Raising 4 Princesses

chocolate chip {cookie dough} cake Recipe

2013-06-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Come one.... come ALL cookie-dough lovers!

Happy Birthday to Moriah!

She loves cookie dough

She loves chocolate chips

She loves frosting

B-I-N-G-O!

I wanted a dense cake almost like a cookie texture but still fluffy and moist.

This recipe was perfect.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake Recipe

CAKE

I LOVE Paula Dean's Basic 1-2-3-4 Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg and spray round cake pans. (tip: I always cut wax paper and lay it in the pan to make cake come out easily)

2. Cream butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and continue beating for a few minutes. Add eggs one at a time.

3. Add flour and milk alternating back and forth between each one. Starting and ending with flour. Add vanilla.

4. Fill pans equally. (tip: drop pan several times on counter to remove air bubbles in batter.)

5. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

COOKIE DOUGH FILLING (EGGLESS)

Directions:

1/2 cup butter (soften)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini ones would work best, but I just have regular ones so I crushed them a little in a plastic bag.)

Directions:

1. Cream together butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla. Blend in flour completely. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Roll into circles and place in freezer until very firm.

To assemble cake

1. place one cooled layer on your cake stand. Smooth a nice layer of butter cream frosting and arrange cookie dough balls.....everywhere on it! Yumm......yummm!

2. carefully lay top layer of cake on and put the frosting on top. You can ice the sides of leave them open with the tempting cookie dough layer peeking out. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top and arrange left over cookie dough.

when I made the frosting for this cake I crushed up chocolate chips and mixed them in it to really give the cake a cookie dough flavor!

have a lovely day,

take my picture?

2013-06-17T20:06:00.000-05:00

"Stop! Me take you picture, mom!"

(Princess Brynlee Erin, 2)

I heard the words and turned to see these tanned little chubby fingers. They were holding the toy camera. My little ones love me and think I'm worthy of a picture even when I have an {extreme} messy bun, no make up, a sweaty house dress on, and my arms full of laundry. How forgiving they are.

You know.....I wasn't ready to have my picture taken. My outward appearance needed some attention. But how about my inward appearance. My little ones are with me 24/7. They see the good... the bad....the times I'd rather forget how I behaved myself. How do I behave myself when those teensy little crisis happen in daily life?

Humm. If someone were to take a picture of you right now would it be pretty? Make sure the inside is pretty, too.

hatching seeds

2013-06-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

Prince bought the girls and me some potting soil and we had fun getting dirty and planting different flower seeds we brought with us. Each pot is gonna be like a surprise cause they (the seeds) all got mixed up several times with all the little helping fingers! And if any of them survive at all it will be close to a miracle as many times as they (the seeds) get watered and knocked over.

As we were planting them Alexis asked, "How long until they hatch?"

Ok. The word hatch kinda gives me the willies. Literally. The shiver-y willies. It usually goes with some creepy crawly bug that has made it's appearance in my home.

I can take a spider any old day. I can handle the lizards...as long as they don't surprise me! But bugs....I hate (that is the no-no word) bugs....they drive me crazy! While settling back into my home I have discovered many areas of my kitchen that the little rascals have tried to invade. I have killed more bugs in the last few days than hit my windshield while driving through Louisiana....and that's sayin' something!

I love my flowers and enjoy watching them and taking care of them. Just the same as my kiddos! I enjoy watching them and taking care of them too!

While I was trying to set some rose bush clippings I turn around and find this..... streaker in my watering bucket. Not a stitch on. She didn't want to get her clothes wet apparently.

never a dull moment,

Queen For the Day (ladies meeting)

2013-06-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting up a post about the Ladies Meeting I had a few weeks ago.

This is the 3rd meeting I've had the honor of hosting in my home. With the title Queen For A Day... it was a blast. Ok, it was A LOT of work! But, very worth it. A few ladies told me it is one of the best days of the year. We made a large meal, played silly games, had pedicures, had a photo booth and listened to a devotional recorded on DVD (just for us!) by my Pastor's wife in Baton Rouge, Mrs. B.G. Buchanan.

The end of the party was the presentation of a huge dessert table made specially by my mother-in-law and her mother. Those two ladies where a huge blessing to me and the party wouldn't had been the same without them. My mother-in-law spent a lot of time preparing and planning and it was so sweet of her. She loves the Jamaican ladies. I truly appreciate all her efforts.

