Uptown Oreos! Cream-filled Chocolate Wafers

After last week's post, I began to think of special treats I would prepare for Megan's visits from college. She loves dark chocolate, so I made Cream-filled Chocolate Wafers ahead of time and kept them in the freezer. This cookie can be eaten right out of the freezer or served at a high-class tea. It looks complicated, but couldn't be any easier. Only takes twenty minutes to prepare, but allow two hours for them to chill.

Probably the hardest thing about the recipe is finding the chocolate wafers. Strangely, they are kept by the ice cream toppings. In our store they are kept on the top shelf and you will never find them if you don't know where to look. Most stock clerks will take you to the cookie aisle if you ask for chocolate wafers, so take this picture along.
This is the original recipe I found in Southern Living years ago.

Cream-Filled Chocolate Chip Wafers

Southern Living JULY 2006

• Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 dozen
• Prep time:20 Minutes
• Chill time:2 Hours

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 (9-oz.) boxes chocolate wafers

Preparation

1. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels and pecans.

2. Spread about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture evenly on 1 side of a chocolate wafer; top with another wafer. Repeat procedure with remaining wafers and cream cheese mixture. Cover cookies, and chill 2 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers for chocolate wafers.

Gather your ingredients

Break up your pecans. Place them on a paper towel and
toast in the microwave for about two minutes.

Beat together softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.

Beat in brown sugar and powdered sugar.

Cream until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Spread a tablespoon of cream mixture between wafers.

This makes enough filling for two boxes of wafers.

I like to package them and give them as gifts to new neighbors. Enjoy!

Stock Your Dorm Pantry and Avoid the Freshman Fifteen!

So you are headed to college in the fall. How exciting. And terrifying. You may be asking yourself: Where are my classes? Where are the buildings my classes are in? What will my professors be like? Will I like my roommate? Will she like me? Will I make friends? Is the Freshman Fifteen real? 
I can't answer the other questions, but I might be able to help you with the last one.  At your high school homecoming you may have observed a returning college student who gives validity to the myth. However, a study conducted at Ohio State University showed that the average college student gains only two to three pounds in their first year. Additionally, it showed that college students did not gain any more weight than non-college students of the same age, and the only factor that did increase weight gain was heavy drinking. * 
My daughter actually lost about fifteen pounds from walking to class and biking everywhere else.
For the first time in your life you are responsible for your meals. This is an important time to create healthy habits. Your parents have probably bought a plan that includes meals in the cafeteria as well as snacks in various campus restaurants and stores. So checkout the cafeteria first. You can make wise choices, but it may be a challenge.

In visiting the school cafeteria with my daughter, I observed vegetables cooked to mush. Evidently the cook thought added fat would make up for the lack of nutrition. The majority of the entrees were either fried or loaded with carbs. On a positively scary note, the cookies and ice cream were good. 

Your best bet is to choose  a grilled entree  and make a trip to the salad bar. Cool it on the mayo-laden salads and grated cheese. Choose fruit for dessert. Stick an extra apple in your backpack for later. Save the cookies and ice cream for an occasional treat. 

Another way to control your calories takes a little preparation and organization. All you need is this shopping list, a mini-refrig, and a microwave to make meals in your room. 

Shopping List

PANTRY SUPPLIES	MINI-REFRIG SUPPLIES
Boxed or Canned Soups	2% Cheese, shredded, sliced & cheese sticks
Whole Wheat Crackers	Low-fat lunch meat
Canned Chicken and Tuna	Whole wheat tortillas
Turkey Chili/no beans	Yogurt
Peanut Butter (Nutella for a special treat)	Baby Carrots
Simply Fruit Jam &/or Honey	Milk
Whole Grain Cereal, instant oatmeal, granola bars	Mustard & Light Mayo
Fresh and/or dried fruit	Eggs
Dry pasta and pasta Sauce	Frozen meals and waffles (if you have a tiny freezer in your frig)
Salsa	Bagged salad
English Muffin, whole grain
Microwave Popcorn, light
Boxes of juice and a case of water

Breakfast:

Your mother always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You will learn she is right about that and so many other things. The odds of getting to the cafeteria before class are nil-to-none. (My experience on campus left me wondering how many pajama-clad-students actually brush their teeth before dashing across campus.) You need fuel in much the same way your car does. Try these quick and easy ideas to keep your body running. 

• Monday:    Breakfast Burrito w/scrambled eggs, cheese & salsa on a whole wheat tortilla and a juice box.
• Tuesday:  Dry cereal & dried fruit in a baggie. Juice box.
• Wednesday: Granola Bar, fresh fruit & milk.
• Thursday:  PBJ on English Muffin w/yogurt & juice.
• Friday:   Oatmeal w/honey, a banana and milk.
• Saturday: Frozen waffles with PBJ, milk, fruit
• Sunday: Doughnuts and coffee at church! (What? It's Sunday. Have a treat!)

