Strawberry White Chocolate Muffins-Simply Scrumptious!

Today, I made some yummy Strawberry White Chocolate Muffins with delicious strawberries that were super cheap at the grocery store. I love summer-time when berries are often on sale for less than $1.50 a package. Berries are by far my favorite food-so sweet and so very good for you to eat. You could easily substitute any berry for the strawberries. I am sure raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries would taste just as great in this easy muffin recipe. So, in honor of Summer's fast approach, make some of these delightful treats for your family.

Have a Beautiful week my Beautiful Readers! You are loved dearly by your Heavenly Father! May your lives be a sweet fragrance to God!

Strawberry White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:
1 egg
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup white baking chips
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup strawberries

Sugar for dusting on top of muffins

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup.
2.Beat egg slightly in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except raspberries just until moistened. Gently stir in strawberries. Divide batter evenly among cups.
3.Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.
Makes 12 muffins
I sprinkled mine with sugar before baking to make them extra sweet :).

Banana Cream Pie in a Bowl-the Perfect Memorial Day Dessert

We are having some dear friends and their children over for dinner tomorrow night for a simple meal of hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, french fries, watermelon, and yummy desserts. I wanted to make something light and yummy that would be loved by kiddos and adults. I found this recipe for BANANA CREAM PIE IN A BOWL in one of my Betty Crocker Cookbooks, and I was so pleased with the way it turned out. It was super-easy to make, and the layers look so pretty in the glass bowl. I cannot wait to taste it tomorrow. This would be the perfect dessert to take to your upcoming Memorial Day Picnic or BBQ. It is sure to be loved by kids of all ages :).

Have a truly blessed week my friends and remember that you are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father!!

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." Psalm 143:8

Banana Cream Pie in a Bowl

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup firm butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/2 cup peanuts
1 box (4-serving size) banana instant pudding and pie filling mix
2 cups cold milk
3 ripe medium bananas, sliced (I used 6 bananas)
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used two containers)

Caramel Syrup Topping (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter, using pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly. Stir in peanuts. Press evenly on bottom of ungreased 9-inch square pan. Bake about 15 minutes or until light brown. Stir to break up. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In large bowl, make pudding mix as directed on box, using 2 cups milk. In 2-quart serving bowl, layer half of the crumb mixture, pudding, whipped topping, and bananas; repeat layers. I added a circle of whipped topping in the center, sprinkled some crumb mixture on top and drizzled the whole thing with caramel syrup to make it extra special and delish! Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Top with additional peanuts if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Note: This recipe serves 6 but could easily be doubled if you expect a big crowd. Just make sure to use a very large glass bowl :).

Peanut Butter-Ribboned Banana Bread

Today I experimented with a Banana Bread Recipe and some Peanut Butter Morsel Chips that I had in my pantry. The end result was a delicious, hearty sweet bread that would be the perfect breakfast or after-school snack when slathered with peanut butter or honey. I encourage you to make a loaf and treat your kiddos in these final weeks before Summer break begins. This delicous treat is sure to bring a smile to their faces and their tummies.

My sweet four year old truly brought a smile to my face and heart this morning. I have to share this sweet moment with you. I woke up to Jaythan singing "God is bigger than the boogy man, He's bigger than Gozilla and the monsters on t.v...." Then, when I came out to the living room, he brought me his Veggie Tales Bible and asked me to read to him from Genesis 10 because "today is number 10 on the calendar and we need a Bible story." So, I started a bit ahead and read to him the story of creation to which he asked many questions and seemed truly interested and engaged. It was a special memory that I will treasure always. In fact, I would love to start a tradition of reading to him from the Bible each morning...a time when we can share and grown together. This morning through my son I received a Beautiful reminder that we must start our day singing praises and reading God's Word!

May your day be filled with a new realization of God's love for you, a greater desire to spend time with Him studying His Word, and a heart full of praise to Him for His blessings in your life. You are prayed for daily and loved dearly!

