Merry Christmas!

Peanut Butter Balls

My friend Kim has a tradition of making Peanut Butter balls for Christmas every year. We work together and for the past two years she's invited some of the office ladies over to her house for an afternoon of Christmas cheer, martinis, and, inevitably, inappropriate ball jokes. It's always a good time and there's nothing better than going home with a bag of peanut butter balls for the holidays!

PS. You should also know that this was the day I discovered instagram....

I wish I could tell you the Peanut Butter Balls recipe, but I was too busy mixing martinis to pay attention.

Cupcakes from a box, Icing made with love

Do you ever eat chocolate cake batter by the spoonful and tell yourself that it's basically the same as instant chocolate pudding? Yea ... me neither.

My friend Laura is having a baby! Her baby girl is due to arrive just after the holidays and today we are having a shower in her honor. We're feasting on all things pink and white and celebrating the fabulous mom-to-be!

Some of you may know Laura better as the voice behind FoodSnobSTL.com. She a pretty creative food blogger so I'm ashamed to admit that all of the tasty cupcakes that I made for her shower came straight out of the box. I wish I could say I doctored the mix a little to give it a certain je ne sais quoi, but nope, they are regular old cupcakes. Don't tell! I did take the time to whip up my own icing though. Nothing fancy. Just some good old fashioned buttercream.

Buttercream Icing

1/2 c shortening

1/2 c softened butter

1 t vanilla extract

4 c powdered sugar

2 T milk

Cream together the shortening, butter, and vanilla. Carefully add in the sugar one cup at a time (watch out that stuff gets everywhere) while mixing on medium speed. Add milk until the icing is light and fluffy.

Free tip just for you: I use small cheap plastic baggies as icing bags. Simply cut off a tiny corner of the bag and viola! icing bag. Ready to make cute letters or design fun swirls. The best part is there's nothing to wash at the end :)

#21: Pretty Pattern

This is the most beautiful pattern on the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.

Yesterday, I wore this dress and married the most amazing man I know. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Day 7: Something new

This week I got 200 brand new kazoos in the mail.

I'll give you one guess as to what they're for...

Barns, Weddings and Pies - Oh My!

My friend Jen got married last weekend! Jen and Chris had their wedding at Kuhs Estate and Farm in Spanish Lake. It was beautiful. Every last detail from hay-bales covered with quilts under the old oak tree for the ceremony to the gorgeous wildflower bouquets lining the dinner table was full of love, care and style. Straight off of a pinterest pin board. I definitely should have taken some pictures....I was too busy eating the amazing food from Entre and the homemade pies from Jen's friends and family.

Speaking of pie...I made not one, but two pies on Saturday! An apple for the new Mr. and Mrs. and a peach (without cinnamon) for my Mr. I was a little nervous about all this pie making, but it was a breeze thanks for the Pie Tutorial from Pam recently featured on the Pioneer Woman's blog. I mean, she makes a mean meatloaf so I figured her pie crust had to be worth a shot! (Seriously this meatloaf is amazing. Also, I wish I could watch her new TV show. Here's hoping its on the internets soon!)

I followed Pam's instructions to the letter. I used all better though since Leaf Lard isn't something I have any idea on how to find. Also, lard kind of grosses me out. The parchment paper for rolling out the dough is brilliant. That Pam, she's a thinker and I will be using this method for every pie I ever make. Ever.

Summer Setting

This is it. The last official weekend of summer. Can you believe it's already here? Me neither. I've always looked forward to the fall. A fresh start. New school supplies. New beginnings. This year autumn brings with it the biggest new beginning of my life - our marriage.

Our wedding is just a few short weeks away. I'm unbelievably excited. I can't wait to wear the gorgeous dress that's hanging ready and waiting in my closet. I can't wait to stand in front at the front of our church and vow to live my whole life before God with my husband. That's amazing. Sometimes when I think about it I can't breathe from the sheer wonder of it all. I mean, marriage seems a pretty daunting task when I forget that the glory of Jesus is the point, the Holy Spirit will be always with us and that God is out for our good always. This isn't about two people making a marriage work. It's about the most incredible picture of God and his church and his faithfulness towards us.

Happily Ever After.

My future sister-in-law (64 days!), Natalie, gave me this print for my birthday. I'm in love with it and can't wait to find a way to work it into our wedding day! After the wedding I think I'll try to hang it in our kitchen because real life happens in kitchens and it's the real life that is our happy ending beginning!

Three. Oh.

