We just celebrated the Birthday of a pretty special guy and he usually always makes the same request. In lieu of cake he would much rather have this decadent (yet easy) dessert. Perfect no bake dessert for any occasion. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Click on the link below for full recipe!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Come see what I am Pinning!
Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
I left here last seeking to manage my time better. It has been four months since I shared and my time has been fruitful, well, mostly. I read once that a new habit needs a good three week commitment in order to become so. Whoever came up with that time fame must not of had me in mind. My silence has been the knuckle busting work of the Lord. He has His work cut out with this stubborn girl!
The past four months has been one of discipline and prayer. Learning to re work your whole way of being is challenging and frustrating at best. I had to learn how to make a schedule, to put things on a calendar, and the toughest of all was the art of saying no (I really like to say yes!).
I went into it really excited and motivated with what I thought were realistic expectations. After a week I found myself slipping into familiar habits and clinging to every excuse as a free pass to slack off. So I kind of retreated for a bit feeling the sting of failure.
What I love, is when something is the will of the Lord, He has ways of helping you to see things through His eyes. It’s like the proverbial “aha” moment.
See, I thought that I had to schedule my day minute by minute in order to better manage my time. One of the things that I love most is the organic spontaneity of life. I love getting the itch to just go and so does my family but my new schedule didn’t allow for it. I failed because I had such tunnel vision on how this new life looked that I never considered that there were other possibilities.
Life isn’t about filling every moment with stuff -sometimes the Lord wants you to pause, kneel, and seek His face, and then rest in His grace and glory in order to be ready for whatever and wherever His will leads. His way ensures you never miss the really good things…….and sometimes the spontaneous things.
What steps do you take to better manage your time and life? I would love to hear from you!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing!
Rebecca
Come see what I am pinning!
Photo credit:”Image courtesy of [vectorolie] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Maybe we’re doing it all wrong. We spend so much time letting others know what we’re against, maybe, just maybe, especially as Christians, we need to be showing the world what we are for. I saw something today (in regards to the new Kmart commercial) that someone posted on my local news channel Facebook page regarding the said commercial and this person posted, “Yeah, just another thing for Christian freaks to complain about”. My first gut reaction was to reply and speak my mind to this person but I paused. This person might be on to something. It really got me thinking. How many opportunities in an average week do I have the opportunity to portray to the world what I stand for as a follower of Christ? The answer is many. I rub elbows with other mama’s, chat with neighbor’s at the mailbox, make small talk with the folks at the grocery store and all the while I have the awesome opportunity to be the face, hands, and feet of Jesus. Why then do I waste that time spewing so much negativity?
Why do we become interested in something in the first place? Probably because there is some sort of appeal to it. We want the Good News to be appealing. For people to stop and think about Jesus in a loving approachable way. If we constantly on our moral soap boxes we’re just stirring up unnecessary conflict and we lose that possible connection to start a dialogue that could potentially lead another to Christ. We need to preach the Good News and plant seeds but if we are lacking that neighborly love than all efforts to sow those seeds would be in vain. We can’t expect non believer’s to have the same filter we do. Once you invite Jesus into your life it is then the job of the Holy Spirit to convict us and help us to become right with God. Being a Christian is a verb and we want to use those actions to draw people to Him like in Mark 1:17, Jesus said, “Follow me I’ll make you fishers of men”. I am certainly not implying that we should idly sit by and not stand up for Christ. What I am proposing is that maybe we find more ways to be cohesive, to be that Christian that is relatable and not hateable. To get people excited about all that they would gain in knowing Christ and not all that they would have to give up to follow Him.
What do you think? I would love to hear from you.
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Let’s be Pinterest Friends!
Image courtesy of basketman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
As many of you know, I LOVE my birthday! It is a great time to reflect on the year past, to see where I was, where I am, and where I am going. Our culture reveres youth and anything over 30 as a has been. I disagree! I think we need to celebrate every year and thank God for the privilege of age and wisdom! Aging is inevitable. No matter how much you dwell on it, wish it away, or daydream of your younger years, they are not coming back. So celebrate! Be proud of your age and wear it to the glory of God! You never know when it will be your last, so make it memorable not only for you but for those who love you!
