Cookies for Convention (and Pies!)

Hey friends, family & loved ones!

I have an exciting opportunity coming up in August--to attend the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International convention. If you are unfamiliar with MOPS, it is a GOD-send (literally) to millions and millions of mothers around the world! It is an outreach program to mothers of preschool children that offers friendship, resources, community and support so that NO mother is left alone during this difficult season of mothering. To learn more visit www.mops.org

As a leader in MOPS it is a privilege to serve God in this amazing ministry reaching women here locally. To attend convention I would need roughly $800 to cover costs of flight, hotel and convention (my host church, Westwood Baptist, is graciously contributing a significant amount to the cost as well!). While the expense is great, the skills and training gained are immeasurable!

To help pay for this trip, I would like to offer up Fresh baked cookies and/or pies to anyone who would like to "donate" to my trip. Basically you can "buy" 2 dozen fresh baked cookies or 1 pie once per month for 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months. I will deliver them when it's convenient for you. You may request your favorite cookies/pie or go for the Danielle Rivers special pick for that month. :)  If you are out of my area, I would be happy to mail them to you priority (cookies only)!

If you are interested, please email me (link on right side) with your donation amount and how many months of cookies and/or pies you would like to receive. I can start them as early as June 20^th --next week! I’ve also set up a donation “button” on my blog (top of the page on right) and can take orders there and you can go through PayPal if you’d prefer!  

Cookies: Here are some of my all-time favorites to give you ideas (but I can try any kind of cookie you request!)

Chocolate Chip (with or without a smidge of oatmeal)

Ying-Yang Chip

Snickerdoodle

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

Peanut Butter

Carmel No-Bake Cookies

Haystacks

Sugar Cookies

 

Pies: to keep my pantry from overflowing with ingredients to make every pie imaginable, please pick from the following (or ask for your favorite – I may be able to swing that!)

Lemonade Stand Pie (Pink or Yellow)

Peanut Butter Pie

Raspberry Shortcake Pie

Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie

Apple Cider Cheesecake

Layered Pudding Pie (any flavor)

A full description of each of these deserts is available on my blog HERE.  Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank you very much for your support!!  May God richly bless each and EVERY one of you~

Danielle

The fine print: Donations need to be paid as soon as "order" is made to Danielle Rivers via check, cash or paypal. Due to time constraints (you know life with 2 kids, a job, a husband, and 5 animals) Danielle Rivers may need to postpone your order if there is a great amount of interest, but she will happily fulfill each and every desert order on a "first come, first served" basis. Danielle Rivers is not responsible for weight gain or inability to control one’s urge to eat all 2 dozen cookies or entire pie upon delivery. :)

Desserts by Danielle

Here is a list of my favorite the desserts along with their description.  If you don't see something that tickles your fancy, let me know; I'm willing to try almost anything!

Cookies: 

Chocolate Chip (with or without a smidge of oatmeal) - the classic!  Oatmeal just adds to it!

Ying-Yang Chip - half white cookie with chocolate chips and half chocolate cookie with white chips

Snickerdoodle - another classic...no description needed!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip - not necessarily a classic, but destined to become one!

Peanut Butter - this was my favorite growing up.  Complete with the criss-cross imprint on the top (chunky or smooth)

Carmel No-Bake Cookies - Shane claims that these have some kind of drug laced in them...they're that addicting!  Does contain peanut butter...

Haystacks - another no-bake, just chocolate and oats (coconut optional)...a favorite!

Sugar Cookies - thought I'd throw this one out there for people who like "boring" cookies...my philosophy is, the more stuff you stuff in a cookie, the better it is!  But for those that like "plain vanilla cookies", this one's for you! Colored sprinkles optional!

Soft & Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies - this is Shane's new favorite!

Pies: to keep my pantry from overflowing with ingredients to make every pie imaginable, please pick from the following (or ask for your favorite – I may be able to swing that!)

Lemonade Stand Pie (Pink or Yellow) - frozen pie; great for the summer picnic! Contains ice cream and your choice of Lemonade or Pink Lemonade flavor!

Peanut Butter Pie - this almost tastes like a peanut butter cup...very rich but tasty!

Creamy Lemon Raspberry Pie - it's nearly raspberry season! Great pie for the summer time

Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie - If you like chocolate, then this is the pie for you!

Apple Cider Cheesecake (not pictured) -  Layered apple on bottom with spiced cider cream mixture on top.  Tastes like an apple pie with a cup of hot cider!

Layered Pudding Pie (not pictured) - 4 layers of yummy, creamy goodness.  Nearly every flavor imaginable; butterscotch, pistachio, vanilla, chocolate, banana cream, & lemon. Crust, cream cheese mixture, pudding mixture, whipped topping.  Yum!

Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Pie - chocolate and mint...what could go wrong?  Made with pistachio favor.

Cats Everywhere!

So, as I've written before, Em likes - no LOVES - cats.  She lights up when she sees one...doesn't matter if it's real and in the room, or on the television or a stray on the street.  That and birds.  "Burr!  Burr!!!" she yells, pointing out the window.  It's so cute!!!

