Chocolate Bonanza Cupcakes

These cupcakes make me feel like breaking into song. The line "a foretaste of glory divine" comes to mind. I won't dishonor the hymn "Blessed Assurance" and it's eternal message by applying it to this cupcake. Instead, I'll say "YUM!" (Thanks to my hubby for coming up with the name for these bad boys: Chocolate Bonaza cupcakes.)

The best part is this: they are cute! And portable!

Well...maybe that is not the best part. They pair chocolate and coffee. And cake and brownie. (And they're easy.)

Here's all you need:
Coffee Elixir Frosting (see November posts).
Betty Crocker cake mix.
Ghiradelli brownie mix.
Self-control. (So you won't eat every last one of them!)

By the way, my friend Karen says that cooking your brownies in a metal pan instead of a glass pan makes them more moister. I haven't tested that yet, but I plan to!

Perspective

There are a handful of places that I never take my kids. (Not because I frequent establishments that aren't appropraite for kinder but because my patience fails.) The post office is one of those places. The other happens to be the library. I know. I know. Kids need to visit the library. They learn to love reading by roaming the aisles and discovering a gem of a book. (Not to mention that I love to read and write...and scour the library!)

I started refusing to suffer through a library trip out of concern for my sanity. I decided some experiences are not as valuable as a mother’s mental stability. Constantly shushing three young boys, six small hands pulling things off shelves, and the disapproving glances of librarians challenged my patience. (I know not all librarians are stern and stuffy, but we seem to find the few that are.) The result was me saying “no more library!”

A couple years passed since I boycotted the library trips. (Don’t worry. We’ve still been reading. My wonderful husband picks up the books from the library for us.) Then, I offered my boys a deal. If they promised to whisper and skip the behavior that previously drove me to distraction, I would take them to the library.

We went. We read. We brought home a stack of books. We had fun!

The point of this post? Well, it’s meant as a bit of encouragement to moms. First, don’t be afraid to skip out on the places or things that encourage your little people to run like pack animals. I’m not saying withdraw from society. Just recognize the places or activities that are difficult for your child to sit though and avoid them. Second, keep in mind that this is only a passing phase. Before you know it, you’ll be taking your slightly older kiddos to the very places you’ve had to avoid.

The best part is…you’ll be sane enough to enjoy it.

Our library happens to be near a building with a glass elevator.

The reward for nice library behavior:

a ride in the elevator.

"The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews

What I’m Not Reading

Ever start a book and just did not finish it? Maybe you stalled out somewhere in the middle? “The Final Summit” by Andy Andrews is that kind of book. The reader will keep hoping the book will pick up steam but it does not. Although the majority of the book occurs in Heaven, the story falls short of divine.

There are some highlights. For example, Eric Erickson joins the group and tells his story of infiltrating the Nazis to stop Hitler. This appearance is outweighed by the inclusion of characters like Mark Twain and others. When writing a book set in Heaven, the reader expects those in attendance to have clearly stated their faith in Christ. (Unlike Mark Twain who claimed, “[The Bible is] a mass of fables and traditions, mere mythology.”

This book does not feature a strong plot, neither does it stand up as an inspirational or theologically-sound read. Instead, it feels watered down and uneventful. Rather than quitting in the middle of this book, readers will wish they’d skipped it altogether.