Safe

I'm so thankful for safety.  We have a house, minus a shingle or two, and beds, and most importantly, each other.

I'm making cupcakes tomorrow for my neighbor.  I'm excited to get paid for another baking thing!

I'm not sure what I would do without a DVR.  We were just watching a show, and I wasn't sure what had just happened, so I rewound it and reviewed it.  We're watching the last episode of The Office with Steve Carell.  It's so weird when I get invested in a show, and start loving the characters.  So weird.

I almost didn't get home tomorrow from my in-laws' house where we spent the night because they have a storm shelter.  There was some high water on the way home, and I was kind of worried that I wouldn't be able to make it through.  I did, thankfully, after following someone else.  I wasn't about to go through first.  Call me chicken, but the guy in front of me had to drive over a log.  I was praying we could make it through, and that God would take care of everything.  Maybe God doesn't take care of all of those types of things, but I believe if He does, then I'd like to give credit where credit is due, and I'll give him the credit even if He doesn't.  He deserves more than I give him already.  Anyway, the log moved out of the way.  I drove straight through it.  I'm so thankful God provides.

I know this was a string of random thoughts, but that's what I've got tonight.

Storms

Storms and more storms.  We have had a lot of storms recently.  We've been in the closet twice in the last week.  Both times we've had to pull them out of bed.  Frustrating, but a great adventure. :)

Our Easter weekend was great.  Dusty was off on Friday, and we were able to run a couple of errands as a family.  Saturday we stayed at home most of the day, and we relaxed a lot.  The kids had an Easter egg hunt that morning.  They had a more fun time playing on the playground than they did hunting eggs. :)  Yesterday we went to Dusty's parents' house, and the kids played outside all day.  Unfortunately, we didn't reapply the sunscreen, so Hannah has a slight sunburn on her shoulders and just under her left eye.  I must not have put sunscreen as close to her eye as I thought.  I just didn't want to get it in her eye.  Also, she had it on one of her crown.  I can't believe I didn't make her wear a hat.  Seth didn't get any burn at all.  His skin tone is so much darker.  Poor little light skinned girl.

I made some more stuff this weekend though.  I made cake truffles for the first time.  I used a (are you sitting down) boxed cake mix.  I KNOW!  It was suggested by most every blog I found with the recipe.  That way the cake-to-icing ratio would be right.  I did make my own icing though.  I used a funfetti mix, which I love, but apparently not when it's all smushed together and mixed with icing.  It was all brown then.  Anyway, here's the link, Cake Balls by Bakerella, I used to tell me how to make it, only I used funfetti, and my own icing.  Also, I used melted milk chocolate to cover some of them, and then Wilton candy melts to cover the rest.  I'm not the biggest fan of these, but they seemed to be enjoyed.

In other news, Dusty and I started playing a video game on the Wii a few days ago, and we're obsessed once again.  It's fun. :)

Whoa

I just paid $72 for gas.  Granted, I had barely any gas left in my tank, but I just paid $72 for gas, and that was with $.10 off per gallon, PLUS it was less at this gas station than anywhere else.  Not fun.

I'm ready for my kids to get back to being healthy again.  And by kids, I mean, Seth.  Hannah hasn't gotten the last two things that Seth has gotten.  I'm exhausted, so I'm hoping I don't get it.  Seth has been waking up at night coughing, so the nights have been pretty broken.  We'll make it though.  He's finally getting better.

Saturday during naps Dusty and I made lavender soap.  We've made soap before, but this time we're using essential oils.  We got the oils in the mail on Friday, and were able to make soap on Saturday.  :)  It smells fabulous.  We'll be able to use it in the middle of May.  We had also gotten peppermint oil to try, and we actually made that yesterday morning.  We had to stay home from church because Seth had fever on Saturday, so we let them kids play a Wii game, and Dusty and I made peppermint soap.  Now we have 80 ounces of soap curing, and we're happy about that. :)

