CARAMEL STUFFED BROWNIES

The choice between caramel and chocolate is a hard one for me. Like reaaaaaaal hard.

Hot caramel sundae or hot fudge sundae? Why can't I have both? 

Oh but you can have both. Caramel stuffed brownies are a beautiful thing friends.

Gooey caramel with fudge-y chocolate brownie.

They are a beautiful thing AND a good idea.

Good idea indeed.

 

|  CARAMEL STUFFED BROWNIES  |

Ingredients:

Brownies-

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Caramel filling-

14 oz caramels (about 60 individually wrapped caramels)

1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil and grease the foil with butter and then preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine butter and the semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.

3. Whisk sugar, eggs and vanilla into the chocolate until well incorporated then stir in the flour and salt until just combined.

4. Spread about 40% the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.

5. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven (don't turn the oven off yet!) and let cool for 20 minutes.

6. While the first half of the brownies are almost done cooling, combine the caramel candies and cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until melted and smooth.

7. Spread the caramel slowly over the cooked brownie layer and spread evenly then pour the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer very carefully.

8. Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top then bake for another 20 minutes.

9. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. (FYI these take a looong time to cool. I highly recommend cooling in the freezer for at least 30 minutes!)

10. Enjoy and share with friends. :)

Hope you all had a splendid long weekend. I finally finished my essay! Now only the editing and then my final exam...yahhhoooo!

Happy Tuesday!

s.s.♥︎.

SUMMER GOALS

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As you probably know, I'm a planner. I like to plan things out. I thrive on to-do lists. I very much enjoy having a plan. If we go on a trip, you can bet your bottom dollar that I've already researched the best doughnut joint in every town. Go with the flow? No thanks, I'd rather plan it out and get as much as I can out of the situation. Can I get an AMEN anyone? Anyone? 

A few weeks ago, James and I sat in a coffee shop and made some summer plans. 

Here are some of my personal ones...

-Have at least three bonfires with s'mores and singing. (S'mores on s'mores? Yes please.)

-Finish the Pentateuch course and start and finish a new course. (ROMer, I'm coming for you!) 

-Complete the half marathon. (One week today, that will be done!!)

-Complete the gallery wall in the living room. (Oh dear Lord, help me.)

-Go on one kayaking adventure.

-Find a healthy rhythm for this blog. (So excited to learn all about this and be so inspired at Alt next month!)

-Learn how to make macarons.

-Have lots of people over for BBQs.

-Celebrate 2 YEARS of MARRIAGE!! (Booked already, sooooo excited.)

So there are a bunch of my summer goals! Do you have any summer plans or goals? I'd love to hear yours! Write them in the comments below. :)

Hope you're having the best long weekend. I'm still cooped up inside writing and studying but PTL I'm almost done!!!

xoxo,

s.s.♥︎.

FRIDAY FAVES | SUMMER IPHONE CASES

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I got my first cell phone in grade 9. Back then camera phones did not exist, nobody ever texted and the best game was Snake. However, even though the cell phone world didn't have a whole lot to offer, it was important for me to find a cute cover (which was a sparkly chameleon purple to green cover).

Oh how the times have changed.

Now people usually only use their phone as their camera, prefer texting over talking and have a billion amazing games to choose from. But it's still important for me to find a cute cover.

So for today's Five Things On Friday, I give you my top picks for a summer iphone case. They're bright, colourful and fun...aka everything a summer iphone case needs.  

1. Rifle Paper | 2. Kate Spade | 3. Ban.do | 4. Rifle Paper | 5. Ban.do

Ok, how cute are all of those? I need the toucan one in my life.

Hope you have the best Friday today! I'm cooped up inside writing a paper..but I'm ok with that because it means this class is almost done and I'm one more stop closer to having my ROMer certificate...yeeehaw.

Got any big plans for the long weekend? Please tell me so I can live vicariously through you while I'm inside writing.... :)

over n out,

s.s.♥︎.

ONE WORD 2014 // ELIJAH

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Well today I have a special treat for you. I have the first male to post about his one word for 2014! Today I introduce you to Elijah. I've had the pleasure of knowing Elijah (or Jah as I like to call him) for the past four years. Over the four years I have seen him grow in his walk with Jesus and it has made my heart sparkle. He is an incredible guy and God has so much in store for him!! Ok, take it away JAH...

Hello all! My name is Elijah, I'm an intern at Glad Tidings, as well as a worship leader at city youth. I'm so unbelievably blessed to know Laura and James. I have loved reading all these one word posts so much that I was inspired to write my own!

