And they lived happily ever after...

I had the wonderful gift of full access to my Niece's wedding.  One way to be able to get the photos you want is to say you will take the photos.  This photo however was taken by my brother.  A photo that no one else could take and capture the moment so well like the father of the bride.

Lindsey and Liz, Alex's sisters were bridesmaids.  Jason, Scott's brother was best man.  It was nice and very special to have the wedding party be family, very sweet and personal.

Alex my Niece and Scottie her new husband made a beautiful bride & groom and God gave us a wonderful sunny day and a backdrop no church could rival.

I was a little skeptical about an October wedding outside in upper Wisconsin it could be cold and snowing or perfect.  It was perfect, although the wasps were a little excited to have a wedding in their house.

I almost missed this photo trying to swat the wasps away.  Luckily I got the shot and with that my job was over and I could relax.  Love the expression on the pastor's face.  He was quite the jolly fellow.

I had a wonderful time up north.  Wanted to stay forever.  I loved spending time with my brother and his family and it's never enough.   My location may be in Florida but Wisconsin will always feel like home.

KT & Jalfred Engaged!

This past week I was lucky enough to be able to take Engagement photos 

for Paige's friend KT and her fiance Jalfred.

I wish them Love, happiness and joy beyond belief.

For the sun to shine on them where ever they go.

I also pray for God's protection for the man who makes KT smile from ear to ear.

May your love comfort you forever and God bless you with a lifetime of wonderful memories and stories of strength, joy and love to tell your grandchildren!  

Pearl loves cards....

(<--------Pause the music before you watch the video)

Pearl loves to hate audio cards.  She wants to tear them apart and will continue to try to get it until you hide it and make it stop.  We think Mr. Hygiene's Birthday card was the best this year, the song is perfect for Pearl and all her vicious sweetness.  The best Birthday Wishes to Mr. Hygiene, glad you stuck around another year you make my life amazing!

Dear Hershey's, Good bye!

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla

This is one of the easiest things I have ever made!  Four ingredients and fifteen minutes or less is all you need.  I would give this recipe a ten for now.  I will let you know how it keeps in the fridge and let you know if when I reheat it still is a ten.  Yum!  Oh and I used semi sweet chips instead squares.

People can be Amazing....

No secret I love to cook and no secret I love Rhubarb!  When I lived in Michigan it was in abundance and I had plenty to bake with even got a lot of it free.  When we lived in Omaha Nebraska I found a lady right on my side of town who had it for .49 a pound and would freeze it and bake up a storm happy with the ease and quality that was available.  Here in Florida I have only bought it once it was over 4.50 a pound and it was not good at all.  Old, dry and nasty.  I commented a week or so ago about missing it so much, it is a flavor that I grew up with and love.  Well to my surprise today in the mail was a big box full of rhubarb.  Christel who I know from Berrien Springs Michigan sent me a wonderful surprise.  I had just talked to a friend from Nebraska about having someone send me some in the mail.  I am blown away first that I talked about this last week and second how sweet and generous it was of Christel to send it to me.  People can be so amazing when you least expect it and it is a nice feeling to have someone do something so nice.  Thank you Christel!

Cast a Pretty Stone

In the recent months and weeks I have had a new interest in crocheting river stones.  It has become a small obsession with me.  Then a few weeks ago after a long discouraging post on Facebook singling out a group of people, my thoughts of these stones turned to the bible text John 8:7.  I started to send them out to friends who have been having a hard time or heard a sermon in church they felt was directed at them.  I can not believe how some people can stand behind their bibles and throw stones.  It is clear, love your neighbor, do not judge live like Jesus.  No hate, no finger pointing just love and compassion bringing people close to Christ.  I usually do not post about my faith or spirituality in general.  I feel it is personal and private but through these stones I have found a need to remind people they are loved unconditionally.  I hope to only cast pretty stones.

New Pink Toy

The toy says it is indestructible.... we will see.

Oh, here go hell come!

Yes, I have issues and buying chairs is one of them.  I spotted this pair today at the Salvation Army and could not leave them there regardless of the discussion that will happen tonight when Mr. Hygiene gets home.  it will start out "Jill Ann" and then go into something about how we do not have the room and what two chairs  I need to get rid of if I am keeping them..... Oh, Here go, Hell come!

I love them just the way they are but they have a little bit of a granny powder smell to them.  if I can not get the smell out I am going to repaint and reupolster them and see how they come out.  I am thinking bright bright bright with modern floral fabric for Paige.  I am thinking Black with the fabric below.

Good cakes bad photos!

Stacy's office had a bake sale and this was the new cake on the menu.  Had to add a little flair to it because it is such a modest looking cake. Thanks to Sheri for the paper I turned into a banner to make it look as fabulous as it tastes.  Another shout out to Ina for an amazing recipe.  Fifty dollars was the price that took Old fashion banana cake home!  Wow!  I think I will add a banner to everything I cook now.

The other cake I made was a Cream Cheese Pound cake dusted with powdered sugar.  This is the tried and true cake that I go to for consistently pleasing every pallet.  I bought a new pan a few months and this was the first time I used it and was impressed with how well it turned out and came out of the pan.  I have to give Heidi a shout out for the beautiful ribbon she sent me a few years back it was the icing on the icing free cake to style and flair on the wrapping.  This cake did well at the bake sale and brought in forty dollars. (Just got the official sale price today and it went for fifty!!!! 04.08.11)

*I have to let you know that my camera is in the shop and I had to use a point and shoot camera so I apologizes for the bad photos.