 Lunch:

         Lunch is probably going to be on campus and between classes.  Pack a sandwich, fruit and a bottle of water. Stock your backpack with  a cheese stick, a granola bar, packaged peanut butter crackers, or cheese crackers for snacks. Stay hydrated and fueled.  Passing out in class is not pretty! Been there! Done that! Don't want the t-shirt!

If pizza is in your budget, choose a thin-crust cheese pizza or one with lots of veggies.  Try to work in a salad made primarily of dark greens and chopped vegetables. Go easy on the cheese, bacon bits, croutons and high fat dressing. It defeats the purpose of eating a salad, but still better than a bucket of fried chicken or a pizza supreme.  

A grilled chicken sandwich is a better choice than a quarter-pounder with cheese.  Try a side of fruit instead of fries. Chic-Fil-A’s carrot raisin salad contains two servings of vegetables and a serving of fruit making it a smart, satisfying choice.  

Snacks and/or Dinner (just add bagged salad or carrot sticks, and fresh fruit to make it dinner):

• Monday: Whole Wheat Tortilla Roll-ups w/low-fat lunch meat or chicken, cheese & salsa.
• Tuesday: Soup w/crackers and cheese.
• Wednesday: Turkey Chili Quesadilla w/baby carrots and fruit.
• Thursday: English Muffins,topped with pasta sauce & cheese.
• Friday: Chicken or tuna salad made w/light mayo on crackers or an English muffins.
• Saturday: Snag a bag of Fritos, and make a Frito Pie w/Turkey chili. 
• Sunday: Go to Mom's!

For my daughter, I put all the pantry items, plus a few leftover containers, plastic baggies, plates, and plastic ware into a Rubbermaid tub. The tub's primary purpose is to keep everything together and out of reach of small woodland creatures (not to mention roommates with questionable boundaries). It can be stored under the bed or used for extra seating. (No doubt it will be used as a step-stool at some point. Keep your health insurance in effect.)

Girls, if your room is this well-stocked you won't have any trouble making friends. FYI--You'll need twice as much if you start feeding boys.

Boys, if your room is this well-stocked your parents will be in awe and offer to increase your allowance. Okay, maybe not, but they sure will be proud.

If you have or know a student going off to college in the fall, put these items together in a tub, stick a bow on it and you'll have a great gift. It wouldn't hurt to attach this post.

With these ingredients you have the makings of many meals. Holler if you need any more ideas.
PS. On the issue of calories from alcohol--YOU ARE UNDERAGE! IT'S NOT AN OPTION!!! Your mother thanks me.
*Kim Palmer (November 1, 2011), "'Freshman 15', weight gain is a myth: study" Rueters. 

A Perfect Wedding

"What is the most important part of this wedding?" I asked the bride at our first meeting.
"Um, the dress...no, the cake...no, the venue..." her voice trailed off. "I don't know what you mean."
"Well, let me make it easy for you. If you are married at the end of the day it will have been a success.  I promise you things will go wrong. They always do. No amount of money, planning, preparation, anxiety, or stress will guarantee a perfect day. If your groom, the preacher and two witnesses show up, nothing else matters.
At my first wedding, my soon-to-be mother-in-law, a cafeteria cook, served leftover cafeteria turkey and dressing at the rehearsal dinner. After the wedding she argued with my mother over who was to takehome the leftover cake. Ridiculous! No planning could have foreseen the conflicts.

At my second wedding, a small-DIY-affair, the groom started laughing during the wedding vows. It horrified me to think the vows were laughable to him. In reality he was watching the cake melt and slide behind the buffet.

Realize that the ideas you've pinned on Pinterest are wonderful, but many of them came from weddings where thousands of dollars were spent. The average Dallas wedding costs $27,000.00. We have a budget of less than a thousand dollars for a reception for 160 people. With that in mind, let's do what we can to make it a memorable day."

She had decided on an outdoor wedding at the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. It rained. It was beautiful. She was married.

For her whimsical country reception, we planned to arrange fabric covered hay bales in a horseshoe configuration under huge trees festooned with garlands of twinkle lights and Chinese lanterns. The dancing would take place in the middle. It would be Pinterest perfect. Except it rained and all our ideas had to be scrapped and the party moved indoors at the last minute.

It would have been beautiful. The trees were gorgeous.

The Fellowship hall-- before

We added lights on the walkway, lanterns, mesh ribbon, tulle and
balloons to create a festive air.

Cook's Merchantile loaned us the lattice work for the backdrop. Garden
lights and tulle were strung for an ethereal feel.

She wanted a cupcake tower and a cake he could cut with his Spanish sword.

