Archives for January 2013

Devine Cooking Class Party

January 26, 2013 · by SUPERmom Decoded · Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram (devinecooking) or Facebook, you already know that I enjoy cooking fabulous meals for my family. The barrage of Facebook dinner pictures I post begin to garner a lot of attention. Requests for recipes and tips led me to seek out ways to help others duplicate the same cooking success I was experiencing. That resulted in me writing a cookbook (to be released by spring 2013), blogging some recipes on this website, and hosting a series of COOKING PARTIES! This cooking party was a new God given concept for me, so I immediately asked some people if they would be interested in attending. The response was overwhelming! I opened my home up to no more than 5 ladies per class, and offered a couple of hands on, small group cooking lessons over a weekend. I kicked off the class with a food game and a couple of gift giveaways to keep the mood festive. The results were nothing short of amazing. Not only did these ladies skillfully execute the healthy meals I taught them to cook, many expressed a new kitchen confidence and creativity. What a blessing to have spouses and children come up and thank me for helping their mom step up her cooking game! In addition to comments from their families, I also received Facebook photo tags, texts, and e-mails from the ladies that attended showing off their kitchen skills. I LOVE it!

In December, I held a Christmas themed cooking party for FREE. The results were amazing once again. My upcoming cooking class sold out 3 weeks in advance, even after I increased the group size. An additional date option for that weekend is being added right away.

I get so excited about women that want to learn and grow, especially in those domestic areas of their lives! Take a look at this brief recap video of the first two cooking parties.

Also, look at this recap video of the Christmas themed cooking party.

Finally, take a look at the photographed moments from those events. We had so much FUN!

Supermom Tip – Don’t wait to start helping others. Use what you have in your hand and begin NOW! Duplicate your skill set into the lives of others. It is so rewarding!

Filed Under: Cooking Parties, Devine Recipes, Videos Tagged: Cooking, cooking class, Party
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Marriage- The Trip Of A Lifetime

January 25, 2013 · by SUPERmom Decoded · 1 Comment

I recently spent all day on various airplanes flying from Washington, DC to Cleveland, OH, to Detroit, MI, and then back to Washington, DC. Why? Well my husband discovered that I was just a few trips shy of reaching my next air miles status level (which has to be reached before this year ends). Since he has already been on this particular air mile status level for a while, we receive a lot of flying benefits just on his status alone. But he realized that if we are both individually on the same premier air miles status, together our benefits would increase tremendously.

My husband Merlon and I In ATL airport

We can travel easier, get a much better chance of 1st class upgrades on every trip, and much more. I admit, I was NOT really up for a solo trip “around the world” yesterday, but I do understand this– Being on the same level as the person you are traveling this life’s journey with makes the trip so much more beneficial. You can get to your destination easier, advance quicker, and benefit from God’s blessings so much more. No wonder that Bible teaches us about not being unequally yoked and the importance of unity and agreement. Be mindful of who you choose to travel life’s journey with. It makes all the difference in the world!

Filed Under: Divine Inspiration Tagged: advice, couples, marriage, marriage tips, travel
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Homemade Brownie with a BANG!

January 24, 2013 · by SUPERmom Decoded · 2 Comments

I love cooking meals, but baking has never been my thing. I admire people that can bake desserts from scratch and the dessert turns out perfect. I believe people that can bake well are gifted by God to do so. I can admit He did not give me THAT gift. Every time I tried to bake anything, it just never quite turned out right. So why am I sharing a recipe with you for homemade brownies? Well, obviously because it is SUPER easy. Brownies are one of my favorite desserts. Maybe that is why I was persistent about learning how to make them from scratch. I ran across this brownie recipe in a book I had for many years. I often used this recipe to make brownies for my kids elementary school events, before they forbade homemade treats at school. After seeing all the spicy chocolate fudge varieties in different chocolate shops, I had a thought of adding a kick of spicy to this brownie recipe. I tried adding a little cayenne pepper to it and loved it, so I am sharing it with you. The Cayenne pepper puts the BANG in these brownies. If I can learn to bake these brownies with precision, so can YOU. Are you ready to get started? Let’s go!

Ingredients

½ Cup of Butter (1 stick)

3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

¾ cup of all-purpose flour

2 eggs

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon of baking powder

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Melt the butter in a bowl.
Add in the cocoa powder and stir until you get this chocolaty soupy looking mixture.
Melted butter and cocoa powder
Add in remaining ingredients in the order listed EXCEPT the cayenne pepper. Stir until well mixed.
Stir in cayenne pepper to give the brownies a nice hint of warmth.
Add the bang!
To make individual brownies, spray 4” ramekins with cooking spray.
Fill ramekins halfway with brownie batter.
Filled ramekins
Bake on the center rack in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until center of brownie is firm.
Brownies after baking
Serve warm for best results.
NOTE: Batter will make an 8 x 8 pan of brownies or 5 individual brownies in 4” ramekins.

Tips to plate it fabulously:

Remove brownie from ramekin by loosening it around the edges with a butter knife.
Flip it onto a serving plate or bowl (preferably a white plate or bowl).
Top brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Spoon fudge sauce and/or caramel sauce onto the plate.
Add ½ teaspoon of cocoa powder into a small sifter. Sprinkle the cocoa powder on the edge of the plate.
Add a few pieces of fresh berries to complete garnish.
Finished presentation
Other great garnish options include fresh mint, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate wafers, etc.

SuperMom Decoded Tip: Wow your family and friends by baking these brownies and giving them a 5-Star presentation. Whatever you do, give it your BEST!

Filed Under: Devine Recipes, Recipes Tagged: brownie recipe, chocolate, Dessert
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