Candy Ice-Cream Pops

So because it's Labor Day Weekend and the kids feel like they already need a break from school because they are SO not used to the rigid schedule anymore...I think you should make these super yummy Ice-Cream Candy Pops! You can find the original recipe right HERE at Pioneer Woman.

 

 

You need candy. And then go get more. I started with M & M's - crushed them up a bit.

 

Moved on to bigger and better Oreo cookies.

 

And saved the best for last - my FAVORITE - Reese's!! Chop Chop.

 

Toss a good spoonful into 5 oz kitchen Dixie cups.

 

Then take remaining candy and blend it with your ice cream. Yes you are making your own little blizzards! Fill the cups up to the top and add a Popsicle stick. Stick in the freezer and try to keep your patience!

 

Delicious and the entire recipe is kid friendly!! I made these with my kids as summer came to a close but these are screaming to be featured at a Labor Day Bash! Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Farm Animal Pancakes

A couple years ago my grandmother-in-law bought me this Nordic Ware Farm Animal Pancake Griddle. It is fabulous and the kids get SO excited when I say I'm going to make the farm pancakes! I mean I am a serious pancake eater. My mom used to make them when I was sick. Maybe this is why I love them so much since they were my comfort food. Or she made them because I loved them so much. Hmm...egg or chicken, which came first? We shall never know. 

Although we technically DO know about the egg and chicken thing because God created all the animals first THEN gave the command to multiply, thus the egg. But how me telling you about a cool pancake griddle turned into the Creation story has me befuddled. So with no further ado I give you no other than, ha, a chicken!

Just wanted to share in case you are a pancake lover like me, or if you are needing a gift idea for someone who loves to bake, or cook, or just loves breakfast! Either way you can find it right HERE.

A Travel Blog

These are my beautiful parents. They are living a dream! They both retired a year ago from long time Education Careers in the Public School Systems. I'm so proud of them. They worked so hard for so long and now that they are retired what are they doing? They are selling their house and travelling! A month or two here, a week or two there, wherever they want to go.

So where have they gone so far? Germany, Australia, Ireland and currently they are touring small towns in Italy! I mean who would NOT want to do this?! Now to be honest two of those trips were before retirement but they needed some practice and they were still recent trips! Oh I forgot to mention Bulgaria and India is in their near future!

Want to follow their journey since you can't take them yourself? At least not yet, right? Hop on over to Refired Roamings to see where they go next!

Cheesy Olive Bread

 So if you have ever read this blog before you already know I am a big Pioneer Woman fan! Just yesterday I made one of her pasta dishes and just to make the calories go way beyond control I made her Cheesy Olive Bread to go with it! (click link for recipe)

 However my husband is allergic to onions so I RARELY cook with them and I'm NOT a fan of green olives. They make me want to puke. I'm sorry for the visual but seriously, yuck. So if you are the same in either of those categories I HIGHLY recommend my substitutions! Instead of green onions I chopped up banana peppers and instead of green olives I went with good old tomatoes! The crunchy tangy one was substituted with a crunchy and tangy one and the moist one had a moist substitute so it turned out FANTASTIC!! I LOVED it!

Can you tell?? 

Oh and when you read Pioneer Woman's recipe in her cookbook she encourages you to try some of the mixture on a cracker first. Okay let me just say the next time I make this it will be piled in a bowl with crackers around it. Forget the bread!

I really did like it better as a cracker spread but that is not to take away from the bread and it's yummyness! 

Plus it's almost football season (as I am WELL aware since I'm married to the Fantasy Nut) so the more cheesy recipes the better! 

P.S. In case you are married to a similar Fantasy Football nut - you can refer them to my husband's very own blog: The PPR Guys. They will think you are a fantastic wife who cares so much! :)

From the outside looking in

As humans we often think we can do something apart from God. Or we are too ashamed to come before God and ask Him for His help because we may think it is our fault we are in the mess we are in. No matter what the scenario includes it goes back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were in right fellowship with God they were technically "naked" but didn't realize each other's nakedness, because they were "clothed" with God's glory. It was on them and shone around them covering their nakedness. Look at all the descriptions of God and it describes LIGHT - glorious light radiating from His very being. We were created in the image of God were we not?

However when they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they SAW each other's nakedness. Why? The glory left them. And instead of turning to God to help them they tried ON THEIR OWN to fix their problem. So they made fig leaf clothes. To break this down - they traded God's glory for a fig leaf suit. Seems foolish doesn't it? That is from the position of an outsider looking in, but you and I do it all the time when we think we can do something on our own.

So let's not be fools. Let's not trade in the glory God has set upon us for a fig leaf suit. Let's run to Him to clothe us properly - the way we were created to be clothed.

(This was adapted from a message I heard by Kenneth Copeland.)

Road Trip

A few things to mention and a few worth noting:

(This will be a totally random post from things I saw or visited on my road trip this summer)

1. We passed by what looked to be a horrible barn fire! Please keep the drought-ridden places in your prayers - one of my father-in-law's neighbors lost his house and pastureland to a bad prairie fire.

2. If you are ever in Woodward, Oklahoma you must stop in and eat at Polly Anna's Cafe!! It is one of the most unassuming places and their bathroom is one of those "it's through the kitchen to your left sweetie" RUSTIC kind of bathrooms but let me tell you, I got BBQ'ed chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, boiled cabbage, salad, a dinner roll, my drink AND dessert for $4.99!!!!! It's their lunch specials and their dinner is similarly priced! I'm telling you you can not get that good of homemade food for that price when traveling! So skip the chain restaurant and head downtown to this little old cafe! You'll be glad you did!

The street view. (Above)

My husband's burger meal. (above)

My yummy chicken!

3. I think the huge white and bright wind mills in Kansas are beautiful to watch!

4. When traveling with your spouse it's always important to talk and entertain the other one - my husband pointed out this road sign and we went off on a funny tangent of the competition between Ford and Dodge Companies! The conversations you have when you are road rummy.

5. Historic Dodge City was...I truly apologize, but a disappointment. I thought there would be a lot more specific or original artifacts and sites but most of it is just artifacts of that "era". Just one person's opinion but I thought for what was there it was not worth my $10 ticket.

However a cool big black train is ALWAYS worth a photo op!!

Make sure you check your guns at the door or you may get thrown in jail! No not really. But it is fun to walk inside their "jail" and make funny pictures!



Boot Hill. Most of the original bodies were moved quite some time ago so they pretty much recreated the names and stories of those who were buried there at one time, although they were never sure they got all of them so it's believed some may still be there.



Okay so the gun shoot out: Again personal opinion - a cheesy short show. Kids would be super entertained because there is humor in it but I don't recommend it for small children because it's all about the violence of the land so lots of fighting and shooting. (Although of course done in a nice manner in their play acting, if you know what I mean)

6. When traveling, always take time to slow down and take in the sights around you. The beauty of the wonderful things God created. Take for example these golden fields against the aqua blue expanse of sky and the perfectly white sweeping clouds.