This week’s edition of “Show us your Life” on Kelly’s Korner is show us your single guys…with the purpose of all her single readers to see who we consider to be a good catch. Now, I’m not usually one to play matchmaker (who am I kidding, if I knew two people who I thought would be great together, I’d introduce them in a heartbeat! haha)…but I feel a sense of duty, a sense responsibility if you will, to give a worthy girl the opportunity to meet one heck of a guy.

I actually had two people in mind when I saw what this week’s topic was going to be: my little brother and his best friend who might as well be brother #2. Of course, I wanted to make sure I had their permission before I blogged about them and my brother opted out. Boooo. (Big ol’ chicken! bock bock bock! I’m his sister. I can say that. haha)

But lucky for you single girls, his best friend was willing. Because he is always up for anything and isn’t afraid to live life.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce Jarred.

I picked out a picture that I felt summed him up. Yes, him on a trampoline. haha

Let me explain.

He is a grounded free-spirit, always a willing participant for adventure, spontaneous and fun-loving.

He is light-hearted, laid back and pretty much always the life of the party. He has a witty sense of humor, always quick quipped and always willing to laugh at himself. You never regret inviting Jarred somewhere; a good time will be had by all. With that being said, there is no mistaking that he can hold his own in an intellectual conversation. Or any conversation. He is knowledgeable on current events and actually has an opinion on things. He knows what he believes and isn’t afraid of a good debate every now and then. Intellectual stimulation and conversation are like a rare gem, and this guy’s got it.

Jarred is very dynamic in that he has so many good qualities that make up his personality.

He is dependable and loyal. You can count on him for anything.

He is very much a gentleman. Chivalry is not dead with this guy.

He is creative… and can draw exceptionally well. (And paints!)

He is empathetic and has a big ol’ heart.

He is a person of integrity and character.

Most importantly, he has a heart for the Lord.

Random fun facts:

He can run a mile in 7 minutes.

He flosses regularly.

He doodles all over everything.

He has a pet turtle.

He hates onions.

Likes to hike, camp, hunt, travel, go the beach…likes pretty much all music. Wants to take a cross country motorcycle trip one day. The list can go on and on… but I’ll leave you some questions to ask.

And now for the details:

Strong Christian, Blond hair, green eyes, 5’11 ish, 27, works in real estate, lives in Southern California.

And a close up picture to prove he doesn’t have a snaggle tooth. haha

He even caught the garter at my wedding… Proof that it is high time for him being “next”. haha

I can’t speak highly enough about him. And anyone that knows him can vouch that everything I wrote is completely accurate. Understated even. (Friends that read my blog that know him… back me up on this!)

Girls… he’s a catch!

I was looking at different recipe’s for cake/cupcakes for my niece’s upcoming birthday party when I stumbled upon this recipe on PaulaDeen.com. Considering my sister is throwing Ella an outdoor splash party…and we have been in the middle of a heat wave…I thought a frozen ice cream style cake (in lieu of  a traditional cake) would be absolutely perfect for the occasion.

And a recipe from Paula Deen? You KNOW it’s going to be good. And it doesn’t even contain a stick of butter!

Naturally I had to make a trial run… just to make sure all of the praise-filled reviews lived up to my expectations. (And lets just say anything involving hot fudge probably would exceed my expectations! haha Hence, it HAD to be made.)

The Ingredients:

Ice Cream Sandwiches (12 pack if cutting in half or 24 pack if using them whole)

A Bunch of Bananas

A Jar of Hot Fudge

A Jar of Butterscotch Topping

A Pack of Nut Topping OR Toffee bits

A Jar Maraschino Cherries

Cool Whip

Step 1:

The recipe calls for a 9×13 dish to be used… but I used a 9×9. Jon and I certainly don’t need to be eating an entire 9×13 dish of banana split by ourselves. haha And, like I said, this was just a trial run.

Paula recommends using heaving aluminum foil on the bottom of the dish so you can pull it out easily to cut into squares. I didn’t have heavy foil so I used regular foil. Probably not the most ideal but I doubled up.

Step 2:

Unwrap your ice cream sandwiches. Now here is where I deviated from the recipe. My dish wasn’t going to be deep enough to use two layers of full ice cream sandwiches, so I cut them down the middle. In hindsight, I may have just used a deeper dish.

After you cut them in half, put the remaining half sandwiches back in the freezer. (I learned my lesson the hard way…you’ll see.)

Step 3:

Layer the bottom of your dish with the sandwiches (or halves). Cut them to fit the dish.

Step 4:

Slice your bananas and layer them on top of the ice cream sandwiches. I cut mine “banana split” style… but next time I will slice them in horizontal, thin slices.

Step 5:

Layer the Goodies!!

1. Pour the Jar of Hot Fudge evenly over the bananas

2. Add the Cherries (drained well) and Nut Topping (or toffee bits)

3. Pour the Jar of Butterscotch topping evenly over the cherries

4. Top with the remaining halves (or whole if you are making it that way) of sandwiches.

You can see why I say put your unused sandwiches back in the freezer.

Step 6:

Layer the top with a spread of Cool Whip.

Step 7:

Cover and allow to freeze for AT LEAST 4 hours.

Once frozen, cut up into squares and enjoy!

You can drizzle the top with chocolate or top with nuts… however you would like your presentation. This is pretty much an “anything goes” recipe… add whatever you like on your banana split: Strawberries, Pineapple Topping, Sprinkles… Go hog wild.

*Tips on what to expect:

♥ The bananas are going to freeze and taste just like a… you guessed it… a frozen banana. When (not if) I make it again, I will layer a thinly sliced banana inside and then sprinkle the top with some fresh banana pieces as well.

