Oreo Truffles!

In my previous post I explained how I made a dessert that turned out really yummy and super easy! I knew some people wanted to know the recipe so I thought I would post it! First off I have to say that I got this from another blog at www.bakerella.com So if you ever want ideas that is the place to go!

This recipe is called Oreo kisses, because you were suppose to shape them like Hershey Kisses, but I tried and wasn't very good at it, plus was short on time, so i just left them as balls, but the recipe it self is the same, I have also seen on the blog the truffles being shaped into heart and other shapes, or dipped in White Chocolate bark, instead of milk chocolate! So anyway, just have fun and enjoy!



Oreo Kisses

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

1. Finely crush all but seven cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. (note, I tried the Ziploc bag because I dont have a food processor, and it really doesn't work because of the cream, so I just used my blender and it was much better!)
2. Stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.
3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
4. Then, begin to form the shape of a kiss. Flattening the bottom and forming a point at the top. (Mine ended up about 1.5″ tall)
5. It helps to put the uncoated balls in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart when you drop into the melted chocolate.
6. Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip “kisses” one at a time into chocolate,( my note is to use a spoon to dip,) tap off extra and slide them off spoon onto wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.
7. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy! Oh yeah, just eat the extra seven cookies.

Decorate:
1. Handwrite your messages or create them on the computer. Cut out the strips (about 1/4″ tall and however wide you need).
2. Cut up some square sheets of aluminum foil (about 5.5″ square)
3. Place dry kiss in center and start wrapping the foil around the base. Insert message near top and secure it by pressing the foil together at top.

What's Next?

Well everyone, I am sure there is family and friends, wondering what is going on with us! First off, we had a great weekend with friends. Friday our neighbors were having their annual Halloween party, in which they invite practically the whole street and some over to carve or paint pumpkins while enjoying tons of different soups and chillies. It was a lot of fun and very yummy! Jamie and I had to head out a little early because I had to take a dreadful test. Saturday I woke up bright in early at 6:30 am (which is a big deal for me since Saturdays are the only day I get to sleep in) in order to do some baking! Our good friends were being sealed that morning and I was asked to bring some bite size type dessert for the open house afterward. I found a really yummy recipe for Oreo truffles. AMAZING!! And they were so easy, so I am definitely keeping that recipe. The sealing took place in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, it was really beautiful, and we were glad we were able to be there for the event. For the open house we enjoyed another soup buffet, and I really enjoyed it! I have never been a big soup maker, so I was really happy to try out some very yummy soup both Friday and Saturday! And my dessert was a hit!
Sunday was the primary program, and our whole class did very good, it was fun being apart of a primary program again, something I hadn't done since I was 11 years old!

The main reason for this post, was to inform people what direction life is taking Jamie and I. We have been very unsure lately so I haven't shared much information. But we are starting to weed out all the possibilities.

April 2010 Jamie will graduate from BYU with a bachelors in Portuguese, and a minor in Business. It has been bit of a bumpy road for him, so I am so proud of Jamie and his accomplishments and hard work, these past couple years. The other unknown, was what would come next after graduation. Every week I would hear a new Idea and thought, (which really overwhelmed me)but I think Jamie had an experience this past week that helped narrow down things. Last week Jamie received a call from a friend telling him about a director of a school coming to UVU to discuss their international business masters program, and he invited Jamie to come along with him. The School is ThunderBird school of Global Management in Glendale AZ! We had heard of this school before, and it had been just a passing thought, but Jamie had a great opportunity to learn about this school, the requirement, and he even got to eat lunch and talk with the key note speaker. I think it really gave him some direction and excitement about this school. They count Jamie's mission as one year of work experience, and because he speaks a language fluently, he will have an advantage. Nothing is finally, but if we go this route, Jamie will graduate and start studying for the G Mat while I finish up school then apply.

