What To Do With Leftover Cake

Leftover cake?!?!  Yes.  It does really happen.  I promise!

I had no intention of writing this, and I have the cell phone pictures to prove it.  As I whipped this up, I thought that it might be worth sharing - so we'll see what you have to say about it.  As I was making dinner last night, I remembered the half eaten cake in our fridge.  The kids and I had made it on Monday, complete with a lower fat cream cheese frosting and fresh blackberries.  I thought maybe we'd have some for dessert.  It was the girls' turn to set the table.  They wanted to make it special.  They had already gone outside and picked a bouquet of fresh flowers to place on the table.  I purposed to kick it up a notch and make something a little more special than two day old cake.

As I looked through our pantry shelves, I knew two things:  

1. This needed to be something quick!

2.  There was no way I was turning the oven on to make the house even hotter.

I saw the Jell-O Cook & Serve chocolate pudding staring me in the face.  We don't have it very often, but I'm a sucker for this stuff!  I suppose you could use instant, but I love Love LOVE cook & serve pudding.

I followed the directions on the package, poured half of the pudding into my bowl, and covered the pudding with chunks of the two day old cake.  Then, I sprinkled it with more fresh blackberries.  I may or may not have eaten the two remaining blackberries from the top of the cake.  *shhh*

Then I repeated those steps again. 

Pudding.

Cake.

Blackberries.

Yum!

My whole family loved it.  It used up the cake.  It felt special.  Mission accomplished!

**Note**This would probably be even more delicious with a layer of cool whip added.  I thought the frosting was enough, but it wouldn't hurt to try it! 

Have you ever turned a leftover into something new?  How did it go?  Care to share your strategy?

Be encouraged!

Tuesday Humor

This is a video that my husband created in 2006.  I hope that it will tickle your funny bone! Sit back, relax, and enjoy: 

 Anti-Customer Service Training Video

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Monday With Meg: Banana Cake

Ok, I have a weird confession to make. I love banana muffins, bread or cake but actual straight up bananas I could totally do without. I enjoy the flavor but the texture is usually too much for me to handle. I know, it’s odd but I kind of am too so it makes sense in the end. Now that the confession is out in the open we can move onto the recipe.

This is one of the best cakes I have ever made! It’s moist and dense and bursting with banana flavor. And who could forget that rather thick layer of cream cheese frosting? Not me. It is cooked at a low temperature for a longer amount of time then thrown into the freezer immediately. This attributes the moistness of the cake so make sure to keep the freezing time in mind before you start baking.

After the freezing time, frost it liberally with cream cheese frosting and keep in the refrigerator. I think it tastes best when chilled.

I love to bring this lovely cake to potlucks because everyone seems to enjoy it, it travels well and can feed a crowd.

Banana Cake
recipe from Food.com

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Chopped walnuts, optional

1. Preheat oven to 275°.

2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.

3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.

7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

8. Stir in banana mixture.

9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

11. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

12. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

13. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.

14. Spread on cooled cake.

15. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Want more Meg?

Check out Meg's Everyday Indulgence!

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Scentsy Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the following winners:

Theresa Burdick - 1 Mid-size Warmer and 1 Bar

Missy (mmemyer) - Room Spray

Ashley Hatten - Travel Tin

Carolyn Kehrman - 1 Bar

Lizzy Allen - 1 Bar

Amy Orvin - 1 Scent Circle

Julie Bair - 1 Scent Circle

Melissa Turner Baker - 1 Scent Circle

Stephanie Kingston - 1 Scent Circle

Lisa Leonardi - 1 Scent Circle

You all have until Monday (May 25, 2012) at 5 PM Eastern to claim your prize by emailing me at LifeWithLissy.com.  Your email should include your address and telephone number.  You will receive your prize within 30 days.

Be encouraged!

Love Yourself: Part 3

Click here to read the "I Hate Myself".  It's the post that started this thread.

Check out the first set of reader submitted photos when you click here.

And check out part 2 right here!

