Contest!!

Today’s contest is sponsored by Madison’s Room, a mom-owned boutique that features beautiful, unique hair clips, hair bands and caps. So go sign Mr. Linky at 5 Minutes for Mom and get in on the action!

I'm Blessed

I am blessed to have funny, cute, mostly obedient children. They have such an interesting perspective on things. The way they tackle problems, and the way they interact with the world. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't, but they are happy in the end.

Today, my four year old said something that really struck me. It was amusing at the time, but I realize how true it really is. This child has an amazing grasp of language, even from a young age. He has always been very verbal, and usually comes up with some great lines that just make you stop and make a funny face as you try to figure out how on earth he would have come up with so cute a phrase.

Today, while we were at breakfast, he sneezed. Not out of the ordinary, everyone in the house is sneezing right now. But today when I blessed him for sneezing, he answered me back with

"I'm blessed Momma."


That boy is too cute for words.

Tasty Thursday - Lemon Cake

I have so many recipes I want to share this week, but I think I'll have to stick with this one. It turned out so good, and even my husband (who hates cake btw) loved it. Don't forget to visit The Pumpkin Patch for more great Tasty Thursday recipes.



Lemon Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 9-inch-square cake pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until smooth. Beat in the yogurt, followed by the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Yield: One 9-Inch-Square Cake

WFMW-Organizing Recipes

Wow, I can't believe it's already Wednesday. I really thought I had another day left to do this! Well, here is my WFMW tip of the day.



I have a lot of recipes. More than I can really keep track of most days. So what I have started to do is to organize them on my computer (and soon, into a binder or three). I have organized my files to be very similar to a cookbook. I have a folder for Appetizers, Yeast Breads, Quick Breads, Main Dishes, Sweet Treats, and so on. Within each of those folders, I also have sub-folders. For instance, Sweet Treats has sub-sections for Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and so on. Within each of those sub-folders, I also have a folder for New Recipes To Try. When I have tried that recipe, I decide whether I like it or not, and then either delete it, or transfer it to the appropriate folder. It sounds like a lot of extra steps, but it really helps me to remember what I have and haven't tried, and what worked for us and what didn't. For instance, I recently made a dish that, while I thought it was alright, it wasn't something I wanted to make again. I deleted the dish, and now I don't have to try to remember whether I made it. I also made a cake recently that my husband (who hates cake) absolutely loves. I will definitely keep that one, so I will transfer it to the cake folder.

Don't forget to visit Rocks In My Dryer for more great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips.

Children

Ah, children. So sweet, so lovable, and yet so incredibly frustrating some days.

Today has been one of those days that most mothers come to dread. Ears seem to stop functioning properly; all reason is thrown out the window; daredevil tactics run amok; all the things you'd expect in a house that is mostly filled with boys.

However, I am reminded that we often behave the same way. God tells us to do something, and we seem to think we know better, or just don't listen in the first place. I know I do some days. But I also know that God forgives, and loves me anyway.

Contest!

5 Minutes For Mom is having another contest! This time the prize is a 9" Digital Photo Frame by Phillips. Go check it out, and sign up and you could win it!

Tasty Thursday: Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

****IMPORTANT****
I forgot an ingredient! Ack! I forgot about the marshmallows, so please update your recipe if you've already copied it.


Time for Tasty Thursday. Mmmm.... I wonder what we'll find today? Visit The Pumkin Patch for more great recipes!

My recipe for today is Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. It is soooooo good. I just made it for the first time a few days ago, and it is one of my new favorites.

5 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Strawberry gelatin
3 cups mini-marshmallows
1 package yellow cake mix

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Layer the rhubarb in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Top with sugar, then gelatin. ***Add the mini-marshmallows in an even layer.*** Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box, and pour over the other ingredients.

Bake for 55 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

WFMW - Organize Your Child's Toys

Right now we are working on organizing the millions of toys that our kids have amassed over the years. Since moving, there are four boxes of toys that we haven't even unpacked yet, and they are not missing whatever is in there one bit. We have toys scattered everywhere.

