Scrumptious Creations: Banana Split Cake

There are times in life when you just need to indulge. In our health driven society, it's hard to justify sugar, cake, chocolate, or any sweet dessert. I am a health conscious individual, don't get me wrong, but once in a while there's nothing like having a slice (it can be small) of some delicious, non-healthy item. As long as you're not consuming it daily, a treat now and then can be good for the soul and make the heart happy…figuratively speaking. As my mother would always say "Everything in moderation." I agree.

My husband, Hayden, and I were heading to a pie social dessert night potluck (sounds sinful doesn't it? yum!) and needed to make something to contribute. I, of course, was going to fall on my very relying and delicious apple crisp. It's always a hit and easy to make. We had just recently been to a friends birthday party, however, where we tasted the most amazing banana split cake. Thus, my husband suggested we try it for the evening. There's nothing more intimidating then trying something new then taking it out where a vast multitude of people will be sampling it. But I was up for the challenge, as was Hayden. We searched for recipes online and found one to our liking, and then modified it further. Hayden is very ingenuitive when it comes to food, so I knew we could try it and our modifications would not only work, they would be delicious. Especially because it was a no bake dessert. Bonus!

The ingredients are:
about 2 1/4 cup oreo cookie crumbs (you can buy the boxed crumbs)
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 pkg (250g) of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cold milk
Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
Bananas
Strawberries
Pineapple
Magic Shell chocolate sauce

We opted for an oreo cookie crust over a graham cracker crust, because who doesn't like oreo cookies!
We used 2 1/4 cups of the crumbs, but next time I think we'll use the whole box to make the base thicker, therefore needing more butter as well.

Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and then press into a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until you're ready to add the other layers.

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and milk until well blended. Then stir in or beat in about 1 cup of Cool Whip. Spread this on top of the cookie crumb base.

Add a layer of sliced bananas. (We were quite meticulous with our fruit layering as we wanted everyone to get all three fruits in every piece, if not every bite.)

Add a thin layer of Cool Whip

Add a layer of fresh sliced strawberries

Add a thin layer of Cool Whip

Add a layer of fresh sliced pineapple

Top with a thin layer of Cool Whip

Sprinkle with some small, chopped strawberry pieces and then drizzle with the Magic Shell chocolate sauce. We put it in the freezer to harden the chocolate.

Keep refrigerated until ready to consume. It's also a good idea to put it in the freezer for about 1/2 hr to an hour before cutting, to help firm everything up.

This was our first attempt and already we are figuring out how we would modify it further to create an even more delicious collision of flavours. perhaps adding another layer of the cream cheese mixture in there somewhere. No matter, the cake was a HUGE hit at the pie social and we hardly had anything to bring home. It was a good thing we indulged at the event :)

Thus, I highly recommend trying this recipe out. It took mere minutes to make and required no baking (always a bonus and especially nice during the hot summer months). Allow yourself to indulge, just a teeny bit, and sit back and enjoy.

till next time...

She's here!

As I sat contemplating my blog, I realized, with much regret, that it has been far too long since my last post. All things considered, however, I do have some excuse.

My last post spoke of deliciousness in the form of baking, this post shall speak of deliciousness…. in the form of my new beautiful baby girl.

What can I say, my life has been utterly and completely transformed in the 5 1/2 short weeks that I've been blessed with the role of mommy. A role that I'll admit is much harder and challenging then I expected, but yet at the same time, easier and more rewarding then I expected too. How can something be both? I can't explain it. It's one of those things you must experience for yourself to fully comprehend.

But first, let's take a look back. Christmas came and Hayden and I took a trip to Sylvan to spend the holidays with my family. We arrived Christmas Eve and that is when Hayden's sickness set in. At 8 months pregnant, it was all I could do to keep my emotions in tact as it was, but it was made much harder having a husband who was confined to his bed for all of Christmas Day and many days thereafter. To not have him by my side for any of the festivities, family conversations, laughs and good eating, was much harder then I expected it to be. Partly, to be completely honest, I selfishly wanted the holidays to be about me, so to speak. I wanted it to be a Christmas where I could put my feet up and not have to worry about a whole lot, being pregnant. To have others look after me. So, when that was superseded by my husbands need for me to care for him, I had to take a hard look at my motives, repent of my selfishness, and gladly be the caring wife that God expects me to be and look after my sick husband with a joyful and loving heart. Little did we know this would carry on for the next couple weeks or so. By the end, it was all I could do to not cry and to pray fervently that Hayden would be well enough before our baby was born.

January finally came, and looking back over the year, I saw a year of blessings (family vacation to Hawaii, getting pregnant with our little latte, being able to go to Vancouver and Island to see friends and family, just to name a few of the highlights), a year of faith building, a year of trials and triumphs.

