Apple Pie Monkey Bread Bundles

For our Mothers of Preschoolers meeting tomorrow, I wanted to bring something new and yummy. I perused my pantry and fridge and came up with these wonderful goodies. I called them apple pie monkey bread bundles because they are like a cross between a hot apple pie and gooey monkey bread :-). Try them for your family this weekend. They will make your tummy happy, your home smell heavenly, and your heart smile as you watch the joy they bring to everyone who tries one :-). 

Have a Blessed Day dear friends! You are dearly loved and prayed for! God sings and dances over you with delight...remind your children of that often (they need the encouragment and love so much)!

Zephaniah 3:17

For the Lord your God is living among you

   He is a mighty savior

He will take delight in you with gladness.

  With his love, he will calm all your fears.

  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

~~~

Apple Pie Monkey Bread Bundles

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (I used the Southern Style type)

4 apples, chopped finely 

2 teaspoons apple pie spice
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mixture

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and chop four apples finely. Put the apples in a large bowl and add two teaspoons apple pie spice. stir gently. Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping over the apples and gently stir. Open the can of biscuits. With a rolling pin, flatten each biscuit. Place a heaping spoonful of apples in the center of each biscuit. Fold up the sides of the biscuit and cinch them together with your fingers. Melt the 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, put 1/4 cinnamon sugar in a small dish. Take each biscuit bundle and dip it in the melted butter, coating all sides. Next roll the buttered bundle in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat a muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Place each bundle, seam side down in the tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (until lightly browned). Enjoy this yummy breakfast treat!

Serves 8

Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies and Patience in the waiting

TRIPLE FUDGE OREO CRUNCH COOKIES

These cookies should come with a warning label...they are that AMAZING and VERY ADDICTIVE :-). I recently found this recipe on the baking blog, Bakergirl, and since I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry, I decided to give them a try. These cookies were shared with many people who almost instantly requested the recipe. So bake some today and share with friends and family....I promise these cookies will make you a star :-)! The original recipe can be found here:http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2012/01/triple-fudge-oreo-crunch-cookies.html

Have a Blessed week dear friends! You are dearly loved and prayed for!

 This verse encouraged me so much today as we continue on our adoption journey (www.emmacharity.blogspot.com) and I wanted to share it in case any of you have been called by God and are growing impatient in the waiting.

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." ~Habakkuk 2:3

Triple Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies

Ingredients: 1 cup butter-flavored shortening 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar  2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or chunks 12-15 Oreos, roughly cut into quarters 3/4 cup white chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with  no-stick cooking spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar,  eggs, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda,  and salt. Slowly add to the sugar mixture and beat until  well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, Oreo chunks,  and white chocolate chips until incorporated. Scoop out dough  and roll into 2 tablespoons-sized balls. Place on baking sheet  about 2 inches apart and slightly flatten with your hand.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until done. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Apple Pie Brownies

I stumbled across a recipe for apple brownies that I tweaked, and the result was delicious. These brownies would be the perfect addition to a brunch or breakfast party. Their cinnamon scent smells just heavenly.

Enjoy! You are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father and prayed for daily. This song has blessed me this week given the many tragedies our country has faced recently. http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=B3mTk148NBs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DB3mTk148NBs
Our God is always Faithful, and His love is unending!

Apple Pie Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4    cup    butter ( (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened ) 

2    cups Light brown sugar 

2    eggs 

1    teaspoon vanilla extract 

2    cups flour 

1/2    teaspoon salt 

2    tablespoons baking powder 

1 can apple pie filling

2 tablespoons apple pie spice

Cinnamon sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice and apple pie filling.  Mix well. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Stella & Dot Adoption Fundraiser: Buy your "Emma Charity" Jewelry Now

