Jen Russum

No-Bakes {perfected!}

No-Bakes {perfected!}

You know those classic cookies filled with chocolate and oatmeal goodness that you don't even have to put in the oven? Yes, those ones. Well, I think I have finally perfected the recipe and I would love to share it with you! A few years ago, there was a little coffee stand near my house that I would go to regularly {aka every single morning}. Most days I would only get my regular coffee, but every once in a while I would treat myself to one of their giant, chewy, delicious chocolate no-bake cookies. They were amazing and they were only one dollar. But one day, tragedy struck... I decided it was a cookie day, but when I placed my order I was told that they no longer carried them. It was a sad day, indeed! But instead of wallowing, I set off on a mission. To perfect the no-bake. To recreate the cookie to taste just like the coffee-stand variety that I would never be able to taste again. Because everyone knows the problem with no-bakes... sometimes they are just too dry... and oatmeal-y... and not chocolate-y enough. I hesitate to the use the word "moist" here, because my sister hates it...but let's be honest. You want a moist no-bake and HERE is how you do it... 1/2 cup butter 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup milk 4 tbsp. cocoa 3 cups oats 1 tsp. vanilla 2-4 oz. baking chocolate or 1/4 c. chocolate chips In a saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa, and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil and then cook for two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and then add the oats. When oats are fully saturated with chocolate-y goodness, drop by spoonful onto wax paper or foil {if you are out of wax paper like I am}. Let cool until hardened {at least one hour}. I tweaked the ingredients on this until I got them just right, but the real secret to this recipe is the extra chocolate. It makes the texture so smooth. Last time I made them {in these pictures}, I added two ounces of UNsweetened baking chocolate to the sauce and then added about an 1/8 of a cup of milk chocolate chips to the mixture right before spooning it out onto the wax. I didn't even stir in the chocolate chips, I just kind of let them halfway melt into each cookie and the result was amazing! I realize a cookie is still a cookie filled with sugar and butter and should be eaten in moderation, but don't you feel just a little bit better eating a cookie filled with healthy rolled oats instead of white flour? Because I know I do! And the fact that you can make these is under 20 minutes and not have to continuously check on a tray in the oven is just about the best thing ever if you ask me! Enjoy! ... Read more

Flowers Fade Friday: Prove It

Flowers Fade Friday: Prove It

One evening last week, as I was peacefully typing away in my new little office area we set up in our guest room, I heard some strange sounds coming from the bathroom. Soon enough Micah poked his head out looking all flustered and asked me to get the mop for him... Yes. The toilet had overflowed. Now it's not as gross as you might be thinking. There were no "dark" remnants and he swore to me it was only a number one. But he also swore under his breath. Because he was standing in a puddle of questionable liquid and I apparently wasn't moving fast enough to come to his aid. And I really wasn't moving my fastest. Because while he was in the bathroom, mopping and angry about this gross inconvenience, I was justifying my reluctance to help him. "Well, I clean our whole house all the time; it's about time he had to clean something." "Well if it happened to me, I wouldn't even ask for his help." It was not our finest marriage moment. Both of us were rude, wrong, sinful. Thankfully though, we both realized it. We got the water cleaned up and a few minutes later we were both apologizing and repenting of our sin. We talked about our wrong attitudes and sincerely apologized to one another. At least I was pretty certain it was true repentance, but then God said... "PROVE IT." Because thirty minutes later, as we were getting ready to climb in bed (way past the new bedtime we are trying to establish for ourselves), Micah took his pre-sleep pee... and he flushed... and it happened again. This time when he stuck his flustered face out the door, he politely and calmly said, "Will you please get me the mop again?" This time I rushed to his aid.  As he began mopping, I quickly filled a bucket with hot water and bleach. As he was rinsing out the mop and dumping the bucket, I was drying the floor with a towel. This time we plunged the toilet together to make sure it was fully cleared - because I still had not had my own pre-sleep pee! Never have I so visibly seen God test us in marriage. Now I realize this wasn't the huge loss of job-house-child kind of test. It was small, but perfectly clear. We sinned, we repented, and then God tested us to make sure we understood what our repentance should really look like. For this is what He has commanded us... Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.-Colossians 3:12-13- We failed to be kind and compassionate toward one another, but then we forgave one another. And then God made us practice being kind and compassionate to one another, just to make sure we were really getting it. What a wise God... We finally fell into bed at midnight, feeling slightly unsanitary but also way too tired to shower. We gave each other a kiss goodnight and fell asleep, knowing we had passed God's test. It was a pee test...but not the regular kind. ... Read more

