by Tiffany Zylstra | Sep 6, 2016
Made an amazing layered treat recently, the Decadent No-Bake S’mores Cake was a big hit! Fair warning you’ll have a lot of smiling faces, happy stomachs and a lot of dirty dishes!
Decadent No-Bake S’mores Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (1 box) Graham Crackers (set aside 2 crackers for topping the cake)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
- 21 oz Marshmallow Cream
- 7 ½ tsp Gelatin (each small packet is 2 tsp)
- 32 oz (4 cups) Chocolate Chips (3 cups for layers, 1 cup for melted topping, handful for decoration on top)
- 28 oz (2 cans) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ¾ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ¾ c Warm Water
- Mini Marshmallows (for decoration purposes)
Time:
1 hour prep time + Overnight refrigeration + A lot of dirty dishes!
Instructions:
- Line a springform pan with parchment paper, spray it all with non-stick cooking spray.
- Crush the graham crackers (food processor worked great here) and then mix with the melted butter.
- Layer 1/3 of the graham cracker crust in the bottom of the pan, press down using the butter stick wrapper. This first layer needs to be a bit thicker and very pressed down.
- Mix 3 cups of the chocolate chips and the two cans of sweetened condensed milk, microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. This needs to be very fluid and easily spreadable. Stir to combine then spread 1/3 on top of the graham cracker crust layer.
- Whisk 2 ½ tsp of gelatin with ¼ cup of warm water until the gelatin is dissolved. Add 7 oz of the marshmallow cream to the gelatin mixture. Once it’s a gooey smooth mixture, pour over the chocolate layer.
- Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Repeat steps 3-6 two additional times. Mix the marshmallow layers right before pouring over the cake. Don’t worry if the layers go above your pan!
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Microwave the heavy cream for 90 seconds, pour over 1 cup of chocolate chips, let sit for 2 minutes, stir the ganache mixture until smooth.
- Take the springform pan and parchment paper away from the cake. Slowly slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto the serving dish.
- Pour the ganache over the cake, let some drip down the sides.
- Top with toasted mini marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate chips. Slice and enjoy!
Matthew 13:33: “He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.’”
While there’s no flour in this cake, God certainly combines things in life in very unique layers!
by Tiffany Zylstra | Feb 18, 2016
Dear Super Mom,
Right now you’re in the midst of dealing with terrible twos, girls have cooties, teenage angst or I can conquer the world on my own. Please know as a woman who gets to eventually date those sons you’re raising I appreciate you and everything you do!
I love that you’re taking the time to teach him how to be a gentleman. You show him how to open doors, clean up messes, do laundry and not make too many faces during a chick flick. You take time to teach how to stretch your money and the difference between needs and wants.
You are modeling that a woman can be both strong and sensitive. You show him that it’s okay to express your emotions and how to respond when a woman cries.
Thank you for demonstrating what hard work looks like. You might think that he doesn’t see when you’ve had a long day, the house is a disaster and yet you still get everyone fed and in bed, but he sees all of that. He witnesses when you bow your head in prayer and emulates your godly lifestyle.
When you take time out to ask him questions, pay attention and support him in his pursuits, essentially you are saying that he matters and you’re always going to be there.
Super Mom you are so proud of everything he does! Thank you for being excited to share in his successes and support him in the failures. You let your son take chances. You show him that trying something new, whether it is a triumph or disaster, is a desirable quality. You take your son on adventures and make life fun. He sits next to you at events and observes how you handle things. He sees how you encourage others around you and will someday grow up to offer that same support to his family.
You think he doesn’t care that you take the time to be with him on occasions that matter. He might not say anything when you surprise him with treats and likely won’t appreciate when you ‘date’ him. However later in life his future girlfriend will reap the benefits of him being around his Super Mom!
Someday he will date and will take that same care with his girlfriend as you took with him. He will hold her when she cries at a chick flick, he will ask her questions and pay attention the same way you did throughout his life, he will be so very pleased to introduce his new girlfriend to you. He will take pride in the hard work he does due to the work ethic you demonstrated. You’ve shown him how to put others first and offer a helping hand to those around him.
As the girl that your son will date someday, I am so thankful that he has a Super Mom!
Very Sincerely,
The Future Girlfriend
by Tiffany Zylstra | Oct 1, 2015
I’m 33. Never been married. Not in a relationship. In my life, having a child won’t be an option for me. Due to health issues, I won’t be able to have a child. Thankfully, I know there are so many children in the community and world who need love. Should God place the desire for a child on my heart, I have options.
This message isn’t one of “poor me” but of one that of “be careful” what you ask or say jokingly. I attend a small church, we usually run less than 100 in worship. I know the people, and they know me. Jokingly someone mentioned giving up their child because he’d been really difficult that morning. They then turned to me, nudged my arm and asked “When are you going to have kids?”
They know me but don’t know anything about my background. I don’t have a maternal need. They don’t know that I’m not in a relationship. They don’t know that, because of health junk, carrying a child won’t be possible. Until God places on my heart that I need kids I get to be a really stellar aunt! Without pressure from others, I will rest in God’s grace, waiting and watching for His will and timing.
