Easy Fruit and Cheese Danish Recipe

I'm a huge fan of quick and easy breakfasts. And since I love a good cheese danish, this recipe made my day--now let it make yours. :)

Ingredients

• 1 roll crescent dough sheet
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Fruit spread, preserves, or marmalade

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spread out the crescent dough on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out. Cut 11-12 strips on either side of the dough, about 1/3 of the way across.

Combine the cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Pour the cheese mixture down the center of the dough, reserving about 1/3 cup.

Alternate the strips across the cheese, creating a 'braid'.

Continue all the way down.

When you get to the end, fold the last few strips backwards across the braid.

Put this in the oven for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

(I redid it and started my folds from the center out, just to make it prettier.)

Meanwhile, remember the extra cheese you reserved? Put it in a small pot and cook over medium heat, whisking often, for about 3 minutes to thicken it up. It should reach the consistency of spreadable frosting.

Remove from the oven. Isn't it pretty?

Top it with the spreadable cheese you cooked. It's ready to eat now, if you'd like, but it won't be too sweet.

Top with your choice of fresh fruit, preserves, jam, etc. The true sweetness of the danish comes from the topping.

Enjoy! It's best served warm. :)

Flooded

So here's how my day has been.

It's been raining constantly. The remnants of the hurricane are washing over us this Halloween, and it promises to be wet and windy. Now, if you're a returning visitor to my blog, you probably already know I'm from Florida. I practically grew up in a hurricane. So I knew what to expect. Except, I'm from Orlando, which is a little bit higher than, say, the coast. Flooding doesn't happen as much and most roads were still manageable (as far as I knew).

At first I thought, "So this is what a hurricane looks like in Texas. Not much different from a hurricane in Florida."

Then I drove. I drove on the interstate, through Waco, Marlin, Lott, and finally Troy, then went to pick up David from school. Turns out, flash flooding is a real thing. I got to see it firsthand. It's a scary thing. Always remember: TURN AROUND, DONT DROWN. I even got to put that into practice.

We're safe, don't worry--only problem is, our lake is overflowing so bad that we can't get home. :( I'm considering swimming and coming back with a canoe for David... lol. I'm kidding. We're gonna sit here on high ground by the gate and wait for the hubby. But damn. I've NEVER seen the lake this high. O.O

I should have known it'd get bad. Driving to Troy was similar to those adventure movies--you know the ones, where the dashing archaeologist has to escape a temple, but he's being chased by a boulder, poison darts are flying from the walls, and with every step he takes the ground crumbles beneath him, giving way to a bottomless chasm. Of course, he's always seconds ahead of certain death.

In real life, making it across at the last second doesn't happen nearly enough. And all too many people are willing to try. Which is why David and I are sitting here at the end of our driveway. The main gravel road is completely flooded out, and I almost didn't even get this far. It's scary knowing the only three roads to my house are all gravel roads and they all have the potential to be impassable, all at the same time.

Unfortunately, the lake is overflowing so much that it is literally one foot from overtaking the entire driveway. This is one insane adventure. And it's not over yet. As soon as my hubby gets home, we can intellectually configure our way to the house, even if it requires my brother with a canoe! :P

On the bright side, my new thermos has kept my pumpkin spice coffee perfectly hot this entire time. It's been 3 hours and it's just as hot as when I brewed it! Good investment there.

So here I am, blogging from my phone, passing the time, happily not drowning. The rain is playing 'Red Light, Green Light'. And... yay! Hubby is home! Well, got to go find a way home! Wish us luck!

UPDATE:
We made it to the house! Hubby analyzed the water overflowing from the lake and estimated that it wasn't very deep, just extremely wide. Thankfully, our trucks are both pretty tall. He carefully maneuvered his truck across the water--kind of like on the Oregon Trail game from the '90s, but with a truck instead of oxen--and once he made it across, he drove to the house. He was going to get the tractor out and pull my truck across to make sure I got there safely, but naturally the tractor tire wasn't cooperating. So he just drove back down, took off his boots, and waded across the spillway. He drove my truck across for me, and we made it safely home.

