White Chocolate Blondies

Craving a blondie from Applebee's?

Crave no longer my friend- help has arrived.

Ready for slaughter.

It didn't stand a chance with Josh.

Go here for the recipe.

A decision you won't regret! 

Blessings,

Hope

Austin's 3rd Birthday

Austy is obsessed with Thomas the train,

so when it came birthday time-

I knew what cake to make.

I looked up a few ideas online and went from there.

Needless to say he was overjoyed-

every guest that walked in the door to his 

birthday supper he would literally shout,

"Look, it's Thomas the train!"

Thomas on the Island of Sodor- running on his liquorish track.

Rail road ties, plywood and coal.

Little boys ready to steal some of Thomas' parts.

Joshua's plate filled to the brim.

Aunt Cheri happy to be at Austy's party.

Poor Thomas about to be beheaded.

 The funnest part- he opened a John Deere B just like Grandad's.

Happy Birthday Austy!

 Hope

Charity's Gone

I haven't been blogging due to my sister, Charity,

being home for the holidays. There were too

many fun things to do with my sisters to

try and make time for blogging.

I miss her already. She adds the missing 'piece'

to our trio of sisters. We have had a grand time the past 2 weeks-

Shopping, going out for lunch, shopping, playing with our nephews,

family gatherings, ping pong, ice skating and much more.

The most wonderful thing about sisters

is that no matter how long you are apart

the minute you get together-

it seems like you were always together.

The cheesy saying you see on wall plaques

and flowery pillows, "sisters at heart"

does hold some truth.

I thought I'd reminisce with a few photos

from the good ol' days when all you had to

worry about was when the pool opened

and when you had to take a bath.

Charity holding me tight.

Mom and her three little girls without any curls. Faith, Charity and me.

 Christmas photo with our cat Bessie.

Funeral for our bunny Bo-peep.

Mom let the oldest girls in on the gift secret- silk boxers.
As you can tell I look a little uninformed.

We had to take a first day of school photo in

front of this tree every year. 

She is still this way today. Fun to be around and goofy as ever.

Now we're all grown up and married.

Praise the Lord for the gift of sisters!

Blessings,

Hope

Days Off Work

I have been having a wonderful time

off work this holiday season.

Sleeping in, staying home, baking,

cooking, spending time with my hubby and family.

New Year's Eve we went Christmas Caroling on horseback.
It was the perfect day, warm and sunny.

Charity playing cowgirl.

 We added some Christmas bows for cheer.

Shaina talking to Roscow. 

Some of us rode on carts.
My sister, Faith, drove one of the carts. 
Charity and I looked back to see her running off the road,
next she nearly took off the neighbors decorative fence.
That's when mom decided she would take over. 

The cake I made for Mom's Birthday party with her sisters.
Fresh fruit beats any garnish for a cake.

Last night I fixed these for a New Year's supper at my parents.
The recipe is in Pioneer Woman's cook book, stuffed jalapeno peppers.

This morning Charity and I decided to make cinnamon rolls.
I added an apple for something different and they turned out great. 
I also made some filled with black raspberry jelly.

Apple...

or black raspberry. Which shall you choose?
 The recipe is the same as the wild cherry cinnamon rolls I posted in August.
For the apple, drizzle the dough with melted butter then
sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and one diced apple.
For the raspberry, I just thinned down some jelly I had canned.

Duke brought in the New Year with a bang.

Not sure where he found the beer bottle.

Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Hope

  

Grilled Mushrooms

Need something to accompany your grilled steak?

These mushrooms are the answer my friend.

Coated in butter and fresh garlic then seared on the grill.

I prefer these over candy.

 Use portabella or white mushrooms.

Cut in half and coat in the sauce.

Make a bed of foil about three layers deep, so the bottom doesn't burn.

Grill until they are soft.

Look at these beauties.

Just adding this for a mouth watering test. Did you loose?

Grilled Mushrooms

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. of fresh mushrooms

1 cup of butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

Cut mushrooms in half. Melt butter add garlic and spices.

Coat mushrooms 30 minutes before grilling.

Add to foil and grill until soft.

Enjoy,

Hope

Christmas Festivities

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents.

The most wonderful thing about Christmas

this year, besides being married,

was that my sister came home from Bolivia.

It's the first time she has spent Christmas 

with us in five years.

When we were young she was the one

most excited about opening our presents.

One year she cleared the table while we

were sitting there, washed the dishes

and dumped a fryer full of hot oil down the drain.

Dad thought for sure the pipes would clog

but everything worked fine.

Charity and I

My nieces and nephews ready to open gifts.

Sawyer kissing his baby.

I opened a chocolate fountain.

All my sisters and mom.

Then Christmas morning Josh and I opened our presents.
Joshua bought me the Electrolux attachment set,
a new hose, power nozzle and the whole nine yards.
Yay! Now I don't have to vacuum the carpet three 
times to suck up a piece of dirt.
He also bought me a crock pot.

I bought him a dove-tail jig.
A tool that cuts a dove tail drawer for you.
Sorry, no photos.

Trying my vacuum out on his territory of the house.


We spent Christmas lunch at Joshua's home.

Nayda excited about her gift.

Mom forgot whose name she had.

 

 Dad with his gift card to shoot skeets.

Josh had Ryan's name.

Caleb categorizing his tools.

Josh with a dried, mango tongue.

We had a wonderful Christmas

blessed with family and friends.

This cake was a flop.

If anyone has the opinion that things I 
make never flop... they are wrong.
I made two of these cakes and 
both of them sank in the middle.
It was a new recipe that used self-rising four.
The cake tasted good, it was just heavy like
a pound cake and had a crater in the middle.

I call this my redemption cake.
Just like the cake, we are ugly, sunk
and in need of an almighty Savior
to make us beautiful in His sight.
And little babe in a manger makes
our hearts feel warm and fuzzy
but really it should be sobering that
he came down to this ugly earth
to take upon our sins and wash
them as white as snow.
Praise God for his redemption plan.
That's what the Christmas story is all about.


Merry Christmas,
Hope

Vegetable Beef Soup

My hubby was sick last night and today.

I asked him if he was ready for his 

chicken noodle soup and he said,

"How about vegetable beef soup?"

"Honey, that takes a long time,

you have to roast beef and cut

up all your vegetables."

He looked at me kinda disappointed.

With empathy I replied, "Well, I guess

I could make it with ground hamburger."

So in a about and hour or more he had 

his vegetable beef soup.

 The veggies ready to add.

He ate three bowls if that tells you anything.

And here's the dump and pour recipe

I managed to write down.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. of hamburger, browned

4 medium potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup of carrots

2 stalks of celery

1 medium onion, chunked (not diced)

2 cups of green beans

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 quart of tomato juice

2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of hot water

1 1/2 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in water. 

Brown hamburger. Add tomato juice, vegetables and spices.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are soft.

Stir in dissolved cornstarch and cook until thickened.

Enjoy,

Hope