Cookies and Cakes

Well, LOTS has happened since my last blog post, so I am not exactly sure where to start. 

Let's start with the good news...

I quit my job!!!  I gave my two week's notice last Monday, so Friday is my last day.  And I probably should have prefaced that by saying that I do have a new job lined up.  And this is where the news gets even better.

I am going to be working part-time at my parents' office!  Now, I realize that for many people this may not be good new; however, I get along WONDERFULLY with my parents!  And I CANNOT wait to start my new job. 

A big part of me really did love my job.  I love the little victories that come with it, and I love becoming involved in other people's lives, but coupled with other things going on in my life right now, it has just become so draining.  I come home and by the time I unwind and then start my schoolwork, I am just exhausted.  I feel like I have not been myself for months.  And that just isn't fair.  It is not fair to Andrew, and it isn't fair to my family, and isn't fair to myself.  I want to be invested in the rest of my life:  my family, my education, and even hobbies. 

Since my parents mentioned their job to me, I have felt like a thousand pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  And Andrew will tell you that I have been back to my "normal, happy" self!  I feel such a peace about the whole situation.  Next week cannot get here soon enough! 

In honor of my new-found LIFE.... Cupcakes seemed appropriate.  

And after much debate, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream seemed the PERFECT celebration treat. 

I used the original recipe from here, but halved it.  It ended up making 48 mini cupcakes.  Here are the only changes I made to the recipe, and I only made them based upon what I had and what I did not have on hand:

• Used heavy whipping cream instead of half-n-half
• Used only all-purpose flour rather than both all-purpose and cake flour
• Used 2% milk rather than whole milk
• I garnished with white, pearly sprinkles instead of cinnamon sticks!

 On a less happy note, I apparently have a staph infection in my leg.  On Friday at about 1am it started making me physically sick.  And apart from that, it looks totally disgusting.  So I went to a walk-in clinic on Saturday, where they put me on a few different meds.  I still seem to be running a fever off and on, but overall, I feel MUCH better today than I did over the weekend. 

My adoring husband (who has really proven his love by sticking by me and my disgusting leg... and my disgusting mood...) called in sick at work for me today.  The result? 

Lazy Maple Sugar Cookies

I REALLY wanted to bake, but did NOT really feel up to it.

So, with the help of Betty Crocker, I cheated.  This is so easy that even someone running a fever can handle it!!!!

Need:

• 1 pouch of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• Maple syrup
• Sprinkles galore!!!! 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and while it is heating up, mix the cookie mix, egg, butter and flour until it forms a dough.  On a floured surface, flatten the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and, using leaf shaped cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as your dough will make.  Mine made a dozen.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool. 

Then, spread a thin layer of maple syrup over one cookie, and then cover with sprinkles.  Repeat this with each cookie until all of them are syrup-ed and sprinkled!!!

Voila!!!! 

Does it get any easier than that?  I think not. 

But, if you are in the mood to really bake, here is the recipe I would have used had I been in the mood to really bake. 

Moral of today's post? 

FALL is HERE, and GOD IS GOOD!!!!

A Bushel and a Peck

For the past few months, it seems like Andrew or I have had something going on every second of every weekend.  We haven't had much down time.  I have been longing for a weekend to spend time with him and with the rest of the family, to relax, to not do much of anything.  We FINALLY got that this weekend!  I could not have hoped for a better weekend!  Everything was perfect... right down to the weather.  

On Saturday, we went to a local apple orchard and picked apples straight from the trees.  My parents went with us and we all had a ball!  Along with ten pounds of apples, we also bought Pecan Sweet Potato Butter (and yes, it is dairy free), which I sampled immediately... so good! 

The men graciously offered to be the basket carriers during our apple picking adventure, and they were so cute that I could not resist a few snapshots.

I find these pictures hilarious... Both Andrew and my dad are such "men's men" that seeing them swinging these baskets while walking through rows of apple trees is absolutely heartwarming and hysterical at the same time.

Here is a shot of the men handling the apples that they worked so hard to pick!  (: 

After all our manual labor at the apple orchard, we all had healthy appetites, so we all returned home where Andrew made a WONDERFUL chicken salad using some of our new apples!  It was a great day! 

Source: tatteredandinked.blogspot.com via Logan on Pinterest

Two Down

Well, I successfully completed two of my five fall recipes over the past week.  And both were delicious.  Both were also incredibly easy. 

I made the baked oatmeal from Brown Eyed Baker, and halved the recipe exactly.  It was a little too much for me to eat all alone and all at once, so next time I make it I will half it once more.  Not to worry though... Lady helped me with the leftovers this time!  The only changes I made were in order to make it gluten and dairy free.  I replaced real milk with almond milk, and butter with a substitute. 

