Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Another good name for this recipe would be Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes.

Yum :)

Ingredients (Cupcake part)

• 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (divided)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (Frosting)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Cupcake Instructions

• Beat the 1st three ingredients for cupcakes, stir in chocolate chips and vanilla, then set aside
• Beat remaining  1/2 teaspoon vanilla, butter, sugar, and 1/3 cup brown sugar until creamy, then add egg and beat
• Combine flour, soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in separate bowl, then stir into butter mixture
• Place in mini muffin cups
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes
• Spoon chocolate chip mixture over (that you set aside in step one) and bake 10 more minutes

Frosting Instructions

• Place butter and peanut butter in a bowl and beat
• Gradually mix in powdered sugar and milk one tablespoon at a time while beating

Use a decorating bag tool to squeeze out frosting in fun designs on top. Here is a picture of the cupcakes before you add the frosting.

My apron doesn't fit like it used to. I wonder why?

My little helpers!

Note: After making this recipe, I decided that the cupcake ingredients (minus the chocolate chip layer) weren't quite enough. I had too much frosting and chocolate chip layering left over. I would double the cupcake portion of the recipe next time.

What is more precious?

What is more precious 

than two little girls 

quietly working away at their crafts 

by the window 

with the morning light streaming through?

 

 

What is more precious

than a baby bump

growing every day

with kicks and hiccups

reminding me

that life is precious

and a gift?

The things she says...

For a three year old, my small little child can communicate her thoughts so intricately. It's a blessing and it can also be exhausting.

She asks a million questions every single day. There are times when I have to politely ask, "Honey, I know you love talking and asking questions, but can mommy have a little break for a while?" If you think I'm horrible for saying that, try answering little tag-a-long's questions 24/7 and you will probably find yourself saying the same thing ;)

In the car she looks out the window with her furrowed brow deep in thought. I know a question is coming soon when she gives "that look".

"Mom, is Tigger a Tiger?"
"Are you a husband or a wife?"
"Is my baby brother ready to come out yet?"
"Why can't we live in Baku anymore?"
"Do dogs have hair?"
"Can we go on a special date to a coffee shop today?"
"Why is that lady sad?"

Her favorite Bible story lately has been David and Goliath. So much so that she requested it at bedtime for months. Every. single. night. How could I refuse? If she loves a Bible story, I'm not going to tell her she can't read it. Lately she's developed quite a compassionate heart for Goliath. She always pouts her lip, furrows her brow, and in a soft voice says, "I want to go into this story, to this country, and help take that rock out of Goliath's head. I want to make him feel better."

Things like this make me have to think really hard. I'm not going to just give my kid typical answers to shoo away her questions. I really want to answer them, and answer them well. Often this means I have to be honest, but deliver the message in kid form.

She's getting to that age. You know. That age. When you can't say whatever you want in front of her anymore. She picks up on things. "What did you say about so-in-so? What happened?" She hears it. She understands. She cares too.

I've been trying for long time to take these opportunities to teach her about character. When these questions come up it's a ripe time for it. The other day she asked why I slowed down while driving. I explained that the rules were I had to drive slow on this particular street, or else a police man would get mad at me. She replied immediately, "Well go fast, because I don't see a police man!" I laughed. Really hard. Then I sighed and explained, "Honey, I have to do what's right even if the police man can't see us." I hope she gleaned something from this last minute character lesson.

She also sings along to the radio. We listen to K-Love in the car since I have literally no CD's after living overseas. She asks what certain words mean that are sung. She sings the songs long after we exit the car. She pretends she is "Scott and Kelly" from the K-Love show. As the saying goes, "Be careful little ears what you hear." It breaks my heart to think of the trash that some kids hear from adult music. Our little ones do not need to be exposed to it.

I've been reading Doctor Dobson's book Bringing Up Boys. Even if you don't have a son, I think it's an amazing book to read! It's great for teachers and youth leaders, or any kind of leader for that matter. Our role as parents is so incredibly insanely immensely important, and yet so many parents are suffering through their own selfishness and dysfunction that they can barely keep up with parenting. It saddens my heart. This is the next generation we are talking about.

The other day I was in the Wal-mart parking lot getting Sitora out of her carseat when I heard a commotion nearby. A woman and man were screaming obscenities at each other (horrible, awful things) while the lady was reaching in the backseat with a child. I could hear the child screaming as well, and my mother instinct kicked in like a wild bear. I walked right over to them with Sitora and waited until they noticed me. Startled and embarrassed, they listened while I explained I'd heard the screaming and wanted to know if everything was okay. The lady proceeded to show me a package of new earrings they'd just purchased and explained she was changing her daughter's earrings for the first time. They assured me that everything was okay. I was glad to see the child wasn't being abused (at least to my knowledge) and I hoped that by me walking over there gave those adults a kick in the pants. I wanted them to know that someone noticed what was going on. I was willing to call the cops if necessary.

It breaks my heart that parents today expose their children to such horrible things as this. Unfortunately I believe our generation has bought the lie that everything is "about us" and that we should "do what's right for ourselves" and that it will work out for the children. Nonsense. Children are the first ones to suffer from our selfishness and dysfunction.

I am not saying I am a perfect parent. Far from it. But I have made changes in my life to raise my daughter. My husband and I have experienced a deep deep growth in our relationship since becoming parents. We have to die to ourselves, die to our flesh and our selfishness. We have to forgive, love, and chose to love even when it hurts. We are better adults for it. We make sacrifices and choices based on what's best for our family. It's not easy. I will be the first to tell you it's not easy. Like I've stated many times before in past posts like this one here, I was never the first girl to say I would be a stay-at-home-mom. I never dreamed this would be my life.

But I wouldn't change it for the world.

