And now for dessert there are so many options but this should be a little treat for ourselves as well so I think that some individual cheesecakes would hit the spot for me ;) To make this all romantic, and fun for the kids as well, I would go to Michael's and get the silicone heart shaped muffin cups. They are fun and reusable and will look beautiful on little plates on the table.

Super Easy Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
1 package of Nilla Wafers (usually found in the baking aisle)
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup whit sugar

1. put 1 nilla wafer in the bottom of muffin cup
2. beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth
3. beat in 1 egg at a time until smooth
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of cream cheese mixture
5. top with a spoon full of cherry pie filler
6. bake for about 20 min at 350 degrees
7. let completly cool before putting in the fridge and chill for 2 hours
8. yields for me between 12-24 cakes depending on how big I want them. Just go with it you can't make mistakes with cheesecake :p

Before serving garnish with a dollop of whip cream and shaved chocolate and a maraschino cherry on top and have a fantastic evening.

Hi everyone. Last week was a total write off for me. Stomach flu and a sick kid and work the week flew by and today I realized that I am behind on my recipe selections. Have no fear I know Valentines Day is here Monday and as I was looking through the grocery fliers I thought these recipes would be great to make for you sweethearts. Very east recipes that will make it look like you slaved really hard. First up Sobeys has pork shoulders on sale for $1.00 a lb so this makes recipe 1 sweet for the budget.

Smokey Applewood Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Prep time: 15 min. Slow cooker time: 8 hours
I make the sauce the night before then cook it all day and enjoy the smells in my house.
2 lb (1kg) boneless pork shoulder roast, strings removed and trimmed of excess fat
1 sweet onion, sliced or chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup Compliments Sensations Smokey Bourbon Applewood Grilling Sauce (Sobeys brand)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1/8 tsp pepper

1. place pork, onions, apples and bay leaf in slow cooker.
2. whisk together broth, 1/2 grilling sauce and all other ingredients and pour over meat.
3. cover and cook low for 8 hours or until pork is cooked through
4. skim any fat that has floated up and remove pork from pot
5. transfer sauce to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat
6. reduce sauce until sauce has thickened (about 15-20 min)
7. add remaining grilling sauce and remove bay leaf
8. shred pork with 2 forks until all stringy
9. put pork and sauce all back in slow cooker and stir together let sit for about 15 min
10. EAT

Serve on buns with coleslaw on on the bun with the pork or coleslaw on the side.

This one saved my Bacon this week.
My Mom gave me this recipe in a moment of panic on Tuesday It was hearty and yummy and the kids ate it. Enough said!

Ham Chowder
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup chopped carrots
1 tbsp chicken bullion powder
1 cup water
1 tsp parsley

-boil until all veggies are tender then mash with a potato masher if you like it chunky or blend if you like it smoother.

Add:
3/4 cup frozen corn (or peas)
1 cup chopped ham
2 cups of milk

-Simmer all together until hot
-can be served with a sprinkle of cheese on top of each bowl

Frying Ground Meat

So with the inspiration of Sharnell and the Recipes of the week, I thought I should get back to my tip of the week. With this in mind I started scouring magazines and paying attention to the TV, radio, etc. The best one that I found this week came from the Rachel Ray show that I like to have on as background noise and inspiration when I'm preparing dinner. This week she suggested a potato masher. Although mashed potatoes may be the first thing that come to mind, this is not what Rachel was using it for however. During this particular segment she was browning some ground sausage and her tip was to use a potato masher to break apart the meat as you are frying it rather than attempting to stab it with a wooden spoon (currently the method I used). So the following night I tried it, and it worked great!!! Now why didn't I think of that!

~Teri

Oatmeal Cake

Cake

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup butter or hard margarine

1 1/4 cups boiling water

- mix and let rest for 30 min up to overnight

add:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups flour

-mix all together and spread into a sprayed 9x13 pan

-bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick does not come out too sticky at 350'

-when cake is cooled drizzle icing over cake

Icing

1/2 cup butter or hard margarine

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 canned milk (yes the stuff your grandma used in her tea)

1 beaten egg yolk

-heat in a pot and stir until boils

-boil until all is dissolved (a couple of minutes)

-remove from heat

add:

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup of nuts

*** or anything you may like ***

*** if you add chocolate chips wait until the icing is cool ***

-when icing and cake is cooled pour icing over cake and eat

Happy New Year!

What to say? Have you made any resolutions? I would like to challenge you to make a few that don't include losing weight, not snacking, eating healthier, exercising more... you get the picture. I'm not saying that eating healthier and exercising isn't healthy... they are just things you should be focusing on all the time - not just at the start of the year. I kind of think resolutions are over rated actually and as I type that I am wondering where they originated from and am going to Google it and let you know what I find out so just hold on for a moment... it's 9:30pm I'll be right back. Okay it's 9:32 and it has something to do with a guy named Janus and is really not all that interesting.

So other than stuff that resolves around food and exercise... what would you like to work on in your life? Money, relationships, faith, forgiveness, helping others? I would like to encourage you to comment and post a few of your resolutions - you can do it anonymously! There really is nothing better than the support and encouragement of those around you - even if there is no name attached!

To get things started, here are a few of my resolutions; I want to continue on my journey with God and have him be with me in everything I do from day to day - think of him in my decision making and be friends with him. I want to read the Bible (and have already started on that!). I want to bring more faith into our family outside of Church and praying at supper. The girls get their handouts every week at Power Hour and we put them on the fridge but I would actually like to take the time to do some of the activities that are on them.

Resolutions, not including food and exercise... what are yours?

My Lightswitch Moment

If you would've asked me about my religion prior to 2 years and 2 months ago I would have told you I was "Weddings and Funeral" Catholic. Well, you can throw Christmas in there too but I stopped going to mass at Easter a long time ago. So prior to 2 years and 2 months ago I had been to Church probably about 6 times in about 5 years.

There have been many turning points in my journey with God ranging from a curling iron to new friends... to MOMS. One of the most pivitol "lightswitch" moments came from one of the least expected messages during table talk time at MOMS.

"Submit to one another (your spouse) out of revence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21.

First of all, when I think of the words "submit" and "husband" in the same sentence - my ginchies get in a knot (well, they used to). I mean seriously? You want me to submit to my husband? That's just crazy - I mean we live in a society where women are climbing up the corporate ladder and have careers... we are not dependent on anybody nor do we need to submit to anyone.

But think about this. God gave up his son for us... He let his son die... for us. Now think about your own children. Can you even possibly fathom letting your child die when you have the power to stop it?

How do you thank someone for letting their son die for you? So your sins could be forgiven and you could have everlasting life? How can you possibly thank God for that? Well, the answer is actually quite simple - God wants you to take all that love and thankfullness that you want to shower him with... and give it - or submit - to your husband. There are no words to express how much God loves us - how do you describe a love so strong that you would actually give up your only son?

I recently posted on Facebook that I have asked God to forgive my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I have been praying regularly, reading the Bible and asking God daily to open my heart to him. 2 years ago God started stirring my soul and today I am learning how to look for God in everything I do.

What's your "lightswitch" moment?