How quickly time flies, days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years.  Speaking of years, it's been years since I have posted on here and months since we celebrated this grand event.  I can't think of a better event to blog about than the completion of many years worth of hard work culminating into two degrees for my daughter, Alyssa.  It was so much fun celebrating the end of one season and the beginning of another for this precious person that I am blessed to call my daughter.  

  The celebration included family and friends that have been a big part of our lives and I was able to do one of my favorite things...prepare a banquet table.  I always picture God setting a banquet table before us and this is what inspires my thoughts, plans and service.  Sometimes I even go over-board planning but never even close to what heaven's banquet table will look like.  This party was no exception, it was simple but grand at the same time.  There was good food and sweet fellowship.  I wanted it to be a very blessed day and it was.  God graciously answered my prayers for the day and for Alyssa. 

  Since this is a post about Alyssa and her graduation let me just share a few things about her for anyone who may read this and not know her.  Alyssa is a young lady who loves God and if you meet her you will know this about her without anyone telling you.  Secondly, she loves people and I can't emphasize this enough.  She loves to encourage and cheer you on in whatever you might tell her.  She is happy and encouraging but she is also strong and say it like it is kind of girl. She is hard working and she is a person of great integrity.  She sounds pretty wonderful, right?  She is. 

  So take a peek at our fun day.  I will be back with recipes another day. Thanks for taking time to share in life with us.  Let me leave you with this.  Ecclesiastes 3:1  There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.  This was an appointed day and a very special one.  Finally, I want to say a great big thank you to our great God who ordains all things and saw fit to give us such a blessed day.

 

Life as of Lately

So I have been away again.  I really thought I would blog on a regular basis but one thing after another seems to keep me away from the computer.  My computer has a virus and it won't even let me sign into my blog (sigh,) but there are so many other things as well that seem to get in the way.  If only we didn't need sleep, I might be more regular.  :)

I have had so many opportunities to make cupcakes lately that I thought I needed to post some pictures so you could see what I have been up to.  This first picture is a mocha espresso cupcake.  It's for the coffee and chocolate lover.

Next up is the fresh, from scratch (no box here) strawberry cupcake.  It also has a strawberry frosting with fresh strawberries.

On the left is a tart and sweet lemon cupcake.  This seems to be a big hit with my daughters.  They are lemon lovers for sure.

I love this one.  It is a chocolate covered cherry cupcake with a fresh chocolate covered cherry baked into the middle as well as on top.  So delicious. I made this in honor of my hubby.  He is such a chocolate covered cherry fan that I thought it would be right up his alley.

This Reeses' cupcake is a favorite by many no matter where I take it.  It has a Reeses candy baked in the center.  These are just a few of the culprits that have been keeping me away from the computer. 

Besides cupcakes I have been spending time with my family, friends, flowers and garden.  This is my favorite time of the year.  I love to be outside, even in the heat.  Most days begin about 5:45 a.m. when I take my daughter to swim practice.

Here's a little peak at my garden.

My flowers are so pretty.

My sweet Lizzy picked this bouquet for her room. A girl after my own heart.

I made this veggie basket to take to my daughter.  She adores fresh veggies. It had corn, green beans, carrots, cucumbers and red potatoes.

These flowers just make me smile every day.  They always remind me that if God cares for the Lilies (Zinnias) then surely He will care for us. Matthew 6:27-31.  His faithfulness is amazing.

How fun are those pictures?  My sweet fifteen year old daughter took them for me.  I have also spent time organizing, studying, planning, reading and contemplating the things of God.  It has been an enjoyable summer minus the ridiculously high temperatures.  Hello! We are in Kansas!  I like Kansas weather.  If I wanted to live some where crazy hot I would move there.  :))  What have you been up to this summer?
  I will try to be back real soon with recipes.  I have enough of them, I just need to get busy taking more pictures.  I will try to post recipes you have requested.  See you soon!