But, I digress...  Originally, Em's room was a Noah's Ark theme since she seemed to love animals in general.  (And, I wanted to decorate her room in Noah's Ark, doggone it!!!)  But now seeing as how she's so into cats, I've been sketching cats in various cat-like poses and then painting them on her wall in her room.  So far, I have done 4 sketches.  Although I can't claim the drawings as my own (I have borrowed someone's sketches from online), I can take credit for enlarging the sketches and drawing them freehand before painting them.  Here is what I've done so far:

 This one was my first.  He's either trying not to fall, or he's trying to climb up and over the door! :D

 Second cat was a bit more adventurous in my drawing career...  The squirrel looks a little weird in the face, but oh well!

 Although Number Three needs to go on a diet (but he was huge in the original drawing as well!!!  It has to be the perspective...), he is my favorite so far as well as the easiest.  He looks like he's going to pounce on some poor sucker coming through that door...or else on the pink kitty when he finally falls down...!

I couldn't get the right front leg just right...but for an almost 2-year old, who cares?  When Em saw this tonight, she squealed and was giggling for 30 seconds.  She kept pointing to this one and then the one hanging from the branch.  I think those two are her favorites so far!

So now I have the two largest walls left to do.  I'm thinking I'll do a series of 3 cats on the wall by her bed - one getting ready to pounce, one looking down at something, and the third in the midst of pouncing.  And then on the other wall, I'll do 3-4 kittens - maybe one in the corner by the window trying to catch something (a bird, perhaps?) and the other ones just in "lazy" cat poses with some more birds flying above.  This has been a fun project and pretty quick, too!  Each cat has taken me 10-15 minutes to sketch and paint!  Much simpler than a solid color on a wall!

Apples and Oranges

I always knew before becoming a mother that siblings would be different from each other - so I don't know why it surprises me to see these differences between Ash and Em manifesting themselves.  There are so many things that make them similar - for example, they both love animals (although Em specifically lights up when she sees a cat!).  But it's those differences that catch me off guard and make me enjoy life again through their eyes.

A few nights ago we went to a high school choir concert and I was watching what the girls were most interested in and how that points to their personalities.  Ash was mesmerized by the action on stage - the costumes, the singing, the acting - whereas Em was enthralled with the technology.  She kept pointing at the lights and at the curtain going across the stage and back, and from our seats we could see backstage and she was fascinated with what was happening back there.  How does this apply to their personalities?  Well, for anyone who knows Ash, they know that she is a "look at me" little girl and loves to perform for anyone (whether they want her to or not!).  On the other hand, Em is quite content to sit in her sister's shadow and play quietly.  She loves to figure out how batteries go into remotes but Ash is more interested in watching the show that's on TV!

So it looks like I'm shaping this family into a traveling drama crew...we've got the mom who's the boss (director), the dad and daughter who are the actors (and costume design), and tech and sound crew in one!  Can't wait to see what the next performance will be - a drama? a comedy? a musical number?  Stay tuned!

Dandylion Roots

I was weeding today (for the first time ever...kind of...) and was digging up dandelions.  I couldn't believe how deep those suckers went!  I took my spade and tried to get underneath them (at least six inches or so!) but for the most part, I ended up just breaking the root.  I was amazed at how these weeds grew - I mean, I knew that they were hardly little guys and it's really hard to kill them, but with roots like that it's no wonder!!!!  So as I was digging in the dirt, my mind wandered to how we can be like dandelions...and should we?  Here's what I came up with:  These roots go deep.  When a dandelion seed finds its home, it is there for keeps.  It's not shallow; it's not superficial...these guys are here for the long haul.  Come weed killer or spade, these plants fight to live.  And once they're established, they are committed to spreading and multiplying themselves all over the countryside (just look at some of my neighbor's yard for evidence of this!).  After considering the attributes of our favorite weed, the dandelion, I have come to decide that this is what we should all strive for.

~We should be permanent.  I know that sometimes we can't choose where we live (as so many of my friends who are military can attest to) or how long we can stay, but I believe that wherever God puts us and in whatever community, we should invest into it.  We should treat it as a permanent residence.  Live in the moment and for the future; stretching your roots out deep and secure.  And if God calls you to a new location, treat it as another permanent location to plant your roots (and you will be blessed - having so many places to call "home"!)~

~Multiply.  No, I am not saying that we should have as many kids as our bodies can dish out - I'm saying that we should reach out to those around us...show them our ways...teach our children to spread the values and lessons that we are teaching to them to those in their circle of influence!  Let's not be holing up in our homes - driving into our garages powered by an automatic door opener and never even seeing our neighbors.  Would you even recognize them if you saw them in a Safeway?  Let's spread our flowers all over our neighborhoods!~

So that's why I've named this blog "Dandylion Roots" (and yes, I know it's a misspelling of Dandelion - that's for another day!).  This isn't a post intended to preach, but instead to share some of my insights as I dug up weeds and reveal my innermost, deepest thoughts.  :P  I promise that not all blog posts will be as "profound", but I hope to share with you my journey as I develop deep roots in our new home and in our new neighborhood and with our young family.

Please join me!