a snuggly way to give ♥

There is still time to be part of something really cool this holiday season!  A friend of ours has a son who is collecting fleece and/or blankets to deliver to Children's Hospital for a school project. This young man has had two open- heart surgeries and the last time he was there, he was given a tie fleece blanket. He was so touched by the gesture. His school project is called "Do Hard Things" and we just think it's AWESOME! It was so great to make with my kiddos and to pray for each person/child that would be cozying up with it! If you'd like to be a part of the project, you can e-mail me at : laurajane223@gmail.com I can drive to pick it up from you :) I would need to get the fleece from you by January 2nd. Thanks so much!.... and if you can't be part of it...pray for these dear kids. And hug your healthy kids :) Merry Christmas!!!

sweet treats

These cutie pies make a fun lil way of gifting treats to teachers (or anyone)! They were so quick and simple. Really. Put with a coffee gift card, we hope this will bring a smile to their teachers.

what you need:
small jar
toddler (or infant if using smaller jar) sized socks...put sock on jar and cut the sock off before the heel
puff balls (glued to string)
string
googly eyes
orange card stock (cup into trapezoid shape, roll and glue)

*I used a hot glue gun for everything and used my favorite Dove peppermint bark chocolates! (but it would also be super cute with puppy chow/Muddy Buddies!)

Gingerbread play dough

Play dough never smelled so good! The recipe came home in my daughter's backpack yesterday! We have been playing with this all afternoon and I just have to share! It smells SO YUMMY!!!

gingerbread play dough

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 tsp orange extract (optional)

(*I doubled this recipe for my 4 kids)

Instructions:  In a medium saucepan whisk together dry ingredients. Next mix in the water, oil and orange extract and stir until a thick batter is formed. Cook the mixture over low/medium heat until a thick dough forms. Turn out onto parchment paper (or non stick cooking sheet) and knead until smooth. makes about 2 cups of dough.....or 4 :)

keep stirring! It takes a little while to get nice and thick!

HAVE FUN!!! :)

pay it forward!

This is just a lil Monday challenge for you :) I decided a couple months ago that if I wanted to buy myself a coffee, then I needed to buy one for the person behind me in the drive through as well. If I have the money to splurge on a coffee treat then I have enough to bring it to a friend, or pay for the person behind me at the coffee shop. It's led to some really neat conversations and meeting new fascinating people. I honestly don't know that there's a better thing to do than blessing someone else's day, especially when you might be having a hard day yourself.
So, go on...pay it forward....er, I mean, pay behind ;) Happy Monday!!

Miss Maya ♥

I love babies.  I love their smell, their little wimpers and their microscopic ears and lips. This long time family friend Kelly and her 2 week old daughter, Maya came over this week. I got to photograph her, but I also got to snuggle her almost weightless lil self.  I feel like it wasn't that long ago that I was in this sleep deprived stage of life, and when my baby came home that afternoon she looked HUGE! I am reminded how fleeting this time is. I am so thankful for the reminder this week: They really do grow up faster than you can imagine. I want to cherish every day! Thank you Kelly and Nick for letting me a part of this beautiful chapter of your lives. You WILL get sleep again, promise. :) Enjoy this little gift from God ♥

Power bites. YUM!!

I gave these lil guys the name because they are a really healthy lil dessert for my kids' lunch boxes...and I kinda feel powerful myself because they are super fast & easy to make and so delish ;)

this is it folks:

1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 ripe bananas
1 heaping spoonful of organic peanut butter
smash it all together, spoon onto cookie sheet

cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. BAM. dessert is done.

(makes about 12ish?)

Chocolate flourless torte

This was a successful Pinterest find! Hoh-boy, this was a yummy! We enjoyed this with a lil vino for my mom's birthday yesterday! YUM!! :) I had a slightly larger pan, so it turned out to be quite thin, but it is so rich you won't mind! Plus, it feeds more people too :)

 

 

This easy recipe for flourless chocolate cake with silky chocolate glaze is a decadent finale to any special celebration.
This recipe is an adaptation of Flourless Chocolate Cake by Linda Larsen, About.com Guide to Busy Cooks. This version is smaller than most flourless chocolate cake recipes but don't let the diminutive size fool you, one small wedge delivers a big dose of buttery rich chocolate flavor!
If you have a 7-inch tart pan with crimped edges and a removable bottom the cake bakes up with fanciful fluted edges and is easy to remove from the pan after baking.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For Glaze:
• 2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spray a 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. If you don't have a tart pan, use a 6 to 7-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

1. Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
2. Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.
3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.
4. Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.
7. To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.
8. Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.

Lopez family!

These sweet faces may look familiar :) I got to take photos again for this wonderful family! It was such a fun morning in beautiful Elm Creek! Despite the fall chill in the air, these kiddos were troopers! Thanks for the honor! :)

 

 

a simple question :)

I have a question I ask my kids every day. It's nothing profound, but it has become one of my favorite parts of the day. I ask them, " How did you show love to someone today?" The stories they tell me just warms my heart to a puddle, and often makes me cry. I think we can all show more love. There's always room to bless someone's heart. Bring a lil sunshine to someone today :)

Taco Chili

2 lbs hamburger (or ground turkey) browned
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can tomato with onion
2 low sodium taco seasoning packets
1/2 diced green pepper
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can chili beans in sauce
1 can black beans rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 small jar corn and black bean salsa
1 T chili powder
2 T minced onion

Mix all ingredients together in crock pot on low setting, 6-8 hours. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired. We love this with corn bread and honey! Enjoy!

Miss Hayley's senior photos :)

I got to take senior photos on Sunday of this sweet girl! Hayley and her mom, Kim were so much fun to hang out with! Kim, even had the really great bubble blowing bubble gum in her purse which came in handy! Happy senior year, Hayley!! :) Thanks again!!!

♥ Dree and Duncan love ♥

Too cute for words these two are! This was so special to take my sister and Duncan's engagement photos. AND I got to have my two older girls along for the ride! :) What a fun afternoon we had yesterday! I love you both so very very much. I'm going to miss you dearly. xoxo