The Graduate

 

This is a picture of my little sister, Rebekah.  It was taken just yesterday.  At least, that’s how it feels. 

Rebekah graduated from High School last Saturday.  She’s not a little girl anymore, she has become a beautiful young woman. {wipes tear}

After the graduation ceremony, we had a little party for her.  She deserved it, she’s worked hard to get where she is.

We are so proud!

The cake was from Costco.  YUM!

The Heritage High School colors are Red and Blue, (they are the Generals.)  We live in a very historic area, so this is quite appropriate.  It also happened to be Memorial Day weekend, so the color scheme was easy to work with.  I made these cookies using the tried and true Nigella Lawson Recipe.  I make them my own by using a thinned Wilton Royal Icing made with just an 8th teaspoon (maybe a little more) of lemon extract (before adding the rest of the liquid). You want the icing thin, but not so thin it drips right off the cookie. I dipped the tops of the cookies in the icing and then before they hardened I added the sprinkles.

The patriotic sprinkles came from Michael’s but this is the season to find them all over.

I also made these cute little brownie bites.  They are a Pampered Chef favorite.  The cream cheese icing is delish!

Michael’s also had these cute little wrappers, 99 cents for 100.  What a deal! I’m going to have to go back for more.

I used two different wrappers so you can see the design even after they are baked. If the two papers are the same brand, you can bake them in both, but I wasn’t so lucky, so I baked in the white and just added the cute ones later.

I don’t know where to find this recipe in the Pampered Chef universe, but this is how my friend Kim, a Pampered Chef Consultant showed me how to make them.

Cream Cheese Brownie Cups Makes 48 1 package (19-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies) 1 4 oz package cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 8 oz cool whip, soft from the refrigerator sprinkles, chocolate shavings, mini M&Ms optional for topping Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray, or use mini cupcake wrappers, (what I do).  Mix brownie batter according to directions to make cake like brownies.  Use a small scoop to fill each cup 2/3 full.  It will make two pans of cups.  Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are set. Remove from oven to a cooling rack.  Immediately press tops of brownies with Mini-Tart shaper to make indentions.  Allow to cool.  (If not using wrappers, do not leave in the pan too long or they will stick, hence why I always use wrappers so I don’t mess up!) Mix cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer till smooth.  Fold in cool-whip.  Pipe swirls of icing onto the tops of the cups.  Top with your choice of toppings.

 

Somehow I missed taking pictures of the punch.  I’ve blogged about it before.  Here is that picture and the link to the recipe.

My sister and the other graduates were honored at church a couple weeks ago.  Each graduate had a slideshow made to play at the reception.  Here is Rebekah’s.  If you are fortunate to know my sister, go ahead and grab some tissues.  It isn’t enough we’re seeing adorable pictures of her growing up, but she sings the song that is playing too.

Enjoy!

 

We love you Geggie!

 

They Are To Teach What Is Good

I know a special little boy named Zek who is about to turn one year old. It seems like just yesterday I was throwing a baby shower for his Mommy.

This was a unique shower in that we also had a Bible study. The passage we studied, Titus 2:3-5 says of older women:

"They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. "

With (at that point) just 4 years of marriage under my belt, I knew that I would have very little to offer in such a study. So I asked some of the guests to be prepared to speak on a topic from the passage and to share their experiences in relation to their topics. These ladies spoke about self-control, purity, being a homemaker, kindness and submission to our husbands. This was an inspirational and very moving experience, and I'm so glad these ladies were willing to share such meaningful thoughts.

Of course, we also had food, it was a shower after all. We all chipped in, so don't think that I made all of this. Here's the spread...

Ice cream cake, fruit tray, cookie cake and behind the candles is this...

This my friends, is a cheese ball! Isn't it gorgeous?

I did make the punch. It's delish!

 

Fruit Punch

Makes about 50 servings--can easily be halved

(Of course, you should always have extra on hand as one cup is not enough)

2 packets of Fruit Punch Kool-Aid

1 c. boiling water

2 qts. warm water

2 1/2 c. sugar

1-46 oz can of pineapple juice
2-2 liter bottle ginger ale, chilled

Dissolve the Kool-Aid in the boiling water. Then in a large pot add the Kool-Aid, water, sugar and pineapple juice. Mix well and divide into two large freezer bags and freeze.

To Serve:

Thaw the punch until it is just starting to slush. Add one bag's contents to a punch bowl and add one bottle of ginger ale. Stir well.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

 

Happy Birthday Zek!!

It's a Boy!

Baby Liam is finally here!
Born 8/13 at 12:55 p.m., weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. and measuring 21 inches.

Baby Liam with Daddy and Big Sister Sophie

Last week we had a baby shower and my mom made the punch. Several people wanted the recipe, so here it is.

 

It's A Boy Punch
24 Servings

1 (0.13 ounce) package blue raspberry flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid
1 (2 liter) Sprite
1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle white cranberry juice or white grape juice
1 cup sugar, or to taste
8 scoops vanilla ice cream

In your punch bowl, add the Kool-Aid, Sprite and juice and stir to combine. Add the sugar a little at a time, stirring well and tasting after each addition until it is sweetened to your taste. Drop scoops of ice cream into the punch, allowing them to float on top like clouds. Once the ice cream begins to melt a little, it will turn the punch baby blue colored.

Variation:
For the picture shown, Sugar-Free Kool-Aid was used and it made it foamy. It still looks nice, but Mom says it's better as prepared according to this recipe.

*For the shower she also used the white grape juice.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Enjoy!

Drenched in Custard

It's December and the most glorious time to be in the kitchen if you ask me. There are so many delicious treats to be made and meals to be prepared! When it comes to Christmas and food, I like to try new things, but I also like to prepare traditional dishes as well.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to prepare this year, I remembered a Christmas a while back when we visited some friends and had boiled custard. It was delicious! I don't know the exact history of boiled custard, although this type of custard seems to be traditional in the Southern United States. Custard in general has a long history of creating and complimenting dishes both sweet and savory.

My friend Pam has generously shared her recipe with me and now I'm passing it on to you! Enjoy this custard hot or cold, in a glass, or drenching your dessert!

Pam's Boiled Custard

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 gallon whole milk
6 eggs, separated
Vanilla to taste (about 2 large "cook spoons")

Put milk in a double boiler (or if you don't have one, set your pan in a skillet of water). Mix together sugar and flour and slowly stir into milk. Add egg yolks (be sure you do this before the milk gets too hot so your eggs don't cook too fast). Stir until milk comes to a boil. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add vanilla." Allow to cool slightly. Beat egg whites and fold in. Serve in a pitcher.