The Reese Cake

A couple of weeks ago, I experimented with my first-ever layered cake. It turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Today, I am trying something new and so.... *takes deep breath* ... Here I go!

First, I made one yellow, butter cake in a round pan.

After cutting the edges and transfering it to the cake plate, I made a second - the same way! While the second cake was in the oven, I took 8 Reese cups and blended them up with 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter.

After blending the middle filling up, I covered the bottom cake with the mixture. Then, I placed the second cake on top!

Next comes - the icing! I picked up a container of Chocolate Buttercream Icing at the supermarket and stirred in 2 large Tablespoons of peanut butter. Then, I iced! :) And voila! Here is the finished product.

 

 

Now, it is currently chilling in the fridge; waiting for tonight! Simple, yummy, and completely loaded with carbs. But ah well. :)

As much as my husband loves peanut butter, I cannot wait for him to sink his teeth into this!

 ****EDIT****

The cake was ah-may-zing! (aka - amazing).

10 Habits of a Clean Home

I found this, 10 Habits of a Clean Home, from the I Dream of Clean website and just had to share it with you, wives!

It’s really quite simple to have a home that always looks like a showroom.

Don’t have kids, don’t get married, don’t have guests over, and don’t live life in your home. That will pretty much ensure that you have a clean home at all times! But, that also means you won’t have any fun!
If you’re someone who likes to actually live in your home, it will get messy. It will become unorganized. And it will get dirty! But, there are a few habits you can begin now to ensure that your home is reasonably clean most of the time.


1. Shine Your Sink

Several years ago I was on the flylady email list and the first think I learned was to “shine your sink” every night. (Unfortunately, that’s as far as I got with the flylady. Maybe I should try again!) Anyway, the shine your sink concept is a great habit to begin! Every night take five minutes to clean your kitchen completely. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, clean off the counters, and scrub and dry your sink until it’s shiny.



2. Wash One Load of Laundry Daily

Instead of waiting until the weekend to wash several loads of laundry, get in the habit of washing one load every day. As soon as you wake up, put a load of laundry in the washing machine. Then, before you leave for the day, transfer the load to the dryer. When you get home, fold and put away the clothes. You may need to modify the routine if you’re worried about your clothes getting wrinkled or you have more or less than seven loads of laundry every week. Just make adjustments and find a way to make laundry part of your daily routine.



3. Process Mail Immediately

Go through your mail daily. As you walk in the door, open all envelopes, throw away or shred junk mail, and put bills and other action items in your command center.



4. Create a Command Center

A command center is an area in your home that can be used as a catch all for items that need to be processed (i.e. bills that need to be paid, cards to send out, etc.). It’s also a place that can house items that need to be picked up quickly as you walk out the door like keys, bags, and phones. Some also benefit for having a calendar in this area. Customize the command center to fit your family and life!



5. Throw Away Trash

Throwing away your trash seems so simple right? But, how many times have you (or someone in your family) taken something out of a package and put the package on the counter beside you? Or, maybe you’ve taken tags off clothes and just placed them on the dresser instead of the trashcan? Instead of waiting until later, just take a few extra seconds and immediately throw away trash in the trashcan.



6. Straighten Up Every Night

Waking up to a clean home can make the start of your day more pleasing and productive. Take a few minutes each night to pick up around the house. It doesn’t have to be spotless, but straightening up nightly helps to keep the mess from becoming overwhelming.



7. Create a Cleaning Schedule

Depending on your personality, a cleaning schedule can be as detailed or scaled down as you want it. You may want to clean bathrooms on Monday, mop and vacuum floors on Tuesday, dust on Wednesday, cut the yard on Thursday, and something else on Friday. Or you may prefer to do everything on the weekend. In either situation, a plan will help you move through the list much more quickly. Just like other areas in life, a plan will encourage, motivate, and enable you to reach your goal for a clean home.



8. Become a minimalist

Reducing clutter reduces stress. You’ll have less to clean, less to pick up, and less to maintain. You may even be able to live in a smaller house! Or at least not have to move into a bigger one.



9. Do One Thing

Sometimes the list of household projects can seem so overwhelming. If you have a list of 10 things that you need to replace, build, or update, just pick one thing to complete. Then do one thing that will move you closer to finishing that project. For example, if you need to organize your closet, start with your pants. Then move onto skirts the next day, and tops the following day. Break down a large project by just doing one thing.



10. Have a Junk Drawer

Yes, a junk drawer is a must for a clean home. In some cases, a cabinet or closet may be more reasonable! Having a place to store random items that don’t have a home can be so freeing. Plus, when you’re in a hurry, sometimes it’s just easier to dump everything into one place. Of course, the only downfall is that you must clean it out periodically!

Weekend Gospel Music Camp!

This past weekend was our Gospel Music Summer Celebration at my family's camp. What fun it was! There was plenty of guitar pickin', gospel singin', good fellowship, and great food!! :) Here are a few snapshots of the fun!

