And time just flys by!

I have been bad about posting recently. Oops! I was getting ready for a vacation and then went on vacation. I met up with all my family in Texas. None of us are from there but we have a family friend there. It was a good week overall. I went SHOPPING!!! I got new perfume, two new purses, some clothes, and a new winter coat. They were all amazing deals!! Here is a picture I took at a western shop there. I did not bring home a cowboy hat. Maybe next time!

It was so nice to be in nice warm weather and it's a little depressing that it's still so chilly here at home. Sigh...come on Michigan, where is our spring? Now that I'm back I really want to get into redecorating my room. I have some ideas and I need to just decide what direction I want to go. I just like it all! Somebody help!!!

Quote of the Day!

May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

-Irish blessing

I thought it would be fitting for Saint Patrick's Day to share an Irish blessing. There were so many to choose from! I'm sure you will be seeing more since I had a hard time picking just one. I'm not Irish but I've always wanted to visit Ireland. The history there, the story's I hear, and the beauty it can offer. Maybe one day I will get to go! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Oh it's just that good!!!!

Remember that restaurant I went to last week? Where I got that amazing dessert? Well, I said I was going to recreate it and I did! It is called a Cookie Crisp and here is how you make it. It is a bit of work if you are just making one but trust me it is worth it!

You will need the ingredients for your favorite cookie dough, large flour tortillas, and oil (to heat). It would probably work better if your cookie recipe calls for crisco rather than butter. Start heating enough oil to fry something the size of a burrito. I just eyed my oil so I can't tell you any measurements. Sorry!

Step one: Make your cookie dough

Step two: Put dough in the middle of flour tortilla then fold tortilla so both ends are closed. It will look like a burrito. I could have put less dough in my tortilla.

Step three: With a long tongs put your "burrito" in your now hot oil. You will need to hold the burrito shut until it starts to get crispy. Also note, you don't want your oil to be boiling. I don't have an oil thermometer and my oil was boiling so I can't give you a temperature. I know I'm not doing this well at all! 

Step four: Once your "burrito" is brown and crispy all over you can take it out of the oil. Dab the oil off and place on your serving plate. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar or cinnamon on top.

Step five: Cut your cookie crisp in half and enjoy! You can serve it with French Vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate.

Doesn't that just look so good!! Like I said I had a little too much dough in my tortilla and my oil was too hot so not all my dough melted because I had to take it out too soon. The dough should be pretty melted when you cut it in half. The next time I make this I want to sprinkle cinnamon on top of the dough before I fold the tortilla. I think it will add great flavor!

Hope some of you get to try this and love it as much as I do! If you are dieting maybe not a good idea unless you are cheating slightly and sharing it!

New Camera!

After being without a camera for a year I finally got a new one! It was on sale and I think I got a great deal! It's a Nikon CoolPix S6000 with 14.2 megapixels and 7x zoom. It's a decent little point and shoot and I think it will work great for me. I've only taken a few pictures with it since I just got it last night. I snapped a couple shots of my 2 year old nephew who cannot stand still and he wasn't a blur! Yay! I'm excited to play with it and actually take real pictures!

I do have a story about a cake I made last night. It didn't exactly work out the way I wanted it to. I will tell it later though! Gotta go! It's Friday!

Spa-liscious and a night out!

I made a coffee scrub this weekend and it was super easy! The recipe I found called for 2 cups of ground coffee (any kind), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon carrier oil (jojoba, almond, olive), vanilla extract, and I put in a few drops of Vitamin E oil. I got all the ingredients together then tweeked it until it was what I wanted.

The container I had wasn't that big so I poured in 1 1/2 cups of coffee grounds and 1/4 cup sugar. I mixed that together and then added the oil. (I used almond) I used 2 1/2 tablespoons of oil and then added 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to give it a sweeter smell. If you have Vitamin E oil or tablets you can add some in as well. (Vitamin E is a preservative) I should have mixed it all in a larger bowl then poured it into my container but I wasn't thinking clearly so I made a little bit of a mess. My end result looked like this!

I used it Sunday night and there were things I liked and didn't like. Pros: it smells amazing and the steam of a hot shower just helps that, it feels great on your skin, exfoliates but doesn't scratch. Cons: It is very MESSY, if you have slow drainage (like me) or a hair catcher (like me) you will have to clean the grounds off the bottom of the tub some, and I could have added more oil or honey to make the grounds stick better.


That was over the weekend but last night I went out to dinner and a movie with a friend from work. We tried a new restaurant and LOVED it. Aubree's Pizzeria and Tavern, it was a great atmosphere, good service, and the food was amazing! We split a calzone with Italian sausage and pepperoni. I wasn't that hungry but I ate my entire half. The calzone had garlic and Parmesan cheese brushed on top. (mmmmm) Then we split a dessert and I am going to figure out how to make this dessert if it's the last thing I do! It's called a cookie crisp. The description in their menu was this, "Creamy cookie dough rolled in a flour tortilla and fried. Served with cinnamon crumb ice cream drizzled with chocolate." It was amazing! I think I had a relationship with my food last night! (just kidding) I wish Aubree's wasn't a local restaurant so I could have everyone go there! I plan to try to recreate the dessert this weekend and I will so let you know how it turns out! (Keep your fingers crossed for me!)

It lifts my soul

 

The past few weeks the song Blessed Be Your Name has just lifted me so much. It has calmed my heart and soothed my soul. The words have taught me a lesson and have become my own special reminder that God is in control. I've always loved this song but it has taken on a whole new meaning with me and I wanted to share the lyrics with you.

Blessed Be Your Name

-Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

I hope that the words lifted your heart and soul as well. Do you have a song that means the same to you? That calms you or brings you peace? Share it with me! 


P.S. I bought more green beans today! 

Something New to Finish with

I changed my hairstyle Thursday night and when I say change I mean it. I went in with shoulder length hair, straight across bangs, and remnants of a perm. I came out with this!

It's fun, different, and I LOVE it! This picture was taken today so that means I can style it half way decent myself! (Which is a HUGE deal to me! I am hair styling challenged) I also think it is perfect for spring! Don't you? Spring which isn't coming anytime soon since it snowed again today. Ugh! I am ready for warm weather and slippers! (Flip flops for you non island people)

Friday I saw a wonderful recipe and picture of fresh greens. They looked so good I stopped at Meijer after work to pick up some. I got around half a pound for 53 cents. (I forgot to take pictures until the end. Oops!) I made them today for my lunch and it was delicious! I mean seriously delicious!

I boiled them for about 6 minutes. I like my beans a little less crispy but if you want a crunch boil them for 4 minutes and then test them. I drained them and put them back in the pan with the heat still on low. I added a couple tablespoons of butter, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and sea salt to taste. I let the butter melt, mixed in the garlic, and I was ready to eat!

I am now wishing I had bought more than half a pound! Maybe a trip to the grocery store will be in my future tomorrow....

Thought filled Tuesday

"You can only account for the actions and decisions you yourself make in life. I hope that you have a clear conscience with everything you've done." -Chelsie Jean

These wonderful words of wisdom are from a friend of mine. The first time I read this I immediately thought yes! ______ needs to hear this. When I went back to write it down I realized maybe I should look at it for myself first.

So often we forget to apply things to our own lives. (Well, at least I seem to.) I wonder if we went after ourselves with the same fervor we go after those around us or ones that have hurt us what kind of changes we would see in our own lives.