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::12 Weeks Along::

                          Last week of my first trimester!! The Lord is truly blessing!! We are so thankful!!



::: 8 WEEKS PREGOO :::

Thank you Lord, I'm loving this journey! :)

::Graham Cracker Cookies::

Okay, these you MUST have!!! :) They are SO simple & so scrumptious. I just love them! Here's the oh so simple recipe:

1 Box Graham Crackers (Honey)
2 Cups Powdered Sugar (Or More)
2-5 TBS Milk
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Food Coloring Of Your Choice

Mix all ingredients below Graham Crackers together. Add in milk little by little. Remember if you're adding food coloring that is more liquid to the frosting, so make sure you add that before the milk. Split the Graham Crackers in half and frost one side. Place the 'top' on the frosted side and set on plate.

*I know this sounds crazy, BUT they're even better when they sit out for a few days UNCOVERED... When they are a little "stale" they're even better. :) EnJoY!

::6 Weeks Along::

No sickness yet, PTL!! Just really tired.... I keep gaining and losing weight!! Lol, I get excited when I gain and then I lose it... BUMMER!! Haha :) I'm 6 weeks and 1 day along and LOVING it....

This is what's happening inside my belly this week:
[[By week 6, your baby's brain and nervous system are developing at a rapid pace. The larynx starts to form as does the inner ear. Optic vesicles, which later form the eyes, begin to develop this week on the side of the head, as do the passageways that will make up the inner ear. The head and tail of the embryo are formed, limb buds are present, and basic facial features begin to appear. Your baby's heart will begin to beat around this time, and the earliest forms of the digestive and respiratory systems appear. Because their legs are curled up against the torso for much of the pregnancy, making a full-length measurement difficult, babies often are measured from the crown to rump rather than from head to toe. In week 6 of pregnancy, your baby is 0.08 to 0.2 inches from crown to rump.]]

:::Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze:::

Ingredients:

4 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1/3 C. white sugar
2 C. warm water
1 TBS salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
--------
1/2 C. white sugar
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
4 TBS. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/3 cup sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and 2 cups flour. Beat mixture for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and oil. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

2.When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together brown & white sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

3. Get some butter in your hands and spread over rolled out dough. Then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over all the dough. Then roll into a log and cut into inch thick rolls. Lay in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle any remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture over the tops of rolls.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden. (350 Degrees)

GLAZE:

3 C. Powdered Sugar
2 1/2 to 3 TBS. of milk
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together besides milk. Add the milk in little by little until you get the consistency you want. I like to be able to drizzle - not spread mine, so I add all the milk. I also heat my glaze up in the microwave before to better drizzle it. EAT HOT :) YUMMM! ENjoy!

[[5 Weeks PreGGo]]

Praising God for another week of Pregnancy! I have no morning sickness (yet) .. Lord willing it will stay that way! I've been craving salad & celery with lots of ranch! I have been extra tired & my lower back hurts.... But i'll take that over being sick all day - ANY DAY :) We are SOOO thankful for this gift God has blessed us with and are enjoying the ride sooo very much!

[[Crunchy Almond Butter Cupcakes With Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting]]

Recipe:

Crunchy Almond Butter Cupcakes

2 C. chopped almonds
1 ¼ C. softened butter, divided
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 C.  flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
3 TBS. Cinnamon (or more)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt ¼ cup of the butter. Add the sliced and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until almonds are toasted and smellin' yummy! Watch carefully - don't burn! Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar, cinnamon and remaining cup of butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add the dry mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Mix well after each addition. Stir in 1 1/3 cups of the toasted pecans. The remainder will be used to top the cupcakes.

Spoon the batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C. vegetable shortening

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 tsp.  vanilla extract
4 C. sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 TBS. milk
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

[[::I'M A MOMMY::]]

This is the reaction of my sweet husband finding out he's gonna be a Daddy. I wrote on his plate "Congratulations! You're Gonna be a Daddy" ... So after he was done eating his dinner, he'd see the message :) ... Let me tell you - HE NEVER EATS THIS SLOW! I had to wait all day for this and I thought I was gonna DIE!!!!!!!! Hahaha... Later my famiy came over... My mom and sister already knew but my Dad didn't... We got his reaction on tape too!! I'm so thankful for God's Gift to us. I can't describe my excitement nor can I describe how very THANKFUL I feel and how blessed we are!! THANK YOU LORD!!

::Determined To Have My Garden In Pots::

So... here it is! The beginning of my Herb Garden. I planted Sweet Basil, Italian Parsley, Thyme & Chives! We will see how it turnes out. I read up on planting in pots, especially with Herb Seeds .... This is my first time with this & I'm hoping for the best!! I love fresh herbs way more than store bought dry herbs.... So I really hope it works! :) Here's some pics of my "Garden In Pots"...

:::A Disaster That Turned Into A Delight:::

OH MY GOODNESS! Have you ever had one of those days in the kitchen where EVERYTHING goes wrong? Well... THIS was my day!