Baking cakes for the cake auction!

Me and the hubby ;)

Flowers From My Husband

My sweet husband brought me flowers today - just because! Isn't he precious?! :)

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
~ Emma Goldman

Eternally Newlyweds

I want to talk a bit about marriage. (btw, this post can also be found on my bridal blog)

Can I just say right now that I loooooooooove being married? :) My hubby and I have been married for a grand total of 95 days! ....(which, sadly, is a record these days)

We are still newlyweds. *bats eyes*

Actually, Grant and I have both made a decision that we will work to have the "honeymoon" feeling for the rest of our lives. We want to always be so totally in love that, 20 years from now, people will think we are just newly married. Tomorrow, we want to be more in love with each other than we are today. It takes work. It takes effort. There have been days when we have grown lazy. But all in all, I have to say that we feel more blessed, more excited, more passionate, and more in love today than on our honeymoon. So far, so good!

You know, as a wife, I want to feel like a newlywed for the rest of my life. But here is a thought: Should we not feel the same way about our Heavenly Husband? Think about it. Go back in time. When you first asked Jesus to come into your heart and life and change you, make you whole, make you new, and SAVE you, didn't you feel just wonderful?! :) Didn't you feel light and happy and completely at peace? Didn't you feel like you could walk on air? Didn't you want to shout, laugh, and cry all at the same time? You were COMPLETELY in love! You were a spiritual newlywed. :) Why is it that we lose that newlywed feeling towards our Love? Why do we get lazy in our attempt to fall more and more in love with Christ? Why are we slack? Why are we selfish and indifferent? Why do we act so deeply amazed by Him when we walk in Church, but then leave and ignore Him the rest of the week? Or call to Him when we are in trouble? Is that the reason we "married" our Heavenly Prince? Would any wife marry her husband only to give him attention one day a week? Call him only when she needs help changing a flat tire?

It is a profound thought. A convicting one.

As a wife, I adore my husband! Though he is human, I look at him as my Prince and my Knight. I want to be with him all the time. I watch the window and run and fix my hair as 5 o'clock rolls around each evening, when I know he is about to come home from work. I want his thoughts and opinions about everything. I want his approval. I want him pleased. So why are we not the same (and more!) with the King of Kings? Why do we not want to be in His presence every moment of every day? Why do we not anxiously and excitedly long for Him to come to us? Why do we not rid ourselves of the spiritual stench and sloppiness in our lives for Him? Why do we not seek Him in our every decision? Why do we ignore His commandments and standards and rules for our living? Why do we not care about pleasing Him?

I would have to say that we, as spiritual brides, are pretty rotten wives sometimes. We need to get our perspective corrected and work a bit harder. I don't know about you, but I want my relationship with my Heavenly Love to be MORE blissful and amazing every day. I want to be eternally newlyweds with my Jesus! Just as I long and work to keep the passion alive with my husband, I should work harder and long more strongly to keep the Heavenly Honeymoon spirit alive and well in my relationship with Christ.

....it's something to think about.

John 15:9 -
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Song of Solomon 8:6a, 7a -
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death...Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it:...

Jeremiah 31:3 -
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Top 10 Courtship Pick-Up Lines

I saw this and thought it was halarious! Even though my courtship has ended and I am now married, I am still becoming more and more inclined toward courtship and the more purity-based way of doing things. This is a fun little "Top 10 List" for all you likeminded readers out there!



10. "So I talked to your dad last night..."

 9. "I lost my phone number. Maybe through a purposeful relationship, we can find out if I'm supposed to have yours."

 8. "Your Bible...or mine?"

 7. "We're perfect for each other. Our parents have so much in common!"

 6. This one comes right out of the book of Song of Solomon, "You're so, so, how can I say this biblically? Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing...Your hair is like a herd of goats running down a mountain!"
 5. "Do your feet hurt? 'Cause you've been running through God's plans for me all eternity long!"

 4. "Let's get our siblings together and go out sometime."

 3. "I can't wait to see what you look like at 50."

 2. "Your modesty's showing."

 1. "My parents are back in town. Wanna come over?"

The Weather Is Fine

How I wish it would rain!!!

The picture above is what the sky looked like yesterday afternoon. As I went to pick up the mail, I got all excited. RAIN!!!! Finally! ....but my excitement was short lived. It barely sprinkled. And now, I am wistfully looking outside the kitchen window at the overcast sky, praying for a thunderstorm and a small mini-flood.

*sigh* Oh well. It may be a draught outside, but today I have had an internal shower! I had a refreshing drink from the Word today.

This morning, I decided to go back to Genesis and read the big story of creation, man and woman, sin, and God's long suffering forgiveness. I was blessed at the reminder of my sinful state and the Lord's redeeming love and mercy. I don't know about you, but I am finding out that I need to be reminded daily how gloriously sweet His salvation is. Sometimes we forget how much we need our Savior. I was reminded anew this morning. And my, was it refreshing!

