{Cake Mix Cookie Bars, Garden Potatoes and Life As We Know It}

The best time to drink Coffee is ANYTIME to me but I would say NOW might be a good time to drink coffee. I might run out of TP but I am surely trying to keep my coffee supply plentiful along with my green tea. I love a cup of hot or cold green tea too!   

So, in the midst of everything that we all are dealing with right now I needed a little baking therapy, so baking it was.  

I made a batch of simple cake mix cookie bars. I did not have any regular M&Ms to use but just so happened to have a small box of pastel colored M&Ms.  Mercy, chocolate chips and M&Ms make life so much better doesn't it? And....for me, add a cup of coffee and YEP...I will survive! I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mini M&Ms
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, pudding, water, oil and eggs using a mixer.
3. Mix until well combined.
4. Fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms.
5. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
6. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until golden brown on the edges
    
   TIP: For a real pretty dessert to carry out to family, friend, church or etc. event (that is when we get to GO OUT) use an additional 1/2 cup of M&M's to sprinkle on top before baking.  
   
   
   
   
   
   I also pulled my first batch of new potatoes and YES...they went into a pot of green beans with ham for Sunday dinner. YUM! Nothing like the food you grow from your dirt. 
    
   
    
   My prayers are wide and abroad my friends as we tackle a new way of life for us right now. In the midst of all that is happening I am keeping my eyes focused on Jesus. May we Praise Him in the midst of our Prayers to Him too. He is worthy of our Praise no matter what we battle. 
    
   Hugs and blessings, Cindy
   
   
   
   
   
   

{A Day At The Beach Will Soothe The Soul}

It was a last minute plan by one of my daughter's but so glad that last minute plan came about. A day at the beach surely soothed my soul.

With so much up in the air with the Cornonavirus we surely needed a little salt air and the sound of the ocean. No doubt about it my "Happy Place" is the beach but when a day at the beach is shared with family then it's wonderful.

These kiddos have only one concern right now and that's to be normal in a time in our lives that NOTHING is normal.

See the people in the background? YES, we surely did not have a crowd on the beach at all.

Saw several of these guys. Not many but we stayed away from them for sure.

So glad we shared this wonderful day together and just in the nick of time as the beach was closed the next day. 

 "Mighter than the waves of the sea is His love for you". Psalm 93:4   
His love for us is greater than any virus and THAT....we can surely know.

I want to encourage my blogging friends today to remember that Jesus is the author and the finisher. He is the beginning and the end. He's our comforter, shield, strong tower, hope, rock, fortress, protector, deliverer, Lord of Lord and King of Kings. None of what is happening today in our world has taken the Lord by surprise. He is in CONTROL and and as one of my little granddaughter's said, "He's the BOSS". 

 

{Getting my Spring and Easter On}

Don't you love my little truck?????

Decided in the midst of all the scares and negativity we have going on that I would set my table for Spring-Easter.

I wanted a simple table with a little fun but yet a tad of elegance and I think I succeeded in all three areas. I mean who doesn't like Easter eggs? And pretty tea cups? And, touches of pastel never fail during Spring-Easter.

I adore my Bunny tea pot. I was gifted her in 2000 and I put her out on display every year. I added just a few touches here and there of vintage Easter along with a miniature tea cup that belonged to my late motherinlove.

And you talk about smell good! Now that Cotton and Freesia from Bath and Body surely makes you want to wash your hands a lot!

A thrifted bed sheet sure made a pretty colorful tablecloth too.

Another aspect of our weekend was meat processing. My FIL helped Marty and we sure enjoyed a good deer steak that night. GIRLS, WE MIGHT RUN OUT OF TOILET PAPER BUT WE GOT DEER MEAT TO EAT! No harm intended here...we gotta laugh to keep from crying at times...

We celebrated our favorite grandson's birthday yesterday afternoon with a family cookout. 

A group of his friends came over for a pizza and game night.

This young man turned 14. Where has the time gone too? He is my 2nd born grandchild and my only grandson. He is actually the only grandson on both sides of his family. He stands amidst 5 girls on his mom's side and 6 girls on his dad's side. I would say he is highly outnumbered. BUT....only in gender because his crazy, fun, outgoing, energetic, athletic, jokester personality surely sets him apart.

There is never a dull moment when he is around. He is such a jokester and you never know what he may come up with that will have you nodding your head or laughing your head off.

We are proud of this young man and I believe with all my heart that God has great things in store for him. He is everything I just mentioned but, he's kind, respectful, well mannered and above all, he's a child of the King of Kings. WHAT BETTER COULD I DESIRE?  Happy birthday Conner!

 Ending today I would like to share with you my scripture from my devotional reading this morning.

"But my eyes are toward thee, Oh Lord God; in thee I seek refuge, leave me not defenseless". Psalm 141:8

I don't know about y'all....BUT THIS IS BIG! Keep our eyes on Jesus!

 Hugs and blessings, Cindy