Monthly Archives: February 2012

Cake Batter Bars

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Cake Batter seems  a popular flavor lately.  To be honest, I think cake batter tastes soo much better than the actual cake.  When I was looking for a recipe to use for my daughter’s birthday dinner, I found this one from luvin in the oven.

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These were perfect. They were easy. They were delicious. They melted in your mouth. They were NOT low carb. Sacrifices must be made for our children though. :)  I am hoping I have an excuse to make these again soon. If you make these be warned, You WILL want more than one.

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Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Linked to: Tasty Tuesday

Washer Bracelet

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I like DIY jewelry projects.  It is a great way to add to your wardrobe without breaking the bank.  When I saw this washer necklace tutorial, I knew I wanted to try something similar.  I thought the necklace would be a little heavy for everyday wear.  So I thought I would make it as a bracelet.  I followed her tutorial except I used less ribbon and I used 11  #6 zinc washers.
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If I was going to do it again I would add a few more washers because the bracelet kept turning to the underside of my wrist.

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Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Linked to:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Skip To My Lou

Cupcake Lasagna

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Switching over to a reduced carbohydrate diet has been a real change in our house.  My husband and I both love bread, and pasta.  Before our switch we ate so many meals that had pasta in it.  One of our favorites is lasagna.  I tried the Zucchini Lasagna and it was good but it really wasn’t a substitute for lasagna.  In fact my husband said he didn’t even consider it lasagna.  Then I found the cupcake lasagna recipe on Pinterest.

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I followed her recipe once. Then being the cooking rebel that I am, I made it my own way. I use whatever meat I have on hand. Sometimes it is sausage, hot, sweet, turkey, or pork. Sometimes it is ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork. Our favorite is hot Italian sausage. I mix my spices in with my ricotta. Garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Then I add an egg to bind it all together. Take your won ton wrapper and lay it in your muffin pan. Add the ricotta mixture, meat, sauce, and a little mozzarella cheese. Then repeat. I bake it at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the won ton wrappers are browned. Let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then remove from the muffin trays and devour.

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This tastes so close to real lasagna that my husband even calls it lasagna.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Linking to:  Tasty Tuesday

Twisty Hair

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Loved this style on my daughter and it was so easy. I twisted each side. Then put both sides in a ponytail at the back of her head. I then flipped the ponytail a couple of times to make the twists come down further.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Do you see what I see?

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I was outside taking pictures, experimenting with my camera.  I heard this squirrel.  He was yelling and really being loud.  So I thought I would try to find him so I could take a picture of him.

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See he even posed for me. I took a few more pictures and then went inside.  I am now reviewing my pictures inside and I notice something. Do you see what I see?

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The poor thing was missing part of his leg. That got me to thinking. How often do I fail to notice things? Really notice things. I was looking at this squirrel for quite a few minutes. I failed to notice his infirmity. Now maybe it would not have been easy for me to see his missing leg, my camera had the advantage of zoom. How many times do I fail to notice the struggles of those around me?  My daughters having a bad day.  A friend struggling with something I can’t easily see.  A person in the store in need of a smiling face. I need to take time to review my interactions with other people. I need to let my heart zoom in on others needs. That means the focus needs to not be on me. I need to set my focus on those around me. I need Jesus to let me see others with his eyes.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

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Twice Baked Cauliflower

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Eating a reduced carb diet has caused me to try lots of new recipes.  Mashed potatoes is a treat we only have if we are a guest in someone’s home.  I found this recipe and thought we would try it, to replace mashed potatoes.

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twice baked cauliflower

Everyone in my family really liked this recipe. We had no problem finishing them off. This recipe will be in regular rotation for dinner. They were so good I made them again for Valentine’s Day dinner.

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Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

linked to:Skip To My Lou

Our Valentine’s Day

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My girls went to a Valentine’s Day party with their grandparents on Saturday. They wanted to make red velvet cake balls. So I let them make them all by themselves.(I put it in the oven and took it out) They were so happy and proud to make them all by themselves. I think they did a pretty good job, too.

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At church we have secret sisters that we pray for and give little gifts to throughout the year. I thought this little Valentine was cute, so I just changed one word to make it work. I hope she has fun trying to guess who I am. You can find the printable here: Hello Lucky

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For breakfast I made the girls homemade blueberry poptarts with a honey glaze.

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I tried the heart ponytails in my youngest daughter’s hair.

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This was our table all set for dinner. We had steak tips, twice baked cauliflower, and jello magic mousse with a hug on top. For dessert we had crockpot lava cake. The girls had pomegranate juice with a little sparkling cider. My husband and I just had the sparkling cider. It was a very good meal.

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I used this free printable to wrap a chocolate bar for my husband.

Finally we made these little treats to give out with our Valentine Cards.

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I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I am so thankful to God for my family and for loving me first.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Linking to:

Fun Hairstyles for Kids

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We started out this hairstyle by sectioning out some hair in the front, on both sides of her head. Then I took the rest of it and twisted it into a bun. Secure it with some bobby bins. Next braid one of the sections you sectioned off. Bring it around to the bun. Wrap any extra around the bun. Pin it in place. Do the same thing with hair that is left. Add a bow or a hair flower if desired.

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This is just a simple topsy tail. Put the hair into a ponytail. Separate it a little right above the pony tail. Take the tail of your ponytail and pull it down through where you separated the hair. Pull the tail all the way through. Your done.

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This is a fishtail braid. After I braided it, I loosened the braid by pulling at it.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf

Praise the Lord!!!!

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My daughter fell down the basement stairs last night. She went head over heels. When she landed her head was down toward our cement floor. I was standing behind her and there was nothing that I could do. I could not protect her but God was watching out for her. She didn’t have one scratch or bruise on her body. She must have had her hands underneath her because even though her head was down, she says she did not hit it.(no scratches on her hands either) I praise the Lord that he is protecting my children even when I can’t. Thank you Lord!!

Praising the Lord!!!
okoraf

Valentine Heart Nails

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Here is my take on some Valentine’s Day nails:
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I was very frustrated with my polish today. The base coat was taking forever to dry. I would think it was dry enough. Then I would help the girls with their school work. A paper would brush up against them and make an impression in the polish. I had to redo a few, numerous times. After the base coat was finally dry, I used a red nail pen to draw the hearts. Next I put a coat of glitter polish on.

In the spirit of blog honesty, I will show you what my right had looked like:
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I guess my left hand needs more practice.(It doesn’t that look horrible from far away, which is how most people see your nails)   I didn’t put on a top coat on because I will probably take it off in the next day or two.

If you have done your nails for Valentines day, I would love to see them. Just leave me a comment and I will stop on by.

Inspiration Abounds…
okoraf