Friday, March 29, 2013

Five Loves on Friday





1. Pizza with my parents. A fun and delicious night out. :)
2. COUSIN time! This week we met our precious new niece/our girls' new cousin. She could not be sweeter or more adorable! What a beautiful blessing from God she truly is! ... I love how much these kiddos adore each other. It melts my heart!
3. Family movie day. The Hobbit + Potsticker Cheddar Skewers + Spring Rolls + Mickey Mouse Cookies & Cream Oreo Brownies. Loved every breathtaking scene & scrumptious bite!
4. Colored Eggs decorated especially for "mom" (aka: me) My Princess is so thoughtful! :)
5. Goodness vs. the Cross. This Good Friday, I rejoice in the GOODNESS of my Amazing Savior and the hope and complete rest that I have in Him! There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. It is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. All our "righteous deeds" are like filthy rags before a holy God. Through Him alone can we can have redemption! Christ willingly shed His spotless blood as the only acceptable payment for the FULL debt of our sins. When we repent and place our trust in Christ, we are forgiven and offered eternal life! That is the GOOD news of Good Friday!


“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace, nor are your best days ever so good that you are beyond the need of it.” - Jerry Bridges



Happy Friday, lovelies! Hope you all enjoy a fabulous weekend
& a beautiful Easter celebrating our Risen Savior!



Linking up here:

 photo H54Fbutton-triangle_zps678b65ba.jpg 5 things friday button 5 Things Friday Linky Party


Monday, March 25, 2013

Magical Monday #9: Mickey Mouse Cookies & Cream Oreo Brownie

   
 This yummy treat is my copycat version of an oh-so-cute and incredibly delicious dessert our girls enjoyed at Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Feast Dinner, a character meal in EPCOT.




It's so simple to put together, yet induces involuntary "WOW"s! Excited to share this fun dessert with you in anticipation of what I'm preparing for next Magical Monday, a post dedicated to helping you choose the best character meal for your family's next trip to Walt Disney World. We've enjoyed many character meals offered on WDW property. I'm looking forward to sharing my family's lists of MUST TRY eats, pros and cons, and plenty of magical details and photos that'll have you wanting to make your advanced dining reservations ASAP!



Steps to Mouthfuls of Magical Goodness: 

1. Bake your favorite brownies. Cool. Cut. 

2. Place a brownie on your cutest plate. 

3. Add a scoop of Cookies & Cream Ice Cream on top of brownie. 

4. Press two Oreos in Ice Cream to create irresistible Mickey Mouse ears! 

5. Share with your favorite honorary Mouseketeers. :*) 


  Hope to see you next Magical Monday! 


  Meanwhile, you may also be interested in: 
 
Around the World at Epcot


Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy. Please say, "HI!"

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sweet & Savoury Sunday #4

Welcome to week 4 of Sweet & Savoury Sunday Link Party! Thanks to all who linked up last week! We'd love for you to invite your blogging friends to come join us too!

This week we have our first lady co-hosting with us, Brenda from Chatting Over Chocolate! Stop by and show her some love! :) 

On to our favorites and the most viewed posts from last week! 

Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookies from I Heart Eating

Carrot Crust Pizza from Jo and Sue
Most viewed recipe:
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge from Aprons 'n Pearls


If you were featured, grab our "I Was Featured!" button below!

Sweet and Savoury Sunday
Sweet and Savoury Sunday



Here are the rules:
Follow your Hosts via Bloglovin', Facebook, Twitter or RSS feed and leave a comment.
Cooking for the 7 Dwarfs
And
The Velvet Moon Baker
Tash @ The Velvet Moon Baker

And our co-host

Chatting Over Chocolate
Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate

Link up to 3 recipes that you have made. No giveaways, reviews or linky parties.
Visit at least 3 other links and let them know you stopped by!
Grab a button.
Please note by linking up, you are giving Cookin' For the Seven Dwarfs and The Velvet Moon Baker permission to use your photo for a feature and a link back to your site!


Are you interested in Co-hosting with us? Email Lorraine @ cookingforthesevendwarfs @ gmail (dot) com.


Friday, March 22, 2013

Five Loves on Friday






1. My Princess' bird, Smiley (the most spoiled parakeet in the world!), celebrated her 1st Birthday this week! We adore our fine feathered friend. :)
2. DQ date night. A sweet treat and conversation with my lovey. Ice cream seemed PERFECT for the first day of Spring, yet I needed to keep my heated seat on high the entire time I enjoyed those long red spoonfuls of Cappuccino Heath yumminess. ... The weather has gotta warm up eventually, right?!
3 & 4. Girls' Craft Day! This week, the girls and I spent an entire day crafting, chatting, and chowing with a dear friend and her sweet little girl. She taught Little One and I how to make rosettes for hair accessories, while Princess gave my friend's daughter a mani-pedi. It was such a fun day for all of us! ... Check out the Minnie I made. :) It'll soon be attached to a headband, and worn in WDW later this year! {I foresee making LOTS of these in the near future!}
5. FORGIVEN F O R E V E R. I haven't stopped singing this since Sunday. LOVE.