My younger brother has been sending me thirtieth birthday cards for the last four years - ever since my 26th birthday. He figured he might as well round up. Well, that was until he turned 26 last year and I returned the favor. Then he reconsidered - perhaps being in your late twenties really is a thing - he finally decided.

Today I really turn thirty. It's a big day. I feel like somehow, magically, today I should be a grown up. I remember my mom's thirtieth birthday - she taught me to ride my big kid, two wheel bike in the school parking lot. I can't believe that I'm as old now as my mom was then. I can only hope that I am as kind and generous as she was, too.

My twenties turned out to be pretty great. Here's looking forward to the beginning of a fabulous new decade!

The End of an Era

Today is my last day as a twenty-something. Crazy. It's been a wild ride. I'm a blessed girl.

in no particular order....

20. I spent an entire year calling France home, drinking more espresso than you can imagine and consuming unbelievable amounts of wine and cheese.

19. My best friend, Laura, and I almost got kicked off a train in the middle of the night in Slovakia. True story.

18. I traveled to Egypt and saw a glimpse of the Nile, but managed to miss the pyramids.

17. I became an Aunt.

16. My mom married a pretty cool guy and I inherited four awesome step-siblings.

15. With the help of some friends, I overcame my hatred of onions, olives, and shrimp and discovered that I actually really love all three. (No one can convince me that pickles are delicious.)

14. I started attending and working at The Journey church in St. Louis.

13. I stopped biting my nails.

12. First time a boy held my hand.

11. Saw my first opera at the Vienna Opera House in Vienna, Austria.

10. Ventured into the ocean for the first time since 9th grade. (There are living things in there people!)

9. Visited Les Ailes de Refuge and walked the dirt streets of Yako, Burkina Faso with my cousin Nichole.

8. Joined Weight Watchers online and lost 45 lbs.

7. Said good-bye to my childhood dog, Tabi.

6. Purchased and paid off my first new car (Honda Civic 2004) which I still drive and love.

5. First date.

4. First kiss.

3. Took my first solo vacations to San Sebastian, Spain and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and loved every second of them.

2. Adopted Eisenhower (Ike). Life will never be the same.

1. Got engaged to the love of my life.

These are by no means all of the wonderful moments that made up my twenties, nor do they give credit to some of the harder times that shaped me into the almost-thirty-something woman that I am, but they are some of my favorite snapshots of life over the last ten years.

Guinness Cake

The other cake on offer for Justin's birthday party was another pinterest.com find. Last year, Justin's sister in law, Natalie of The Sweets Life, made the most delicious Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream cupcakes for his birthday. They were ah-maz-ing. Loved. Them. So, when I saw this Guinness Cake online that had I knew I needed to try it. Add to it the fact that it had cream cheese icing and I knew I was done for.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that this is the cake that almost wasn't. I had high hopes for the cake. I've been spending a wee bit of time on pinterest lately and I was looking for picture-perfection. I didn't get it. My cake fell apart when I popped it out of the pan and had to be artfully smooshed back together again. I came close to scrapping it all together and making a new one. Good thing Justin convinced me that I was being insane. This cake was amazing and it would have been a horrible shame to see it go to waste. Make it. You won't regret it.

Guinness Chocolate Cake
From Katie Quinn on Design Sponge

Cake:
1 cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Guinness I used extra stout.
3/4 cups cocoa, sifted
3/4 cup flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 1/3 cups cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2/3 cups cream, whipped

Warm butter, cocoa, and Guinness to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly.

Add flour, baking soda, and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together well. Pour in the Guinness mixture, lightly combine, add the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream. Beat everything together until well combined. The batter should be think and dark chocolate in color. Mine was thinner than I was expecting but turned out fine.

Pour into greased and lined 10" Angel Food pan. Ok, friends, this is where I really messed up. I used a bunt pan because...really? who has an angel food pan. Also, I had no idea that lined meant for real, lined with parchment paper. Woops. I just greased mine....and then it broke when I took it out of the pan. Lesson learned. I've registered for an angel food pan for next time. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing cake from pan to cool on a baking rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, whip the cream cheese on low-medium using a whisk attachment until the cheese in smooth and lump-free. Gradually add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat gently to combine. Once combined, beat on medium until lump-free. Fold in the whipped cream by hand to fully combine.

Frost just the top of this cake until the cake resembles a pint of creamy Guinness. Ok, I don't think it looked like a pint of Guinness, but it did look beautiful....in the picture online.

Cake in a Jar

What's better than cake in a jar? Whiskey cake in a jar. Yum.

