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.

Peter Pan & Dating

Our Associate Youth Pastor that is our true right hand girl and is there for anything and everything we need her for is also an amazing preacher! This girl has a gift to turn simple everyday concepts and relate them to people that explain spiritual concepts. It is awesome listening to her speak because I have yet to ever turn away empty handed!

The other day she made a post on a Face Book page that is for a group out of our church for young women that she is also a part of. It was SO good that my husband shared it on his Face Book and I got permission to share it here. You won't be disappointed. So with no further ado here is Peter Pan and Dating:

While watching Peter Pan at work today, a little girl says to me "Mrs. Tayler it looks like they are falling in love" lol. Proof that kids see more than we think! But I had never thought of Peter Pan as a love story until she said that. I grew up watching these stories such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and those I know are love stories! There's Cinderella the girl who is overlooked and mistreated until Mr. Right comes in and places value on her. There's Belle the girl who was woman enough to tame the Beast, and Jasmine who fell in love with the man who showed her adventure and fought to protect her at the same time! But in actuality those stories rarely happen in real life, but Peter Pan... this I see often! Girls all over the world have or have had a Peter Pan! It's the boy who never wants to grow up, and the girl who just wants commitment! Sound familiar? I love how Wendy being so caught up in the charm of Peter follows him all the way to Neverland. For the first few days she loves it! It's adventurous, it's exciting, it's magical, but she quickly realizes this is all it will ever be. She tries to see the beauty of Neverland and forget the things shes missing at home, but she begins to understand that those things, those desires, are embedded in who she is! So as hard as it may be for her to leave Peter, Wendy decides her life is not in Neverland. So she returns to her home, and her family a little wiser than before, and knowing better what she values in life and in boys! 
Beware of the Pan! Know what you want out of life and men before following them to Neverland! They may love you, they may excite you, and they may even need you, but remember Peter's motive for Wendy coming to Neverland was self centered. He needed a "mom", you'll find most Peters don't want to grow up, but don't want to be lonely either. Before you follow your man's lead, make sure you know and like where he's leading you!
-Tayler

Easy Home Makeover Project

 Do you see this chair?

Wait let me show you again...

Is that not the grossest chair cushion you have ever beheld?

Should I be in mom and wife jail for allowing these to actually reside in my household. Yes. Yes I should. But sadly it's the truth. But before you pass judgement let me plead my case: I have TODDLERS!

I think the jury just made an understanding "OHHHH" and passed their verdict of "Not guilty".

This is what I imagine anyways.

So how do I change this horrid sight? By smashing the cushions right out of there!

Well, not quite but you do start by removing the cushions whether this requires unscrewing or popping them out.

 Next go to the wonderful land of Hobby Lobby (or other favorite home decor shop) and select your material. I JUST happened to pick a material with built in stain resistant!! SCORE!!

If you have small children, or have kids visit ANY time of the year I highly suggest this type of material! It can only mean good things.

Second, cut and center your fabric the way you like. I had to make this as easy as possible so I picked a random design material that was easy to eyeball. Place the material face down on a flat hard working surface and then place your cushion face down as well on top of your fabric.

When it's squared up the way you like it start with the back edge and pull the fabric up and around to the backside. Then get out your biggest meanest staple gun and go to town!

 I found it easiest to do the back, then the sides and finish with the front. Make sure the entire time to always pull the fabric VERY tightly before beginning to staple. This will ensure it won't bunch up once some behinds have well, stretched them.

Again, I mean staple away literally, you want a tight hold on this fabric, do not give it a reason to lose it's tight fit. 

 As for the corners...there is no easy way and it's seriously hard to describe how I did it on here but the best effort at it is to fold straight up at first and stop stapling a couple inches from the side. Then pull the fabric tight to avoid a crease allowing your fabric to go over the side ends and put one or two staples to hold. Then pull the overage fabric back towards the center and pull tight again to pull what little crease is there out. again that is my best EFFORT and I realize I may be talking gibberish to some, or all, of you. Again sorry. I tried.

And oh what a sight it was to behold!

 Isn't that a far cry from my pathetic stained cushions before! Talk about a makeover! It made my table look amazing! And I LOVE the random alphabet letters all in different sizes!

Now if only my chairs were a dark espresso color to go with my awesome new cushions!! But what am I kidding, that's for another day. Okay, okay, for another year. But at least the thought is there for now! Happy Summer Projects to you!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day everybody! I snapped this picture last year out of the backseat of my parents truck as we were headed to my cousin's wedding in Idaho. It's not your typical fireworks but I'm reminded on this day that I have the privilege to enjoy beautiful landscapes like this one because men and women have paid the price to KEEP our freedom. I do NOT take it lightly. My brother is celebrating his 4th of July on his Army post as I type. My brother and every other soldier is a hero and deserves our thanks.

So hope you go out and enjoy that freedom today! And in case you are like us this year and actually don't have every second of your day planned this year (sad as it is) here's some cute and delicious 4th of July treats for you to try out:

1. Blueberry Yogurt Waffles
2. Red, White, & Blue Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches

You'll find both over at Two Peas and Their Pod blog. One of my favorite food blogs out there!

A stress-free 4th of July with KIDS!

Last year for 4th of July I was at my parents house and arriving just a day or two before we were still pretty road weary and didn't want to be out and about all day long. So I hit the blogs searching for some kid-friendly fun to enjoy our day and make it memorable for the kiddos. Here is what I found:

1. Get in the kitchen with them!

Nothing seems more American or more KID than a traditional cupcake! So we got some cake mix (and buttermilk because it makes them SOOO much better that way) and made some good ole Vanilla Cupcakes.

 The kids had the most fun when we turned them lose with the red and blue sugar sprinkles! Yes, turn them lose - when else can they have total control in the kitchen and make a big mess besides 4th of July (and maybe Christmas)?

Even with no control they did a really good job! Look at these beautiful red white and blue cupcakes!

Next we made these awesome Red White and Blue Covered Strawberries!!

Step 1: Cover strawberries with White Chocolate (dip them in melted baking white chocolate)

Step 2: Dip the very end into blue sugar sprinkles.

 And just like that you have Red, white and Blue Strawberries! Aren't they cute?!

I highly recommend putting the strawberries in the fridge and letting the chocolate harden before attempting to take a picture of them. Your warm hand is not a good combo with the non-refrigerated chocolate!

2. CRAFTS! Free printable crafts may I add!

We started with cutting squares out of regular old computer paper and I had the kids color both sides, patriotically of course. Then you cut in from each corner stopping about an inch from the center.

 Next you fold in the corners and secure them all with a push pin into a pencil eraser. If you've never made them just search for easy pin-wheel instructions! They are a piece of cake!

 3. Firework Safety Fun

This one was my favorite BY FAR!! I found this handy tip on one of my many blogs (it was a year ago & I don't remember which one, otherwise I'd love to give them a shout-out!) But before handing sparklers to all the youngsters this year first stick the end of it into a playdoh can (yes with play-doh inside)

 It keeps their hands safe from flying sparks and makes them a bit more brave too to handle the fiery stick!!

Isn't that the greatest thing??!?! I loved it - I was always scared of them as a kid and usually screamed the whole time I played with them! I even tried the play-doh can out - it was fantastic!

4. Fireworks

Okay really, whether you go watch a show or set a few off yourself (or both like we did!) you HAVE to let your kids see SOME type of fireworks on 4th of July. It's just necessary okay?

Happy 4th of July! And the biggest thank you to all the soldiers past and present that allowed this day of celebration to exist! I'm eternally grateful.