Winter Youth Retreat

Aaah what a wonderfully blessed Christmas I had! I hope you all had a very blessed holiday as well!

Today I am all packed and ready to head off to Winter Youth Retreat!

I started my glorious three week break from school off with a trip to my home town of Brooklyn, MI to see my best school friend Sarah. I love visiting with my oldest and dearest friend of about 15 or more years because no matter how long it has been since the last visit, we just pick up and carry on as we always do...chatting, cooking, eating, and listening to mainly Disney music. 

Our favorite creation from this visit...breakfast cups.

 Complete with toast, eggs, bacon, and cheese...mmmmmmm

These are so simple to make...heres the link:

http://www.marthastewart.com/330179/bacon-egg-and-toast-cups

When I got home Saturday to spend Christmas Eve with my family, we carried on our tradition of making homemade pasta noodles...

If I gave you the recipe I'de have to kill you....hehe..no but really.

Following the noodles I attempted to make ciabatta bread rolls...*sigh* those didn't quite turn out as well...

eheh...to my defense...the website that I got this recipe from had a major typo...you do not bake these rolls at 450 degrees...you bake them at 350!!! So technically this was not my fault! 

Aaanyways. Our wonderful Christmas dinner consisted of immaculate steaks that my father grilled and the homemade pasta that we all made, complete with homemade sauce.

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas weekend. The whole family was home and we celebrated with great friends as well :)

As I travel to retreat this weekend, I ask that you would please keep the campers in your prayers and that God would do a great work in each heart there and also the ones that could not make it this year. 

Thank you friends. God bless and have a wonderful week and a blessed New Years!

Remember to keep your eyes toward the Son and you won't see the shadows. Trust in Him...He has control of all things. 

Glenn Miller

Studying for my final final tomorrow...heh...see what I did there? Good I know.

Anyways. Whilst studying I am letting the great Glenn Miller serenade me...care to join?

Enjoy :)

Finals Already?

Wow. On one side I feel like this has been the longest quarter of my life...oooon the other side I feel like.."FINALS ALREADY!" 

This is usually about the time I hit "freakout mode." But for some reason, I feel really at peace.

I mean of course I know the "reason," if it weren't for my God backing me up and making impossible things happen it seems like almost everyday, I would not have ever made it this far.

So all glory be to God for that!

Also, God has blessed me with a friend that has been willing to spend countless hours with me studying and coming up with awesome mnemonics to remember all of the parasites I've had to learn. 

Example: Otobius megnini: the greek God of the mega-ninnies. He is a spine-nosed nerdy tick that infests the ears of mainly cattle but also other outdoor animals that live in sheds, barns, or corrals. 

Along with many hours spent studying, we have had a lot of laughs that has helped me tremendously. 

During these long quarters, I try to really spend as much time with family and friends as I can. I've learned through my short time in school that sometimes it is way more important to drop studying for an hour or two and laugh and relax with those closest to you. It's nice to actually be a real human being instead of a studying machine that has little green aliens sucking her brain out with a straw. Yes people it got that bad. 

Anyways, here are a couple pictures I took of my niece while we were baking the other day instead of studying.

Aubriella chillin' on the counter while waiting for the butter to melt for our Cinnamon Roll cake! (I'll include the recipe)

And this is our "Oh my gosh we love baking!" face :)

I love it when I go into the kitchen to bake something "really quick" during study breaks, and my niece runs in and asks as cute as she possibly can, "Aunt Bo, can I healp you?" Yes she says it exactly like that lol 

This takes me back to the whole skip studying to spend time with family thing. I'm sure this is one thing that she and I will cherish someday. I cherish it now. 

So tomorrow will be the first day of my two weeks worth of finals. I have two finals in each class (one written final and one lab final). So as you go about your normal school free lives these next two weeks, if you could kindly whisper a little prayer for me, I would greatly appreciate it. 

And now as I promised, the Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients for the cake: 

3c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1c. sugar

4tsp baking powder

1 1/2c. milk

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2c melted butter

Ingredients for the topping:

1c. butter softened

1c. brown sugar

2Tbs. flour

1Tbs. cinnamon

Ingredients for the drizzle:

2c powdered sugar

5Tbsp. milk

1tsp. vanilla

Maple syrup to your preferred tasting! (I did about 2 tables spoons I think)

For the cake, mix everything together except for the butter. slowly stir in melted butter, then pour batter into 9x13 greased pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. (I usually end up softening this a little bit more in the microwave. If the butter isn't soft enough it takes a little bit to get it to mix well enough.) Drop topping evenly over the batter then swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes. (I always end up cooking it longer because the middle is stil soupy. Just go in 5 to 10 minute increments until its baked through.) While cake is still warm, pour drizzle overtop and enjoy!

I promise you this is a very quick recipe when you don't have a niece wanting to do everything :)

Good night friends. And God bless.