Thai Lettuce Wraps

....like at the Cheesecake Factory! My attempt at making this fabulous appetizer at home was a success! I was proud to discover that they tasted very similar!

... this is my friend, Rebecca, bravely trying out my new creation. This is not the first time she has been my guinea pig! (and knowing us.... it probably won't be the last!)

Meet Isaac...

I am taking care of this cute little five month old fellow full-time now while his parents have to be at work. He is so precious and you can see from the pictures that he is a lot of fun!

preparing for baby

A pretty little bassinette... all it needs is a pretty little girl to put in it! :o)

We're on a tight budget, so instead of purchasing a chest of drawers for our Little One, we decided to refurbish this old bookcase with some baskets to organize our baby's room.

Cinnabon Rolls at Home!

After trying this recipe once it became an immediate family favorite and I have since baked these several times! They are simple and absolutely FABULOUSLY delicious. My dear husband raves about them and will eat the leftovers days in a row! The only drawback is if you don't have a bread machine... (in which case I would strongly encourage you to get one.... what a valuable investment!)

Dough

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 Tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour
1/2 of a (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding
2 1/2 tsp yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread machine in the order listed above.
2. Select the "dough cycle" setting and start machine
3. Once cycle is complete, remove dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to approximately a 17x10 inch rectangle.

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tblsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon

1. Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, mixing well.
2. spread softened butter over rolled out dough
3. sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over top
4. roll, as for jelly roll, pinching edges closed when completely rolled
5. slice rolled dough into 1-inch slices. Place into three (greased) 9 inch pans (**I usually do two pans with about seven rolls)
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30 mins)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. DO NOT OVER BAKE!

Frosting:

2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tblsp butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp milk

1. Combine all ingredients until smooth
2. spread onto warm rolls

If I am making this recipe for breakfast guests, I usually try to do most of the preparation the night before; combining all dry dough ingredients in one bowl, and preparing the filling ingredients in another bowl. That way in the morning I can pretty much just dump it in the bread machine and push start. (and go back to bed :o)

I also learned from my grandmother that an easy way to cut the rolls, is to use a piece of string or floss. Just wrap the string around the 'log', crossing over the top and pull the ends. It makes a beautiful clean cut without squishing the cinnamon roll log with a knife.

This recipe makes lots of rolls, so if I am making it for just Aaron and I, I've learned to shape the rolls, and then freeze one pan. That way, at a later time, I can thaw them out, raise them and bake them fresh!

I'd love to hear if you've tried this recipe and how it turns out!

babysitting the Fullertons...

This is Christopher ... he is a chubby little cutie! While taking this picture, his two year old brother James insisted, "No, ME!" and immediately posed....

He knows what cameras are for.... cheesy smile and all!

It's a girl!!

Care Group

5 Months...

...and I'm finally starting to look pregnant!

Bittersweet Chocolate Roulade

This evening we will be having dinner with some dear friends from San Antonio.... John & Darcie Newton, and Tyler & Alyssa Sultze. .... My task? To create a delicious dessert to contribute to the meal. Easy... right? Well, it would have been easy had I not picked a very intricate and involved recipe. An airy chocolate cake rolled and filled with espresso- mascarpone cream and drizzled with a delectable bittersweet chocolate ganache. (you are doing well if you can even recognize the words, mascarpone or ganache :o)

Four hours later, with lots of tasting along the way, and a royal mess to clean up in the aftermath.... (who knew that chocolate could sneak its way to stick to so many random body parts? Elbows.... face.... ankles... (yes ankles.... I tend to take baking rather seriously)) I was proud to have my dessert complete and ready to accompany us to our lovely dinner party this evening.

Though it tastes absolutely wonderful.... I will probably tuck this recipe away for a very long time.... what an adventure!

Five Years

Yesterday, July 17, 2008 is the five year anniversary of our huge car accident. As I ponder God's goodness and sovereignty I cannot help but be overwhelmed. From a human perspective, I should have died five years ago.... but how humbling to realize that God was not finished with me then.... and I'm still alive today, which means that I have not fulfilled His whole purpose for me yet. A few words from my journal then....

"I was almost killed last night. I was in a horrible car accident. God's protection just overwhelms and amazes me. It was about ten thirty. Mrs. Montgomery was driving their suburban, and her mother-in-law was sitting in the front passenger's seat (we'd just picked her up from the airport for a visit). Lori and Mother and I were sitting in the middle backseat bench.

We were driving along, having a grand ol' time, laughing and talking... then a skunk scurried into the road. The suburban swerved.... then over correct. It was screeching and fish-tailing all over the road. As it was happening, I kept thinking, "No! This isn't happening! This just can't be happening!" Someone started praying out loud, begging for God's protection. Then, the car went of the road. We rolled three times down a slope and then hit something which sent the huge suburban air-borne. As it flew through the air, it seemed in slow motion.... yet at the same time dizzyingly fast. I kept thinking, "Is this what it's like to die? I know I'm going to see Jesus in a minute. I can't believe this is happening!" Suddenly, it was all over. The suburban landed with a horrific crash, upside-down. We were hanging from our seat belts. My first thought was, "I'm not dead!" Then I looked up and saw Grandma Montgomery hanging upside down with blood everywhere and I thought she was dead. Mother had not been wearing a seat belt (because it was broken) and she was crumpled up underneath me. I thought she was dead also. I just started sobbing. Both of them were fine.

I cannot tell you how scary it was to be sitting on the grass outside of the upside-down vehicle looking through the broken windows into the wrecked suburban. The lights were still on and there was glass everywhere. It didn't seem real. The car was absolutely crushed. I remember looking at it thinking, "I just can't believe I was in there. I just can't believe I'm alive. I should be dead right now"

When the police came to the scene and saw the skid marks and the crushed upside-down suburban they said that it was a miracle that we were not all killed. Someone should have died.... and none of us did. We walked away with only bruises and cuts and scrapes and a badly sprained arm.... I'm speechless"


As I think back on God's goodness to us and His protection over us that day I am overwhelmed with gratitude. God is good. But the question is, "Would God be any less good if one us were killed? Would He be any less protective of His precious children if He had chosen for one us to die that day?" The answer is no. God is good. God is sovereign and in control. His purpose for our lives was not complete and because I'm living today..... I have a mission.

A Life that Says Welcome

I've just finished reading Karen Ehman's book, "A Life that Says Welcome".... how inspiring and encouraging it has been! The book is scattered with practical tips for keeping a tidy, organized home, solutions to hospitality hang-ups, cheap ways to decorate tastefully, recipes, and innovative ways to use what you already own to create a warm, cozy and welcoming home.

Besides the practical cleaning tips and simple hospitality ideas, one of the most inspiring things that Karen reminds women in her book, is that your house does not have to be a certain square-footage, or look like the cover of a southern living magazine in order to be hospitable. "If there's room in your heart.... there's room in your home." Hospitality is a heart-issue.

I highly recommend this book to any woman seeking to honor God by always being ready to open her heart and home willingly to others!

amateur blogger...

So I am finally venturing cautiously into the world of blogging... attempting to give family and friends an ongoing glimpse of our life here in Louisville. Up until now, I have deemed our simple life too "boring" to bother to blog about (really...who wants to read about us??) but as the weeks go by leading up to the arrival of our Precious Little One, I thought it might be wise to at least make an attempt at this blogging thing.

There you have you have it. I will try to keep you posted on all of our very exciting family news... (and of course all of the other ordinary and simple daily happenings in our life!)

Happy reading!