Cherry Cobbler

Melissa made a peach cobbler the other night and we had a mini brainstorm on how to change/ improve the recipe. Here's the original recipe for Peach Crunch. 

It was good, but I wasn't a fan of just dumping the dry ingredients and baking it. So, here's my attempt at changing things.

2 cans pie filling (your choice)

1 & 1/2 Cups Bisquick

1 Cup Oats

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Stick melted butter

bunt pan

cooking spray

*************************************************************

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Spray bunt pan liberally with cooking spray

3. Lightly mix the 2 cans of pie filling with 1&1/2 Cups of Bisquick

4. Lightly mix in 1/2 cup of oats

5. Pour mix into bunt pan, sprinkle another 1/2 Cup of oats on top

6. Sprinkle 1/2 Cup of brown sugar on top

7. Pour 1 stick of melted butter on top

8. Bake at 375 for 30-35 min. Allow to cool.

It's not going to be solid like a cake, it's going to be kind of jiggly. The brown sugar and butter on top make it nice and crunchy.  Next time, I might use 1 whole cup of oats on top, not just a half.

I'm seeing many, many cobblers in my future... peach, apple, blueberry....Yum!

Fruity Muffins

I was feeling adventurous, and my bananas were about to expire, so I decided to make some muffins. Melissa showed me how to make banana bread using just bananas and a cake mix, so I took it a step further.

Fruity Muffins

 1 Orange Supreme cake mix

3 bananas (about to die)

5 strawberries (pureed)

I smooshed the bananas, pureed 5 strawberries, and mixed it together with the cake mix. That's it! No extra oil, eggs or anything!

I put the mix in muffin tins and baked them at 350 for 18 min. 

My kids liked them and my Hubby ate 2 before realizing that they had bananas in them. (He's not a fan of bananas) He did like them though!

Next time, I might bake them just a little longer. I might also try adding nuts or white chocolate chips.

What about you? What might you try?

Product Review: Awesomunch (Munch of Fun)

Welcome back to another Munch of Fun product review! To say that my kids were excited about opening another Special Box would be an understatement. When I told them that the living room had to be clean for them to open the Box, they ran around like crazies to get things clean. (Mostly they threw things on the train table in the corner, as you will see from the pictures)

Last time, my kids reviewed the Munch on Brunch box. You can check out that review {HERE}.

Today we are reviewing the Awesomunch Box. 

Just a reminder- Munch of Fun is dedicated to providing kids with healthy alternatives to typical snack foods. Their products are healthy, travel ready, and kid friendly. Let's get started!
( I didn't have my camera with me today so I used the iPad. Sorry the pics aren't great!)

Chips and Dip

Specialty chips and hummus bean dip

The Kid- liked the chips, but not the dip

The Girl- liked them both!

The Boy- liked them both!

The Mommy- ate the rest of the Kid's chips and dip. :)

Seriously, that hummus is good!

Pear Crisps

The Kid was convinced they were apple crisps, and I didn't want to tell him any different before he ate them. As it turns out, it didn't make a difference!

The Kid- Loved them! He ate his and his sister's!

The Girl- thought they were OK, but willingly let her brother finish them

The Boy- Liked them

Chicken Jerky

When my Hubby takes the kids on baseball trips, he always gets the kids beef jerky sticks. I knew for sure these would be a hit.

The Kid- thought it was OK. 

His sensitive palate required some water after a few bites. :)

The Girl- LOVED it! She ate all of hers and the rest of the Kid's. 

She doesn't believe in having a sensitive palate. 

The Boy- Liked it. He finished all of his, with a glass of water.

Cookies

Just look at this face. Can you feel the excitement?

 The Crew- LOVED IT!

Juice

The Crew- LOVED IT!

*BONUS*

As a token of her appreciation, Kristen sent us some popcorn!! Whoop-whoop!

Thanks, Kristen!

The Kid- loved it! Gobbled it up!

The Girl- thought it was OK

The Boy- ate his and his sister's

 Thanks for joining in to another Munch of Fun product review! Check out the website and see about doing some taste tests of your own! (They are totally worth it!)

Thank you for the card, Kristen! It made the kids feel very important!

Product Review: Munch of Fun

Hello again, Jocelyn here! Today we at Phat Girls are going to do our first ever Product Review!! I feel so important; like Oprah Winfrey, only less rich and famous. :)

Today's product for review is from the company Munch of Fun. This is a new company, started by a friend of mine, Kristen Griffiths.

Kristen's company began when she realized that Happy Meals weren't going to encourage her kids' eating habits to stay on the straight and narrow. Kids want fun. Kids want color. Kids want a toy prize for eating their food. Parents want their kids to stop whining. With 3 kids of my own, I completely understand this logic.