As 2012 dawned, I saw this to be a year of new beginnings. The year I turn 30, the year I become a mommy, the year my whole world would be flipped upside down, my faith would be stirred, and life would never be the same.

This has become truth in the first month alone. It all started with my journey to praying for a supernatural childbirth. With D-day approaching I tapped into the truths that God has for us as women, concerning the process of childbirth. I believed those truths and believed God for an amazing first delivery, no matter what the world says and what Dr's say is to be expected. As a first time mom, you're expected to carry late, have a higher chance of being induced, to have a long labour, etc. The odds are against us. But I chose not to believe that, and to pray for a fast labour, to progress quickly, that my body would do what it was designed to do, that baby would be in the proper position for a good delivery, that there would be no problems or complications, no tearing etc.

My due date was Jan 25th, so naturally I finished work up on Jan 11th, 2 weeks before D-Day, to give myself time to rest and relax, and to clean and do some final last minute things to get ready for our little latte. Little did I know that I would not have 2 weeks. On Jan 16th, at about 9am, 9 days before D-day, I went into labour. It was not painful at all, I just had steady contractions all day, but still not close enough together to warrant going to the hospital. That evening, Hayden and I went to the Banff Mountain Film Festival, enjoyed an evening with friends, and then went to bed. That night I hardly slept as my contractions became just annoying enough that I couldn't ignore them or sleep very well through them.

By Tuesday morning, my contractions were between 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 min, and I felt we should go in. So off we went to the hospital. Of course it would be the coldest day of this winter thus far.

We got to the hospital and they monitored me and checked me and I was only 2 cm dilated, so they sent us home. We asked when we should come back in and the nurse just said "oh, you'll know." Would we? We've never done this before! We continued to pray for a quick active labour and fast dilation and by the time we got home the contractions were already substantially more intense. I had a bath and tried to lie down for a bit, but all I could do was breathe through each contraction now. After only being home for a couple hours, Hayden said we should probably head back. It's a good thing too! By the time we got back to the hospital at 1pm, I was already 6cm dilated! Active labour kicked in and over the next 3 hrs I fully dilated and was ready to push. I was able to do this portion of labour with no drugs, not that it didn't cross my mind once or twice, to be sure. But I don't think anything would have worked as I progressed so quickly.

No one was joking when they said pushing is hard work. It's called "labour" for a reason. That was a tough hour and a half. My water broke while I was pushing, so no intervention was necessary there either. Little latte made progress with every push and came, slowly but surely. Finally her head was out and it wasn't long before the rest of her followed. Hayden was supposed to announce the gender, but was so in awe that there was a baby, totally forgot! The Dr. was like "And?……. and?…." Finally Hayden realized what was being said and told me it was a girl! What a pleasant surprise as I was 99% positive it was a boy. Hence, at 5:28pm on Jan 17th, 8 days early, after only 3 hrs of active labour and 1 1/2 hrs of pushing, our little latte, Lalaith Elizabeth Werezak, was born. She was 7lbs 3.6 oz, 19.5 inches long and absolutely perfect and beautiful. To pronounce her name properly is lay-leth.

It wasn't a pain free labour, like I had prayed for, but in a way I'm thankful. I now fully understand and appreciate what it takes to bring a child into this world, instead of being indifferent. I can relate to other women and value this precious gift so much. This will not deter me, however, in praying for a pain free labour for the next one, that's for sure. And looking at all the other aspects and how God totally answered our prayers was so cool as well! I was early, I had a quick dilation, quick labour and delivery, my cervix thinned as it was supposed to, everything went well without a hitch, no problems or complications, I had only a very small tear, and I healed ever so quickly on the other side of it. Lalaith is a great eater and sleeper and unless she gets a cramp from some tummy troubles or has growing pains, is a happy and content baby. We are so blessed to have this little girl in our lives and so humbled that God would choose us to be her parents. We only hope and pray that we do the best job we can in raising her in a Godly and loving home.

Welcome to the world Lalaith! You are our long awaited for little latte and we love you dearly!

Fresh out of the oven 

such a cute pouty face 

Snuggles with mommy 

First family photo 

Grandma and Grandpa

Daddy's little princess 

practicing "Blue Steel" 

snuggles with Unckie BryBry 

showing off her dimple while sleep smiling 

Till next time!

Tis the Season… of deliciousness!