We made a video of pictures from the day and special clips of the ladies speaking. I hope this is a blessing to you.

With love from the ladies of Valley Baptist Church, Spot Valley, Jamaica

Thank You, Lord,

(The friend pictured at the top with me is Ms. Marsha. She is the lady who taught me how to make jewelry.)

humidity proof frosting recipe

2013-06-13T12:24:00.002-05:00

This is Prince Charming's favorite frosting.
My fail proof frosting works great in our high humidity climate.
This is great for frosting a cake and taking it to church where it will be out for several hours in the heat. It doesn't soak into the cake but stays firm on top. YUM!

Humidity Proof Frosting Recipe
1/3 cup butter, room temp (the real stuff works best)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or almond)

I whip it together with my electric hand mixer. Alternating powdered sugar and milk until it is all in the bowl. Nothing fancy...just plain good. I often double the recipe and store the extra in the fridge.

enjoy,

rest is not idleness

2013-06-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

adorable printable found here

cuddles with Great-Grandma

2013-06-06T23:53:00.001-05:00

our little man is such a sweetie

he is a happy little guy with a perfect smile

his Great-Grandma is visiting us in Jamaica

they are best friends and have spent many special moments together

(Truman 5. and his Great-Grandma D)

Grandmas are wonderful,

playing in the {running} water

2013-05-24T07:52:00.001-05:00

Today marks day #5 with no water! We have our large reserve tank on top of the house...and thankfully {very thankfully} it gives us that trickle of liquid gold to help us carry on. It always amazes me how filthy my children get here just playing outside.

(the little prince charming, 5 m.)

Me? I'm surviving just fine. Just happy to be back in my own home. The extra work with no water isn't that much of an inconvenience....yet.
The kids? They don't even notice that there is no water. They play, eat, play.... grow a little more each day and are happy.

(Alexis and Eden playing in the rain)

We have had short bursts of heavy showers....than bright sunshine for 3 days. The girls have LOVED playing in this {running} water!

whipped chocolate frosting....2 ingredients

2013-05-21T22:42:00.000-05:00

My Mother in Law made these chocolate cupcakes

with this amazing frosting while I was visiting.

They were so good that I seriously couldn't stop eating them!

Dangerous I know.

Want to impress someone or just treat yourself? Try this.

2 ingredients...4 steps!

Whipped Chocolate Frosting Recipe

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 regular bag of chocolate chips

1. Bring cream to almost boiling....but don't boil it!

2. In a large mixing bowl,

pour over the chocolate chips and stir until chips are melted and well blended.

3. Cool for 1 hour on counter and 5 minutes in fridge

4. Whip with a mixer

Ta-daa!

Thanks, Mrs. Bonnie, for sharing!

the hardest part

2013-05-20T21:42:00.003-05:00

I've said, time and time again, the hardest part is... leaving family and love ones behind. It is getting even harder as the girls get older and more attached to them.

The tears come.
The {hard to answer} questions come, "When will we see Grandma's house again?" "Will Papa come to my birthday party?" Hugging everyone goodbye and driving away is hard....really hard.

As I look back in the rear view mirror and see them standing watching us drive away I realize {again} that I have the easy part.

(on my parents front porch right before we drove away in April)

South Missouri

So when you see that Grandparent {or aunt} in your church who sits alone because their children are another continent away....remember. When you see them look wistfully at the little Sunday School kiddos.....remember. As you meet your family at that restaurant after Sunday services....remember.

Tell them thank you for their sacrifices. Even though it is not by their own choices they are sacrificing family dinners, children birthday parties, and holiday traditions. They are missing the simple things that are part of their grandchildren's lives. And when they see them again a few more years have slipped away.

Remember them. Tell them "thank you" for their sacrifice.

I might even name him

2013-05-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

this is my bed. notice the window without glass? all through my house there are wooden louvers that you can adjust to catch the breeze. this is great. makes it easier for the visitors to come in. one such little guest is sitting on the bottom of the window sill {every} morning since I got back home.

quiet little guy. he doesn't talk much and eats all those pesky unwelcomed mosquitos.

"who you lookin' at, mon?"

