chocolate cobbler

We had some friends over for dessert last night, so I tried out a new recipe!  =)  Who better to experiment on than friends, right? 
Thankfully, it was a hit!  And because it was such a big hit, I'm going to share it with you!

Chocolate Cobbler

First layer:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c white sugar
3 TB melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 TB cocoa

Second layer:
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c cocoa

Top:
1 1/2 cups hot, boiling water

Method:
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees
~Starting with the bottom layer, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Spread it as evenly as possible in a greased, glass 9X13 dish.
~Mix together the middle layer and evenly sprinkle over the first layer.
~Lastly, gently pour the hot water over the first two layers.

Bake for 40 minutes (mine took 35 minutes).  Server warm or cold, with or without ice cream.

**Notes**
~I added 1 TB of ground cinnamon and 1 tsp of chili powder for some depth and kick
~Instead of 1 cup flour, you could substitute 1 cup of self rising flour.  Just omit the baking powder and salt.

happy birthday Oma

Today is my mother's birthday (I won't post how old she is-she might not like that =) )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMA!  We love you!  We hope you have a great day filled with love and joy!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" ~Psalm 118:24

pregnancy update

I'm officially 16 weeks!! =)  Yahoo!  Half way there!  I had my monthly doctor visit yesterday, and the doctor was pleased with how baby's doing.  Heart beat was in the 140's, and is on track growth wise.

In two weeks, we find out what baby #2 is!  Can't wait! 
There is a very noticeable baby bump now, which is super cute....I had every intention of taking monthly preggo bump pictures, but then I forgot.  Maybe one of these days I'll remember to take one and post it.

I'm still feeling fairly energetic most of the time, and definitely hungry too.  Like most days I feel like I could eat a horse =)  Trying to eat pretty healthy, and I always carry an apple or grapes around with me in my purse just in case.

We found some bedding for the nursery (it's baby jungle animals-super adorable), so later this week we're going to pick out paint for the room!  Jaden wants us to paint the room hot pink, because he says a baby sister would like a pink jungle.  (That got vetoed.)  We're looking at some on-line stores that sell wall decals for the walls (also baby jungle animals).  The nursery is coming together!

We've also officially decided on a name for each gender-we're just waiting to find out before we tell everybody =) 

Some random fun facts about this week in my pregnancy:
*The baby is as big as a sweet potatoe (Jaden thinks this is hilarious)
*the baby has started to grow toe nails
*baby most definitely moves, and Derek and Jaden can feel it on the outside of my belly now

the chronicles of narnia

I'm re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia series.  It had been quite a long time since I last read them!  I think that they are my most favorite series.  This time, I'm trying to pay more attention to biblical symbols.  I've never paid much attention to those details-but man, this series is chock full of them!  The first 3 books are all folded up and marked on now =)

A couple parts have been on my mind, and I wanted to write them down so I could remember them.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has a conversation between two of the children and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.  They are talking about Aslan, the great Lion who rules Narnia.
Lucy: Then he (Aslan) isn't safe?
Mr. Beaver:  Safe?  Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about safe?  'Course he isn't safe.  But he is good.  He's the King. 
I love this part!  It reminds me that God isn't always safe.  He doesn't call us to do the easy things.  He calls us to work, and sometimes it's way outside of our comfort zone.  But we can find courage in the truth that He is good!  He is the King, and He loves us and will take care of us.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has a very small paragraph near end of the book where the children are walking through this vast green valley (called The End of the World or Aslan's Land).  They come to a little fire and see that a Lamb is preparing food.
The Lamb tells them, "Come and have breakfast".
I never noticed it the few times I've read this book.  It's a story straight from one of my favorite scriptures.  John 21:12 says "Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.'  None of the disciples dared ask him "who are you?"  They knew it was the Lord. 
How awesome will it be to have the Lamb ask us to have breakfast?  To sit down and dine with Him.  To see Him face to face. 
I can't even imagine.  But it's going to be awesome.

