Too Fat Tuesday.... Halloween Edition

I thought since today is too fat Tuesday I would share with you the fat things that I like to indulge in during the holiday times, namely Halloween.  Halloween is right around the corner, so I thought I could also share some recipes with you of some fun treats to try for your friends or with your little ones around the house! First:  PEANUT BUTTER PUMPKIN MAN

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• peanut butter chips, for melting
• a couple squares of your favorite chocolate

          Melt the peanut butter and honey together in a small microwavable bowl until easily stirred.  Mix until well blended.  In another bowl, combine oats and flax.  Pour the peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture and mix together.  It may seem dry at first, but just keep mixing.  Form the now combined mixture into balls and place on a plate.  Chill in freezer overnight.  The next day, melt peanut butter chips in a small bowl (I used a ramekin).  If desired, thin the mixture with a bit of milk (I did this).  Using a toothpick, fork, of your hands if you don't mind getting a bit messy, dip the frozen peanut butter balls into the melted peanut butter chip and twist a bit to coat.         

          Set back on plate.  Repeat with each ball before returning them to freezer to let peanut butter coating harden (about an hour or so).  Once hardened, cut chocolate pieces into rectangular chunks and place on top of balls to make pumpkins.  You may have to melt the bottom of the chocolate a bit to get it to stick on top.  Return balls to freezer until serving time.

These are the best treats ever!! (especially if you like peanut butter like I do!!)  This next great has a lot of peanut butter as well!  I promise last peanut butter treat!

GHOST COOKIES!!

My mom has been making these for ages!  All you need is one package of nutter butter cookies and one package of white chocolate candy coating.  Melt the candy coating (be careful and only melt 30 seconds at a time because it will burn and mess up all of your white chocolate).  Then dip your nutter butter halfway in and let the excess white chocolate drip off before laying the cookie down on parchment paper.  Before the chore chocolate drys - place two chocolate chip morsels on it for eyes!  It is quick and simple and will make such a fun tailgate food, party appetizer, or even holiday gift!!  Plus they are super delicious!!

The next treat is a great dish to make with your family during the holidays for the best meal... BREAKFAST!

One of my favorite favors this time of year is pumpkin.  My mom makes a delicious pumpkin bread that I will share with you in a couple of days that is absolutely to die for!   This recipe is a spin off of a classic breakfast casserole where you soak bread overnight and back for 30 minutes in the morning.  Granted, it does have quite a bit of prep time.  It is worth it.  Especially for those mornings where you just want to lay around in bed, I lay around with Baylor, but those of you with sweeties - this is a great dish to make the night before - wake up and put in the oven, and snuffle for that extra 30 minutes you always want!! 

 Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Sweet and spicy pumpkin french toast is made the night before for an easy, early-morning preparation.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups 1-inch bread cubes (about half of a loaf and use wheat bread for best absorbency).

• 7 large eggs

• 2 cups milk (any kind)*

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 cup pumpkin BUTTER (or 1/2 cup pumpkin puree)* 

• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar for topping

• nuts, like pecan or walnuts (optional)

                                                            Instructions

1. Cut any kind of bread into 1-inch cubes – I recommend a crusty, whole grain variety, but sandwich bread will work, too. Just use enough slice to fill a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish quite full.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and pumpkin butter until well combined. Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it’s all soaked and mostly covered. Cover with saran wrap or lid and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover and top with brown sugar and nuts (optional). Bake for 35-45 minutes or golden brown and no longer wet.
4. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to a couple days.

Notes

* I make my own pumpkin butter this time of year, so I use that, but if you are using the canned pumpkin I would use half of the can - I think it's like one cup pumpkin puree.

  

This is absolutely my favorite time of year!  Try these recipes out with your loved ones !!  I promise they will not disappoint.  My sister loves this last one because coupled with some good old fashioned log cabin maple syrup you are in for a sweet and pumpkin-y treat!  I love fall because with nutmeg, pumpkin, and cinnamon, plus of the different spices that we use this time of year - you can actually taste the leaves changing and the crisp air outside in every bite!  

That is what makes cooking so wonderful!  Especially this time of year!

Tomorrow is whatcha want Wednesday and I am going to show you some things that I want for my house.  I will need your opinion though because I am a bit of a clutter-holic.  I don't know when to stop and I dont know how to pick ONE theme!  I just pick what I like and throw it together. 

