A Wedding

This morning I attended a simple, very little fanfare, wedding. But it was so very special, none-the-less.  I attended the wedding of my brother. Lots of living has happened for a number of years but my brother spent many of those years alone. And today he married his sweetheart.

From L to R:  my youngest brother, my dad, oldest brother (groom), my new sister-in-law (bride), and my mother.

Bride's daughter was able to attend. (middle)

Dear Brother and Sister-in-law, Praying for God to continue to provide guidance for your lives as you serve Him together.

Peanut Butter Cake Bars

This week’s dessert accompaniment to breakfast was Peanut Butter Cake Bars.  If you’re a peanut butter lover I think these will fit the bill.
2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pkg. (11-1/2 oz.) milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in vanilla. 
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips.  (forgot to take a picture of the best part)
Spread into a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. 

I doubled the recipe and put it in a large catering pan.

And remember I’m feeding the masses so I actually took the recipe times four to make two large pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Yummo!

This recipe was from a Quick Cooking Magazine.                                                          
Name attached to it:  Charlotte Ennis, Lake Arthur, New Mexico.

Mentors and Advisors

One of life sweetest blessings is when others invest in the lives of your children.  My three kids are all adults and married but it still tugs a little at the corner of my heart when God surrounds them with folks who love on them and invest time in them.

My oldest son, Mike, meets with "J", I believe it's twice a month.   What a joy it is for me to know that there is a Paul/Timothy effect being acted out for Mike.  Thank you, J, for the time and guidance you share.

Last Friday my husband & I and our two sons attended a one day Leadership seminar put on by David Ramsey.  We were introduced to this event through "J".  What an amazing day of Biblically sound information and a challenge in business leadership.   

Today's technology allowed for David Ramsey to be in Tennessee and his presentation was streamed live through 6 time zones and 1200 people. 

I just couldn't get a picture that had the screen shot clear and not a bright, white blurb.

It was good to be out of the office/workplace and spend the day with 'my guys'.  The three of them spend all day together at the shop while I work in my home office for the business.  We will continue to discuss, plow through and incorporate the things we were challenged to impliment and also were affirmed in those things that we are doing right.  We seek God daily for wisdom.

A Bridal Shower

(** OK - sorry folks.  Pictures were there before and now they weren't. Try again. )

Yesterday Betz and I had the joy of attending a bridal shower for my niece.

Bride-to-be (under the balloons) with her mother (wearing scarf) and two sisters.

I love the way today's cakes are so different and creative.  This cake design was taken from the plates they chose.

The shower was held at the home of the mother of the groom-to-be. One of the breakfast items she had was Pecan-Crusted Bacon. Now THIS I gotta try some time. She said she placed thick bacon on a baking rack, sprinkled it with brown sugar, a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper and finely chopped pecans and baked it for about 20 minutes. I only had two pieces and it was an act of true will power to keep it at that.

The groom-to-be is from a very creatively talented family. And the pictures and artwork the children (now adults) have created is displayed wonderfully throughout the home. He is a budding, upcoming artist and I would love to own one of his paintings but I can't begin to afford them.  He does various forms and styles of creativity but I believe he mainly enjoys abstract painting. Here are two large paintings that are currently hanging in his parents home.

This one (below) is large enough to be hanging in the two story high foyer.

I've told him I wish his thoughts while he is painting would run on a ticker tape for us to read....

So yesterday was the shower and we have a wedding to look forward to later this year.  In fact, there are two weddings planned in this family because 3 months after the first one another sister is also getting married.  Oh, and the third sister is expecting her first child. 

 Two weddings and a baby.

My, how life can change in one year.  =)

Cinnamon Flop

This past week for the 'warm carb' part of the employee breakfast I made a recipe I make often for this weekly event.  I've been making it for all of my married life as it is a favorite of my husband and the recipe came from his mother.  The name for this item came along with it as well and I do not know where it originated from.  It's something I never make the night before as it is best served warm and fresh from the oven.

Cinnamon Flop

1 1/2 cups milk   

2 cups flour

2 T. Crisco

1 cup sugar

2 t. baking powder

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Pour into and 8 x 8 pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and dot with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

For my gang I actually take the recipe 4 times and used a 13 x 9 pan and a 13 x 17 pan.  The above 13 x 9 pan has approximately the equivalent of taking the recipe 1 1/2 times.

It's a 'heavy', dense cake and really not one of my favorites but it seems to be a favorite for my breakfast gang.  It's a quick and easy, warm cinnamony, breakfast item.

Enjoy!