Tis the season, it is said. The season of laughter, love, and giving. The season of festive music and merry-making. The season of muted silence with thick snow falling gently over the world, blanketing us in a wondrous white which covers all dirt and grime. It makes our fields, our cities, our towns, and our streets look white-washed and clean, if but for only a moment. Tis also the season of rushing around, stress, and sickness, but let's not dwell on that side of it… at least not today ;)

Tis the season…. of baking! This is what brings me here today. With Christmas fast approaching many ovens are heating up, baking the most delectable cookies, cakes and desserts, ready for the consumption of the masses as families join together in celebration of the Christmas season and Jesus' birth. I must admit, this is one of my favourite parts of this season. The home baked goodies. Since getting married I have endeavoured to join the mass of bakers, and have proved myself to make some delicious, and edible I might add, desserts. My attempts at whipped shortbread have been praised by even the most seasoned of bakers, my gingerbread cookies have been chewed slowly as they've been savoured, but this year, I decided to try something a little bit different.

As we have recently moved into a new house, and November was filled with preparing for an art market, we have only recently began settling into our new home. I had no desire, whatsoever, to even attempt any baking, knowing my house was an absolute gong-show. However, in the past week or so, the house has become considerably more settled, thus, the other night, the whim of baking overcame me. As I perused my book of tried and true recipes, I felt neither inclined, nor inspired, to re-do that which I have done many times. Plus, my husband is not a cookie eater and I knew, therefore, to make cookies would result in my consumption of almost every single one. My mouth would enjoy this venture, as would my little latte growing in my womb, however, my hips, thighs, and other parts would sigh with discontentment at the shared room with the added flab that would inevitably come to rest there. Thus I turned to a new book and ventured out to try something new and exciting…. with quinoa!

As I flipped through the scrumptious desserts through this amazing cook book, my eyes came to rest upon one recipe that I couldn't seem to tear myself away from. Chocolate Truffle Brownies. I read the list of ingredients and was delighted to discover that I had all that was needed. Thank goodness for my random shopping and recent purchase of quinoa flour! My pregnancy craving of something sweet was about to be met, with the added goodness of an amazing superfood. Could life get any better? I submit that it could not. :)

Before I lay out the recipe for you, please remember that quinoa has a very distinct, almost nutty, flavour. This does not appeal to all, so you could always split your quinoa flour with some regular flour as well, to help mute the nutty tones. I prefer the quinoa taste, and myself did not find the brownies overwhelming with nutty quinoa flavour at all. In fact, for a first time brownie, I found them moist and absolutely delectable! I hope you will enjoy as well.

Chocolate Truffle Brownies

4 oz (115g) unsweetened chocolate (4 squares)

3/4 cup butter 

(I used margarine as butter is much more expensive)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups quinoa flour

1/4 cup milk

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

(I used pecans)

Preheat the oven to 350*. Lightly spray or grease a 9-inch square baking pan and lightly sprinkle with

flour or line with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and the butter together over low heat. Add the sugar, stirring constantly. When the mixture is thoroughly blended, pour into a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and blend well. Stir in the flour and milk. Mix in the nuts. Pour evenly into the baking pan.

Bake on the center oven rack for 20-22 minutes (I had to bake mine for about 25 min). To keep these brownies chewy, be careful not to overbake. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before cutting into 16 squares (or larger ones if you do so choose :) )…(ok, or smaller ones ;) )

If you do not have this amazing quinoa recipe book, I highly recommend it. It can be found at Costco for the best price. 

yummy!!! They are extremely delicious!

For the purchase of golden quinoa, you can get a bag of Organic True Roots quinoa at Costco. If you have a Bulk Barn in your city, they carry the golden and red quinoa in bulk, as well as the quinoa flour in bulk. If you can't find quinoa flour, you can also grind the quinoa yourself in a coffee grinder or magic bullet or flour grinder if you have one. 

I hope that as we enter this final week before Christmas, this season finds you with much joy. Enjoy time with loved ones, rest and put your feet up, and of course, enjoy all that scrumptious baking you've pre-made for the occasion! Hope you enjoy these tasty little treats, knowing it has a good-for-you superfood in it!

Merry Baking!

Till next time...

Dear little Latte...

Dear little Latte,

It's been a while since I wrote. I must say, you've certainly grown leaps and bounds since last time. You're almost 33 weeks old now and are quickly growing out of your current residence. Space has become limited. Instead of feeling hard kicks and punches, I feel knees and elbows, shoulders and head move and roll and press out hard as you manoeuvre in your cramped quarters . You've had the hick-ups quite a few times now too. At least hick-ups that I can identify. You also let daddy know you didn't like your limited space crowded even more one night. He put his hand on my belly to feel you and pressed a little harder then usual. You booted him good that time. It made me laugh out loud for a long time. You already bring me such pleasure, and I love laying in bed, teasing you, playing with you, talking to you, and just watching you roll around. It makes mommy feel a bit nauseas at times, but I know it will all be worth it.