♥ The hot fudge and butterscotch do not freeze. I was curious what would happen to them while they were freezing. Instead, they are still gooey and heavenly, which is perfect with the ice cream.

♥ Cutting the sandwich in half eliminates half of the ice cream. Originally I thought that two whole layers of ice cream sandwiches might be too much. I may have been wrong. haha I will definitely experiment using whole sandwiches next time. I mean, who doesn’t like an ice cream sandwich? The more the merrier. Amen?

♥ The nut topping was a subtle treat, but I will try the toffee bits next time. I’m not usually a fan of hard, crunchy toppings in my ice cream (like m&ms)… I always feel like I am going to crack a tooth. haha But it might add just that extra little bit of zing to this otherwise heavenly treat!

This is just the perfect summertime dessert. It is super easy to make and your family will love it. Such a treat on a hot day! I must warn you in advance, it is unbelievably addicting. But don’t blame me; it’s all Paul Deen’s fault.

Enjoy!

PS… I made you are recipe card! Save it to your computer or print it out!

Paula Deen’s recipe link: Frozen Banana Split.

Post linked to Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home.

Welcome to the 3rd edition of In the blogLight!

It’s only the 3rd week and I’m already breaking bending the rules.  (As if there were ever rules haha) Nevertheless, allow me to explain. You see, I have an arsenal of blogs on a mental list that I already know I want to feature on In the blogLight. Unfortunately (for me) two of those bloggers decided that they will not be blogging anymore… each for their own reason which I completely respect. With that being said, their blogs were/are fabulous and are so deserving of knowing how wonderful they are and how much I appreciated their creativity and uniqueness. And, of course, I encourage y’all to still go over and pay their blogs a visit. There is so much goodness in the archives for y’all to enjoy… it would certainly be worth your while. Without further ado:

Many of you may be readers of Cherry Tree (yes, that is my own mental nickname I have given this blog)… so I’m sure the news of Rachel not blogging anymore is sad for more than just myself. But let me tell you, for those who do not regularly read her blog, her reason for giving it up is nothing less than courageous, compelling and inspiring. You can read her last post here.

Why I LOVE it:

Let me count the ways. First, there is a little bit of everything… from cute vintage finds and crafty goodness to commentaries to daily life. Personally, I really connected with Rachel’s writing. And the topics that she chooses to write about. I guess you can say that I am on the same wavelength… I get what she writes. And what I love is that she isn’t afraid to speak the truth or to have an opinion… both of which are always conveyed with love and never self-righteousness. She gracefully demonstrates that it is okay to be passionate about what you believe, to have independent thoughts and to challenge your readership to look beyond the surface of issues that our society accepts at face value. I most certainly appreciate those posts that encourage such dialog and reflection.

Furthermore, her writings reveal a person of character, a woman after God’s own heart. And that’s not only a rarity, but so inspiring as well. It is so evident that she seeks to please the Lord and is willing to be a person of action. And that kind of spirit is contagious. I will miss her posts, but I’m quite certain God will still use her writing in some way; it is a beautiful gift… and as we know, every good an perfect gift is from above. Whatever path it leads her down next, there is no doubt the Lord will be glorified.

I don’t remember when exactly I found this blog, but goodness me… do I enjoy a ruffle. And stuff. This next blog is just bursting with innovative creativity… the kind that inspires you to actually make things, not just admire them. The blogger’s name is Disney (named after the channel, not the theme park, she explains)… how cool is that?? What a unique name to have!

Why I Love it:

There are some blogs that you come across that just need to be celebrated. Plain and simple. This is one of them. I can’t even tell you how many adorable ideas you will find, all complete with tutorials or patterns or print outs or instructions. It’s not just a “look at what I can do” blog… it is graciously “I will show you how” blog. Trust me, you’ll be thankful for that. There are so many “craft blogs” out there that just seem to want a big ol’ pat on the back for their obvious talent and creativity. And I’m not talking about people who make things to sell and blog for promotional purposes. I love me some handmade and I’m perfectly fine appreciating their workmanship without knowing the magic that goes into it. But when you come across a blog like this that is exploding with fabulous ideas AND the blogger is sweet enough to teach you how to make everything… I do declare that to be a real gem!

The blog layout is simple and sweet… so girlie and feminine… just as the Blog name Ruffles and Stuff implies. It is a cinch to navigate around and browse through the archives. Many projects can be viewed  pictorially by thumbnails at one time. But take my word for it, you’re going to love it all. You’ll want to bookmark just about every project because it is not only darling, but the tutorials are presented in such a way that makes you feel confident that you can make it too! I can’t speak more highly of this blog… just seeing a new post just makes me all giddy. Accordingly, I am so sad that it is coming to an end. Nevertheless, I am thankful that Disney is keeping her blog up for all of her readers to browse the archives of past projects. If you haven’t been to her blog, go check it out. Don’t worry, the archives will keep you busy long enough for us to conjure up a petition to get her back to blogging.

Final Thoughts:

The blog world has had so much to celebrate with Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane and Ruffles and Stuff. It’s sad to lose such gems, especially when you’ve just found them. But just like the seasons of life, nothing is permanent and things are bound to change. All I know is that if either blogger changes their mind, we’ll all welcome them back with open arms.

Best of luck to both of you girls! xoxo

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT

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PS. I’ve made buttons! A few different ones to choose from. Small ones for your blog’s sidebars and bigger ones for your posts, if you would like to participate.  I even have one to display if you’ve been featured. Yeah, I went button crazy. I couldn’t stop myself. haha Go to the button page HERE to grab a button.