What's Cooking Wednesday: Frito "Crack" Mix and 30 Days of Thankful: Day 7

How's that for a super long title?

I made this mix and the jazzed up some Wal-Mart jars to give to the kids' teachers for Halloween last week. The mix is a-MAZ-ing! It's that perfect combo of sweet and salty that I find absolutely irresistible. I'm talking can't-stop-eating-it-and-I-actually-made-myself-sick-eating-so-much amazing. That's why I'm calling it "Frito Crack Mix", because it's *that* addicting. 

You'll thank me later for this recipe. Or not...depending on how much you eat. :)

Frito Crack Mix

1 (14oz.) bag regular Fritos

2 cups Rice Chex

2 cups pretzels

2 cups roasted peanuts

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Fritos, Chex, pretzels, and peanuts in a large bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together brown sugar, butter, and light corn syrup. Bring to a boil and then let simmer without stirring, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the Frito mix. Stir until everything is coated completely. Pour into a greased roasted pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Stir and bake for 8 more minutes. Spread out in a single layer on waxed paper. Sprinkle with M&M's when just cool enough that the M&M's won't melt and press lightly into the mixture. Cool completely. Break apart and store in an airtight container. It won't last long! :)

Adapted from THE CABIN

Day 7:

I'm thankful for my full pantry...even though right now it's overly full of Halloween candy and the iced animal cookies I couldn't resist yesterday while grocery shopping. Even now I'm munching on said animal cookie while catching up on my DVR and I realize how blessed I am to have food ready and available whenever I want it when there are so many all over the world (even here in my little town!) who go to bed hungry every night. My children have never known hunger. I am humbled by this when I realize there are so many children who know nothing different. Sometimes it's these little things, these "little things" that are a matter of life and death to so many, that make me most thankful.

30 Days Of Thankful: Day 6

Day 6:

I am thankful to have known MADISON TAYLOR KNEBUSCH. 

Today would have been her 17th birthday. It's been almost a year since she passed away and there aren't too many days when I don't think about her. She was so amazing and touched so many in the few years she had. I often realize that I haven't done half as much in my 34 years as she did in her 16-and-a-half. It's because of her that I finally gave God a chance again. I had come to find myself in a desperate time in my faith in the few years leading up to last January. It's too much to explain here, but I'll write about it sometime. But when she passed away, I finally began to really see who my God was. He takes the broken and makes it beautiful. He takes the sick and makes them well and whole again...forever. He can be seen and heard and felt most deeply in the moments when the world believes He has turned his back. He used this frail, precious, humble girl to show the world what His love meant where a thousand powerful, loud, strong men have failed.

And she continues to teach and convict me. I watch her mother across the auditorium on Sundays, praising Him with outstretched arms even now when I have refused to do so, mad at God about lesser things. I see her Dad find ways to honor her. I hear about her siblings doing new things that I know she would have loved to see and be a part of, always keeping a part of her near. I see her best friend struggling to find meaning and wholeness in a world that seems to move on and forget. 

But we haven't and we won't. Her exceptional smile. Her beautiful spirit. Her warrior's heart. The lessons she taught us. All of these things we wrap up and around the memory of Madison that leaves us missing her, but mostly so incredibly blessed that we were able to share in just a little bit of the goodness that was Madison. 

30 Days of Thankful: Day 4&5

Day 4:

I'm thankful for the community that God provides for us through those who strive to be disciples of His. I spent a good portion of my day Saturday visiting with two women whose lives look different than mine. One was married 10 years before having her two girls (who are around Eli and Phoebe's age) and moving to Amarillo. The other grew up in Amarillo and has a 17-year-old son with special needs and her youngest is just a year older than Eli. We are so completely different.

And yet...

Because of Him, we find common ground. We long for the same things. We want the same things for our children. We worry about the same things.  We are part of a great community of believers and it is an amazing gift.

Day 3:

I'm thankful that my boy is all boy. The things he gets into blow my mind sometimes (like spray painting the ping pong table and egging the neighbors' garage), but I love to watch his mind work. 

And, really, what are you supposed to do with those leftover Halloween pumpkins?

30 Days Of Thankful: Day 3

I'm thankful that I live in a country where I get to vote.

I know it's kind of cheesy. I know I'm a few days early on this (I early voted yesterday). I know it's a somewhat flawed system (Electoral College anyone?). I know that this political season brings out the worst in people and everyone is so sure that they are right they forget that the people they disagree with are people, too. I know that there is so much I don't agree with out in the political world. I know that choosing who to vote for is usually just deciding who's the lesser of two evils. I know that I am tired of all the ugly back-and-forth.

But I also know that I got to vote. 

And that is pretty darn amazing.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 2

Today I'm thankful for new days...

and fresh starts...

and clean slates.

You might go to bed after an afternoon and evening of defiance and impatience and selfishness and anger and frustration and ugly words. But when you wake up, it's a new day. A chance to make different choices. A chance to right the wrongs of yesterday. A chance to put others before yourself. A chance to a better version of yourself than you were before.

Clean slates all around. For the child who found himself taking the wrong road at every opportunity and the mom who grew frustrated and angry at those choices.

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." --Eleanor Roosevelt

Project: 30 Days Of Thankfulness

Every year I see people on their Facebook pages or on their blogs finding something to be thankful for everyday for the month of November, and I think, "Next year, I'm gonna do that!" And then I forget until mid-November of the next year. 

But not this year! This year, I'm going to try to have 30 days of "Thankful" posts. Oh sure, I'll probably miss a few days, but I hope to double up when I get back to it. I even already kind of forgot since Halloween is so crazy busy and I was too tired to sit down and do it last night. But I'm back on the wagon so here goes. 

Day 1: 

I'm thankful for our Small Group.

We joined this Small Group just before Phoebe was born. When Phoebe took her first steps at Small Group surrounded by people who loved her, I realized that this was family. For better or worse, we were forever connected to these people.

They know and love and pray for my children. They make me think and get uncomfortable and grow. They keep me connected to our church when I just don't want to be connected. They indulge my control-issues and let me have Small Group at my house so I can cook for them because I won't cook at someone else's house. They don't use my Christmas mugs when it's not the Christmas season (even though Adam and Tim always try). 

For the past several years, we've eaten dinner together on Halloween and then gone Trick-or-Treating. So. Much. Fun. 

Look how cute they are!

The girls:

The little boys (minus Noah):

The big boys:

*And I promise to still edit all those Pumpkin Patch photos and incorporate them somehow!! :)

What's Cooking Wednesday: Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

So...yeah...I haven't posted in a week. 

I didn't mean to wait so long. Really. I never do. First I couldn't think of anything to post about on Friday and then we went the PUMPKIN PATCH on Saturday and then Phoebe had a field trip to another PUMPKIN FARM on Monday and I completely filled up the memory card in my camera. Y'all, I *never* do that! So I'm a little overwhelmed on the photo editing front, but I plan on catching up...sometime. 

In the meantime, here's last week's recipe. I didn't actually make it on Wednesday because we didn't have Huddles. I made it Thursday for Phoebe to take to school on Friday for her "PJ and Donut Party". I thought Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars were just perfect. 

Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

6 cups Cheerios

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

10 oz. marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows together until smooth. Pour over Cheerios and stir to combine. Press into the pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and press into the mixture. Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Adapted from JUSTJENN

Happy Halloween, Folks!!

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet And Whatever They Say About Wonder Woman

Halloween is just around the corner. The Justice League has hit our house in full force this year. I had to get the costumes ready for last night's Fall Festival at church. I thought since they were ready, I'd get my photo shoot done and out of the way. 

Other than the boots, Phoebe's costume was pretty simple. I used THIS tutorial for the tutu and THIS tutorial for the boots. They didn't work quite as easily as I thought they would, but that's probably because I decided they needed to lace up the back instead of the front. Note for next year: the boots need to lace up the front no matter what! 

Eli decided to be Superman, but he didn't want to wear tights. This is how I interpreted that idea. And can I tell you how much I love this photo?!

Eli and Phoebe: Fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.

What's Cooking Wednesday: "Frost On The Pumpkin" Bars

October is National Pumpkin Month.

For reals.

I googled it since I had un-officially deemed October National Pumpkin Month, but wondered if it might actually be National Pumpkin Month. Turns out, it is! Makes all these pumpkin recipes a little more official, right?

My friend, MARIA, introduced me to these pumpkin bars several years ago. They were so yummy that I was a little surprised they had such a goofy name. But no matter how often I tell myself I'm going to call them "Yummiest Ever Pumpkin Bars" or something else equally descriptive, I forget and call them "Frost On The Pumpkin" Bars and the name sticks! Despite that, these really are the most perfect pumpkin bars around. Spicy and sweet and moist and generally delicious. Perfect for fall! (But not any other time of year like Maria's husband thinks they are and requests them at the Fourth of July!)

"Frost On The Pumpkin" Bars

4 eggs

1 2/3 cup sugar

1 can pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

Beat these four ingredients together until light and fluffy and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (My batter never gets "light and fluffy". It's pretty runny so I just make sure it all looks combined.)

In a separate bowl combine the following:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Sift together and add to pumpkin mixture. (Y'all know me. I don't *do* sifting. I just dump in the mixer.)

Spread into a greased jelly roll pan. (I use the Pampered Chef BAR PAN and it works great.)

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Icing

3 oz. cream cheese, softened (I end up using 4 oz. because I always have cream cheese blocks on hand and half is easier to measure than 3 oz.)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix these together well.

Add 2 cups powdered sugar.

Beat until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled bars. 

Store in the fridge and serve cold. It isn't mandatory, but the icing stays firmer and fresher this way...not that you'll store them long because they are sooooo yummy. Especially for breakfast. :)

Happy Pumpkin Month!

Ballet Watch Day

Last Wednesday was "Parent Watch Day" at Phoebe's ballet class. Phoebe *loves* ballet. Actually, she loves any dance, I sign her up for ballet and tap because ballet is the foundation for all dance and tap is just fun. Her little friend, Ellie, was out of town so that was kind of a bummer and my photos are a little blurry because the lighting is goofy in the studio. (Does anyone know of an awesome indoor lens other than the NIFTY FIFTY that would be great in low light? I see these other people with some kind of lens that seems to work great, but I'm too shy to ask. I seem to find myself in low light pretty often.) I figured somebody out there might enjoy these photos as much as I do!

"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion. " --Martha Graham