I've also discovered that you like baths! It seems whenever I have a nice warm bath, you calm down for a time and enjoy it too. We've shared lots of baths together since we've moved into our new home, and we will share many, many more before you arrive as well. Especially because the weather has finally started getting colder and there's nothing like a nice, warm bath to warm me up.

I took you to your first musical as well! Thanks to our friend Tawny, we went to see The Sound of Music. You were quiet and still until the production started and the nuns starting singing. Then you went crazy, punching and kicking at the same time! I'm not sure if it's because you liked the music and were enthralled… or because you absolutely hated it and were trying to cover your ears. When you're born I'll put on the soundtrack and see how you react to the music. :)

Now that mommy and daddy's Christmas market is over, we can finally settle into our new home and start setting up your room. Right now it's full of boxes, so we need to get those cleared out, and find you a bed and a dresser. Don't come too soon ok my little Latte? Mommy still needs some time to get ready for your arrival and have the house organized :)

You are sure getting heavy now too. Mommy has tried not to waddle as long as possible, but your weight and that of your home comforts now make it near impossible for me not to waddle! Everyone thinks it's cute, but it's a lot of weight to carry around all day at work. We have just 3 weeks left till Christmas holidays and then I can put my feet up and let you grow and move and wiggle for two whole weeks! That will be nice indeed. Then I just have 3 days back at work and then I'm off and waiting for you to arrive! It's going to come so quickly.

Well my dear little Latte, we are on home stretch now and are getting very close to meeting you. We are so excited to hold you in our arms and cover you with kisses and give you plenty of snuggles. There are so many people who are excited to meet you as well! Take care, keep growing strong and healthy, and we will meet you very soon.

mommy and daddy love you!

Dear Little Latte...

November 10, 2011

Dear Little Latte,

You are growing so big and strong! I no longer just feel little kicks anymore, but elbows, knees and other limbs moving across my belly. I can sometimes feel around your feet when you push them upwards. I love to sit back and watch my belly contort and move in crazy patterns as you roll and move and dance and squirm. In fact, you do it so much that you make mommy feel a little nauseas these days. That's ok though, because I want you to use those new forming muscles and developing motor skills to continue growing stronger and healthier. I often speculate if these movements are an indication of what you may love to do when you come into the world. Maybe you'll be a kick boxer, or a dancer, or a soccer player, or a swimmer. Or maybe you just hate being confined and are looking forward to having some space. Or maybe it's none of the above and you're just a baby in the womb who loves to squirm and move and you'll be the most content and peaceful individual. I just have no idea, hence the beauty and wonder of who you are and the excitement and anticipation of finally meeting you. I look forward to discovering your personality, your quirks, your likes and dislikes, and your mannerisms. Will you take after daddy in this or mommy in that?

We had our first bubble bath together tonight too and one thing I discovered, is that you seem to like baths. You were moving like crazy as normal, until I settled into the soothing waters enhanced with relaxing bubbles and fragrance. You stopped moving and relaxed with mommy the entire time. Once I was out you started your routine again, but you loved bath time. Daddy was so sweet and cleaned the tub for us first too, as it's getting harder for mommy to bend over. We shall have more bath times together in the near future.

Another little tid-bit. Your cousin Brenna was just born yesterday. She is beautiful, just like your cousin Lucy and they are both waiting to meet you! After you are born, then you will have to wait just a few more weeks until your other new cousin, Little Bean Sprout, is born as well. The whole family is so excited for all 4 of you to join us. You got to meet Little Bean on Thanksgiving weekend. Mommy and Auntie Rachelle had buried a time capsule 4 years ago and we were digging it up to see what we had predicted about this year. You and your cousin, Little Bean, were both predicted, much to our amazement and joy. :)

Little Latte and Little Bean Sprout meet for the first time :)

Last week we went to Calgary and Sylvan Lake. Grandma W. had some time loving on you and can't wait to meet you! Grandma and Grandpa C. also enjoyed feeling you roll around and can't wait to meet you as well. At one point, when we were sitting at the table, you were bumping and kicking and rolling, and Grandpa put his hand on my tummy to feel you, but you stopped moving. You were probably wondering about this new hand and what it was doing on your home. Then out of no where you kicked Grandpa's hand. We all enjoyed that. You also got some loving from your Aunties' Shauna, Dora and Lori! Know you are already well loved by everyone and your arrival is highly anticipated by all.

I love you Little Latte and we have only 11 weeks left till you are due to arrive! Maybe you will come early, or maybe you'll come a little later, but it won't be too long now till I get to hold you in my arms and not just in my belly!

