Divine Butter Cake

Since I am still battling this upper respiratory thing I thought I would just share a recipe with you and not all the joy that is this stupid virus!

When I was younger staying at Grandma's meant we would bake a bundt cake....they were ALL THE RAGE back then so I thought I would share this wonderful basic recipe
We would buy the bundt cake box that sometimes included the packets of fudge to marblize the cake and you can add cocoa or Hershey's Syrup or Hot Fudge topping in this recipe to 'fancy' it up.
Use a knife to drag the chocolate through the batter once it is in the pan.

You can also add lemon, orange, cinnamon, rum, berries, bananas, apples, pumpkin, lavender, nuts or your favorite flavor to this basic recipe the possibilities are endless!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3 Cups Flour
2 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 C Buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp Lemon juice and 1 Cup regular milk)
1 tsp Vanilla

1 C Butter (softened)
2 tsp Vanilla
4 Eggs
Combine flour, powder, soda and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs to creamed mixture, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine buttermilk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture, alternately beginning and ending with dry ingredients pour into a bundt pan.

55-70 minutes a cake tester or bamboo skewer inserted will come out clean when done.


Glaze
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Butter
3 Tbsp Water
1Tbsp Vanilla


Melt in Sauce Pan.
Take off heat and add Vanilla

Leave Cake in Pan- poke holes with a skewer in bottom of cake. Pour 1/2 the glaze into holes. Leave in pan for 15 minutes and then turn it out onto plate & drizzle the rest of the glaze.

Invite a friend over for coffee or tea & share a piece of heaven.


Blessings 2 U Friends!

WISHING YOU & YOURS A BLESSED NEW YEAR

1907 Times Square

We have not gone out for New Years Eve since.....I can't remember when...maybe 1992?

We usually stay home with family & friends, eat sushi, play games & watch the ball drop


This year we are breaking tradition & heading to The Martin's house, for what sounds like our typical New Years Eve. :-)
Maybe it is because we are about the same age or maybe it is because we grew up in the same neck of the woods, who knows?
I am happy to bid goodbye to 2008 and I look forward to 2009 being a year of blessings & dreams come true.

We started planning out some of the next few months events yesterday.
We look forward to more camping, meeting up with old friends along the way and spending more time with the kids & watching Gavin grow!
I hope to see you here, on facebook or maybe in person finally in 2009.

Whatever this New Year has in store I know GOD will bring us through it just as HE has this last year and the many before!

BLESSINGS 2 U FRIENDS

Just not enough time...Christmas Eve

It doesn't seem to matter that I start gathering gifts for Christmas the days after Christmas is over there never seems to be enough time to do all the things or spend time with the people we wish.

I guess that is also true of each day, there never seems to be enough time...or in my case energy to finish all I would like to do each day. Sorta feel like the hamster on the wheel running round & round while never going anywhere and fast.
I guess that is why I like facebook more these days, you can see what family & friends are doing, view photos, talk with each other daily (that is if they are on regularly). I have found some old friends as well as new ones these last few months and when all is said and done relationships are the most important way for us to invest our time.

This Christmas may you treasure every second with your family & friends, don't get caught on the hamster wheel.

Blessings 2 U Friends

A Year of Changes so why not more!?!?!

This truly has been a year of changes and trials...some good, most not so good but GOD is teaching me to trust him through it all and not myself or others.

So maybe it's time I make some other changes in my life.

We started a little remodeling in the Crop/Studio since Saturday .... I need different storage & display in there and Larry was kind enough to start the big part of the project Saturday. While I tested out the new camera he bought for me.

The upper area inside the 12ft closet really was a waste


A few years ago I had him put these shelves into the corner behind the door


Snowing indoors?



He thinks it is for storage its actually a hideaway *g*


They can't reach me up here....


Larry installed some reclaimed pine flooring pieces from Maine as the support and I had to paint the ceiling sky blue
just like the Lanai but a lighter shade.
Monday Morning I painted the bottom of the closet after running to Lowes to get paint.

Monday night all the ladies involved in our church's nursery met at our house to work out some details on what we saw in our nursery future.
You see we are a small church plant but we know GOD is doing big things and we will be growing soon.
Currently we only have one or two children in the nursery each Sunday.
We had such a good time not only discussing the nursery but fellow shipping with each other that even Barbara lost track of time and didn't leave until 9pm.

Lori and the kids stayed even later as we couldn't get Gannon & Sahara out of the pool, they were having so much fun. It is a joy to watch them.

Of course we never seem to have much to say to each other *JK*
We have plans to attend Women of Faith next Friday and Saturday

Now to start thinning out the supplies & craft items maybe I should try an online yard sale like BJ had, she did fairly well at moving some of her supplies.

The counter top still needs to be moved & I have to finish painting the 'hideaway'.
Larry still has to install the trim inside the hideaway before we move on to other things.

Stay tuned for more photos and more changes!

Blessings 2 U Friends

Happy 4th of July Weekend

Things have been consuming these last few days, but thankfully I can once again focus on what is truly important...FAMILY, REAL FRIENDS and my wonderful customers!

