Another Recipe! (since I haven't been good at one a week i'm not calling it recipe of the week!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter , melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

DIRECTIONS
Mix the butter , graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter in a double boiler or in microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate at least one hour before cutting into squares.

I don't think things are going to ever slow down!

So, last Monday I got in a wreck. The insurance totaled it out. I finally got the check from them on Friday. And we found us a new van on Saturday. We got a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country. It's not a "fancy" with features that our other one had, but it will hopefully last me longer than two months. The windows are being tinted as we speak. I'll post pics as soon as I can take some. In the meantime of all the wreck and van searching I have a wisdom tooth causing me a lot of pain. I can't eat or sleep at night because it is too painful. I haven't eaten until I have felt full in about a week and a half. I guess it's a good diet, but not one I would recommend! I am scheduled to have it removed on Friday morning. Next week is Stacy's wedding. I have my sister-in-law and her two kids coming to stay with me for the wedding. I will hopefully recover from my wisdom tooth quickly so I will feel well enough to make Stacy's wedding cake. I am also hopeing that my face will not be swollen huge for all the pictures! Life is crazy. I guess it always will be. Welcome to Summer I guess! Hopefully it won't continue to be so dramatic!

It was Great while It Lasted!

So, my insurance gave their estimate yesterday on my van repairs. Their estimate was $1,000 higher than the highest estimate I got on my own. They have decided to Total it. I have mixed feelings about it. I knew it was a good reliable car and now I hope I can find another one I can trust like that. There were things I liked about it that I hope to find in my next van. Like the built in carseats. At first I thought they weren't that big of a deal, but now that I had them it was pretty nice to have. I know I want an extended type too. I went to test drive a 2001 Dodge Caravan last night and it had no leg room in the back seat. If you slide the bench back so you had leg room you had no cargo room. Rear heat/air is a must too! That Caravan didn't have that either. Anyway, I'm pretty bumbed that I don't get to keep my van, and don't really want to have to go through the whole searching process again. We do have a prospective new van, but it is in Nauvoo. I have a rental car for 72 hours from the time we settle with our insurance company. So I need to get something before I don't have a car. If we can find one closer that would be nice. Who would have thought that approx a 5 mph accident would total a car. Sounds a little ridiculous to me!

I Wrecked My VAN!!!!

So, the first accident I've had in almost 10 years. I am so mad! It's the last thing we need to deal with. It was my fault. And for a dumb reason. We were headed home from Walmart and I was stopped at the light on 12th and Alameda. I had gotten the kids some lunch while at Walmart and the kids were eating it. The light turned green and we started to move and Lydia needed help with something so I turned half way so I could reach back and so she could hand me whatever it was she wanted me to help her with. I turned to look back up at the road and a split second later the truck in front of me slammed on his brakes. I immediatly slammed on mine but I couldn't stop fast enough. I guess the car in front of him slammed on their brakes and stopped for no reason, so he had to slam on his, the car in front of him started going again and prevented him from hitting it. They didn't want to exchange information and since it was my fault I didn't see why I would need his. So we went on our way after calling the cops and they told us since there were no injuries it would be a long time before someone would come. They told us to just exchange info if we wanted. I'm mad that it happened, but there really wasn't anything I could do to keep it from happening. The kids and I are ok. Zach and Lydia did cry and throw fits, but not because they were hurt, because their lunches ended up on the floor. Now I need to get it fixed before my sisters wedding so I can fit Chanelle and the two kids that are coming for the wedding in my car as well as have a way to transport the wedding cake. Hopefully all will work out. I do get a rental car from my insurance while it is being fixed, but it will probably end up being a car. Here are some pics.

The Wart, The Coconut, and the New Interest!!!

So, as some/many of you know I have a nasty planter wart on my foot! I have been trying to figure out how to get rid of it and a sister missionary from Samoa my have an answer to my unsightly problem. I would take a photo so those of you who have not been blessed to see my wart in person would have the same opprotunity of the rest of you that have, but I just walked to the school and back in my black flip flops, so my feet are dirty. You're safe for now! Anyway, I had the sister's over for dinner last Thursday. Some how we started talking about my warty feet. And "Sister Samoa" said: "You Need to put coconut cream on it!" I said: "Really, well where do I get it?" she told me that we could make it out of a coconut. I told her I would buy one and let her know so she could teach me how to make it. Anyway, I went online (of course, that's what we do now days) and googled coconut health benefits. I was opened to a wide aray of coconuts uses and cures. I now own and use coconut oil, I have two coconuts sitting on my counter waiting for "Sister Samoa" to come and help me make my wart cure. I am so excited about my new discovery and wanted to share some of the websites with all of you! Aren't you all so lucky! I will say that I am not the first to jump in and believe anything any coconut people put on the internet to be completely true, but I do know that there is some scientific back to some of this. Take it for what it is worth, have fun, and maybe it will benefit you in even a small way!!! After all if you love coconut as much as I do, it wouldn't hurt anything to try it out.

Here are the links to check out:

http://www.coconut-info.com/

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

http://www.regaininghealthnaturally.com/Coconut_Information/Health_Benefits_of_Coconut_Oil.shtml

Recipe Of the Week!

I think I will start posting a recipe each week to share with you all! This weeks is Banana Nut Waffles! I got the basic recipe online and then adjusted it to be healthier. YUMMY

3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached white flour
1 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 TBS sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 banana's mashed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, coconut oil and vanilla. Add the banana's, nutmeg and nuts. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
3. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately. We cut up banana's and strawberries to put on top of the waffles

Yeild:8-10 large waffles

Hints: I cool mine on paper towels on a cooling rack to keep them from getting soft. I made mine the night before and warmed them up on cookie sheets in the oven the next morning.

Enjoy!!!

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