Where has the time gone?!

Seems like forever ago since I was last on here.. Oh wait! It was forever ago! Lets see.. What has happened in the last 2 months.. Well, my friend and her 3 kids have moved in with us. This has been a new experience! I am no longer working.. I quit my job at the Zoo due to my car being broken and not having a way to get to work..

Um, what else? My husband is now a student at the University of Texas Arlington. I couldn't be more proud of him!

I've been getting back into baking, so look out for future food posts.

I am getting to go to Oregon for a visit. Just me. The hubs has to stay here.. I'll be gone for 2 weeks. Should be a ton of fun! I have not been home in 2 years. I already have tons of stuff planned! Trips to the coast, pedicure party, lunch with old friends and hanging out with the fam. I promise to take lots of pictures!!

Well thats all I have for right now.. Hope ya'll have a great Wednesday!!

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake:

Prep: 30 min Bake: 12 min

Oven: 400 degrees Makes: 8 shortcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

5 cups strawberries

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet; set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl combine egg, sour cream, and milk.

Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until moistened.

Drop dough into eight mounds onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Meanwhile, combine 4 cups of the strawberries and the 3 tablespoons of sugar. Using a potato masher, mash berries slightly; set aside. To serve split shortcakes in half; fill with strawberry mixture and whipped cream. Top with remaining sliced strawberries.

Wordless Wednesday (Before and After)

Before hair cut

After hair cut

Game Night

I recently got to host a Game Night from House Party . It was super fun! I had some friends over from work and we had margaritas and played the games House Party sent me! I got the newest Trivial pursuit (its not out till August), Taboo, and Catch Phrase. I didn't get any photos of the action but i have some from before the guests arrived!

My fabulous House Party package

Coffee Cake and Peanut Butter Cookies

Goodie Bags and cheese and cracker platters

Table all ready for a night of fun games!

Changes are a Coming!

In 6Th grade, I met this girl who I absolutely could not stand. Her name is Teresa. We shared many classes together over the years, and by the time we hit the 8Th grade it seemed as though we had every class together! In our first period class we were forced to sit together for most of the year.. I would say by the middle of the year we were on track to being best buds! We also had another friend, Michelle who has a blog, here. By 9Th grade the 3 of us were inseparable.

Teresa and I in 8th Grade

The summer between 9Th and 10Th grade is my most memorable summer of all. That summer the 3 of us would spend days upon days at Teresa's house. Teresa's mom was so cool! She would take us cruising down by the university to check out hot guys and midnight trips to the coast. Her mom even sat out in a parking lot while Teresa and I were at a concert 3 hours away from home!

Michelle, Teresa, and I

But, alas the good times must come to an end right? Towards the end of the summer we learned that Teresa and her mom would be moving away! of course there were lots of letters written and visits made. I spent a few weeks with them the following summer. But as always we drifted apart some. Shortly after I left that summer Teresa found out she was pregnant. My mom and I went to visit when her daughter was a month old! And that's the last time I saw Teresa (her daughter is now 11!).

Don't get me wrong, we have stayed in contact, but have not seen each other since then. Over the years she would get a hold of my mom to get my number or address and we would be in contact again, and then drift away until the next time my mom would call and say guess who I just talked to! 2 years ago My husband and I made the trip to Oregon so he could meet the rest of my family ( we'd been married for 3 months at this point) and wouldn't you know it! not even a day after we left and got home, my mom calls and says, "Hey! There is someone here who wants to talk to you!" and knowing my mom that could be just about anybody! So she passes the phone and its Teresa. There in Oregon. A day after we left! If only she had been a day earlier or we stayed a day later I could of seen her again!

After we moved to Texas she found me on Facebook and we have been able to chat more regularly. She started to talk about family she had in Texas and moving down here to be near them. I was like well, what part of Texas??!! And when she told me my jaw just about dropped! I said,"Well, then! You better move on down here because that's the town I live in!!!!" Small world, eh?

So I am super excited! Her mom is on a plan right now on her way down here and Teresa and her kids (she has 3 now!) are driving and should be here Friday or Saturday!

Teresa and 2 of her kids

Oh and Teresa and her kids will be living with us! I am super excited to see her again but a little nervous about sharing my house with them. It's been just me and the Hub's and the kitty's for so long..

Wordless Wednesday

Remember me?