It looks like I'm going to have another person to make cakes for, in the near future.  My neighbor saw the picture of my cake that I made last week, and she asked me to make one for her son, who turns 21 on the 30th. I gave her a couple of cupcakes I had recently made to test.  One was the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake I posted the recipe for last week, and one was the chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream that I posted about last week, too.  She loved the cookie dough one.  She said her son's favorite dessert is cookie dough, so these cupcakes would be perfect.  She's going to get back to me about how many dozen she wants.  I thought the price I quoted her was a bit high, but I just looked online last night to find the price of a "cupcakery" in Jackson.  They're new and have specialized cupcakes too.  I decided to ask $15 a dozen for these.  The place in Jackson charges THIRTY DOLLARS a dozen!  Ridiculously expensive!  I'd LOVE to get that much for a dozen cupcakes!  I'm just pleased with $15!  Anyway, I'm excited about the prospect of getting a profit for baking. :)

Did I tell you about Hannah reading On the Banks of Plum Creek?  She's on page 207.

She hasn't read any of it today.  I think she's taking a bit of a break.  She didn't even want to read it at nap time.  She wanted to read Curious George.  That's fine.  I understand wanting to read different stuff.  :)  Plus...she's 4.  Amazing girl.

WOO!!

I got paid today for the cake!  And here's the recipe link for one of the cakes I made.  I didn't do all the other stuff, obviously, that this recipe calls for, but the basic cake recipe is the one I used. Chocolate Caramel Coconut Cupcakes...or, what I call, the recipe I used for the Chocolate Cake.  I made 2-6 inch cakes, a dozen cupcakes and two mini-bundt cakes with this recipe.  It's extremely moist and delicious.  The cakes take about 25-30 minutes to cook, but the mini bundts and the cupcakes only take 15.  The tops do not look like they're done, but they don't stick to your finger when you touch them.  Love.  This.  Recipe.  If you make the actual cupcakes from the recipe, don't use all the half and half it calls for.  They're some of the best cupcakes I've ever made.  I use the buttercream recipe from Wilton.

Buttercream Icing Recipe
1 c. shortening
2-3 T water (depends on the stiffness of icing desired)
3/4 t clear vanilla
1/4 t clear butter flavor
dash of salt
1 lb (about 4 c.) powdered sugar

Mix shortening and liquids until fully blended.  Add powdered sugar gradually and mix thoroughly every time. Mix on medium high until light and fluffy.  If it's too stiff, add another teaspoon of water until consistency is desired.

I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night.  We didn't go to bed early since Dusty had been working outside for a long time unloading the dirt.  I didn't make it outside before he came in last night. Then at 2:20 the weather radio alarm went off telling us there was a tornado watch.  Then at 4 something the thunder started, and it woke me up.  I looked at the kids, and noticed Seth was on his stomach all curled up, so I figured he was cold.  Also, he'd had a fever last night, and his medicine had probably worn off, so I was pretty sure he was cold.  I saw Hannah moving significantly after one big clap of thunder, so I went up to give her Mr. Bear, which is the gigantic bear whose legs cover her ears. :)  I put Mr. Bear on her bed, and she sweetly said, "Thank you, Mommy" and then a big clap happened, so I went to cover up Seth, and came back and laid down with her for a few minutes while the thunder ended.  She was very happy. :)  I tried to go back to sleep, and it took me about an hour.  Then one hour after that at 6:10, the weather radio went off again.  This time it was a tornado warning for Madison County.  It was south Madison, so it's almost an entire county away from us.  I slept until the actual sleeping alarm went off...three times.

We had a very busy morning today, and I really could've used some more sleep, but thankfully God blessed my schedule and my strength, and we made it through it all.  I took the cake, and it looked great when she got it!  Then she picked up the box and held it with ONE arm!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?  AAAAHHHH!!!  I don't care.  I'm paid.  It's photographed, and documented, so I'm good. :)  I just hope it tastes good.  I know the chocolate layer will, but the white layer is a little sketchy.  I'm not a big scratch white cake fan.  Oh well.  Not my cake.  I took Seth to the doctor today, too, because of his cough.  I was getting worried because he had a fever, and it didn't seem to be getting any better.  Actually, last night he coughed a lot more than any other night with the cough.  The doctor said that he thinks it's probably the end of croup that has been caused by a virus that just didn't give fever.  He said that he probably didn't need steroids, but gave me a prescription to use if he gets worse tonight or tomorrow.  I love our pediatrician.  He allows me to use my discretion on treating our children with medicine, sometimes, because he knows that I pay attention and have common sense. :)  I'm just glad that he doesn't have bronchitis or pneumonia or anything that bad.

