Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

I know, I know. You're probably sick of pumpkin and pumpkin spice by now. The good news: you only have to put up with it for about another month. However, I highly suggest you try this cheesecake while pumpkin is in. Because let's be honest: as soon as pumpkin goes out of season, you're likely to miss it.

So this past weekend was my neighborhood's trick-or-treat. We get HUNDREDS of kids. If someone is giving out candy, they better stock up or else they'll be out within twenty minutes. Every year I come across a house where the resident had to run to the store to refill.

(Yes, I still dress up. Don't judge me.)

My friend Karissa and me handing out candy to the little trick-or-treat-ers. (Bonus points if you can guess Karissa's costume!)

I usually have friends over during this time, so I knew I needed to have some sort of fall treat that wasn't candy.

And what's better than pumpkin cheesecake?

I already have a fabulous cheesecake recipe, but, unfortunately, I didn't have all of the ingredients to make that. So I came up with a simpler recipe. This one tastes like cheesecake, but also tastes like pumpkin pie (which my other recipe does not taste like).

The crust is pretty much a simple shortbread. 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 cup of softened butter all mixed together and set in an 8x8 pan.

The cheesecake is different than my other cheesecake because I use less creamy stuff. This cheesecake calls for 8 oz of low-fat cream cheese (although you could use regular), 1/2 cup sugar. 1 egg, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree.

Mix it all together, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and you get this nice, creamy filling that tastes like pumpkin pie in cheesecake form.

Let me tell you, it was a big hit with my friends and family.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter

Cheesecake:

8 oz low fat cream cheese (the kind that starts with an "n;" you could also use regular cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Place flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You should have a pasty mixture when your dough is ready.

Spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the dough into the pan and press to cover the bottom (and if you can, go part way up the sides). Make sure there's no holes!

Bake crust at 350 degrees for about twelve minutes.

While crust is baking, cream the cheese and sugar in a bowl with the electric mixer. Once creamy, add the egg and beat until mixed. After that, add the spice, vanilla, and pumpkin and beat until everything is mixed and creamy.

When the crust is done, remove from the oven and pour the filling in.

Bake the cheesecake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool, then place in fridge overnight, then serve and enjoy!

So be honest: are you really sick of pumpkin spice?

Cheers!

Molly

Maple Pecan Pancakes

Just because I am banned from making pumpkin-spice breakfasts, that doesn’t mean I can’t use other fall flavors; I just need to be a little more creative. Thankfully Mom told me that she was craving maple pecan pancakes, so that got the brainstorming out of the way and I was able to focus on the recipe itself.

First, mix up your dry ingredients. This includes 1 cup of both all-purpose and whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; and a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

Then, in a separate bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups of milk, ½ cup of applesauce, ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of maple extract.

Once your wet ingredients are mixed, add the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.

Pour batter on a nonstick griddle (preheated to about 375 degrees). While the pancakes are frying, add about ½ tablespoon of chopped pecans to each pancake. 

Flip the pancake when bubbles on top start to pop, and fry for another couple minutes.

Serve, or keep warm in an oven (preheated to about 200 degrees) until your family is ready to eat. My family took quite a while to get downstairs, so I had to keep their pancakes warm in the oven.

Both Mom and Kyle loved the pancakes, although Kyle was probably just happy that I didn’t use pumpkin.

Maple Pecan Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup applesauce

¼ cup Greek yogurt

2 eggs

2 Tbsp maple extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle to 350-375 degrees.

Mix up 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, and 2 Tbsp of brown sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 2 Tbsp of maple extract. When all these are mixed together, add the dry ingredients.

Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle. While the pancakes are frying, add ½ Tbsp of chopped pecans to each pancake.

Flip the pancakes when the bubbles on the batter start to pop, and fry for another couple minutes.

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Cheers!

Molly

Motivational Monday 10 - The Blank Slate

Disclosure: I have consumed more chocolate bars than I care to count over the past 24 hours. Therefore if my post does not make sense, please don’t blame me; blame the sugar. Thank you.

My neighborhood had their trick-or-treat this weekend, and I have no self-control when it comes to snacking, so I have probably consumed about 2,000 calories worth of chocolate from late Saturday night until early Sunday evening.

Candy is delicious, but only good in moderation!