THOSE people…

THOSE people…

Only one more day to enter the GIVEAWAY for a free ad spot on my blog...The winner will be announced tomorrow! It's official. We've become "those" people. Micah and I have officially become the couple where we each pick out our own birthday gifts... Here's the thing. Micah hates planning surprises. He doesn't like the pressure of planning something in advance if he is not sure the recipient will like it. I think I really solidified his hatred that one year he surprised me with tickets to a Kellie Pickler concert when he thought he was giving me tickets to Taylor Swift (this is when she was a newbie and Micah had no idea). Needless to say, I didn't know who Kellie Pickler was at the time and I was the biggest birthday brat ever. It was ugly. I was ugly. And that is why I have never been surprised by Micah since. Actually, that's not true. He goes with safe, sweet surprises like that one time I was walking into the house from the gym and caught him driving away in my car - to go wash and vacuum it for me. Or that one time last week when he brought me a completely unexpected flower at the start of date night. But when it comes to birthdays there will be no surprises. I have come to realize that I need to be okay with that... and this year I fully EMBRACED this truth. So.... let me back track almost TWO months. My sister and I are making our annual visit to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. We are perusing the watches and I fall in love....with a watch. Micah and I have already discussed getting me a watch for my birthday and I know I have found "the one." After trying it on, I hand it back to the sales lady and mention that I might bring my husband back to look at it later that week. She tells me their supply is low, so I should bring him in immediately since their stock doesn't get replenished during the sale. I used to work at Nordstrom, so I know she's not lying. That's when I get my brilliant idea... I think, "What if I just buy it now for my birthday in, oh, seven weeks, and I can take it back if Micah doesn't like it?" So I swipe the family debit card and go home with my watch. The more I think about it on the drive home, the more I think Micah is going to LOVE my purchase. I mean, I just made my birthday so painless for him. When he gets home later that day, I start giggling... "I did something funny, but I think you are going to like it." As soon as I tell him about my purchase, he starts laughing too and then looks at me sheepishly and says "I doooo like it." I show him the watch and he is sold. Actually, the watch was sold. And he was the buyer. So we came home and put the little watch box in his sock drawer and there is sat for seven long weeks. I faithfully wore my old watch every day, getting more and more excited for the new one. Well, finally the day arrived. Allow me to introduce you to my new friend!!! Trying it on for the first time at Nord... back in JULY! I love the way this watch ties my ring together with my other jewelry - since I usually wear gold accessories. I used to think mixing silver and gold was ugly and something only old people did, but a few years back I realized that old people have the best fashion sense - and now I TRY to dress like an old person. Hence, my granny chic birthday watch! So I've decided I'm fully on board with the pick-your-own-present thing. You don't have to deal with disappointment or returns and your husband doesn't have to deal with the pressure of gift-buying. It's a win/win if you ask me. I used to think couples who used this method were lame, but then I went shopping last May with my friend, Lisa, to pick out her Mother's Day cheeseboard, which her husband told her to go pick out for herself. I started to see the light... she picked out exactly what she wanted and she loves it. And I love it. This gift-giving method that is. In fact, I love it so much that when Micah told me last week that he also wanted to get me my long-awaited TCU license plate for my birthday, I had no qualms about gratefully accepting his credit card and ordering it online. I even wrote myself a gift message when checking out: Happy Birthday, Jen! I love you, Micah. Done and done. It was a very merry birthday, indeed. And both Micah and I are happy to be "those people." *Oh, and Gussy's readers, my store of choice would have to be Nordstrom, because you can get EVERYTHING there. Great shoes. A variety of clothes. They have trendy, more affordable stuff in their juniors department but as I get older I find myself exploring other departments and finding cute clothing there as well. And they have great swimsuits and work out clothes. And a great cosmetics section. And the BEST return policy ever. And they are sooo nice. I don't even buy most of my clothes there (that would be Banana Republic - because everything at BR fits me so well and matches my granny chic style...and their sales are rockin'!) but if I had to choose one store for the rest of my life it would have to be Nordstrom for its variety and great customer service! ... Read more