I know what you are all thinking...Woah first time hearing from a man on the blog! Heck ya!! Monumental moment right here!

I couldn't decide on just one word, I had to go with two, my words are TRUST, and PERSEVERANCE!

In this new year I didn't have any New Years resolutions, other than to loose weight (who hasn't thought that one) but on New Year's Eve I prayed to God. I asked him to change my life this year. And I found out that He had something so amazing planned that I didn't see coming at all. This year has already been a very unexpected journey through some very rough roads, and I'm still surviving, but nothing could have prepared me for any of it.

God planted two amazing men into my life, who have inspired me, and helped me start to grow into the man God wants me to be. Although things seemed to be looking bright, the enemy was still gripping onto me. I found myself still looking at the negative, because of the lack of trust that I put in God and the lack of trust I had for these men.

I was either at an extreme high, or an extreme low every other day, it was very unhealthy, and I was leaning too much on these two men, and not enough on God, which is so dangerous. These two men continued to walk with me and encourage me, and give me advice that was always trying to get me to focus my eyes onto God. But I continued to stare at my past, and in result, I became stagnant. I stayed in this place of turmoil, of self hatred, and self doubt. Everyone around me was screaming a different story at me, speaking truths, and covering me with not only their love, but God's love, but the enemy had boxed my ears and covered my eyes and spoke lies into me making my trust in God fade even more.

God doesn't want that for any of his children. He doesn't want to see us in pain. He is always right behind us and he's always waiting for us to smell his sweet fragrance or hear his voice, and remember that we can turn around and fall into his arms.

Through out my pain, and struggles, I always asked why? Why God, why do I have to hurt? Why do I have to keep failing? And the answer was so simple... The answer was trust. Trust that his plans are better than my own, trust that he is using these hard times to grow me, and that he has huge plans for me; that these test and trials are to help me not hinder me.

A verse that comes to mind is tattooed on one of these lovely men it's Psalm 37:3-4  

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 I'm only just starting to realize how if I place all my trust in God and his plans for me, how beautiful the ending to my story could be!!! And that's where the perseverance comes in, I'm still going to face trials, and still face hardships, but I have to trust God through it all, and persevere and remember his promises to me.

That's about all I can say for now, my prayer is that God will use these words to inspire whomever reads this, and my prayer is that my Trust in him will never fail, and that through all of this perseverance becomes my best friend!

Thank you so much for reading!!

Thank you so much Elijah for sharing! Your words have blessed me and I know they are going to bless others. So stoked on the journey that God is taking you on!!

Check out the previous one words- Amy | Sarah | Tiffany | Danae | Nadia | Micaela | Kristy | Me | Julia | Caitlyn

If you would like to share your one word for 2014, email me at laura@ssheart.com

stay gold,

s.s.♥︎.

REAL TALK TUESDAY

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I snapped that pic of roses when I was at the Root Cellar on Sunday. Pastel roses are my fave. (FYI it took me 5 tries to write out fave, dang autocorrect kept changing it to have...)

While we're on the topic of roses, I want to be someone who takes times to smell the roses. Right now I find myself in a very full season. In the next two weeks I have a distance course due and my first half marathon. 

Last Saturday, I kinda hurt my back on my run. It was really stupid, I went too hard on a long run without the week of hard training behind me. I have a massage on Thursday and I'm going to train a bit smarter before the big race but ahhhhh. It made me realize, I can't do it all. As much as I want to, I just can't. 

So the next two weeks I'll be a little MIA. And I hate that when I get "busy" the first thing that suffers, is this blog. This place has always been a creative release for me. I love writing. I love making graphics. I love curating cute things. But I have to remind myself that blogging is not my full time job and I'm ok with that. (I think if it was my full time job, I'd go a little crazy…) I have to remind myself that education is important, and I want to do well. My health is important. My job is important. My marriage is important. Making time for my family is important. Taking time to smell the roses is important. My walk with Jesus is important.

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So I'll still be posting, just maybe not on the usual Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. It won't be a ghost town round here. I do have some one word posts coming up from some pretty fantastic people, so be excited for that! And after May 25th, my life will be a bit less hectic, so I'll be able to get back to a posting schedule and get back to diy-ing, makeup tutorials, wardrobe shoots, BOOYAH. And then next month I'll be at ALT where I know I'm going to come back so inspired for this space.

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I want to thank you for continuing to read this blog. Your encouraging comments and your messages mean so much to me. Like, seriously, so much to me.  

love you to the moon & back,

s.s.♥.