Simplicity, chaos, but so much love!

So I have to admit. Breakfast is hard for me! I never want to eat as soon as I awake and then there is just not much time. So...we bought this fabulous smoothie maker at Sam's Club by Oster. So convenient! You blend and drink in the same container! Just switch the blade for a to go lid! And, at Sam's it comes with 2 smoothie mugs! Plus it was only around $30! Love it.
So, here is my favorite smoothie! When I drink this, I'm not hungry at all until lunch!
1/4 cup light vanilla yogurt - I prefer Greek
1/4 cup milk - I really like almond milk
2 T pb
1 T milled flax seed
2 T raw oats
1 banana
1/2 cup raw spinach
1/2 cup ice
Additions: sometimes I add 1 scoop of protein powder, slivered almonds when I have some on hand, a dash if cinnamon, or even honey.
It takes great and really does last!
Honestly the pb has the most calories but for an entire meal, still not bad, plus so good for you! Just blend and enjoy.

My sons 8th grade team was playing their final middle school football game and some of the moms wanted to do something special for the boys and they asked me to make some cupcakes for after the game.
So, I made my favorite chocolate cake recipe (posted previously with Scorpion cupcakes) and then my absolute favorite chocolate buttercream recipe:
2 cups unsalted butter
9 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups cocoa
1teaspoon vanilla
1+ cup milk
Dash of salt
Mix and add milk by tablespoon until desired consistency is achieved.
So I frosted with the Wilton large star 1M again.
Then I made some chocolate marshmallow Fondant as follows...
In a microwave safe container, graze with vegetable shortening and add 1 package 10 oz large marshmallow and 2.5 Tablespoons of water. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until marshmallows are completely melted. Add 1 teaspoon if almond extract and stir. Add 1 cup of cocoa powder and stir. I take a bag of powdered sugar and stir half of it in the mix. Then I grease counter with crisco, and pour the rest of the bag into a mound on the counter. In the center well of the mound, I pour he mixture from the bowl. Then I knead until I have incorporated most of the sugar. There will be about 1/2-3/4 cup on the counter that I discard. I then wrap the fondant twice to keep air from drying it out and work with a little at a time.
To make the footballs, I rolled into balls and then pulled he ends to shape. I made decorator frosting with:
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cup powder sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 1teaspoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
This I piped with the smallest round tip I had (sorry, can't read the number in it) to make the football stitches.
I colored some of the decorator frosting purple (as this is our school color) and piped a G on one side of the footballs and then '17 on the other as this is their class year.
I was happy with the finished product. Would be cute for Super Bowl!

So...my best friends daughter was turning 9 and she wanted me to make cupcakes for her party. When asked what kind she wanted, she knew exactly what she wanted. Chocolate cupcakes with tan buttercream and scorpions on top! WHAT? Scorpions...really? My friend wasn't going to let her have them, but...it was what the birthday girl wanted. So, I started my quest to find a scorpion mold or cutter of some fashion. But alas, there are none...so let the creative juices flow.
I opted to make them using cocoa candy melts, plain m&&m's, pb m&ms and candy coated sunflower seeds. It was a process, but they turned out well. I used a wonderfully moist chocolate cake recipe as follows:
In mixer bowl, stir:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons each baking soda and baking powder
and 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
add 2 eggs beating well after each
then stir in :
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat for a few minutes to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
Then stir in 1 cup of boiling water. Mixture will be runny, but I promise that they are sooooo moist! ;)
Poor into cupcake tins (I always use liners). Bake at 350 for 2-18-20 minutes or until cupcake springs back when touched...or if you prefer, use the toothpick method!
Then, as always,, I used the Wilton Buttercream (with a few minor changes) as follows:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (mine is from Mexico and is not clear)
3 Tablespoons of milk
Dash of salt
To this I tinted the frosting with brown gel food coloring. Used very little to achieve tan.
I used the Wilton 1M star tip to frost the cooled cupcakes.
To make the scorpions, I laid wax paper on my counter, melted the candy melts in the microwave as per package directions. From there, I free handed the shape of a scorpion and placed the m&m's and candy coated sunflower seeds appropriately to the shape of the scorpion (as seen on the picture). After the candy melts hardened, I simply removed from the wax paper and placed atop the cupcakes...and done. A happy 9 year old with an odd birthday request! :)

So, in my effort to blog more, I am going to share a recipe that my crew of 6 enjoys, that is super easy to make and super tasty as well. Pizza Calzones. I had meant to take a picture of the ingredients, but forgot as well as forgot to take a picture of them when they were done baking...bare with me...I'm still new at this.

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 Jar of pizza sauce (you will only use half of the jar and I really prefer Classico's brand)
• 2 containers of refrigerated pizza dough (like Pillsbury, I use store brand)
• 1 lb. deli ham (I used store brand packaged honey ham, thinly sliced)
• 1 package of hard salami (I used pre-packaged, pre-sliced and only used 8 slices)
• 1 package of pepperoni (I again used pre-packaged, and pre-sliced) 
• 4 slices of provolone cheese (I prefer the smoked)
• 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I always use real butter, unsalted)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried, use what you have)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out 1 roll of pizza dough on a non-stick cutting board or lightly floured surface to approximately a 9x12 rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, divide into 4 equal portions. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of pizza sauce on each portion. Add 3 slices of ham, 1 slice of salami, and 4-5 pieces of pepperoni. Top with 1/2 slice of provolone, shredded mozzarella, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This is what you should have after the first steps are completed.

Prior to basting the tops, this is what you should have. Clearly, I used too much sauce! :)

I LOVE quick and easy meals that bring our family to the dinner table to enjoy together. This is one of those that gives us time to talk about our day and just fellowship together. I firmly believe that the dinner table is a wonderful place to really connect with each other, so great, easy recipes that enable me to get the meal to the table faster is a great tool for me. Hopefully for you too!
Blessings from above, and have a wonderful day.

Jennifer ♥

To fully understand change, I find it necessary to define it. According to the good ole Merriam Webster handbook here are some of the definitions surrounding change:

• to make different in some particular, alter

• to make radically different, transform

• to give a different position, course or direction to

• to replace with another

• to make a shift from one to another, switch

I now feel the need to add this link so as not to suffer any plagiarism issues! We must always give credit where it is due! LOL (the student in me I suppose!).

With every new year, we talk about change. We discuss what we desire the new year to bring and make resolutions about how to change ourselves, our situations, our lives. We spend some time pondering what will happen if we succeed with our goals for this change. Then, nevertheless, we usually stray from the path we set forth and forget about the change we so desired initially and move on to something else. But, if we truly want to change, why do we so easily give up?

Change is ever present in our daily lives. For all of us. Minor changes that you may not even realize. The larger things are more notable, we change our hair, our fashion, our posture, our diet, our exercise, our homes, jobs, faith, relationships….heck, I rearrange my furniture often just to change it up a bit!

Often, when change is forced upon us, we do not like it. We resist it, even resent it, not seeing the benefits that may come later. As a Christian, I know that change is something we will always encounter and I know it’s something the He sends our way in life’s lesson that also enables us to grow through our experiences….my mind knows that, but sometimes, my heart does not follow and change is painful….initially anyway. Then I look back later and have that “aha” moment where I know why it happened!

I also know that God does not change…ever! He is the only constant.