OUR AUSSIE FRIEND...

We have made lots of college friends the past few years, with both our boys going to college nearby.  So usually they are friends of our boys first.  But about 18 months ago we got an Aussie who is on the girls golf team!  She came to an International Thanksgiving dinner our church hosted, and we got paired up.  After that we were contacted to see if we'd like to "adopt" her and the rest is history!

India is in the middle (yes, a girl named India from Australia) with her friend from Oklahoma.

It's been fun to listen to her, ahh, the ACCENT!  We've enjoyed learning about what her home is like and see how she likes living and going to school here.  The Hubs has watched her play golf some and loves to talk about the game with her.  She is engaging and appreciative.

Anyway, it's been a great experience and we'll miss her when she graduates this spring!

COLLEGE DINNER AND DESSERT RECIPES...

I don't think i've ever done  a soup menu for dinner with the college kids!  The Hubs suggested it, so we had:

White Chicken Chili

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Potato Soup

Assorted crackers

Assorted cheese bites

Veggie Tray

Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Cornbread

Triple Berry Cobbler

Mounds Brownies

Vanilla Ice Cream

The two desserts were both a first time make for me - I had the brownies at my Bunko friend's house recently so I knew they were good!  The Triple Berry Cobbler is a take off of something I used to make with peaches, called Dump Cake.  I just wanted to try it since I had the 3 ingredients on hand.

Mounds Brownies 

from Linda:

1 9x13 size brownie mix (Linda used Duncan Hines dark chocolate)
1 ½ cups chopped pecans (optional)
2 ½ cups coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container chocolate frosting

Mix and bake the brownie mix according to the directions (I add pecans to the mix). While brownie mix is baking, mix the coconut and condensed milk. As soon as brownies come out of the oven, spread the coconut/milk mixture on hot brownies. Melt chocolate frosting in microwave about 30 seconds.  Pour over the coconut.  Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Note:  These are so rich and delicious!  I put the pecans sprinkled on the top, on half of the brownies for the non-nut lovers.  Next time I think I will make my own ganache topping instead of using the frosting in the tub.

Triple Berry Cobbler or Three Ingredient Cobbler

from Pinterest:

1 White cake mix

12 oz. frozen berry mix

1 regular can Sprite

Dump frozen berries in a greased 13x9 cake pan.  Sprinkle the cake mix all over, then pour the Sprite carefully over the cake mix, making sure to get it all wet.  Stir slightly.  Bake @350 for 45-50 minutes.  Let set for 10 minutes or so before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  

Note:  I wanted to try this version of Dump cake since I had all the ingredients on hand.  I used to make a Dump cake with peaches and yellow cake mix dotted with butter.  This version was good - I love the berries - but obviously from my picture you can see I should have stirred it a little to get all the cake mix moistened.  Super easy and would be a good one to make if company is company is coming on short notice!

COME AND GO COLLEGE CHRISTMAS...

This year we had a "come and go" party for our college friends.  I tried to make it easy on their schedules, since technically it was Dead Week (no activities) for the students and they are supposedly studying.  We had a good group over, watched a little "White Christmas" and ate a lot!

 We had everyone choose a button that described themselves - these are just a few that were left so there were many different ones.  We had fun with it!

 cousins

The Menu:

Ham & Cheese party sandwiches

Sausage balls

Cheese cubes

Hummus and pita chips

Veggie tray with dip

Banana bread

Pumpkin roll

Almond bark popcorn

Salted Caramel Christmas candy

Butter cookies
Hershey's kisses

Apple cider punch

You never know what they are going to go for - I thought the Hummus would be a hit since a friend of mine told me her group ate it up.  But ours didn't hardly touch it!  That's okay, my son and I eat it almost every day!  Tip: Always have party food you like so if there's leftovers it's a win-win situation.
What really went over well was the Apple Cider Punch.  I decided to share it with you because I've been making it for about 30 years and I love the blend of juices!  It came out of a paperback Avon cookbook.

Apple Cider Punch

4 cups Apple cider

2 cups Cranberry juice

1 cup Orange juice

12 oz. Apricot nectar

1 cup sugar

2 sticks Cinnamon

Heat and let simmer 20 minutes.  

Top punch with floating orange slices 

decorated with cloves.  Serves 10-12. 

LAST PATIO MEAL FOR A WHILE...

I really love using my patio with all the college kids dinners and with Daylight Savings Time recently, it was so dark at 6:30 p.m. it was hard to eat out there!  The Hubs rigged up some lights in addition to what we already had out there.  Worked out great, but I'm sure with winter coming it is probably the last meal out there this year.

My goal with the college kids is to do one meal a month for them.  Sometimes it's hard to do with everyone's busy schedules!  We had a college meal recently but our college son couldn't come, so we turned right around and had another one when he could come, and of course he brought a crowd with him!  I hadn't made a Mexican meal in a long time since we are trying to eat healthier, but I went all out and made all the fattening stuff!