I hate that i am twice the size of my husband and son! Wish there was a magic pill. It sure would help my knee and back pain.

--Jen

(Jen kept her story short and sweet which is odd because she's known in my circle of friends as being quite the story teller!  A little more about her - she gained this weight after she was hit by a drunk driver.  The drove several hundred feet off the road and pinned her between his vehicle and her father's vehicle.  She was helping her dad load a lawn mower into his truck when it happened.  After several years of being confined to a chair or a bed and being totally unable to exercise, the weight crept on.  I will tell you, no matter her weight - she has got THE greatest heart and personality.  I call her beautiful!)

I've lost about 60 pounds, and this is what remains.  I hate it.  I hate that even after such a big loss, I still have a lot of work to do.  Whether it's lifting paint cans to build arm muscles while I'm at work, or jumping on my bike to complete 20+miles with my kids - I WILL do this!  You will, too!

--April

When I was discussing writing this post with a dear friend, the first thing she said was, "You just fit into your size 4's!  Why would you write a post about being unhappy with your body?".

     My friends, let me me say two things:

1.  Being "thin" does not mean someone is healthy or fit.

2.  Being "thin" does not mean someone has a healthy body image.

     Being blessed with 8 children just does not happen without leaving a woman's body with permanent and vivid reminders of each and every pregnancy and birth.  

     Yes, I have lost most of the "baby weight", but weight loss doesn't fix the problems I see.  The jiggly arms that have me very cautious of how I wave and what shirts I wear.  The stomach that bears cesarean scars, stretch marks, and worn out skin.  The breasts that have nursed 8 babies and just aren't as round and firm as they used to be.  The derriere that continues to wiggle after I have stopped moving!  I could name more, but I think you get the idea.

     My sweet and wonderful hubby, Mark, aka Mr. Muscles, recently designed a workout that will easily fit into my full schedule and help me to fix the wiggly, jiggly areas.  And while I have already seen improvement in the last 3 weeks, there is something that all of the workouts in the world won't do… fix the way I view my body.  

     I frustrate the mess out of Mark with the barbs and digs I make about myself.  I don't mean to, but they slip out anyway.  The negative comments have to stop, and they are.  It is a slow process, but God has been moving greatly in my heart and in my head.  

     My head is beginning to recognize that many of the "flaws" that I see are not really "flaws" at all.  They are the marks of love and dedication.  They are the marks of motherhood.  They are the marks of being a wife.  I have not been plagued with them, rather I have earned them.   My husband doesn't see them as taking away from my looks, but adding to them.  

     The process of getting all of that from my head and understood in my heart is a whole different animal, but you know what, every day is a brand new day and is full of opportunities to adjust my thinking and start viewing myself through the loving eyes of God.  It is time to show the confidence I have in who I am as a woman, a wife, and a mother.  God loves me just as I am.  My husband loves me just as I am.  My kids love me just as I am.  My friends love me just as I am.   I think it is time for me to start loving me just as I am, and I mean right NOW!

All for God's glory,

~Rhen @Yes, they are all mine

Guess what??  Tomorrow's blog is filled with photos of just ONE woman.  I promise that it will blow your mind!  

It's not too late to submit your photos! Click here to email me!

Be encouraged!

Scentsy Review and Giveaway

Do you love scented wax??  I absolutely do, and I love it more than ever before because of the little beauty that you see here.  Ashley King is an independent Scentsy Consultant.  She sent me several Scentsy bars, and despite the fact that I already had a warmer from another company -she sent me this warmer, too.  She explained that the warmer kept the wax at a very low temperature and that I would get better results this way.

After thinking about it, it made sense!  My previous warmer had gotten the wax so hot at times that it left a streak of black soot up my wall.  I was not impressed with the black streak.  It's still there, and until we repaint - there is NOTHING that I can do to remove it.