I stumbled upon this recipe on pinterest.com recently and knew it would be a perfect addition to our Scotch & Cigars night for Justin's birthday. It did not disappoint. The birthday man himself consumed at least 2 1/2 jars - a rarity for this non-sweets lover.

Whiskey in a Jar Flourless Chocolate Cake
* I doubled this recipe for the party.
Original Recipe

Cake:
1 stick butter
8oz semi-sweet chocolate pieces I used regular old chocolate chips.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Tennessee whiskey I totally used Old Grandad whiskey because it's what I had on hand and it's from Kentucky...oops.


Frosting:
4 tablespoons shortening
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 lb powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whiskey

Slowly melt butter and chocolate together in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. If you have a double-boiler it would be ideal to use one, if not, just pay close attention and stir constantly to avoid burning the chocolate. Let cool.

Combine sugars in the bowl of a stand-mixer. Add melted chocolate and butter. Mix until well combined. Mix in whiskey. Incorporate eggs one at a time. Mix well. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix very well. I let mine run on the mixer for a minute or two until smooth and creamy.

Divide evenly between 4 pint jars (I used small jelly jars) that have been sprayed thoroughly with non-stick baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. The cake will rise to almost overflowing, but should fall again before completely baked. Cake should pass the toothpick test once fallen.

Let jars cool completely (I made my cake the day ahead), before mixing and adding the frosting.  For the frosting, cream together butter and shortening. Add in the sugar and mix on low until combined. Turn the mixer to high and add in the whiskey a bit at a time until icing is light and fluffy. My icing didn't turn out how I thought it should and was a bit dry. So, in addition to the whiskey I mixed in a bit of milk until it was nice and creamy.


Spoon icing into jars and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Justin's birthday!! This weekend we had some friends over for scotch and cigars to toast Justin on being another year older and wiser.  The party was a grand success! I heard Justin say more than once this weekend that he has the best friends, ever.

Joyeux anniversaire à l'homme de mes rêves! Que cette année soit pleine de joie.

To Gather

To Gather: to bring together; to collect


Today my friend Kara posted this video on her blog and I think it's just great. You should watch it. One of the things I like most about Kara is her passion for food and community. I am inspired to gather people together over food, to share the warmth of a good meal in the beauty that is community, and reflect on the goodness of God and his creation.


Of Salt and Light from The Other Journal on Vimeo.

Here's the Story

Winter has been long and cold and snowy. Last week was no exception. Justin and I spent a good chunk of the week trapped in our respective homes. By Wednesday cabin fever had officially set in. Justin mentioned that maybe we should go out on Friday night on a regular old-fashioned date night. A great idea. He suggested the St. Louis Art Museum, a favorite spot for us on Friday evenings because all of the exhibits have free admission. Also, I had a coupon for a local restaurant that we've been trying to use for quite some time, but haven't been able to get in (there's always too long of a wait). So, we settled on the Art Museum and a late dinner.

All day on Friday I was looking forward to the evening. That afternoon I talked to him, as usual, and he mentioned that he was going to go home and change before he came to pick me up. I was a little confused because I thought our evening would be very casual, but he somehow convinced me that the restaurant we were going to was a little dressier (it isn't really). But, without creating suspicion, he got me to get classed up for our night on the town.

When he picked me up, he told me he had picked up a little present for me that afternoon. Now, this isn't uncommon. Justin is a gift-giver. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a super cool porcelain travel coffee mug from Kaldi's on my car seat. Even though I'm a huge coffee fan I've never had a travel mug of my own (just one that I nicked from the Lost & Found at church...). It was a great gift and I loved it. And, immediately, I thought "It's not engagement night. No one gets a travel mug on engagement night." Score one for decoy gifts.

I settled in for a lovely old-fashioned date night with my man.

We arrived at the Art Museum and it was a beautiful night. Freezing, yes, but still beautiful.  It happened to be a week in between special exhibits so the museum was pretty empty and we had many of the rooms to ourselves. We spent a little while wondering around and eventually ended up back in the Portrait Gallery on the first floor. It's probably my favorite room in the museum. It's painted a gorgeous blue color and makes me feel like I'm in a gallery in Paris. After a few minutes, though, I was ready to move on and started to walk from the room. Justin pulled me back and suggested we stay in the Portrait Gallery a little longer.