We were planning on meeting up with the family for Pizza Night at a local place in town & after everyone was gonna come over and have desserts at our house..... SO, I begin my day of planning. I had just made Chocolate Chip Cookies, so for a little variety I decided to made two more things. I made Chocolate Cookies With Peanut Butter & Mini Carrot Cakes. Well the recipe I found for the cookies seemed A-OkaY! After I baked them, I tasted one and I thought it was awful!! So dry..... (To my taste that is....) So, I made a little Peanut Butter Frosting For them which may have helped a bit, but I didn't eat any after that first bad taste! :) Secondly was the Mini Carrot Cakes! I was so excited about these... I love carrot cake and found a recipe for cupcakes. So I decided to make them in Ramekins for the visual effect & had made a buttercream frosting and sweet cream Cheese frosting. WELL - you'll see the pictures below & you'll get the rest of the story. IT WAS A DISASTER!!! I was able to save some of the batter and turn them into "Creamy Carrot Cake Bites" ... I liked them but the end result was NOT what I had planned! :) We ended up having a great time visiting with the family anyways, and they were all sweet enough to complement my "ROUGH" Day's work in the Kitchen! :)

This was before my "Mini Carrot Cakes" Entered my oven!

THIS ........ was after! UGH - sense my frustration! THEY ALL BOILED OVER!

This is what the remaining batter turned into. Not so pretty, but I had to do something with it! They were good, but not what I had planned!

My Oh So Lovely .... Disaster Day In The Kitchen :)

:: Breakfast :: Birdies :: Decor :: And More ::

My Little Birdie Friends. They Come Every Day To Eat My Food... Lol, Which Is Anything From Bread, Crackers, Cookies, Veggies.... Whatever I Can Grab!! :) & There Is Now A Whole Family That Comes. A Dad & Mom & Like 5 Little Babies.

This Would Be The Big Breafast I Made For My Lovey: Breakfast Burritos, Spicy Saugsage & Onion Red Potatoes, Bacon & A Stuffed Omelet!!! Not my cup of tea... But he loved it :)

GORGEOUS Rainbow! It NEVER Rains In Surprise, But When It Does Ya Gotta Savor Every Second Of It! God's Creations Are Just Beautiful!

More Decor - LOVE Animal Print :)

My Table Setting For A Family Dinner. I Got These Set Of 8 Plates At The Good Will For 99 Cents Each!! Washed Them Lots - GOOD AS NEW :) The Striped Placemats I got for 33 cents each at Walmart!! WOW :) And The Round Cream One's At Kohl's!

Got This "Bed-In-Breakfast" Ivory Tray At Hobby Lobby For A Few Dollars! What A Steal :)
And Candles - You Can Never Have Too Many!!

This Is On Our Dinner Table!! Got The Candle Stand For SO CHEAP At Hobby Lobby :) Placemats At Kohl's...

I Got This At Hobby Lobby For Half Off :) Gotta Love Their Sales!

Decor In My Kitchen! Love The "A" Picture My Mom Got For Me :))

Black Plate (Hobby Lobby) - CENTS & Lamp At Ross For SEven Bucks!!

:::Paula Deen Is The QUEEN:::

I got a new Chocolate Chip Recipe from foodnetwork.com! It's FABULOUS! She made it with different chocolates but I just used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. I made an extra-big cookie for my hubby and me. We put Vanilla Ice Cream on top! SO DELICIOUS! :)

Here's the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/three-chocolate-cookies-recipe/index.html

ENJOY :)

::::Heavenly BaNaNa Bliss ::::

Oh my goodness gracious! If you like banana bread, banana oatmeal drops, or just plain bananas you are going to L-O-V-E this dessert. It has TOPPED any banana bread or banana dessert I've ever had! I found a cupcake recipe that sounded good, but took a few ingredients out and added some more of my own and ended up making something completely different....... JUST TRY IT! You'll fall in love... :)

Heavenly Banana Bliss With Cinnamon Honey Glaze

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 mashed bananas

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

A Dash of Cinnamon & Milk

1.)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini ramekins with non-stick oil. Whisk
together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  

2.) Peel and half bananas in separate bowl and add a little bit of milk and cinnamon - eye it. Heat it in the microwave for aboout 15 seconds. Then Mash well.

3.) Make a hole in the center of flour mixture.Then, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir, making sure all the flour is incorporated. (I poured my batter into a glass measuring dish so it'd be easy to pour into the ramekins). Fill your batter to the lower rim of your ramekin. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of batter. 

4.) Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (Poke a toothpick in the middle - should come out clean). Remove ramekins from oven; best served hot with warmed glaze. Drizzle with Honey-Cinnamon glaze. ((I didn't have any, but I think chopped walnuts would be FABULOUS on top of this dessert.))

Warm Cinnamon Honey Glaze

 

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 TBS honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients together using an electric mixer. Blend until smooth. Heat in microwave or on stove top before serving. Drizzle over your banana dessert. Serve, Enjoy!!

[[*When I served this to my Husband and Great Grandma I decided to take the dessert out of the ramekin, put it on a plate and then drizzle the glaze. That way you get more glaze. If you don't want more of the glaze - eat it out of the ramekin and it's perfect. :)]]