Another wonderful thing that I learned (the hard way) about Scentsy is that this low heat setting also prevents burns.  When trying to change the wax, I dropped the top piece.  Wax went everywhere.  Roni was standing next to me, and the wax covered my legs and his arms.  Normally this would have caused screaming and burns.  Neither of these things happened.  The wax wiped right off, and it cleaned up like nothing had ever happened.

I love candles and tarts, and I almost always have something melting in my house.  I love that this warmer is electric so that I don't have to worry about fire danger.  I also appreciate the fact that while these wax bars are highly scented they've never made me sick.  

There have been times that candles have caused my eyes to water, head to ache, and nose to run.  There have even been times that I thought that I would throw up because the headache that they caused was so harsh.  This has NEVER happened with ANY Scentsy bar that I have ever had the pleasure to melt.  

My home doesn't have a candle smell.  It just has a pleasant scent that makes me happy.  I'm sure that winning some for free will make you even MORE happy!  So please enter to win one of ten awesome prizes!  (If you see a link that says, "More Stories From My Life" click on it to open the raffle widget and then enter)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be encouraged!

Monday With Meg: Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Loin

Now that summer activities have started up, life is getting busy busy busy! On Wednesday’s Joel has softball at 6:30 but has to leave the house by 5:50 and usually doesn’t get home from work until 5:30. That leaves very little time to get dinner on the table, especially with a busy toddler that wants your constant attention.

When these days roll around, I almost always turn to the crockpot. I found this recipe via Pinterest and knew we had to give it a try. I often find that meat, especially pork or chicken, dry out really quickly and easily in the crockpot. Well, I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled this out of the crockpot and found a moist, flavorful pork loin. This definitely has a vinegary zing but the brown sugar really mellows it out for a delightful, easy meal. I served this over rice which I cooked in a rice cooker so I had a double serving of easy when it came to this meal.

Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Loin
recipe from C + C Marriage Factory

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Want more Meg?

Click here to like her Facebook Page.

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$20 Gas Card Winner

Congratulations to:

Kaylla Azinger

Winner of the $20 Gas Card!!

To see how she won, check out this link!

This week you will have a chance to win some FREE ADVERTISING!  So be sure to check LifeWithLissy EVERY day so that you don't miss out!

Be encouraged!

Love Yourself Part 2

Click here to read the blog that started this series, and click here to see Part 1 of the reader submitted photos.

I let my exhusband give me this tattoo.  That's his name at the top.  I was young and stupid, and I rebelled against my parents.  Looking back, I knew better.  I had his name on me twice, and while I covered one up - this tattoo (while I regret it) serves to remind me to never again lose sight of who I am and to never let an abusive man control me.

--Becc

My name is Megan and I'm 21 years old. The "before" picture was taken in 2009 and the "after" picture was taken today. I have a daughter named Anna that will be turning 2 on June 11th. When she was first born, I dressed in baggy clothing so no one would comment on my after-baby appearance. Today, I wear things that look nice on me and can care less about what anyone has to say. I have become comfortable with the way that I look. Although I hope to lose weight, I'm now okay with the skin I'm in. Love yourself and everything that you are. I always say, "I used to have a beautiful body but now I have a beautiful baby." :)
 -- Megan K.

I have never really talked about my weight with too many people. I talk to my mom about it and thats about it.I have ALWAYS had a weight problem. I absolutly hate my stomach.  I have always tried dieting and it never seems to work but I also lose motivation quick because I expect results fast and it never happens that way. SO I have decided to try to be patient and stay focused and motivated. I really hope I can.
--Kelsey

For years I was physically abused by a parent. I received alot of hard hits in the area I would like to change. The bruising(sp?) is gone but the memories remain. Ever since I was young I would hide parts of my body, ashamed that someone may see marks on me . Now I hide my body ashamed of how unflattering I think I look. About 3 weeks ago I decided I want my body to look as good on the outside as good as feel with myself in Christ on the inside. I am now doing weight watchers and going to a local gym. It won't be easy to get weight off and tone those areas I'd like to hide. But I know with Christ all things are possible. I am now reading to book called "60 days to crave God not food" and it's really helping. If I can do it so can you.
--Alexis, The Alexis Chronicles


And, there is MORE coming! You have all flooded my inbox with photos and stories, and I don't want to leave anyone out! The next portion of this blog will appear on Wednesday, May 16th. If you would like to participate, please click here to send me your email.


