Best and Easiest Chocolate Cake EVER!

Chocolate Dump Cake!

This has got to be the easiest and best chocolate cake I have EVER made.  Plus for my son it is free of his food allergens :)

I found the recipe on this website http://www.bunsinmyoven.com

When I say it is easy I do not lie, here are the ingredients:
- one box of chocolate cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
- one box of instant chocolate pudding mix (I used Jello)
- 1.5 cups of milk
- 1.5 cups of chocolate chips (I used less than this and the brand was Hershey mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl (don't walk away from it, I did and it started to get really hard to mix), 

spread into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

 Bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Done!

DELICIOUS!!!!

Thank God For Pinterest

Thank God for Pinterest.  Where would I be without it?  
This past week I finally decided to get organized with meals around my house and I found a post on Facebook that originated from Pinterest.  It was 8 freezer crockpot meals and it has saved my life!

The blog is http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com
This lady is a genius!  Why have I never thought of doing this before.

The recipes are easy and putting the meals together was, well, not that easy, it took a little bit of time, but not as much as you would think.

I took time on a Sunday and had 7 (I didn't make all 8 because I forgot to buy the pork shoulder at the market) meals in freezer bags ready for the week.

I already made, cooked, and have eaten the beef stroganoff recipe and it was delicious.  My kids wouldn't eat it, but since my son has egg allergies and I was serving it over egg noodles I didn't push making them try it.  Tonight we are eating the Honey Garlic chicken and I'll make some ore ida fries to go with it and maybe both the kiddies will eat some.  I didn't put too much garlic in it so that way it would be sweeter for the kids, here's to hoping they like it.

I also recently found a recipe for making chick-fil-a nuggets at home and if I make it at home I won't have to use peanut oil (food allergy again for my son).  I will post some more recipes and links to where I found them in another day or so.  For now, enjoy the genius blog of Mommy's Fabulous Finds.  She has so inspired me that maybe you'll see some crockpot recipes from me.

P.S.  I did see a great tip after I had made all of my freezer bags.  Put the food into the crockpot liners first and then into freezer bags, that way you just pull out the liner from the freezer bag and place the whole thing directly into your slow cooker.  Enjoy!

My son's Minecraft 8th birthday

It was recently my son's 8th birthday and I attempted to make him some Minecraft treats to eat.  Since he has food allergies I always make his birthday cake and this year I found this awesome blog http://www.cupcake-stand.com/minecraft-birthday-party
for a bunch of great ideas for a Minecraft birthday party.

First I went to this site to find Minecraft cupcake wrappers and cupcake toppers.
http://www.thepartyanimal-blog.org/Downloads/Minecraft_Cupcake_Toppers.pdf

I printed off the above referenced wrappers and toppers on just regular printer paper and then cut them out.  The toppers I glued together and inserted a toothpick to stick on top of the cupcakes.

Then I made a Pillsbury vanilla box cake mix and instead of eggs I substituted a container of Gerber baby food (apricot with mixed fruit, thanks to a tip from another food allergy Mama) frosted them with green frosting (found on sale and with a coupon from Giant, thanks to my coupon sites I follow, but I'll post those on another day). I also made chocolate rice krispie treats which look like the Minecraft bricks.  The "green grass" was made with a tip from Wilton, its tip #233

In the background in the above picture you can also see the Rolos, which represent gold.  And then we made TNT from red and chocolate licorice.  So much fun!!

I think it all turned out rather well.  I may not be able to come up with these crafty ideas, but I sure can implement them well. Thanks again to www.cupcakestand.com for the awesome ideas you helped make my boy very, very, happy :) 

Food Allergies. A story to make everyone aware of how serious they really are.

My son has food allergies.  



He is allergic to egg, peanuts, and tree nuts. 



Most people know how serious it is but every once in a while we run into someone who is uneducated or poorly educated in relation to how life threatening food allergies are.  



Please read the following story and if it moves you please help sponsor my son as he raises money to help promote food allergy awareness.  



Thank you.

Mom of peanut allergy victim.
Mom of peanut allergy victim: Her last words were 'I'm sorry'

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/parents-of-girl-who-died-of-peanut-allergy-reaction-speak-out/-/12969376/21686610/-/5dla0yz/-/index.html#ixzz2dPk9A6ci

Team Evan

One Massage Therapist's Thoughts: What I would like to share about being a Licensed MT

As a Massage Therapist (MT) here is what I would like to share with you.

