Meet Brenda's Table!

Here's Brenda then and now!

Brenda is in 2/4 MOPS and this is her third year as a DGL.  She has three kids.

Do you have any funny stories from motherhood?

When we go camping sometimes we are a little lax on bathroom etiquette and allow our little boys to go potty behind a tree. Especially when they were newly potty trained and we had to remind them to go often. Who wants to trek to the outhouse half a mile away, right?  Such was the case on a camping trip with five other families a couple of years ago when one of our boys decided he had to go. He ran up to a tree a little way from our campsite, but where everyone could see him, and proceeded to pee on the tree. We thought it was pretty funny until he turned around and dropped trou. Before we could stop him he was squatting down to do his other business. Horrified, we quickly found something for him to wipe with and then cleaned up his mess. After a little embarrassment and a few laughs we explained to our boys that there are some times that you have to make the trek to the outhouse.

Meet her table!

not pictured: Kelsy and Becca

Each person was asked this question:

If you could be any TV mom for a day, who would it be?

BRENDA: Caroline Ingalls because I'd love to be a pioneer for a day.

MENTOR MOM-DEBI: Carol Brady because she always stayed calm in the chaos.

BRIANNE: Carol Brady

DEBBIE: Caroline Ingalls

ANNE: Clair Huxtable from the Cosby's

BECCA: Carol Brady...because she has Alice!

HOLLY: Lorelai Gilmore

KELSY

Thanks for sharing your table with us, Brenda!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Sea Salt

by Brenda

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (8 oz.) Ghirardelli® 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for melting into the cookie dough

1/3 cup Ghirardelli® 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for mixing into the prepared cookie dough

¼ cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Preparation

In a heatproof bowl over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Turn off the stove and let chocolate sit over warm water.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. 

In another bowl, mix together sugar and eggs, combine thoroughly with a whisk and slowly add the warm chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.

Add vanilla extract and mix. Stir in flour mixture. Cool for a few minutes (if batter is warm, chocolate chips will melt). Stir in chocolate chips. Chill for 10-15 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter and place on baking tray. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with a pinch of sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7-8 minutes until the outside looks slightly cracked.

Be very careful not to over bake cookies because they will continue to bake as they cool once removed from the oven. Cookies should be soft and gooey in the center.

For a chunky and different twist add one of the following:
     o ¾ cup toasted pecans or pistachios
     o ¼ cup chopped candied ginger
     o 1/3 cup sweetened coconut 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Truffle-Cookies-with-Sea-Salt-368131

Meet Alexa's Table

Here's Alexa then and now!

Alexa is in 1/3 MOPS and this is her 1st year as a DGL.  She has 2 kids.

Tell us about your messiest mom moment.

When my son was 2 years old I reached out to my local school district for speech therapy because he had less than 10 words.  From the first 10 minutes the "specialists" were in my home, I had that Mommy gut feeling that this was not going to work out. However, I stayed with the program for various reasons, primarily because my son really needed help and I was no expert in this field. I really don't want to go into the details of what my son and I experienced in our own home, but let's just say that it wasn't a pleasant experience and it made me extremely skeptical when searching for a preschool. Thank God I prayed and listened to that gut feeling that told me to try a private therapist, which took forever to find. By her second visit, the private specialist had more of a relationship with my son than the eight months he was with the original one.  My son has come a long way and last month he even said the pledge of allegiance over the loud speaker at school. If you had a child with speech delay, believe me, this is a pretty big accomplishment.  I strongly believe that through prayer, perseverance and that natural Mommy instinct you can overcome messy moments like this one.

Meet her table!

not pictured: Felicia

Each person was asked this question:

What type of legacy or values do you want to instill in your children?

DGL-ALEXA: To love and seek God with all their heart.  To value family.  To be secure with themselves and their goals and aspirations.

MENTOR MOM-MARTA: I pray that my boys would be men of integrity, ethics and honor.  I pray that they are hard-working and kind, compassionate people who are guided by Biblical values, especially Proverbs 3:5-6.

AMANDA: That they would learn to know, love and follow Jesus more everyday and make good choices.

REBECCA: To love and follow God

JESSICA: I desire my children to be courageous.  I'd like them to open doors, show kindness to the poor, cherish their wives to display the truth about God.