 

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit just like life,"Bitter-Sweet"

Sometimes life is bitter sweet, isn't it?  Sometimes we have to go through hard times (pain and affliction) for God to accomplish His purposes in our lives.  It can seem so bitter for a season but God is faithful.  I have seen His faithfulness to me time and time again. It has been during those dreaded times that I have especially seen the sweetness of my God.  Sometimes the situation doesn't change to become what I had hoped for but none the less I have been changed. I am not the same.  He is conforming me more and more into the likeness of His Son for which I am eternally grateful. Although I am grateful, if there were an easier way I would most definitely choose that.  I am in such a season right now.  Life is hard,it's full of disappointment, yet His love and kindness toward me is sweet. I am learning to more fully trust Him and His purposes. Disappointment becomes His appointment.  I think this poem from an unknown author sums up what I am trying to say.

"Disappointment- His Appointment"
change one letter, Then I see
that the thwarting of my purpose
is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
though it may come in disguise;
for the end, from the beginning
open to His vision lies.
"Disappointment- His Appointment";
Whose? The Lord who loves me best,
understands and knows me fully,
who my faith and love would test.
For like loving earthly parents
He rejoices when He knows
that His child accepts unquestioned
all that from His wisdom flows.
"Disappointment- His Appointment";
no good things will He withhold.
From denials oft we gather
treasures of His love untold.
Well He knows each broken purpose
leads to a fuller, deeper trust,
and the end of His dealings
proves our God is wise and just.
"Disappointment-His Appointment";
Lord I take it then as such,
like clay in the hands of the potter
yielding wholly to His touch.
My life's plan is all His molding;
not one single choice be mine.
Let me answer unrepining,
  "Father, not my will, but Thine." 


Finally, Psalm 28: 7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; 
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank
Him.

May you find strength and help in your time of need by the ever faithful One too.  Words cannot even begin to describe how grateful I am that my God has sustained me.  

Now, this recipe is so easy and just a fun and sophisticated way of eating grapefruit.  Try it some week-end for part of a fanciful breakfast.  

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit

Method:
Preheat oven to “broil”, with the rack on the top shelf (so that the grapefruit will be about 1.5 – 2 inches from the heat).
Arrange grapefruit halves, cut side up, in a broil-safe pan.  (You may need to use a knife to slice a small part off the bottom of each half to make sure they are sitting level in the pan.)  Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.
Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the sugar is melted and the edges begin to brown.  Remove and then use a knife to segment the grapefruit slices.  Serve at room temperature.

{pictures credited to my daughter- Elizabeth}

Peanut Butter Cookies

It has been way too long since I have posted.  I have missed my dear little blog but I have had so many things pulling me in different directions and using  my time,  I needed to prioritize.  I had spent so much time away from home traveling that when I was home I just couldn't justify taking time to blog.  Although I think blogging is a worthy activity, and I enjoy reminiscing about the past for writing posts, sometimes there are just too many things I need to be doing instead.  So... I will blog as time allows and most of the time I should be able to pull off a couple of posts a week but if I can't, I will be back as soon as life allows.

 I love to make sweet treats for the swimmers for special occasions and some meets.    I made these cookies around Valentines, hence the heart shapes.  These were great and all the girls that received them were appreciative. These girls work so hard six days a week as a competitive swimmer that I want to bless them with a sweet little reward occasionally .  I really admire their discipline and perseverance.  Swimming competitively is not for the light hearted, so to speak. This sport has helped foster many wonderful characteristics in my children.  I am so proud of them, every one of them.

Speaking of children, mine are not perfect.  Swimming cannot produce perfection.  Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.  As we celebrated Easter yesterday, I was once again reminded of how important the cross is.  It's evident in my own life and each of my sweet children that we are sinners.  We don't measure up to the Holiness of God.  We all fail in one way or another and quite frequently.  I have tried with all of my might to raise children to love the Lord but the decision is theirs in the end.  As I get to the final stretch of nurturing my young children all I can do now is pray and trust that God will fill in the gaps where I have failed.  I pray they will each see a need for a savior and grow to love Him with all of their heart , soul, mind, and strength.  We cannot achieve perfection in this life time and I am okay with that but we can know the One and Only Who is perfect.  I am thankful though that when God looks at me He sees Jesus the perfect and spotless lamb who took the place for my sins.  I put my trust in Christ as a 19 year old and have never looked back since. I hope each one of my children will have a real and personal encounter with the living God and that they will be changed from the inside out for all of eternity.