Kristen's goal is to show kids that healthy food IS happy food. And, if your kids are anything like mine, they're in it for the toy at the end; what they eat before the toy is inconsequential. If you look through her store, you'll see that her products are colorful, convenient, and completely healthy- perfect for road trips, ball games and practices, quick pick-me-ups, and getting your kids hungry whining out of your ear. ;)

So, I contacted Kristen and asked if I could have my kids be guinea pigs for Munch of Fun. She agreed (yea!) and sent me the Munch on Brunch and Fiber Favorite packs.

Munch on Brunch

Fiber Favorite

If you haven't met my kids, let me introduce you:

The Kid: age 7 

Hubby and I ruined this kid. Blame it on being first-time parents, but we just didn't force the eating uber healthy thing. If he likes something, he'll like it for life. This experiment is going to throw him for a loop.

The Girl: age 5 

Sassy as all get-out and willing to try anything. This girl's middle name is "Adventure" and she is her Daddy's girl. This experiment will be right up her alley. 

The Boy: age 5 

He's willing to try new things, when brother and sister are around. He is his Mother's son- not eager to step outside his comfort zone. This experiment might make him cry, until he realizes that he's having fun. :)

I told the kids we were doing a science experiment. We all had to try each of the items in the Special Box. After trying the different food we would judge using thumbs up (love), thumbs down (didn't like), and thumbs to the side (OK).
Ready? Here we go!

Munch on Brunch

Ready kids!

1. Pineapple Crisps

The Kid- Like (It's a miracle!!)

The Boy- Didn't like

The Girl- OK

2. Almonds

The Kid- Didn't like (no shock there)

The Boy- OK (he had more after the picture)

The Girl- Like (she finished the bag)

Granola

The Kid- OK (minor miracle)

The Boy- Like!

The Girl- Like!

The twins finished off the bag

Crackers and Chocolate/ Hazelnut Butter

The Kid- Liked the butter, not the cracker

The Boy- Liked it all!
The Girl- Liked the butter, not the cracker

We all agreed the butter would be great on whole wheat waffles.

Juice

Everyone liked it!

I count this "experiment" as a success! The kids had a great time, and I got the Kid to eat something other than chicken nuggets. Who says miracles don't happen anymore?
Thank you, Kristen for allowing us to be guinea pigs for you! I can safely say the kids will be looking forward to opening another special box from Munch of Fun!

p.s. You can follow Kristen's blog as well! She posts healthy, easy recipes for kids and busy moms!

p.p.s. The Fiber box is going to make it way to Melissa's house for her twin boys. We wanted to have a variety of ages!

Saffron Cross- Christianity Meets Hinduism

Hello all! Jocelyn here! I know, long time, no post.
I could give you the usual excuses of being busy with the new school year (teaching), with all 3 of my children being in school, and with...well...life. But the truth is that I have simply been lazy. Forgive me.

So, what brings me out of my stupor now? I'm so glad you asked! It's this book:

Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk.

This story is about the unlikely matching of a Christian Minister (Dana) and a Hindu Monk (Fred). There have been a few books written about interfaith marriages, but none that have covered a Christian/ Hindu relationship- especially with so much feeling and detail.

For those of you who know me, even a little, you know that my usual genre of choice is smut. (That would be romance novels in layman's terms.) There is very little that would make me change the topic on my Kindle screen. For this book, however, I was willing and eager to make an exception.

You see, my sister Joanna is the editor of this book! She works with the Upper Room Publishing House in Nashville, TN and we are so proud of her for using her English major properly! (without having to ask about fries and biggie-sizing!) :)

This book was published through their Fresh Air Books heading, and it certainly was a breath of fresh air. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Dana and Fred this past Sunday when Dana spoke at Belmont United Methodist Church. I attended with my sister, who was there in support of her author. I am so glad I went! Dana and Fred shared pieces of their story, as well as snippets from the book, and I was entranced. I loved hearing about their...um... special honeymoon. (I really want you to read the book for yourself, but I found myself laughing and sighing during this chapter.) Just one hour spent with Dana and Fred and I could see what a special team they made. (Check out Dana's website! J. Dana Trent)

 When I attended the book reading/ signing at Parnassus Books on Monday, Dana and Fred again showed their wonderful chemistry and teamwork. Here are a few pictures I got.

Joanna (the editor), Me, and our older (and pregnant) sister Jennifer

With the author Dana Trent!

So, after hearing Dana and Fred on Sunday, I couldn't wait to get the book. Blame it on society's need for instant gratification, but I was very glad that my Kindle is 3G and able to download books from anywhere, say... maybe.... in a pew during church. That's right. DURING CHURCH. The book is about God, so I figured He wouldn't mind. 

Since I began reading it on my Kindle, it just made sense that Dana should sign... my Kindle! I'm totally going to start a trend.