What about me? Well I finish school in June of 2010, but can not walk until August. So in August I will officially graduate with a bachelors in Public Health/ Health Promotion with a minor in Gerontology. I will then start working. Currently I am leaning more on the Gerontology side of things. I am currently working at an Adult Day Care once a week that specializes in Alzheimer, for my internship. I really enjoy working with the seniors that come to stay with us from 10-5 each day. These seniors do not live in institutions, but with family member, who either work, or just need a brake during the day, since all of them need constant care.

We had our first death since I began working there, and I was really worried when that would happen, and how I would take it being that I struggle with that topic. Sweet Ellie passed away two weeks ago, and surprisingly when I found out, I was a little sadden, but more happy for her. Ellie was 88 and pretty far in her disease. Unless you got real close to her and asked her direct questions she would sit all day with her eyes closed talking out loud having full on conversations speaking both sides. Someday she would talk really loud and I would leave with a headache, but she was really sweet, and would sometimes swear like crazy at the people she was "talking" with in her conversations, the funny thing is that in her life, I would be truly surprised if that women ever said a swear word, that's what the disease will do to you. I will miss Ellie, but I am really happy for her to be able to move on from the trap her mind had kept her in.

So that is what's new with us, and hope that gives people a better idea about what's next in life for the James! At the very least, I am glad that I have a better Idea!

When I have grown a foot or two!!!

My brother has grown that foot or two, and entered the MTC to serve a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint on Wednesday, October 21, 2009! My parents arrived in Provo early Tuesday morning with Spencer. Jamie and I were able to spend some valuable time with Spencer before he left! Wednesday my parents and I drove Spencer to the MTC, pulled up to the curb and where Spencer proclaimed as he practically jumped out of the car "Well, see you in two years"! (typical Spencer)Now you don't think mom let him get away with that fast move, as she took her already prepared camera out and took her pictures. I gave my brother one last hug and wished him well on his journey! I am sure he will be an amazing missionary, and I will miss him, especially as I had to the opportunity to have him live at our house for a couple months during the summer, where we were able to bound even more. (We fought a lot as kids lol) Farewell Elder Fogleman, and Return with Honor!


This is the only picture I could find currently of Spencer and family friend, Brett Brown, together at Spencer's Last family dinner back in California! Spencer is pointing to his mission which is Lima Peru!

Seniors Kick Butt!

This week has been a fun, but exhausting week! Tuesday afternoon I left with a couple of friends to volunteer in St. George for my gerontology internship, at the Huntsman World Senior Games! First off, since I was not coming home until Friday, this meant I would miss a whole week of class, and unfortunately I had two papers, and a large finance project due while I was gone, along with a test Friday when I came back. The previous weekend was General Conference (which I loved! Elder Holland! Need I say more?? Amazing) so needless to say not much was accomplished. That meant I had Monday, and Tuesday morning to complete everything. I was very stressed and didn't think I would make it! I finished everything by Tuesday afternoon, and was very relieved.

We left Provo late afternoon for the 3 1/2 hour drive to St. George. When we got there we had housing set up by members of the church, who volunteered their homes for BYU students! It was really great. St. George was beautiful as always, great red cliffs, and weather warmer than it had been in Provo the last couple of weeks!

The next morning I woke up at 5:30 (which means I got to sleep an extra hour than I usually do) to be at the games by 7:00. I forgot to mention what I was doing there. Well we were there to give the athletes free health screenings, some of the screening can cost a good amount of money, and for being in the games they get them for free. The seniors take this very seriously and everyday we were there they were lined up by the door, before we even got there to get their screenings. Screenings lasted from 8 am to 4 pm. and we were busy non-stop.

I was able, the two days of screening, to participate in the Blood Sugar, Osteoporosis, Blood Pressure, and Balance Testing. I was also trained to do eye sight and pressure, but I wasn't very good at it so I didn't dare try to screen these seniors who took their screenings very seriously! :) My favorite was the Blood Sugar testing. It was just a lot of fun to draw blood and to test it, I felt so professional! LOL.