I am so grateful that 36 years ago today I was born! I am grateful for all the experiences, all the tears, all the laughter, for all the things that built endurance and character, and mostly for God’s faithfulness through it all! Today I celebrate and today I am so blessed that you made it a day I will treasure always!
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
age 36
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Photo credit mrsiraphol/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
We are such a fast paced busy society. The 21st century has us overbooked, over stressed, and completely disconnected with each other. We are families with busy careers and too many activities. The time spent face to face with each other is being replaced with being shoulder to shoulder in the car distracted by some sort of gadget. I Pods, cell phones, and video games have replaced real human interaction. Families used to treasure the time around the dinner table just sharing and talking, creating strong family bonds. Now, it’s a race to throw something in the microwave or visiting the drive thru in between activities. We are losing the true purpose and beauty of life and our families are missing out on the deep bonds that make family so precious.
Don’t get me wrong, I love social media. I have reconnected with friends, “watched” families grow through shared pictures, and kept up to date on all the happenings of family and friends near and far. I love reading blogs and having answers to questions only a Google search away. But, I am not cultivating real relationships by starring at a screen all day, actually just the opposite is happening. We are becoming an anti social culture losing our ability to have meaningful person to person relationships.
Having a presence is social media is fantastic and can be incredibly beneficial. It is a great tool to reach masses, connect, and network. Placing limits, especially for our children is vital. We need to give them plenty of opportunities to be disconnected and let them have the chance to develop organic imaginative play, learn social cues and interaction, develop critical thinking skills, proper communication skills, and time to build lasting strong relationships. In order for my family to see the value of disconnecting I have to demonstrate healthy social media habits.
I found myself slipping lately. My son called me, “laptop mommy” the other day, YIKES! I don’t want to be remembered as the mom who wasted her day in front of a screen “Liking” someone else’s memories; I want to be making my own. Imposing healthy limits on myself will keep me mindful of what is valuable and meaningful. The importance on being present in your home and limiting outside distractions be it social media or too many activities will have positive impacts on children especially as they grow into their teen years. Having meals together and making time for each other will greatly reduce the likelihood that your children will abuse drugs and alcohol and they will experience a greater sense of joy and satisfaction not just with their family but life in general.
I am making the commitment to reconnect and be present with those I am with and focus on things that have eternal value.
What are some steps you take to limit computer, cell phone, extra curricular activities, etc..? I would love to hear from you! As always, thanks for taking the time to visit.
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Let’s connect on Pinterest!
Image courtesy of “FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Let’s connect on Pinterest!
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
What, you may ask, could possibly be more indulgent and delicious then a melty gooey cheese stuffed burger? Perhaps 2 melty gooey cheese stuffed burgers ;)This is definitely not your average cheeseburger. This is a fry em up and WOW them kinda burger. My kids say they are magic. Try them out an see for yourself…….I double dare ya!
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| You are going to need 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I am using 85/15) 1 large onion, 1 package of button mushrooms, 6-8 (or more) slices of cheese (I used 3 slices of American and 3 slices of Swiss) use your favorites, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil. |
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| Start of by washing your mushrooms. Chop the onion and mushrooms. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in pan and heat on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the mushrooms and onions. |
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| Cook 7-8 minutes or until the onions and mushrooms are tender and caramelized. Stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat when finished cooking. |
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| To prepare the Juicy Lucy’s, put your ground beef, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp pepper and 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Mix well. start forming into thin uniform sized patties. You will be stacking the cheese in between 2 patties so you’ll want them to be thin enough so that they cook quickly and evenly. I was able to get 4 regular sized burgers plus 2 small burgers from the ground beef. |
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| Break each cheese slice into 4 pieces. |
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| Stack the desired number of cheese slices on top of the first patty ( I used between 6-8 squares). Place the second patty on top of the cheese and pinch seams together really well so that the cheese can’t escape the burger. |
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| I am using a large electric griddle set at between 325-350 degrees. You could also fry in a pan over medium heat or on grill. I cooked for 7 minutes each side. We like our meat well done. |
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| Here is what they look like on the flip. When finished place burger on a bun and top with your onion and mushroom mixture. Serve with the rest of your favorite burger fixings. I would suggest you wait a few minutes before biting into your burger, it will be hot! Enjoy! |
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion
1 package fresh button mushrooms
6-8 slices of cheese
olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
~Wash the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms and onion. Add olive oil to pan and
heat to med-high. When hot add the mushrooms and onion cooking 7-8
minutes or until tender and caramelized.