Anyway, I need to get Jaden off to pre-school, but I hope these little thoughts bring you joy and dwell on your minds today =)  Have a good day!

the pumpkin patch

My family went to Jeter Farm this past weekend.  We forgot our camera (I know, I know....) so no pictures this year.
Derek calls this year the year of the small pumpkin because all that this particular pumpkin patch had was small pie pumpkins (which, incidentally were free with the price of admission).  They had bigger pumpkins, but we had to pay for those.  Jaden got a pumpkin, I got a pumpkin....and both Jaden and Derek insisted that we get a teeny tiny one for the new baby =)
This pumpkin patch had lots of fun activities-a corn maze, a tractor ride, a pumpkin train, slides and LOTS of hay bales for the kids to jump and climb over.
Overall, it was a fun day!  

altec family day 2012

While Annette, Gail and I  were off on our adventures in Liberty, Derek took Jaden to Altec Family Day for some daddy/Jaden time.  He got a balloon animal, a ride in a bucket truck, and got to play in a bounce house!

Jaden in the bucket

can you see him???

there he is, way up high!

snowflex

While my sister ran her half marathon, Annette's friend and I walked about Liberty's campus.  It was gorgeous!  We also visited their snowflex complex.  It's America's only artificial snow tub, ski and snow boarding place with out snow!  It looked super awesome.  I hope someday to be able to go back and play!

the artificial slope!

the tubing track

another angle on the slopes

auntie annette comes to visit

Jaden was very thrilled to have my sister here ALL WEEK!  She took vacation for several days and spent some good, quality sister time with me.  It was like we were in college again.  She also got some fun time with Jaden.
Yesterday she ran a trail half marathon! =)

race morning!

before the buzzer

here she comes!

go annette!

VICTORIOUS! =)

pumpkin bread

One of the things I love about fall is pumpkin!  Pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin ice cream (which, if you haven't tried-you should!), and pumpkin bread.  Yum!  I had a huge craving for some pumpkin bread, so I made some last night. 

I used the spiced pumpkin bread recipe from cooking light magazine, with a few alterations.

You need:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking sode
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of cinnamon and nutmeg each
2/3 cup oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of currants or raisins or chocolate chips (optional)
**I added 2 tsp of vanilla extract, and increased the 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to 2 tsp cinnamon.  Also, I added a 1/2 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt to make it more moist**

Method:
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
Make a well in the middle.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs.  Add the rest of the ingredients, through the pumpkin puree.  Whisk until incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just moist.
Fold in raisins.
Grease 2 loaf pans, and spoon batter into each.
Bake at  350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!! =)

something to think about...

These are some excerpts from my quiet time this morning (The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis by Nancy Guthrie)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight...according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and on earth ~Ephesians 1:7-10

Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But could there have been a tree that bore more fruit of the knowledge of both good and evil than the tree upon which Christ died?  On that tree hung the only person who has ever been perfectly good.  And yet he took upon himself all of our evil so that we, along with all of creation, might be restored and cleansed and made good again.

The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many.  But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. ~Romans 5:17

Through Christ, God has made a way for us to come back into His garden, where He will be our God and we will be His people.  No more hiding.  No more alienation.  No more pain.  No more curse.

pregnancy update

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." 

~Ps 139:13-14

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God ~Isaiah 61:10a

I'm into the 15th week of pregnancy already!  Time sure does fly!  My baby bump is getting a tiny bit more noticeable =)  I'm not nauseated anymore-HUGE blessing-and I'm entering the time of pregnancy that brings meaning to the phrase "hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman hungry"!

Jaden has started to read to the baby.  He also hugs and gives my belly kisses in the morning and before bed.  He's going to make such a sweet older brother!  

Every now and then I feel little flutters-oh, how I love those!  I think, "Hello, peanut, how are you?  It's nice to know you're growing!"  And they remind me that the Lord is good.  He is the author and creator of life.  He is knitting my baby together, piece by perfect piece.  My baby will be fearfully and wonderfully made-because he or she will be made in the image of God.  

I pray that this baby (and Jaden) grow up to take a hold of this promise in their little hearts!