After my morning devotion, I went about picking up the kitchen and putting on a load of laundry. Then I began scrubbing some paint spots I discovered on our kitchen floor (oops!). While I worked, I decided to put on some "cleaning music." So I plugged in my ipod and set it to one of my old favorite groups, Point of Grace. Lo and behold, I heard these words...

I need you to rain down on me
Please pour down your light
For this is my life-line
I need you to rain down on me
The weather is fine when you rain on me

The power of gladness takes control
When it's streaming from Your face...

Holy water falls as I lift my eyes
Then heaven flows straight through my spirit
As it carries your embrace....

The weather is fine when you rain on me



Well, outside may be dry. But inside me? My cup is overflowing. :)

Canning Salsa

I canned salsa! Hooray!

Basic Salsa Recipe for Canning

Ingredients you will need:

24 cups chopped tomatoes

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups diced jalapeno peppers with seeds included

2 cups diced bell pepper

2 cups diced onion

2 small cans tomato sauce

3 to 6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon canning salt

** I added about 1/4 c of lemon juice.
You can also add a ¼ bunch of cilantro.

Bring tomatoes and vinegar to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for one hour, stirring often. Add in jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, onions, tomato sauce, garlic and canning salt and cook another one to two hours or more to desired consistency.

Put the mixture in hot Mason jars. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

You can thicken the salsa by simmering the mixture in a crock pot with the lid off until you reach the desired thickness. This helps prevent scorching.

Are We Seeking His Face?

A man in our Church has this saying that fits very well with this post. He often asks, "Are we seeking God's face? Or His hands?" Profound. And very true. Very often, when we pray, we are seeking the hands of God, instead of desperately seeking after His face.

What are we seeking??

“You can’t have serious interest in prayer when you’re full of yourself. The prayer is a farce. The typical local church prayer meeting is a joke. It’s disgusting. It’s grievous to the Holy Spirit. Some pastors jokingly, and yet I suppose seriously, say ‘Our church prayer meeting is the organ recital. And all the organs of the body are talked about and prayer is requested.’ And here’s a nation rushing to hell and we concern ourselves with broken fingers and pains in our side. We haven’t taken prayer seriously, and we can’t because we haven’t humbled ourselves.”
- Richard Owen Roberts

"If you have any pride in your life it is because you have not yet had a full revelation of Christ."
- Richard Owen Roberts

SHAME and AMEN!

Right now, the two words going through my head right now are - AMEN!!! and SHAME!!!

Why?

Because yesterday, I saw mothers on television debate over the upbringing of children in regards to abstinence....and the lack thereof. One group of women waved the flag of being "buddies" with their children and giving them birth control (among other things) since their children are "going to do it anyway." And many of those mothers were shocked to find how little they knew of their children's promiscuity. For that, I say SHAME! The other group of women were firm and vocal about waiting for marriage, or at least until they are older and more responsible (which, in today's society, even that is a step-up). One woman proudly said that she was raising her son to wait for his wedding day. For that, I say AMEN!!

When talking to the children themselves, one 15 year old girl had to stop and think of all the sexual partners she's had, counting them in her head, before concluding that she has had a total of eight partners! Another 14 year old girl said that everyone at school knows and talks about the sex act and thought that she might as well get it over with. How heartbreaking. To see the place we have come to, where love and intimacy and the beauty of marital lovemaking is trashed and reduced to nothing more than the usual "thing to do" once you arrive in Health class. Like getting your driver's license when you turn 16, it is just the average act of teenagers.

Do Christians have any idea of the epidemic we have??

Furthermore, do we do anything about it?

Being raised in a home where abstinence and chastity were taught, I learned quite a few things about purity and honor. Such as:

• Purity and abstinence education and commitments should be more than just a list of rules.
• You should saturate your children in what the Bible has to say about chastity and abstaining from immoral conduct. (Matthew 5:8, 1 Timothy 5:22b, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Peter 2:11)
• God's way should be taught as the beautiful, worthwhile thing that it is.
• You teach by example.

I think it is wonderful when parents desire to be close to their children, but there is a fine line between a close parent and confidant and a "buddy." A parent should set the tone of the household, the rules of the household, and lead by example. They should spend time with their children, teaching them, loving them, learning them, and inspiring them. A buddy is no more than an older version of their school and play mates. That is quite a difference. My heart breaks for the children. But in reality, I am more burdened over the parents, who literally have no clue. Instead of having such low expectations for their children, they should be raising the bar, setting high standards, inspiring them, and showing them that there is a greater life and purpose for them in the eyes of God.

SHAME to those who refuse God's way and will not heed His voice. AMEN to those who "ask for the old path, wherewith is the good way." (Jeremiah 6:16)

Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."