Love Mommy.

29 weeks + 1 day

Little Latte moving. Watch closely :)

Change is in the air

Leaves fall in hues of red, orange, yellow and all mixes inbetween. The air has a crispness to it bringing on such lovely things as scarves, jackets, boots, and even mittens. It's not so cold that one dreads venturing outside, but rather, looks forward to the wave of freshness that ensues. The crunch underfoot emits aromas of sweetness into the air which is most pleasing to the nose. This is always most appreciated by one whose sense of smell is significantly heightened due to pregnancy.

It is in this glorious time that we find ourselves in the process of change. With winter fast approaching, as well as the birth of our little Latte, we felt it was time to look for another place to live, one with a bit more space. This would be helpful before the house becomes buzzing with friends and family. Thus, the quest began to search out a place that would suit our needs and not break our bank account. I looked at 7 different places and one stood out above the rest. As it turns out, it is a mere hop, skip and a jump from where we live now. However, this new place, which is a newer half duplex, has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms (with tubs!!!), a living room, family room, storage, and larger kitchen with cupboards! Also, we are blessed to have a single car garage, in which we can use for storage, but we can also park a vehicle in there! What a wonderful thing this will be for the winter months, especially being pregnant and then having little Latte. No more cleaning snow off my car!

With finding a new place, however, comes packing and cleaning the place you currently reside in. We gave our notice and then realized rather quickly that this house was going to be shown to others who are searching for a new home. Our house, though not dirty, was definitely cluttered and in disarray. We needed to get this house show ready, and fast! We were heading away for the Thanksgiving weekend, and the first showings were going to be Tuesday evening. Hayden was leaving again for work Tuesday morning, thus that left Monday to get our place ready. We left Calgary at 8am and shortly after we arrived home we buckled down and began tackling the daunting task of cleaning our entire house and yard. We started at 11am, and as I started inside, room by room, Hayden began the outside clean-up. We didn't finish until 7:30pm! 8 1/2 hours later! What a long day that became, but our house looked amazing. So amazing I was sad to be leaving it!

As it turned out, our clean sweep was a success and many people came through the house, one being the next renters. We also had people interested in our art, which we had hanging up all over the place. Thus, we now can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there is someone taking over this house for Nov 1st and it is out of our hands in just a mere couple of weeks. I still haven't been able to bring myself to begin packing, though I know I need to. It's hard when I'm tired most days and my man is away with work. I don't have the same drive. But I know it will get done. It has to!

The only thing left to do is find a washer and dryer for a good price, as the new place doesn't come with them. I'm positive God will provide that as well.

Thus, this is where we are at the moment. It's exciting and stressful all at the same time! So much to do, so little time to do it in. Change is good and I'm ready to settle into our new home, nest and prepare for the arrival of our little one. Maybe even do some baking in there :) On a cool, crisp day, there's nothing better then walking into a house that smells of cinnamon and apples.

Hope you are enjoying the fall and breathing in the fresh scents that accompany it.

Till next time.

Book Review: J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne

The rolling hills of The Shire, the smoke-filled gloom of Mordor, the epic tales of selfless heroism, a vast history of a fantasy world called Middle Earth, and a hobbit. All born in the mind of one man, influenced by life's unexpected twists and turns, ups and downs and a steadfast faith in God.

From his birth in South Africa till his death in England, Mark Horne takes us on a compelling journey through the life of beloved author, J.R.R. Tolkien. The tragedies and triumphs, the hardships and good times, the friends and loved ones, and his growing faith in the Catholic Church, all of which shaped, not only the course of Tolkien's life, but also greatly influenced his works of writing; most notably the well-known and popular "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings".

As I began reading this biography, which is part of the Christian Encounter Series, I found myself pulled into the pages within mere moments. Mark Horne has a beautiful way of enticing a reader with language that is concise, easily read and understood.

As a fond lover of Tolkien's writing, there was an excitement to learn more about this man and his life, however I also had a slight fear my view of him could be tainted by what I read. This book, however, caused my appreciation of Tolkien to deepen, to feel inspired to reach higher for seemingly unattainable goals, and to count my blessings everyday. I appreciated how Mark Horne continually reminds the reader of Tolkien's faith through-out his life's journey, but doesn't bombard the reader with it either. This helps make it a good read for anyone interested in Tolkien's life, whether Christian or not.

All said and done, I was absolutely delighted with this book and looked forward to every moment I was able to sit down and read it. If you are interested in knowing more about J.R.R Tolkien, then this book is a great start to getting acquainted with this renowned author.

Aryn

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”