~Add ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and garlic powder to bowl and mix well.
Form into thin equal number patties.
~Break each cheese slice into 4 pieces and stack desired number of squares
on top of one patty. Place the second patty on top of the cheese pinching the seams
together well to keep cheese from oozing out. Cook on med heat (325-350 degrees)
for about 7 minutes each side (well done) or until desired doneness.
~Serve on a bun topped with your onion and mushroom mixture.
Serve with the rest of your favorite burger fixings.
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
Sometimes giving things a creative and yes, even gross names inspires little ones to try something new. Shrek Sauce is nothing more than an avocado dip or spread. With a few variations to the recipe we enjoy this sauce as a sandwich spread or as an alternative to guacamole on burrito/taco night.
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| This is all you need! Of course adjust ingredients to suit your sized family or occasion. 2 ripe avocado’s 1 Roma (Plum) tomato 3-4 Tbsp mayo (we used light) garlic powder to taste |
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| Slice each avocado in half and give the pit a good whack with the knife, give it a twist and the pit should come right out. |
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| Scrape out the flesh of the avocados into a bowl and add the mayo. This is a smooth sauce so I am using my emulsion blender. You can use a hand mixer, potato masher, and if ripe enough, a fork. Mix away until silky smooth. |
Finely dice the tomato and it and the garlic powder to
the bowl. I used about a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder but use as
much or as little as you like.
Have you creatively named a food or recipe to make it more appealing or fun for your family? I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment or a link to your recipe, I would love to see it! Thanks for visiting!
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
I don’t think it is the heat of the moment that kills a marriage but the brick wall that is built after. Holding on to bitterness, being self righteous, and keeping score, little by little builds a wall that is almost impossible to penetrate.
A bad moment can open the door for a real deep intimate connection with your spouse. You can hold a grudge and spend a miserable day taking cheap jabs at each other and spending a long sleepless night clinging to the edge of the bed, rehashing the events, and dreaming of all the things you will say once morning comes. You wake mad, miserable, and exhausted.
We come into a marriage as two selfish, sinful individuals learning, constantly, how to put another’s needs above our own. We easily overlook our own faults but put our spouses under a blinking neon sign. Yes, at first it all seems easy, you’re still reeling in the newness of your relationship. We overlook each others faults and we let little things go. Why? Because love wins (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The mere thought of our spouse’s wonderful qualities seem to outshine their imperfections. The first fight happens, tears are shed, forgiveness happens quickly, and you feel stronger and closer than ever. Then each subsequent argument drags out longer, venom flows easier from our mouths, and grudges are born. When grudges fester bitterness grows. Brick by brick our walls are being built.
Instead of holding that grudge, take the opportunity to offer a prayer for a tender heart. Take a minute to think of all the things you love about your spouse. Somebody has to make the first move and that person can be you. It can be extremely difficult (trust me, I know), especially if you feel you’re right. At the end of the day I would much rather have a strong thriving marriage than another check on my being right score card. Think about how releasing your anger and extending understanding will draw you and your spouse to a place of deeper love, trust, and devotion. Where forgiveness reigns bitterness can’t grow. Instead of spending a sleepless night fuming spend a sleepless night talking and reaffirming the love and respect in your marriage. You can smile about how exhausted you’re by your late night. You’ll both be content because not only did you weather the storm but grew closer because of it.
Let God work through you, not only when your marriage is for better but especially when it is for worse. Sometimes the only life line is the one you throw, it can be heavy but oh so worth it! Don’t let the enemy win.
I love hearing from you. How do you keep bitterness from taking root in your marriage?
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Let’s connect on Pinterest
“Image courtesy of smarnad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com
.....and a sprinkle of love 