And also from Brown Eyed Baker, I made her sweet potato fries.  These were so good the first time that I actually made them for a second time yesterday!  They are simple, filling, healthy, and tasty.  The first time I made them I went a little nuts with the seasoning.  I added salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  It was a little overkill.  But the second time, I just salted and peppered them lightly.  They turned out perfectly.  I had them with veggies and was full and satisfied afterward! 

Not on the list, and not part of my celiac diet, are these cupcakes I made for a dear friend's birthday.  I cannot speak from firsthand experience, because I did not try them, but from what I hear, these were pretty darn tasty!  They are chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. 

I got the idea for these from here, but changed them a little according to what I thought the birthday girl would like!  Instead of using white cake mix, I used devil's food.  And for the icing, I went with peanut butter cream cheese as opposed to buttercream. 

Here is what I did for the icing:  

1, 8oz. pkg cream cheese

2tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 C powdered sugar.  

Blend the cream cheese and vanilla together.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth.  

I kept the cupcakes refrigerated until a few hours before everyone was ready to eat them. 

Fall Five

Our Labor Day weekend was accompanied by cool temperatures, rain, and wind.  Fall has been in the air!  I even put our fall decorations on our front porch before work this morning!  Normally, I am a true summer gal... I eat up the warm weather and the sunshine.  But this year, I am really looking forward to fall. 

So, in the spirit of fall, these are the top five recipes I would like to try this season: 

1) Baked oatmeal... from here. Michelle, at Brown Eyed Baker actually posted her top 150 fall recipes!  I would love to try them all.... NOT gonna happen (: 

2) My second "must try" recipe this fall is also from Brown Eyed Baker.  Her version of Sweet Potato Fries looks delicious... and healthy!!!  Click here for a step-by-step. 

3) Crock Pot Apples!  These look very simply and VERY tasty... Perfect for fall. 

4) Something chocolatey has to go onto every "Food" list.  And since I have been on a dairy free/gluten free diet these past few weeks, I think these chocolate cookies are a must this year.  CHOCOLATE, dairy free, and gluten free COOKIES... Does it get any better than that?!

5) Last but not least, I figured something substantial and truly "healthy" should go on this list, so I chose this Vegetarian Ratatouille, from Real Simple Magazine. 

And it goes without saying that Andrew's kids at school will need some version of a fall sugar cookie.  I am thinking that in about a month, Halloween themed sugar cookies will be not only appropriate in the classroom, but 100% essential. 

The Details

Yesterday I posted the menu that we decided on for our dessert bar at Jenny's wedding.  Henceforth, this bar will be referred to as "The Sweet Bean," as that is what we finally chose to name it!

Today I will go down the list of items served at The Sweet Bean, and provide recipes for each dessert, as well as pictures to go along with them!

Whippersnaps

(This recipe yields between 40 and 50 cookies, depending on how big you make them.)

• 1 box of cake mix (the flavor of your choosing; we used strawberry, lemon, and chocolate.)
• About 2 cups of frozen whipped topping, thawed (I saw "about" because I eye-balled it.)
• 1 egg
• Powdered sugar for dipping
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, the whipped topping, and the egg.  It will take a while for the dough to form, so be prepared for your stirring arm to get tired!
• Form tablespoons of dough into balls, and roll them in the powdered sugar. (I used less than a full tablespoon of dough for each cookie, because they are prettier and sturdier the smaller they are.)
• Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Mini Banana Nut Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

(We made 445 of these.  I used the original recipe I found here, with some small modifications.  This recipe makes about 12 regular sized muffins, or 24 mini muffins.)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose four
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• handful of walnuts
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a muffin, or mini muffin pan.  Or line with cupcake papers (which is what we did).
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nuts.  Set aside.
• Combine bananas, applesauce, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl.
• Fold in the flour mixture, and mix until smooth.  Then scoop the batter into the muffin pans.
• Since our muffins were mini, I baked them for 12 minutes.  If you make regular sized muffins, you will probably bake them for 25 to 30 minutes.  

For the cream cheese frosting, I used this recipe.  It turned out great, and held up wonderfully at room temperature.  The icing actually sat on the muffins at room temp for a few days before the wedding, and it was still fine!   Because we had some many muffins to dollop, I made six batches of this stuff, and had the perfect amount for the job.  So, a word to the wise:  if you are planning on making large quantities of frosting, begin the process in advance!!!

Cake Pops

(We made somewhere in the ballpark of 300 of these puppies.  People LOVED them.  You can fine a basic recipe for bake balls here, and then you can mix and match cake and icing flavors, as well as the chocolate coatings and toppings.)

An important note about cake balls:  After baking the cakes, and mixing them with icing, it is best to let them sit in the fridge for, well, as long as you like, before trying to form them into balls.  Some of our mixes sat in the fridge for hours before we formed them into balls. 

After forming the mixture into balls, you will want to let the balls set in the fridge for a while, or in the freezer for a few minutes, before attempting to dip them.  Otherwise, they will fall apart during the process.

I am NOT an expert on cake balls.  If you had watched Jenny and me make them, you would probably have laughed at the mess we made, and at how many cake balls we lost! Angie (aka: Bakerella); however, IS the expert.  And you can watch her step-by-step cake pop instructions here.   Warning:  She makes these little buggers look much easier and less time consuming that they actually are!

 We got the idea for the Neapolitan cakes here, but ended up using the recipe from Annie's Eats.  We had A LOT of cakes to make, so we doubled everything... three or four times!!!  Eventually, we had enough batter to make three, 12" layers, three, 9" layers, and three, 6" layers.  We also used the recipe for the strawberry layer of this cake to make Jenny and Matt's small cake that they used to cut and feed to one another.   

 

For the filling for the Neapolitan cakes, we used raspberry preserves and the same buttercream icing that we used for the outside of the cakes.  We also did this to fill Jenny and Matt's small cake.  

Buttercream Icing 

Let me warn you, TONS of shortening was used in the making of this icing.  For practical, aesthetic, and taste reasons, I chose not to use butter at all.  So the name "Buttercream" is a bit misleading...

• 2 cups white, all-vegetable shortening
• 2 tsp CLEAR vanilla extract (if you use regular, it will give your icing a strange tint.)
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 lbs. (one bag/about 8 cups) of confectioners' sugar, 10x's sifted
• 2 tbsp Meringue Powder (I used Wilton)
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream shortening, flavoring, and water.  Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together.  This takes a while.  You may want to turn your mixer on, and then walk away for a few minutes while it does its thing!  
• After the icing is mixed well, you may find that it is too thick.  If so, add a tsp of water for each cup of powdered you used, and then turn the mixer back on until the water is incorporated into the icing.  
• You can store this icing for several days at room temp.  If you choose to do this, make sure you store the icing in ROUND, AIR-TIGHT containers.  

(We used somewhere between 6 and 10 batches of this for the wedding... I lost count eventually...) 

To decorate the Neapolitan cakes, I wanted something easy, but also knew that Jenny would want something fun, kinda classy, and simple too.  I got the idea for the Rosette design here,  and am SO happy with the way it turned out in all-white! It is just Jenny's style!

 Moving right along...

We used the same recipe for the Mint Oreo cake that we used for the chocolate layer of the Neapolitan cake.   We made four, 10" layers, and then turned the layers into two, 2-layer cakes.  

 For the Mint Chocolate Ovaltine frosting, we chose this recipe, with some minor changes.  Since we wanted the cake to have a minty hint to it, we used 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp of mint, rather than just 1 tsp of vanilla.  I think we ended up using about six batches of this stuff, but don't quote me on that.  

We coated the tops and sides of these cakes with off-brand Oreos.  To give the cookies a minty taste, after we put them in the food processor, we dumped them into a bowl, threw a healthy amount of mint extract in there with them, and stirred it around a little.  Then we put our make-shift Mint Oreos all over the cake. 

 

Without question, the best smelling dessert at the reception was the pumpkin cake on the groom's table.  These things were Jenny's babies.  I made the frosting, but Jenny made each of the four, 9" pumpkin cakes.  They smelled like fall, and were absolutely beautiful!  You can find the original recipe here.  The only things Jenny did differently were to omit the nuts, and use regular flour rather than wheat, because we did not have any wheat flour on hand.  

To ice the pumpkin cake, Jenny said she wanted something "simple and rustic."  So, I went with this Brown Sugar Icing.  I followed the recipe exactly, but quadrupled it.  I definitely could have gotten away with tripling it instead.  Now I know for next time...

The Sweet Bean was only one of many sweet touches in the Elliot Wedding. 

 

Matt and Jenny's love story, and their lives, are centered around Christ.  Knowing that about them, and seeing that acted out in their relationship and in their lives, made every moment of their wedding day sweet.  

It was such an honor to be a part of their wedding day, and of the planning process in some small way!

Beautiful Day

I may have mentioned this, and I may have not, but for the past several months a friend and I have been planning the dessert bar for her wedding.  She has a passion for baking, and wanted to incorporate that into her special day somehow. Together, I think we pulled it off exceptionally well.

We began planning the menu ages ago.  Jenny decided that she wanted to have a dessert bar, a coffee bar, and a smoothie bar at her reception rather than I full course meal.  If you knew Jenny, that would not surprise you!  Although I had nothing to do with the coffee or smoothie bars, I had a BLAST helping with the dessert bar.

After much planning and deliberation, here is the menu we finally settled on:

• Whippersnaps (strawberry, lemon, and chocolate)
• Mini banana nut muffins with cream cheese frosting (over 400 of them!)
• Cake balls in the following flavors (all of which were a HUGE hit)
• Red velvet with vanilla coating, some dipped in sprinkles,  and some in coconut
• Chocolate dipped in chocolate and covered with mint Oreo, and chocolate dipped in chocolate with vanilla, chocolate dipped in chocolate with coconut... the list goes on.
• Vanilla coated in vanilla and dipped in graham cracker, and coconut, and some with sprinkles.... WE MADE SO MANY!!!
• Three Neapolitan cakes, all filled with buttercream and raspberry preserves:
• a 12"
• a 9"
• a 6"  
• A two layer, 6" vanilla cake, with lemon curd filling.  This cake did not get used at the actual dessert bar, because it fell apart.  But we had a backup strawberry cake on stand-by that turned out wonderfully!  No harm done!!!
• Two 10" chocolate cakes with mint chocolate frosting, and covered in mint Oreo.  Yum.
• Four Bohemian wedding cakes, all 9", with brown butter frosting.  These went on the groom's table.  

It felt like there were more cakes at the reception than people.  Definitely more cake slices...

Recipes and methods to follow... Along with more pictures... After I get a good night's rest!  (: 

But here is a sneak preview:

We all have Stefanie, a dear friend of the bride's, to thank for the lovely table-scape. Stefanie helped Jenny get ready the morning of her wedding, and played the piano during the ceremony.  She also sang one of the prettiest arrangements of Blessed Assurance that I ever remember hearing.  And on top of all that, she made the dessert bar look prettier and run more smoothly than I imagined it could!
 
None of the pictures I post will do the day justice.  The entire wedding was absolutely beautiful.   Because Matthew and Jenny are absolutely beautiful!

Plan B

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5,6

I have written a lot about my passion for planning, for lists, for schedules, for predictability, for organization... I sometimes think I get more enjoyment out of the planning of an event than the actual occurrence of the  event!  (:  True to this facet of my personality, I even applied recently for a job as a Program Director with the organization I work with now, where I would plan the events at one of our senior centers.

The funny thing about plans is that they never seem to work out in real life quite the same way that they work out in my head.  In other words, even after planning something to death, I can never know exactly what to expect.  I would even go as far as to say that my "Plan As" never work out.   Have you ever heard the quote, "If Plan A doesn't work out remember you still have twenty-five letters left?"  Well, it's a good thing.  And I call those 25 letters... God's grace.

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." 

Proverbs 19:21

Because our Plan B (and C, and D, and E, and so on and so forth) is not God's Plan B.  He does not have to have "back-up plans" or "Plan Bs."  Because His plans do not go awry.

"He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."  

Deuteronomy 32:4

If God's plans are PERFECT, why would I want my imperfect, incomplete, human plans to interfere with His perfect God- plans? Why would I not choose His over my own?!

 "You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."  

Psalm 139:5,6

God sees the whole picture.  He is powerful enough to be able to do this.  We could not even handle seeing the whole picture!  Our minds and hearts could not contain it... it is too lofty for us! 

And since we know that He sees the whole picture, even when we cannot so much as see the light at the end of the tunnel, it makes PERFECT sense to...

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."  

Proverbs 16:3

And we cannot even fathom what God has planned for us if we will surrender our plans to Him.  He will turn our plans into plans bigger than we ever imagined possible (Ephesians 3:20)! HIS plans are not confined by human boundaries or earthly limits.  Time, geography, circumstances... those things cannot contain God; nor can they thwart His plans.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts."

Isaiah 55:9

What a load off... to know that we need not have every moment of every day planned to the most minute detail.  All we need do is commit our plans to the Lord.  He will not let our feet slip.  He will watch over us even in the dead of night (Psalm 121:3, my paraphrase). 

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands."

Psalm 138:8

Our Lord has no Plan B's, because HIS plans never fail.  And He will not abandon the works of His hands!!!  The plans He has for us are significant.  Our lives in Him are significant.  Our dreams and desires are even significant to Him. We need not fear or fret.  We need only to live surrendered to Him.  

My prayer for today is that God will direct my heart and my plans, so that my desires and plans align with the desires and plans that He holds in His hand for me to take hold of.  I pray that I will not grasp or grab desperately at these plans, but that I will instead wait patiently and work diligently!!!