Chocolate Trifle Recipe

This is one of those summer posts that I meant to post weeks ago, but better late than never! (Plus, now you get it just in time for the weekend!)

My hubby happens to be the only member of his family who has a birthday in a month other than June. This year, by weird coincidence, the sum of the ages of his parents and brothers equaled exactly 200 years.

So of course, they threw a bi-centennial birthday party!

Even though my husband's 33 years threw off the number, they let him celebrate too. Quite nice of them, don'cha think? :)

Dozens of family members and old friends showed up at the TX coast to sit under the spindly legs of his family's pink beach home. We ate tacos, compared patriotic pedicures, and spit watermelon seeds while the nieces and nephews spent their Popsicle-induced sugar highs in the surf.

In honor of the occasion, I tried out a new Chocolate Trifle recipe I'd begged from a co-worker after she made it for an office potluck. (Thanks, Allison!) I loved it because it was decadent and chocolate-y enough for my chocolate loving self, but not overly heavy thanks to the whipped topping she used. And with only five ingredients, it was super easy!

Chocolate Trifle

Ingredients

• 1 box brownie mix (I used a gluten free mix so that hubby could have some too)
• 1 3.9oz box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 12-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 containers of whipped cream topping (one 8-oz, the other 12-oz)
• candy of your choice (I used Heath Bar)

Directions

• Prep brownies by box directions. Let cool, and then cut into small squares. Divide the brownies in half.
• Line the bottom of a large bowl with 1/2 the brownie pieces.
• In a separate bowl, combine chocolate pudding, 1/2 c water, and 12 oz sweetened condensed milk. Graduate fold in the 8 oz container of whipped cream topping.
• Layer the pudding and whipped cream mix over the brownie layer in the bowl (reserving at least half of the mix for later).
• On top of the brownies and pudding, make a layer of whipped topping (use about 1/2 of the 12 oz container).
• Sprinkle half of the candy over the whipped topping.
• Place another layer of brownies in the bowl. (Are you catching the pattern? LAYERS.)
• Use remaining pudding over the new brownie layer.
• Use the remaining whipped cream over the new pudding layer.
• Top with the rest of the candy.
• Chill until ready to serve!

How does my garden grow?

 The last time I showed you my garden, the box stood stark in the ground, softened only by a few tiny pepper and tomato plants.

Look at it now!

Because of the drought our area has had for the past two summers, I was considering installing an auto-drip system. But because this summer has been pretty wet so far, my new concern is drainage. Too much water equals root-rot. I'm hoping that the fact that it's a raised bed will help.

I'm excited about these baby tomatoes!

And these flowers will one day be cucumbers!

Not sure why the bell peppers are looking puny. Too much water perhaps?

There is one problem I have no clue how to fix. Little sugar ants are eating the stems of my zucchini plants at the root! Does anyone know how I can stop them?

Teller Tales (In this case: Veggie Tales)

Kids really do say the darndest things.

As a bank teller, I have the distinct privilege of providing a listening, supportive ear to anyone who needs to complain about their day, talk about the weather, or brag on their grandkids. They don't know us beyond a four-minute transaction, but we are a comforting constant in their daily routine.

One day at the bank, in walked grandma. She had checks to cash, a deposit to make, and she couldn't wait to tell us the cute thing her granddaughter said.

"She said the cuh-yoot-est thing last night!" The wrinkled, rose manicured fingers flashed back and forth with emphasis, and she grinned, full of story.

"I asked her, 'Sweety, do you like green beans?' 'No, Grandma,' she said. So then I said, 'Well, don't you like any vegetables?' Guess what she said then."

We didn't know, so grandma went on.

"She said, 'Not since the accident.' Now, I was wondering, What on earth? So I said, 'What accident?' And my little granddaughter said, 'Well, when I accidentally ate a vegetable!'"

Poor thing. Accidents happen. 

The Best Fruit Tart in the World!

Soon after I got married to a husband who can't tolerate gluten in his diet, my family decided--independently of our influence--to try life without gluten. After finding that they had more energy, less allergies, and less digestive problems, they made the switch permanent. I certainly don't mind; it makes it easy for us when we visit!

The last time we visited, Mom made this mouth-watering fruit tart for my birthday that is quickly becoming my favorite dessert of all time. I asked her for the recipe, and then realized....hey! My bloggy friends might enjoy this too!