The Menu:

Chicken Enchiladas

Spanish Rice

Tamale Corn

Black Beans

Chips and Salsa

Green Salad

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Vanilla Ice Cream

Food prep tip I just learned from my sister-in-law:  For the chicken enchilada chicken.  She boils the breasts, lets them cool a little, takes off the goobers, then uses her big mixer to shred the meat.  I did this this time and it really saved so much hard work.  I also learned that beans can cook for 18 hours in a crock pot and still be okay!  I forgot about them...but they were still good.  You learn something new every day!!!

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER...

This week I'm getting to know a little bit of North Carolina, a place I've never been for any length of time.  Durham, NC, is the home of Duke University.  It's a gorgeous campus!  While the Hubs is in meetings, I've been admiring the place.  This is the famous Duke Chapel.  Built in 1932, one of the last Gothic style chapels built.  It was under reconstruction so I couldn't tour the inside but the outside is pretty impressive!

Favorite quote overheard while following some students:  

"What is that awesome college on the west coast?  I toured it, I can't remember the name...oh, Pepperdine.  Now that was an incredible place!  It's so amazing, right on the beach..."

I had to laugh.  While they are attending this beautiful university, walking by this awesome piece of gothic architecture, they are talking about how awesome Pepperdine is?  Doesn't matter what it is, the grass is always greener on the other side, huh?

There's an 11-acre garden on the campus, Sarah Duke Gardens.  Even though there's not a lot blooming right now, it's still really beautiful and I spent two mornings walking here:

COLLEGE DINNERS STARTING UP...

We had our first college dinner of the school year the other night!  It's always an effort to find a date when my husband's schedule coordinates well with our college son's schedule!  But worth it - you never know if you just made a kid's day or will be there at just the right time for them.  AND it makes a pretty good excuse for me to make some desserts that I am just not making a lot anymore.  YUM!

This year is pretty special because we have not only our son but two nieces and a nephew all at the same school!  So they all came for dinner along with some friends, even if it was at different times.

On the menu:

Smoked chicken

Artichoke chicken casserole

Green salad

Veggie tray with spicy Ranch dip

Corn

Green beans

Roasted sweet potato slices

Roasted potato slices

Hot rolls

Oreo Ice cream dessert

Peanut butter sheet cake

A WEDDING, A GRADUATION, A BABY SHOWER...

This weekend had it all for us - except Christmas parties!  Pretty funny this time of year.  The wedding was for a good friend of mine's son, and it was really beautiful!

Our girl is the next bride coming up!

Her fiancee was in the wedding party.

Here's a few beautiful decor pics!

The Graduation Party was for a young lady that Son #1 spends a lot of time with...she graduated from OSU this weekend with a degree in Architecture! I couldn't help but take a picture of this "building" with edible windows!(They were like cake balls, only rectangles) She made it with her Dad.  Pretty cool!

I don't have any pictures from the baby shower, because I didn't go to it...my husband did!  He really knew the couple more than I did.  They are baristas at the Starbucks he frequents and some friends from church that are also Starbucks addicts wanted to do this for them.  They all went to Starbucks and surprised the mother-to-be with the gifts!  So all I did was buy and wrap the gift but I loved the gesture!

LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE...

Our college freshman was in a show they call Freshman Fanfare!  It came just in time, we needed some laughs!  There were some serious musicians in it, but mostly just fun group acts and some comedy from the emcees.  Great way to start the weekend!

 His GF, a sophomore, was one of the directors.  She is a great choreographer!

 The shirt

 He's got attitude - learned those great facial expressions from his brother or from high school performance!

These two have been friends since...well, since birth!

 Who can resist a guy with a guitar?

 This guy from Washington was amazing, singing "Gravity".

 A Rwandan student (middle) sang an African worship song - very cool!

 Our boy also played bass on the Beatles medley.  Fun to get to see him performing on this stage!

OFF TO COLLEGE...

Well it seems surreal, but the baby has left the nest!  We helped him move in Saturday.

 Not the best pose, but it was the best he would do for me...

Like I said, they aren't thrilled about having a picture taken.  

 Guys really care about coordinating their stuff.  :)

 This is the other half of their room, and even better...one of our old couches, along with a found couch and carpet remnants - all three boys collaborated on this!

 We celebrated our new status as empty nesters by going out to Bricktown!  

BIG DAYS...

Enrolling in college!  This day was especially fun because my son made a new friend from Henrietta immediately (the one in brown).  After talking with him, we realized his roommate-to-be is the son of a friend of mine from college!  Small world!  (Alex, you made the blog!)

Senior night at church - our Senior boys led the worship - 

guess who led songs?

This is a good friend of his - one of three speakers.

All the students' names were called and each one shook the elders hands and were given a new Bible. It's a fairly new tradition that I love!  

Afterwards we went  out to the youth building where we enjoyed looking at 

baby pictures and each students "senior table". 

Thankful for friends!

 Finally, we ate together and watched a video where each one's parents told a funny story/hopes and dreams for their graduate.  It was long but good.  I believe we don't often take the time to really say what's on our hearts.  It's not always easy, but it is meaningful.

 Group selfie with the youth ministers!