Now I know I rambled on but that does not take away from the fact that these were tasty cookies.  You might want to give them a try if you love peanut butter like we do.:)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
Beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs one an a time, then vanilla. Mix baking powder with flour, then add flour a cup at a time.
Roll dough out on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shape with cookie cutter dipped into flour.
Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes Until they are just getting golden on the bottom, to ensure you will not have a dry cookie.

Peanut butter filling for filling cookies like Nutter Butter Cookies
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Beat peanut butter and butter together then add powdered sugar and milk and mix until creamy.
Source unknown

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Before moving here, my husband and I had lived in Michigan most of our lives so cold weather was all too familiar.  The only way to remedy this problem in the slightest way was to make some warm comforting soup.  Although, I have not lived in Michigan for almost 20 years, I still love soup.  Broccoli cheddar soup is one of our family favorites.
I have fond thoughts about this soup because a dear friend brought me a close version of this recipe right after my first child was born.  I had never tried to make broccoli cheddar soup, so it was a real treat.  It was the kind of soup I would order whenever I ate out (which was on a rare occasion).  It wasn't long after trying Sherry's soup that I was making it myself and it has remained a favorite to this day.  Do you have a favorite soup or a memory tied to a soup?

Broccoli Cheddar Soup



Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more.  Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter.  Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.  Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted.  Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot.  Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.
Source: Annie’s Eats original

Blackberry Scones

   It has been such a beautiful winter.  Most days have been sunny and mild, really it doesn't feel like winter weather and that's okay with me.  I am a warm weather kind of gal.  This week though, it has felt chilly to me, which meant it was time to bake something warm and yummy for breakfast. If ever I ask my youngest daughter what should I bake for breakfast, she says, "Scones." So  scones it was.  Now, which kind of scone? So many to choose from. Then I remembered I had just bought blackberries.  It was a no-brainer from there. Phew! that's good because sometimes I  just hate decisions like that.

  The grocery store just had big beautiful blackberries on sale so I bought some for eating and baking. So count yourself informed that there shall be some delicious blackberry recipes coming soon, well more delicious blackberry recipes because these definitely are blackberry and delicious.

Blackberry Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup butter, chilled
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp coarse sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt. Cut butter into 6-8 chunks and add to flour mixture, tossing to coat. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until mixture is sandy and butter is well distributed, with no pieces larger than a big pea.
Combine milk and vanilla extract and pout into flour mixture. Stir until dough comes together.Add blackberries and gently knead into the dough. It is ok if some berries get slightly squished.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and flatten dough into a disc about 3/4-inch thick. Use a knife to divide disc into six triangles. Place scones on prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes, until scones are golden brown.

These were beautiful and delicious!

Adapted from Baking Bites.com

Meringue Candy

A couple of days ago I helped coordinate the wedding reception for my friend's daughter.  It was a special day, as most wedding days are and I was so glad to be such a big part of it.  I so wanted it to be all they had hoped for.  So much time and prayer went into the preparations and planning. So much thought was given to even the smallest of details. These meringues were one of the tiny contributions I provided for the dessert table.  I love to make these. They are so festive and pretty.
Speaking of festive and pretty, I  really  think the reception turned out great and I had so much fun pulling it off with my dear friend, Kelli. Kelli is one of the most talented women I know personally.  She can do almost anything and do it well.  Do you have someone in your life like that?  On top of all her talents she is also a very Godly person, a real joy to be around. And no she doesn't read my blog, so she will never know I told you about her, but it's okay. It's just a part of the story about the wedding and a highlight of  coordinating the reception. Even if you don't coordinate a reception, you really should make these for some special occasion just because they are so fun.

Meringue Candy Gems
Basic Recipe
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup fine white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Flavorings - see below
Mocha Meringues
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cotton Candy Meringues 
(This is another variety to try.)

Approximately 36 cookies                                    

2 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1/2 cup finely ground cotton candy granules

*Note: Grind cotton candy granules in a food processor until slightly powdery.

 Heat oven to 170ºF. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft, bubbly peaks form. The peaks will still flop over; they're like bubble bath still. Turn the mixers to high and add the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. As they get glossy, beat in the flavorings. The texture should be glossy and tacky, with peaks that stand straight up. Pipe onto parchment-covered sheets. The parchment is essential; these will stick like crazy. Bake for about one and a quarter hours then turn off the oven and let them cool, or leave in oven overnight. They should be completely dry with no chewiness inside.

Aren't they so pretty?