I used garden pedestals and plywood covered with foil and bling to create a cake tower. The lovely cake topper was a family heirloom from her great-grandmother's 1937 wedding. I made a three-layer carrot cake for them to cut. We didn't have a groom's cake, so I used pinstriped cupcake holders for the groom and lace filigree holders for the bride.

Three tables made up the dessert buffet. We had the traditional nuts and mints
as well as a huge rose bowl of jelly beans (which were all gone by the end of the evening)

I made red velvet, German chocolate, strawberry, and pecan pie cupcakes.
We also had brownies and five kinds of cookies. My personal favorite was
the tart Key Lime cookie.

The strawberry cupcakes were frosted with a-to-die-for
buttercream frosting made with pureed strawberries. 

Personalized bottles of water in a galvanized tub lit
with submersible lights 

sat below childhood pictures of the couple. The screen blocked
the view of the kitchen & trash cans.

The guest signed the matting as a keepsake for the couple.

Banners made with a free printable were attached by tiny clothespins to twine.
One of my inexpensive ideas to cover bare white walls.

 I made a wreath with the couples initials for the front door of the reception hall. The
tables were covered with the shiny side of white craft paper and place around the outside
perimeter of the room. Additional chairs were brought in around the dance floor.
I added a touch of color to the room with flowers in mason jars banded
with silver burlap and coral ribbon. Candles in smaller mason jars were placed
 on either side of the flowers. I stuck flowers every place I could including the bathrooms

There was dancing by the young,

Fathers and daughters

Newlyweds and parents.

Girls talked and

boys watched.
(Note the silver mesh ribbon bows and flowers in each window)

This picture frame was to have been hung in the trees

and would have made beautiful pictures, but we had fun!

Photography courtesy of this kind gentleman, Dan Gill . Thank you
for sharing your talents.

The hostesses called it a success!

They left in a shower of glitter

And they lived happily ever after.

I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my life in the last week of May, 2013. Without the expectation of perfection you encounter less anxiety and stress. Life is much more satisfying if your self-worth is not tied up in perfectionism. 

Candy Bouquets

It's wedding season and I'm having a blast. The last two months have been busy preparing for the wedding of the oldest daughter in a family of nine children. This family takes care of my parents on a daily basis. Catering the reception is the least I can do in return. But mostly it's because I love to plan parties!
Budgetary constraints force me to be creative in my decorations. I'll share more after the wedding. My grandchild who must have something diary-free on the dessert buffet inspired this one. Buckets of candy!

A bag of suckers, a pail for the dollar bin at Target and floral
 foam from your craft store is all you need.

Trim foam to fit snuggly in the top of the bucket.

 Make sure the foam is snug enough that it rests at the top of the bucket.Looks like a green snowcone!

Insert first sucker in the center of foam and begin encircling
it with the next row. This could also be done with flowers.

 It was so much fun I made six of them. I didn't get a picture of the last one I did. All the suckers were butterflies! In retrospect I could have put bits of tulle on picks where filler was needed, but time was a constraint as well.

I plan to use the buckets again for a granddaughter's birthday party! How about using school colors for a graduation party or red, white and blue for 4th of July? The possibilities are endless....

My Mother-The Proverbs 31 Woman

Mom occasionally rode her mule Bandit to town and did
her banking in the drive-through. She stopped the practice
because the bank didn't appreciate the deposit left by the mule.
(Photo by Naylor Made Photography)

I knocked four kinds of poop off my boots and directed my Toyota Hybrid back to Dallas. A visit with mother leaves me in awe.She is the most amazing woman I know--the living, breathing picture of the woman described in Proverbs 31.*

Newlyweds

The eldest of four daughters born during the Great Depression to a West Texas cotton farmer, she was driving a Model-A pickup truck by the age of seven. By 12 she was not only driving a tractor in the fields, she cooked meals for the family, and took care of her younger sisters.Her parents sacrificed to send her to college where she met my father during her freshman year. Their love story had an auspicious beginning with her beaning him with a snowball from her dormitory window. He admired her spunk and strong arm. Almost 62 years later, she still knows how to get his attention. Generally, it's with a hot plate of food served on a tray in front of the television. However, Mom says there is no reason why a woman can't get anything she wants when she owns a 100% of the thing her husband wants the most.(A little naive, perhaps. I've known spouses to look for it other places, but not my dad.) 

The trailer had no indoor plumbing or refrigerator.

After a six-month courtship Mom and Dad married in July of 1951. When Dad graduated from college  they drove to California towing their home. Dad attended Golden Gate Seminary in San Francisco while building several small churches. To support his burgeoning family he worked as a carpenter, in a saw-mill, and for Union Oil. He wasn't home much, but he said every time he threw his pants on the end of the bed Mom got pregnant. Their first child, Randa, was born in 1952. Three more children followed in quick succession.

