Monday, September 26, 2022

Finding Joy While Chasing Happiness



 Have you been to CookiesandChrist.com ? Over 100 recipes in the past 4 years. 

Here's a sampling of content there:

I stood completely frozen in exaggerated form…

My legs in stride…
My arms with elbows bent…
And a look of anguish and defeat on my face…

I was keeping the rules, meeting expectations, and needing to remind myself to breathe.

It was my first round of freeze tag. I loved the game…until I was caught and trapped. I stood there hoping someone would find me. I was paralyzed- unable to run, progress, help another, or succeed.

The game of chase is thrilling…
Until it’s not…

Before too long, a classmate extended his hand, barely tapping me in a full sprint on his way to unfreeze the majority of us who had poorly spaced ourselves on the playground. I began to quickly understand a better way to play the game.

40 years later…
I’ve begun to understand a better way to live my life.

I’ve decided my favorite place to go every day as a way to live more fully is “Into the Unknown”.

How would you feel about going there?

In Disney’s Frozen 2:
Elsa felt called-
Beckoned into an unfamiliar place-
Fear gave her pause-
The risk seemed too large-
Comfort would be a price to pay-
If she followed the call into the unknown.

Unsettling feelings of wonder-
A longing to know-
Hoping for connection-
Led Elsa “Into the Unknown.”

I have learned this is where all the dreams and opportunities I don’t know exist.
I’ve been choosing to walk, jump or sprint “Into the Unknown.” Rarely is it a coordinated attempt. I stumble and fall…and then get up…to try again.
Sometimes as I enter into new ideas, paths, or pursuits, I momentarily feel frozen in fear or uncertainty.
But I'm learning to break those down…
I’m resolved to more fully understand and act as the beloved daughter of God that I know I am- That I know each of us are. I believe God expects me to work to attain this pure knowledge and act accordingly.
I begin by giving what’s God’s to God and only trying to control what He needs me to. I'm working to more fully learn how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can provide me the enabling powers to do God’s work at any given moment…
The key to this is exercising my faith to have the patience to only know this moment and not try to see too far down the path.

I’m learning and loving to embrace the unknown.

Begin with me here…
Define the following-
Finding-
Joy-
Chasing-
Happiness-

Are you willing to rediscover the thrill of the chase and see what you find…?

Cookies and Christ 2022…

JC

S’mores Whoopie Pies

¾ cup soft butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk 
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾  teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs and vanilla; don’t overmix. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Add 2 Tablespoons more flour for high elevation. Scoop out approximately 24 2” balls of dough.  Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 13+ min. Let cool completely.

Marshmallow Creme Frosting

6 Tablespoons soft butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons whipping cream
Dash of salt
7 oz. marshmallow creme (Fluff)

Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, whipping cream until smooth.  Mix an additional 2-3 minutes on high speed.  Fold in marshmallow creme. 

Milk Chocolate Ganache

½ cup cream
1 cup milk chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt

Heat cream and chocolate chips on low whisking constantly. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Cool completely. 

Assemble the whoopie pies by piping a dollop of marshmallow creme frosting onto the middle of the bottom of half of the cookies.  Keeping the frosting in the middle will allow it to spread to the edges during the next step without causing it to spill over. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows. Carefully toast marshmallows on broil setting of oven for approximately 15-30 seconds. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pipe a dollop of ganache onto the other side of half of the cookies and place a top onto it.  Let set. share!