Happy Friday, lovelies! Hope you all enjoy a fabulous weekend!


Linking up here:

 photo H54Fbutton-triangle_zps678b65ba.jpg 5 things friday button 5 Things Friday Linky Party


Monday, March 18, 2013

Cadbury Spring S'more Mix

If you're excited about SPRING and you L-O-V-E S'MORES (that should be everyone, right?! ;)) ... then have I got the snack for YOU !

This simple 3-ingredient mix is a fun twist on traditional s'more flavors. The addition of Cadbury creme, cheerfully colored bunny mallows, and the adorable factor of each lit'l Teddy Graham, ensure that this celebratory snack will have your taste buds shouting, "HELLO, SPRING!"











MIX:
Mini Cadbury Eggs A highlight of Spring. They rank right up there with waking to the song of chirping birds, and being able to stand outside for a full ten minutes without getting frostbite. ;)
Bunny Mallows! Cutest. Marshmallows. EVER! They help to create a cheerfully colored mix. Bunny mallows are vanilla flavored which is important! Other colored mini marshmallows are fruit flavored, which wouldn't quite give ya that s'mores-y taste we're going for here. ;)
Teddy Grahams Absolutely adorable and perfect for Spring as they're quite lively and flavorful after a long winter in hibernation!

MIX TOGETHER & ENJOY! Be sure to share with anyone you'd like to see smile or hear exclaim, "CUTE!" and "Mmm!"


4 WAYS TO SHARE THIS ADORABLY SWEET TREAT:


1. Gifted in mason jars.
2. Presented in a cute basket at your Easter gathering. Place a stack of Easter/Spring cupcake liners beside it, ready to be filled with yummy goodness.
3. Rest a cute cupcake liner inside a clear cup. Fill with mix. Wrap with cellophane or cut the top off a ziplock bag and slip the cup inside bag. Gather the open top of bag and tie a sweet ribbon into a bow to secure.
4. Tucked inside those bright plastic eggs and included in Easter baskets, or used in egg hunts!

*TIP: Prepare it just before sharing it - both to keep it fresh, and because once taste tested you may find it extremely difficult to resist! (Not that I would know, or anything. ;))



Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy. Please say, "HI!"


{Visit my LINK PARTIES! page to see where I've shared this recipe,
and find other fabulous bloggers' creations, too!}


I was honored to have this recipe featured at:

What's cooking, love? Sweet Benanna & Sam



Magical Monday #8: Disney's Jungle Juice {Copycat Recipe}




These photos are from a few trips ago. My hair was much different then, but more noticeably my girlies were much smaller! *happy tears for the magical memories, sad ones for the time that's passing oh so quickly*

Donald's Safari Breakfast at Animal Kingdom's Tusker House Restaurant is one of my favorite character meals at Walt Disney World. It boasts characters dressed in safari clothes, a buffet filled with scrumptiousness, and kiddos are invited to grab maracas and dance around the dining room with a character, but one of the biggest draws for me is the Jungle Juice that your server brings you immediately after you're seated. It's like fruity liquid sunshine! :) I'm thirsty just mentioning it! Thankfully, we don't have to wait until our next trip to enjoy the flavors of Animal Kingdom. We've got a copycat recipe I'm excited to share with you, that'll instantly transport your taste buds there! Just add three items to your shopping list, and soon you'll enjoy a glass of Disney goodness at home! :*)

I'll let me hubby tell you a little more about it, in his best reporter voice, of course. ;)






Jungle Juice Copycat Recipe
recipe source: AllEars.net

Mix equal parts:
Orange Juice
Guava Juice
Passion Fruit Juice


Easy peasy and sure to pleasy! ... Have a magical morning, friends!




You may also be interested in:
10 FREE Disney Ringtones!
Perry the Platypus Hand Puppet
Tigger Tails
A Trip to Neverland & the Perfect Treat for the Journey!
Popcorn & Pixie Dust {Peter Pan Movie Party}
Mickey Mouse Munch
Around the World at Epcot



Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy. Please say, "HI!"


{Visit my LINK PARTIES! page to see where I've shared this recipe,
and find other fabulous bloggers' creations, too!}


Saturday, March 16, 2013

Take a Deep Breath! You WILL Survive Without Google Reader. Promise.



I know the stress of uncertainly and change can be super scary/upsetting/chocolate consumption provoking. (Okay, so I'm just looking for an excuse to scarf down another brownie, you caught me. ;)) I'm here to give you a big virtual hug and tell ya, friends, it will be ALRIGHT! Really. It will.

In the midst of THE SKY IS FALLING! google reader is crashing and burning, I just set up a bloglovin' account. Literally a few minutes, and a couple clicks later, all was well in the world once again. PHEW. It was extremely easy to set up! It basically just requires creating an account and then giving BL permission to transfer the blogs you already follow to be enjoyed there. Each blog I followed yesterday, I'm still following today ... and will be following come July 2nd. No worries at all. Pass the brownies, please & thank you! (Hey, I'm not just a stress eater. I'm also a celebratory chower! I don't discriminate. Name a mood, insert need for chocolate.)

