It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas :)

Today we had a wonderful birthday party for my Aunt Carla and it made it feel like Christmas! My Aunt made an amazing fettuccine with nutmeg and cream cheese in it! It was wonderful! I'm going to make it now that way also whenever i cook :) I'm super excited! I could not find a recipe like the one she used online so i picked around and found my favorite fettucine recipe from Pioneer Woman and then added Cream cheese + Nutmeg to it.

1 pound Fettuccine Noodles
1 stick Butter
1 cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
5 oz Cream Cheese
1 t Nutmeg
2 large cloves of garlic

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a saucepan or skillet, saute garlic and butter. Then add cream, and nutmeg. Warm the cream cheese in a microwave and add some of the cream from, the fettuccine to water it down. Then add to skillet. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.
Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan.
Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.
Serve immediately as a main course or accompaniment to meat or salad.
Delicious!


Partially Copied from,
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/fettuccine-alfredo/

It's been awhile...

Sorry for not writing in so long! When I think of a reason why I haven't I only have excuses of being busy. Since I am home in Washington now for Christmas though, I plan on blogging more. It also helps that I am in bed, sick. I caught a bug on the plane ride home from South Carolina that has given me a sore throat, fever, and headache. It is nice to not have to do anything for a couple days, even though I would rather not be sick. I'm getting a chance to finally read a little, and look up recipes that I want to bake this Christmas. I finished up my 18 credits at Anderson University last week, and it was super exciting! I'm officially a Junior in College and will spend January-June with finishing up with 36 Credits so that in August I will be starting my Senior year and Graduating in April. :) I'm super excited with how everything is going with school, and work. In Greenville, I babysit and work for a plethora of families and I love all of my jobs. I watch an adorable amount of kids, and they are wonderful. I am going to miss them all month but I will be back to work in Greenville January 15th. I've got a lot of recipes running around in my head for Christmas!

This first recipe is for my dad. Homemade peppermint patties!

http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2011/11/homemade-peppermint-patties.html

I've never made homemade peppermint patties before, and I think they tend to be more on the difficult side. I think that this website makes everything easier though....I think that you should try to make these! :D

The next two recipes I have in mind are for my best friend Elea. I want to make her some to give her when I go with a friend to pick her up at the airport :)

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/red-velvet-cheesecake-cookies/

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/10/red-velvet-chocolate-chip-cookies-from-scratch/

These second one's are filled with a pumpkin pie filling but I think they would taste better with this filling,

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-chocolate-whoopie-pies-recipe

I would use butter or organic shortening instead just because I am not a fan of crisco...But whatever you have in your pantry will work. :) I really enjoy filling for cookies that has marshmallow fluff or filling in it...


The last recipe is for my mother. White Chocolate Eggnog fudge...:)

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/12/14/eggnog-fudge-recipe/#more-15154

I think these look like so much fun to make! Hope you find one you like!


<3

Peanut Butter Pie....

I read a post today on one of the Bloggers' I follow...

The post is at http://iammommy.typepad.com/

It's about a wife who's husband died suddenly of a heart attack..

http://www.injennieskitchen.com/

You can hear her grief as she writes, and I couldn't help starting to cry as I read it. Sudden death impacts your life in a way that makes you different..You aren't ever the same again. I think the main way I am different since Keith died is that I look at people and life in a way that makes me always think to never take the moments for granted. I know you are supposed to live life this way anyways, but its so easy for me to forget..I still forget...At any rate, as you read in the blog's above the blogger suggests making a Peanut Butter Pie and sharing it with those you love. I can't make a Peanut Butter Pie tonight but i'm going to spend some extra time with Hannah and mom tonight because the boys are gone.

We are going homemade body scrub tonight...Coffee sugar scrub...So maybe tonight you can go spend some extra time with the poeople you love tonight...Make sure to tell them you love them and appreciate them..Because you never know when they'll be gone and you won't be able to say those words to them anymore...

Love you mom and Hannah :)

Oh, and maybe make some Peanut Butter Pie from Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/another-pie/

I always feel better after blogging :D (Lemon Poppyseed Cake and Tandori Chicken)

Whew, I can't believe it has been so long since I have written on my blog! I am so sorry to all my readers. Life has been super busy :)

Yesterday I got to make 2 Lemon Poppyseed cakes, and one was with Buttercream icing and the other with Cream Cheese/buttercream icing. One was for my friends partyy at Jasleen's and the other was for Megan Timmerman's.

