Windows and Bananas

Moving On...

2013-04-17T04:04:00.004+01:00

Hello my faithful followers!
Wow, what a journey this blog has been. It has been totally random, completely crazy, fun, and insane. I have loved every minute of traveling with you! However, this post is to let you know what is going on in my life. God has brought me to a crossroads, and it is with excitement that I share my newest calling. I will be moving to Disney as a Cast Member! Therefore, this new adventure is bringing along a new blog:

Lizzie In Disney

I won't be updating this blog, Windows and Bananas, very much (not that I did so well in the past, hee hee :) But I invite you to come along on my new journey. God is going to do some great things, and I am excited to share them. Follow along with me on my life as a Cast Member.

Thank you for all the times you have spent with me. This blog would not have gotten far without you. I am looking forward to seeing you over on Lizzie in Disney, and if you make it to Disney this year, let me know!

Love,
Lizzie

Happy Pear Dark Hot Chocolate

2012-09-13T03:22:00.001+01:00

As warm summer days drift slowly into crisp autumn nights, I can't help but think of my favorite warm drink: hot chocolate. In Ireland, it is cold and damp all the time. I repeat. ALL THE TIME. Which means, it is always time for hot chocolate!

The chilling breeze slides off the ocean, penetrating my thick sweatshirt. I shiver in my boots, grasping my warm cup of the best hot chocolate in the world. Happy Pear Dark Hot Chocolate.

This adorable little orange abode serves up the most incredible, taste-bud-tantalizing, steaming cup of cocoa I have ever tasted. And I have had a lot of hot cocoa. Using the best of Belgium dark chocolate, their drink melts even the coldest hearts and warms me up on those brisk Irish days.

Now that fall has arrived, I have determined to recreate their delicious treat in my own kitchen. Because I can't go running down the street for Happy Pear goodness anytime I want, I figured I might as well come up with my own concoction. And if I may say so, this might just be the best cup of cocoa I have had. Second only to the Happy Pear itself, of course.

For now, I sit curled up in my favorite chair, sipping my chocolate and dreaming of those brisk Ireland days. For your own taste of the Happy Pear Dark Hot Chocolate, you don't have to hop a plane to Ireland. Instead, follow the recipe below and you will soon be dreaming of little red haired lassies, rolling green hills, and enough sheep for at least three bags full.

Happy Pear Hot Chocolate:

You Need:

1 Mug

A large handful of chocolate chips(semi-sweet to dark works the best)

Enough milk to fill your mug 3/4

Enough water to fill the other 4th

Whipped cream or marshmallows for topping

1) Measure out 3/4 of your mug with milk. Dump the milk into a saucepan and slowly bring to boil.

2) Measure out your 4th of water. Pour into another saucepan or tea kettle, and bring to a boil.

3) Pour enough chocolate chips into your mug to keep the chocolate lovers happy.

4) When the milk is boiling, pour it into your mug and slowly stir with a spoon. All the chocolate chips should be melting, and the milk turning a rich color.

5) Pour in the water to dilute the hot chocolate.

6) After stirring thoroughly, taste test it. If it needs more chocolate, throw in some more! You can never have too many chocolate chips.

7) Top with your favorite topping and enjoy!

This recipe is a remake of the Happy Pear Dark Hot Chocolate. I cannot take full credit for it, instead, I credit the amazing brothers who introduced me to hot chocolate heaven! :)

5 Minute Mousse

2012-05-12T18:58:00.005+01:00

Several days ago I was stuck in the kitchen, desperately trying to figure out what to make. I needed a dessert for Bible study, and I needed it now! After pulling a few ingredients, I threw them together. The end result was this creamy, heavenly mousse that uses 4 ingredients and literally takes 5 minutes to make. Now, I have made it a couple of times and always received rave reviews. So try it out and enjoy!

5 Minute Mousse(Peanut Butter Chocolate)

This recipe can be easily made without the peanut butter. I just used what I had on hand ;)

About 200 grams of butter (7 ounces)
100 grams (3.5 ounces) cream cheese(soft cheese)
1 jar Cadbury chocolate spread(or Nutella, or any other type of spread)
1 jar of peanut butter
Optional: whipped cream to top
Makes enough for about 6 small mousse cups

Melt your butter for about 10 seconds. You want it to be squishy, but not hard.

Cut it up into chunks

Dump in your cream cheese

Add in almost a whole jar of peanut butter and almost a jar of chocolate. You don't need the whole thing, about 3/4 of it.

Whip it together using a mixer.

