Mother in the Mountains

adventures in SLC, homeschooling, reading, traveling

Personal Reflections for 2020

     motherinthemountains      1 Comment

I started the 2010 decade with a couple of rough years and I ended it with a couple of rough years. I don’t like to be vulnerable but I think it’s important to be transparent. The last decade was full of depression, anxiety, and disappointment. But I did have the best year of my life in the last decade – so far. 2020 is going to beat it.

mommy blogger faith at mother in the mountains

Change is hard for me

and in 2017 a lot of changes began to happen. My husband moved for work so we were in a long distant relationship from fall 2017 to spring 2018. I finished up my last few semesters of school while my girls (2 years and 6 months at the time) had to go to daycare for the first time. Then I interviewed and landed my first job out of the house in four years and then we moved, twice, in one summer.

Smack in the middle of that upheaval I started out with my baby. She was born in January of 2019. Even though she was unplanned and came at the most tumultuous of times, I know she came at the right time. Of course we ended up in the hospital with her and truly thought we were going to lose her for a horrific week.

After that, I stayed home for the next eleven months, just me and my three girls. Last year was full of adventures and fun but 2020 will be better.

2019

The calm after the storm and most days I was still trying to find my footing. I felt completely uprooted and off-kilter for a long time. I’m just now realizing how much I am still dealing with the emotions leftover from 2017/2018.

In the weeks before this new decade started I realized that I had too much left in my heart from the past. I spent a lot of time on reflections for 2020. There was little room for the present and no room for the future. I spent a lot of time thinking over the past few years; taking responsibility for my parts and forgiving others for their parts.

Personal Reflections for 2020

I have moved on. This decade will be full of the present looking forward to the future. I love remembering all the fun times but the past is not somewhere that I want to live.

My words for 2020 are forgiveness, presence, and patience.

The words I am going to carry with me into this next year are, “I can do all things through Christ.” Philippians 4:13

I am tired of being too busy, too sad, and too overwhelmed. Only I can determine how my future will be, I write my own story.

I’m excited to see what this year will bring and I hope you will follow along with me. I would love to hear some of your personal reflections for 2020 in the comments.I was lucky enough to be mentioned in these posts along with other great bloggers you should follow into this year.

xo

Faith

Peppermint Mocha Cheesecake Recipe

     motherinthemountains      1 Comment

For the last four years I’ve had to avoid peppermint because, #breastfeedingproblems. You know what I mean. But this winter I have been celebrating everything peppermint! Hence this peppermint mocha cheesecake recipe. Peppermint and chocolate are just meant to be together, put them in a cheesecake and it’s magic. The perfect kind of magic for the holiday season!

Crust

The process is pretty simple, especially if you have a stand mixer but a hand mixer will work just fine. Prep your crust first by mixing melted butter and chocolate graham crackers. Then while it refrigerates make the cheesecake mix.

Ingredients and Process

The ingredient list is pretty straight forward: eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, cocoa, peppermint extract, sugar, and instant coffee. Mix cream cheese well, add the rest of the ingredient and mix very well. Pour into prepared crust and bake!

peppermint mocha cheesecake mix being poured into pan

Bake and Decorate

After baking, cool the peppermint mocha cheesecake in the oven for an hour and then in the fridge for four hours up to eight hours. Then take a few minutes to decorate the entire top for the most magical, show stopping dessert for the main star of the dessert table.

finished peppermint mocha cheesecake

Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Peppermint Mocha Cheesecake

Peppermint Mocha Cheesecake

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours

What would happen if a Peppermint Mocha and a Cheesecake had a baby? Pure magic, that’s
what. This cheesecake perfectly balances the flavors of coffee, peppermint, and chocolate into
a delicious and elegant dessert.

Ingredients

  • Crust:
  • 3/4 Cup crushed chocolate graham crackers
  • 1/3 Cup melted butter
  • Filling:
  • 1 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Eight ounce bricks cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 Cup sour cream
  • 1/3 Cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 2 Teaspoons of peppermint extract
  • 3 Tablespoons of instant coffee
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 Dark chocolate bar, grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Spray springform pan and add liner to bottom of pan.
  3. In medium bowl, mix crushed graham crackers and melted butter.
  4. When graham crackers are wet through, press gently into bottom of springform pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
  5. For filling: In electric mixer add cream cheese and beat until smooth (no lumps left). Add in sugar while mixer is running on low and cream thoroughly.
  6. Add in cocoa powder, sour cream, vanilla extract, eggs, and peppermint extract and mix.
  7. Sprinkle in the instant coffee. Mix until smooth
    (cheesecakes should have no lumps).
  8. Gently pour mixture into prepared crust.
  9. Carefully place cheesecake in oven, bake 38-40 minutes. Cheesecake should still be slightly jiggly in the middle.
  10. To prevent falling and cracking, turn oven off and let cool in the oven for one hour.
  11. Remove cheesecake refrigerate for 4 hours. Once cool, garnish cheesecake with grated chocolate, crushed peppermint, and whipped cream.
© motherinthemountains
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Desserts