This website is where I got the recipe from, and I ran into the same problem that this author did with the cream cheese icing. The first cake I made I froze the layers, and made a buttercream. That cake worked the best. The second cake I did not freeze the layers and used Cream Cheese icing, and it caused the cake to tear apart. Therefore I would reccoment just making buttercream and not cream cheese icing with this cake. :) But whatever floats your boat!


http://alwayswithbutter.blogspot.com/2011/07/lemon-poppy-seed-cake-with-lemon-cream.html

Oh, and I give all photo credit to this blogger chick....I don't think her photos are copyrighted....:/ If yes, oh well! Hope she doesn't sue :D

I got to go to a beautiful wedding today! Congratulations Mary and Sam! :) I know that both of you are going to have a wonderful life together, and i'm so grateful for the privelege of being able to help out a little with the wedding this morning. :)

Last night, I had an awesome girls party at Jasleen's house and we got to do Henna! For those of you who do not know what Henna is,

Here is a picture....

Granted, this is not as elaborate as I got on my hands last night, but Jasleen did a pretty amazing job on my palm and foot :) I definetely want to do Henna again. It is an Indian tradition for their weddings and the history of it is fascinating.

Here is a Wiki Link about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna

This last week has had its up's and down's for me. I started an awesome job, and Thursday I had the chance to be (sort of) a personal assistant to my boss (Andee) who was organizing a wedding rehearsal dinner, and I learned so much! It was really wonderful, she is an amazing organizer and I learned so many good tips on putting together events. Also she kept herself so level headed and it was a wonderful challenge to me to always be level headed in situations. :) So AweSome :) I know that personally I would really like to plan events and I am thinking that it would be a fun side-job for me.

Tonight at the Timmerman's we are having Tandori Chicken! It's going to be amazing :) I would recommend you all to get off the computer after reading this blog and go make it!

Amen :)

Amazing pics of Alaska!

Before I show you pictures of Alaska here is some food that I made a few nights ago :) I don't really know what this was? It was kinda just a concoction I made with whatever ingredients were in the fridge...Either way it tasted really good :)

Alaskan Cod :)

We drove up to Harbor Mountain

This is a view towards the town of Sitka

My beautiful Best Friend Elea :)

Our Ride :D

ARTESIAN WELL WATER!!!! Mmmmmmm :D

Me- at the "end" of the road

I believe these next 3 pictures clearly depict Elea and I'd wonderful relationship....ENjoy!

I can’t believe I only have two days left here with Elea! It’s been amazing…I love her to death : ) We have had a blast. I had amazing Fish and Chips for the first time this week, reindeer sausage, fresh Cod, and Caribou (To name a few things).

Elea made Bbq Caribou burgers last night, and I cannot even mention how amazing they were. Except that they were amazing…and droolworthy.

We’ve been able to have many movie marathons too. I got to watch Julie and Julia for the first time too! I loved that movie! I for sure want to buy it and have it in my house/room. I can’t believe how amazing some of her recipes are!

Also, this week, I decided to start running with Elea, so on Monday we jogged/walked four miles and then today did the same thing.

It left me looking like this O_O

And incapable of walking up and down the stairs while still looking a young- thriving- energetic age of 20.

Ohmyword….Am I really 20? O_o Hmmm I’m going to have to think about that tonight. O_O

I got to read an awesome book while being here. I’m only about halfway through it right now, but so far it’s given me a lot to think about and process through. It is called, “One Thousand Gifts.” The book is by Ann Voscamp, and I find her writing style very interesting. I don’t care for it in particular myself, but what she is writing on is very applicable to my life right now.


It has been one month and five days since Keith died, and it has been so hard on so many people. My heart goes out to his family and his closest friends every time I think of him and those days when I flew back to SC for the funeral. This book talks about grief and handling hardship in life, and Ann gives a quote by C.S Lewis that particularly touches my heart.

The quote is,

“If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.”

Ann then brought up the story of Hezekiah in the Bible, and how he did not want to die so he asked God if he could live for 15 more years and God granted him his request. The only problem is that, because of God letting this happen, Hezekiah’s wife bore a son that became the most evil king Israel had ever had…All because of how Hezekiah did not die earlier. Ann mentions that she had someone tell her, How maybe you shouldn’t want to change the end of a story because you don’t know what a different ending holds.” That line has been a really good reminder to me, because it has reminded me that I don’t know God’s plan, and just because my plan might feel better… Doesn’t mean it is the BEST plan. She also talks about being grateful, and giving thanks for hard things in life. For me that was the hardest part to read.
How can I be grateful for some of the things? The big question here for me is…

How can I thank God for Keith dying…

I guess that’s the biggest question on my mind. I can honestly say I haven’t gotten to the point where I can do that. I haven’t gotten to the point where I can thank God for that happening in my life. Not when I have seen all the people it has affected…I need to come to grips with life, and God, and realizing and remembering His Promises…Through that, I know that hopefully one day…I will be able to thank God for what happened with Keith…

Until then…I know though that I can reflect on His Promises… That even though my finite mind cannot understand why….

