WELCOME! Come on and have a seat on my porch swing or would you rather go for a ride on a vintage bike? Feel free to have yourself a look around my blog. You'll find all kinds of goodies, from cookin' to farmin', to craftin', to just plain ole fun. Just look through the archives or click on one of the topics of interest to see posts related to whatever your little heart desires. You can also click on THE BAKERY header on this page to go to the most current post.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Our Very First Christmas Ornament

I am having a terrible time with blogger...I had to upload this picture 9 times before it loaded correctly...arrrggghhh.  Needless to say, I can't upload entire stories or series until
I get this problem fixed.
Anyhow, when David and I first started dating, I received this little
mouse in a tennis shoe from David's mother, Bonnie.
It has gone on a Christmas tree every year since.....
Did I tell you I started dating him when I was just 15 years old?
I married him at 19 years old.
I love him more today than I could have ever imagined!!!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Shadow Play!!!

YAY!!!  I got a picture to post!!!!
Blogger has been uploading my pics all funky and stuff.
This one is the only one I got to work right
after uploading it 8 times.
Taken Christmas Day 2011.
This couple has been together since 7th grade.
That is 17 years!!!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Newlywed's 1st Christmas Portrait

Meet Kody and Leslie.
They've been sweethearts for a long long time.
They couldn't get married until Leslie
graduated college.
Wellll....they almost made it to graduation.
They were married in June.
Leslie finished school and Kody joined the Navy.
They've been separated for a huge chunk of their married life.
Leslie graduated from college the day before this picture.
I did an entire photo shoot with them.
Believe me, asking them to kiss was noooooo problem...
matter of fact, I didn't even have to ask them....
Kody said he is making up for six months worth of no
kissing.
They get to be together for their 1st Christmas together...
Everyone say AWWWWWWWW......
Congrats on the marriage and the the graduation,
but most of all...thanks Kody for your
SERVICE to our country.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Ultimate Sinnamon Rolls (Includes Cheater Directions)

Are you a cinnamon roll junkie?
Well, I am NOT.
Until I tried this recipe.
One of my friends over at Fabric, Food, and Photos brought
some of these to Sunday School.
When I asked her for the recipe, she said she learned about them from
Ashley Ann of Under the Sycamore blog.
Ashley Ann hosts a wonderful photography workshop and food is
included.
We found out Ashley got the recipe from her sister, Lesley.
HERE IS THE ORIGINAL RECIPE.
I have since modified my version of this recipe and cannot tell
a difference.
I use my own ROLL recipe, however there is a cheater version of
using the frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls.
Believe me, I wouldn't hold it against you if you did this version.
I was going to do it also, but our lovely ONLY grocery store
does not carry the Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls.  :(
If your store doesn't have them, but they DO have the Rhodes Bread Loaf,
USE IT.

Roll and press out the loaf to resemble a rectangle.
This is a great workout by the way.
If you have small children, they can learn their shapes!
Did I tell you I flunked shapes 101?

The original recipe called for making a wonderful mixture of
brown sugar and VANILLA ICE CREAM!
This tickled me to death.....at first.
It takes TIME.
I decided to do the CHEATER VERSION.
I wandered the aisles looking for the ice cream topping...
I was beginning to worry that our ONLY grocery store
didn't carry it.
FINALLY my amazing husband wandered over by the PAPER PRODUCTS
and THERE IT WAS in all it's GLORY!!!
Yes, you read that correctly...PAPER PRODUCTS...CARAMEL....
I have no idea what the logic is to that....

I used the ENTIRE jar!!!
You just pour it in the GLASS cake pan...yep, that easy.
SIDE NOTE:  These Sinnamon rolls are better in a glass pan for some reason.
I used my wonderful Pampered Very Seasoned Chef pan, and they
weren't as good.

Next step is to take a WHOLE stick of SOFTENED butter
and slather it on the dough....making sure you get to the edges.

Next:  Sprinkle a GENEROUS amount of cinnamon
and get to the edges...it is okay if you get off the edges too.

Next is BROWN SUGAR....I used light because that
is what I have and wouldn't know if you can tell a difference
with dark brown sugar.  PILE IT ON.
No measuring here.

Starting with the LONG side, begin to roll that baby up....
making a giant tootsie roll.


 Once it is rolled, I either stretch it or scrunch it to make it
go from the 8" on the left of the mat to the 8" on the right side.
I guess that makes is 16" long, right?
You are going to DIVIDE the dough now....
start by cutting it in 1/2.
Be careful not to cut your mat if you are using one.
By the way, this is a Pampered Chef Pastry Mat....LOVE IT!!
I got it FREE when I hosted a party.

