Thursday, April 29, 2010

Getting ready...

~*~

It's that time again... the Annual Spring Tea at my church.  

But I really was at a loss as to what theme to choose this year until I was talking to my sister about it.  I was brain storming ideas of how to decorate and what theme to choose when she graciously offered the use of her beautiful china.  I squealed with delight because it is beautiful!!! 


The pattern is Royal Albert Lady Carlyle.  Then it hit me... a ROYAL theme!  


A Princess Diana tea theme table!

So I'm busy getting the favors ready...



I bought a battery for my camera so I'm back in business and I'll share photos later this weekend!
~*~

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hair Do?

~*~

What to do about my hair?  

I was trying to grow out my bangs like Julie Christie

But I can't STAND it in my eyes, blocking my vision, blocking my mojo...So now my bangs and overall hair cut is looking more like a layered-cut resembling
Crystal Bernard


Someday soon when I get a battery for my camera, I'll take my own pictures again and show ya!
~*~

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday night once again...

~*~
It's Sunday night once again...

and once again the cookie jar is empty... 

What to do...?
Make cookies... again!

Problem...
My children have SAT testing this week so it is early to bed...

But who can sleep...

With the smell, the aroma

~*~

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Sweet Caffeine

~*~


Well it's going to be a busy day ~ we're getting ready for my M-I-L's 70th birthday party and I need some sweet caffeine!  Here is the recipe that I make in my blender ~ enjoy!

Janeen's Blended Icy Mocha! 

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brewed & cooled Espresso coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 
(I use dutch cocoa - yummy!)
2 1/2 teaspoons of splenda or sugar
1/2 cup or so of ice

Put all of it in your blender on high speed until thick and frothy.  Drink immediately or put one in a plastic cup and freeze it for later!

~*~

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Nah, not interested

~*~

Knowing my lurve for reading and computers, my friend recently asked me if I would be buying the newest reading companion...


I said, "It it an amazing piece of technology but nah, I'm not interested in having one."  She looked rather surprised assuming I would lurve to have one.  So I explained what I lurve...

~ Personal Libraries ~
The look, the feel, the smell of hardback paper books...








A book even looks better in my hand...

And if you drop a book, it doesn't break like technology...


I think with time, they even look better than technology.


So many books.... so little time!

And so little time I've had to visit my bloggy friends!  Hope your all doing very well and I'll be by to visit soon!
~*~

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Saturday musings for my Brother

~*~
This post is for my Brother who called me last night and said, "What's up with your blog?"  I replied, "The blog is good, it's just me who has been B-U-S-Y this week!"  
(started new small group at church with my Man, helping my Girl with her Rosa Parks report, helping my Boy get relief from his allergies, working on secret stuff for my Mother-in-Law's upcoming birthday party, getting ready for my Man's birthday party today, the list goes on....)
His loving response... "Well get on it Sis!"
I feel the lurve (snickering), really I do... my brother is a fan... 
my cheerleader... 
This post is for you... aka The Silver Fox! 

~*~
Today I'll be cleaning the house

Making my Man's requested birthday dinner, my famous Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Garlic Bread

Chocolate bundt cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

and my M-I-L is bringing salad!

By the way Bro, I know you like to watch movies like me, so I have one to recommend to you.

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

It is a documentary (I lurve those kind!) following specifically 3 group of kids from New York public schools who are required to take ballroom dance as part of their curriculum.  Their journey is told by the kids themselves and it's often extremely funny, very candid as they express the agony of having to touch each other, let alone look each other in the eye with their tango face. ha ha

They also share the difficulties in their lives and neighborhoods with street violence, absent parents, etc. that will make you cry.
Yet you can't help but get sucked into their journey, pretty soon the kids are hooked on the class and lurving all the different dances they learn.  Pretty soon you've got your favorite couples and your rooting them on as they do so well, they progress into a competition!  I won't share anymore spoil it for you but I highly recommend it for your next rental!  Go here to watch the trailer.  Enjoy!