I need to know if you are pregnant for your protection and mine.  Most MT’s will not massage you during your first three months of pregnancy because anything can happen during that time and we don’t want to be the cause of anything going wrong those first 12 weeks.

I would also like you to not show up for your massage if you have sunburn everywhere or over ½ of your body, if you have an infectious skin condition (like poison ivy), or if you are very sick.  None of these conditions are conducive for a massage. 

Sunburn can be very painful and I can’t massage your sunburned areas so your massage will be limited. 

Poison Ivy is contagious and let’s face it no one wants to have it and feel itchy all day long.  I would rather not expose myself to it, since I earn my money with my hands.  That being said if you have a small spot somewhere on your body that is no longer oozing and can be easily avoided, please show up for your massage, just let your MT know about it. 

Lastly if you are sick, massage will only make it more intensified, stay home so as not to infect the rest of the clients or the MT.

If you are late for your massage and I have clients after you, your massage will be shorter.  I can’t make the clients after you wait because you were late, whether it was your fault or not, I can’t do it.  If there are no clients after your appointment then I will make sure you get your full hour. 

Don’t be embarrassed of your body.  I really don’t care.  I am only interested in the body part I am working on and I am not secretly making notes to talk to the other MT’s about you.  I only truly want to help you and help you feel better.

Please call at least 24 hours in advance to cancel your appointment, if you don’t show up I do not get paid.  As an MT I am not a salaried employee, I only make money if you keep your appointment.  Although I do realize that there are emergencies and that sometimes a cancellation can not be 24 hours in advance.

Don’t assume that if you pay $60, $70, $80 for your massage that the MT is getting half that amount. Sometimes that is true but in most cases MT’s are paid as low as $15 an hour, the average is about $25 to $30 an hour.  That sounds like a lot until you consider that an MT can not work a full 40 hour work week and that many do not get benefits. 

I can only work a max of about 30 hours a week before I am in danger of hurting my hands and thumbs.  Besides I will also spend time after your session making notes so that I remember what techniques were used and what adhesions were found and where on the body they were found.  This is important so that next time I can be prepared for your visit.

So, if you ever think that you should not tip an MT because they make enough money, that is fine, it is your right.  But most MT’s are not even working a full 30 hour week and we really, really depend on your tips to help us make ends meet. Also if I did a good job and helped you maybe, just maybe, I earned that little extra bit.

That’s it, that’s all I really wanted to share with you about being an MT. Thanks for reading.

Wild Kingdom right here in my backyard!

I hate bugs.  

I know they were here before human beings and will be here long after I am gone.  I also know that I am much bigger than them and I can squish them in an instant with my big size 9 foot.  

But I seriously can’t stand them.  The only ones that don’t freak me out that bad are lightning bugs or fireflys and ladybugs and butterflys.  

All the rest can please vacate my backyard immediately. 

The other day, the kids and I went for a quick morning swim in our luxurious Intex swimming pool (that I hope to God does not spring another leak so we can make it through the summer with out buying a new one).  All was well and good for about 5 minutes.

Then they came. 

It started out with the big fat bumblebees.  Yes, I know, they are docile and don’t want anything to do with me.  But then tell me why do they divebomb my head??? 

Then we saw a wasp and my 7 year old son dove under the water to escape it, thank goodness he can hold his breath for a while. I believe my unfounded fear of bugs has transferred itself firmly to my son and is well on it’s way to my two year old daughter (I have never claimed to be a good Mom nor a brave one). 

Third up was the poisonous looking stripped spider in the corner of the tent used to shade the swing set area

(What the heck kind of spider is that???)

Lastly was the gigantic beetle in my daughter’s pool toy

(that beetle is HUGE)

I swear the bugs in my yard are on steroids.  Oh nature gods what have I done to offend thee that you must send the mutant and most scary insect beings into my little oasis of a yard.  Maybe I can make them an offering, I’ll sacrifice a can of Raid on a little nature alter and maybe then they’ll leave our yard alone.