So todays tip, or tips really, are these:

Get a labeler. Get plastic totes, plastic toy bins, whatever you want, so long as it holds toys, and holds them well. Organize the toys in whatever way you like, and label them. That way, your child knows what toys go in what bin. I have seen some suggestions that said make a tote of toys for each day of the week, and only bring out one tote per day. That way it all stays organized, and there's an even rotation of toys. I don't know if I'll be doing that, but we will be working on one type of toy at a time. Hopefully it will work.

We have been using clear totes with lids, which is also helpful for organization, because you don't have to open the tote to see what's in it.

Don't forget to visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for more great Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips.

Spread the Word

I made this great little dress from the Sense & Sensibility Girls' Regency pattern (scroll down towards the bottom of the page). I have a great picture of the one I made for the daughter of a friend, but I can't seem to download it from my email. I'll have to work on that.... If you go here and scroll down to the Girls' Regency Dress examples, you can get an idea of how adorable they are. I am going to donate one for Heather's little prize party on I Should Be Folding Laundry, so go sign Mr. Linky! Hurry up! And Spread the Word! And of course, don't forget to check in on Heather, and give her some encouragement.

UPDATE:

Here is a picture with one of the cutest little models ever. Thanks to Miss Elizabeth for so nicely modeling her dress. Visit her parents here and here.

For Heather

I went to Heather's site this morning, just to see if there were any updates, and to give her a bit of encouragement. When I got there, I found that she had already posted a song, I Still Believe In Your Faithfulness, by Jeremy Camp. Also a good song. I still wanted to share this though, after hearing it this morning.

Wednesday, April 18th, you can visit BooMama and donate to help Heather and her husband get to the Mayo Clinic.




"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

Tasty Thursday: Supercrisp Parmesan Croutons

I recently started going through many of the recipes that I have kept but never transferred to my computer. This is one of the ones I found again recently.

I love homemade croûtons. I even used to make bread in my bread maker, scoop it out for a salad bowl, and used the bread to make croûtons. These, however, look much better than the ones I used to make. I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but I can tell by the looks of it that they will turn out great. Enjoy! And don't forget to visit The Pumkin Patch for more Tasty Thursday recipes!

Supercrisp Parmesan Croutons

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• One 3/4-pound loaf of focaccia or Italian bread, crusts removed, bread cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 300° F. In a small skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderately low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Scrape the butter into a large bow and toss with the diced bread. Add the parmesan and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Spread the croutons on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp.

Make Ahead: The croutons can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.

Yield: 4 Cups

Courtesy Food & Wine Magazine November 2001

Pray For Heather

Please pray for Heather. She found out that she has a brain tumor, and is awaiting further instructions. Read her story here, here and here.

Works-For-Me-Wednesday

It's time again for WFMW. Now, I am a fan of the occasional Girl Scout Cookie. But this year, when I discovered their Lemonade cookies, I was ecstatic. I love lemon cookies, and it's hard to find good ones that don't leave an icky after taste in your mouth. I wasn't too pleased when I ran out of the cookies, not looking forward to the year long wait of course. However, my Cooking Pleasures magazine came, and with it a cookie recipe that was almost as good as the Lemonade cookies.

I think the next time I make them I will try to chill the dough for a bit, since it got a little soft and difficult to work with after a while. I also would like to use ground almonds, since I wasn't able to get my almonds chopped quite fine enough for my liking. All in all, they turned out great, and I had a few friends asking for the recipe already.

Lemon Breezies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar plus extra for garnish, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 400˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice in large bowl 3 minutes or until soft and creamy.

2. Combine flour, almonds and salt in medium bowl. Slowly beat into butter mixture.

3. With 1-inch cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown on bottom. Cool 5 minutes. Roll in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar while still warm; cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar before serving.

4 dozen cookies

PER COOKIE: 80 calories, 5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 10 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, .5 g fiber


Don't forget to visit Rocks in My Dryer for more great WFMW ideas.