Nutella Gooey Goodness

I LOVE NUTELLA!  I do I do I do.  So do my precious pretties.  Pretty #1 asks for her chocolate peanut butter on wheat toast.  Since Pretty #2 wants what ever Pretty #1 is having then she has it the same way.  We love Nutella so much though that I had to quit buying it.  I found myself going for the cupboard to raid the Nutella jar every time I had a spoon or any other kind of utensil in my hand.  Let's not forget to mention that I found Pretty #2 on the floor eating it by the fistful.  It was at that point that I realized we were addicted to it almost as much as precious husband is addicted to A&M football.  I wasn't going to buy anymore until now......  I was scrolling through some blogs, and I somehow came across a blog called Plain Chicken .I thought it was nothing but chicken recipes, and I am always looking for a new ways to cook/create some winner winner chicken dinners.  Needless to say I was suprised that Stephanie (the girl with the awesome name who created Plain Chicken ) shares some other tasty recipes on here as well.  Let's just say mama is going to buy some Nutella this weekend just for these cookies. 



Nutella Gooey Butter Cookies


1 box chocolate cake mix

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup Nutella (add more if you like)

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg. Then beat in the Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls (I used a medium cookie scoop) and then roll them in powdered sugar. Place on an cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake 12-14 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey.

Cake Boss

If the tv is on in our house in the evening, you can bet it's on We, the History channel (Tim), Bravo (obviously me), Animal Planet, or TLC. We love TLC-well at least Kate & I love one show on there. Cake Boss. There is just something about Buddy & his crew at Carlo's Bake Shop. We love all baking shows actually. There are two more that are coming on TLC that I can't wait to watch. Anyways, I record the shows and preview them to make sure Buddy doesn't freak out an have a profanity fueled meltdown and then Kate & I watch it. She loves to get her "cake tools" and bake a cake with Buddy. Kate loves Buddy, but I love watching her imagination soar.







Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's Official.

We are moving.  To Sherman, Texas.  Soon.  As in we put in a offer on a house last night and if all goes well then we would be moving August 16th soon......  And I am standing here at my house wondering where to begin.  Tim says for me to wait until I'm not working any more (T-minus 19 days but who's counting) but I really don't want to wait until August 1st to start.  It makes it hard though because we are planning on moving back to the Dub Falls in 2-3 years, so I don't want to get rid of everything.  I am definitely not taking it all either. After getting home at 11:30 last night from Sherman I really have no "oomph" in me to even want to start.  But I know I need to.  So I think what I'll do is take the girls to see Toy Story 3 since I was away from them all day yesterday looking at houses and maybe end the day at Yogurt Journey.   That will make me happy....and make my precious pretties happy too.

F is for........

Interesting art class last night because a lot of the usual suspects were not in attendance. Nevertheless it was packed, and Rachel at How Great Thou Art delivered again! Lauren and I were joined by Missy & Claire Huff, as well as Miss Char Donnay. The directions we were given were to use our initial (first or last name), paint it on our canvas, and the colors on our pallet were black, brown, red, yellow, blue & white. We were then supposed to cut out a word using a paper bag that defined us and then use modge podge to glue our word to our painting, paint the letters & then glaze it.

Yeah right. As you see, only one of us got close to following the directions. I'm tempted to sign up for next Friday's class so I can attempt this project again.

Lauren would have gotten first place for following directions, however she painted over her word and added gold polka dots. So cute!



The only initials Missy had were her initials she put on her painting when she was done. Her heart does define her though.



Claire is a Boomer Sooner Pi Phi so she painted her sorority letters to hang in her room at school.



........f is for Friday Night Fun with fabulous friends!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

True Freedom

I LOVE July 4th!!! Do I love it because of all of the countless American flags that are proudly posted outside of our homes and business, fireworks, cookouts, apple pie, and fellowship it brings? Absolutely. I also love it because of the freedom every single one of have by living in the greatest nation on this Earth. In the United States of America, we can voice our opinions freely, we can vote, and we can own a business. There are numerous things we can do with our Freedom, but there is real freedom that is more important than any other.

We don't need to display "Old Glory" to show our pride for this particular freedom. We can display it every day of the year, and that is our freedom In Christ - to live a life to glorify Him, so that His banner of love, truth, and peace can be seen by all. We can be free in our spirit to serve the Creator of the whole universe and that my friends, is True Freedom.

Romans 8:2 says,
"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

Just like the flag that represents freedom, Jesus is a banner over us, protecting and shielding us.

Galatians 5:13
"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

I pray that you and your family had a safe and blessed July 4th weekend. As we share the freedom that is from Christ, I encourage you to reflect on this true freedom and show love to others by sharing your faith.

Now-some pics of the girls at their festivities Friday before we went to the lake to celebrate the red, white & blue.

Mary Clare and her friends Amy, Reece, Christian, & Duke along with their teacher Mrs. Krystal marching in the SLP Patriotic parade.



Silly precious pretty!


Having a picnic with one of her BFFs Amy & Christian.



Kate and her new friends at Notre Dame singing at the closing program for VBS at Our Lady Queen of Peace.


Showing me the items she purchased at the rummage sale benefitting the monastery.



In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
While God is marching on!

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Patriotic Painting

Hard to believe art class was last Friday. A great group of girlfriends met up for margaritas before we went this time & I'm pretty sure they are all hooked--on painting! Not margaritas! This month's theme was a contemporary American flag. I think I would have liked mine if I would have made bigger stripes to have less of them. I think I overworked the painting by adding too much color. Thoughts on mine?




Lauren dud a great job! She was relunctant to go to her first class a few months ago. Now we are scheduled for our art classes for the rest of the year!!!



I don't know who painted this one. Either Beth or Debbie. Anyone?


Next class is next Friday! We are doing some kind of mixed media piece. Can't wait! Call Rachel @ How Great Thou Art studio to sign up!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Story Time with Granda

Story time with Granda is always a hit. We went over to my mom's house for a Memorial Day cookout, and after dinner the girls were begging for Granda to read them a book. She has a tendency to get a little animated, so although the Kate, Georgia, and MC were sitting pretty and quiet at the beginning of the story, by the end there were squeals of delight abound.

Newlyweds Tex and Dorothy sat in on story time as well, and they thought either the story or Granda was pretty funny. I'm going with Granda. And YES, I said Newlyweds. They have been married for a couple of months and both of them are over 80. You are never too young for love!

See! Told ya. Squeals of delight.

Up next - pics of the girls from the Meng boys' going away party. Stadium nachos, snocones, snowballs and cupcakes are the makings of a great party for both the young and old - No matter who is at the party!