My heart goes out to broken parents. I hope that in this next season of our lives we are able to touch this generation of hurting adults here in America.

I see you

How to make cream cheese won tons

 

Chinese food. Yummy in my tummy.

Have you ever ordered Chinese takeout and the cream cheese won tons were either super expensive or on the yucky side? Well suffer no more! Learn how to make your own :)

Ingredients:

• Won ton wraps (found at Walmart by the produce)
• Cream cheese
• Chopped garlic
• Cooking oil
• Small cup of water

Instructions:

• Place won ton wraps on a plate (about four at a time works best)
• Scoop garlic on each wrap
• Scoop cream cheese on top of garlic
• Fold won ton wraps 
• Dip your fingers in the cup of water then use your wet fingers to secure the wraps closed
• Fry in a pan of oil (about one inch deep) on each side until golden brown
• Place on paper towel on a plate (to soak up excess grease) then cover with something to keep warm until served
• I serve won tons with home-made fried rice and stir fry, or with our Chinese takeout
• Enjoy!

Mommy practice

She'll make such a good mommy... someday :)

The funny thing is, I don't tell her to do any of these things pictured above. She does it on her own. It's amazing to see the feminine nature Father has instilled in her heart. She watches me clean, and she insists on helping. She helps put her doll to sleep and gives her sweet kisses. I remind myself every day never to forget that she is always watching me. I have a little person tagging along soaking up my every action and word. This is a big responsibility, being a parent.

Good thing I am tagging along Someone greater than me, Someone's love and grace I can soak in, Someone Who makes me a better person every day.

Unexpected haircut

We all know that there is a special rite of passage for all small children.

An unexpected haircut. Not at the salon.

Here's my princess just a few hours before the locks came off...

And after.

It's not as bad as it could be, really. It could have been cut by her forehead or on top of her head. My reaction when it happened? I laughed :) Life is just what you make it.

We'll have to add some layers to soften the blunt cut. It will all work out. Memories, I tell myself. We're making memories.

On a totally random note, here is a picture of us playing outside this week. Yup. We're Northerners. We're hard core like that.

Why I like facebook

I've seen many people over the years take "a break" from facebook, or turn it off for a short period of time. For many of these people facebook has become a distraction in their lives and they need to get away from it. For others they feel like it is a waste of their time. I completely understand this and have taken time away from things that distract me as well (or that I was addicted to... like.. ehem... coffee).

But for me, facebook has always been a blessing and a way to stay connected with the ones I love. We've moved so many times over the past few years that facebook helps us to stay in touch with friends and family. I try and make sure I post a lot of information about our lives on it so others can get a glimpse of what we are up to.

My husband and I are extremely extroverted. We. love. people. We thrive on people. I guess that's why we love ministry so much. It's crazy, but we care about others so much sometimes it hurts. We love seeing what's going on in everyone's lives through facebook. We can tell when someone is hurting by the kinds of posts they write over time, and it causes us to pray for them and sometimes even message them asking if they need to talk. We consider facebook an incredible ministry tool. (This is probably mostly due to the fact that we've been in youth ministry for 6 years. Teens and young people use it more than adults sometimes.) We try to comment on people's pictures and posts frequently so they know we love and care about them. It's the world we live in- facebook is today's reality. It is the social network of our time and there is great advantage in using facebook to share Father's love!

We consider ourselves in "the people business"- I know that sounds funny but it's true. There are times we lay awake at night talking about someone we know who is struggling. We go on dates to "get away" and find ourselves talking about the people in our lives over dinner. Sometimes I laugh and say, "Ok, no more work talk. This date is about us!" But we just can't help it!

 We want to be relevant with the times. It's like a book I saw at the store that I want to read called Modern Parents Vintage Values. We want to stay "with it" and know what's going on in this day and age, not hiding away in a cave for the rest of our lives. Facebook definitely gives us a pretty good outlook of what this generation is thinking and feeling.  But that doesn't mean we water down our faith or lower our standards. We want to be in the world, but not of it.

Facebook can be an awesome thing, if you have self control and use it wisely. I know not everyone can do that, but for those that can, use it for all the good you can!

Rockstar much?

American Idol in her future?

Broadway?

Worship leader?

Most likely, yes.

I started reading Bringing Up Boys by Dr. Dobson. I've only gone through the first chapter and I'm already scared to death! Basically, his point for chapter one was to convince me as a mother that one of my main jobs is to just keep my young son alive. *Gulp* Boys are definitely not girls. I know how to raise girls, boys, not so much. My husband will be guiding me through this process- thank the Lord!

I guess I could raise a rockstar boy too... you never know :)

Love love love love love

I. love. Valentine's. Day

Why?

Mostly because I finally have a Valentine :) These past 6 1/2 years with my husband have been a dream come true, and those years waiting for Mr. Right were long and sometimes sad.  (Yes, I was the broken-hearted girl in Spanish class pretending to do my homework while the popular girls got Valentine's roses and teddy bears delivered by the school student council from their boyfriends.)

I also love spoiling the princess on holidays and today was just another excuse to do so. We made a big deal of calling her "our special Valentine" all day long and telling her how much we love her. I wrote her out a card and had SuperDan read it to her. Her face lit up like the sun as she listened and munched on her cupcake marshmallow on a stick.

I made a mushy card for my man and gave him lots of unhealthy treats. He gave me romantic things like chocolate, bath beads, and a candle.

We went to Olive Garden for lunch while Sitora stayed at Grandma's house. It was romantic and sweet and perfect. Now we are doing puzzles with Sitora and watching Valentine shows on TV. I am such a sucker for holidays. When's the next one? :)

I'm 30 weeks preggo... not much time left before we meet little man Gilboy! I am sooo ready to be a mommy of two!