I have friends continually hoping that they’ll be able to hold a living baby in their arms but sadly have miscarried. I have other friends going through all sorts of infertility treatments with desperate prayers that they’ll be able to conceive that month. I have other friends who have been married for years, and they simply don’t have a desire to be parents.
I’m not saying any of these are right or wrong or trying to debate anything. I’m simply offering a gentle word of caution that unless you know someone closely enough to know their stance on children it’s really not up to you to ask something so personal.
Be very cautious wading into these wordy waters. Thankfully, I was able to tease back the person who asked me about kids and mentioned that I could just have theirs if he was up for grabs. But what if I’d been the person that, the day before, found out the infertility treatment didn’t work or hadn’t told anyone about a pregnancy and then had to grieve the loss of a child? You don’t know if a couple is working through relationship problems.
You don’t know how your innocent joke or flippant question will be received. You might be causing great stress, grief or hurt.
Ask someone about what they’re excited about right now or how their day is going. Ask about a hobby or if they want to join a book club. If or when someone wants to tell you about having a child, allow them to choose the words and timing without being put on the spot.
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6
by Tiffany Zylstra | Jul 16, 2015
Encouragement is an easy, selfless act anyone can do.
Encouragement comes from a heart of love. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 we receive the instruction “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” Here are 25 ways to encourage people around you.
1. Give a sincere compliment.
2. Flowers. Store bought or picked on the side of the road.
3. Lend a helping hand.
4. Send a card in the mail letting someone know you’re thinking of them.
5. Bake something and share. Who doesn’t love a fresh chocolate chip cookie?
6. Give a hug. Studies have shown that hugs lower blood pressure and can heighten your sense of belonging.
7. Pass along a book that changed you.
8. Thank someone. Many people work in thankless jobs (store clerks, teller at the bank, grocery store bagger, church custodian, etc,) let them know you are grateful for their help.
9. When you are introducing someone, share a few words about a talent or gift they have.
10. Celebrate accomplishments. Large or small.
11. Write a letter or email to someone’s boss. Did you receive exceptional service somewhere? Let the boss/owner know how pleased you were.
12. Tell someone how they encourage you.
13. Mow a yard. Rake some leaves.
14. Help a friend move. Rarely are people excited to move, but the daunting task of hauling boxes to the truck is always easier with more hands.
15. Make a meal. Know of someone who could use the night off?
16. Volunteer to watch kids. Let parents have a date night or the ability to go grocery shopping sans children.
17. Pray with someone immediately when they share a need.
18. Use social media to pass along thoughtful words.
19. Listen. Sit down with a friend for a glass of tea and let them talk.
20. Be a bingo caller. Nursing homes are filled with people who have very few visitors. Go spend time with the elderly doing an activity like calling for bingo.
21. Volunteer. This almost turns into a selfish act because of how amazing you feel at the end of assisting. Make a difference with Special Olympics, the local food bank, or homeless shelter.
22. During your quiet time lift friends up in prayer.
23. Send someone serving in the military a care package.
24. Praise a parent.
25. Buy something for someone else. Pay for someone’s gas. Buy the person’s groceries in front of you.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!” Psalm 100:1. What is your favorite way to encourage someone?
by Tiffany Zylstra | May 21, 2015
“Dear future husband,
Here’s a few things
You’ll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life”
Meghan Trainer has a song called “Dear Future Husband.” I heard this catchy tune this weekend while out and about. I found myself bobbing my head along with the beat. But then I started listening to what the lyrics were really saying.
“If you wanna get that special lovin’
Tell me I’m beautiful each and every night
After every fight
Just apologize
And maybe then I’ll let you try and rock my body right
Even if I was wrong”
I had to stop myself and recognize that God has a much, much bigger plan in mind for my future husband than the song even begins to give credit to. I propose an amended version that looks something like this:
Dear Future Husband,
You have been prayed for, many times, for many years. My dad started praying for you before I was born, and as I’ve grown older, my prayers have been added. I am so thankful that you have turned into the man who captures my heart. You are amazing, and God has blessed you with incredible talents.
I am so thankful that we can laugh together and go through the trials together. You hold me to a high standard. You expect me to seek God first and willingly pray over decisions that will affect our future.
You will rebuke me in love and demonstrate daily what it means to truly be a man of God. You hold me as designed by God in our marriage bed.
I love how you encourage me to grow and be humble; this one is hard for me, but you remind me of Eph. 4:2. I love that you understand when we fight and I’m wrong, I’ll be honest and upfront with you and do my best to apologize quickly.
You not only appreciate my need to help you and others, you encourage it. You remind me when I’m frustrated that God will never leave me. You encourage me to be strong and courageous.
Thank you for seeing that my beauty lies in who Christ is in me, not in outward appearances, but still reminding me that I am attractive to you as well.
There are so many things about you that I’m thankful for and incredibly blessed by. Mostly it’s my honor to serve God by your side.
I love you,
Tiffany
My future husband is handpicked by God for me, and that’s so much better than a catchy song disregarding His design.
