Red Velvet Cake Parfaits

Looking for a sinful, tasty and rich dessert?! I have just the ticket to please that sweet tooth! I recently hosted a lunch at my house. Being as OCD as I am, I needed to pick the perfect entree, beverage and dessert. Took what felt like hours of scrolling through Pinterest to find an idea. Okay lets be real for a moment, it did take hours of scrolling because I always get distracted while using the app. What starts out as looking for one item, turns into 50 new pins! Tell me I’m not alone here…

Anyhow… I decided to serve Chicken Caesar Salad Skillet, Sparkling Cran-Pom Punch, and Red Velvet Cake Parfaits. I don’t want to toot my own horn (okay yes I do… TOOT! TOOT!), but all three of these items were fantastic!

Hope you take the time to make this yourself… your taste buds will thank you!

RED VELVET CAKE PARFAITS

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 1 Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• For the Filling:
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup half and half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray or wipe sides and bottom with vegetable oil.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine cake with eggs, oil and water. Beat for 30 seconds on low, scrape sides, then beat for 1-2 more minutes or until the batter is smooth. Pour into 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set cake aside to cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, half and half, and butter. Beat until smooth. While continuing to beat, gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat in the milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
4. In containers of your choosing (I chose large red wine glasses to see the layers), break cake into small pieces at the bottom of the container. The cake layer should be about one inch high. Add a layer of custard (I did about 2-3 large spoonfuls for this part). Then add another layer of cake, and another of custard. Top with whipped topping, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or serve as is. Will make 12 small parfaits or 6 large parfaits.
5. Refrigerate and serve.

A day with my one year old son…

I have two boys, ages eight and one. My oldest was a dream baby. He was a pretty great toddler too. My youngest though… He’s another story. He is my karma for every naughty thing I did and instance of back talking to my mom. And he’s only 19 months old!!

This is his daily tantrum for having to wake up.

Any typical day consists of him throwing ALL his clothes out of his dresser. Pulling EVERY book off his organized book shelf (I’m OCD-that will be another blog post). Dragging the poor dog around the house by her tail or collar. Throwing my Pampered Chef kitchen utensils in the garbage. Climbing on TOP of the desk and throwing things to the floor. Escaping into the (fenced) backyard while I try to pee by myself. Taking ash out of the wood stove and throwing it on the floor. Eating dog food (this happens many times… EVERYDAY). Climbing on top of bed drawers to get on my bed. Ripping EVERY DVD off my alphabetized (OCD again) shelves. Dumping cereal all over the floor. Escaping into the garage any chance he gets. Throwing all the soil out of my raised garden beds. Destroying anything in big brothers room when given an opportunity. Pulling everything out of my desk drawers, including tacks.

Escapes to the backyard while I use the bathroom.

Now before you sit there and judge me for not supervising my toddler let me remind you that these little humans are quick… Like ninjas! As I clean up one mess he’s busy causing chaos in another room. Most of the time I can’t use the restroom alone, and when I do, I come out to what looks to be a typhoon that destroyed my house. I turn my head for one minute or attempt to cook supper and he’s on a mission to annihilate something.

Taking my alphabetized DVDs off the shelf. 

One would hope that with all the energy he gets out during the day, that he would sleep ten hours and through the night. But nope… He wakes up every 2-3 hours all night and he doesn’t just roll over and fall back to sleep. He screams bloody murder and throws giant tantrums. They may only last a few minutes and then he falls back to sleep but it leaves me awake for awhile every time.

Climbing on older brothers desk!

But I wouldn’t trade ANY of it for anything. He is my baby boy and I love him with everything I have. I don’t mind having a chaperone in the restroom or having to shower with a toddler. I can handle the lack of sleep and tantrums and utter chaos because I know he will only stay little for a short time. He is our last child and I will value and soak up every last one of these moments.

Climbs on anything he can.

**I’m not looking for advice on how to control my toddler or help him sleep at night. So please don’t offer unwanted advice. If you think I’m looking for advice, than please be sure to read the paragraph above this one again!!**

Why I Homeschool

I home school my second grade son. This is a decision that my husband and I made back in January after ongoing issues with his school. I can’t blame the school district. My son was diagnosed with severe ADHD and moderate ODD. This is a battle we have chosen to attack without medications. There is nothing wrong with medications. We just decided that it wasn’t the best decision for OUR family. Since we chose not to medicate we felt that the school no longer wanted to ‘deal’ with our son. He started coming home feeling sad and talking down about himself. Protective momma bear came out at this point. When I requested an evaluation for an IEP, I was declined. They stated his issues were behavioral and not educational since he excelled in academics. Yet his behavioral issues affected his every day life at school. Didn’t add up to me.

My husband and I talked about homeschooling, and talked about it some more. And then even more. This wasn’t a decision we took lightly. I researched the pros and cons of homeschooling. I spoke to my mom, my step-mom and three of my close friends about the situation. It is always nice when you have people that you care about, who support your decisions. I was able to find an AMAZING e-learning program through the school district. It has been a fantastic alternative. He is learning many subjects now that he wasn’t before and we can work his school day around him and HIS needs. On his rougher days we take more breaks and most of his school work is complete while he bounces on a medicine ball. Whatever it takes for him to focus and retain the information is all I care about.