We are so blessed to have a new friend, Ashley Jones, who has provided us with a wonderful fundraising opportunity for Emma's adoption. Ashley sells the beautiful Stella & Dot jewelry, and she is hosting an online jewelry party for us and donating her comission to Emma's adoption.

She and I have selected a few pieces from the Stella & Dot line that will be the "EMMA" line. Each piece holds special significance to our family regarding Emma's adoption. The Odette collection is the "INFINITY" line. Emma Charity which means "complete" or "infinite" "love".  Adoption is similar because you share God's infinite love with a child who has no one...crossing borders and loving completely. Within the Odette collection there are two infinity necklaces, three pairs of infinity earrings, an infinity bracelet/cuff, and an infinity ring to choose from. These items can be viewed here:http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/catalogsearch/result/?q=odette

We are also offering the TREE OF LIFE charm necklace which signifies family and being rooted together in Christ despite distance or circumstance. It is available in sterling silver or bronze.http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/tree-of-life-necklace-sterling-silver.html
http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/tree-of-life-necklace-bronze.html

And, lastly there will be a child's bracelet, called the "Little Dottie". We chose this piece for all the precious little girls who love to dress up and wear jewelry and who will love that they have helped bring Emma home by choosing this special piece.
http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/little-dottie-bracelet.html

How can you shop?  It’s easy!  Head to www.stelladot.com/ashleyjones.  At the top you will see “Find your Hostess.”  Click there and type in Christina Burrell.  At that point you can browse the site and shop away!  You may find all the beautiful jewelry overwhelming so we chose a few pieces that have special meaning and will tie us all together for Emma.  The show is open to shop now and will close on April 29.

We will receive 100% of the commission from every item that you purchase and you will have a special piece of jewelry to remind you/link you to our princess from Moldova, Emma Charity. It is our hope that each time you wear the jewelry you will say a special prayer over our family.

The online party will remain open until April 29, 2013, so place your orders soon. Please feel free to share this blog post and the party link and details with your friends and family. Every order brings us closer to our Emma.

If you would like a flyer or more information on these items mailed to you, then please email me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com If you have any questions, you can also call me at 956-566-6756.

Thank you so much for your consideration in buying an "EMMA" piece and for helping us spread the word by sharing the link and the party information. May God pour out His LOVE and BLESSING on each of you!!
http://emmacharity.blogspot.com/

Our Moldovan Adoption-Online Auction for Awesome Items and Other Fundraising Opportunities

For those of you who do not know, we are in the process of adopting a little girl from Moldova. To read about our adoption story, visit our adoption blog here:

http://www.emmacharity.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-complete-love-emma-charity-is.html

We have been so blessed to receive many wonderful things to auction off for Emma's Adoption costs. To everyone who has donated an item, we say "Thank You" from the bottom of our hearts! Each gift is a blessing.

The auction is now live. You can view the items here:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200641005888837.220131.1270923703&type=1

To bid, simply make a comment under the picture. The auction will run until Friday, March 15th at 10:00 p.m. (CST). At the conclusion of the auction, each winner will be contacted via email with instructions on how to pay for the item. If your item needs to be shipped, there is a shipping cost. Please pay for your items within 7 days via PayPal or a Check or Cash.

Please feel free to share the link with your friends, family, on your blog, etc... The more people who bid, the more money we will be able to raise for Emma's adoption. If you have any questions, contact me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com

We ask for your prayers as we follow God's leading to Moldova. Pray for precious Emma to be surrounded with love and compassionate care while she is in the orphanage.

There are several ways that you can support our adoption financially.

One way that you can help support bringing Emma home to our family is by purchasing coffee from our store at: http:/www.justlovecoffee.com/TheBurrells

For every bag of coffee that you purchase, we will receive $5. Thank you so much for helping in this way. Please forward the link to everyone you know who likes coffee, hot cocoa, or tea. The coffee is absolutely delicious! My hubby is especially fond of the Rwandan.

We also have an online store where we are selling tshirts (both adoption-themed and Christian-themed). For every t-shirt you purchase, we will receive $8 to put towards our adoption. Please consider purchasing a shirt and forward the link to the store to your coworkers, friends, and family. The link to our store is: http://www.adoptionbug.com/burrellmoldovanadoption