It's still raining though, and the run-off is probably going to continue to flood the lake through tomorrow and possibly into Sunday. If the rain doesn't stop tomorrow night in time for trick-or-treating, I'm going to dress up the kids and let them trick-or-treat from one room of the house to another, where my husband and I will hand out candy to them. I'm hoping it clears up though.

But still, yay for the comfort of my own home!

Oh, the Places You've Been!

Yesterday I officially started working on my son's graduation gift for when he completes high school. Except that my son is only 5 years old right now. It is going to take me 12 years to finish this, but in the end I know my son will appreciate it (and yes, I am going to do this for each of my three kids). It has two parts to it.

The first part is the easy part. This was inspired by my friend Linda, who is doing this for her kids, too. I bought a hardcover copy of the Dr. Seuss book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" (which just happened to be the 25th anniversary edition).

I know, it's cliche. Everyone buys this book for their graduate. But I looked for another book, one that said the same things and offered the same advice but still gave off the feel that you shouldn't grow up too quickly... and I really couldn't find one. I didn't want it to be a real novel, because I had more in store for him than just a few words of wisdom on a page. And so I kept coming back to this book, eventually deciding to buy it. But wait! There's more.

Every year, at the end of the year, I am going to take the book to my son's teachers. I am going to ask them to sign it, and to include some of their favorite memories with my child. At the beginning of his journey (which is now, in Kindergarten) I am also going to have his principal write something for him, because she was the first. I think I will only ask the principals to sign it when my son is getting ready to leave a school (elementary, middle, high). I wish I could ask every teacher he knows to sign it, but there are just too many. Homeroom, stations, music, PE... so many wonderful teachers. Anyways, this part of his gift will be kept a secret.

The second half of his gift is one he himself will create, even if he doesn't realize it right away.

We are going to make a progressive time capsule. It is very simple, and doesn't take up nearly as much space as a regular time capsule. The best part is that I can back it up on my computer!

In a typical time capsule, you put your favorite things and memories inside, and lock it away for many years. Then, when you open it again (be it 1 year later or 30) you are filled with nostalgia and happiness as you reminisce about each item. Well, I already started a keepsake box for each of my children, that stores memorabilia and (obviously) keepsakes. Favorite school projects, ribbons, awards, pictures, trinkets. But as a graduation gift, it had to be unique and something that would bring back memories of his times in school while still showing him how far he's come.

I am writing up a list of questions. Some examples are:

• What is your favorite color?
• What is your favorite subject in school?
• Who is your best friend?
• What do you like to do after school?
• What is your favorite movie?
• What is your favorite book?
• What is your favorite food?
• What special things happened this year that you want to remember?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What does it mean to become an adult?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10?
• What would you buy with a million dollars?

I am going to type them up and leave spaces for answers, and a space at the top for a copy of his school picture, then print it out. I will have my son fill it out in his own handwriting, then I will scan it and save a copy to my computer. The page he fills out will be filed in the filing cabinet, but having a backup copy is always a good idea. Every year when school ends, I will have him answer these questions again. And every year the page will be scanned then added to the filing cabinet.

When the time comes that he graduates high school, I will ask him to fill out one last page. Then I will take all the pages together, put them in plastic page protectors, and place them in a small binder to give to him.

He will know about the binder, because he will fill out his page each year. But I will give it to him alongside his Dr. Seuss book, filled with memories. I will do this for each of my kids as they progress through their school years. I want them to not only see firsthand where they have been and how far they have come, but also to see how much I have supported them through it all and encouraged learning and knowledge. Because in the end, I hope my TRUE gift is a love of learning.

What did you do for your graduate? What questions would you ask for a progressive time capsule? Let me know in the comments!

10 Things Memories Have Ruined For Me

We all have parts of life that are stuck in the past. Songs, scents, places. Things that trigger memories. Sometimes they are good memories, like family picnics or meeting your best friend. Sometimes they are bad memories, like traumatic experiences or difficult times. The worst feeling is knowing there are things in your present that you avoid because the memories hurt. I'm trying a little self-healing today, so let's start by facing fear and putting the past where it belongs... behind me. Here are my top 10 triggers. (No specific order.)

1. The song Moon Baby, by Godsmack.

I totally lost my virginity to that song. Not that THAT is the reason I can't listen to it anymore; it reminds me of that guy, and he did some really bad things to me that I'd like to forget.