I might even name him,

Happy Mother's Day from Jamaica

2013-05-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day in Jamaica! These are all the moms who were in our service.

The girls really missed their friends.

Most common phrase this morning....."He doesn't have any hair!!!"

exhale

2013-05-19T10:06:00.001-05:00

we made it home safe and sound. Adjusting back to the heat and bugs have been the biggest thing but we are doing great. We are so very happy to be back,

in Great-Grandma's Wedding Dress

2013-05-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

(Moriah in her Great-Grandma Alberta Sue McNamar's Wedding Dress)

We were digging through some boxes and stumbled on this treasure! My Grandma Alberta's wedding dress. My daughters were so excited to touch the fabric and talk about the wedding.

Grandma even has a scrapbook with all her notes and memories wrote down! I love seeing her thoughts and opinions wrote down when she was so young. She loved Papa so much!

making memories with the cousins

2013-04-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

(all 10 grandchildren of Emile and Bonnie Wesley)

Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Memaw's famous pile of dirt

While I'm having a blast spoiling my nieces and nephews and sneaking them candy and cookies, I'm realizing that in order to make great memories it takes a lot of ......work! Especially when they are little..and 3 of them are potty training! It takes a lot of bandaids, wet wipes, and peanut butter but we've had a few memorable days.

They're only young once,

Necklace Winner!

2013-04-17T23:03:00.002-05:00

thank you so very much for all the participation and entries on the giveaway!
drum roll please.......

that was so fun,

leap of faith

2013-04-14T01:25:00.001-05:00

(credit for this photo goes out to Nina....

an amazing young lady who stayed with us

on a missions trip last summer.

thanks, Nina, this is an amazing shot!)

you as a papa

2013-04-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

(Papa Dennis and Brynlee, age 2)

sitting on Papa's front porch Ozark Mountains, Missouri

I love my dad.

I asked my girls to describe Papa Dennis and here are their answers...
moustache
soldier uniform
nice
John Wayne
hunting
fishing
pickles
American flag
really tall
chicken farmer

sweet memories,

Don't forgive the giveaway of the Seahorse Necklace going on right now! Comment your favorite Bible verse and get an extra entry!

Giveaway from Mango Marketplace

2013-04-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

We have our tickets to return to Jamaica in exactly a month from today!
{happy dance}

Boy, do I have a lot to accomplish before that day!

Just for fun I decided to do a summer giveaway from my etsy shop.

My girlies helped me pick which piece to giveaway.

We all love seahorses and this necklace is a favorite!

Perfect way to jump into summer mood

with this pretty little seahorse charm and his friend the starfish!
Sand Between Your Toes Necklace

Sand Between Your Toes Takes Away Your Woes!

Trust me. I've been there and it's true.

Do you ever create something that is so precious to you that it's hard to part with it? When I first arranged this little friendly baby seahorse beside his starfish friend my heart melted a little. They look so perfect and peaceful together. As we prepare to head back home I'm definitely in {Island mode} and want to share a little of the joy. Perfect accessory to your summer wardrobe.

Friendly little baby seahorse playing with his starfish friend and accented with a cut jade green sea foam colored glass bead. Handcrafted on a dainty 20 inch silver chain.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Where's Jesus? Project

2013-04-02T13:53:00.000-05:00

I {love} making the Bible come alive and real. A few days before Easter I helped my kids and my little brothers make this Easter mural. Everyone was in on the project!

We unrolled a huge roll of white paper across the table. I sketched the ideas, than assigned projects to each child. As I did a basic idea of each story the kids looked up the stories about Jesus in the Bible and wrote verses of Scripture off.

It turned out really long!

We titled our project "Where is Jesus?" With footsteps connecting each scene except for palm branches leading up to the Last Supper.

The first picture is Jesus' birth.

I did the original sketch to help them but the kids did all the coloring and extra ideas such as animals, details of costumes, weapons for the Roman soldiers, etc. It was fun to see them imagine shepherds and angels out the stable window.

Next was Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. Complete with a little brown turtle watching the activity.

See the water drops when Jesus came out of the water?

Jesus did many miracles and they wanted to draw them all. I opted for the feeding of the 5,000. Maybe another time we can do a mural with just miracles!

The Last Supper with each individual disciple.