Well I've got to get moving, I've got some baking to do!
I hope to visit my bloggy friends tomorrow, I miss visiting ya!
~*~

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Mojo

~*~
I lurve Sundays!  Today is even better because a storm is a brewing outside and I enjoy the rain.  A few Sundays a month, it’s become a regular thing to stop at my new favorite haunt…  
the bread outlet… 
to pick up a few loaves of bread for the freezer every couple of weeks.  But today, my mojo was off… something I couldn’t quite put my finger on… until I saw the clearance rack.  An overflowing rack of 
c-l-e-a-r-a-n-c-e!
There, on the beautiful clearance Hostess rack, next to the Zingers, below the Chocolate Cup Cakes (I should have picked one up for my Man to show him what chocolate cake looks like – tee hee), 
above the Chocolate Ding Dongs, was the source of my mojo... as the music in my mind began to sing with praise, a bright light was coming from the box of powdered sugar mini-donuts. 
This would make a great commercial...
$1 Thousand dollars = Manufacture costs of my donuts
$100 dollars = fuel to deliver my donuts
$1 dollar = my box of clearance donuts
Priceless = my mojo fulfilled
I'm eating one right now, this very second, as I write this…  my fingers are all white, dang now my keyboard is powdery white too.  
~*~

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Chocolate Cake?

~*~

My Man told me that he brought me home a piece of chocolate cake from his class last night at church and with that knowledge I fell sound asleep ~ sweet!    This morning I came downstairs knowing that a hot cup of coffee and chocolate cake awaited me however this is what I saw....

Does this look like chocolate cake to you?  Hmmm?  Well? 
(Tap Tap... this thing on?)

Nooooo!  

I said "Honey, this isn't chocolate cake.  It's yellow cake with chocolate frosting."  
He glanced at my plate and said through a smile, "Well it's really the same thing honey."

I'll let it slide this time but next time.... don't tempt me with chocolate! ha ha

~*~

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Day After...

~*~

Eggs ~ we've got them, now what to do with them?


My personal favorite... deviled eggs


or Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches


or the Scotch Egg 
(hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried)


Or a Pita Sandwich made with fresh veggies!


What will you do with yours?

~*~

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Blessings

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Easter Blessings from my family to yours!


~*~

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Saturday with Peeps!

~*~
Peeps...
it's what's for breakfast!


Just kidding but we are using eggs... we are having baked french toast for breakfast and there will be enough left-overs for tomorrow morning as we'll be up early to attend first service for Easter Sunday ~ less crowded.  This is super easy & delicious!  Since I get up a o-dark-thirty, I'll make a pot of coffee, then whip this up to put it in a preheated oven, go get showered ~ put my face on / hair in rollers and voila ~ breakfast is done!  It's also really easy to do this recipe in your muffin tins (cubed bread style).  Perfect sized amount for the kids with a piece of fruit, perfect for me to put in a baggie to take to work for a snack in the afternoon.

 

Janeen's Baked French Toast

**There are 2 ways to use your bread in this recipe.  Leave it sliced or cube it up in big chunks similar to bread pudding style.
*
5 cups bread if cubed or half a loaf of bread if sliced
(I use regular sandwich loaf bread and it's okay to leave crust on)
4 eggs
 1 and 1/2 cups milk 
1/2 brick of cream cheese, broken into small pieces
scant 1/4 cup sugar 
(scant means slightly less)
1/4 salt
1 teaspoon vanilla 
2 tablespoon butter, soften
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly butter or Pam spray an 8 x 11 inch baking pan.

2.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla.  Add your bread cubes and gently fold mixture to ensure all the bread is coated.  THEN fold in the cream cheese pieces. Finally pour bread mixture into pan. Dot with the butter; let stand for 10 minutes.  

(Perfect time to make a pot of coffee now or clean up the dirty dishes you just made to pass the minutes OR really show your Betty Crocker love by layering some bacon on a cookie sheet place it on the lower rack of the oven while your french toast bakes.. they will be ready at the same time if you like crispy bacon!)

3.  Combine remaining 1 teaspoon sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 30 to 40 minutes, until top is golden.  If you use a 8 x 8 pan, bake for 45-50 minutes.  If you using extra thick bread, I recommend using 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35 minutes, if not done, return to oven and check after every 5 minute increment until it's done to your liking.  

Enjoy with powdered sugar or maple syrup!
~*~

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Final Recap for Week 10 - BF


~*~
You did it Ladies!  
It's our final week of Breaking Free!