Because I am moving to Waco for a while, I really want this to feel like a cozy home.  A place that I can have company and that I can "grow up" a little with.  So I need your help!! PLEASE!

Also, I know we are a few weeks removed from the tragedy that struck the Turner family, but please remember them in your prayers.  Julee has a long road ahead of her and the more prayers that are out there the more comfort that will surround her.   I truly believe that Jesus sends us ANGELS to help us. let's pray for Julee and Preslee that angels surround them during this time.  And let's not forget, Matt's mother.  She has lost her husband, to leukemia (7 years ago), and now her son.  What a heart break.  If anything, pray for her sanity and her reliance on God and HIS PLAN AND HIS CONTROL during these times.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Let me know how you like the recipes!

My Inner Thoughts Lately

I took this from the VOICE translation and it has really been on my heart lately; so I wanted to share this with you:

ROMANS 9:20-22

20Here’s my answer: Who are you, a mere human, to argue with God? If God takes the time to shape us from the dust, is it right to point a finger at Him and ask, “Why have You made me this way?”21Doesn’t the potter have the right to shape the clay in any way he chooses? Can’t he make one lump into an elegant vase, and another into a common jug? Absolutely.22Even though God desires to demonstrate His anger and to reveal His power, He has shown tremendous restraint toward those vessels of wrath that are doomed to be cracked and shattered. 

I have been struggling with comparisons lately.  Just comparing myself to my sisters, other Miss Arkansas Contestants, even olympians like Natalie Coughlin.  I came across this verse the other day in my NIV bible and decided to take a look at it in my new the Voice bible.  I love this translation because it sounds like my dad talking to me.  Not Tab Turner, my dad, but My Heavenly Dad and with this translation I can almost hear Him audibly speaking this to me.

       

I know that we have all heard the Potter's Hand song and we have seen this before - but really let it sink it - think about it again... just one more time.  Let your mind soak it up.  You can look like work in progress (where I am most of the time), you can be a pot that might not sell for millions of dollars and look messed up - but was made and crafted with love and purpose (middle), or you can be working on the ornate designs that take years to craft... God is still working on me - and one day I hope to get to the point where I can have ornate designs - but I fear right now I have begun a work in progress and am being crafted with love and purpose - because my days, my steps, are created for the glory of God.  

What a clear picture of who God is and what he can do for us and has done.

It just really puts everything in perspective for me.  I can only imagine how selfish my mind is and how God is so disappointed in me.  These verses allow me to gain a perspective and come back to the reality that my life is worth something only to glorify my creator.  If I don't do that - then I have not succeeded and I have not done what Christ put me here to do.

As I prepare for life - I must keep that in mind.  It is NOT ALL ABOUT ME - and sometimes I might not understand certain outcomes, but I do know that God created me and knows what HE IS DOING.  And that is where I find solace.  In His Arms.

and IN HIS ARMS.... and find

CHARMED BLISS

Blissfully Happy... it's been a while

I took this picture a week or so ago while I was still in the book room.  I had taken a bite of my apple and to my surprise the inside was molded and abslutely repulsive.  Rewind to 5 minutes previous, I pulled my apple out of my bag and glanced at it - I hate apples, I don't like how the apple skin gets in between your teeth or the texture of the apple is sometimes mushy (you know the almost bad apples - the ones I always get).  So as I pulled my apple out I took a small and cautious bite. However, it was surprisingly amazing.  It was crunnchy, delicious, and super sweet.  I was shocked.  So the next bite was huge!  I mean I opened up WIDE, and those of you who know me - know that my mouth is pretty big, so I got a chunk outta this thing.  I don't usually look at my food especially when I am doing something else, you know multitasking!, haha but this time I did... Oh my gosh!  I literally threw up!  I was disgusted by what I saw.  By what had just taken occupance in my mouth!  I ran to the bathroom and washed my mouth out with soap.  I know you can already see the analogy... So let's dive in:

Galations 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

How many times have we fallen to these works of the flesh?  How many times have we been the "christian" on the outside, yet on the inside we are no different then the athiest or the sinner who constantly lives in sin and denies God.  Everytime we sin, we forsake the Lord, and fall AWAY from Him.  Galations says if we do these things we will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.  How serious is this!  It's serious.  Just like I spit out that apple and sprinted to the bathroom - that's how we should react to sin.  Satan will try and mask it, he will try and make the sin look so pretty...

