recipe: better than anything oreo cake

This dessert. Oh, it turned out pretty perfect! I like it for several reasons. One is that it only takes a handful of ingredients. Two, it was fairly simple to make. Three, it tasted really good! I've made it twice and followed the recipe as is. But I'm thinking next time it might be fun to add some chopped Reese Cups to the top and less Oreo. I feel like the Oreo makes it really sweet - maybe it's the cream. I did a layer of Oreo before the whip and also on top so I might scale back the next time and just use around ten Oreos or so. Regardless, this is an easy recipe and tastes REALLY good! You can look at the full recipe from Nikki at Chef In Training by clicking here.

What you need:

• 1 box German chocolate cake mix, and all ingredients it requires
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (16 oz) jar hot fudge
• 1 (8 oz.) tub cool whip, thawed to room temperature
• 15 Oreos, crushed/chopped

What to do:

1. Bake cake according to directions in a 9x13 pan.
2. Let cake cool for about 5 minutes.
3. Poke holes in cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon.
4. While cake is still warm, slowly pour over sweetened condensed milk over the top making sure some gets in all the holes of the cake.
5. Heat Jar of Hot Fudge until runny and hot. Make sure it is melted to a point that it will pour easily. Pour over top of cake, making sure some gets in all the holes of cake.
6. Let cake cool completely then spread thawed cool whip over the top.
7. Sprinkle crushed/chopped Oreos over the top of Cool Whip.
8. Store in fridge until ready to eat. Store any leftovers in fridge.

God is with you

Photo Credit

 

I came across these verses last night and wanted a visual. So I found a picture of the Promised Land and added the verses (thanks Pic Monkey!). In Deuteronomy 11, God is giving the Israelites some instructions before they go into the Promised Land. He's already given the ten commandments and the rest of Deuteronomy is God laying out guidelines, if you will, of what the Israelites are to do after they cross the Jordan. But these are the words that stood out to me. I was thinking of it in terms of God's word. When it says, "place these words on your heart. Get them deep inside you," I thought about holding onto a verse that really speaks to you in a specific time in your life. Maybe it's a verse about peace or strength or healing. But you cling to that verse, you get it deep inside you and you don't let go. That verse gives you strength because you're about to get your breakthrough. You're about to cross your own Jordan River! And at the beginning of the book of Joshua, God tells the people to be strong. Three times in chapter one He says those words. He knew what the people would face. And then He says, "...do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (v. 9). No matter what we face, no matter how we're feeling, God is always with us. Always.

book review: "my fringe hours" by jessica n. turner

Make time for you - every day

Do you want to learn how to make time for the things you love, deepen friendships, and take better care of yourself? Begin a journey of self-discovery as you explore your passions and overcome obstacles in this meaningful book. You'll come away refreshed, invigorated, and excited to live a more creative and fulfilled life.

I know I'm not the only one who feels like I just don't have enough time. Don't have enough time for work, church commitments, friends and then just time for me.  Right? This book is a great way to figure out how to make it work! I like what Jessica says on the first page: "Now, please understand, this is not a time-management book because My Fringe Hours is not about doing more. It's about discovering ways to help you be more creative and live more fulfilled." And I think that's the key. Throughout the book, Jessica gives nine principles to help you make the twenty-four hours we each have be more productive and purposeful. She talks about how often, we are our own worst enemy, feeling guilty for not being able to get everything done and/or taking time for ourselves. She talks about finding balance between the things that need to get done and what things could possibly be cut out. There are lots of hands-on activities such as a scale to fill out, listing the things you wish you had time for on one side and all the current things you're doing on the other. It's a great visual to let see what could be removed to allow time for some of the things you'd like to do. I really enjoyed this book! It's a quick read and I like all of the "my turn" activities that are throughout to help me apply what I'm reading. I highlighted the entire last page with Jessica's Final Reflections because it really does sum up the whole book:

My prayer is that as you make time for yourself, you will grow more confident in who you are and experience deeper satisfaction with how you spend your time. I believe that as you pursue the practice of self-care, your life will become defined by gratitude and joy - not because you've done it all perfectly but because you've realized what God knew all along: that you are a unique and one-of-a-kind treasure. And this world needs you - the best possible you. So go ahead. Sign up for that knitting class. Take a long run. Pull out that journal and start filling its blank pages. Make yourself a priority. Invest time in the you that God made you to be. Because you are worth it. This is your new beginning - and it's going to be beautiful.

I received a copy of this book from Icon Media Group for my honest review.

*insert deep breath*

I've started another blog. It was a big step for me. But it was a step. I needed to do something to move forward in some desires God's stirring up in me. So this was the beginning. You can find out more by heading over there: http://radaphblog.blogspot.com/. Right now, I'm planning on posting on Mondays. I need to find a balance between that blog, this one and I actually have another one about teaching. Now that it's summer, I have the time to plan and figure it out. Someday is a word I try to avoid. So I've done something. I've taken a step forward and am excited to see what happens next!