From left to right, Randa, age 6, Tim, age 2 1/2, Lacene, age 4 1/2. In front, Ranell, 2 months.

Mom is a great cook. Every hearty meal was homemade including the bread. It wasn't complete without our choice of homemade pie or cake for dessert. If we "only" had cookies it was served with ice cream. This explains much about my sugar addiction.
She made all our clothes and her's too. Very often our dresses and Tim's shirt came from the same bolt of fabric, a practice we resisted as we grew older. My love of fashion comes from my mother. She taught me to design my own clothes and choose the appropriate fabric. She also taught me to feel the fabric to judge its quality and squash it in your hand to see how it holds up with wear. She taught me to make the most of my figure. "An A-line skirt suits you best! A pencil skirt makes your behind look like two pigs wrestling to get out of a burlap sack." She was right. (Curvy girls take note!) She would piece together several different patterns and create my vision.
Her years as a missionary took her from the cotton fields of Texas to the tropical Philippines. She adapted to a new culture and learned a new language. She went from being a field hand to managing household help which included a cook, a laundress, and a gardener. She home-schooled all four of  us until we went to boarding school at age 14. Learning to let go may have been her hardest task.
Now 81-years old, Mom can still work circles around me. She and Dad live in an "assisted" living facility--Dad assists Mom and Mom assists Dad!--on seven acres in Whitesboro, Texas.
Mom rests in her recliner while watching the Mavericks and the Rangers play, but her hands are rarely still. She uses this quiet time to crochet. Every child, grandchild and great-grandchild in our family has one of her afghans. She's created and given away hundreds of crocheted stocking caps to friends, neighbors, store clerks, and waitresses.She's filled mission boxes going to Mexico with the same.

When she isn't crocheting, she shells beans, cracks pecans, and any other chore she can do while sitting still.

Stop by their home on Bones Chapel Road and you will be treated
 to a tour of the garden. I guarantee you won't leave empty-handed.

In spite of Mom's protests, Dad planted 1,100 onion plants.
Because everyone needs 1,100 onion plants.

They set out 85 tomato plants. This summer Mom will can tomatoes and tomato sauce
Part of the onions and tomatoes will go into picante sauce, The rest they will give away.
They will not go hungry next winter, nor will anyone they know.
 (The rusty buckets protect the plants from late spring freezes.)

A couple of rows of Dad's favorite flower, gladiolas, will brighten up the garden.

Tip for the organic gardener: Plant radishes within your row of
crookneck squash. It will keep the bugs at bay. 

Mom found a tiny mewling Coppertop tossed out on
the road in front of their house.

Rescued and loved, he never goes hungry either.

Fresh eggs are always available. The hens lay about 50 a day.
If you want rich yellow yolks try the duck eggs. She's got those too.
Mom supplements their income with what she can sell.

These ducklings were incubated and hatched in the laundry room.
Mom loves to nurture all living things. A telephone lineman stopped by
once with a tiny squirrel which had fallen out of a tree.
 Mom nursed it to health with a bottle.

I couldn't get a good picture of this hyper little pup, but she is
Mom's five-month old German Shepherd. Dad decided she needed
something to train besides him.

You can't talk about animals without including her horse. Mom is showing off a little bit,
but that's part of her too. She still rides, although it makes me a nervous wreck to watch her.
The bandage on her arm is where a chicken attacked her. He only did it once. We had him for lunch.
 You don't want to cross her.

My dad says, "The best thing I ever did as a father was pick you a great
 mother!" I quietly agree, but he also made her fee protected and loved her
 unconditionally. It gave her the freedom to be the best woman she could be.

I'll never be the woman my mother is but I keep trying. It just won't be on the farm.
Happy Mother's Day! So glad you are my mother!I

Proverbs 31:10-31 A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

If you get up to Whitesboro, it's about an hour north of Dallas, between Sherman and Gainesville on Texas Highway 82. You can spend a lovely afternoon browsing the shops on Main Street.

Shop at Lovejoy's On Main for a unique gift. Rita will fix you a sandwich in the tearoom or
have one of Hank's creations at the soda fountain.

If you are interested in gently used Antiques Cook's Main Street Mercantile is calling your name.
I found a white glass pitcher and lace tablecloth for a wedding reception at very reasonable prices.
 The company and conversation were priceless. Tell them Lace said to stop by!
You can find them at !www.facebook.com/CooksMainStreetMercantile‎

Mom and I enjoyed a yummy old-fashioned burger and fries at the The Finish Line Diner across the street. We couldn't help but gawk at the gentleman in the next booth. Served the largest hotdog I've ever seen, topped with chili, cheese and onion rings, he was forced to use a fork and knife to get it to his mouth.