Let's take drinking for instance.  How pretty and appealing does alcohol look?  I mean seriuosly - the girls that drink in the commercials are soo pretty.  I want to look just like them - so how can I look like them?  Put a bud in my hand, I will be cool then.  Are you kidding me?  Not Cool!  Above in the verse:  Drunkenness is a SIN - however, Satan makes it look so cool and appealing. 

Whenever we are attacked by the devil to sin and tempted to do something that does not bear fruit - we should spit it out and sprint to Jesus and ask him to cleanse us.  But is that what we do? 

Matthew 18:20

Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every HEALTHY tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ...

This is serious.  If we do not bear good fruit we will be thrown away - just like I threw that apple away.  It was repulsive.  No repulsive thing will make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.  I pray for you today that just like I realized this truth - that you realize it as well.  Be encouraged!  Just because we bear bad fruit everyday - we sin.  We are human, sin will happen.  We pray to God that he will help us not be tempted - but it's going to happen.  But that is why Jesus died for us.  He went through a painful death so that we could be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven even though we bear bad fruit.  Thank God today for the price he made.  He gives new life to our bad branches - he makes them healthy and fruit bearing. 

BE FRUIT BEARING TODAY!!!


MY TRIP TO HOUSTON!!

Last week I drove to Houston to spend the night and quality time with my "Big Sis" Laura.  She is such an inspiration and I love her so much!!  We are so similar in so many different ways.  I probably kept her up way to late chit chatting, but she just has so much wisdom to impart into my life. 

Her knowledge is vast and deep and her love for the Lord is evident - her marriage is inspiring and the way she loves her kids and others is contagious.  I want to learn from her!  So I drove the 2.5 hours south east and made it in time for dinner.  Her daughters Hannah and Meagan are precious!!  At the dinner table Hannah insisted that I pray - so of course I did.  No big deal!  She was just so cute I couldn't refuse! 

She was also dressed in her pretty princess outfit and gave me like 10 hugs before she could go to bed!  I love that little girl. 

The nextday we went to Sprinkles - and I follow them on Twitter... And I have always gotten their tweets that say "first 50 people to whisper... get a free cupcake"  So at lunch I looked it up and sure enough they had tweeted if you whisper "all roads lead to Sprinkles" you get a free Hazelnut Vanilla Cupcake! It worked! i got a free cupcakes!

WOOOO.  I love sprinkles and CUPCAKES!!!

Sweet Meagan (left) and Hannah (right)

I can't wait until the next time I can see them!!

Thought I would introduce you to the wonderful outside seating at Common Grounds.  This morning it was a great 64 degrees!  It was beautiful!  God's earth is amazing!

I think the different seating is unique and makes common grounds a homey place.  Some place that I can really enjoy my coffee and feel like I am at home! 

I like all of the windows on the wall!  If you want a shabby chic look - this is definitely a cool idea!

I also think the tree through the middle of the outside area is a nice touch!  Makes it feel like we are in a tree house!

Took the liberty of sort of decorating my office last week - so now it feels a little more homey!  I like it I like it alot!  Hope you enjoy!

I can't have an office without MICKEY!! haha and a SCENTSY! which I brough Simply Irresistible on Friday and everybody made fun of me saying it smelt like a baby's diaper - so today I brough Skinny Dippin' and they love it. However, Bart said it smelt like Chocolate -the woman don't agree. 

Dad came in for the BAYLOR/TCU game on Friday - and if you didn't see it... we knocked off No. 14!  WOOO Go BEARS!

We went and ate dinner first at Ninfa's (poor service and disappointing Mexcian food :( oh well!)

Great seats!!!!  WE had a blast!  There is the stadium!  Very underwhelming picture but it is a huge stadium!

That is the Baylor Line.  The Freshman girls get yellow jersey's that say Baylor Line on the front and their nickname on the back!  They get to make the tunnel that the guys run out of. President Judge Starr said that it was the biggest Baylor Line ever!! how cool!

Me and Dad at the game! We had such a good time! :) and of course the military men for my little sister!!! Thought that would make her day

Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!  My class got cancelled... so maybe you will see a pinterest or Youtube post later today!  I don't have to tutor until 11.  What to do what to do!

Enjoy and Be Charmed today!

