you're welcome

A few weeks ago I hosted my sister's bridal shower. I made these delicious chocolate covered peanut butter truffles and it would be rude of me not to share the recipe because they.were.incredible.

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter {I used Jif.}
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
6 ounces semisweet chocolate {word to the wise -- get a whole lot more than that.}

Mix the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar well...it needs to be really creamy. Try not to make as much of a mess as my friend and I did when we made them; insert Ethel and Lucy moment here.





Line a baking pan with wax paper.

Do yourself a favor and get a melon scooper. It's perfect for portion size

 and it's makes the balling go a whole lot smoother and quicker.

We had to get a bit creative here because the baking pan wouldn't fit in my freezer. I ran to the garage to get some cardboard boxes and we cut them to fit the freezer shelves to give our wax paper support. The peanut butter balls need a good 30 minutes to freeze well. When it comes time to dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate you are only going to want to take a few out of the freezer at a time because they get gooey fast. Once they are gooey there is no easy way of giving them a proper chocolate dipping.  

Once they have been dipped into melted chocolate place them back onto wax paper on a baking pan and place them in the fridge. These do not have to stay refrigerated, but they tasted better and lasted longer if they did.

I put the truffles in these cute little boxes that I found on clearance at Michael's, spruced them up with a bit of ribbon, and placed them in the entryway/exit for people to enjoy as a thank you gift for coming to the shower.  

Evidence as to why I received many a phone call after the shower to a.) find out if they were homemade and to b.) find out if I'd be willing to share the recipe.

FYI in order to fill all of those favor boxes I had to triple the recipe. And to be completely honest I have no idea how much chocolate we went through, but it was a lot more then what the recipe called for for sure.

These were so delicious! I am happy to do a taste test when you whip up your own batch.

pretty please

I got the Anthro catalogue today.

I only need these 4 items to help me kick off the summer.

And a winning lottery ticket.

1.Natalie One Piece

2. Heroine's Homecoming Top

3. Laguito Blouse

4. Walled City Blouse

any day...

that I get to talk to these two

 

and visit with these two

circa 2007, but it's my favorite

is a fantastic day!

my worth

This year I have been doing an in depth study of the book of Isaiah. It's been challenging! I have learned so much and there are weeks when I can hardly process all that's coming at me through God's Word because it's so deep and so rich.

Last week's lesson has just really stuck with me this week.

I grew up going to Sunday school. As a little girl I hung on every word the church ladies spoke on Jesus. I had a serious fascination with Him and I knew that He had done something huge to prove He loved me. I remember going up to the front of the church when I was 8 years old to declare my association with Him. I couldn't get there fast enough; I was so excited.

But with time came new priorities and a busy schedule. Despite His love for me, my love for Him dimmed and became less apparent. Less exciting. 

This week I can't stop thinking about and reading through Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Jesus is Amazing.

At BSF, the lecturer put it this way..."He accomplished redemption and He is satisfied in His success. He is satisfied because we are justified before the Father. Jesus, satisfied Servant and exalted King, considered justifying sinners worth the suffering He endured on the cross."

The word "worth" has been emblazoned at the forefront of my thoughts all week. Worth.

The horrors He went through were worth it because it meant He could save me. He could keep me.

How often do I thank Him for enduring so much because He valued me more?

Try this out: Read Isaiah 53:4-6 and insert your name in the blanks like this...

Surely He took up Shannon's pain

and bore her suffering,

yet she considered Him punished by God,

stricken by Him, and afflicted.

 But He was pierced for Shannon's transgressions,

He was crushed for Shannon's iniquities;

the punishment that brought her peace was on Him,

and by His wounds Shannon is healed.

 Shannon, like a lamb, has gone astray,

she has turned to her own way;

and the LORD has laid on Him

the iniquity of Shannon.

This is an important passage. There is more in that paragraph than there is in any book on this green earth. And unpacking it, applying it, and appreciating it will take a lifetime. A lifetime well spent.

my two loves

Work took us to Orlando Friday, and our heartstrings took us to Tampa for the rest of the weekend. I love these two kids and I was SO happy to spend time with them.

We had SO much fun!

He is so sweet. I think this pic will always be one of my favorites.

I pray for the day when seeing them becomes more of a weekly occurrence!

under the big top

I love it when books have pages like these.

I just read the last words of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and I am ready to start in on the first few again. This is a story worth reading. It's the classic good versus evil with a little bit of whimsy, camaraderie, and romance throughout. I could not put it down!

I thought about reading it awhile back when I saw it on a friend's coffee table. The title and cover intrigued me, but my abhorrence for the circus deterred me from reading the book. Then the movie trailer came out and I was captivated by it once again and requested the story from the library.

The tale that Gruen weaves is nothing short of beautiful. Of course there is the love story, but it's the loyalty and love that a few of the characters have for their animal friends and the longing for good to overcome evil that had me reading long into the night. There are a few scenes that are gruesome and a few that are graphic, so those of you that are faint at heart or want to preserve some innocence may want to skip it.  

However, the real facts and history of the old time circus found within the pages are fascinating and have me planning a trip to the Sarasota Ringling Museum. The sweet rapport between a circus clown and his dog, 12 magnificent horses and their rider, and a young vet and his elephant is enough for this animal lover to call this book a favorite. Then add in some unlikely friendships and a damsel in distress and you've got a darn good story. 

You won't ever find me in line for a show when the circus rolls through town. I cannot condone a show that causes big cats and elephants to be enclosed in tight quarters for the sake of entertainment, and I think this book showcases my point. But I do so love this story and it endears me toward those who love these animals while out on the road.

Check out the movie trailer!

it's one of my favorite places

It's a quaint street with a lot of character and I adore it. Years ago I came here with my family while I was in college and made up my mind to find work in one of the boutiques along the street. The very next day I was hired and one could find me enjoying my lunches on a park bench just across the street from the shop I worked in shortly after that.

I come back here every chance I can get to do so. I love hanging out in the park, lingering in the rose garden, walking along the street, going into the shops, and eating at the restaurants. It's a place where I can go and instantly feel content and happy. I like that. 

There's a train station on the other side of the park and it stood directly in front of the shop across the avenue and the park. The trains that pass through are both freight and passenger trains. When I worked here there would be some slow days. I'd end up standing outside the doors of the shop and when I heard the train whistle blow I'd wait in anticipation of the thundering locomotive to round the bend and I'd begin counting cars. I counted 88 cars on a freight train one day. 88! But my favorite would be when the passenger trains came through and stopped at the station. You'd see families and friends saying goodbye or greeting one another and it always made me happy to see people embrace one another for both reasons.

This is a favorite breakfast spot for friends and I. It's become a tradition and now I cannot go to Orlando without stopping in! The Briarpatch is a must on Park Ave!

Yesterday I got to sit here while my Mister was in a meeting nearby. It was the perfect afternoon. Perfect.

 

And this little lady came over for a visit.

If you ever find yourself in Winter Park, a treausre of a suburb in Orlando, you really ought to take the time to enjoy Park Avenue. You'll thank me for it. I promise.