I've gotta admit I wasn't so calm, cool, and collected about this last night. I sat on the couch with my hubby and told him how upsetting this whole thing was. What if I lost several of my readers in the shuffle of it all?! Then he (as he normally does) effortlessly spoke a few words of wisdom, settling my troubled heart. He simply reassured me, "The readers who really care about your blog, the ones that actually read and like your posts, will do whatever they have to do to follow you." Hmm... simple truth. Those who care about your blog, will care enough to follow you, even if it requires effort. Others who don't, probably aren't truly readers, but rather just a number that boosts your ego as it increases a tally mark that doesn't mean all that much in the end. When it comes right down to it, I never want to be in this for the numbers! I'd rather have a dozen followers that regularly enjoy my posts, than 10,000 who click to follow, but then never actually read my blog. All that being said, I'd venture to guess that if you're reading this post you are likely a reader and not just a tally mark (HOORAY! Thank you!) ... I've tried to make it as simple as possible for ya to seamlessly continue following my ramblings, recipes and glitter covered goodness! I added a handy dandy bloglovin' button to my left sidebar, and as always you're welcome to subscribe via email if you'd prefer to have Chatting Over Chocolate cheer delivered directly to your inbox. Either way, it's MUCH appreciated. Also, please know that if I have been following you, I will continue to via bloglovin'. ;)

Lovely readers and bloggy friends, I hope you're enjoying a fabulous weekend! Please don't allow the dark cloud of google panic to follow you around like it would Eeyore. It'll be okay. Promise. ;)


Friday, March 15, 2013

Five Loves on Friday



1. My sweet sister-in-law & her hubby welcomed their beautiful baby girl this week, making my adorable nephew a big brother! So very exciting for our entire family! I'm thrilled to be an Aunt again!! :D
2. Little One and her awesome daddy built a Mickey Mouse Snowman, complete with snow gloves! Move over Frosty, this is the most magical snowman EVER! ;*)
3. Who knew you could LOVE a phone case?! My lovey got me this Mickey Mouse iPhone case by Dooney & Bourke ... L-O-V-E it!! (NEED one too? Find it here. *SALE ALERT!* I just saw that Disney is offering 10% off their Dooney & Bourke collection March 14-17 with the promo code: DOONEYTEN! More details: here).
4. Before our latest snow storm arrived, we enjoyed an in-car Panda Express picnic at the lake. While savoring the deliciousness, we listened to our fave podcast (WDW Today), and watched several bald eagles chillin' on the frozen lake. *insert happy sigh here*
5. Four more sweet bloggers nominated me for Liebsters! Since I recently accepted nominations from three other bloggers (see Triple Liebster Love), I thought rather than posting yet another award acceptance, I'd simply opt to give a big THANK YOU to Myrna & Joye of The Busy Bee's, Claudia of Pretty Little Dahlia, Marianne of Sandling All Day, and Krista of A Handful of Everything for the nominations! I'm so honored! Thank you all oodles!!


But wait, there's more! {Just because I can...}
PROCEED WITH CAUTION: Extreme CUTENESS Straight Ahead!

. . . Isn't my pretty lit'l niece precious?!


Happy Friday, lovelies! Hope you all enjoy a fabulous weekend!


Linking up with Lauren @From My Grey Desk Blog & Eva @Snappee Turtle


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Friday, March 8, 2013

Five Loves on Friday



1. Our Little One graduated to green belt in taekwondo!
2. Chicken strip smiles :*)
3. I had been using a pretty unreliable "smart phone", until my incredible hubby used his bonus to surprise me with an iPhone this week! He's the BEST!
4. Ooey Gooey MINTerrific Brownies
5. Cosby Show marathon girls night with my princess! It's always been one of her favorites. She used to ask to watch it on Nick at Night every night as a toddler. That seems like just last year, so how is it possible that her feet are now the same size as mine?! Wish I could slow down this whole growing up thing. Since I can't, I thoroughly enjoy each memory we make along the way.

Happy Friday, lovelies! Hope you all enjoy a fabulous weekend!


Linking up with Lauren @From My Grey Desk Blog & Eva @Snappee Turtle

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Ooey Gooey MINTerrific Brownies



I have a confession to make. I am not a brownie snob. Homemade or from a box. Gooey, cakey, or chewy, I dare say, I've never met a brownie I didn't like . . . but these brownies I L-O-V-E! They were created with my oldest daughter in mind, who also enjoys a good brownie and cannot get enough of all things mint. Thus, this scrumptious creation was born! They were such a success that I've been informed that these are "The BEST Brownies EVER!"



You'll wanna grab your grocery list. I have just a few ingredients you may be compelled to add. ;)



Steps to Ooey Gooey Delight:












Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy. Please say, "HI!"

{Visit my LINK PARTIES! page to see where I've shared this recipe,
and find other fabulous bloggers' creations, too!}


I was honored to have this recipe featured at:

Photobucket The Patriotic Pam Your Homebased Mom Featured on Snappee Turtle button Show Off Your Shell Party