So that was a lot of talk!  Now I'm going to rest. :)

OH, also, we've been reading The Little House books.  I've read the first two to the kids, and we're in the middle of Farmer Boy (which, by the way, is WAY less interesting and way more boring than the others).  I got the fourth book, On the Banks of Plum Creek, from the library on Wednesday, and Hannah picked it up yesterday and looked through it.  Today she picked it up and started to read it.  She has read around 50 pages of it this morning.  How funny would it be if Hannah read her first novel at age 4.  Hilarious, I tell you.  Hilarious.

Cake

I made a cake today.  Well, really I made two layers yesterday, and two today, and then decorated it today.  It took me all blessed day.  My poor kids have been neglected.  Also, Seth's sick AGAIN.  This time he has some kind of chest congestion, almost croup, nasty just now developing a fever even though the cough has been here 2 days already, thing.  I'm going to post a picture of the cake, and then I'm going to not move my hands anymore.  My hands are tired.  I did the entire cake in buttercream, and all the decorations are buttercream as well.  Most people would do these out of fondant.  I didn't.  Fondant doesn't taste good.  I'm hoping that the cake doesn't sag because I forgot to put in supports.  I remembered it after I had completely smoothed...oh my word, it is taking me so many tries to get the words typed right...and the green squiggly lines piped and smoothed.  I decided, with the consultation of a couple of people, that it would be best left alone.  If I tried to take the top layer off, it could easily result in disaster and a LOT more work.  This way, there's just a hope it doesn't collapse or sink.  If it does, then I'll have a disaster and a lot more work, but it will more than likely not happen.  I'm going for better odds this time.

What do you think about the cupcake?  It was a spur of the moment decision, and I thought it would be cute, and I think it is.  When you layer a cake, you're supposed to have 4 inches between sizes of pans, so this is a 10 inch, 6 inch, and then the cupcake would be 2 inches. :)  I think it's cute.  This cake is for a teenager, and it's custom made for them from a picture they sent me.  They wanted nothing pink, so they asked for green and black.  Oh my word, my anecdotal abilities are GONE!  I started this stuff at 7:15 this morning, and stopped for about 45 minutes when I had someone come by around lunch, and then started back and worked until 5:40 tonight.  I don't think I'm being paid NEARLY enough to cover my time.  Maybe if I did this more often, it would be worth it because I'd get faster.  Knowing me, I wouldn't get much faster because I'm too much of a perfectionist.

And now I'm going to help my husband finish unloading the mulch from the back of his truck because it's going to rain again tomorrow, and we don't want to have his truck hanging halfway out of the garage during this storm like the last one. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I was inspired to make these by a cupcake making friend, who commented on my last post.  (By the way, Lindsay, I saw that recipe, but had made these before.  Next time, I will definitely be using that new recipe.)  This will be a super short post because I have to go make some cakes for my actual paid cake, also I have to pick up my house because we're having our Bible study here tonight.  No pressure.  Don't have anything to do.  Also, I have a piano lesson at 3:30.  Here's the link for the recipe I used for my chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.  I like the idea of having mushy cookie dough in the center, with none of it cooked, and that's why I chose this recipe.  It makes for more work, but I love the payoff.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
You may notice that this is the same blog from which I got the strawberry cupcake recipe.  It's true.  This woman has some GREAT recipes.  Browse her site.  You may find something delicious that you've never tried before.  Happened to me!  OK, now I'm going to cook.

My Ugly Strawberry Cupcakes

So I made these strawberry cupcakes, like I did a few weeks ago and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY.  This time, not so much.  I'm not sure what happened differently, but I hope it doesn't happen next time.  Here's the link to those cupcakes, HOWEVER, I did not use the icing recipe here.  I made up my own recipe instead.  I didn't want to spend the time doing the Swiss Meringue Icing for either time because I was running short both times I've made these.  OK, really, here's the link: Strawberry Cupcakes.  I made my regular buttercream icing recipe, except I substituted pureed strawberries for the water.  Here's my recipe:
Strawberry Icing
1 cup shortening
3 T strawberry puree
3/4 t vanilla
1/2 t butter flavor
sprinkle of salt
1 lb (about 4 cups) powdered sugar

Puree strawberries in food processor until they were liquid.  Mix shortening with puree, vanilla, butter flavor, and salt until well blended.  Start slowly, and turn up speed to medium for 2-3 minutes.  Mix in powdered sugar slowly, about a cup at a time until well blended with each cup. Mix on medium-high until nice and fluffy.  If it has stiff peaks and seems too spiky, you can add milk or water, by the teaspoon, and mix in between additions until completely incorporated and the texture is achieved.

I did a 1M swirl on the cupcakes, which takes a LOT of icing, so I made a double recipe.

I went to Hobby Lobby today.  Wilton stuff is 30% off this week, and I could DEFINITELY spend too much money there!  I need to check my supply and see what I need, and go back and get some stuff just so I can get it cheaper.  I need to get a few things just so I can have them if I need to make another cake...like I have to this week!!  I have a person who wants me to make a cake for them!  A two layer, white on one, chocolate on the other, cake, and I'm going to get paid for it!  WOOOO!!!!  Dusty's sister works with someone that needs one for Friday, and apparently I'm way cheaper than a bakery she talked to, so I got it!  WOOOOO!!!  I'll let you know how it goes.

Tune in tomorrow for a recipe link to my husband's favorite kind of cupcakes.

Browned Butter and Sea Salt Cookies

Yeah, remember how I was going to post about those cookies forever ago, well, I'm finally posting. :)  This weekend was pretty busy and hectic.  I have two other recipes I'll post soon for cupcakes I made this weekend.  I made two different kinds of cupcakes for a baby shower for a girl in our Sunday school class.  We made the SS hour a baby shower, so it was a nice change.  Plus, most of the people in our Sunday school class are fairly new, so we don't know them well.  It gave us all a great chance to fellowship and get to know each other better. I think we're going to try and do a fellowship time during a SS class more often.  I suggested we have one when there's a 5th Sunday in a month.  That way we won't have to schedule it for every however many weeks, or not remember if it was this week or next.  We can simply look at the calendar and know.  I think it'll be really good for our class members.

We had company come on Thursday, so I made some cookies that morning, so we'd have a special baked good that afternoon and evening.  Here's a link to the recipe for Brown Butter and Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Yes, they are that awesome.  I don't have fleur de sel, so I just used sea salt, like she suggests.  It was my first experience browning butter, and her pictures helped immensely, so I knew if I was doing it right.  My cookies fell super flat because my baking soda was dead.  I knew it was, but I had no choice.  It was either use the soda and know they would fall, or not make them.  I knew they'd taste good either way, so I made them. :) Taste trumps appearance, as a friend put on my facebook the other day.  I had Dusty take a few to work today, and his coworkers ate all he took, and they ate some cupcakes I sent, too.  I love making food for people. :)  I'll post the recipe links for the cupcakes later this week.

Tell me if you make anything that I post about.  Also, the people whose blogs I post from have GREAT recipes, so I suggest looking at more of their stuff than what I post.  Good stuff.

Braised Beef Ribs and Creamy Polenta

Have you ever made ribs?  Yeah?  So have I!!!  Well, as of last night, that is.  I guess it's kind of irresponsible to make something for the first time when you have guests, but fortunately, my guests are not picky eaters.  (My children, however, are.)  Here are the recipes two dishes from last night's supper.  I loved this!  I didn't love the fact that I had so much fat to cut off the meat though, but that wasn't the recipe's fault.  Again, I got this recipe for Braised Short Ribs from the Pioneer Woman's blog.