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog, you probably know that I’m also a health-buff and promote healthy living. So you can probably jump to the conclusion that not only am I physically ill from all this sugar, but I am also a bit disappointed with my lack of self-control.

However, there is good news: tomorrow is a new day.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that no matter how badly we may screw up, we always have a chance to get it right the next day? It doesn’t change the fact that we did mess up, but it does mean that we don’t have to be defined by our mistakes. Tomorrow is always tabula rasa, or a blank slate. We have the choice to either make the same mistake again or learn from our mistake and make new choices based on that.

Now, the fact that there is always a tomorrow does not give someone the excuse to screw up over and over again. If you start the day thinking that you’ll get it right the next day, or the next day, or the next day, you pretty much give up your right to the blank slate theory. Tomorrows are meant to redeem mistakes, not confirm them. Besides, infinite tomorrows are not a guarantee.

No matter what mistakes someone may make today, that doesn’t mean they have to be defined by them. People learn by their mistakes; so instead of saying, “I’m a failure because I failed,” try saying, “I might have failed, but now I know what doesn’t work and that will help me figure out what does work.” Trial and error.

So while I might have cheated severely on my diet today, that doesn’t mean that I’ve completely screwed up my life and I have no other choice but to give up healthy living. I can have a fresh start tomorrow (which will probably include a couple meal-replacement smoothies and/or a salad, along with several glasses of water).

Remember: just because someone made a mistake today, that doesn’t mean all of their tomorrows will be the same.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go into a sugar coma for the next several hours.

Cheers!

Molly

The Amazing Green Tea

Image courtesy of Sabrina Bailey from The Red Room Photography

I used to hate green tea. It always left me with a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, and I preferred herbal or black tea. But I ran out of black tea one day and I needed a caffeine fix to start my day (and I hate coffee), so I decided to try some jasmine green tea. I realized that with a touch of honey, it wasn’t too bad.

Since that day I have switched to drinking green tea every morning. Mixed with honey and lemon, it doesn’t leave that bitter taste in my mouth.

Green tea has a ton of health benefits. I used to be skeptical when I would read how it was supposed to help with weight loss, but after drinking four cups a day (2 in the morning and two decaffeinated at night), it helped me to lose 2 lbs in one week! I had plateaued, and adding in that extra green tea really helped boost my metabolism.

There are plenty of other benefits of drinking green tea. Here are just a few:

• Improves blood flow and aids in heart health
• Improves brain function
• Reduces the risk of some cancers
• Aids in cholesterol health
• Great for skin care

For more information on the benefits of green tea, you can visit this website here. There are also a bunch of other websites out there that explain the benefits of green tea, but this one uses a nice list for convenience.

Tea is a great substitute for sugary beverages like pop. Even if you add one tablespoon of honey to your tea, you’re still saving a ton of calories! If you’re looking for an easy way to live a healthier lifestyle, drinking tea instead of these sugary beverages is a great step to take!

What is your favorite tea to drink?

Cheers!

Molly

Peanut Butter Oat Muffins

How many people complain that healthy snacks are too expensive? I know it’s a conversation that’s come up a few times in my family. It seems like it costs more money to eat healthy than to splurge on junk food.

Well, I decided last week that I wanted a healthy snack that didn’t require spreading peanut butter on some fruit or grabbing a handful of almonds to munch on (which are my go-to healthy snacks). Unfortunately, I was presented with the dilemma that I described above. (Plus, I didn’t want to go to the store.)

Having a good chunk of time to spare, I decided that I would bake something healthy. I loved the first batch of these so much that I made a second when they ran out, and now I love them even more because I was able to tweak the recipe.

So here is a recipe for a relatively cheap snack that you can make for yourself! (One that requires peanut butter, but you don’t spread it on fruit!)

First, mix 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup oats, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in a mixing bowl.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 1 1/2 Tbsp Stevia liquid.

Once the liquid ingredients are mixed, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter and stir.

After the peanut butter is added to the liquid mixture, add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Line a muffin tray with wrappers and spray the wrappers with nonstick cooking spray. Note: adorable owl wrappers are not necessary for the taste, but are essential for the adorable-ness.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Side note: Mom and I love these muffins, but Kyle thinks they’re too “lite” (i.e. healthy). You might be able to convince your kids to try them by adding ½ cup of dark chocolate chips to the batter.