Ladies, with determination and perseverance, we’ve finished our study of Breaking Free - Yahoo!   I didn’t provide discussion questions this week simply because I felt we would benefit from having that short amount of time used differently.  I had only one question for us that we discussed last night to do together as a group and if you are willing to share, the question is …  What has been the most memorable experience of the Breaking Free study in what you learned about yourself?

In our final video, we saw Beth give a visual demonstration of breaking free from captivity and it was REALLY good!  I always lurve a visual example as I will remember those.  At the end of the video, Beth instructed you to write a letter. I’m inviting you to mail the letter to Sue or Myself, I will read it, reseal the letter, and return it back to you, just as she describes in the video. 

Sue and I thank you for your perseverance and your commitment to finish your study. Ten weeks is a LONG journey and MANY of us have come through it bruised but no longer broken.  Each step we took was another step out of our captivity.  If you will allow me, I’d lurve to hug each of you to thank you for staying on your journey.   Sue and I pray continually that God’s blessings abound in your life and so you can walk in freedom with Him.

Now, many of you have asked what will happen next for Women’s Ministry?  We have a Ladies Tea coming up on Saturday, May 1 with a guest speaker – I’m even going to host a table – so somebody please come sit at my table! Tickets are on sale right now for $17.00!  We are also planning summer groups for you that will have different themes and formats and I can’t begin to tell you how significant it is that you do SOMETHING this summer! Many people think they deserve a rest from months of studying and that’s exactly what the enemy would like for you to think. Even the natural tendency for a church in summer is to go on hiatus with their groups because vacations bring lower attendance however we don’t do that.  Don’t lose the ground you’ve already made in having your established routine for studying.  If you fall away from it, it’s especially hard when you try to pick it up again in the fall and if you have children in school, it’s even harder because often we are helping them stay focused with the homework / study routine.  I’m successful about 4 days out of the week in my routine.  Don’t let your morning routine change to the variety of ways you can toast a bagel, okay?

 I will be leading an 
evening group again, to which I have now definitely decided will be a “Book Club” like I did last year.  The purpose of my book club is for everyone to be encouraged to show up having read the current chapter, participate in the discussion and focus particularly on the spiritual and practical theme of the book.  I want you to invite your girlfriends who are enthusiastic about reading in our shared passion – reading faith-based fiction and non-fiction books.  Last year we read Nicole Johnson’s “Fresh Brewed Life”.  It was a light read yet powerful in the way it made you think and staying true to the title of the book, grinding coffee beans every morning became the metaphor of our life.  Some of us even did a crafty thing with it to journal our experience through the book and the feedback from that was it was really fun! 

This summer I have selected a historical novel, a book of fiction, called “Israel, My Beloved” by Kay Arthur, written almost 10 years ago so it’s not easy to find on the store shelf now, in fact I had to order mine so we’ll have to order it for you too or you can pre-order it yourself on the internet and probably get a smokin' deal. Although it’s a work of fiction, it is based in historical fact.  The story deals with a Jewish family, whose main character is a heroine (something for us ladies to connect with) and her name is Sarah.  The story hovers mainly in the Old Testament of the Jewish people from before the Babylonian captivity - so think Jeremiah the prophet time here - to the not too distant future. It deals with marriage, faithfulness and infidelity, slavery, idolatry, suffering, hope and if you like prophecy – I think it will thrill you and if you’ve ever had a hard time getting your fire on for the Old Testament, this will ignite it.


So keep in mind, this won’t be a traditional bible study where we are digging into scripture, it’s a book club.  We read and discuss the chapters we’ve read and if you’ve not participated in a book club before just bring an open spirit that is prepared for discussion and enjoy yourself in fellowship with the other ladies.  More details will come out in a few weeks in the Sunday bulletin of when we will begin, yada yada yada... and remember those registration cards that we handed out in the first few weeks of class?  Those are what we use to gather our mailing list, so if you missed it, let me know your address so you'll be notified when it officially gets announced to register.  


Ladies, it has been a joy and a privilege to walk alongside you these last 11 weeks. It blessed me to know that we all created a safe environment within our group to share our ourselves.  Many of you got to know me and the baggage in my trunk and I lurved your feedback. We laughed, cried and ate some delicious treats along the way! 


See you this summer!


Blessings,
Janeen
~*~