I used bacon because that's what I had, and it's cheaper than pancetta.  I didn't use wine because I didn't have any, and our guests would prefer we use something other than alcohol, even if the alcohol is removed through cooking.  I used 1T of white wine vinegar in a 2 cup measuring cup, and poured in grape juice up to two cups.

After the 2-1/2 hours, the ribs I made were not falling off the bone, but the bone was extremely easy to remove, it just couldn't fall because of all the FAT STUCK TO THE MEAT!!  Have I mentioned that yet?  However, the ribs were free.  I will no longer complain.  


Now, go look at the Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta recipe, which I also made for the first time last night.  I did not, however, use goat cheese.  I substituted 4 oz of cream cheese instead.  I'm sure it wasn't as tangy, but...well, that's ok with me.

I put a pile of polenta on the plate (whoa, what alliteration), and put the ribs on top of them.  I also made mashed potatoes, so I did a little half and half thing.  Half of the pile was polenta and have was mashed potatoes.  It was good, but would have been better had there been less...oh wait, that's right they were free.  No complaining.  

It seems Seth is finally getting better.  He hasn't even complained of his stomach hurting today.  I hope it actually is over this, AND that no one else gets it.  :-/  It hasn't seemed to be a very fun sickness.  Poor boy.

Tomorrow, I'm going to post the link for the cookies I made yesterday.  This may be a semi-food blog, yet. :)

Penne by Jennie

I've done a lot of cooking the past couple of days.  First off, let me say, I love Pioneer Woman.  I have made so much of her stuff.  Last night I made Penne by Betsy, except I made a meat change.  I used 1 can of cooked chicken instead of shrimp.  Dusty does not care for anything of the sea, so we go with chicken here. :)

I didn't add the pasta, I just added some noodles to our individual bowls, and put the sauce on top and mixed it in the bowl.  It only took about 25-30 minutes, so it was a great meal for a busy day.

 Dusty loves it.  LOVES.  I'll post in the near future what I made tonight.  You can see it on my fb status though.  I made some adaptations on that one, too.  I always do.  Dusty calls it Jennifieing...I spelled it.  I couldn't have a y in the word with my name, so I put the ie, naturally. :)

Tonight I made something else for supper that's from her website.  This morning I made cookies from another blog.  I love cooking.  It wears me out, but I love it.

Still have a sick little boy.  Not NEARLY as bad, but his stomach still hurt a little today, and thinks weren't working quite like they should.  Good day though.  Really good day.  Tomorrow promises to be just as great. :)  Blessed beyond measure.

Fun times

So about five minutes after I posted yesterday, Seth called for me and was semi-crying, but really sounded a little distressed.  I figured he was needing to use the bathroom, so I got him and took him....  This is one of those times when I really wish we hadn't potty trained him yet.  Yeah.  I was that bad.  It took me over 30 minutes to clean his pajamas.  Poor boy.  He thought he would get in trouble, naturally, because he is told frequently NOT to get his clothes messy.  There are just times when things happen.  Anyway, he's still sick.  Even today.  Yesterday I gave both of the kids some tea and Hannah grabbed Seth's instead of her own, how I'm not sure because she's usually DILIGENT abut checking that kind of stuff, but she did.  I told her that she may have just given herself Seth's stomach bug.  I may as well have told her that she's never going to be able to have ice cream again.  She was STUNNED.  She just froze and held her tea midway to her mouth with her mouth held open staring at me.  She was not terribly happy that she just gave herself a virus.  I told her that if she gets it, then I'll take care of her, too.  She was actually concerned about that.  I told her that she had probably already caught the virus before she drank after him though.  Then she drank her tea and went on. :)

There will be no Bible study tonight, since we may be contagious.  It's a relief because we don't have to worry about people being here and making sure everything is pristine and germ free before they get here.  But I really was looking forward to seeing another adult other than my husband.  Hopefully we'll be able to have it next week.

