Saturday, May 10, 2008

Recipe and a Few Other Things

One thing I would love to see on anyone else's blog is great recipes. I love new recipes and trying new things. Unfortunately, my family isn't always too sure about it. Especially Luke-if it's something he isn't sure about, he will just open his mouth and let it all fall out. Anyway, I will be posting recipes from time to time, this being my first one. I first had this when Steven and I were engaged at one of our showers. Deeelicious! I somehow got it in my head that I wanted to make it yesterday. My dad grilled some hamburgers. The burger season has officially begun! So I wanted to make a great dessert to finish off the meal. It has a few different names, but we'll just call it Brownie Mocha Trifle:

1 pkg. brownie mix
4 tsp. instant coffee
1/4 c. warm water
1 3/4 c. cold milk
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs. white chocolate instant pudding mix
2 c. cool whip
3 Heath bars, coarsley chopped

1. Bake brownies according to pkg. directions (cake method)
2. Dissolve coffee in warm water. Add milk & pudding mix. Beat until thick. Fold in cool whip.
3. Cut cooled brownies into chunks. Layer 1/3 brownies into bottom of bowl. Top with 1/3 pudding mixture, press lightly. Sprinkle with 1/3 Heath bar. Repeat layer 2 more times. Top with some more cool whip. Sprinkle with Heath bar crumbles.

*It is best if it sits overnight, but is still good if even if it's just been a few hours.

Okay, so on to a few things about Ellie. I didn't get Ellie and Luke down for a nap until later yesterday, so I ended up waking them up at almost five, because I didn't want them to stay up all night. It's usually not good when I have to wake them rather than let them wake up on their own. But for some weird reason, yesterday was particularly hard on Ellie. She immediately started crying and kind of flailing(sp?) around in her bed. I had already gotten Luke up so he was sitting on her bed with me. I decided we would leave and let her have some time to wake up. But after awhile it only got worse. She just kept screaming and screaming. Luke looked at me worried and through his pacie said "Eyie?" I tried holding her, that didn't help. I was asking her everything I could think of and she wouldn't answer, she just kept crying, well, shrieking really, at the top of her lungs. This went on for probably 45 min. She finally got okay when we got to my parents house for dinner. All this to say, who knows with babies and children? Maybe she had a bad dream? Maybe she was mad I woke her up?

It made me think of a time when Laura Beth was little and she was going through a phase of being scared of a lot of things. (Mom confirmed this-not quite sure of her age) Laura Beth, feel free to make any corrections. Anyway, for some reason or another, Mom and Dad got it out of Laura Beth that she was scared one day (or night, I'm not really sure) that she thought they were really monsters dressed up like people. Soo funny! Talk about feeling like a bad parent. For the record, they were not scary parents, very loving parents.

Okay, last thing. I record a lot of things in our DVR. Sometimes I get around to watching them. So, during what was supposed to be Ellie's nap today, I was watching some of Dancing With the Stars. I know, it's stupid, but sometimes I watch it. I finally let Ellie get up, because she was clearly not going to sleep. I was about to see who got kicked off, and instead of turning it off because it's not something I want her to see and instead of having her best interest in mind, I was selfish and continued to watch. So, Ellie is sitting there with me watching the girl dancing wearing next to nothing and looks at me and says, "Mom, she needs to put a shirt on." I said, "You're right, Ellie, she shouldn't be wearing that. She needs more clothes on." So, when you think, when you're hoping they don't notice, don't pick up on things, you better believe they do! I know this also, because we recently went to a wedding where the bride was wearing a strapless dress. (By the way, I do not have a problem with strapless wedding dresses) Ellie was absolutely enamored with the bride-it might as well have been Disney World and she was meeting Cinderella. When we got back home, she started pulling her arms out of the sleeves to make her dress strapless. Yikes!

I pray that the Lord will give us MUCH wisdom to teach Ellie about modesty and beauty and help her to understand that this world tells us lies about what beauty is. We are desperate as parents for the Lord to do a work in our children's lives. And pray that God may be gracious towards us as He has entrusted these precious little lives into the hands of sinners such as us. What a HUGE responsibility! Praise God that His grace and mercy is limitless.

4 comments:

Melissa said...

precious--all of it!!! I love reading your stories. I laughed out loud at what LB thought as a little girl of your parents. Isn't it amazing how big kid's imaginations are? SO funny!
Your TV moment with Ellie made me realize just how much we really have to guard their little hearts and minds, but also use moments like you did as 'teachable times.' I can see the fingerprints of the Lord in her young little life just by what she said of her needing to put a shirt on! She is already getting it Ann~ that should bring you some encouragement!! :-) I am excited to learn from you~ Raising girls (and boys, but I don't have one yet) is a huge calling these days!

Melissa said...

that recipe sounds SO yummy!! i love getting new recipes--I will have to try this:-)

Ginny said...

Glad to know mine isn't the only one who flips out when we wake him up (Micah, not Owen). He will do the same thing that you described, just cry and cry for about 30 min. Sometimes, it takes him so long to fall asleep that it is definitely 5-6 and we have to go get him up. We discovered last week that he had a crick in his neck and that is why he was so sad- don't know if that has been the reason previously. Some days, he won't take a nap either. I have tried so hard to keep them on a good schedule that sometimes I get frustrated when Micah won't cooperate. I guess it is just part of the age. I always at least have him lay down so we can all take a rest. I too, love reading your stories; it is so encouraging.

Unknown said...

I'm so glad you wrote on my blog! I love finding out what everyone is up to. Thanks for the recipe, it sounds really good!