He does all things for GOOD

He does all things for his glory

His love endures forever

He understands what we all have been going through and can relate to it

He can provide all the comfort we need to get through…all these daily struggles.

Those five things help get me through those low points when I feel a sadness so great, I almost feel like I am drowning in it, and when I see other people’s lives aching in a way so much deeper than mine that I have no words to say to them because my words of comfort feel empty. God’s Word is never empty…Never void…and that comfort is what get's me through those sad days...


Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

I got to make this tonight :)

Yellow Cake with Butter/Cream cheese icing :)

The Main Thing is to keep The Main Thing.....The Main Thing......and Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Whooohoooo! This week has been crazy. I think Thursday and Friday Elea and I accomplished nothing but watching movies and eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough. :)

I have a confession to make to all my blogger readers.


I have never watched Lord of the Rings.

After telling Elea this, she decided to remedy the situation and on Thursday night we would have a marathon of LOTR. It was amazing....I don't know when we went to bed or when we got up, but we did it. :D I really enjoyed them. It's very difficult for me to imagine...having an imagination like Tolkein because I would have never been able to write a book like that. Because I do not have an imagination like his, I always end up having a deep respect for people who are able to write about what they dream up in their minds. I'll let this follow up to a book i read yesterday. It's called "Uglies" by Scott Westerfield. It's FASCINATING. I would actually recommend it to anyone. I really want my sister Hannah to read it because I think she would really enjoy it. I can only recommend the first book "Uglies" as I have not had a chance to read any of the other one's Mr. Westerfield has written.


The one on the right is the book I read and what the cover looks like, and the one on the left is the sequel.

"In a world of extreme beauty, anyone normal is ugly." (Fascinating concept :D)

Now to talk about Rhubarb Coffee Cake :)

I took this recipe from www.smittenkitchen.com....So I give her all the credit :D

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, melted
1 3/4 cups cake flour (I was out and used all-purpose and it worked great)

For the cake:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour (ditto on the all-purpose flour–worked just fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

2. To make crumbs [this step now updated, see comment #150] in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

4. Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

5. Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

I will have pictures of it up later :)

My Whereabouts

I am here in Sitka, Alaska. Which means that I am here with my best friend, Elea Chinalski, eating venison steak, chicken caesar salad, and anything else delicious, raw, and organic :D

I had a wonderful flight out here, it was beautiful and I flew straight here from Seattle. Elea's parents flew me out here as a birthday present to her, and I was thrilled. The last time I was here was when I was 18, and for Thanksgiving. Elea and I had so much fun together and I will never forget that Thanksgiving. I would recommend Sitka to anyone. It's beautiful. The mountains, hills, terrain, and ocean front are amazing to see. So relaxing. :)

Today it's raining, and I love it. I know that I got used to the weather in South Carolina, but there is something comforting to me about rain. Last night I got to make Death by Chocolate Cake. It's my favorite recipe for it chocolate cake.

The recipe for it is here,

http://www.cacaoweb.net/deathbychocolate.html

I prefer it with a chocolate buttercream frosting though, instead of the topping they recommend.

But meanwhile I have my eye out on this recipe,

http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/04/the-best-chocolate-cake.html

and this one,

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/the-best-chocolate-cake.html

and this one,

http://www.ryanbakes.com/2011/06/chocolate-cake-with-raspberry-whipped.html

:D Try one of them out please! :)

An Amazing Story About Our Military :)

"Two days after she laid her beloved soldier husband to rest Emma Weaver opened the laptop he'd had in Afghanistan and was overcome with emotion.
There were two Word documents on the desktop, one called 'Dear Emma,' the other marked 'Dear Kiley' for the couple's baby daughter.
Mrs Weaver realised her darling husband Todd, who was killed by an IED on his second tour of Afghanistan in September 2010, had written both his leading ladies goodbye letters in the event of his death."


The rest of this story is continued here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393166/Soldiers-messages-love-baby-daughter-widow-grave-dies-Afghanistan.html#ixzz1OBaO7fri
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393166/Soldiers-messages-love-baby-daughter-widow-grave-dies-Afghanistan.html

Psalm 9:9
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the hornof my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 22:24
For he has not despised or disdainedthe suffering of the afflicted one;he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

"He Maketh No Mistake"

This was a poem that Keith Johnson carried around with him. I was meaning to put this up in my last post, but I had forgotten about it. I believe the history of this poem is that A.M. Overton wrote it when his wife died from cancer. When John made a slideshow about Keith he intertwined this poem with the pictures. For those of us who knew Keith and knew about his struggle with depression it's perfect...