The Huntsman senior games are truly amazing. It was for seniors age 50 and above ( just recently they allowed 50 year old's. In the past you had to be 55 or above.) You might think that most of the athletes would not be that old, but I can tell you that a large majority of these athletes were over 70. The eldest I saw was in his 90's and had been going to the games for over 20 years. One man I met had six gold medals around his neck and he was 88 years old! Very inspirational. It makes you want to set goals to be 88 and able to have a body that functions as well as his does.

Almost every single sport you can think of, and some, were represented. Most common was track field, and softball, and table tennis, but some of my favorites I heard about were Cowboy action shooting, and Square Dancing (apparently, St. George is the only place in the world were you can compete in Square Dancing. Everywhere else it is just for fun and not competitive.) Those who Square dance told me that they square dance 3-4 times a week for about 2-3 hours each day! Again not your High School PE square dancing! A lot of athletes participated in multiple sports. One women I was screening was in her 70's and participating in a 5K, 10K, and swimming. That was quite common.

When it says "World" Senior Games, it does mean the world. Not only did people travel from the States, as far as NY to California, but there really was people from all over the world. To name just a few that I met; Barbados, Canada, Austria, Brazil, and Taiwan. I am sure there are more, but those are the ones I met.

It was a great experience that I really enjoyed. I loved talking and laughing with all the seniors. As volunteers, the gave us shirts, feed us (really good food I might add) and even gave us movie tickets. The group I went with also decided to take a tour of the Brigham Young House in St. George. It was a really pretty house, with all the original paint colors and furniture. Apparently Brigham Young lived in this house when he was overseeing the building of the St. George temple. He quickly learned that health wise, he did a lot better in St. George, so every winter he would leave his Salt Lake house and live in St. George. All the trees are trees Brigham Young planted. In the back there were fruit trees that he planted, and the tour guide let us go and pick pomegranates off his pomegranate tree! I wish I would have taken a picture, but I ate the fruit. But now I can say that I ate fruit from a tree that Brigham Young planted! ( not to mention fruit that is actually really expensive to buy in the grocery store, at least here in Utah anyway!)

All in all it was a great trip, that left me exhausted when I got home, but I am happy to say that I still passed my test on Friday, after all of that! So I am not complaining!


This is a picture of the front of the Brigham Young Winter home!

All My Life

So I am on my blog listening to the song Jamie and I danced to our first dance on our wedding day, All My Life by KC-JOJO. And It made me think back to the reason I chose this song.

Several weeks before Jamie and I met, I was going through A really difficult time in my life. I remember being at an all time low, and one night I couldn't take it anymore. I was literally laying on the floor of my bedroom crying and unable to move. I felt more alone in those moments, than I have ever in my life, and my roommates were just in the other room! I remember crying out in my state to my heavenly father. I knew he was always there, but I was really struggling to accept his love, but in that moment I cried out for heavenly father to send me someone who could help feel his love, and get me through this struggle I was having. (As a side note, I actually had some kind of girl friend in mind, I was not praying for a boyfriend in any means). I continued to plead with my heavenly father to send me someone, because I could no longer carry this burden on my own. I remember having this feeling of peace, that was just enough that I could get myself together, stop crying, and continue on the next several weeks.

It wasn't long after that, that Jamie and I began talking. Now it wasn't like the moment I saw him I had thought "An answer to me prayers!" But more as time passed, as we got to know one another. As we spoke of our personal trials and successes, not only did my faith grow, but so did my love for this man. From day one he has been there for me to strengthen me physical, emotional, and spiritually.

It was the days before our wedding when I really "heard" this song. As I listened to the words, it was then that I realized that my prayers had been answered that my loving heavenly father had been listening. The words hit my heart so strong and clearly, that as I sit here listening again, those exact feelings enter my heart once more

"All my life, I prayed for someone like you. And I thank god, that I finally found you!"

"I praise the lord above, for sending me your love."

"You turned my life around, you picked me up when I was down."

Jamie James, you are my life, my world, my everything! Thank You for all that you do, and have done. I know you are always there for me no matter the ailment! And I thank my heavenly father everyday for answering my prayers and bringing you into my life! Love you babe!