I WON!!! I never win, this is awesome

I got the following email today:

Congratulations! 

You have been selected as a winner of the FLOWER Beauty Facebook Giveaway. We can't wait for you to start using one of Drew Barrymore's favorite products. Please let us know if your current mailing address is different than the one you provided upon entering the Facebook giveaway. We will be sending out your prize within the next 4 to 6 weeks.  

Thank you again for entering, and we hope you continue to love and use FLOWER Beauty products.

Sincerely, 

The Flower Beauty Team

So Cool!!! Can't believe I won, I never win anything, this is awesome, because I love Drew Barrymore so I can't wait to try her products :)

Here is her site: http://flowerbeauty.com/

West Norriton United

Click here to read all about it:  West Norriton United

I can't believe that Westover Golf Club may be gone soon if this Mega sports complex is created.  Westover is where I was married, it would be so sad to see it go!

Here is a picture of Greg and I and my nephew Aaron on our wedding day on the grounds of Westover Golf Club.

Petition:  Change.org West Norriton Petition

The plans so far are to develop a complex with 5 soccer fields, 5 baseball fields, 5 basketball courts, 10 tennis courts, a football field, a track and parking for 1800 people!  Plus more!!!

I can't even imagine how the people who have homes surrounding this golf course feel about it changing to a Mega Sports Complex.  I wonder if the developers would volunteer to put a Mega Sports Complex in their own backyards and subject themselves to the traffic, noise & light pollution that would surely follow.

If tournaments would not be held here or if there were not SO many soccer fields and baseball fields, maybe it would become a more viable option.

What if  they developed it more as a park for the residents use only? One or two soccer fields or one or two baseball fields and a pool for residents use.  Maybe that would be more acceptable.

I for one would be sad to see Westover Golf Club change.

If you have any ties to the West Norriton area and can't imagine Port Indian Road changing to an even busier road than it already is then click on the link above or below and sign the petition to help stop this complex from becoming a reality.

Change.org West Norriton Petition

ALEC exposed

Just discovered this website, seems like an interesting read.  I don't know about you but I am sick of Corporations in America getting a better deal than the average person and their CEO's making astronomical salaries while the workers they rely on to also get the job done get paid very poorly.  Check it out, I know I am going to read this website a little bit more.

http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

OH MY GOD!!! This cake is delicious!

Just made this cake and all I can say is OMG!!!!!!!! SO GOOD!!!!!

I found the recipe on Facebook from one of my friends posts.  It's the Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake and it is great. VERY, VERY Fattening, but delicious!

Here is the recipe:

CINNAMON ROLL SWIRL CAKE

BATTER:
3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup butter, soft to the point of almost melted*
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the butter.
Once mixed; slowly pour in the butter. Stir into batter.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Glaze:
2 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

While the cake is warm ~ drizzle the glaze over the cake. *This cake is outta this world!!!!!!*

Massage In Schools Program from The Australian News

This is a new program being implemented in Australia.  I find it very interesting and inspiring, maybe something more schools in the United States should consider.  I know that I feel so relaxed and happy after a massage.  Can you imagine a student who is worried over taking a certain test or having to deliver a speech that day?  I remember how I felt and how stressed I was, I didn't even know that word back then, but I could imagine how I would have felt after a "Massage Class", I would have worried less and felt more connected to my classmates too.

Massage in Schools Program: primary kids given massage classes as part of anti-bullying initiative from the Australian News

Fun in Plymouth Meeting, PA this Thursday!

Red, White & Blue Bash

A ground-breaking ceremony for the township’s Service and Devotion Monument will begin at 6:30pm. There will also be a moon bounce, face painting, a band, food, etc.  Sounds like fun and proceeds from the small cost to participate go to the Service & Devotion Monument.

Candy Crush = Addiction

Today I actually stopped playing Candy Crush for good on Facebook.  For those of you living under a rock the past few months, Candy Crush is a match 3 game which takes you from level to level.  There are all sorts of bells and whistles and different options in each level, but the basic gist of the game is to get you addicted, entice you to play, then when you can’t live without it and you’ve made it to the higher levels they make the game almost impossible to advance unless you, get this, spend some money for some help.  Good old fashioned American ingenuity here, how to make a quick buck off of all of us Facebook suckers.  For those of you that do play this game, I mean no offense.  I am a reformed addict.  I was one of the suckers that fell for this game’s little ploy. 