Abby

P.S. Thanks for the prayers - obviously you can tell that I love Baylor and the Lord is blessing me here for my patience and perserverance.  Now if Taylor could only be closer - my life would be complete.  But he is being the best and most encouraging BOYFRIEND ever!  I am so thankful for him.  I am just going to brag for just a moment.  ( I am only saying this because I want you to know how great guys can be and that you should NEVER settle for less - I am so thankful and blessed to have such a strong leader and man of God in my life - be encouraged by this!) 

"I mess up but I love you.  Forgive when we mess up encourage when we fall congratulate in the good and follow the Lord!  I love you!"

How encouraging is that text!  I get those all of the time :)  I am the luckiest girl in the world!!

I am blissfully happy.

Introductions are in order

I was saving this blog for later until I actually had a picture of us together. But if you are reading my blog you are getting to know me and my family very intimately. So why not know the one other part of my life: the man behind my inspiration and the support and encouragement that I receive Spiritually. Let me show you how:


This is how I feel about him :

Song of Solomon 3:4
I saw my lover and knew he was mine.

There are certain qualities that I look for in a man, perseverance, godliness, leadership, love, patience, and most importantly compassion.

This man is all of those things! Not too mention he is a stud. I mean he is so fine!

God has blessed me so much with this guy. I mean I can't believe I am able to date him.

So here he is::









This is Taylor Clark! He is one of a kind! As you can see for yourself he is quite a handsome man! And he is an amazing one too!

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

(Deuteronomy 4:29-31 NKJV) "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

James 1:25
New International Version (NIV)
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

These bible verses reflect Taylors heart. And I will be the first to tell you that leaving him in 2 weeks is goingto be tough. I'm crazy about this boy. But like these verses above say... God is in control and if we constantly seek Him, he will let us in on his plan! I know that Taylor has been praying about this and he is in Gods will. We have been dating for 5 months before he felt Gods go ahead in our relationship. Isn't that encouraging to know that he is seeking and seeking constantly for Gods will in our relationship!! I love it! And it's what I've prayed for.

So as you read this blog: you might think it's crazy that I'm talking about him, or that I sound too serious... But I hope you read this and are inspired to live these verses out in your life! And to examine who you are and to know that just as Christ loves you for your mistakes and imperfections, there is someone out there that will do the same thingto you because God calls us to love others as he (Christ) has loved us!!

Taylor is amazing!

Please pray for our relationship that God would have complete control over us and that when we are 8 hours away that distance would not hinder our relationship but help us grow stronger in Christ and each other.

God bless!! Taylor always leaves me with this verse!! Phi 4:3

See ya!
Abby

God, do your thing!

I have had the most fun time at the beach! Destin is by far the best place to relax and rejuvenate the soul. Preacher at church last Sunday said that he was at Yellowstone National Park and God said - look at what I created. Without any man made interference - I did this. This is what I can do when you let ME DO MY THING. Wow! That is kind of how I felt when I saw these sunsets at the beach. No, they do not even begin to capture the magnitude of God's beauty - but it does make you sit back and think. Hey, what if I didn't interfere with what God was doing in my life - What do you think would happen? Would you begin to see miracles, would jobs line up, would sicknesses begin to heal, would troubles seem to leave? Life might be a little easier - if we just let GOD DO HIS THING.

Yah, okay - now that I look at it - It's pretty disgusting! haha but here is a better picture from the back porch looking onto the Bay side (not ocean front).

And then here is one of a prettier day at the beach!

If you haven't been reading my blog Miss Cupcake Queen (Here) then you probably don't know about my obsession and insane craving for blueberries. After my diet for Miss Arkansas I have been craving blueberry ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! I am pretty sure I showed you yesterday the blueberry cake thing that Bethany and I made, so today I am going to show you the blueberry things I ate.

This is a blueberry pancake my dad made for me. I grew up eating powdered sugar and butter on my waffles and pancakes - call me weird, I know! But I love it! In fact, everyone was making fun of how much powdered sugar I had put on my Pancake in ratio with the actual BLUEBERRY pancake. Let me tell you - it was so good. Dad put real blueberries in it. It was delicious. He told me a trick that I will share with you: Heat the blueberries up in a ziplock bag before putting them in the batter - that gets some juices out of the berries so that they will mix in the pancake batter and give a fresh berry taste! Nom. Nom. Nom.

For lunch we went to Panera Bread and then got FRO - YO at 32 degrees. It was really good - of ocurse I got the Blueberry Cheesecake yogurt with real berries on top. DELICIOUS!