My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad to know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But I'll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.

Tho' night be dark, and it may seem
That day will never break,
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight's far too dim;
But come what may, I'll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He'll make,
Through all the way, tho' dark to me
He made not one mistake.

Keith Johnson

Some of you may be wondering what all has been going on in my life this last week and a half. While I was at BJU I had a group of friends i always hung out with on the weekendw. My boyfriend, Keith Johnson, the Gilstraps (Mr. and Mrs. and their son JA), and JA's girlfriend Andrea. Keith Johnson was John's cousin and best friend. Keith committed suicide while on vacation in Georgia last week with JA, Andrea, and some of her friends. It was completely unexpected and no one saw it coming. I flew out here Thursday night in time to help with the viewing and the funeral and i'll be here till Thursday this week. That is pretty much an update of my life right now. I've really appreciated everyone's prayers. I know Keith is in a better place right now, and that is what has been a comfort for everyone. This week has been hard, but i think the worst maybe hasn't happened yet because we all are numb. We all miss Keith, but I know I am not the one who misses him the most. John, Keith's family, the Gilstraps, Andrea, and hit others friends are the one's that are hurting the most and need the most prayer. Thank you all for your prayers and support...We really all appreciate it. :)

To Keith

Hey Keith,


Just wanted to say hello and tell you what I thought of you. I loved meeting you. I knew you had to be an amazing guy because John talked so highly of you. You were his best bud and I know you always gamed with him. I wish I had been able to get to know you more. I loved talking to you on facebook….Seeing you at the Gilstraps. Thanks for watching How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days with me and other chick flicks…I thought that made you amazing.:) Thanks for loving my cupcakes and food…I loved your smile and your hair. I know that I wasn’t the closest person to you or anything but I’m so glad that I knew you as long as I did. I know it’s too late to tell you all of these things, I wish I had told them to you as soon as I thought them. Thanks for giving me a hug goodbye when I saw you a few weeks ago. I am so glad I got to give you a hug… I promise you I won’t ever forget that hug. Thanks for letting me say goodbye… Thanks for being my boyfriends best friend…Thanks for those smiles of yours, they were darling… I know you are in a better place now, and I know your happy…:) I hope there is someone still making you things filled with sugar…I miss you…We all miss you….Love you Keith


P.S I Love your hair… You should have been a model with that hair of yours…☺

Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him…


Matthew 11:25-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light….

Amen

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, Gluten free.

In my opinion those are 2 words I do not care to have in my vocabulary, but since being home that is what i'm required to cook with because of my little brother, James. Today I made cookies with tapioca flour and i'm amazed! They are actually really good! They taste a little different and you have to really watch them when you cook them...

Plus...


I tripled the amount of chocolate chips your supposed to put in them....


Hehe....

But they turned out really yummy! I've realized that you can measure tapioca flour as the same amount as the original flour the recipe calls for and it works just fine. The texture is a tad bit grainy with raw batter but the graininess cooks out.

P.S The picture above is not actually what they looked like, but it's close ;)






On another note...


I love this picture....I post it thinking of my roommate Amanda Meadows :)

On another note...I have a love/hate relationship to tell you about...

Sometimes I love him...Sometimes


he makes me want to throw up my hands in the air and exclaim, "WHAT is this WORLD COMING TOO????"

This thing i have a love/hate relationship with is actually....

A blog...

I know...TOTALLY a surprise to all of you. This blog is The Sartorialist


I.E..... http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Sometimes he posts pictures like this

I mean awesome right? Dude this would even check at BJU! :D

Then, he posts stuff like this.....

O_o


I rest my case



*No copyright infringement intended...i give all copyright rights to the sartorialist etc...etc...etc...*

My favorite time on campus at BJU 2nd semester

Was in Barge...

Four days of blissful quietness

I could go to bed at 9....sleep till 10...

Didn't have to talk to people...

It was so nice..


-random blog of Ariell Eneix

Strawberries...amongst other wholesome goodness

Would you like to make this? I know you do, because I do. If we are any type of baker you know that this is what we like to do...:) If you want too just check out this website

http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/04/red-velvet-strawberry-shortcake.html

What about this beauty? Ohhh yes...I just know when I looked at this one i wanted to force Washington State into Strawberry season...Unfortunetely, unlike the rest of the world..We have had too much rain (Unbelieveable right?) and the strawberries are not in season yet...

