Easter Baking

This year I have found a love for baking... I love trying out new stuff, working to make it look better and of course enjoying the eating of those scrumptious items.  In the fall, I began to learn pies and supplied the family Thanksgiving celebration with pies.  I may have went overboard wanted to make sure there were plenty of options so there were 7 pies for 20 people.  Christmas was a repeat but with less pies (due to the amount of teasing I got for so many) and then of course someone said, "but you didn't make the pie I wanted!" Really? Than no more harassing me! Lately cupcakes and home-made cakes have been what I have been dabbling in and I can't quite decide what to take to Easter (I'm in charge of desserts again!)

Although I have no idea what to make, so I've been scouring my favorite foodie/baking blogs and have found some fun ideas....

Candied Easter Popcorn (I think the kiddos will love this one!)

http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2011/04/17/candied-popcorn-for-easter/

Easter Candy Bark

http://gingerbreadcake.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/easter-candy-bark/

And of course I love a good white cup-cake... there's just something about it, with home-made buttercream of course...

http://www.joyofbaking.com/WhiteCupcakes.html

Oh and I found this Funfetti Cake Batter recipe... Yes Please!


http://gingerbreadcake.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/funfetti-cake-batter-pie/

So anywho's I better decide today what I'm making so I can stock up on ingredients and get to baking Thursday AM!

What to Blog About?

I have remained rather silent on the blog front and have mainly read other's blogs (which I greatly enjoy). Lately, I have really been wanting to get to actually blogging, in the past I struggled because as my Dad used to say I sometimes get diarrhea of the mouth (crude right?).  Nonetheless, its pretty true.  The only problem with this is I don't want my thoughtlessness to affect my Hubs.  So I will be blogging and trying to slightly (only slightly) monitor/edit my thoughts/writings.

So now the thought is, what in the world do I do with this blog?  Well, currently I'm about 4 weeks from graduating from Grad school, about to look for a new job, doggie paddlin' to keep my head above water and trying to loose weight.  I have already lost 11lbs. While that is exciting, I have not lost much weight over the last few weeks, thus I am looking to spur on my weight loss and will take you along in my journey.  More to come later, Hope you're all having a Wonderful Wednesday!

the Lottery

We're members of a Baptist church & the lottery is not socially acceptable... Hubs & I don't ever play the lotter but sometimes we drive by the huge billboards that tell about how much money they're giving away, you know the ones THOSE ones the ones that make you say, "If we won the lottery I'd (fill in the blank with w/e your heart desires).

So we have this conversation oh every month or so since we've gotten married.  They're lots of giving it away, thoughts of having lots of babies and staying at home and then of course the analytical Mr. that I have will say, "but you know we have to work through the first year after we win, thats where everyone messes up, they don't work" to which I normally respond to in this fashion, "you can continue working? We don't need both of our incomes & the lotter" lol

Today, we were talking about the desire to be at home together quicker than what we will be tonight with both of us having to work 12 + hours today (fairly normal) and the lottery conversation comes up b/c we want to not have to be slaves to our jobs today (blah blah blah we both LOVE our jobs, just not always the crazy hours & schedules!) and the lottery conversation came up and I said, we should play so we could win...  The Mr. gave his normal response (see above) to which I decided that w/o the instant gratification there wasn't much chance of either of us running out to buy a lottery ticket.

26/M/Tulsa, OK-- My brother!

Okay so it has been forever since I've posted on my own blog and instead I've just been reading others.  One of the encouraging blogs I have been reading is called Kelly's Korner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ and this week on SUYL she's doing a show us your singles and thus I introduce to you one of my dearest friends since birth... My brother.  I didn't ask his permission to do this, but he's always teasing me that I need to help him get married, so here goes nothing!

That's my brother, Randle, myself and our Momma at my wedding! Randle is a 26 year old teacher (agriculture/FFA).  He lives and teaches in the Tulsa area; he loves the Lord and loves learning more about him.  Randle loves his jobs and enjoys getting to help mold the young lives of his students (they LOVE him!)

There he is in the middle, being goofy with his students on a FFA trip. Randle has a great sense of humor, loves his OSU Cowboys (graduated 2006, Magna Cumme Laude (he's smart too!)) He loves to watch sports. Randle is extremely loyal and loves his family and friends.  Randle helps out our widowed grandmother by making sure all the extra "man stuff" is taken care of.

Here's Randle as the best man, at his friend Cody's wedding!  Randle can be a little reserved until you get to know him, but he has a wonderful personality, he's super funny oh and ladies... He can DANCE! He'll burn up a dance floor like its nothin' (especially if its two-stepping).  And I would be amiss if I didn't mention what a great husband and father Randle will make one very special lady.  Randle is responsible and cares about providing a good future for his family.  Little kids love my brother! He just attracts them like no-one else I've ever met.

There he is w/ my best friends little boy!  So ladies don't miss out on my wonderful brother who loves the Lord and is just what you're looking for.  If you're interested in meeting my brother please email me @ rendyjanssen@gmail.com and I'll send your info on over to him...