A picture of the Fro- Yo bar. It is actually a really cute place - but it was legit 32 degrees in there. It was a freaking ice box! yikes! we sat outside.



Girls Night Out! We all went to the Back Porch for dinner.

1. took Molly Anne forever and a day to eat her 1/2 pound of crab legs - we had paid and she had cleared our table before Molly Anne was finished. ha

2. Our waitresses arm muscles were ripped = we eventually asked her if she was a gymnast. She said yes, when I was younger! What! I wish I had arms like that good grief!

3. We no lie - sat down at 9:30, food at 10:15 and did not leave until 11. late night. yikes! still fun oh and we got t-shirts out of the meal!








After dinner - we stopped by Alvin's Island.

1. the most perverted shirts I have ever seen - i will never walk back in another one of those stores.

2. my sister got a cute destin shirt - (last picture)

3. Molly Anne won $2 in quarters out of this gambling machine.

NOTE TO READERS: she lost it all trying to win MORE! GAMBLING does that to you - don't waste your money. Okay, off the soap box. :)










Last morning there - Bethany And I made a spread of breakfast! Everybody was happy :) it was a good day. Cinnamon Rolls, Bisquits and Jelly, Eggs, and Sausage. Wow! Just call us IHOP!






This catches McKenzie in Action! She was spitting off of the 12 floor and trying to hit the man doing yard work. after about 5 tries.. she actually did it! No worries, he had a hat on.



Then, finally our last night - we had picture time! Here are some of the best!

This is my family!

All of the girls that went! We had a blast can you tell!

Then we went to the Mellow Mushroom and had some pizza!

Remember that no matter what happens - the same God that puts the stars out at night, and the same God that created sunset and waters the earth - cares for you!

He loves you. Be blessed in that and Thankful and have bliss in your life.
Abby

Ms. Worry Wart!

Today I have really been searching the Word for a peace about troubled times.  No I am not without food, shelter or clothing - so I am more privileged and well-off than over 75% of the world.  However, my heart is not peaceful right now - I am not completely happy and I am worrying about something - which I can't tell you because I don't know what it is.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and been stressing out about something only to realize that you are stressing about some fight or test that was occurring in your dream? That is how I feel right now.  Am i stressing about something stupid?  Am I worrying about something non-existent... something is wrong in this picture.

So I searched the scripture with a prayerful heart - and this is what I found...

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer - Psalms 94:19

But I urge you - if you are feeling like I am... read Habakkuk - all 3 chapters!  It is amazing!
Habakkuk is completely trusting God even though God has pretty much told him that He will destroy Judah.  Here are the verses that stuck out to me:

Habakkuk 3:2,16c,18

2.  Renew them in our day, in our time make them known, in wrath remember mercy.
16c. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us
18. yet I will rejoice in the Lord - I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk affirmed that even though life was going to be hard he would wait for the hardships and he would wait patiently on them.  I know I have said it before and I will continue to say it -

PATIENCE IS NOT MY VIRTUE>

I don't think about it, I don't do it, and I am NOT good at it.  But Habakkuk says not only is he going to wait on the protection and mercy and love of the Lord, but he is going to wait PATIENTLY on the calamity - that is the BAD STUFF! holy cow!  are you kidding me... so by canonizing this book - is God telling me that not only do I need to wait PATIENTLY on the desires of my heart but on the calamity to happen in my life?

And then 2 verses later Habakkuk says when nothing makes sense, when I don't even have the strength to continue - I will rejoice in the Lord - and be joyful in God!

I am a girl - so as you can imagine - Cinderella is someone I aspire to be.  I want to get married and have kids and be successful.  I also want to timidity that Cinderella has - let's just be honest - it's not going to happen.  However, it is a desire of mine to be married one day - hint: ONE DAY and have children.  I am learning slowly right now that I must CONSTANTLY rejoice in the LORD everyday in the little things in life - because it might not necessarily be my time right now - but if I continue to rejoice in the Lord - he will do what David talked about in Psalms 94:19 (above) He will give me comfort and a renewed hope and cheer.

None of us are completely worry free - however, God's presences gives us the comfort and the strength that we need to bounce back, sometimes not immediately, but when doubt fills our mind - God is there READY TO COMFORT US!  Today, I hope I have enouraged you to lean on God - no matter what life throws at you!  Pour your heart on Him and He will comfort you and bring you back to that Charmed Bliss!

The joy and hope of the Lord be with you always!

Abby