Lord have mercy

To make this, follow this link....

http://snappygourmet.com/2011/05/04/dark-chocolate-strawberry-shortcakes-with-amaretto-cream/

AWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Its like utter pink cuteness! Now the main reason why i want to make this is because it's Strawberry Meringue Buttercream! Yes....

In a hushed tone...whisper....Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :D

http://www.morethanamountfull.com/2011/04/its-guest-post-friday-with-cakewalker.html



Now the only thing for you to do is go make 1 of these 3 things :D or 2 of the 3...

or 3 of the 3...

:D

then proceed to go run 10 miles...

Or just sit on your couch like me and watch Bones...Glee...Chuck...NCIS...and Vampire Diaries......

:D

On a completely unrelated sidenote...


I miss him

Things I learned/thought about on my flight from Greenville to Washington

-That I can only play about 17 levels of angry birds before my eyes start twitching

-Goodbyes suck

-The song “Anything but Ordinary” by Avril Lavigne reminds me of my best friend, Elea Chinalski

-The moment I said goodbye to my roomies and my friend Tori at BJU made me want to never make new friends ever again. Because then I might have to say goodbye to them and not leave until I take an excessive amount of pictures.

-That I finally started feeling like myself again after Wednesday…When finals were over, and after my Psych exam when I went and did some retail “therapy” and I wondered why that wasn’t an official proper way to deal with problems according to science.

-I realized on Friday that Zazby’s has amazing fried chicken strips

-My boyfriends family is wonderful :) (This is not a new realization, I just had to state it on my blog so everyone else in the world can know)

-The Hispanic/Latino community is really sweet and has amazing parties, and there church services are soooo different from us white people services…. :D

-I can’t wait to get home and go to the Movie Theatre.

-I can’t wait to go over to Jasleen’s house and watch 5 hour long Indian movies and eat Butter Chicken

-You get free stuff when you wear shorter skirts….
Now let me explain this one. For my new bathing suit attire I bought a Tankini and a shorter skirt to wear with it. (it’s not technically a mini skirt but its close..) Either way its cute. Because it was so hot and humid today in Gville I decided to wear it on the plane. Therefore I paid less for my luggage with the male attendant helping me… Woot right?
(Disclaimer- This is not meant to offend anyone :D)
Lesson learned for me?
When wanting to spend less money….wear a shor…HA JUST KIDDING…Always wear a Burka
-I can’t wait to visit Corban and drive again…lots

-I really like Jason Mraz…

-I miss blaring music really loudly when I’m alone in my car

-I can’t wait for my best friend to visit Washington State this summer

-I can’t wait to see my Best friend Elea this summer

-I can’t wait to have coffee/lunch with Megan this summer

-I can’t wait to ACTUALLY go to church on Sunday mornings instead of Mass!

-I am so grateful for my roomies, Tori, the Caballero’s, Elea, and Jasleen or else I would have died this semester (no joke)

-I should have booked my ticket home on May 14th because Kenny CHESNEY is coming to Greenville May 13th!!!!!!!!
I.E…Ariell kicking herself the entire flight home for being such an idiot and not looking at who all is coming to Gville to sing and play after being let out of school

-I really want to watch Water for Elephants and The Lucky One

-I miss Swing Dancing and Dancing period…This summer I would like to become good at everything I can…. It is one of my summer goals along with the all-time-existing one of losing weight

-I can’t wait to go to a cabin in the middle of nowhere with Elea in Goldendale this summer so that we can play loud music in her truck for 4 hours and eat fast food :D

-I am going to miss ChickFila…and Thai Restaurant…and Zaxby’s…and all the other restaurants that are in SC and not Washington. Therefore I propose I start up all those restaurants and become a trillionare overnight…

Sugar Cookies with Coffee Icing

Ingredients

FOR THE SUGAR COOKIES:

2-¾ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 cup Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Sugar
1 whole Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
_____

FOR THE COFFEE FROSTING:
1-½ teaspoon Instant Coffee
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
1 pinch Salt
½ cups Butter, Softened
⅓ cups Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2-½ cups Confectioner's Sugar

Preparation Instructions

For the sugar cookies:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder (the dry ingredients) into one bowl and mix
until they are all fully incorporated.

In another bowl, add the softened butter and sugar, and cream them together until it is nice and
smooth. To that, add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated (wet
ingredients).

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients slowly by adding in about a third of the dry
ingredients at a time and mix together, then add the second third, etc. Keep mixing until the
dough becomes a ball.