So here you go: I'm sharing the love. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Gluten free cookie mix. (We used the Betty Crocker GF chocolate chip cookie found at WalMart in the regular cake section)
• 2/3 c. sifted powdered sugar
• 12 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1 T. orange juice
• Various fruits--whatever is pretty and in season
• Glaze:
• 2 T. apricot preserves
• 1/2 T. orange juice

Make the crust using GF cookie mix. Form it on a pizza pan with parchment paper under it. Bake according to box instructions.

Whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipping cream and 1 T. orange juice for the filling.  Spoon onto cooled crust and chill 1-4 hours.

Arrange fruit on top such as kiwis, raspberries, strawberries, papaya.....

Heat topping ingredients until liquid.  Drizzle over fruit. Enjoy!

NOTE: for those who are not gluten intolerant, you can of course use a normal cookie mix for the crust. :)

My 25th Birthday!

This post is now more than one month overdue. *sheepish grin* Who knew that being one-quarter century old would bring with it so many time-consuming responsibilities?

As a special calendarial treat, my birthday fell on the long, Labor Day weekend. So of course we had to celebrate with a road trip to see my family. Bank holidays cannot be wasted when one is a bank teller!

We drove...

Upon arrival we devoured my mom's FABULOUS gluten-free fruit tart instead of birthday cake.

We finished the evening with an excellent indy film that was simultaneously edgy and heartwarming. Not the best for young kids, but the perfect discussion-sparker for highschool and college students.  If you haven't seen the movie rendition of Don Miller's popular book, Blue Like Jazz, then you should!

The next morning, we enjoyed a traditional tea-party breakfast that is usually reserved for Christmas...

And took a few whacks at a pinata with some good old friends before driving south!

Oh, and I can't forget the awesome present my hubby gave me. Yes, I have caved and joined the free-trade granola brigade. I am now the proud owner of Chacos.  You can blame Colorado.

International Dinner!

One of my favorite parts of working at the YMCA, hands down, is interacting with the large population of international staff. 

Many of them are studying Tourism Science in their home countries, and they come to the USA excited to work at a resort and to practice their English. Despite these similarities, their stories are each so unique. To spend time with any of them is to become a student. 

To help us get to know them better, the LT program organizes an International Dinner each summer. Think of a delicious outdoor pot-luck show-and-tell, and you'll have a pretty accurate picture of what it was like. The international students cook traditional foods from their own countries, and the pride they have in the finished dishes is obvious. 

The sun was barely up on Friday before our cabin's kitchen had been turned into the Brazilian's preparation zone for the night's festivities. (Remember the awesome Brazilian friends we met after that guy's concussion two weeks ago? They have joined us for a lot of activities, and now we're pretty tight!) Chicken was bubbling in herbs on the little gas stove, and Vanessa was mixing a rich concoction of condensed milk and chocolate to make caramel chocolate balls for dessert. 

Brazilian chicken appetizers, breaded and fried

Erika, making Colombian arepas from corn

As evening fell and we arrived at the pavilion, moist, savory air enveloped us and made our mouths water. Delicious vapor was rising from metal pans and from every plate, and excited accents - American, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Jamaican, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Bulgarian - echoed against the concrete floors and ceiling. 

As music played from a corner speaker, good conversations flowed at every table. There were coconut drops and two sorts of chicken from Jamaica, seafood and rice from China, fresh lime cevice from Turkey, and a liquour-drenched coconut cake that disappeared in about two minutes. After eating the same two-week menu at the Spruce cafeteria for the past month and a half, my taste buds were in a heaven of flavor! 

Afterward, an impromptu dance party happened, led by the Jamaicans and my sweet Colombian friend, Erika! (Yes, that's me in the gray shirt.)

Please ask God to make us faithful to these new friendships. We want, above all, for them to experience the love of Jesus and to have a personal friendship with him that will last long after they go home. 

Italy: arrival update!

Mi perdoni—Forgive me; this blog is long overdue!

 I blame jetlag.
 I blame the awesome conversations and sheer volume of fun we’ve been having.
Oh, and I blame the beautiful long walks we have around Milano on our late-night quests for gelato. (Which is, I must admit, is quickly usurping Blue Bell Ice Cream in my heart.)

Regardless, we are safe, having fun, and so excited about our new Italian friends! Every day we meet someone new or have an interaction that goes deeper than the day before. Every day I slowly add to my little pile of Italian words and phrases. And every day, I am amazed at the energy God gives me, even though I arrived physically and emotionally exhausted after a long, hard semester.

