Headin' to Germany

Wow, I can't believe I leave tomorrow! I haven't even unpacked my other suitcase from New hampshire yet! It's all good though because I am just taking very few clothes and using only a carry-on. Makes going through customs so easy!!

I really am excited about Spain, too!! Well, I've Never Been To Spain, hmmm, how many remember that song! I think it even mentions Oklahoma in there, too, go figure!! Can't wait to squeeze the kiddos and steal all those moochies!! Okay, so until I get back this will be all for now...

Home From New Hampshire!!

Wow, such a great time! I hated to leave. Just wish we had about a couple of weeks to stay there. The weather was great and of course seeing family and spending time together is always nice! Everyone looked great and they all looked exactly the same! We actually got to see alot of David's old friends that we weren't even planning on seeing. Which is always nice.

Had a big family dinner which I prepared (with joy in my heart) and I made a couple of pies for dessert. The only one we didn't get to see was Brittany. She was working. Only got to see sam once and that was at breakfast:( It is so hard when everyone has to work. Hopefully, she will come and see us at Thanksgiving! If she moved to San Marcos that would even be sweeter!!

Now to unpack and put stuff away, ugh! I am leaving for Germany on Thursday morning bright and early. Then with the rest of the family we head out Saturday for Majorca, Spain!! I can't wait to spend time with those adorable grandchildren of mine!! Oh, the hugs and kisses that will be shared by all!!

I will put up more pictures at a later date probably when I get back. So until then...

Note from NH...

So sad:( We head to New Jersey tomorrow and leave New Hampshire behind. It has been so stinking much fun. Saw everybody we wanted to see except for our niece Brittney. Met some new wonderful friends, had a great dinner with all the family and did some site seeing, too! Time flies when you're a havin' fun!!

We plan on definitely making a trip out here in October! The leaves will be changing and brrr it will be cold!! We are hoping and praying that Toni will get to come out as well!! While here we saw where Davey and Angela will be getting married!! What a beautiful place!.. We had the pleasure of meeting her sister Carolyn and boyfriend, Shawn as well as her parents, Diane and Dick. Such a lovely family!! You can tell they just adore their future son-in-law as much as enjoy our future daughter-in-law! Can't wait for the big day...June 11, 2011!!!

I think you are supposed to journal on this everyday, right? Well, I have been traveling and haven't had much time to do any writing that's for sure! We are in New Hampshire right now visiting with family. Having a great time. Just wish we could stay longer:( Had a huge family dinner last night and afterwards we tried to sit by a fire in the back yard, but the skeeters were out in full force. They won the battle.

David and I along with Davey are gonna go to the flume today. I am so excited to do this. I hope to get some really great pics up there. I have seen pics from others and tit is really pretty! Hopefully, we won't be going into any mountains that are really high. You know me.

Tomorrow is girls day out!! So excited for that! The guys are all going hiking in the mountains and us girlies are hittin' the stores, yeehaw!! I haven't set foot in a store in about a week now. I'm having withdrawls!!

We are heading out to New York City on Friday morning. I can't wait to see that!! Then it's on to see a lifelong friend of my husband's, Kirk!! I am so excited to meet him. David hasn't seen him in over 20 years. So it should be alot of fun. Sounds like he's a great cook too from what I am hearing! Do I hear cook-off?

I am off to the back porch for a little prayer time alone before the rest of the family wakes up. It is so pretty out there, too. Great prayer area! Fountains, birds, gargantuan trees and the sun is shining so brightly!! See ya in a few....

Good morning! We are deciding today whether or not to take off to the east coast. The decision involves work, time and pets. We love our doggies, but boy when you have to leave town it can becomes a huge problem. Several have been asking for my recipe for Italian Cream cake. This is really moist as with all Italian cream cakes it does take a few extra steps, but the result is worth it! This will be my first post with a picture so I sure hope it works the way I want it to. I bake mine in a bundt pan rather that the three layered cake that it usually is. Oh, and don't forget on the frosting be sure not make the frosting too runny or it won't stay on the cake. The weight of the pecans will pull it right off of the sides! I hope you enjoy it!...

Italian Cream Cake

2 cups of sugar

1 stick of butter

1/2 Crisco

1 tsp. vanilla

5 egg yolks (add them one at a time)

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups of coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

8 oz. soft cream cheese

1/2 stick of butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. of butter flavoring

3/4 cup of chopped pecans

1 box of powdered sugar

I find that if you have all the ingredients measured and ready to go prior to starting it goes much smoother!

Preheat oven to 350. Pour buttermilk into a bowl and add the baking soda and set aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.

Cream the butter, shortening and salt. Add egg yolks one at a time, beat until blended after each one and then add the vanilla. Add the flour and the buttermilk and mix on low speed. Once blended add the pecans and coconut. Mix until incorporated. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Batter will be thick and light. Scrape the batter into your prepared pans that have been sprayed well with Pam. You can use round cake pans, a 13 x 9 pan or my choice is a Bundt pan.

Bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes depending which pan you are using.

For the frosting:

Cream the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and butter flavoring. Add the sugar a cup at a time until well blended. Add 3/4 cup of pecans and mix until coated. Add frosting to cooled cake.

I hope you enjoy it...

blueberries...

Goodness, today at Wally World they had "quarts" of blueberries for $1.00!! That's an amazing price. I bought 6 of 'em. I made a blueberry cobbler for hubby awhile ago and it was yummmmy! We had it with vanilla ice cream. I dished it up right when it came out of the oven. A lil' piece of heaven in a bowl!! I love any kind of berries, dew berries, raspberries, blackberries, I love 'em all.

I'm off to bed early tonight, didn't sleep good last night. Truthfully, I think it's my pillow. Anyways, I'm going to get up early in the morning and see if I can figure out how to put pics on this blog. Then I will be one happy girl...

My Blueberry Cobbler

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. cold butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until mixed in. Pour this into baking dish coated with Pam.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/4 cup of sugar. Whisk around and then cut in the butter using a fork or a pastry blender until coarse crumbs appear. Stir in the buttermilk just until it is moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the berries, pressing some down into the berries.

Bake uncovered at 375 for about 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve piping hot with vanilla ice cream and just indulge!!

Super day today!!

What fun I had today! Didn't start out that way though! Actually, it was one of those days where I should have crawled back in bed and stayed for awhile and then get up again! Couldn't find a whisk I was looking for, forgot to toast the coconut I so desperately needed for a pie and then before leaving realized I hadn't let one of the dogs out yet! But, as the morning progressed it got much better.

Delivered two pies and an Italian Cream Cake for one of my clients. She was thrilled!! I'll call her later on tonight and see how they were. I am going to try to put the recipe for the cake on here in a minute with a picture, too. It will be my first attempt at doing so. Hope it works. Tah, tah for now...

off to the kitchen...

I have to bake 2 pies today and one Italian Cream Cake for one of my clients. She's a jewel. I am gonna have to run to the store first and get some apples. I only have three and that would be a very small pie!!

It's gonna be really hot out today, so I mind as well be in where it's nice and cool! 97 for a high today, but we all know here in Oklahoma that it will definitely be hotter than that. I bet we see 100 plus today. I'll let you know about that.

Let's get Going...

Okay, I always wanted to do this sort of thing...so why not today!! I just want a place to write my thoughts on everything. It will probably be about food and just my daily life. I hope it works, we'll just have to see.