And there you have it! Mousse! I used crunchy peanut butter so that is why my picture looks clumpy. But use plain peanut butter and it will be soft and smooth. Try this recipe using a variety of spreads. I even might try using melting chocolate for a dark chocolate flavor instead.

This needs to be made almost right before you want to serve it. You can chill it for a few minutes, but anything longer and the butter starts to harden. Then you will have a hard bowl of yumminess, but no mousse.

Enjoy!

My Message to Satan

2012-04-24T19:15:00.001+01:00

One verse I have been clinging to lately is John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

This summer, God has called me to oversees missions work. I am beyond excited for this opportunity, and cannot wait to see where He leads and what I will be able to do for Him. However, up to this point, it has been a nightmare trying to organize details. From paperwork to immigration issues, I have felt like something has been against me. It only hit me today that I am truly in the middle of a spiritual war. According to Satan, I am spending my whole summer serving his enemy, and winning converts for the opposite side. He hates that. And he hates anyone who is partnering with God to minister to His people. That would be me. No wonder I have hit so many roadblocks!

Satan is working overtime to cause me to stumble, to shake my faith in Jesus. And I will be honest. Several times he has succeed. So many times I turn to God and ask "Why?" But He is not the problem. I do not need to question Him because He is walking along with me.

So today, I finally figured out what my problem is. I don't need a bigger God, but bigger faith. I don't need new circumstances, simply a new perspective. And I don't need life to be easy, I just need to rely on Him. After almost yelling at God in frustration, I figured it out. And then, it became easier to fight back. It is better to fight in a battle you realize is happening, instead of blindly wandering around the battlefield wondering why you are getting wounded. Today, my perspective changed. I am a soldier for Christ. This summer I am determined to win people for Him. I have to get there first, and Satan is doing everything in his power to prevent that. But he won't win, because my God is bigger, my God is stronger, and my God will win. It is as simple as that.

Satan,
This message is for you. I am calling you out. You no longer get to throw your arrows in my heart, for I have the armor of my Father. You can do your best to discourage me, to hurt me, to turn me away from Him. But I won't. He is my Father, my Savior, and my Helper and I love Him with all that I am. You are my enemy. You mess with me, and you have to answer to Him. Be prepared, because I know the end of the story, and you lose. It is your choice. But you will never turn me away from Him.
Sincerely,
Your worst enemy,
A Soldier in Christ

Norway!!!! Day 1, Oslo

2012-04-11T14:59:00.001+01:00

I have so many posts to catch up on about Ireland, but first I want to talk about our spring break trip to Norway! I knew that I wanted to travel somewhere different for spring break, and when I learned about a friend living in Norway, that was where I had to go. It was an amazing experience and blast! The country is beautiful, and even though it was the trip of multiple mistakes and mess ups, it was still amazing. :) We mainly stayed in Oslo, except for the one day we went to Sweden. Here are the pictures from our first day!

Coming into Norway!

The Nobel Peace Center

Oslo's Harbour

Trolls! These little guys are all over Norway...

The City Hall

This is where they give out the Nobel Peace Prize.

This room is so huge!

Oslo Harbour from City Hall

Me in front of the City Hall building

The Parliament Building

At the Akershus Fortress

The Akershus Fortress

Me in front of the Royal Palace

On the palace grounds, with Oslo behind me

The Royal Palace

These were all the sights we saw in the first day. We also went to the National Museum to see the painting "The Scream." That was really neat as well! :) All in all, it was a gorgeous first day in Norway.

He is Risen!!!!!

2012-04-08T19:54:00.001+01:00

HE IS RISEN!

Those were the words on my lips as I awoke this morning. Sunday has come, the chains of sin and death have been broken. HE IS RISEN!

I love the beauty and majesty of Easter. Even though the sun isn't shining, even though I have watched my friends encounter incredible tragedy, the week has still ended in celebration. Our Lord is Alive. And He Lives In Me! That alone makes me want to dance for joy!

In church this morning, Rev. Monty was talking about how God allows evil to do its worst because that proves how weak evil really is. Take Jesus for instance. He allowed evil to do its worst. He took on every sin, every murder, every theft, every abuse, every bit of pain and suffering on the cross. He was beaten, tortured, destroyed. On Friday, it seemed as if Sunday would never come. Jesus was dead. What more was there?

Here is where the weakness of evil is evident. Satan and all the forces of Hell did their very worst. Every thing they could think to do, they did to Jesus. But Satan's power could only hold for a few hours. By Sunday morning, he could do no more. The power of God was no match for the forces of evil. Instead, God simply proved how weak Satan and his minions really were. Everything Satan had was destroyed in the time it took for Jesus to stand and walk out of the tomb. Satan lost. He bet everything and he lost. The power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit proves how weak and pathetic evil really is.

So today I want to leave you with a note of encouragement. No matter what you are going through, remember that compared to God evil is weak. It did its worst and could only hold Jesus for a few hours. If you are in the depths of pain and hurt, remember that Jesus is with you. His power will break the force of evil and show Satan how pathetic he truly is. Nothing can overcome the Almighty God. And if He lives in you, then who can be against you? Take heart, persevere, and remember the miracle of this Easter morning. For my God lives, He reigns, and He has broken the forces of evil!

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7

It Is Finished

2012-04-06T11:08:00.001+01:00

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16

Good Friday.

I really don't have the words to say. I sit at my computer with a heart heavy from grief, pain, and heartache. So many of my friends are hurting by loss, and I hurt with them. These past few days have been emotionally draining and tough. We lost a friend, fellow student, and incredible follower of Christ.

I also don't have words to express how I feel about the death of my Savior. I read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with a heavy heart. He took so much for me. It was my sins that were nailed to that cross. When He told the Father "Let your will be done" it was me He was thinking of. And every day that I sin, every harsh word, every mean thought, I am putting myself into the story. I am a part of the crowd of mockers, of the ones who tortured my Savior. It is me who nailed Him to the cross, every day.

He still took the pain. The torture. The incredible agony of the cross. And He did it for me. For my sins. For my heart. So that I can live forever in a relationship with Him.

I am so thankful that the story doesn't end on Good Friday. It continues. The weekend ahead is filled with hurt and pain. But it is also filled with hope. Because the best part of the Easter story occurs on Sunday. And I know that my Redeemer Lives.

It is with joy that I can look back on the cross. Because of my Savior.

It is finished.

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:33-38

Belfast

2012-03-25T21:56:00.000+01:00

At the end of February we took a trip to Northern Ireland. For those who don't know, Northern Ireland is actually a different country. It is under control of the United Kingdom, and therefore the currency is different. They use pounds as opposed to euros.

One of the most heart-wrenching stops on the trip was to the city of Belfast. This beautiful city is torn apart by the Troubles. The Peace Walls were especially saddening. I am happy that they keep the residents safe, but it sad that they are necessary.

Murals are also very common in Belfast. Most are political, discussing issues common to the Troubles. Others are different, like this tourist one.

This is a Memorial Garden. Almost every neighborhood in Belfast has one. It is to commemorate the people who have died because of the Troubles. The wall in the pictures is part of the Peace Walls separating the Protestant and Catholic communities.

Pictures of those who died on the Peace Wall.

This mural was in the Protestant side of Belfast. It is neat because it starts out black and white then slowly becomes color. It was a cool mural to see, I wish I had a panorama of it...

This is the shipyard where the Titanic was built. There are two of these big yellow cranes, they are called Samson and Goliath. In fact, they are now a historical sight and cannot be torn down, so they will be there forever. It was neat to see this location on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic.

Howth

2012-03-25T19:12:00.000+01:00

One weekend, a few members of our group got together and headed to the fishing town of Howth. It was incredible! The scenery is gorgeous, and we had a blast hiking around. We hiked for a few hours, then stopped at a pub to catch the rugby game.

Sunday, it was market time! Howth has a wonderful farmers market on Sunday. We had a great time wondering around and munching on all the different foods. I finally tried black current jam and it was yummy!

Fish and chips for lunch? YES PLEASE!

Key Lime cupcake from the market. It was amazing!

I love this lighthouse!

Glendalough

2012-03-25T16:45:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago we took a group field trip to the monastic sight of Glendalough. This is located in the incredibly beautiful Wicklow Mountains. This is a collection of amazing hiking trails and an old monastic community.

The museum

A replica of the monastic sigh

That is actually the door, not a window :)

Killiney Walk

2012-02-23T23:29:00.000+00:00

There is a beautiful area a few DART stops away from Dublin called Killiney. I call this the sort of "Beverly Hills" of Dublin. It is full of gorgeous houses, a few cute restaurants and shops, along with an incredible view. I will let the pictures speak for themselves :)

This is the gate to Bono's house.

We found this amazing path through vine-covered walls. It was magical to walk through this lush passageway with the leaves crunching underfoot.