Portion one-tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake in the
oven for 10 minutes.

For the coffee frosting:

In a bowl, combine coffee, cinnamon, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
Then, add in the confectioner’s sugar and mix to thicken the frosting. Keep adding the sugar
until it becomes as thick as you want. For thicker frosting, add more sugar. For thinner
frosting, add less sugar.

Once it’s all mixed, it’s time to frost!

Thoughts

I think today goes back to the words of Pioneer Woman-Ree Drummond

"It ain't all that tragic..."

I find it hard today to write about everything i'm thinking. Not that you all necessarily want to know what i'm thinking but i feel bad that i haven't posted anything in awhile.

I guess it is because i feel like with every fiber of my being...

I really don't want to be here at Bob Jones University.

Wow, I can't even explain how much better I feel just really saying that, and admitting it. I'm not trying to say that I don't want to do what God wants me to do or anything like that. It's not that at all. I just have never felt like this place is where God wants me.
Ever.
Granted I think because I spent the last year here he has wanted me here so far....and there are so many good things here. This post isn't to discourage anyone from coming to Bob Jones or anything like that…It's just kind of so I can get the thoughts out of my head and heart so that maybe they will go away I guess. Before I came this year I thought that it would be easy to transfer somewhere else. I thought that staying the complete year would be good for me because it would be a way to "finish what I started," but now I just feel stuck.

I love my major here. It's amazing. I honestly cannot explain how much I love majoring in Criminal Justice and minor-ing in Biblical Counseling. That's it though. My classes and that's really it. Chapel is good, and I’ve made some amazing friends here and the best roommates I think any girl going to college could ask for...But here is not what I thought/wanted college to be like.

I wanted to be somewhere where I could learn how to sing better, play golf, compete, go out and stay out late on the weekends with friends just having good clean fun. Wanted to get a really good job, a car, go to church, and just do so much more... I'm one of those types of people to where I have these goals...and I want to meet them so badly that I will do anything to meet them. I don't like feeling hindered or held back. I think it's because I partly blame myself for coming here. I honestly didn't know enough about searching for colleges and looking to degree's I really wanted to know where to apply. I had my heart set for Masters, I wanted to so badly serve the Lord at masters... I loved the people...I loved the dorms, loved chapel, loved the dining common, loved the sports, loved the fun college nights where the college would go spend the evening watching a Disney movie on the grass...I loved going to Disneyland, and i loved the warm weather. Master's was everything I wanted in a college except one huge thing. They didn't have my major. I think I shouldn't have given up looking though...for the college that was my fit. Where I knew that "this college" was where i could grow and become even more a person of God than anywhere else i could have been at the moment.

I have a confession, sometimes I am really jealous of people back home going to college...When I see what they get to do on the weekends...When they are able to go home, have a Spring Break, have days off when they can rest during the semester….when it looks like they have what I knew I wanted in the college I went too. Maybe I am just being selfish, and I’m not seeing the big picture...I do admit that I could just be completely wrong with everything and this is where I’m supposed to be and everything...But I don't think that is it. I don't think God would have placed these desires on my heart if I wasn't supposed to go do those things.

I'm not trying to make it seem like I’m not grateful for people here. Honestly if not for John Caballero and his family I would have given up this school and this year in a heartbeat and gone home and transferred anywhere but here…No matter the cost. Also meeting Tori Fisher has made this year so much more enjoyable...There are so many other people too that i have met that are amazing. The people in my CJ classes, those I work with, roomies etc. They are all wonderful people... But BJU is not where I thought I should be to accomplish what I felt like God wanted for my life...
I do know that I could just be drained with it being the end of the semester and everything, and I would feel better about coming here to BJU again if I was able to live off campus. I guess I will get to see what the Lord does with that. I just hope that something opens up so I only have to be at BJU for classes, chapel, and a few other required activities and that would be it…
I think that is all I am thinking right now. Finals are tomorrow, and I would appreciate prayer with glorifying God with them and doing my best.

Love this picture.....

Easter Eggs and Fluffy Bunny Rabbits :)

Please click this link to see pictures of baby bunnies that will make you want to go, "AWWWWWW Must have Bunny NOW"


:D

Here is a sample picture...

http://alwayswithbutter.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-eggs-baby-bunnies.html#more

Friends :) Something Very Important

Fish Tacos, Living Gallery and Corban University

Yesterday I went to Living Gallery you can find out more here.

http://livinggallery.bju.edu/production.php

It's a huge production done here at Bob Jones University and is amazing. Words cannot describe this production. This years Living Gallery tackled the question "Why bad things happen to people," and "How does a 'loving' God send people to hell." Both very good questions to ask and Living Gallery did a good job of giving an answer.