Then you cut each 1/2 into 1/2.
Now you have FOUR!

Now each 1/4 needs to cut into 1/3rds.
The cutting distorts them a little, just push them back together
and place them in the pan ON TOP of the cheater caramel.

Say hi to college girl, Sydni.
She loves these and wanted to learn how to make them.

Here they are all ready for their last rising before being baked.
At this point, we lightly sprayed the top with Pam and put
plastic wrap over the top.
I put the plastic wrap tight since I wanted to let them rise OVERNIGHT
in the fridge.
If you don't want them to rise overnight, just place them in a draft free spot
until they double in size.
My secret place is in the MICROWAVE with the stove top light ON...it heats up
the INSIDE of the microwave just right for proofing bread!

Here they are after rising in the fridge overnight.
(TOP VIEW)

(SIDE VIEW)
See how they are almost to the top?
Since I had the GLASS pan in the fridge, I let it set a bit while
the oven warmed up...DO NOT take them right out of the
fridge and pop it in the oven.....It could shatter the pan.
It could shatter your dreams of wonderful Sinnamon Rolls too.
Set oven to 350 degrees.

While they are baking, set out:
1 Oz. of cream cheese and let soften.
1/4 cup of butter and let soften.
Get together:
1 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
1 1/2 tsp of milk

Once the cream cheese and butter are softened,
mix ALL ingredients....
WHIP IT - WHIP IT GOOD!!!!

When it is whipped, you will have some glorious frosting
while turns them from Cinnamon Rolls, to SINNAMON ROLLS.
Honestly, I think the CARAMEL is what turns them into
SINNAMON ROLLS....see how it bubbles up around them while baking?
It is bubbling into the cracks and crevices....and
baking INTO the rolls.
Here they are baked.
If for some reason, they seem to brown too fast in some areas...
you can cover loosly with foil.
It takes about 30 minutes in my oven.
Since we like ours goooooey....we don't let them brown too too much.
Let them cool a tad before putting the frosting on or it will run all down into
the cracks.....
Just try them....do the cheater version.....
Tell me you don't change the name to SINNAMON ROLLS.
ENJOY!!!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Then I shot SUPER GIRL!!!


Ornery.
Isn't she just dripping with orneriness....did I spell that right?
Is that even a word?
Meet Livvie.
When I was asked to take Livvie's pictures, I requested
that they step away from the traditional frilly girl
pictures....step FAR away.
I had a picture in my mind and tried my
best to convey it to the family.

I think I did a great job, because just LOOK at that OUTFIT!!!
It is sooooo perfect for her little personality!

We hit the local park on a day that was supposed to be 51 degrees.
It was 51 degrees alright, with a windchill of about 40 degrees.
Livvie had snotcicles.
I had snotcicles.

On a side note:  Parents, if you are at the park with your children, GET OFF YOUR PHONE
AND PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.
There were 4 - 5 kids that must have been lacking in attention because
they tried their darnedest to get IN THE PICTURES.
Their mom or babysitter just stood within 6 ft. and played on her
phone and never said a thing to them.....arrrggggh.

It was a good thing I was almost finished or I might have let my
ugly side make an appearance.

We managed to get some great shots of Livvie.
I must admit that the picture below is one of my all time
favorites....
Looking for Santa....awwwwww.

Thanks to Regina for letting us use her AWESOMESAUCE fireplace!!!
Livvie.....thanks for the great time and great outfit!!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

My Very Mad Men Looking Wedding Portrait

This is a shot in the elevator on the way up
to the Honeymoon Suite.
Isn't the mirror AMAZING?
Doesn't this shot look like something from
Mad Men?
SWOON!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Father/Daughter Wedding Dance.....

I made it through another wedding....
This is the daughter of long-time friends.
It was a beautiful day, beautiful family, beautiful wedding.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Caught Parking on a Country Road.....BUSTED!!!

So, you have an old pick-up and a couple...what do you do?
YOU GO PARKING!!!!

Now you have to know that the guy DID NOT want to take pictures!!!
I honestly think he would rather gouge out his eyeballs.

I kept hearing him tell his wife, "You OWE me for this."
PFFFFFTTTT.......

He is not one that will smile for pictures either.

He whined and whined.

He did manage to muster a tiny smile.....

I am afraid to ask her what she "OWED" him
that would make him smile....HA!
Thanks Dennis and Summer for
allowing me to SHOOT you
while parking....oh and still being
able to do it while HIS parents are
watching....now that was PRICELESS!!!

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