Before you tell me that my child needs socialization, you need to realize that you don’t know my family.  We attend a weekly hands-on Science class. A Speech class twice a week. My son plays football, we have friends and family with children he can play with. We often go to the library, parks and local events where he interacts with other children. I support any parent and the choices they make regarding THEIR child(s) education. Because at the end of the day, who am I to judge…

Of course I think there are MANY other benefits to homeschooling also. My son doesn’t seem to do well with his studies in the early morning. We can take our time at waking up and enjoying our coffee (he drinks hot cocoa). We can do schoolwork while wearing pajamas. When school is complete we can head to the park, or library or run any necessary errands. I don’t have to worry about school shootings. We can take vacations without worrying about missing class. And most of all I LOVE watching him learn new things. He gets so excited when something ‘clicks’ and to be honest, it boosts my self-esteem to know that I helped him. These are just a few more of the pros that I feel with homeschooling. It is not for everyone, and that’s okay. For now, this is what works for MY son and OUR family.

Photo Credit to azulinya at Flickr.com

Do/did you home school? What programs do you use?

© 2016 THE JEWELLS WITHIN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

The Lost Art of Mix Tapes

Were you one of those people that would spend hours, sometimes days, perfecting your mix tape?? I sure was… circa 1998 or so. I didn’t have the technology to burn CD’s until years later. And even then, it was never the same. There was something euphoric about hearing a song come on the radio and pressing RECORD on my boombox. Yes, I said boombox.

For those of you that do not know what a mix tape is, let me enlighten you. A mix tape is a home-made compilation of music, recorded in a certain order, traditionally to an audio-cassette. Selections can be favorite songs, or linked to a certain mood, or tailored to the tape’s intended recipient. More about mix tapes here.

 

Photo Credit to PhotoPin

Even once I had the software and materials to burn CD’s, it was just never the same for me. Sure, hand picking music to (legally) download was fun and all. But it never gave me the exhilarated feeling that I would get when I would hear a song on the radio that I wanted to record. I feel like I may the only person who feels this way, but I accept that.

Photo Credit  to memegenerator.net

My music selection would vary depending on my mood. I had three or four different tapes that I would record and re-record over a million times. Songs from Lynyrd Skynryd. Bone Thugs N Harmony. Johnny Cash. En Vogue. Reba McEntire. And even N’SYNC. I am proud to say that I am a music lover of many genres. Still to this day I can listen to Kid Rock and then follow it with some Adele. Just who I am.

Sure these days I have playlists on my IPod. I love my playlists. I have my mellow mix. My outlaw country. My gangsta rap. Plus countless more. Then there are my playlists for individual artists. Maroon 5, AC/DC, Eminem, Jack Johnson and many more. I just don’t feel the same passion that I felt with my mix tapes.

I don’t have a point to this post, so I hope you weren’t looking for one. But if you share my lost love for mix tapes comment below with the songs you remember recording on your boombox!

My 2016 Reading Challenge

I love reading. For many reasons. Reading helps with creativity. It exercises the mind, it develops imagination, and it improves concentration. Reading is one of those things that the more you do it, the better you get at it. It improves your vocabulary and language skills. It also can teach you about the world around you. I think the most important thing for me; is it calms my mind, helps me relax and is a great form of entertainment.

For as far back as I can remember, I have loved reading. I remember reading the following books when I was an adolescent.

 

• Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol
• The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin
• Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine
• Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal
• The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Since the birth of my youngest, I have been in a bit of a reading funk. So in December I decided to join a group on Goodreads with the challenge of reading 52 books in 52 weeks. One for each week of the year. So far I’m trucking along just as I should be! A few weeks I have slacked and didn’t read, but I made up for it the next week.
Here is what I’ve read so far this year:

• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
• Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
• Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
• The Selection by Kiera Cass
• The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
• The Elite by Kiera Cass
• The One by Kiera Cass
• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• All The Things We Never Knew by Sheila Hamilton
• Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass
• The Heir by Kiera Cass

I have my books planned out (subject to change) and look forward to crushing this challenge!! Out of the 13 books I have read so far, I have enjoyed 11 of them. So far my picks have been great choices to help get me back into reading. Follow my journey on Goodreads here.

 

What books did you read as an adolescent? Do you enjoy reading? What books have you read this year or do you plan on reading before the year end?

Vision Boards

I tend to be better at achieving my goals when I can look at pictures as a reminder and for motivation. I have made many vision boards in the past. When I was an independent consultant for a direct sales company, we made a vision board of our goals. Not just for our business, but life in general. It was amazing the ideas a person comes up with when they have a magazine full of pictures to get inspired with. Lately I have utilized Pinterest to make myself a vision board.  I think it’s an amazing tool to visualize your goals and help you plan your attack on achieving these goals.

When you surround yourself with pictures of what you want, your goals, and your wishes, your life slowly takes shape to match those desires. This process is called visualization. When you repeat the same thoughts every day, your mind is determined to act on them. This is how habits are formed. The thoughts that fill your mind initiate you to take action. The purpose of a vision board is to help maintain focus on what you want, who you want to be and/or any goals or desires you may have in your life. Your vision board is yours to design and layout however you see fit. You can put anything on your vision board that motivates and inspires you. You can have one giant one, or many smaller ones that focus on individual areas of your life. It’s completely up to you!

What you’ll need to make your own vision board:

• Any kind of material for your board. Poster board, cardboard, cork board, etc.
• Glue, scissors, tape, scrapbook paper, decorative embellishments, markers, etc.
• Magazines that you can cut images from.
• Pictures, quotes, letters from friends/family, etc.
• Some of your favorite music in the background and a glass of your favorite beverage!

When you put your items on your board you can do it neatly and orderly, or overlapping and cluttered. Lay everything out first so you can get an idea of where you want everything to go and when it’s exactly how you want it, glue those babies down! Keep it somewhere where you can see it daily and edit it as you need to.

Photo Credit to PhotoPin

Check out my Pinterest Vision Board here.

 

© 2016 THE JEWELLS WITHIN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED