Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Welcome Austin Anderson!!!!


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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bread Machine Bagels

I have made a lot of breads before, but never tried bagels. My girls are bread lovers, and bagels are a favorite morning food at our house. So I found an easy recipe and gave it a try. An apology to the original author of this recipe, because I do not know where I found it. I scribbled it on a piece of paper without writing the source. 

So, here it goes. Get ready for quick. Get ready for easy. Get ready for delicious!

Bread Machine Bagels

1 c. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 c. flour
1 envelope yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

3 qt. boiling water
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten

Put first 5 ingredients in bread machine and choose dough cycle. 

 

When finished, turn out on lightly floured surface.
Divide dough into 9 pieces. Flatten and poke holes in the center. Cover bagels and let rest for 10 minutes.



Bring water to a boil and dissolve sugar.
Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Boil each bagel for 1 minute. 

  

Arrange bagels on cookie sheet.
Glaze the tops with egg white.



Bake for 20-25 minutes.

That is it! Simple. Enjoy! 

 
 


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Saturday, April 18, 2015

Beyond a Cake Mix


I love it that Matthew loves new recipes as much as I do. 
I love that he sees beyond white or chocolate cake.
I love that when I ask him what kind of cake he wants for his birthday, he wants to browse through my cookbooks! 
I love that he knows that cake goes beyond a boxed mix!

So, this year it was White Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting -- straight from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. You know, the red-and-white checkered cookbook that includes recipes that stand the test of time. Recipes that have been filtered through the test kitchen at BH&G.

Gotta tell you -- this cake was delicious. The cake was super-moist, and you can't go wrong when you smother cream-cheese frosting all over it, right???

So, here's the recipe, in case you want to go beyond a cake mix for your next special occasion! 

White Chocolate Cake
4 eggs, separated
1-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 ounces white baking bar, chopped
3/4 c. half-and-half, light cream or milk, divided
1/3 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 egg yolks
 
In a bowl, allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round baking pans; set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the white baking bar with 1/4 c. half-and-half over very low heat, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from heat; stir till bar is completely melted and smooth. Stir in remaining half-and-half; cool.

 In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until combined. Add the dry mixture and the white baking bar alternately, beathing on low to medium speed after each addition just till combined.

 Thoroughly wash the beaters. Beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Spread batter into prepared pans. 

 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to cool on wire cooling racks.


Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together two 3-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup butter, softened; and 2 tsp. vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 cups of additional sifted powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. Cover and store cake in refrigerator!
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A Milestone Birthday


I used to think 40 was old. Seriously old. It's not so old anymore. At least, it doesn't feel old.

So, Matthew hit the milestone last month, and I will reach it in a few months. And the good news is that we will be running in the Masters divisions in some of our favorite local races!! We have an excuse for our graying hair. And, I think being 40 gives us the green light to begin stories with "You know, when I was a growing up . . . "!! (Insert rolling eyes by our beloved children!)

Thanks to a thoughtful sister-in-law to dropped off this sweet surprise! What a fun idea! It only took a few days to reduce this beautiful arrangement to a pile of empty cans and wrappers!

We celebrated with white chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting -- Matthew's choice!


We had to improvise with our candles because we didn't have a "4" candle. And we didn't have 40 of any candle. SOOOOOOOO, we used a 20 + 10 polka dot candles + 10 primary colored candles. Apparently, our cakes promote addition!
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WinterJam Date Night

WinterJam. A four-hour long worship service with the most contemporary music with some of your favorite groups. In a packed arena! For only $10.

We traveled to Peoria, IL (along with every junior high and high school youth group in a 150-mile radius) on Sunday, March 29 for a special BIRTHDAY date night!

WinterJam is great, but here is what you need to know if you plan to attend a WinterJam. Unless you become a member of JamNation, get to the event early. Especially if you have a large group to seat. We jumped in line about 4:30. The doors opened at 5. We got in the building about an hour later, and felt very fortunate to find two seats together.



NewSong opened the night of worship and prayer. 

This is my favorite song from NewSong. God IS faithful:


Many great testimonies of God's faithfulness were shared along with amazing music!

For King & Country. This group is very entertaining! And LOVE their music. You may not recognize the name of the group, but if you listen to Christian radio you will recognize their music. Follow these links to hear some of their music:

This is one of my favorites, perhaps because it begins with my very favorite psalm:  
Jeremy Camp
Matthew's FAVORITE artist is Jeremy Camp. He gives a great concert, full of scripture and encouragement and great music. He has a new album, and the girls LOVE it.

Check out Jeremy's music here:  




Francesca Battistelli was there with her sweet voice. 





Family Force 5 got the crowd dancing. Not our style of music, but it was entertaining to watch FF5 enthusiasts dance in the crowd!

I didn't get a photo of Building 429, but they were one of my favorite groups there. You might recognize some of their songs. Great message in their songs!



Closing the night of worship was Skillet. The more I listen to them, the more I see them in concert, the more I love them and their music! Even our girls will hear Skillet on the radio and say, "Mom! It's Skillet!"


Check out their music here:
Special thanks to Grandma Kathy who kept our short people overnight so we could enjoy the evening together. 

Seriously, a great night. Great music. A great date!



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Saturday, April 4, 2015

B-Ville Easter Egg Hunt

Thanks to all who helped with the egg hunt at the Blandinsville park this afternoon. It is always a fun day for the kids and it is great to see so many people enjoying the park!





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A New Way to Cook Hash Browns


Who doesn't love hash brown potatoes? I love them, but I don't love to fry them in grease. So how do you cook perfect hash browns without the grease? Get out your waffle iron, of course!

 These really are good! And quick! And -- bonus -- no splattering grease! Simply heat up your waffle iron, spray with a little cooking spray and pile on the hash browns. A few minutes is all you need, until they start to brown. Then dump them in a bowl and serve them up!

You have to love that!!!


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