2. Dark, lonely nights outside.

Sometimes when I'm driving down my driveway late at night, pitch black sky and deathly quiet, I'm reminded of the time my son ran away. So many bad things could have happened to him, it scares me to think of all the "what ifs", and on dark nights like that, all those thoughts just flood in.

3. Bruno Mars.

So, this isn't exactly a bad memory. It's actually a good one. But under bad circumstances. I had a friend that got to see Bruno Mars sing, and he was really excited about it. Problem was, I had gotten too close to him aaaand let's just say it was a bad time for my marriage. But even though it was a bad time, I have a lot of happy memories with him. And I feel guilty for being happy about them. I'm not saying I want to go back to those days, because we've all moved on and I love where I am in life. But I can't listen to Bruno Mars without remembering, so we have to count Bruno in the list of bad triggers.

4. The name Ken.

This has at least three memories attributed to it, one that's not bad but two that are. Ken was the name of an ex that just has a lot of complicated memories attached to him. It was also the name of my stepdad's stepdad. He wasn't a bad guy, but I accidentally tripped him once when I was a kid; I wasn't watching what I was doing and he fell. He had to go to the hospital and everything. He was okay, but he never looked at me the same way. Like he didn't like me and now he hated me. I don't know if he really felt that, but I felt hated and unwanted, and as a child, that's one of the worst things. To KNOW an adult doesn't want you around at all.

5. The name John.

It doesn't matter how you spell it, it's all the same memory. You know how there's always that one name in your life that EVERYONE shares? Every time I meet someone new or someone is telling me about a friend, it's always a Chris or a John. It's inevitable that I'd have enough memories with those names that they bring up the past. Especially the name John.

6. Cheating movies.

Whenever a movie shows a husband or wife being cheated on, they always show the pain they feel. Like in-depth close ups that last 20 minutes long. And how it ruined their life forever. They remind me all too clearly of the pain I caused my husband in the past.

7. My size 7 (and my size 14) jeans.

These might actually become good memories one day. But for now, they are triggers of a time when I was healthy and thin, wearing a size 7. Now my current 14s just remind me of how big I've gotten, and my 7s mock me. Which reminds me that I need to take better care of myself.

8. Dead chickens.

Talk about a horrible thing to trigger a memory! When I was depressed a few years ago, I stopped caring for the animals and garden the way I needed to. The garden was overrun with weeds and soon died, and the chickens became dehydrated and began to die. I lost sight of a lot that year, and the chickens paid the price. I hate reminders of how bad I had gotten.

9. November 17th.

That day, in 2013, is the day I lost my best friend to diabetes. The worst part was not being able to say goodbye. The last interaction we had, if you can even call it that, was two weeks prior to his death. He clicked like to a picture I posted on facebook. A picture of a dog I had, that I don't even have anymore. Just a chain of memories that I'll never have, because he isn't here to make new memories with. He was a great guy and an amazing friend, and he didn't deserve to have his life cut so short. These memories are also often triggered by K-Mart.

10. My family.

This is the one I love to hate the most. It's the best of the worst, and it's self destructive in the most loving way. I seek out its pain every day and it nourishes me. All because of the distance. I love my family, I have great memories of them (and terrible ones, but hey, don't we all?), but those happy memories are the gateway to suffering. My family is split three ways and all across the country. I live too far for them to visit me, and I can only visit one of them a year. Any time I have seen them since moving to Texas, anything I read about them on Facebook, any happy memories I have of time we spent together before I joined the Navy... all remind me of the fact that life is going on without me. I'm not there with them, to laugh or cry or hug. I'm missing parties, graduations, weekend sleepovers, birthdays, family get-togethers, barbecues, walks around the block, visits at work, inside jokes, pictures together... I've become that "distant cousin that I think lives in Texas, she might have some kids but I never met them." It doesn't help knowing that I'm the one that moved away, and I'm happy where I am in life, and I'm never moving back. So basically it's my own fault I'm missing out, and I have no right to be upset about it. Worst. Feeling. Ever.

Now that I've gotten it all out on the table, it's time to sort through it and start putting it away. My family won't get filed away in the past of course, but the pain needs to be. It's time to put that pain and fear and regret to rest.