It's been a while...

I see I haven't posted in over a year.  Better late than never!

In an effort to help us commit more scripture to memory, I've been selecting verses and overlaying them on photos, which I post on the refrigerator for a week or so.  Usually the photos are my own, but sometimes the verse I want to use doesn't fit with any photo in my library.

This photo is my own.  It was taken on a recent trip to California.

I chose the verse as a reminder to stand for the Lord.  Increasingly, people are demeaned, belittled and even persecuted for their religious beliefs.  We must remember why it is so important to stand for Him, even if it's not popular.

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Happy Spring!  At last it's arrived!  It's time to eat ice cream!

Who am I kidding?  Eating ice cream is a daily occurrence for me, even in the dead of winter.  Especially in the dead of winter, when it's something to look forward to after the cold and dreariness dog you.  All. Day. Long.  Of course, ice cream in winter must be followed by copious amounts of hot chocolate to warm back up.  It's a vicious cycle.  I'm a little insane that way.

The creamy smoothness of this ice cream is most certainly something to be enjoyed all year.  I've made it three times since the idea came to me in the shower (the birthplace of all good ideas) and it will likely be made many more times, provided I can continue to find Jif's Whipped Peanut Butter & Salty Caramel Flavored Spread at the grocery store.  It's dreamy (that applies to the spread AND the ice cream).

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream
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2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Jif Whipped Peanut Butter & Caramel Flavored Spread (or regular peanut butter of choice)
1/2 teaspoon Morton Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt
1/2 cup salted caramel, room temperature (commercial or homemade, or see below)

With a hand mixer, mix the cream, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and sea salt together in a large bowl or measuring cup until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream mixer and process according to the manufacturer's directions.  After the ice cream has been churned and has thickened pour into a freezer-safe container, alternating with the salted caramel to create a layered effect.  Freeze for 2-3 hours.  Remove container from freezer and allow to soften slightly prior to serving.

Salted Caramel Sauce
1 9-ounce bag Werther's Original Baking Caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup milk

Place unwrapped caramels and milk in a medium microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until caramels are completely melted and the sauce is smooth.  Store covered in the refrigerator.

Candy Corn M&M Cookies

I never used to like candy corn.  I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet, but it's one of the very few candies I could skip by without batting an eye.  So I'm not sure what ever possessed me to buy White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms.  Perhaps it was the "white chocolate" part of White Chocolate Candy Corn (in fact, I'm pretty sure it was).  I was rather unsure about them after my first taste.  They were sort of weird...more white chocolate than candy corn, and the candy corn part I could taste wasn't BAD.  I nibbled here and there over several days until...GASP.  They were GONE.  I guess I must have liked them!

That was last year.  This year, I made the mistake of buying three bags at once.  You know, they're seasonal, and I thought I should stock up.  And save them.  But then I pretty much inhaled bag #1 and I knew something needed to be done.  I can't afford to be pounding bag after bag of M&Ms!  I needed to pace myself.  I decided to make cookies.  I thought if these decadent morsels were in a cookie, I could limit myself to just one a day.  A reasonable amount.  Maybe? 

Candy Corn M&M Cookies

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Adapted from Averie Cooks

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups bread flour (makes cookies chewier)

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 9.9-ounce bag White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms

Directions:

Place the butter in a stand mixer or large bowl and beat on low speed until smooth.  Add the sugars and cream until well-combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.  Add flours, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.  Add M&Ms and stir gently until incorporated.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick silicone baking mat.  Use a medium cookie scoop and place eight mounds of cookie dough on the baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just set and slightly golden in color.  Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. The cookies will firm up as they cool.  Repeat until all the dough has been utilized.  Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container for storage.   

Makes approximately 28 cookies

No Soliciting Sign

For some reason, we get a lot of solicitors in our neighborhood.  A lot.  It seems like rarely does a day go by when the doorbell isn't ringing and someone is on the porch trying to sell us something, the dog is going berserk, the boy wants to know who it is, chaos abounds, etcetera, etcetera.  Ugh!  I'd just rather not deal with it.  And so I made a sign...

I got the plain wood sign at Hobby Lobby for $1.79 (using a 40% off coupon, of course), and also picked up some DecoArt Americana acrylic paint in Navy Blue.  I painted the sign with a thin layer of paint, and once it was dry, sanded it with 220 sandpaper.  The next step was to wipe it down with a damp paper towel to pick up all the wood and paint dust.  Next, I painted a layer of Plaid FolkArt acrylic paint in Licorice, let it dry, and then sanded and wiped again.  I repeated step one (for a third layer of paint), and once that had been sanded and wiped, I was ready to add my words.

I designed the words in Silhouette Studio.  Once hubby and I agreed on the phrases and the fonts (Copperplate Goth and Pharmacy), I used my Cameo to cut the design on Oracal 631 White (010) vinyl. Weeding (removing unnecessary vinyl from the design) the Pharmacy font was tricky, because some of the letters are pretty narrow.  I took my time and, amazingly, I didn't get too flustered.  I applied the transfer paper, lined it up on the sign, and applied the vinyl to the wood.

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  Hubby promises to hang it near the doorbell.  And then hopefully the new sign will work its magic! 

Skinny Egg Salad

We were on vacation earlier this month and I came home five pounds heavier.  I hate how one can gain five pounds in a week and it takes five weeks (or more!) to take it off again.  So I've been (trying to) cut back on calories and count EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth.  Easier said than done!  That also means making sure every bite will keep me feeling full.  Satisfied.  Not hungry!

This Skinny Egg Salad is high in protein, but low in calories, so it really fits the bill.  And it's The Boy's birthday this week, so I'll need all the help I can get when we order in pizza and have cookie cake sitting around. Sigh!

Skinny Egg Salad
Adapted from Dashing Dish
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Ingredients:
3 hard-cooked eggs (3 egg whites and 1 yolk, discard the other 2 yolks)
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1 mini dill pickle, chopped
1/4 cup Miracle Whip Light dressing
1/2 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Penzey's Sunny Paris seasoning
Sprinkle of dried dill
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Coarsely chop three egg whites and one egg yolk and place them in a medium-sized bowl along with the celery and pickle.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, mix the light dressing, mustard, and seasonings.  Pour the dressing mixture over the eggs and gently stir until completely mixed.  Serve immediately by itself or on a flatbread.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Calories:  Approximately 185 (entire recipe)
Serves: 2