I've been cleaning for the company that is coming this weekend.  My kids have, consequently, watched more TV in the last three days than they did all last week combined.  We haven't been anywhere though, so they need that break, and I definitely do.  I have been in our house since I got home from my meeting at church on Sunday evening.  Usually we would have been out Monday and today.  It's not that bad though, especially since I've been getting that break because of TV. :)

Tommy commented that I should have a middle shelf of things that don't really have a solution or that don't have to be done RIGHT NOW.  I think I'm going to mentally compartmentalize my to do list.  I think I need a middle shelf!  I also need a Kit Kat.  So that is all.

Sick Boy

So on Sunday Seth gagged at breakfast, but that's not unusual when he has a drainage.  He had said his stomach was hurting off and on for two days before then, but he didn't have any other symptoms.  Hannah said on Sunday morning that her stomach hurt too, but again, no other symptoms.  We decided to go to church because they weren't really acting sick.  Then at lunch Seth threw up.  It was Dusty tightening his bib around his neck and shirt, which made it press on his throat, and the drainage, I think.  He was fine for the rest of the day, with only a couple of complaints that his stomach hurt.  (Hannah's too.)  Then Sunday night/Monday morning he woke up ALL NIGHT, and we wound up with only about 4 broken hours of sleep.  He never threw up again, but he was sick all day yesterday.  (The timing of all of this made me so disappointed because yesterday was the next to last MOPS at our church, and I love that one day a month.)  He never really did develop a fever.  If it was anything, it was 99 or under.  He was cranky and not feeling well all day, so he didn't want to leave my lap, and we had some intense morning storms with thunder, so Hannah was never more than 3 inches away from me.  It made for a very interesting morning.  Fortunately, the storms were over in time for the kids to go take naps, and they took VERY long naps.  I was glad because I needed that time alone.  Today, Seth is doing much better, although his appetite isn't really back yet.

I had a meeting with my VBS team on Sunday evening and realized just how unorganized I am with all of it.  I have no idea what I'm doing.  One of the teachers, my friend, has listed out basically a lesson plan for the week (can you tell what her occupation was?), so that helps, but I have to finish the supply list before Sunday and turn that in to the director.  I have to make cupcakes for a baby shower on Sunday, and we're having company starting on Thursday.  I think the company will make the cupcake making infinitely easier, but I just struggle with dealing with stress.

We're supposed to have our next Bible study tomorrow, but nothing has been said about it, and we weren't in Sunday school on Sunday to discuss it because we had the nursery.  I'm guessing we'll just have it here again because no one has really volunteered directly for this week.  We had an indirect invitation, but those people haven't really committed to having it at their house, and I'm not going to presume that they'll have it.  Much easier just to have it here and know that detail is covered.  I'm realizing more and more about myself.  I like to have things organized, but I'm unable to really get motivated to organize because I just don't know how to sort out all those details.  This is something I NEED to learn, so I can pass it on to Hannah because I feel she's going to be the same way.  For now I need to be praying for wisdom because I think that's the only way I'm going to learn how to be the way I desire to be.

For now, I'll go sort out VBS stuff.  Maybe I'll feel more organized when I have everything laid out in front of me. :)

Daily Stuff

This week has just been about doing everything we normally do.  Not really intentionally, but I think I really just wanted to get things back to normal.  Normal bedtimes and naps, normal eating patterns and food, normal activities.  It has been nice.  The kids seem to be doing well.  Hannah had one night terror this week, and Seth has been dry at night for over a week.  Good times.  :)

I made banana pudding for the first time for our first meeting of our Bible study Wednesday.  Turned out only one other person came.  It was good because it was a good friend, but it was kind of disappointing because I wish more people would have shown up, at least for Dusty's sake.  He wasn't really disappointed though.  He knows more people will come eventually.

There are so many things going on for kids right now, which is great, but busy.  We may go to a park around here tomorrow because they're having a fun day in the park with face painting and balloons and food.  It would be fun for the kids.  All the Easter activities coming up will be fun for them too.

Nothing much has been going on, so I haven't had much to say.  I'm overly tired and quite engrossed in my own thoughts recently, so there's not much outwardly to say.  Just a quiet time on here for me.