xo

Faith

Winter Bucket List for 2019/2020

     motherinthemountains      1 Comment

I am so excited to share this winter bucket list! With less than a week until Christmas (and Hanukkah starting in a few days) I’m sure everyone has done lots of holiday traditions and activities. Unfortunately, for those of us that live in the snowier states winter will continue on for at least another two months. The dark and short (but thankfully getting longer!) days are cold and boring.

I personally really struggle with the winter blues. February is generally the toughest month for me. It’s a good thing it’s such a short month. March typically signals the end of the cold and wet. Getting through January and February can be a chore so I wanted to share what helps make my winter a little more bearable.

Winter Activities!

This winter bucket list is short enough that you can make it a goal to check off all the activities by the end of the winter! Pick a day of the week that you’ll schedule the bucket list activity for and then watch the cold days fly by. I did my best to pick non-holiday themed activities, that way you can start now but continue on into the New Year.

Some of my favorite winter activities are the ones that actually don’t require going outside. Curling up with hot chocolate, tea, or cider and a good book is definitely one of my favorite cold day activities. However, it is important to get outside sometimes too and planning a weekend activity with the family will keep the winter from feeling too gloomy.

I hope this winter bucket list makes the colder months more fun!

Here’s a good soup recipe for the soup cook off

Plus a good cookie recipe for the treat making day

Have a wonderful winter

xo

Faith

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe

     motherinthemountains

This is the second December in a row we’ve made these chocolate peppermint cookies so now I’m going to say it’s a tradition. Chocolate and peppermint are the perfect flavors for the holiday season. I also like that they’re soft and a little gooey – while I love a good thin mint there’s something about a soft cookie I can’t resist.

Another thing I like about this cookie recipe is that it is easy to use an alternate to processed sugar. I also use white wheat flour which is less processed than white flour and the recipe still results in a soft and smooth batter. It’s nice to have a cookie that feels slightly less sugary and more wholesome than most other treats at this time of year.

Quick and Easy Process

chocolate peppermint cookie dough

These chocolate peppermint cookies only require a handful of ingredient and are easy to make. First, cream together the liquid ingredients and then add in the dry ones. It is usually a good idea to sift or mix together the dry ingredients first. But when I’m short on time I toss the dry ingredients on top and mix it extremely well before putting it in the freezer.

I like to use a mini ice cream scoop to make the perfect size. I actually thought I disliked making cookies until I got one and then I realized I just didn’t like balling the dough! A cookie scoop makes the process much quicker.

The reason freezing (and refrigerating) is required is so that the cookies don’t spread too much. Baking with liquid sweeteners has an added risk of runny desserts but a quick freeze usually does the trick. I also don’t flatten out the top at all before baking and they still turn out nice and smooth.

Once they’re baked, add crushed peppermint and then try not to eat them all in one sitting. The easy printable version is below.

chocolate peppermint cookies on a plate

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp natural peppermint extract
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 candy cane (finely crushed)
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.s
  2. Mix together maple syrup (or honey) with butter until creamy.
  3. Add extracts and egg and mix well.
  4. Spoon flour and cocoa into measuring cups to measure and then sift together all dry ingredients into the bowl. (Or just throw it all on top like me) Mix together very well.
  5. Add semisweet chocolate chips and stir with a spatula.
  6. Freeze for 10 minutes and then scoop onto non-greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for another 5-10 minutes before placing in oven. Meanwhile put a candy cane in a plastic bag and crush it.
  7. Bake 8-10 minutes until the edges are no longer shiny but the center is.
  8. Sprinkle crushed candy cane over the cookies and allow to cool.

Notes

Adapted from Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

© motherinthemountains
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Recipes

If you love this delicious cookie recipe, check out the recipes below:

Cutout Sugar Cookie Recipe

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

xo

Faith

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

     motherinthemountains

Each Thanksgiving we do a little something different but a lot of things the same. I enjoy cooking and I like trying new things on Thanksgiving. I also don’t like to make and eat something just because it’s tradition and not because it’s delicious. Thanksgiving, I think, should be about having delicious food and I value quality over quantity. This Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup only has recipes I’ve tried and loved. If you have any recipes you think should be added, comment below!