Then he started saying the most beautiful things and before I knew it he was down on one knee asking me to do him the honor of being his wife. I couldn't believe it! Of course, I said yes - even before he could get the ring box open. In the end, he had to slip the ring on my finger because I was shaking too much to do it myself. All I can say is - JOY! I cannot wait to marry him and spend my life with him. Just after he proposed two girls walked into the room and I got them to snap this picture of us. A wonderful moment captured forever.

Old-fashioned date night turned into a perfect evening! Next, he took me to my favorite French restaurant, Chez Leon, for an incredibly tasty and romantic meal - complete with red roses and champagne with dessert. Then it was off to Taste for after dinner drinks. I couldn't have dreamed of a better evening spent with my future husband.

Carried Along

Upon our engagement, a lovely friend sent us this beautiful passage from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry along with her congratulations. I'm so glad that she shared it with us, this description of the beauty of this moment and all those that led us here. I am reminded of the overwhelming truth that we are caught up in God's story and not our own. It is by His faithfulness alone that we find ourselves in the middle of such joy and on the road to a new chapter in our lives.

I have made plans enough, but I see now that I have never lived by a plan. Any more than if I had been a bystander watching me live my life, I don't feel that I ever have been quite sure what was going on. Nearly everything that has happened to me has happened by surprise. All the important things have happened by surprise. And whatever has been happening usually has already happened before I have had time to expect it. The world doesn't stop because you are in love or in mourning or in the need of time to think. And so when I have though I was in my story or in charge of it, I really have been only on the edge of it, carried along. Is this because we are in an eternal story that is happening partly in time?

Rejoicing

re·joice

 verb \ri-ˈjȯis\

re·joicedre·joic·ing

Definition of REJOICE

intransitive verb

: to feel joy or great delight

I started to write I'm a happy girl. It's true. I am happy, but I really don't think that describes it. It's so much more. I'm blessed. My heart feels full like it's going to burst. My God has been so good to me.

I rejoice in his goodness. I rejoice in his faithfulness and provision. I rejoice.

God's promises

A gift from my best friend who knows me and my God so well.

I love rainbows. They remind me of God's promise to never forget his covenant. They remind me that he is always faithful. God still comes through on stuff, even when we doubt, even when we are impatient, even when he think he has forgotten us and the cries of our hearts.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 

(Genesis 9:12-14 ESV)

Welcome to the Family

This weekend I gained a sister! She's the best and we are so glad to have her officially be part of our family. I couldn't have asked for a better woman for my brother and it was a joy to celebrate with them.

They reserved a gorgeous Bed & Breakfast in Sainte Genevieve, MO. The weather was perfect and autumn was in full swing. Beautiful. 

The town was also celebrating their Heritage Days on Saturday. They went big style with a tractor parade and live music. 

Next time you're there, don't miss Nana's Kitchen. It doesn't look like much but Nana knows what she's doing. Biscuits and gravy. Yum. 

Perfect weekend.

Birthday week begins!

I love birthdays. Especially when it's my birthday. I love pie and presents and not having to do chores. You can get out of almost anything on your birthday and it's the perfect excuse for a bit of pampering and indulgence.

Birthday week kicked off Friday night with steaks grilled to perfection and a new signature cocktail.  My favorite mixologist gave me a bottle of Hendrick's Gin (it's not for everyone) and Pimm's, together with a splash of lemon and a perfectly ripe cucumber, they make a fabulous and refreshing cocktail so smooth that it's dangerous. I may be turning twenty-nine this week, but the Twenty-One has got my number.

On Saturday, I spent some quality time with my inner Donna Reed and tried my hand a my first peach pie. Cutting and peeling the peaches took more time than I thought and the crust gave me a run for my money, but it was all worth it and, after a couple hours, I pulled a golden brown bubbling sweet peach pie from my oven. It was the ideal pairing for a bottle of chilled white wine shared with girl friends that night.


Sunday afternoon was spent with my mom and sisters doing what we do best - eating ice cream and shopping. My mom still makes me come out of the fitting room so she can pull on my waist line when I'm trying on pants. I bet she'd use spit on a napkin to wipe my face if I'd let her. If you haven't been to The Fountain on Locust yet - go. Go now. Order their Butter Pecan ice cream flown in from a Wisconsin dairy. You won't be sorry. Then, after you fill up on ice cream go try on pretty dresses. It will make you feel like a princess.

Still to come: Dinner at The Royale, cupcakes from The Cupcakery, hitting up the beauty salon and an evening on the town with my man. All of this, of course, to be accompanied by much laughter and great joy. These past twenty-nine years have not all been smooth sailing, but they've gotten me here and I don't want to be anywhere else.