Today I have been thinking about what to write about considering I have a lot of my mind. With school closely coming to an end, I am excited to see summer. Currently I am looking into transferring to Corban University in Salem, Oregon. I have not quite been happy here at BJU and I get to visit the Corban in about 2 weeks. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store. It's interesting looking at other schools, and seeing what all they have to offer. I was a little worried about Corban because they don't have anything involved with Biblical Counseling like here at BJU. But as of looking at my "Checksheet" (to graduate here at BJU) a few days ago i have realized that the class I am taking this semester is my last class in counseling I will be taking in order to graduate. I know if I end up going to Corban there are many things I will miss here in South Carolina but I figure that I will be able to come and visit during the summer if things work all out.

This weekend I have 2 huge papers to turn in on Monday. (Blegh) It will be a long weekend. Hopefully going shooting tomorrow with some friends will help me take out some of my bitterness about 5-10 page papers :)

I got a wonderful birthday package today from my family at home :) It contained wonderful things and i'm excited to be eating chocolate for the rest of my life from everyone at home :) I love my family :)

In closing I will post a recipe that I will hopefully be making over the weekend.

FISH TACOS!!!!!!

6 whole Talapia Fillets (or Other Mild Flaky White Fish)
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (I Use Frank's Red Hot)
Canola Oil
Lime Juice, To Drizzle On Grilled Fish
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 cup Southwest Slaw (see My Recipe Box)
¼ cups Cilantro, Chopped Medium-fine
_____
FOR THE MARINADE:
⅓ cups Canola Oil
2 whole Limes, Juiced
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce (from A Can Of Chipotles In Adobo)
_____
FOR THE AVOCADO CREAM:
1 whole Large Hass Avocado, Peeled, Seeded And Diced (I Recommend Calavo)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 whole Lime, Juiced
2 teaspoons Your Favorite Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt


DIRECTIONS

Important: Make sure the fish is fresh! It should be firm, with good color, and a clean briny (not fishy) smell.
If you can’t find talapia, any mild white flaky fish would work. Mahi mahi, cod, red snapper, or halibut would be fine.

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Put the fish in a gallon zip-top bag and add the marindade.

Slosh the fish and the marinade gently in the bag to ensure that all of the fish is coated.

Seal the bag (removing the excess air) and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Mash the avocado on a cutting board with the side of your knife.

Combine all of the avocado cream ingredients in an medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then
cover and refrigerate.

Tip: The marinade and/or avocado cream can be made up to a day in advance. (Then proceed to try a few spoonfuls and die in avocado cream blissfulness)




Start your grill and prepare for direct cooking over a hot fire (450-500º).

Remove the fish from the marinade and drain well.

Pat each filet dry with a paper towel.

Smear each side of each filet with a teaspoon of hot sauce, applying it as evenly as you can.

Oil the grill grate and both sides of the fish lightly with the canola oil. The oil on the grate
will smoke, so wait for it to dissipate.

Put the fish on the grill and cook for three minutes.

Flip the fish over and cook for another minute.

Move the fish to a warm platter, drizzle the fish with lime juice, and cover the platter with
plastic wrap.




Quickly warm each tortilla on the grill.

To serve, offset two tortillas by half, smear the inside with avocado cream, add some fish
chunks (separated with forks), then top with about two tablespoons of slaw and some cilantro.

Or, serve it family-style so that everyone can build their own.

Enjoy!

Coconut Cake is on the mind....

AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGH

You know those moments where you just want to cook something but you can't? Specifically why you can't is because you are in Barge staring at the different tiles on the ceiling? Granted maybe not all of you can relate with me in this moment because not every reader of my blog has been stuck in Barge (BJU's hospital/infirmary) counting the tile on the ceiling....So please


One of my readers...

Bake this cake for me? Than tell me how it went? :)

I have been told that Coconut Cake is a Southern Staple during easter....Granted I can't remember who told me that, but i'm sure someone did.


Here is the glorious Recipe...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-cake-recipe/index.html

Now I don't want any comments from people who think Coconut is EVIL.....Because then...

I will be tempted to call you....Evil....


and i have to be nice on my blog :D


Please go make Coconut Cake for me!!!



<3

Short shower heads

For all of you tall people you understand what those 3 little words mean. "Short shower heads."
Today i got experience the Barge showers, and I looked desperately for a comic strip that could portray what it was like, but I couldn't find one. It reminded me a little bit of what it was like on the Europe trip (Jasleen will know what I am talking about) :D Those are such good memories.