Peanut Butter Oat Muffins

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 ½ Tbsp Stevia liquid (if you’re using sugar, this Stevia brand that I use id 4x as sweet as sugar. You can do the math if you want to use sugar!)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 eggs

¼ cup peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the stevia, applesauce, yogurt, and eggs until blended.

Once the liquid ingredients are mixed, add the peanut butter. This step might seem a little tricky, but if you keep stirring the peanut butter will loosen up and incorporate into the batter.

After the peanut butter has been mixed in with the liquid ingredients, add half of the dry ingredients and stir. Once mixed, add the rest of the dry ingredients. (The batter is going to be really thick.)

Line a muffin tin with muffin papers and spray the papers with nonstick cooking spray. 

Add a spoonful of the batter to each paper (I eyeball it, but it was probably about ¾ of the way full). Bake for 15-18 minutes; test with a toothpick (stick a toothpick in the middle and pull out; if it comes out clean, your muffins are done).

Let cool for a few minutes, then eat and enjoy.

Makes about 14 muffins. Calories: 110, Protein: 4.7 g

What are some of your go-to healthy snacks?

Cheers!

Molly

Motivational Monday 9 - Think Twice Before Giving Up

Some days I just feel like giving up. I want to give up on my future and drop out of school; I want to give up on healthy living and eat whatever I feel like and not force my body to do what it doesn’t want to do (i.e. workout); I want to give up on everything and just lie in bed and binge watch hours of Netflix. Life is just too hard sometimes, but, surprisingly, I keep going.

The most stressful thing in my life right now is school. My life could have so much less tension if I just dropped out. I wouldn’t have to worry about going back after graduating with my associate degree; I wouldn’t have to worry about how I’m going to afford to pay to go back, and I wouldn’t have to worry about writing essays for these scholarships that I may or may not get. And maybe if I dropped out, I would stop grinding my teeth, which, I just discovered, I picked up over the past couple months.

Whenever I think about giving up (on anything, not just school), I remind myself how far I’ve come. Would I really throw in the towel after all the effort I’ve put in? Even if I’ve experienced slight setbacks, there’s no reason for me to just quit. I love the saying, “Giving up on a dream just because of a setback is like slashing your other three tires after getting a flat;” I think this saying really puts things in perspective for me.

A few months back I decided to fill out a scholarship application. It was through Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college honor society that I’m a member of, and I was told that it was just one common application and it was fairly simple. The deadline was coming up in like a week or two. One of my chapter advisors kept telling us that we wouldn’t win if we didn’t apply, so I decided that I would at least try. After all, it was supposedly an easy application to fill out.

Whoever said that it was an easy application had lied.

Image courtesy of Google images.

For the application, I needed to scan both my birth certificate and social security card and upload them to prove that I am, in fact, me. I needed to answer a ton of questions. Then I was faced with a bunch of essay questions that I had no idea how to answer. Then I needed a recommendation letter from a professor or advisor. I also needed to fill out information for my chapter advisor, which was a lot more difficult than it should have been.

Filling out that application was one of the most stressful moments of my freshman year of college. I was about halfway through when I realized that it was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated. Even though it was stressing me out and I wanted to quit, I told myself, “I’ve already put so much effort into this thing; the least I can do is finish it.” And so I did.

And guess what?

I was contacted a couple weeks ago and they told me that I had been selected as one of the winners.

If I had decided to give up, if I had decided that it would be easier to just quit, then I wouldn’t have gotten the award. The same goes for all aspects of life; you don’t get the reward if you give up.

So the next time you feel like giving up on something, remind yourself how far you’ve come. Remind yourself of what you’re working towards. Remind yourself that nothing that’s worth it is ever easy, and everything worth having takes effort.

Keep at it. Don’t get discouraged and do not give up.

Cheers!

Molly

Can't spare 30 minutes to workout? No problem!

The world is a busy place. I get that. Because everybody’s always running around, sometimes people feel like they don’t have time to work out. Well, 30 minutes out of your day won’t kill you (although depending on the intensity of your workout you might think otherwise).

Still, though, people cringe at the idea of spending 30 minutes out of their day to better themselves. If this is you, I’ve got great news: you can get a killer workout in 10 minutes.

Now, I would really rather you spend 20 or 30 minutes out of your day exercising, but if you really don’t have the time, I’ve got some awesome workout videos (shared via Popsugar) that are 10 minutes or less. 