"They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening" 1 Chronicles 23:30

Peanut Butter-Ribboned Banana Bread

Ingredients:
•½ cups Peanut Butter Chips (I used Reeses brand)
•¼ cups Butter, At Room Temperature
•½ cups Granulated Sugar
•2 whole Large Eggs
•1 cup Mashed Bananas, About 2-3 Medium (overripe bananas work best)
•⅓ cups Buttermilk
•1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
•2 cups All-purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon Baking Powder
•½ teaspoons Salt
•⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda

Directions:
1. Melt the peanut butter chips in a small bowl in the microwave (30-45 seconds), stir. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large nonstick loaf pan (9 x 5) with cooking spray. Dust with flour.

3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar with an electric mixer until crumbly. Add in eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in mashed banana, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.

4. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix to combine.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Remove 1 cup of batter to the small bowl with the melted peanut butter chips. Mix well with a wooden spoon or hand mixer.

6. Pour half of the banana bread batter on the bottom of the loaf pan. Pour the peanut butter batter over the banana bread batter. Spread evenly. Top with the rest of the banana bread batter and smooth the top. Run a knife up and down through the batter to create a swirl effect.

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove to the wire rack to cool completely. Slice into 16 pieces. Serve warm slathered in honey or peanut butter. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies-do I have your attention??? Those words sound just Heavenly, don't they?? I am not sure where I found this recipe, but it was in my pile of printed-out-goodness that I keep handy when I am in the mood to try something new and yummy. Today, we were in the mood for something that involved oreos, and this recipe totally fit the bill. These were easy to make and a great recipe to get your kiddos involved in the baking. Just have them put the oreos in the middle of the cookie dough. My son loved helping, and he especially loved sneaking a few stray oreos :). These cookies are best served straight out of the oven with an ice-cold glass of milk. Delish!!!

Have a blessed day, my friends, and remember that you are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father!!


Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
•2 sticks butter, softened
•3/4 cup packed brown sugar
•1 cup white sugar
•2 large eggs
•1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
•1 package Oreo cookies – I used mini oreos to make smaller cookies, but you could use regular or double-stuffed oreos to make super large cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and a hand mixer.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to the wet mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for 15 minutes to make it easier to work with and to keep the dough from spreading when baking.

Using a cookie scoop place one scoop of dough on top of an Oreo cookie. Place another single scoop on the bottom of the Oreo to create a cookie sandwich. Seal the edges together to completely close in the Oreo. (NOTE: I made smaller cookies with mini oreos-I just placed one small scoop of cookie dough on the parchment-paper lined cookie sheet; my son placed a mini oreo in the center of each cookie; and then I topped the cookie with another scoop of dough and sealed the edges with my fingers-this process worked great!)

Place the balls of cookie dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake for 9-13 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

"Eucharisteo" Oil Painting Adoption Auction-Auction ends on May 8, 2011

We recently were blessed with a BEAUTIFUL gift from our dear friends, Jacob and Cyndi Morales. Jacob painted a GORGEOUS oil painting for us to auction off to raise money for Emma' adoption. This painting has been prayed over and devoted to our Lord, and it is our prayer that whoever wins the auction receives a blessing from the beauty that Jacob captured as he used the talent that God has blessed him with.

Visit http://emmacharity.blogspot.com/2011/04/eucharisteo-oil-painting-auction.html

and make your bid on this GORGEOUS piece of Artwork. All Proceeds go towards our Adoption. The Auction will close on Sunday, May 8, 2011 at Midnight.

Please pass this link along to your friends whom you think may be interested. The more bidders the better :).
May God Bless each of you!
Much Love,
Darin, Christina, Jaythan, Bella, and Emma

White Chocolate Jelly Bean Bark-the Perfect Preschool Easter Treat

Next week, my son's four year old class is having an Easter Party, and I am responsible for bringing the "sweet" treat. I was told it is better not to bring cupcakes because they are too filling, too messy, and too full of sugar (the children will have lots of other snacks to enjoy as well). At first, I was super disappointed because cupcakes are my speciality. I have the cutest Easter cupcake with shredded toasted coconut, Peeps chickens, and Whoppers Easter eggs. But, I recovered quickly from the cupcake creation letdown when I came across this fun and easy recipe for "White Chocolate Jelly Bean Bark".

I decided to do a trial-run of the recipe this week prior to making several batches for his party next Wednesday. It was a huge success! This turned out to be such a pretty, Springy, simply delicious, and insanely easy-to-make treat. I used Starburst Jelly Beans because they are by far the BEST! Seriously, I could eat an entire bag of the in one sitting. So, if you are looking for a different kind of Easter Goodie to make for your children, then try this recipe. This Jelly Bean Bark would be such a fun gift to give to your childrens' teachers packaged in a cute Easter cellophane bag and tied with pastel-colored ribbon. You can find packages of holiday-themed cellophane bags at the Dollar Tree.

Have a Blessed, Joy-Filled Day!! You are prayed for daily and loved Immensely by your Heavenly Father!!

“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." Luke 24:5-7

White Chocolate Jelly Bean Bark

Ingredients:

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) White Chocolate Chips

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening (I use Crisco Sticks)

1/2 cup Starburst Jelly Beans, divided (or your favorite Jelly Bean brand)

Directions:

LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

MICROWAVE chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute;

STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Jelly Beans.

SPREAD mixture to 1/4-inch thickness on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of Jelly Beans. Refrigerate or Freeze for about 15 minutes or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature (I store mine in the refrigerator because I think it tastes better cold).

Granny's Watergate/Pistachio Cake

A dear friend of mine saw Pioneer Woman's recipe for Pistachio Cake and posted on facebook that she would love to taste it one day. You can find her original recipe here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/pistachio-cake/

The very first cake that I learned how to make was my Granny's Pistachio Cake, which she always called, "Watergate Cake". I am not sure where the name came from, but I always thought it was a cool name for a yummy green cake. I had totally forgotten about that recipe, so today, I pulled it out, compared it to the one posted by Pioneer Woman and got to baking. I can't wait to suprise my friend tomorrow at church with her very own Pistachio Cake. Since my friend referenced the Pioneer Woman's recipe, that is the one I made for her. But, I fully intend to make my Granny's Version later this week. Granny has never been a fan of chocolate, so I can imagine that she would stick with her own recipe :).

This really is one of the easiest cakes ever to make, so I encourage you to get your kids involved. They will love that the cake is green and has chocolate ribbons inside :). My Granny's cake doesn't have chocolate in it like the Pioneer Woman's does, so I will post both recipes and you can choose which one fits your tastes the best.

I am including a picture of my beautiful Granny-she taught me so much and continues to bless me with her laughter and smiles.

Have a beautiful weekend my dear friends. You are prayed over and loved dearly by your Heavenly Father!

Granny's Pistachio Cake

Ingredients:

1 box White Cake Mix

1 package (4 ounce) Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix

3 eggs

1 cup Canola Oil

1 cup 7-up or Ginger Ale Soda

FROSTING Ingredients:

2 envelopes Dream Whip

1 instant Pistachio Pudding

1 1/2 cups Milk

Directions:

Mix all 5 ingredients in medium bowl for two minutes. Pour into a tube/bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. After cake has coooled, make frosting by mixing all frosting ingredients together with a hand mixer. Spread all over the cake and enjoy!

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Pioneer Woman’s Pistachio Cake

Ingredients:

1 box White Cake Mix

1 package (4 Ounce) Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix

½ cups Orange Juice

½ cups Water

½ cups Vegetable Oil

4 whole Eggs

¾ cups Chocolate Syrup (such As Hershey's)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. Mix all ingredients but chocolate syrup and beat for two minutes on medium-high. Pour 3/4 of the batter into the bundt pan. Add chocolate syrup to the remaining batter and mix well. Pour chocolate-laced batter on top of the pistachio batter. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Note: You can use a knife to swirl chocolate batter into the pistachio batter for more of a marbled design. Variation: Coat cake with chocolate ganache!