I was looking through some stuff for easter and I found this amazing popcorn recipe from Heather Cristo at

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

Granted I might be violating some sorta copyright thing by copying the pictures onto my profile...I will have to look into that and see if i'm violating blogger rights or something. :)


I will look into that later :)

Hope you get a chance to make something fun for Easter!

What to write about today

Today I get to experience Barge for the first time all year. Barge is BJU's hospital and I have to admit its really nice to be here because its nice and quiet...:D As of 11.00pm last night I ended up not being able to breathe through my nose anymore and I didn't sleep all night long. Around 630 I decided to go to Barge because my roommate Sarah said that you can get in through the back door as long as you ring the doorbell. :)

I've been here ever since. It's nice. I'm enjoying the drugs they give out here :D

Since i've had some downtime I got a chance to think a little bit about my birthday next week. I'm trying to decide on what I want to do, and I wouldn't mind some ideas from you on good bday ideas?
I'm think Lasagna, French bread, and Caesar salad? :)

Today as i've been looking through recipes I found this amazing recipe.

http://annies-eats.com/

They are Chicken Egg Rolls.. They look amazing :D Just click the link and you'll find out

Maybe if you make them your day will go better?

75 pounds of potatoes, Lobster, and Cheesecake

Yesterday was a crazy Saturday. This is why the title of my blog only contains food items.

I and the beautiful Sarah Finch got to peel and chop for potato salad 75 pounds of potatoes yesterday. It was almost the worst experience of my life a maturing experience. Unfortunately there is no photographic evidence of what we did because,

1. I didn't think you wanted to stare at pruned fingers
2. I didn't have a camera
3. I didn't have a camera

I also got to go to an amazing restaurant yesterday to make up for the experience. Due to a wonderful coupon I got to have Lobster. :D I gracefully got to wolf eat it in a very ladylike fashion, according to my boyfriends amusement, i'm sure. I think that was about all that happened yesterday that i wish to have evidence of on the internet.

Today is Sunday and it was wonderful being at church this morning. I had the privilege of praising the Lord by watching around 10 people being baptized. It almost brought me to tears seeing what the Lord was starting to do in the lives of people that ranged from the age young (4-5) to older (maybe 40's?)It's been awhile since i've been able to see people being baptized and I really can't say how much it blessed my heart.

Then I went over to the Caballero's and made Coconut Almond Cheesecake :D I would have a picture of that but by the time i thought about taking a picture....it was already in the oven, and I have no desire for that piece of beauty to "fall." So for the sake of me, and others that will partake of its goodness there is no picture....

For You. :D

My only piece of advice to you now is to hurry into the kitchen and make yourself an amazing cheesecake that when you eat will give you a glimpse of what heaven will be like....

I shall leave you on that note :)

Please enjoy your Sunday!

Dorm Life

Dorm life:

What does it teach you?


I’m sure many people have different theories/valid reasons….

Maybe the most logical one is that it teaches you to live with other people and helps you be more Christ-like, which is true. What about the reason that it, “Will help you when you eventually get married live with your spouse.”


I have serious doubts about that.

SERIOUS doubts…Does that mean your husband will act like how we women act in the dorms? I would love some feedback on this from any of you experiences dorm people that are now married maybe?:D


Meanwhile, I really want to cook these….Don’t they look amazing???!

These beautiful cupcakes are to me such a cute reminder of Easter coming up :) A celebration of Jesus' Resurrection is a wonderful thing to remember and think about.

They can be found at...

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/ :)

Updates in the life of Ariell Eneix

Hello Blogger World!

I am sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. I guess for awhile I had lost my passion for writing. I think the main reason I have decided to start blogging again is because I have started following so many blogs.  It is a great way to become addicted to things.

Here are my top 5

www.thepioneerwoman.com

www.stylemepretty.com

http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/

www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com

http://catalogliving.net/


I hope you can enjoy those blogs as much as I do!

A short update on my life is that currently I am going to Bob Jones University in South Carolina. My major is Criminal Justice and my minor is Biblical Counseling. I love both of them. I love LOVE LOVE my major and I am still figuring out whether or not I love my BC classes. My best friend is still Elea Chinalski and I’m still utterly close with Jasleen Kaler and Megan Timmerman from HS  They all are so wonderful to me and the best Godly girlies I could ever have in my life. I have acquired a new addition in my life though, and have gotten another best friend. He is my boyfriend John Caballero who I have known for five years, and who is an incredibly Godly man who I love being with.

I think that is the most time I have now for an update!


Have a beautiful day :)



Eat some chocolate :)