Here is a short recap of the trip:

One of my favorite things about flying is getting a reverse view of the clouds.

When you run against the sun, the night is short and morning comes early. I was so thankful for my window seat and for Jordan’s comfortable shoulder. This meant that I could lean my tired head in either direction to sleep, and this kept my neck from freezing painfully in one position.

They fed us well on the flight: Chicken Curry for dinner, and then this breakfast box when the sun came up.

I was so thankful that all of my luggage appeared on the conveyor when we arrived.   Our team fared pretty well in this department, but we are still missing one suitcase that was full of goodies for Frank and Pam, the permanent team members here in Milan. Please pray it arrives soon!

Our arrival:

While our friends at home were starting their first REM cycle, we were bustling through a shining Milano airport and jolting down Italian thoroughfares in a rented van.

Inside our van from the airport

My groggy mind mistook our hotel for a pizzeria. It has the look and feel of a beautiful home, with a long narrow driveway and an explosion of red and white roses at the front door. The inside has a narrow 4-story staircase that feels like something out of a mystery novel, and each room is a unique experience of wallpapers, furniture from 4 different decades, and colored tiles.

The man and wife who own the hotel have a beautiful little girl with dark hair and eyes. She is shy of Americans, but her parents are so sweet to all of us, bringing us cappuccinos every morning at breakfast and putting up with our noise.

A typical day:

After an Italian breakfast of cappuccinos, olives, artichokes and Nutella-daubed biscuits (shortbread cookies), we use the breakfast area for a time of team devotions, prayer, and worship.

 Karla and Lindsay both play the guitar—what a blessing!

Then off to lunch on the campus of Universitá Milano-Bicocca! As you can see here, the campus is beautiful—and extremely vertical. The restaurants peek out of the first floor windows, while the dorms and classrooms tower above.

We ride the tram to a second, larger hotel where we hold the English clubs. After a few hours of preparing games, activities and themed lessons, the students start to trickle in. They always look a little shy, but the games are so ridiculous and fun that that ends quickly.

(more to come later!) J We have to leave now for campus!

Impressions: Spider Bite edition

It's been about a week now since this nasty little welt appeared on my thumb. Methinks I have a spider enemy.

But you can be sure I forgot completely about spiders when I saw this sweet love note on our fridge. I officially have the most wonderful guy EVER.
*Intentionally faded so that you must scwunch your eyes REALLY HARD to read the mushiness.*

Remember the gluten free cake with the strange ingredient that I made for hubby's birthday? Yep, here it is! We only got one hastily taken picture before the double-decker hunk of chocolate goodness was gobbled by our homegroup. Mmmmmmmm!

Because his actual birthday fell on a day already overflowing with obligations, we continued the celebrations on Saturday by throwing a build-your-own-sundae party for some friends. Toppings included: bananas, strawberries, Oreo Cookies, Hershey syrup, Gummi Bears, and caramel sauce. *sigh* Every bite was delicious!

Early last week I had the honor of babysitting this little punk for a couple hours! She looks like a babysitting nightmare, but she is honestly one of the sweetest babies in the world. :)

Were you aware that you could buy an ENTIRE rack of ribs for dinner at BJ's? Maybe I'm just a typical girl who orders grilled chicken, but my mind was blown. 

The reality that graduation really is happening hit home to me this weekend while I was designing the announcements to send to friends and family. 

I know that the next three weeks will slip through my fingers like sand, and I'm trying to savor the moments before they're gone. 

Impressions from my week

Waking up next to hubby is the most wonderfully safe feeling in the world.

I feel like a European when I mix yogurt with raw oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. It is one of the many small ways that my time in Hungary and Moldova imprinted my life.

My little cubby at work feels more home-like and familiar now that I have decided to leave it. Oh, the irony!

After blogging about how heart-wrenching it is to say goodbye to friends and lose touch, I find myself treasuring every moment I get with the friends who are here. This week at lunch, for example, three of us sat in the winking sunlight of a warm, green park, and shared our hearts. I felt mine filling as we chatted and laughed. (See, Mar? I TOLD you you'd make it into my blog someday!)

Coming home to piles and piles of clean laundry folded by my servant-hearted husband is one of the BEST ways to win my heart.

I've never been a coffee snob, but I'm falling hard for the creme brulee coffee that my friend, Jenni, always serves at our women's times. Yummm....