I want to thank those who supported me with your prayers, kind words, emails and purchases not only these last few days but this entire year. Without them I can't even think where I would be emotionally right now.

Now onto some Praise!

On a lighter note while I haven't seen my Personal Trainer due to my slip & fall and the upcoming holiday I have been loosing some of the 20 lbs I gained back this year. Since last Tuesday when I started I have lost 5lbs already this with only one work out & some short walks to the lady with the bag's house (see previous post) to take care of her dogs :-) the last few days.

Today Calvin & Casper went back in for their Vet re-checks....Calvin gained 2.5 lbs since he starting taking his meds to slow his Thyroid down, he still had to have blood drawn to test his T/4 levels.
Casper still has stones in his kidney & we are now trying a vitamin supplement and we tested his Thyroid since the levels were so LOW while he was hospitalized.

The camper is back & they say the 'leak' is fixed however a block from home Larry got a flat in the rain so before we leave for Lake Louisa tomorrow we will have to have the tire fixed so we have a spare.

So may you have a wonderful 4th of July & take a moment to relish the fact that we live in a country that is still FREE!

Blessings 2 U Friends

Time with some friends

We spend way too much time rushing to get things done these days. I know I have mentioned this before, even have a song that was featured a while back on the subject (which if you haven't heard click on Running Just to Catch Myself on the playlist)...

There is something to say about spending an hour or two with friends...not just your best friend or the girls you normally hang out with but friends you don't seem to get together with as often as you used to or you should!

Yesterday our Church hosted it's annual Corn Roast at the Sun N Fun Fly-In , I haven't attended in years past because I am volunteering the entire week in the Ladies Pavilion. This year the Pavilion didn't have that many people & I wasn't called. So I was able to attend. We host this big cook out in one of our Members private hangers to thank St. Stephen's for allowing us to use their facilities for our Sunday Worship, see we are a small Mission Church, a Church Plant.

This is 1/4 of the folks that attended there were more to the right, to the side & behind me. Click on a photo to enlarge.

I sat next to a very funny lady, whom I have known for 9 years but only spent a few minutes chatting with between Sunday School or after service, at a ladies luncheon over that time. Her husband is a jokester and he & I have the same dream to be in the Mountains. Yesterday Barb & I talked between airplane stunts for a couple hours, I was trying to finish a pincushion so I could list it yesterday (hopefully tomorrow) and she and I talked about stitching, fashion and lots of other things but she is funny! At one point a stunt plane was about 25 ft off the ground and heading right towards us, not pulling up...She stood up and was ready to run, she thought it was going to crash.

We watched the Thunderbirds fly over doing maneuvers.









These were all taken with my iphone, can you believe it?!!!!

Tonight I hosted a Princess House Party and it was another fun evening with friends, 2 other ladies from Church who are funny & I do talk with often were here, 2 co-workers who I talk with but haven't had a chance to just hang out with in a long time were here, a dear friend & loyal customer brought a good friend whom I had only heard stories about & saw pictures of were here, my hooking & dyeing buddy Susan joined us, Ed the Consultants friend that helped her 2 years ago made the trip over from Tampa *he is a riot*, and my eldest daughter arrived early and lent a hand with last minute preparations.
Then my DH stopped at the Grocery store on his way home from work picked up a few goodies for the ladies and even baked them Strawberry White Chocolate Scones.

It was truly and enjoyable evening...it is a shame we have to have a 'special' occasion to get together with friends these days, because it is time WELL spent!

Invite some folks over for dessert even if it is a workday, don't say your too busy or too tired because everyone is and spending time with people you care about, talking & laughing is the BEST CURE for a rushed life and a long day!

Blessings 2 U Friend

THE PLAID THAT WOULDN'T DYE...

TALES FROM THE CRYPT eeeer POT.
Here is that lovely plaid again after it was overdyed with BLACK and a few other colors.


This is what the plaid looked like before dyeing, Susan brought a piece to class so I could show you.




UGLY Plaid can sure make a girl hungry, after we finished the couple of sushi pieces I saved from dinner Wednesday then Susan has a bowl of soup and I had a few tortilla chips.
Here are the pieces I dyed for the shop, they look a little bright here...

All fluffed & ready to go to the shoppe.

The kitchen aftermath


While admiring her dye work Susan stepped back a little too far and took a little dip.

Thankfully I had a pair of pants small enough for her, t-shirt & flip flops she could wear while we extended the day and dried her clothes.
WE DEFINITELY will have to do this again, maybe when the pool is a little warmer!

HAPPY EASTER - HE HAS RISEN REJOICE!