Traditional Recipes

Root beer in a cup made from a recipe in the Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

Homemade Root Beer– We make this nearly ever year. There’s been a few years that we haven’t had the time and it always feels a little less like Thanksgiving. This recipe needs three days to proof so make sure you start it before Thanksgiving day!

Whole Wheat Honey Rolls– Homemade rolls are always way better than store bought. We make our dough in the bread maker and then pull it out to cook in the oven. I also only use 100% whole white wheat to keep processed flours at a minimum.

Sweet Potato Pie – Several years ago I decided on a whim to make this when I was still living at home. It was absolutely delicious and we rarely go a year without having a sweet potato pie now. I also bake my sweet potato rather than boil, I think it makes the flavor of sweet potato stronger.

Cheese Cake – We usually make some kind of cheese cake every year. This year I wanted a honey one to cut down on the amount of sugar and this one was perfect. We made it in a chocolate shell and drizzled chocolate sauce on top.

Fun and New (to us) Recipes

Chocolate Pecan Pie and Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Pecan Pie – This was a new one that might turn into a traditional one. It’s almost like pecan brownies in a pie shell. Hint: you can substitute a tablespoon of paprika for the pepper in a pinch.

Ranch Dressing – This was a new one this year. We typically have a vegetable tray but this year I went with a salad and homemade ranch on the side. It was absolutely perfect.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes – While mashed potatoes are definitely a tradition, this was a new recipe for me. I’ll have to move it to the traditional category soon though because I am definitely making it every year from now on.

Ribs – No recipe for this one but sometimes we like to mix up our main meat dish. I like turkey but sometimes the effort it takes to make one is better spent on other delicious dishes (like pie). One year I made a chicken in the crock pot, this year we got some smoked ribs.

These recipes are for sure fun ones to make year round but every recipe on Thanksgiving is a little bit extra special. I hope you enjoy these ones!

xo

Faith

pinterest image for Thanksgiving Recipe Round up

Cafe Zupas Pumpkin Chorizo Soup Recipe

     motherinthemountains      8 Comments

I went to Cafe Zupas recently and they handed me a sample to try. It was so good I asked them what it was and was surprised to hear pumpkin chorizo soup! I’m not a huge fan of chorizo and I don’t overly like the taste of pumpkin but all the flavors in the soup were perfect together.

I decided it would be the perfect recipe for fall so I decided to learn how to make it. I searched for Zupas Pumpkin Chorizo soup recipe but nothing came up. There were all sorts of pumpkin soup recipes and even some pumpkin chorizo soup recipes. In the end I found this one that was kind of similar and decided it was close enough that I should be able to create something similar to Cafe Zupas.

Next I went onto Zupas website and looked at what they included in their recipe. I decided that corn, beans, chorizo, and pumpkin were the important ingredients and the flavor would primarily come from cumin, garlic, and onions. Once I got the ingredients I tasted as I cooked until I got something super similar and incredibly delicious.

This pumpkin chorizo soup recipe is super simple and bursting with fall flavors. It is perfect for the cold weather we’ve been having. The pumpkin adds a delicious creamy texture while the beans, tomatoes, and corn add some bite to it. This is definitely a recipe we’ll be adding to our regular fall rotation.

pumpkin chorizo soup with toppings

Pumpkin Chorizo Soup

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Hearty and creamy pumpkin soup full of beans, tomatoes, and corn.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can corn
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    1. Cook the chorizo by gently breaking it apart in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chorizo.

    2. Add the oil and onion (alternatively, leave a tablespoon of chorizo fat and omit oil) saute until tender, about 4 minutes.

    3. Add the garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

    4. Add the chorizo, broth, pumpkin puree, drained black beans, drained corn, diced tomatoes, and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

    5. Season with salt and pepper. Add garnishes.

Notes

Sour cream, cheese, pepitas, and tortilla chips are all really great topping for this soup. If it's too thick add up to one more cup broth.

Fall flavors are some of my favorite flavors. They’re so filling and robust. I’d love to hear of your favorite fall recipes below, feel free to share! I’d also love to know if you tried this recipe out and how you liked it!

I joined up with some mommy bloggers to bring you more delicious soup recipes for soup season:

xo

Faith

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