Just Because It's Wednesday

I walk in from soccer practice and this is what I find on my desk!

Isn't he just the sweetest?!

Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Batter:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

 In a saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the sugar, then the eggs.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in chocolate mixture, then add 1 tsp. vanilla and chocolate chips (if using). Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk, 5 tbsp. of sugar, and 1/8 tsp. vanilla until smooth.

Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight or nine dollops across the top of the brownie mixture

take a dull knife or spatula and gently swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan is just set. Let cool and cut into squares.

Makes a 9x9 pan of brownies.
Recipe found here http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2010/06/cheesecake-brownies.html

Self Esteem Boost

You can always follow Jessica's example and give yourself a pep talk every morning.

Or we can listen to his words of wisdom. You can do anything!

When life gives you lemons...

We all know the saying when life gives you lemons make lemonade. My bishop gave a lesson on how to open your eyes to a happier life. He used a few saying like that. 

1. When life gives you lemons make lemonade. We need to make good things come from bad situations.

2. Don't build mountains over mole holes. We need to make sure we aren't making the problem worse and exaggerating. We all have our own mole holes or trials and we need to make sure that we are trying to fix them not make them into a bigger problem.

3. Look at things in a different light. Sometimes we will find things difficult and they probably are but good can always come from them. We need to be looking for the good. We need to think of other situations and remember that ours could always be worse.

4. Find the winner within and exercise faith. We all have great potential and we need to find it. Find and search in our lives what we can do better. Then use faith to do what we need to. 

5. Remember we aren't in this alone. We do have a loving Heavenly Father that is there for us. He will listen and answer our prayers. To have faith in God we need to have faith in His timing.

Good things in life:

1. Prayer and answers

2. A loving bishopric who is inspired

3. Phone calls home

4. Listening ears

5. Megan and Courtney

6. Watermelon

7. Soccer

8. The Sun

Family, starts and ends with family

During breakfast we found some great and cheesy quotes hence the title and some of the crazy pictures.

This past weekend I was able to visit with Karen. I was so excited because I hadn't seen her in 2 years. We had a great time visiting and had breakfast with some of the other young women.

Lady Bruins

This semester I decided to play competitive soccer. Try outs where last weekend and I made a team! One of the coaches didn't want other coaches to see me so she told me to go home or play really bad. I guess I wasn't as rusty as I thought. I'm so excited to make new friends and my team looks pretty good.

Let It Begin

I am taking 14 credits and the homework is crazy. School hasn't even been going on for a week yet! I have taken this many credits before but I've always had a fun class. Not this time so I have 6 classes and lots and lots of homework. Its hard to get back into the swing of things but it will be good for me. I just may not to get to have as much fun or maybe just a different kind of fun.

Good things:
I can hear the birds chirping outside
The sun is shining
My brain is growing or maybe just getting more full
I got a scholarship
Books cost only $80