Blessings 2 U Friends

a slight delay....due to CHAOS lol

After 1/2 a dozen various phone calls & emails I finally have a free moment .............
Well I spoke too soon the phone rang as I was typing this right now........
I guess I should back up a bit to my last post heading out the door...
Hubby said he would take the kids to piano..great I can finish grading their papers & put together an order maybe even deliver it. I called & Nonie is not home so I leave a message...ring it's my friend Cheryl who emailed earlier that her pug Jasmine has stones in her bladder...Jasmine isn't due to have surgery to remove them until next week which is odd especially since they were palatable through her abdomen wall. I ask some questions and tell her what to watch for in the meantime, seems the Vet didn't xray or tell her what to watch for in the duration, give her Dr. Mac's number if she can't reach her Vet. Her Vet tells her to bring Jasmine in tomorrow morning, standby mode. So she is going to call the Emergency Vet Clinic to see if they would be able to do anything to help her as she is straining now.
Meanwhile I figure we have nothing planned and it is now 6:30 I will see if hubby wants to grab a bite out since piano lessons are an hour each this week to make up for last weeks reschedule debacle thanks to the pipe mishap & a small crisis on Meredith's end the following day.
Great he will run back & pick me up and I will lock up & let our dogs out before I leave...while outside up the street drives Tim, of course always happens when they are outside because they run right to his car so excited to see him home. UGH
Round them all up & put him in charge as we are heading out to grab a bite. Drop off Sahara for her lessons pick up Tyler head around the block to Steak N Shake while waiting for my steakburger I check mail...nothing new. When we finished we went back to pick up Sahara it's 7:45 and I check mail again...two messages on the house voicemail so I call to check as one is from Cheryl & one from Jean who is supposed to pick up the power cord for her computer that hubby fixed. This means the eldest is not answering the phone so either he left or is STILL playing WarCrack...yup playing warcrack & didn't hear the phone, well listen for Jean she is on her way over. Well I can't hear because the dogs have been barking since you left
Did you go check why? NO they bark everytime you leave...
UGH
It is now 8:05 we swing back through Steak N Shakes drive up, grab Sahara a kid meal and head home, I call Cheryl back and the Emergency Clinic is going to call her when they slow down a bit and she can bring her right in. Jean wasn't here yet and Cheryl is off to the Emergency Vet now, call Jean to find out the reason the dogs were barking for 15 minutes ( heh heh since I was gone) was she was at the front door since it was open but the screen was locked waiting for someone to answer. Mr. Crack head couldn't come see what they were barking at though. ARGH So glad he will be married soon and out of the house again! While rotating laundry the phone rings it's Helen from the shop making sure I am okay since I didn't come in on Tuesday. She forgot I mentioned their school work for the year was supposed to be here & I needed to get them going on that right away. I have the wool I dyed for the shop and will bring it to Primitives Class in the Morning. What a sweetie to check on me and make sure things are okay.

The phone rang again as I started this post with my BFF who was shoveling 9 inches of surprise snow in her drive & she has terrible pain in her behind. After a half dozen questions I am pretty sure her hip popped out & pinched the nerve in the meantime the other line rings and it's Cheryl the Emerg. Vet is going to remove the 6 stones tonight and the cyst on Jasmines eyelid, Praise God this woman at least is thorough she did xray the bladder!
So now after a longer than expected delay I bring you dye day photos...
The Plaid that wouldn't dye (or die) we tried a multitude of colors.

This was an attempt with Susan's Antique Dyes, I think...not strong enough
Multiple attempts in various colors & my Cushing's Dyes

The one on the far left is my favorite as well as the solid sage green & rose next to it
Here are a few more variations and colors

Then a brief intermission while we went out to see the Black Racer Sahara found while searching for insects to finish her Science project...



More photo's tomorrow of the PLAID THAT WOULDN'T DYE and other 'slip ups' during our dye day!

Blessings 2 U Friend

Things happen for a reason...

It never ceases to blow me away when something happens that in no way could I have orchestrated.
Seeing GOD do little things for others & myself while I am mucking up my life (normally) makes me want to cry.

LIke this 'experience' with my teeth. Imagine (and I have) that it was over after the first tooth cracked, the one that didn't hurt.
I would be a few hundred, er thousand dollars richer right now. Let's say even the second tooth, the root canal tooth was finished right after the root canal was done, or even after it broke, I would be in bed right now with an awful migraine & this awful cold wishing I was DEAD!

But no the temp broke again & I was in pain (a tooth with no roots caused me severe pain) and needed a prescription for pain medication. Which came in handy this morning/late morning when I finally dragged myself out of bed to take the antibiotics for my teeth & remembered I had those pills. I still have a headache but it isn't a migraine & I was able to function & deal with some other issues.

THANK YOU GOD!!!!

This afternoon I received this most adorable blog award.

from my extremely talented friend Sara.
What a wonderful way to end this day!
Rules for the "You Make My Day" award are;
To present or re-present it to those whose blogs bring you happiness & inspiration, make you feel happy about blog land.

You may email the receipient or post a comment on their blog so they can pass it along & share the joy.
Beware as you might receive the award several times & if you do, you should consider yourself very blessed & loved.

The following are my picks!

Carmen Carmen Brown
Julie Plumrun Creek
Rachael Blueshed Crafts
Kelley Kankerdoodle
Betty Primitive Bettys
Dawn Mom2my6Pack
Kimmie CabinCreekFarm


Off to accomplish something tonight!

Oh I did already I posted this update & changed the song to Lenny Kravitz

Blessings 2 U Friends