Just remember: since you’re only doing these for 10 minutes, you really need to push yourself to get results!

I'm sure everyone is familiar with the P90X workout hype. I've never tried it personally, but I know people who have. I think they're crazy, but this 10 minute workout designed by the P90X creator is OK. It gets your heart pumping and burns calories in only 10 minutes!

Tabata is another workout that's gaining popularity. I love Tabata workouts (and also hate them) because they work to train your metabolism in 4 minutes or less! A full Tabata workout consists of 8 rounds, with each round 4 minutes long. This video (above) consists of two rounds of Tabata, so it's not TOO bad.

Inner thighs: probably the WORST trouble zone out there. This workout really works to target this particular trouble zone. Get ready to tone your inner thighs as well as blast your heart rate! Remember: you can do anything for 10 minutes!

Looking for a workout that tones and sculpts your arms? Look no further! This workout really works your biceps and triceps. Grab two sets of weights (they recommend 3s and 5s) and press play!

Need an ab workout in under 10 minutes? Click the image above and press play on the video!

I don't want to hear you say that you don't have time to workout. Everyone surely has 10 minutes each day to spend bettering themselves. How can you be expected to take care of your friends and family if you don't even spend time taking care of you? I know you can do this - you just gotta believe in yourself and make it a priority to take better care of yourself!

Have fun sweating!

Molly

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 nook Giveaway

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK Giveaway, Hosted by Mommy's Block Party

Great news, readers! My friend Ondria Witt from the blog Mommy's Block Party had the chance to review a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, and now she's hosting a giveaway! I personally prefer old-fashioned, hard-cover books, but I must admit that tablets ARE a lot more convenient for travel, and they take up less space than my super-crowded bookshelf.

Here's some of what Ondria has to say about the NOOK:

"We are living in a digital world, and honey, I'm a digital girl. If there's one thing that I may very well be addicted to, other than coffee, it's my devices. I sort of feel lost without them now, because I really rely on them for work purposes, and enjoy having them on hand for down time. I use my Samsung Galaxy phone a lot- I mean, I'm on it all day long, doing everything from taking pictures, scheduling events, answering e-mails, making calls, etc. I am a huge Samsung Galaxy fan- I love the way my phone functions, and wouldn't switch to any other brand for anything.

"At the end of the day, when I am getting that last little bit of work finished up, or want to read or unwind by playing a game for a few minutes, I turn to my Nook by Barnes and Noble. Last Christmas, my parents gifted me a Nook HD, and I have been in love with it from day one. Everything from the display to the apps, and of course the B&N Nook Shop. When I heard that Barnes & Noble was teaming up with Samsung to create the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, I was out of this world excited, and even more so when I was offered the opportunity to try one out for myself!"

Read Ondria's full review over at Mommy's Block Party!

About the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook by Barnes & Noble...

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is the first-ever full-featured tablet optimized for reading. The 7-inch tablet combines Samsung’s leading technology and NOOK’s extraordinary content and reading experience. Perfect for the bookworm that loves to discover and explore, the new NOOK by Samsung boasts tablet tools for everyday use and an endless collection of reading and entertainment options, letting readers connect to the world when they need to, and escape from it whenever they want. In short, this cutie is everything you need!

Even More Great Features...

*Includes $200 FREE Content

Buy the Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK and we'll give you over $200 of bestselling books, magazines, and TV shows absolutely FREE, plus a $5 starter credit. It's the perfect way to see what NOOK has to offer.

*Reading, Meet Technology

NOOK has integrated an award-winning reading experience with leading edge technology, which means you can connect to the world when you need, and escape from it when you want.

*Tools for Everyday Life

Front- and rear-facing cameras let you take and share pictures or chat with family, while the built-in GPS enables location-based apps1 to give you helpful information when you need it most.

*Raise Your Tablet Standards

Use two apps at once with our Multi Window™ feature2, and store more movies and music when you expand the memory with a microSD card3. Why settle for less?

*Personalized Experience

Make your tablet your own—even if you're sharing it. NOOK Profiles let every family member create a personalized space to keep what they love separate from those they love.

*Incredible Display

Designed with stunning resolution, it's easy to get lost in a thrilling movie or action-packed game, flip through your favorite magazine, and enjoy the latest popular apps.