I’ll tell you a little secret, what made me quit were two things.  First, I looked at the map of the game.  As of today it goes up to LEVEL 430!!!  What the hell?!?!  I am only at level 64 and I find that level impossible to pass, I’ll be 80 years old before I ever get to level 200!!! 

Second, in all seriousness, I was ignoring my kids and my husband so that I could play.  Now granted there are days where I do need to ignore them or I will kill them because they are all getting on my last nerve.  But I found I was playing the game multiple times a day and telling my kids to go watch tv!  I love to watch television and I don’t mind my kids watching it sometimes either, but something is terribly wrong when I would rather them not talk to me about an art piece they created just so Mommy can level up. 

When I look back on my life 10, 20, 30 years from now I am pretty sure that I will be wanting to think about when my kids and I played in the pool together or made a finger painting together.  I don’t think I’ll wistfully be saying “Remember when I leveled up to level 73 in Candy Crush and I did it in only 4 days?”

Final note....I fully expect to fall off the wagon. Damn you Candy Crush, you sweet, sweet, evil game.

What an amazing guy!

Check this out...Tim's Place is a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and most importantly HUGS!!!!

Tim's Restaurant as shown on Wimp.com

Massage Therapist: What does your Massage Therapist really think? Inside the mind of a licensed MT

So you’re lying on the table, naked or close to it, and you are paying money to a complete stranger to rub your body with cream or oil and remove any tension you may have.  Sounds a little bit fishy to me how about you?

Well, in a nutshell, that is massage therapy and you pay good money for it.  To become a massage therapy client also takes a lot of courage, considering how vulnerable you are and how trusting you are of your therapist.  A therapist does have to have a certain amount of schooling and in most states be licensed with insurance and pass a criminal background check.  But still, it takes courage on the part of the client to trust a complete stranger with their body. 

So, like I said you’re lying there on a table almost naked and have you ever wondered if your massage therapist is thinking weird thoughts about you or is not too happy to be massaging you for some reason?  Well, I can’t speak for all therapists, but I would say that the majority of them do not care about any of the following:

1. We see and feel only body parts and the muscle under the skin and if there are any adhesions, hypertonicty or knots.
2. We don’t care that (ladies) you haven’t shaved your legs or that (men) your back is super hairy or if (men or women) you have back acne.
3. We don’t care if you are super skinny, super heavy, or somewhere in between.
4. We don’t care if you have a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema, although we may not massage that area. It’s not because we don’t want to touch your psoriasis or eczema it’s only because your skin may be inflamed or irritated we don’t want to cause it to flare up even more.
5. We don’t care if you don’t get completely naked, it does not matter to us, we can massage through clothes.  It is only a suggestion to completely undress so that all body parts that need to be massaged can have lotion or cream applied to them for a better massage.  For example, if you have low back pain, I may want to massage part of your buttocks since those muscles can affect low back pain and may have trigger points in them. If I can massage that area and can work out any knots then your pain my be minimized or alleviated altogether.

 So what are we thinking about while giving you a massage?  Well in most cases we are trying to remember how a particular muscle moves and where it’s insertion and orientation points are and what muscles work in tandem with it especially when we are trying to release a knot within that muscle.  Or we think about different techniques to use if the knot is not releasing.

 

I will be honest though, if I have a client that doesn’t have any knots or does not want the knots worked out then my mind may start to wander since I have done so many massages and know my routine by heart.

 That is not to say that I am not trying and if I do run into an adhesion or knot somewhere I snap right out of my “daydreaming” and come back to the present and I am totally thinking about how to work it out.

What I daydream about it nothing shocking.  It’s what I have to do when I get home.  What I feel like writing about next.  What class I may take next to update my skills as an MT.  Sometimes, it’s as mundane as what to make for dinner that night or this week.  I am never thinking about my client except to wonder if I am doing a good job and to “listen” to their signs to make sure my pressure is not too deep or not deep enough.

So, that’s it, nothing too mysterious and not all that interesting. Oh and sometimes I am just zoning out and not thinking anything, that music we use to help you relax is very effective and hard to resist.