If you feel led to just donate directly to our family, we promise you that 100% of your gift will go towards her adoption. You can contribute money by making checks out to Darin and Christina Burrell (please email me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com to request our address) or through paypal at the paypal address: christinaburrell@hotmail.com

Our greatest need is prayer-prayer of protection over Emma and prayers for God's provision and timing on the entire adoption process.

Thank you to everyone for your continual support, prayers, and lovePraying her home, Darin, Christina, Jaythan and Bella Joy

Contributing to Beauty

Do you ever feel worn out, just burdened by so many things, on the verge of exhaustion, overwhelmed, inpatient, etc? If you are a Mama then the answer is "Yes". Lately, I have felt all these things, often at the same time. This morning in church, I could feel the tears on the crisp of falling. I fought to hold them in because I was fearful that if they started to fall it would be an avalanche of brokenness. I am not good at expressing my feelings or my hurts, and they often get bottled up inside only to surface at the most inappropriate times in a not-so-pretty manner.

Right now our family is burdened with two house payments, raising provisions for our adoption, health issues, family concerns, ongoing grief over our daughter in heaven, insecurities, and recovering from two months of sicknesses in our home. Exhaustion mentally, physically, and spiritually overwhelms daily.

So when I first heard this song, "Worn" last week, I felt like God was speaking clearly to me (song link is below). He is able to carry my burdens, to give me the rest I seek, to heal our sicknesses, to sell our home, to give peace in our grief. My God is Able in ALL things. How often I forget that.  I think as Christians we often get so consumed in our messy lives that we forget who can make beauty from those messes. God sees the final picture, and that picture is a beautiful masterpiece. My current messiness is just a small part that contributes to that final beauty. So, I can choose to see my discouragement and anxieties as contributors to beauty or as a mess. When I choose the "mess" option, my heart will feel the same-an utter mess. However, if I focus on who I know God to be (Faithful to keep His Promises; Able to perform miracles; Always Present with me; Always for me; Always loving me; Never giving up on me) then, and only then, can I view my circumstances as "contributors to beauty."

No matter what you face today, dear friends, your circumstance is a CONTRIBUTOR TO BEAUTY,  so surrender it to God. He is the only who can bring beauty from ashes and joy in the morning.

"Worn" by Tenth Avenue North

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UUEy8nZvpdM

Romans 8:28

The Message (MSG)

^26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Easy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

My hubby loves chocolate and he loves cheesecake. Each year on his birthday and Valentine's Day I make him one of my famous from-scratch cheesecakes. They are enormous and take forever for him to eat (no one else in our family likes cheesecake). So this year, I experimented a little and came up with a quick, easy, homemade smaller version of his favorite dessert. He declared it to be absolutely amazing, and he says he looks forward to eating all eight small slices :-). This would be the perfect dessert to make when cooking dinner for a new mom or some one who is sick. It is delicious, easy, and the perfect size to share. 

Enjoy my friends! You are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father and prayed over! Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us that our Heavenly Father rejoices over us with singing! Wow! That humbles me with the knowledge that He loves me that much! How Awesome is our God!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

Makes ones 8-inch pie

INGREDIENTS for Cheesecake:

• 1 (8-inch) store-bought graham cracker crust – chocolate or regular*
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

INGREDIENTS for Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I use 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
• ¼ cup whipping cream (or milk)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange 1/2 cup chocolate chips on the bottom of the crust.

Beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Beat in egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well.

Carefully pour on top of the chocolate chips in the crust.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or just until set. Cool completely.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate and whipping cream together over low heat, stirring often (I do this in the microwave for 45-60 seconds.

Pour over the cheesecake and then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top. Chill several hours before serving.

*NOTE: If making your own graham cracker crust, keep in mind that this recipe is designed for an 8-inch pie pan (and many pie pans are 9-inch). If you use a 9-inch, you will probably have to adjust the cooking time (and obviously, the finished product will be slightly thinner).