*Only From NOOK

With years of bookselling experience, NOOK offers you more than just a great tablet. You'll get personalized recommendations and exclusively curated collections, plus an amazing array of interactive kids books, learning apps & more.

*NOOK Support

Visit your local Barnes & Noble for free in-person support, or select your device to get answers, register your NOOK, find warranty information & more. 

Want It? Buy It!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is available for $179.99 after a $20 instant rebate, and includes more than $200 in free content from the NOOK Store including bestselling books, popular TV shows, top magazines and more. It’s the perfect value buy for your loved ones. Head on over to Barnes & Noble to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, or to purchase yours, today. You can also purchase this device, and other accessories in store at Barnes & Noble, as well as receive NOOK support. Barnes & Noble is social, and you can connect with them through Facebook & Twitter. You can also connect directly with NOOK through Facebook & Twitter, as well.

Want It? Win It!

So are you tech-savvy and dying to try the NOOK out? Or have you run out of bookshelf (like me) and need a more convenient place to store your books? Well, thanks to the wonderful people from Barnes & Noble, one lucky person will win their very own Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK! This prize is valued at $179.99. Option to select color choice is NOT available. This giveaway is open to US residents, only- 18 and older. No PO Boxes. Just use the handy RC giveaway entry form below to enter for your chance to win this awesome prize!

Special thanks to our friends at Barnes & Noble/NOOK for allowing Mommy's Block Party to try out the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, and for sponsoring this exciting giveaway for our readers!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Mommy's Block Party received a loaner Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK to try and experience. All thoughts and opinions shared are those of MBP Owner, Ondria Witt. Barnes and Noble and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Winner will be selected and notified by the MBP team, and MBP will ship the prize directly to the winner, who must reside in the US and complete required entry fields in order to be eligible to win. Only one entrant per household.

Want to see your product featured on Mommy's Block Party? Contact Ondria Witt at themommyblog83@gmail.com.

A God Who Cares

Photo courtesy of Sabrina Bailey from The Red Room Photography.

Isn’t it amazing how God cares for each and every one of us, no matter how trivial our problems seem? You would think that with all the troubles going on in the world right now, God wouldn’t have time to worry about us all individually and take notice of our problems. Yet still he does take the time to notice us and care and provide for us.

I have a lot going on right now. I’m going to be graduating from my community college in May, and I need to decide if I’m going to transfer to another college after that (and all the stuff that goes with that). I’ve got all of these worries and doubts floating around my head that I sometimes don’t know what to do; sometimes I think I’ve figured something out, then I change my mind, then I change it again.

Although my problems seem pretty big and important to me, I know they pale in comparison to everything that’s going on in the world right now. We’ve got wars/potential wars in several different countries, we’ve got the ISIS issue, we’ve got global poverty, and these things are just a few of the issues going on in our world. One girl trying to decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life shouldn’t be an important issue to God, but it is.

Last night while I was praying I felt urged to turn to Philippians 4:19. I was skeptical at first, and I thought I was just making stuff up because Philippians 4 contains one of my favorite verses, but I turned there anyways. This is what it says:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

And it didn’t stop there. God used the entire book of Philippians to speak to me last night. The next verse was Philippians 4: 6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The next:

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.

It went on like that for a while. There are so many problems going on in the world, but God took time to speak to me and help me realize that everything will be alright. Although I know that God loves me and cares for me as an individual, I still feel like my problems aren’t worth his concern. Then he steps up and gently reminds me that he’s always going to be there for me, no matter what I’m going through.

God promises to always be with us, no matter our circumstances:

“When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3

So the next time you feel like your problems aren’t worth talking about with God, remind yourself that he cares. If he can take time to talk me through my worries and doubts about my future, even though there’s so much going on in the world right now, he can, and will, take time to care for you, too.

Cheers!

Molly

Motivational Monday 8 - Stress and Your Ability to Survive It

You are always so much stronger than you think you are. You always have more to give – you just gotta dig a little deeper. It’s true when you’re pushing your body to its limits when working out, and it’s true when you’re facing an emotionally trying time.

But just because you can survive it doesn't mean that you should intentionally be putting yourself in stressful situations. Everybody has a breaking point. No one can deal with having an enormous amount of stress placed on their shoulders without dealing with consequences. Psychological studies have shown that stress has real impact on our bodies, so it’s best to avoid it as much as possible. However, unfortunately, you can’t always avoid it.

