My daughters are like me. Tiny things fascinate them. My youngest has quite the collection, as you can see in this picture I took of one of her shelves.
She has an immense selection of little trinkets she has gathered over the years to display. When her older sister brought this empty package piece, I had a light bulb moment like that of Gru in Despicable Me. Suppose I could doll it up to create a shelf addition for some of her figures? So, I set out to do just that. So we take this...
And make this!
I just used bits from my crafting supplies. Some little James Avery boxes my mom sent. Some left over decal pieces from my mother-in-law. Some added beads to give it textures.
I had also printed a couple backgrounds for the lower sections, since those were particular to her axolotl collection. The little figures above the sleeping axolotl are in packaging from a Bitty Funko Pop box. The bed was a box from Rainbow High packaging.
What do you think? Have you created anything similar?
My husband and I have been watching Tasting History on YouTube lately. We love food, and we love history. Put the two of these together, and you have us completely enthralled. This guy really gives you a fun lesson and the things he is working on in his kitchen. Be is Spam, or Tomato Soup Cake, he had us laughing and scratching our heads. After all, some of these things just never would have crossed our minds.
The most recent video we watched was for Tomato Soup Cake. The name caught us. No way did someone think that could work, right? Right?! Well, wrong. Not only did someone create this recipe (as early as the late 1920's even), but I gave it a try for us. And let me tell you, I was absolutely impressed! I don't normally like carrot cake or spice cake, but this was fabulous! I'm not a fan, and could not eat a while slice myself. But I was able to have a couple bites of my husbands slice. It was moist. It was flavorful. He said the nuts and raisins were the perfect addition as they provided the finishing touch for texture that really did it for him.
Oh, and I cheated by using a spice cake mix. I figured I would go as easy as possible for the first round. Especially since I don't usually keep cake flour on hand. Next time, I think I will go by the full recipe.
What you will need:
1 spice cake mix
1/2 cup of water
2 eggs
1 can of Campbell's Tomato Soup (if other, make sure it is 10.75 ounces)
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 nuts of your choice (I used chopped walnuts)
I like everything easy. So I threw everything except the last 2 ingredients into the bowl and gave it a good stirring. Then I tossed in those last 2 ingredients and gave it a final mix. Pour the batter into a greased (or buttered) pan. Pop it in the oven until cooked through and the wetness test is perfect. I cooked it at 350 degrees for... I believe 25 minutes?
I also chose not to use cream cheese frosting as my husband is not a fan. I had buttercream frosting on hand instead.
I'm now looking forward to trying something else from history. What about you? Would you dare?
My last post of life was pretty heavy. So much has been going on in my world. So much has been weighing me down. And after that last post, it just piled on more. On the lighter side, I found out my youngest will most likely be getting glasses next time she is tested. Poor girl. I had hoped she would never need to. In the middle weight bracket, I have come to believe that my older daughter has scoliosis. Unfortunately, we haven't had medical insurance in at least a year, no maybe two, so we haven't been able to know for sure. However, the pain and lopsidedness she has been experiencing makes me believe this is it. I feel guilt. After all, she has my genes. And I can't do anything about it. I feel frustration. As my husband reminds me, even if we had insurance and knew for sure that is what she has, what could we do about it? I never want her to have the surgeries I had. Look at the mess I'm in...
1 Peter 1:6-7 is a hard reminder. Trials will come, many trials! But they are meant to try your faith. To push you to lean of God and His faithfulness through it all.
But then there is the heavy weight. The champion of stress-inducing nightmares... my husband lost his job. I was dreading this possibility. Hoping it wouldn't come. But here we are. The company he was working for, pretty much dissolved in a matter of weeks. He was only given one weeks notice. The stress from that was enough to manifest in physical ways. But God has been gracious. He gave us a slight reprieve. My husband is temporarily working as a contractor for the company that took over the sites. While we were still waiting for that first paycheck to come in, we had been blessed to have been granted a severance package from the previous employer. Don't get me wrong, I'm still stressed, but not as badly as I was before. After all, this is still temporary. There is the possibility that this company might hire him on as a regular employee once the contract ends. But from the way the owner talks, he wants to do so at a downgraded pay and position. It really grinds my gears when I hear that. But such is the world of the rich who dabble with crypto currencies. When their digital money drops to a certain level, they freak out. Who would have guessed that Bitcoin would drop so drastically after booming so hard? But greed takes over every time.
Romans 12:12 reminds me to keep praying and to be patient in trouble.
We are changing how we do everyday life here. I have tightened the proverbial coin purse sash. Meals might be a little plainer and repeat a little more often, but everyone still gets fed. I'm thankful that changes have happened as they did. Blessed, even. The boys have their jobs now. If there is something they want, that we can't get, they get it for themselves. The severance package has held us up for the past couple of weeks and will do so another couple weeks. I don't have to worry about the bills.
James 1:2-4 tells us to remember that when trials come (not IF, but WHEN), that it will build in us an endurance.
What I do worry over, is how much stress my husband is under. And the physical toll it has taken. I pray that God will show him to his next job, and soon. I pray that His will be done, and that I trust Him to know best. Even when I can't see it. This has been the song speaking volumes in my life right now.
I don't claim to be 100% carefree in the knowledge that God is in control of every aspect of my life. However, when the anxiety starts building, I know where to turn. Every time. This, too, shall pass.
Beat the heat, GRAB A MINI! That is the best thing to be able to say as this Texas heat gets ramped up around here. But grab a mini? Let's see what that means.
*Disclaimer: I was sent this party pack to share with others. And to share my review afterwards. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions shared are mine or my guests'.*
Dreyer's has so many types of ice creams under their brand name. Ever seen the Oreo Sandwich ones? Yep, that's from them. How about Outshine fruit bars? Yep! Theirs, too. So many great flavors. And now, you can get them in mini sizes! These are perfect for parties and get-togethers. More like bite-sized frozen treats. Quick and easy to chow down on. Kids at your house? These are perfect! Smaller hands can finish these off quicker, and save you from chasing them down to clean messes.
They sent me this great party pack. I grabbed up a variety of ice cream minis to share. And then we had some fun with friends.
What was the consensus?
Oreo was a hit, of course. But adults were loving the Dulce de Leche Haagen Dazs bars. I think that one was my favorite. I loved the small size of the Drumstick Cones mini mini.
They were all creamy goodness, though. I would love to find the mini Nestle Cookie Sandwiches next time. Walmart here only had the Drumstick Cones from the 3 we tried at the party. We had to find the others at our local HEB.
So next time you are shopping for ice cream options, maybe consider your Mini options! *pun totally intended* There are other flavors for Drumstick minis and Haagen Dazs bars minis that we may one day give a chance to. What about you? What benefit do you see for these?
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