resident parking permit," the nice lady behind the counter gave us a sheepish grin and said, "we're all out of parking permits."  Seriously!?  How does that happen?  Jacob put his name on the waiting list, which was several pages long.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that now Jacob doesn't have to spend $75 for a parking permit.  (#199) 

He's excited to have 3 of his buddies from high school on his same floor in CTW, and he's excited about the classes he'll be taking towards his Criminal Justice degree.  The classes he's most looking forward to:  Criminal Justice 101 and Baseball Theory (in hopes of coaching baseball again this summer).  The class he's least looking forward to:  Music Theory.  (of course)  Having him closer to home this semester will be a blessing also.  (#200)  The funny thing is:  Jacob didn't even visit UNK in high school because he thought it was too close to home.  Oh, how our perspectives change over time.

James 1:17 ~ "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."


Today's blessings centered around a trip to Lincoln that Jacob and I made.  I don't get many opportunities to spend 10 hours just one-on-one with Jacob, so today's trip was definitely a blessing (#182).  No X-box.  No computers.  Very few distractions, actually.  Just Jacob and I. 

We dropped Jillian off at school, and then hit the road.  She always takes a few steps up towards the playground, then turns around, waves, and blows me a kiss.  And today was no different.  Except that Jacob also got to experience the sweet kiss that floated through the air from Jillian too.  (#183)

Just the fact that Jacob was up at 7:15am is a blessing (#184).  During his first semester, he definitely became molded into a schedule of staying up late and getting up late.  I sometimes wonder if God is preparing him for a job that will involve working the night shift.  

Because he doesn't start college classes until next week, Jacob went with me to the dermatologist in Lincoln to help with the driving.  I had some skin cancer removed (which is becoming a more regular occurance thanks to my fair skin and age), and this time it was a piece of cake compared to the last time.  (#185)  I'm thankful it was found early this time.

On our way to Lincoln, we took a short detour through Starbucks at York for a special treat.  (#186)  In case you're wondering what we had ~ Chai Tea Latte and Caramel Macchiato.  Whenever we go to the doctor, a stop at Starbucks always helps make the trip a little more enjoyable. 

Jacob loves trivia quizzes, so he and I worked on some of the "Jigsaw Words" on my Kindle while we waited.  (#187)  I let him pick the category "Sports" since he's an expert at that one.  (As a side note, I was blessed to win my Kindle from SADS Foundation a couple years ago. Another blessing.  #188)

After we left the doctor, we headed to lunch at Hu Hot Mongolian Grill.  (#189)  It was Jacob's choice, but it's one of my favorite places too.  My best friend from college met us for lunch, so that was a special treat also.  (#190)  She was able to take an extra-long lunch, but the time went by so fast.  It's always great to spend time with her.  She's so upbeat and positive, and just a joy to be around.

Notice the pretty blue sky we got to enjoy today?  It felt like spring!

On our way to lunch, we happened to notice the place where Dani picked up homemade bread for our family Christmas last weekend - Harvest Bread Company.  They make the best bread!  So Jacob pulled into their parking lot so I could run in and get a couple loaves to take home with us. (Blessing #191) 

We had great weather today.  It got up to 69 degrees in Lincoln.  That's pretty amazing for January in Nebraska!  (#192)  Notice the station we were listening to?  Yep.  ESPN Radio.  I let him listen to it for a little while. 

On the way home, we got to watch the sun set ahead of us. (#193) Here are a few photos to share with you, but it was way more beautiful in person.

Approaching the Great Platte River Archway and the construction of the new overpass.

The Platte River

The jets left a pretty pattern for us in the sky, which the setting sun then added a splash color for us.

And when we got home, Chad already had supper ready for us.  (#194)  Jillian met me at the door with spagetti hanging out her mouth.  She and Jenica tried to convince us that daddy fixed worms for supper. 

Silly Jillie!