They drew goblets and bread on the table. One discussion came up that some of the disciples should be blond, (like us) but the answer was Jewish people aren't blond.

Next, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was taken by the Roman soldiers. Eden drew a nest and birds in one tree.

The sad {but needed} picture was Jesus on the cross. They added the 2 crosses with the thieves and the sign declaring who He was.

The last part of our mural was Jesus rising from the grave!!! Complete with an angel sitting on the rock and sleeping Roman soldier!

very fun, educational project.

Cadbury creme fudge recipe

2013-03-30T23:31:00.000-05:00

{second} most popular post.

thank you... thank you for all the love.

enjoy.

Cadbury Creme Fudge Recipe

Happy Easter

2013-03-30T23:12:00.003-05:00

{love me some peeps}

(via)

1st stop

2013-03-29T23:24:00.002-05:00

We just booked our tickets back to Jamaica for the kids and I! May 10th is the day!

I'm so excited to get back to our home and a regular schedule. I feel that bittersweet twinge I always get when it's time to leave loved ones behind.

The count down has started and it makes me more aware to treasure each day and memory. First stop on this journey back to Jamaica was Great-Grandma Grace's farm near Queen City, Missouri.

Gram loved holding her latest great-grandson. She couldn't keep her hands off of him. {sweet}

The girls and I were really praying that we would have a good snow before we went back to the Island. We were not disappointed. The days spent there was so much fun.

(talking to Grandma's cows)

(Eden tasting the snow)

(Brynlee learning how to make a snowman)

(cooking with Grandma)

(riding in the tractor with Uncle Steve)

(Eden thought it was hilarious that the cow's hair stood up!)

(helping with the chores)

Making memories in Missouri,

6 ways to pray for your Man

2013-03-29T00:49:00.000-05:00

Many know that my Prince Charming had to return to Jamaica ahead of us to carry on the work in the church we started. It's been hard managing 5 kids by myself and keeping my sanity. I miss my man terribly but we talk often and send messages via our phones all the time.

{Between you and me} I treasure the sweet words and thoughts he sends that normally he wouldn't write down. I now have proof he's just as romantic as me! No, I'm not going to share his tender side right now. Those are for my eyes alone. {Deep sigh} Yep, I'm pretty stuck on him.

God has placed specific people in your life for a purpose. If you are blessed to be married you have an even greater responsibility to this person who is your other half. {Told you I was feeling mushy!} One part of being the wife God wants me to be is by praying for my husband. Sadly, this is one area that I feel I have failed miserably. I'm so blessed to have a Godly husband you loves me deeply and completely. I don't take it for granted. Being apart makes me more aware of the dangers and temptations a man is subjected to in this wicked old world.

1. Pray for his daily walk with the Lord and for him to keep up his personal prayer time.

2. Pray for God's blessing on his life.

3. Pray for God's hand of safety and protection over him.

4. Pray for his vision and dreams.

5. Pray for his purity.

6. Pray for his testimony and witness.

Ok, Ladies, what would you add to the list?

read more on Embracing Marriage.

Cadbury Mini Egg Muddy Mix Recipe

2013-03-28T23:44:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl I remember having lots of wonderful memories of Easter time.

A fresh new dress, Easter hats, white shoes, Sunrise Service at Church, Easter egg hunts,

chocolate bunnies with pretty frosting eyes, Reese's Eggs... and Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Cadbury Mini Eggs are my inspiration for this festive fun snack.

Cadbury Mini Egg Muddy Mix Recipe

1. Here is the shopping list!
8 cups chex (rice or corn) cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 (10 ounce) bag of cadbury mini eggs
2. Stir together peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl.
Heat in the microwave oven at 30 second intervals until smooth.
You may dip the tip of your finger in to taste the {sweet} melted goodness.
Stir in the vanilla.
3. Measure out the chex cereal in a large bowl and drizzle the chocolate mixture all over it...down to every last drop! Stir until evenly distributed.
4. Sprinkle the powdered sugar and stir {gingerly} scooping from the bottom up.
5. Drop the mini Cadbury Eggs into the bowl. Crushing some if you like.
I'll confess. I did a little 2 for you... 2 for me {wink}
I just love those little chocolate eggs! Can't help myself!

Store in airtight container!

yum,