There was a castle! Well, sort of one :) Apparently, during a war the British used these turrets to shoot down on their enemies.

The Cathedral

Nutella Cheesecake Recipe

2012-02-22T19:45:00.000+00:00

The other day I entered the Happy Pear Baking competition. It was a blast to get involved in the Greystones community!

I have an obsession with Nutella. Okay, it is probably more like a stalkerish, insane, desperate need for Nutella. I love it. A LOT. As I told a friend of mine, it is my life blood. Literally.

So, what better way to use Nutella than combine it with another one of my favorite foods, cheesecake?

And as it turns out, the same weekend I was looking to make cheesecake, the Happy Pear had a baking competition. A Chocolate Love competition. My Nutella Cheesecake was the perfect entry.

Sadly, I didn't win anything. But the Nutella amazingness was devoured. Confession: I totally had a huge slice of it. And it was incredible. In fact, this might be my new go-to recipe for cheesecake. Because who doesn't love Nutella and Cheesecake?

And now, for the insanely yummy Nutella Cheesecake Recipe!

Creamy Nutella Cheesecake: By Henrie of GroupRecipes (I modified it slightly)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1/2 cup milk

1 (13 ounce) jar nutella

For my International friends: I used 700 grams of cream cheese(or soft cheese in Ireland) and 400 grams of Nutella. :) And if you so care, digestive biscuits make an incredible cheesecake crust. Just replace them for the cookie crumbs and remove the sugar. It went with the cheesecake perfectly!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (around 180 C)

In a small mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients. Pat into the bottom of springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla extract until just combined. Add egg yolks and egg, beat on low until just combined.

Add milk and Nutella and mix completely.

Pour filling into springform pan and place in oven.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until center appears set when shaken lightly. Use a knife to test consistency. If it is still super gooey, then place it back in the oven for a few minutes.

Cool, and store in the refrigerator.

Thank you Henrie and GroupRecipes!

Greystones(Again!)

2012-02-22T17:54:00.000+00:00

It was such a beautiful day out that I had to take more pictures of this lovely little fishing town, Greystones. Enjoy!

The National Museum and Library

2012-02-15T22:43:00.000+00:00

On Saturday, a few other girls and I headed to the National Library and National Archeology Museum. Words can barely describe how I feel about so many beautiful books in such a gorgeous building! This is one of my new favorite libraries, next to the Long Room of course. :) After the library, it was off to the Museum of Archeology to hang with the bog men. Who knew thousand year old remains could be so intriguing? It was a lovely day exploring Dublin. I had a blast!

Pictures!

The National Library

So many books! :)

There was also a W.B. Yeats exhibit, so these are some of his original manuscripts.

Me on the super cool stairs :) I just love interesting staircases.

We headed to Rhubarb for lunch. This adorable cafe served an amazing muffin!

Yum!

Then it was off to the Museum of Archeology!

WARNING: If photos of thousand year old bodies disturb you, don't continue reading :)

Most of these men were very wealthy and they were sacrificed to the gods. People have found various remains in the bogs throughout Ireland. This is such an interesting insight into the Celtic past of the Emerald Isles.

I love the architecture in this museum.

This guy was actually a viking and not a bog man. Still, it is quite interesting.

Christ Church Cathedral

2012-02-10T22:48:00.000+00:00

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity of taking a group to hear the evensong service at Christ Church Cathedral. This historic cathedral is beautiful, I just wish I could take pictures inside! The service was amazing. The choir had incredible voices, and it was neat to hear the Psalms sung. Now, onto the pictures!

The service began at 6:00 pm, so it was already dark by the time we got there. The church has a eerie, but yet still beautiful, feel about it at night. I thought it was amazing!

In the Crypt below the church, there was an exhibit in honor of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Several old copies of the Bible were on display.

And of course, we had to hit Leo Burdock's for dinner! Leo's supposedly has some of the best Fish N' Chips in Ireland. It was definitely the best fish and chips I had ever had! Yum!!!!

The Bray Cliff Walk

2012-02-03T13:45:00.000+00:00

Yesterday we went on the most amazing walk along the sea. We walked from Greystones to Bray. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Dublin!

2012-02-02T20:47:00.000+00:00

Yesterday, I finally made it back to Dublin. It was the strangest experience, because I had not been here in a year and half. I never expected to come back, so it was neat to be able to walk down the same streets again. We did a Dublin Photo Scavenger hunt. It was a blast meeting new people, seeing new places, and we still managed to win a few prizes! Anyway, it was super fun. Now onto the pictures!

