Cheesecake, Kenyan Stew, and (dare I say) Farkle!

     A couple of days ago, my new edition of Southern Living came in the mail. I skimmed through it and saw a recipe for Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake. This sounded delicious and I pretty much had all the ingredients on hand except for a few. I decided to get the missing ingredients and tackle this recipe! It really was not hard at all even though I may or may not have accidentally burned the apple topping, lol. Thankfully, it turned out nicely and all in all was pretty tasty. 

The major players. Apples from my dad's tree!

Finished product :)

     My friend Elizabeth just returned from a mission trip to Kenya. She invited a few of us over for a traditional Kenyan meal. She made a Kenyan stew which contains beef, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, zucchini, and a mixture of spices called mchuzi. Along with that, she made chapati, which is similar to a tortilla. It was delicious! And for dessert, she made mandazi which is a fried donut with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. It tastes like a beignet or a funnel cake. And to top it all off, we also had the Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake. We were stuffed to the gills!

Kenyan stew and chapati!

     After dinner, we played Farkle. If you've never played this game, you really need to get it. It is a dice game that is quite entertaining. Most of the fun comes with just saying the word. Try to say it without laughing. Farkle, Farkle, Farkle. Can't do it can you? If you are a farkler you completely understand....

     Food. Friends. Farkle. What a fun night!

Reminders

I have a heavy heart for a couple of different reasons tonight. Because of a tragic accident that happened today, I am reminded again that life is short. It is precious. It is a gift from God. We should live it to the fullest and make the most of every opportunity. That way there will be no regrets when we take our final breath.

I can honestly say that I have been trying to do that recently. God has done some amazing things in me and I have grown leaps and bounds as a person. God has definitely been working on me! He has been using several events in my life to shape me. I have always been incredibly shy, quiet, reserved, and quite honestly, unsure of myself. This past year, He has helped me lose weight, become more outgoing, take risks, and be comfortable in my own skin. He has given me a confidence that I've never had before. Those who know me best can testify to the change that has occurred in me this past year. I honestly feel like a whole new woman! I praise God for all these changes in me. 

I still have insecurities and lots of questions in my life. But I have to trust Jesus and give everything to Him. One thing I'm still learning is to not worry about what people think of me. It really shouldn't matter. And by that I mean I should not be scared to do something or be myself around others for fear of rejection. Life is too short to worry about that. Be myself. Be passionate about what I do, believe, and say. Don't be mediocre. Life is too short for the mediocre and mundane. Take risks even though they may not pay off. I'm not saying to live carelessly. But live purposely, intentionally, and passionately. Prayerfully exhaust every option until there isn't one left. Don't settle. Make the most of every opportunity. Trust Jesus through it all. 

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

Back to School...Back to Speech!

     I can hardly believe this year marks the beginning of my 4th year as a Speech-Language Pathologist! It seems just like yesterday that I graduated and found a job working at a school. I love working with the children. They each are very precious and special. I hope I can make a difference in their lives and help them improve their communication skills. Here's hoping we all have a fun and successful year!

A little glimpse into my therapy room:

Speech Sound Wall Chart: idea from  slplearningcurve.blogspot.com

A Very Merry Unbirthday!!!

   I don't really remember how or when it started, but it has become a tradition in my family to wish each other a "Very Merry Unbirthday!" the day after the person's actual birthday (even though every day but your birthday is your unbirthday, lol). This is actually a song from Alice in Wonderland. I do know my dad was the one who always sang this song to me after my birthday, so I guess he unintentionally created a fun tradition. As crazy as this sounds, I actually enjoy singing this song more than the happy birthday song to the person. And I LOVE getting to sing it to my dad! Today just so happens to be his "special" unbirthday and first thing this morning I was able to call and sing him the song. This is just something fun and special that we do in my family and I'm glad I got to hear him smile and laugh about it!