Of course I had to buy paperback as well. There's no way I'm going to loan my Kindle out to anyone. (I'm generous to a fault) Dana graciously signed my paperback as well. I tried to not be too demanding. :)

And Dana with the sisters

So, here are the Top 5 Reasons You Should Buy This Book:

5. My sister is the editor. She worked her tail off to make sure that Dana's book came to fruition and the end result is just fabulous. Plus, it would make my mom really happy. :)

4. It's an easy and pleasurable read. Yes, both Dana and Fred are highly educated in their chosen faiths, but the book is written to share their story with others. It's not full of words that would require the reader (um...me) to have a dictionary handy, or a Masters Degree in Divinity.

3. It has a wonderful attention to detail. The book does an amazing job of "showing" and not just "telling" Dana and Fred's story. To quote Larry the Cucumber, "I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob."

2.  It's not just written for couples in interfaith relationships. I am happily married to my hubby and don't plan on ditching him any time soon, but I can see myself using this book in the future. Dana and Fred's marriage is based on communication, understanding, and a shared faith in God. (though practiced in different ways) While I might not use this book in my romantic life, I can see myself using points from it when talking to friends of different faiths. Conversing with people of different beliefs requires both parties to be open in their questioning and sharing. I believe Saffron Cross is a perfect example of the power of open communication.

1. What else have you got to do? Laundry? Dishes? Kids need dinner? Me too, but you don't see me jumping off my couch any time soon!

This book is beautifully written about two individuals deeply in love with each other and with God. Saffron Cross is a beautiful tapestry of their lives interwoven with back-stories , personal trials and successes, and a mutual search of God and His love. And guess what- they find that love, together.

So, seriously, what else have you got to do?

Welcome to Summer!

It's that time of year again!!  Time to enjoy summer with the Phat Girls!  I don't know about anyone else, but I have tons of things to do in this short two months.  So just for my own accountability purposes here is a short list of the things I plan to do with my two months.

1.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 are just shy of 23 months.  When did that happen?  They need some training.  Daycare has been very good for them, but now it is time for mommy to train them for her own evil purposes.  This summer we will be training them to sleep in big boy beds (starting tonight), pick up their toys, and possibly even dabble in some potty training.  This promises to be a wild, hilarious ride so I will be sure to keep you updated with all of them details.

2.  Cooking.  All sorts of cooking will be happening all summer.  I have some new gadgets that I want to try out, but more importantly we ate out way too much this school year.  That has to stop.  I can't promise any super healthy or organic stuff, but it will be quick and easy.

3.  DIY.  This one is fun for me.  I have plans for a door decoration thing-y that will be easy to change for holidays, some dress-making, clothes for Thing 1 and Thing 2, and outside decorations.

4.  Exercise.  Do I really have to put this one on here?  The short answer is yes.  If I don't put it on here I won't do it.  I have acquired a double-jogging stroller and I plan to use it.  I will take pictures occasionally of all of the pretty and odd, and pretty odd things that we will see.

5.  Brag on myself.  I plan on doing some pretty serious de-junking and organizing.  So don't be surprised to see the occasional before and after, possibly accompanied by a short explination.

6.  Learning with God.  If I hit upon some really deep or not so deep understanding, I'll be sure and share it.

That's it.  Sorry for the lack of pictures, there will be lots of pictures very, very soon.  I wonder what Jocelyn will be doing this summer.....???

What about you guys?  What are you doing this summer?

I accept the challenge!

A reading challenge? Really?
Who am I kidding, it's really just an excuse to read regency romance. (Like I need an excuse, right?)

Melissa and I are both avid readers, and we agree that a little romance in our books makes everything better. Or, in my case, a LOT of romance... but that's neither here nor there. The point it this- there has been a challenge issued to read romance novels and I am not going to let it go unanswered.

To check out the original post, check out Austenprose- a Jane Austen Blog.
The best part is that I already have these books in my Kindle- I love Candice Hern! She's a wonderful writer whose publisher understands that Kindle books shouldn't be as expensive as print. (I love a good deal!)

So every month you'll see a review for the next of Candice Hern's books. I hope you'll follow along, or even join the challenge yourself!

The Regency Romance Reading Challenge Review Schedule:

• Wed    Jan 23 – A Proper Companion
• Wed    Feb 27 – A Change of Heart
• Wed    Mar 27 – An Affair of Honor
• Wed    Apr 24 – A Garden Folly
• Wed    May 22 – The Best Intentions
• Wed    Jun 26 – “Desperate Measures”
• Wed    Jul 24 – Miss Lacey’s Last Fling
• Wed    Aug 28 – “Lady Ann’s Excellent Adventure”
• Wed    Sept 25 – The Social Climber (new novel yet to be released

 Here's to a great year of reading!