St. Stephen's Green

The entrance to the National Library

Oscar Wilde

Trinity College

Temple Bar

On Ha' Penny Bridge

The O'Connell Street Spire

The Garden of Remembrance

The memorial statue in the Garden of Remembrance

The General Post Office

The Famine Memorial

The DART

Our view from the DART. This is what we see pretty much all the way to Dublin.

Greystones

2012-01-31T16:59:00.000+00:00

During my power walk around Greystones today, I decided to get a few pictures :)

Greystones is on the sea. And it is so beautiful!

Stairs to the Sea.

Downtown Greystones.

The Happy Pear is a local coffee shop that serves the most

amazing hot chocolate in the world, or so I have heard :)

St. Patricks is part of the Church of Ireland. I just love the look of it!

The local pub, The Beach House. Don't worry, I will not be

going here very often. But it is a neat building all the same!

Ireland

2012-01-29T17:45:00.000+00:00

Well, here I am! Spent my first day of our new semester in Ireland. Can't get much better than that! I am going to be in Ireland for a few months and looking forward to all of the new experiences.

For church this morning, I went to the Presbyterian church. The people were so friendly! We studied the second book of Ephesians and discussed God's abundant grace. For my first Sunday in Ireland, it was awesome!

This afternoon was spent exploring. Yesterday I got a library card, and already checked out a few books ;) We explored the lovely little town of Greystones, then jumped on the DART to see Bray. Both are quaint little beach towns and tons of fun to explore.

Well, I am off to dinner! That is about all I have to update right now, but pictures are soon to follow, I promise!

Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Pancakes

2012-01-07T20:55:00.000+00:00

Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast foods. And after finding a recipe for Cake Batter Pancakes, I knew that I had to try the chocolate version. So we headed off to the store for ingredients, then we enjoyed our Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Pancakes. And they were certainly delicious!

I got the original recipe from How Sweet It Is, and adjusted it slightly. Here you go!

Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup dark chocolate cake mix

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of milk(I like thick pancakes, so I only used one cup. If you want thin ones, you might need more milk)

Chocolate chips

Mix together flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add in milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir. The batter should look like regular pancake batter.

Pour pancake batter onto a heated skillet in individual pancakes. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips onto each pancake.

Let cook until bubbles form on top. Flip the pancakes, and let cook for another minute.

Enjoy!

The original recipe: How Sweet It Is

Compassion Internship

2012-01-03T01:52:00.000+00:00

Sorry for that extended break from the blogging universe. Life sort of got away with me! :) Anyway, I am back and I just submitted my application for an internship with Compassion! I am very excited for this opportunity and looking forward to seeing what God will do. I am praying for God to lead and to show me His will. It would be amazing to spend the summer working with Compassion! I hope all my readers had a wonderful holiday season. May God bless and lead you in this new year!

Wordless Wednesday: The Happiest Place On Earth

2011-10-20T05:22:00.000+01:00

First Letter!

2011-10-17T23:28:00.000+01:00

I finally got my first letter from my beautiful Nimisha in India! She told me about her family. She has little siblings and her mom works in textiles and her dad is a laborer. She told me her favorite subjects, and her best friends. The best part about her letter was it was completely written in English so there was no need to translate. That makes me so excited! We can communicate with one another without the translator. This is going to be a great journey. :) Happy Mail Call Monday!

Marie-Madeline Studio Giveaway

2011-09-18T19:33:00.000+01:00

I just love giveaways! And here is another fun one...

Life in A Shoe is hosting a giveaway for a new skirt from Marie-Madeliene OR a $50 giftcard.

Head here to enter!

Life In A Shoe

One Tuesday Morning...

2011-09-11T19:28:00.000+01:00

Ten years ago, the nation watched in horror as planes struck the two World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. To my young eyes, I didn't understand what was happening. I remember watching on live television the crash, watching the towers fall. At that point, I didn't realize the implications of the event or the scars it would leave on our country.

Ten years later, as I drive through our little town and see the flags everywhere, I am proud. I am proud of how our nation drew together. I am proud of how an event meant to rip us apart strengthened the ties we had with each other. God and His Glory was shown in the lives of the rescue workers, the heros, the policemen, the firefighters, and everyone else who reached out a hand to help those in need. I am proud and honored to be a part of this country.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone who rushed into the buildings that morning. Thank you to the brave men and women on Flight 93. Thank you to our everyday heroes. Thank you to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world defending our freedom. Thank you for everything you have done.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?