Be encouraged!

Click here to win a $20 GAS CARD!!

Love Yourself! Part 1

I decided to let you - my readers and friends - cover this topic.  We've all been there, and most of us have come through it unscathed.  Click here to read yesterday's blog and to see what we're talking about.  Then check out what my amazing readers have to say!

After carrying 5 children, 2 of which were well over 9 pounds, my stomach is my most disliked part of my body. It has been stretched, and stretched some more. I will always bear the marks of birthing children. I try to remind myself that these are my 'baby scars'. I would gladly do it again for all of my children. However, it is the area I struggle most with. It's not even that I desire to wear that bikini again. It's just my problem area. The extra weight sticks to me and it's proving difficult to get rid of. Even still, I'm thankful for the body God has given me. That, even though I still am on a journey of weight loss, that I feel healthy, I can play with my children, I can exercise. When Lissy asked me if I wanted to do this, I had a hard time deciding which one of my problem areas I wanted to put up. I certainly have more than one! And, that's okay. I still love myself, my husband still loves me, and best of all, God's love doesn't change because I'm a few pounds heavier than when I was younger!

-- Gail Harris,  The Imperfect Housewife

I have 2 months to go in my pregnancy and I STILL have extra hang-y skin on the underside of my belly. I also have TONS of deep/wide stretch marks to go along with it. The stretch marks came from my pregnancy with Abigail (6YO). I used to be about 120lbs soaking wet and I got to 198 by the end of my pregnancy with her... (YOWZA!) After she was born, I maintained about 165 and then Thane came (up to 202 with him). Between babies, I lost myself... I forgot about makeup and doing my hair, I rarely got dressed and if I did it certainly wasn't anything fancy! 3 months after Thane arrived, I turned 21 and all I wanted for my birthday was money for clothes. I was tired of looking like a bum! I got $120 and spent it all on some shirts and a couple pairs of jeans (on sale of course)... We went out on the night of my birthday and that was the first time in a LONG time that I dressed up, did hair, did makeup and felt REALLY good about myself. For years I felt disgusting because of my stretch marks and extra skin but that night... I was the old me! The confident, "can't nobody bring me down", take it or leave it, ME! From then on, I've looked at myself as gorgeous! I may be stretched and flabby but I'm also an amazing woman! Those stretch marks and the extra skin have given me 2 awesome kids who complete me in ways that a skinny body never could! I'll admit, every now and again I am envious of the skinny girls I see and the women who have many kids and still look like they are teenagers but I always remember that if God wanted me to be skinny, I would be... I might be chunky and stretched but that doesn't define me! I choose to be caring and giving and loving and funny and CONFIDENT, no matter what! 

--Mirisha

Here is my pic for you. This is from last Friday where I was in A&E due to my PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). I had an ovarian cyst pop leaving my in agony. This is the part of me I dislike the most as it meant I will have pain every two weeks in my monthly cycle and can not have children. I have PCOS related depression and struggle to lose weight due an insulin imbalance.  As well as being overtly hairy and having to shave my chin like a man. 

--Sarah,  Blessed By Stress

Attached you will find a picture of what I like to call, my bingo arm.  Now a days I wear them proudly, but there was a time when I was self conscious and hated my body.  5 years ago, I loved my pre baby self.  I was always thin, and tan and wore whatever I wanted.  The stores always had my size, and not in the way back or the very bottom drawer at Victorias secret.  After kids however, all of that changed including my shoe size.  Even my feet grew 2 sizes.  I hated my body for a long time, but have since changed my way of thinking and I now LOVE myself.  Thats not to say I wont always envy my old body, Ive just accepted the new me.  Ive realized that they are WAY more important things in life like my wonderful family and adorable kids and they love me for who I am (which they should , because they are the ones who generously gave me this body :)  My new tude....if you dont like it, dont look :)
--Courtney


Come back tomorrow for more amazing stories from women like you and like me who have finally embraced the skin that they are in!!  It's not too late to submit your photo!  Click here to email your photo and your story to me!