When you absolutely cannot avoid being under stress, at least take time to remind yourself that you have within you the ability to survive your circumstances. You might feel like you’re going crazy, but please know that you can and will survive. Still, you might want to keep a close eye on your health.

Stress is not something to take lightly. Don’t intentionally put yourself in stressful situations. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t go rock climbing. If you feel like a certain relationship is pulling you down, cut ties with that person or seek counseling. Also, if your life circumstances really are too much for you to handle, go see a therapist.

On the other hand, no stress at all can also be harmful. Stress can keep us from becoming numb to our surroundings. Good stress is called eustress and it is a real thing (don’t believe me? Look it up!). Don’t live your life inside a bubble because you’re so scared of what might happen. Surviving is not the same thing as living. Thriving is what you want to aim for.

So to reiterate what I’ve just said (which is the whole point of a conclusion), stress can be harmful to you, but avoiding stress can keep you from living your life. The key is to know your breaking point: when you feel like you’ve officially reached that breaking point, seek help, whether from family, friends, or professionals. Just remember: you are usually stronger than you think you are, and you do have the ability to survive much more than you think you can.

Cheers!

Molly 

Crock Pot Giveaway (Open to US only, ends 10/31)

Ultimate Crock-Pot Crock-Star Contest and ‪#‎Giveaway‬ ‪#‎CrockStars‬

As you probably know from my recipe posts, I LOVE cooking meals in Crock Pots! I can put the meal in to cook in the morning before I head off to school, then dinner is all ready ready for us by the time I get back. It's simple, easy, and there's so many options (including healthy ones)!

If you're on the lookout for a Crock Pot, now's your chance to win one! I'm helping promote a giveaway that Kelly from Kelly's Thoughts on Things is hosting. Here's what she has to say:

 I absolutely love cooking. Food is a passion of mine, and I really enjoy experimenting with different flavor profiles and cooking techniques. I love using my Crock Pot whenever I can, just because it is so much easier for me when I have a busy schedule, I can put all my ingredients together set the timer and go. My family is still getting a wonderful home cooked meal and I save myself time doing that.   One of my favorite and delicious recipes to make is called - Fall Off The Bone Ribs. This a very easy 3 ingredient recipe. I love cooking this hearty dinner for my family and being able to make it in t acrock pot makes it so much easier. Check out my video by going to the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9jRKaFYA9E

Fall Off The Bone BBQ Ribs 

Ingredients: 

1 (2-3 lb) rack of ribs (I use pork loin ribs) 

3 1/2 cups pineapple juice (reserving 1/4 cup for later) 

1 1/2 cups brown sugar 

1 (16 oz) bottle BBQ sauce (I love Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy sauce)

Directions: 

Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner to make clean up a breeze!).

Take your slab of ribs (make sure that they are defrosted) and cut into individual slabs (about 2-3 ribs each). Throw the ribs into the slow cooker. Mix the pineapple juice and brown sugar together and pour over the ribs. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours or LOW for 10-12 hours.

After they are done in the slow cooker, use tongs to gently pull them out (they will literally fall apart when you touch them). Turn the grill on medium heat. While the grill is warming up, mix together the bottle of BBQ sauce and the 1/4 cup of pineapple juice you saved from earlier.

Place the ribs gently on the grill and brush with BBQ sauce. Turn the ribs twice, slathering with more sauce each time (you can’t have enough sauce!); they will take about 10-15 minutes to glaze over (as soon as that sauce starts to turn sticky, you know they are done!).

Right now Crock-Pot® is hosting the Ultimate Crock-Pot® Crock Star competition. The winner will receive $5,000 and a feature on CrockPot.com and more. Right now, through October 31st, you can enter to be one of the Ultimate Crock Star contest #CrockStars. All entrants enter the contest with a 1-2 minute "selfie style" video of them preparing their favorite slow cooker recipes! Make sure you head on over and enter the Ultimate Crock-Pot Crock Star Competition.

Giveaway:

Crock-Pot® 6-Qt “Browning” Slow Cooker w/ Stovetop-Safe Pot

• Perfect for browning foods to develop maximum flavors before the slow cooking process begins
• Features a removable, 6-Qt. DuraCeramic™ stovetop-safe cooking pot.
• Use it on the stove, in the slow cooker, or both! 
• With its brushed stainless steel finish, it will look great anywhere. 
• A digital timer counts down the cooking time, then automatically shifts to warm when cooking is done. 
• And, one pot cooking means there’s less to clean after dinner.
• MSRP: $79.99 (available on crockpot.com)

Crock-Pot would not only like to invite my readers to join the contest to win $5,000, but they would like to give one of my amazing readers their own Crock-Pot! This Giveaway is open to US residents only, ages 18 and older. The Giveaway will run from October 12, 2014 until 11:59pm EST on October 31,2014. One entry per household. Kelly’s Thoughts On Things is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Enter using the Giveaway Tools Form Below.

Entry-Form

EVOLOGIE Review and Giveaway (Open to US only, ends November 1st, 2014)

Disclosure: I received free products in exchange for this honest review. These opinions are honest and my own, and they may differ from other's opinions.

As a teenager, I suffered from horrible breakouts and greasy skin. I could not find anything that would treat my acne, and I tried everything from name brand products to organic treatments. It got to the point where I had to have my doctor prescribe an ointment. The ointment worked pretty well, but then my insurance stopped paying for it and the generic treatment that they would pay for didn’t work.

One day my mom introduced me to this new product that she’d discovered. Because I’d tried basically everything, and had less than satisfying results, I was extremely skeptical. Not only was my skin greasy and prone to breakouts, it’s also very sensitive. Certain products that I’d tried in the past had even made my breakouts worse. However, she eventually convinced me to try Evologie.

I started using Evologie about two or three years ago and I still use it to this day. It works amazing! It didn’t make me break out again after two weeks (as did other products I’d tried), it doesn’t dry out my face (in fact, it moisturizes it), and it keeps my skin clear.

I still have oily skin, but I’m learning that oil is what keeps skin moisturized, so I just wipe it off every couple hours with some face wipes. I also still get pimples from time to time, but not as frequently as I used to. I’ve even gone off of Evologie for a week or two (usually on accident if I forget to order it before I run out) and every time I do, my skin gets really dry and more acne starts to appear, so I know Evologie works to keep my skin clear!

So why does Evologie work better than all of the fancy stuff that you see on commercials? According to their website, “EVOLOGIE products are doctor developed and clinically proven by a team of experts committed to the belief that improving the health of your skin improves the quality of your life. We incorporate medical research, scientific innovation, high levels of clinical testing and a compassionate understanding in our skin care products.”

The YS3 Complex is one of the reasons why Evologie products work better than other products that I’ve tried. “YS3 COMPLEX™ is a revolutionary delivery system that addresses the multiple causes and complications associated with pimples and blemishes. It was the relentless research and collaboration by Dr. Robert Nagel, Dr. Gary Weinberger, and Chemist, Richard A. Brown, that yielded this revolutionary, patent-pending solution.”

If you would like to know more about this revolutionary YS3 Complex that makes Evologie so effective, you can read up on the scientific references here. 

The Evologie team also promises to never “bring a product to market unless it delivers consistent, reliable, superior results.”

Evologie gives me real results. The Stay Clear Cleanser washes out all of the dirt and grime that accumulates on my face over the course of the day; it’s so refreshing!

The Intensive Blemish Serum helps eradicate any acne that shows up on my face, so I only have to deal with breakouts for a couple days rather than a week or more!

These two items are lifesavers, but it’s the Stay Clear Cream that I covet and hoard. As soon as I run out of the cream, I get online and order more ASAP! The cream keeps my skin clear (for the most part – I am human and still have the occasional breakout) AND it keeps my face moisturized. I went without the cream for almost a week, and in that time my face started to dry out. When I started reapplying the cream, my skin became moisturized within a couple days. Not only did it look so much better, it also felt better!

I could praise Evologie up and down, but if you’re like me, you won’t believe it until you experience it for yourself. If this is the case, you can check it all out for yourself by visiting the Evologie website here, OR you can enter the giveaway below and enter for a chance to win (and use) the product for yourself!

