Thursday, July 19, 2012

Original S'mores 5-Layer Bars

My mom came to stay with me in River Falls last night and, as always, we had to dream up a new culinary creation! Based on this recipe, my mom and I designed a version that epitomizes the glorious camping tradition we love: s'mores!
We're still working on the official name, but we decided to share the recipe with you all to try! Of course, in true nature of my mom, I was asked to leave out what we did to make it absolute perfection (so she can still claim to make the best ones of course!) but we're giving you enough to at least recreate the bars yourself :)

Ingredients:
1 packet Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix                                    
1 pakcet Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
9 Nature Valley granola thins, dark chocolate
1 bag (14) snack size Reese's peanut butter cups
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 TBSP water
1/3 C oil
1/2 bag Mini Marshmallows

Materials:
8x8 cake pan
mixing bowl
wire wisk
measuring cups and spoons
Oven, preheated to 350 degrees F

Steps:
1. Lay out granola thins on the bottom of the ungreased cake pan with the chocolate side facing up
2. Mix sugar cookie dough as directed on package for drop cookies
3. Press cookie dough into pan on top of granola thins. We recommend wetting your fingers so it doesn't stick to your hands. The granola thins move around a bit, so you'll need to kind of hold them in place while you spread out the cookie dough.
4. Place peanut butter cups side-by-side on top of cookie dough. You may want to use Reese's miniautres instead, or cut the last one in half to squeeze it into the gaps.
5. Mix brownie mix as directed on package
6. Pour and spread brownie mix over peanut butter cups and level the top.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes or until brownie starts to have slightly dry edges and a crips top. If it doesn't bake completely, that's ok - makes the chocolate even gooier like a s'more!
8. Immediately pour marshmallows over the top and place back in the oven to brown the marshmallows (takes just a few minutes and may work easier if you switch the oven to the broiler setting).
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Enjoy when still warm!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Memory Joggers

Well, as most of you know, I am spending my summer working in the University Center here at UW-River Falls. With this job comes A LOT of down time and that means I have to find things do to do keep me busy. The thing is, I don't like busy work. In fact, I hate it! So, to cure my boredom and be productive at a relatively unproductive job, I decided to continue a project I had started last Christmas: filling my house with the Word of God!

This is something I started as a way of helping a friend find encouragement in the scriptures, and it has proven to be an incredible thing for me as well. Most of the verses I have are on peace because most often I find myself worried, stressed, or anxious. I know this is one of my weaknesses and a way that often leads my heart and mind away from God at the times when I need Him the most.

My friend and I started making these cards (see photos below) from verses that we found encouraging during our quiet times. Most of them are nice and short so they are a quick read when we see them. I have mine posted all over my house: on my bedroom door, next to the lightswitches, on the mirror, etc. so I literally see them everywhere I go. It is impossible for me to see them without it at least snapping my memory, and after awhile you can recite them in your head without even looking at them!

When I picked back up with making new verse cards last week, I felt very driven to do mine a little differently this time. God reminded me of the power I felt it hearing an English speaker recite memory verses in Spanish while I was on my spring break mission trip to Colorado Springs in March. So this time around I wrote the verses in English on one side and in Spanish on the other. For now I have the English side posted around my house, but after I have the verses memorized in English, I will flip them over and begin memorizing them in Spanish too.

There is something very powerful in scripture memory - just like Joshua 1:8 tells us,  "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Since starting my scripture memory I am finding myself keeping it on my lips all the time and hearing it first in my heart at times that I used to hear the anxious thoughts first. What a blessing it is to be immersed in the Word of God all the time!

Isaiah 26:3 is posted on my bedroom door. This verse has been my mainstay for the past year and is the first verse I memorized in Spanish.