Be encouraged!

I Hate Myself

I started hating myself in Kindergarten.  

I can remember the day during circle time when my well-meaning teacher tried to convince us all that we were special and unique and that we needed to embrace the way that we looked.  I remember the way that her words hung in the air like a stale smell, a damp fog or words that left me empty and cold.  She talked about being a little girl and feeling ugly because she did not have the blonde hair and blue eyes that she believed would make her beautiful.  She talked about how she hated her brown hair and her brown eyes because they were plain and ordinary.  When I looked at her, I saw her blue eyes that she tinted with colored contacts.  I saw the blonde hair that she carefully bleached to cover up the ordinary creation that she believed herself to be - even though she denied it.

photo credit

I looked at my long braided pigtails that cascaded down either side of my body.  They were brown.  Even my eyes were brown.  Surely that meant that I was in fact not special and I was destined to have a life filled with mediocrity and ugliness.  

Shortly after that I realized that even my name was boring and ordinary.  The seven letters that had made me unique in my family also made me just like several other girls in my school.  To this day my name is one of the most popular girls names in the United States.  I am ordinary. I am boring. I am dull and lacking in every way.  Even the most famous person that I knew that had my name also had blonde hair and blue eyes.

It was also around this time that I went shopping with my mom.  She asked a clerk if they carried a 6X or the equivalent of a "husky" pair of pants for girls.  I then realized that in addition to my boring and unglamorous looks that I was also fat, large, bigger, husky, and in no way ideal.  I hated that letter.  I walked around feeling like the large black X was over my face, my life, my forever rather than on the tag inside of my jeans.

photo credit

As I got older I noticed more things that I didn't like about myself.  My cheeks are too chubby.  My chin sticks out too far.  My nose is absolutely huge.  My eye brows are too thick, and they arch so sharply that a relaxed expression on my face makes me look angry.  I have manly hands and my nails won't grow - my cuticles always look like a dessert.  

The list keeps going, and as I got older - my body stretched and worn from my babies and my own complacency - I began to hate myself more.

Don't stress.  Tomorrow comes the flip.  Several of my readers submitted photos of the pieces of themselves that they struggled to love.  You'll see their photos and read their words.  It will absolutely put a smile on your face, and if you'd like to submit your own - click here to email me.

Be encouraged!

Click here to win a $20 gas gift card!

Life Insurance & A Giveaway

I am primarily a stay-at-home mom.  The money that I do earn is nothing that could support a family.  So, a few years ago my husband and I looked into getting life insurance.  Simply as a matter of math, if my husband isn't working, our income ceases, and then so does everything else.

Right after we began shopping for life insurance, my husband was diagnosed with cancer.   He was then deemed ineligible for life insurance. For fourth months we slowly but surely depleted our savings account, and my poor husband began to worry about what would happen if they hadn't caught the cancer in time.  How would his family survive?

Thankfully, he is now cancer free, and we began to look into life insurance again.  The first place that we looked was with my brother-in-law.  He works hard in his business to help people get the coverage that they need so that their families don't have to worry - like we did.

Brian and my sister Mindy are also following Dave Ramsey's plans for total financial freedom, and it is his goal to help you not only be able to obtain affordable insurance to provide for your family should something horrible happen but also to help you plan for your future with annuities - which are quite possibly the best investment that you can make in today's market.

Brian is excited to help you plan for your future so that you never have to leave your loved ones without the things that they need.

As his thanks to you for taking the time to check out this blog, he is offering a $20 gas card to one lucky reader.  To enter, the only thing that you have to do is fill out the form below.  I can guarantee that there will be no pressure for you to purchase anything!  Brian simply wants you to know your options so that you can be prepared.

Be encouraged!