MELODY: To love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind & that they have a clear and solid understanding of their identity in Him.  To love Jesus, Others, & and then Yourself. 

FELICIA

Thanks for sharing your table with us, Alexa!

I enjoy cooking so I have lots of recipes. Here is a 15 minute go to shrimp one which I enjoy over yucca or cassava from my Latin roots, but it goes well over pasta too...

Ingredients:

Pasta (fettuccine, linguini or spaghetti)

Shrimp (I use tail-on, uncooked, deveined)

Minced garlic

Olive oil

Butter

Sliced green olives stuffed with pimentos

Cilantro

Parmesan cheese

Salt

Red pepper flakes (a little goes a long way unless you like it spicy)

Optional: crab meat and/or scallops

Boil your pasta or cassava in salted water. While that's cooking, sauté minced garlic and olives in olive oil and a nice slice of butter, add diced cilantro leaves and red pepper flakes.  Add shrimp and all optional fish and season with salt. Not much salt is needed because olives and Parmesan cheese have salt in them. Drain and serve pasta. Pour sautéed shrimps over pasta. Add more diced cilantro leaves. Grate Parmesan cheese over dish and toss all to combine. 

Meet Kirstin's Table!

Here's Kirstin then and now!

Kirstin is in 2/4 MOPS and this is her second year as a DGL.  She has two kids.

Can you tell us about your best or worst Valentine's Day?

My best Valentine's Day was the first Valentine's Day with my boyfriend, who is my husband now.  He knows his way to my heart.  He took me out to a very nice restaurant.  It was very romantic. 

Meet her table!

Each person was asked this question:

What is your favorite time of day with your kids?

KIRSTIN: My favorite time of day would be first thing in the morning when my kids wake up so happy to see me and are in a very good mood. 

MENTOR MOM-JAN: Anytime I see them.  When they were small I'd say "nighttime," and they'd say their prayers as I rubbed their backs. 

KATRINA: Morning-I love seeing her wake up and just "being" with her in the early moments. 

Katie: After school when the girls tell me about everything they did. 

Tara: When we get out of the house-mostly mornings.

Amanda: Spending time with Hannah, making her laugh by making weird face expressions-especially in the mornings. 

REBEKAH: In the evenings when my husband is home and we have family time. 

Thanks for sharing your table with us, Kirstin!

Green Bean Casserole

3 cans of green beans (french cut/drained)
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 c milk
1 package of fried onion

Put green beans in mixing bowl, then cream of mushroom and milk. Mix. Pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle with french fried onions.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. 

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Meet Kelly L's table!

Here's Kelly then and now!

Kelly is in 1/3 MOPS and has been a DGL for one year.  She has two kids.

Can you tell us about your best or worst Valentine's Day?

My favorite Valentine's Day was my first one with my husband Bob. At the time we had been dating for 8 months.  Bob managed to combine his love of boxing with my love of teddy bears (my favorite childhood toy) for my gift. He went to build a bear and made me a teddy bear with red boxing gloves and white satin shorts with red hearts. I still have that bear today over 10 years later. 

Meet her table!

not pictured: Margie and Shantel 

Each person was asked this question:

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?

DLG-KELLY: Mary Poppin's magic power- poof & everything is cleaned up and the kids are well behaved!

MENTOR MOM-MARGIE: to be with my kids (adult) whenever I want

ANGIE: Speed of light. Get everything done super quick-cleaning, shopping, etc...relax when I want

AMANDA: The ability to fly, so I could visit anywhere I wanted quickly

SHELLY: I would be able to teleport so I could visit my family and different countries whenever I felt like it.

SHAUNA: Invinsibility-So nothing could take me down and I could be an unstoppable force for a good cause.  

SHANTEL: X-ray vision so I could know who actually started a fight, hit first, or colored on the furniture.

Thanks for sharing your table with us, Kelly!

Peanut Butter Chip Banana Cookie Bread

by Kelly

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your loaf pan (like an 8 x 4" pan) with shortening.
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl stir together bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars.
Pour dry ingredients into bowl with wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be lumpy (do not over-stir).
Fold in peanut butter chips and spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack.