HE IS RISEN!

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter.

Sunday Will Come

I am so grateful for this Easter weekend.

It is hard to think of  Christ hanging on a cross.

Or the garden of Gethsemane suffering for all of us.

But, that Jesus Christ rose from the grave.

That he opened the door for us to do the same.

He conquered death, as will ALL of us.

Good Friday

I love this message...

Happy Birthday Mom

My mom would be 69 years old today....

She was born in Odessa, Texas

Her mother passed away when she was very young and her father disappeared.

She was taken in by her Uncle and his wife in Arizona... Her Uncle passed away  a few years later and his wife MY GRANDMA (who I though was my Biological grandma until I was in High School)

raised her and her younger brother's with her children (my aunts and uncles)

 

She grew up knowing she was loved.

My mom LOVED to dance...

My mom was BEAUTIFUL

not only on the outside but the inside.

My mom was amazing...she could pretty much do anything...

My mom could cook, bake, craft, clean, iron, and make the best candy ever! 

My mom had  her 5 children "know"  they  were her favorite.

My mom could put a party together like nobody I know.

My mom made the most beautiful flower arrangements.

My mom loved to cater weddings.

My mom loved to share her talents.

My mom loved to do stuff with her friends.

My mom loved being a MOM.

My mom could make you smile on your loneliest days.

My mom loved ice cold PEPSI

My mom was real...

Every bit of her...

My mom had a testimony of her Savior,  Jesus Christ and of our Father in heaven.

She lived it everyday.

My mom's favorite Birthday Cake was Texas Sheet Cake,

 so in honor of my mom, Geneva's Birthday

Here is her Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

 "The Pioneer Woman" uses the same recipe as my mom

she has great pictures to follow on how to make it on her site.

       

       FOR THE CAKE:

•  2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

        FOR FROSTING:

• ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-¾ stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares and Enjoy

Happy Birthday MOM

I love you and miss you.

and for the record...

I WAS HER FAVORITE!
Yes, my sister lene has her name on all the pictures of my mom..

Ali Is 21!!

My sweet daughter in law, Ali turned 21 years old

on May 19th.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and my phone does not take very good pictures.

 hopefully you will get the idea...

Ali knew we were going to have a party but not an idea of what we wanted the theme to be...

Because none of us are alcohol drinkers...

BUT, We went all out...I mean she is legal!!!

We had cup cakes...all made after different drinks.

I found most of my ideas on The Cup Cake Club.

Though the cupcake recipes are made with alcohol, I was able to adjust with extra cocktail mix or juice.

 Our Margarita Cupcakes

The frosting was SOOOOO good. We added jelly lemon and limes to the top.

Here are the Piña Colada cupcakes with roasted Coconut on top

I am sure you can guess the next one...

Yep, Strawberry Daiquiri

I did not get a picture of the Cosmo Cupcake.
We had fun trying to mix drinks...

The pictures of the following drinks are from Google

The Cosmo...total hit

Made with Sprite, orange juice, cranberry juice and a little ice.

The Strawberry Daiquiri

  made with Master of Mixes Strawberry Daiquiri/Margarita Mix,

white grape juice, lime juice and ice and yes topped with a strawberry and lime slice.

The Margarita

Made with Sprite, Master of Mixes Margareta Mix and stirred with ice.

The Piña Colada

Master of Mix, Ice and Pineapple topped with a cherry & pineapple.

Ali comes from an amazing family. 

They came with finger foods for the night.

It really was fun!!!!

Thanks Ali for becoming legal so we could have a really fun time because

you are finally 21 !!!

Miracle Bread or sometimes called 1 Hour Bread

With my Kitchen Aid up and running again...slight happy giggle

Kirk was so happy to come home from his meeting the other night to find

Home made bread waiting for him.

This is a pretty Awesome recipe

It is called the

1 hour bread or miracle bread

Pre Heat Oven to 350*

In Kitchen-Aid Bowl or any bowl combine:

5 1/4 C. flour

1/4 C. sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons of SAF Yeast

 - you HAVE to use the SAF yeast, if you do not it will taste very grainy

 (I get mine at the health food store)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Lecithin

 - this is stuff is very sticky I just eye ball it and pour into my yeast

(again get at the health food store)

2 C. HOT water

 (you can add a little water if you need to, but I have not had to)

MIX

5 minutes

DO NOT ADD ANY MORE FLOUR

Spray pan and counter with Pam or any other spray.

Shape loaves

Place in bread pans

Cover with a dish towel and let raise for 25 mins.

Bake @350* for 25 mins

and enjoy

I made 2 large loaves and then this small one for a gift,

 but  well, it never lasted long enough to give.

Grandpa and Grandma Heaven

Kirk is an AWESOME grandpa.

Celes just loves him and Hazel is starting to realize that he is pretty OK too.

Kirk was mowing the lawn and Celes could see him out of the window, Ali took her down to see

grandpa... She got to ride on the mower with him...

I really need to go through my old pictures and find the ones of when my kids were little.

I am pretty sure I will be able to find one of each of my little babies riding on the mower with their daddy.

It might even be the same mower...heeheheee yes, I know it is time for a new one.

***************************************************************************************

and thanks to Kira

there is even a picture of Celes and I having a moment together...

even though neither one of us knew it.

We were both sound asleep.

BUT, I love this picture.

almost as much as I love being a grandma.