San Francisco Here We Come!

We hit the ground running.  Off the airplane, in a cab, checked in the hotel, picked up our Muni passes, on the cable car, up a hill, down a hill and to the wharf.

Pier 39 was full of these cute little creatures.  They kinda remind us of Pearl napping.  It was fun to see them, hear them and watch them swim around.  Loved how they pilled on top of each other to find the perfect spot to sleep.

Went into Boudin to see them make bread. Paige loving Crabs the way she does found a friend right away.  I love how she make her eyes red to go with the hat.

Our hotel was right on two cable car routes, California and Powell.  I think it was the best possible spot to be for easy transportation in San Francisco. I will stay here again!  The Hotel was The Stanford Court Renaissance and I would recommend it to everyone.  Rooms were clean, staff very helpful and the concierge was so helpful.  It was a great beginning to our vacation.

Pearl Sweet Pearl

Laundry Day... or why I get nothing accomplished

(Pause Playlist Music to Listen to Video)

This is why I do not get anything done. I get distracted. Really distracted. Most people would not stop and play with the cat who climes into the warm laundry or take the time to video it as well. These are the things that keep me from getting the laundry, dishes, dusting and usual household chores done.  I want my house to be spic and span but I do not want to miss the small things that happen daily no matter how insignificant they might seem to others. Seeing joy in small things and taking time to enjoy them is something more important to me than a spotless house. Life is what happens to us everyday when we are too busy to notice and I for one will stop to smell the roses.

Really? You have not made this yet? Really?

This  cake is amazing.  Yep this is the third one I have made.  It is now in the permanent rotation.  It is right up there with Special K loaf, Pecan balls, Haystacks and Pasta n Peas.  Today I chopped the walnuts on the top instead of halves I like the way it looks.  The orange zest is the kicker in this recipe.  Yummy!

Here is the Recipe from Ina Gartens new cook book Barefood Contessa How Easy Is That?

Old-Fashioned Banana Cake

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 orange

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Walnut halves, for decorating

PREHEAT ovent to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan.

MIX bananas, granulated sugar and brown sugar in bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add oil, eggs, sour cream. vanilla and orange zest. Mix until smooth.

STIR together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto cooling rack and cool completely.

SPREAD frosting thickly on top of cake and decorate with walnut halves. Slice and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (1/2 pound)

MIX cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip. Add sugar and mix until smooth.

Manatee!

We went to Blue Springs today and saw this cute little manatee.  It already had a big scar on its back.  They were hungry today digging in the sand to get to some roots to eat.  Poor little things.

Christmas Excitement and .....

So our holiday did not start out the way we thought.  We thought we would wake up early, have Paige open up her Christmas stocking where we hid a key in the toe, have Paige drive us to church in her ("new to her") car and spend the day riding around looking at fun Christmas things maybe go to the State park and take a nice walk out in nature.  Nope, not today.  Paige woke up feeling gross and before we could start the day she was bowing to the porcelain god.

She was really sick, it took her until noon (after about an hour of coaxing) to start opening the gifts in her stocking and get to the one on the bottom that we have been waiting for her to open for two months.  It is not easy to keep a secret like that let alone hide a big blue car.  Needless to say she was excited and seemed very surprised!

After the additional surprise and another trip to the bathroom she managed to walk outside and take a look at her car.

Look how shiny...

Paige are you okay? "Yes, I am just full of excitement and diarrhea!" and with that said she started up the car, turned it off and went back to the bathroom then sat on the sofa for an hour or so and now is sleeping with Tulip the Christmas cat and slowly starting to feel better.

Not how we thought the day was going to go, but nothing makes me happier than being a Mom and a sick child on Christmas that needs me is a great gift even if I would rather her be healthy.

Christmas

This child loves big furry hats.  A perfect gift.

Crusty is enjoying her gift of nip, Hopefully this will give Crusty some Holiday cheer.

Tulip Loves the nip as well.  She usually likes it until it is soggy.

To the left you will see some Florida State Christmas spirit.  We changed around the letters in Noel to NOLE.  GO Noles!  & Merry Christmas!

Christmas Guilt

Guilty!

Guilty!

Tree now guarded...

"Please step away from the nip!"

Light the Christmas tree...

Thanks to Mr. Hygiene we have lights on the Foxtail Palm.  We lit it up to try to keep it from freezing this year, last year we lost our original one and this is the replacement we planted this summer. We do not want to buy one every year so this is the plan not only to decorate it like we usually do but put so many lights on it that it will also stay warm.

Anyway, we had to wrap the trees trunk and I cover the bottom two rows of fronds as well.  It looks like a giant mushroom glowing in the dark. I will take and add a photo soon.  took the temp of the trunk after I got it all tucked in and turned on the lights.  At 11pm the temp was over 100 degrees so I took off one layer round the trunk and brought the temp down to 79.  I did not want to cook it to death that would defeat the purpose.

*Note we painted the front door black, thank you Mr. Hygiene and now we have some trim to paint as well.  I love black, white and tan.  Hmm what does Mr. Hygiene have on?  He matches the house.

Dear Santa

1.Dish towel

.Book

.Shoes

4.Zesty

5.Magnetic

6.Tradition

7.Music

8.Scoop

9.Hot

10.Fragrant

11.Wish

12.Yep!

13. Geek