Hi ya'll! Its been awhile huh? I would love to say that I've been super duper busy and just have not had time to blog. But then I would just be lying to ya'll. I have not been busy.. I have just been lazy! Well, that and I just have not had anything I've wanted to blog about lately. I had wanted to turn this blog into a cooking blog. You know, share my yummy baked goods with everyone, but with the the way things are in life right now, I can't afford to bake stuff as much as I've been wanting too.

So, I figured its time for me to get back to blogging, and maybe I can't bake as much as I want to, but I sure do read a lot! So maybe I can talk about books I've read and throw in some day to day life stuff and occasionally throw in some baking! Now, I'm not talking about doing like book reviews or anything, maybe just post the books I'm reading and plan to read.. I can tell you if I like the book, but other than that I'm not much good with review writing!

I also decided it was time for a blog makeover, to go with my fresh start. Of course I think anytime is good for a blog makeover! There are just way too many cute blog designs out there! That's why I could never pay for a custom one.. I would just change it to a free layout a month or two later! Lol!

Well, I went to the library today and picked up 5 books.

I got Burned by P.C. Cast, The Smart one by Ellen Meister, Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Willow by Julia Hoban, and the Hypnotist by M. J. Rose.

Right now I am reading The Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot. I am almost tempted to put this book down so I can read Burned. I have been waiting for the 7Th installment of the House of Night series forever! But I will be good and finish the one I'm reading first!

Have any of you read any of these books? What are you reading now?

Today at work..

As I was passing the Meerkats on my way out of work today I over heard a woman ask her child if there was only one Meerkat and the child said "Yes, there is only one. The others are dead!" Of course all our Meerkats are not dead.. They just didn't want to come out today. I thought this was cute and had to share!

Update

Just a quick update on my niece. We think we know where she is and she has been in contact with my mom. My mom has offered her a place to live, but there are a lot of things that need to get cleared up. At least we know she is safe! Thanks for all your prayers and concerns.

Please Pray

My niece who is 15, ran away this past weekend. I've been told that she has been spreading a lot of lies about family members and friends. Lies that are hurtful and could get some people into trouble. I'm not sure if I believe that part, but I do know that she has been gone since late Friday night. My sister has already filed a report with the police and is putting up posters in their neighborhood. Please pray that she is found and returned home safely.

Thanks.

You Might Remember Me...

I use to post here often..

Yeah yeah I know I haven't posted anything in a really long time. Yet somehow I managed to gain 5 followers! Hmm.. Maybe I need to take month long breaks more often! Just kidding.. maybe..

I've had so much craziness going on lately. My goal for this blog this year was to post more recipes and less life stuff, but I can't afford to go out and buy stuff to bake something different every week.. My poor shiney new mixer is feeling very neglected!

For those of you who don't know, my husband is no longer working, and has not worked in quite some time. He is going to school full time to hopefully better our futures. He is doing very well in school and just got accepted to one of the local Universities!! But him not working has put a strain on our financial situation. During the winter at the Zoo everyone gets their hours cut. So my pay check saw quite a pay-cut! Luckily spring is almost here and that means more people coming out to see the animals!

I've started selling Avon to try and help bring in some extra income. I've had a few orders here and there, but its going very slowly! It can only get better right?!

The only other major thing that has happened since I last blogged, is the fact that I had a major blowing out with my sister. I'm talking about the sister that I pretty much moved to Texas for. No, I'm not going to go into details to respect her privacy, but lets just say I don't expect to hear from her ever again. Its been since the middle of Jan, that I last spoke to her. Her last words to me were to tell me where I can shove my perfect life.

So other than all that life is grand!

I'm thinking about doing another giveaway.. not sure yet.. Any ideas?

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I had a ton of frosting left over from the sugar cookies, so I figured some carrot cake would go nicely with cream cheese frosting. Except I didn't have enough left to frost a whole cake.. So cupcakes!

Plus I got to use my shiney new mixer to make the cupcakes!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Prep: 1 hour Bake: 22-26 min

Oven: 350 degrees Makes: about 30 cupcakes

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups finely shredded carrot* (lightly packed)

3/4 cup cooking oil

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

Allow eggs to stand at room temp for 30 min. Meanwhile prepare muffin pans with liners. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In another bowl combine eggs, carrot, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into the prepare pans.

Bake for 22- 26 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Once cooled frost with the cream cheese frosting.

*Note: The carrots should be finely shredded or they may sink to the bottom of the cake.

Eat and Enjoy!!