One winner will receive the Evologie Healthy Skin Set, which includes 1 Cleanser (5.0 fl oz), 1 serum (0.23 fl oz), and 1 cream (1 fl oz). Contest begins 10/10/14 and ends 11/1/14. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. It’s in the air, it’s in your food, and it’s possibly all over your social media pages. The good news: we only have to deal with it till the end of November. The bad news: we only have until the end of November to enjoy all of the pumpkin-y goodness. (What can I say? Pumpkin and I have a love-hate relationship.)

If you’ve been reading my breakfast posts, you know I’ve been banned from making pumpkin breakfasts. Well, because of my awesome pumpkin crepe recipe that I made for dinner a couple weeks ago, I thought I was allowed to make pumpkin breakfasts again. Apparently I was wrong; Kyle just hates pumpkin (unless it’s made into dessert).

Oh well. Mom and I still loved this week’s pumpkin breakfast.

I found this recipe on pinterest and knew I had to try it. I mean, it had pumpkin AND chocolate. However, I can’t make anything without giving the recipe my own little tweak. So here’s my spin on the recipe:

First, gather your ingredients. This includes your basics like flour, eggs, and vanilla. But it also has some unexpected ingredients like stevia, applesauce, and Greek yogurt.

Mix up the dry ingredients in a large bowl, save for the chocolate chips (these come in later). Now, if you’ve been reading my breakfast posts, you know that I’ve been mixing up the dry ingredients the night before to save time. Well, this week I forgot to do that. (Thankfully I was awake enough to complete the full recipe.)

In a separate bowl, mix up your wet ingredients.

When the wet ingredients are mixed together, add the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Once the ingredients are all combined, carefully stir in the chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with papers and spray the papers with nonstick cooking spray (or just spray the tin and forget the papers). Pour enough batter into each cup until it’s about 2/3 of the way full. Then bake until done, let cool for a few minutes, and enjoy the deliciousness.

They are warm, fluffy, and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. I am addicted and I cannot fathom how my brother can't like them. But then again, we don’t agree on a lot of things.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

3 eggs

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

16 oz pumpkin puree

¾ cup milk (I used 2%)

1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce

½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

8 oz dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (except for the chocolate chips; leave those for later).

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Once the wet ingredients are combined, stir in the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with papers and spray the papers with non-stick cooking spray (or don’t use the papers and just spray the tins really well). Pour enough batter in so that the cups are filled about 2/3 of the way.

Bake muffins for approximately 18 minutes. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle and pulling out; if the toothpick is clean, they’re done baking. If the toothpick comes out dirty, stick the muffins back in the oven for another couple minutes.

Wait a couple minutes for the muffins to cool, then eat and enjoy the heavenly, warm, chocolate-pumpkin combination.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen muffins.

Nutrition facts (according to Calorie Count)

Calories: 105

Fat: 2.8 g

Sodium: 134

Protein: 3

Cheers!

Molly

A God Who Provides

I’ve learned a lot throughout my life, and one of the most important things I’ve learned is that God always provides.

My family has never been rich, and there have been times when we’ve really had to struggle to make ends meet. Yet by the grace of God, we always had enough food to eat, we’ve had warm clothes to wear in the colder months, and we’ve been able to afford to keep our house.

God promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). But sometimes it’s easy to worry and forget his promises. If you read my last Worship Filled Wednesday post, you know that I’m just starting to learn to trust God and let him have control. I think part of that reason is because I forget his promises and I don’t always remember all that he’s done for me. When I do stop to remember his goodness, I find that it’s a lot easier to let him have control.

My dad passed away very unexpectedly last November. He didn’t have life insurance and he was the sole income provider. My family wasn’t sure how we were going to afford to keep the house, let alone get enough money to feed ourselves. If we struggled so much with Dad’s income, how much worse were we going to be with him gone?

Despite our worries, God had a plan and he took care of us. He provided for us through family, friends, the government, and our church family. Even though we should be worse off than when Dad was alive and providing for us, we aren’t. We’ve had enough food to eat and we’re affording to live in our house.

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans. They might not be the plans we have for ourselves, but he knows best. He will never leave us not forsake us, and he will always provide.

Another example I have is that I refused to go to college unless I would be able to graduate completely debt free. Well, I will be graduating this May from my local community college with an associate degree in English Composition, and I will be graduating completely debt free.

So if you’re worried about how you’re going to afford a certain something, or how you’re going to make the best out of a bad situation, remember that God always provides and he is always there to take care of us.

Cheers!

Molly