Ten Truly Amazing Years & Tiramisu Bundt Cake

On May 28, 2000, I married the most amazing, most handsome, most loving man in the entire world. Today, we are so blessed to be celebrating our 10 year wedding Anniversary! Darin is my best friend, my one true love, my heart's favorite song, my strength when I am falling apart, my hope when I am hopeless, my constant reminder that God loves me. God shows me His love through my hubby each and every day. Like my Heavenly Father, my husband loves me with a compassion, patience, and strength that often overwhelms me. And, Darin is also the most amazing Father to our children. Jaythan and Savannah are truly blessed to call him "Daddy". I thank God daily (often many times throughout the day) for this incredible blessing-the privilege of sharing my life with this Amazing Man after God's own heart.

To celebrate our Anniversary, I made my hubby a Tiramisu Bundt Cake. I used his favorite ice cream in it-Starbucks Java Chip Frapaccino. He was blissfully happy to say the least :-).

Tiramisu Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
• 1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix
• 1 pint coffee ice cream, such as Haagen-Dazs or Starbucks , melted

(I used Starbucks Java Chip)
• 3 eggs
• 1 container (12 ounces) whipped vanilla frosting
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• Cinnamon sugar for dusting, optional

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, melted ice cream and eggs on low speed for 1 minute. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

4. In large bowl, beat together frosting and instant coffee mixture.

5. Place cake on stand and spread with frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Makes: 16 servings

Carribean Cupcakes & Strawberry Lemonade

Last weekend, our Sunday School Class had a party at our pool and park. Parties give me an exuse to bake and create, so I LOVE parties. For this particular event, I was still relishing in our Carribean escape, so I made Luau Cupcakes and Strawberry Lemonade. I saw the cupcakes online from a blog that I follow: http://intentionallykatie.blogspot.com/

So, I visited my local Party City and picked up some little umbrellas in preparation. After I spent $5 on a box of umbrellas at Party City, I saw them at the Dollar Tree for you guessed it-$1. Oh, well, we now have 150 extra umbrella for future baking projects. Jaythan and I had so much fun decorating these, and Jaythan had even more fun eating them (minus the peppermint ball b/c I think that hard candy isn't a wise idea for a three year old).

I also made some absolutely YUMMY homemade strawberry lemonade. I used some of the strawberries that I previously frozen. If you are interested in learning how to freeze berries, just check out my previous post here: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/04/freezing-berries-tutorial-spectacular.html

BEACH/LUAU Cupcakes

Ingredients:
- 24 baked, cooled cupcakes (any flavor cake mix, I used yellow)
- white frosting
- blue tinted frosting (2-3 drops of food coloring should be plenty) - "ocean"
- 4 whole graham crackers - "sand"
- 24 mini umbrellas

- 24 striped candies - "beach balls"

Directions:
1. Place the graham crackers in a zipper sandwich bag. Using a rolling pin, roll the crackers into crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a shallow bowl.

2. Frost 1/2 of one cupcake with white frosting and dip into the graham cracker crumbs.

3. Frost the other 1/2 with blue frosting.

4. Unwrap a candy, dip it in white frosting and adhere to the crumb side of the cupcake.

5. Stick an umbrella into the crumb side, near the "beach ball." ENJOY :-)!

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Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 cups of water
10 ounces frozen strawberries, pureed (fresh would do perfectly well)
sugar to taste (I used 1 cup because Southerners like things sweet :-))
Reserve five strawberries to add at the end.

Directions:
Combine lemon juice, water, and 3/4 of the strawberry puree. Add sugar until you have reached the desired tartness/sweetness. Add strawberry puree until the strawberry/lemon taste balance is about equal.
I sliced the five strawberries left over in two, and added them at the end to make it extra pretty before serving :-).

Muffin #61: Carribean Pineapple & Raisin Muffins

Today, I made the Carribean Pineapple & Raisin Muffins from the 100 Muffin Cookbook. However, the recipe is originally called "Rum & Raisin". We do not keep Rum (or other hard liquors) in our house, so I decided to be creative and used Pineapple juice instead. This gave them a Carribean twist and made me reminisce about my recent trip to the Virgin Islands with my hubby :-) The 8x10 picture behind the muffins is an actual picture I took at Secret Harbour Beach in St. Thomas. It was truly beyond breathtaking. God's Creation is truly amazing!

I topped these muffins with a little cinnamon sugar as well. Feel free to use the Rum instead of pineapple juice if you like. Remember there are no steadfast rules when making a muffin your own. You could even use grapefruit or mango juice.

Have a beautiful day and tell everyone you know how deeply God loves them! You are prayed for my friends!

Tomorrow we will be trying out a Savory Muffin recipe perfect for a quick breakfast: Crispy Bacon Muffins


Psalm 105:1-3 (the Message)

"Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek God. Live a happy life!"

~~~~~~~~~
Carribean Pineapple & Raisin Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
1 1/2 cups golden raisins

3 tbsp rum (I used Pineapple Juice)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canola oil
cinnamon sugar for the top of the muffins

Directions:
Put the raisins in a bowl, add the rum or pineapple juice, and let soak for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

To make the muffins, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the dark brown sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the soaked raisins. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Muffin #60: Cranberry and Orange Muffins

These Cranberry & Orange Muffins are so light and healthy that they would make a perfect quick breakfast in the morning accompanied by some yogurt and a banana. I apologize that there is no picture, but the day I made them, my camera was dropped on the floor and completely dismantled. They turned out a light orange color with bursts of red from the craisins. They are not only yummy, but pretty too!

Tomorrow's Muffin: Caribbean Pineapple & Raisin Muffins

Psalm 103: 1-5 (the Message)
"O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence."

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Cranberry & Orange Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canola oil
finely grated rind of 1 orange

Directions:
Put the cranberries in a bowl, add the orange juice, and let soak for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

To make the muffins, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, oil, and orange rind. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the soaked cranberries. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Apple Cinnamon Cobbler & Entering God's Presence with the Password: Thank YOU!

On Monday, I wanted to bake my sweet friend something 'sweet' because she just had a baby and has been taking care of both her little boys while her husband is in Nicarauga for two weeks. So, I looked in my pantry and thought, "Hmmm....., what could I make that would be yummy and nutritious, too???" Well, after perusing the pantry for awhile, I decided to come up with an Apple Cinnamon Cobbler. I had bought a couple of cans of Apple Pie Filling free after coupons and had yet to use them (I prefer using the real-deal apples in my pies).

Try it and let me know how you like it. I have been told it was pretty delish...and my taste tester enjoyed it warm with a scoop of Blue Bell Vanilla Bean Ice Cream :-). You could use any type of pie filling you like-I am sure cherry or blueberry would be yummy too.

I wanted to share a passage that God has blessed my heart with this week-Psalm 100. I love the way it reads in the MESSAGE translation. I want to wake up each day applauding God and entering his presence with the password 'Thank You' and the gifts of laughter and song.

Psalm 100

"On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

Thank him. Worship him.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever."

Have a wonderful day! You are prayed for and loved!

Apple Cinnamon Cobbler

Ingredients:

One Large Can of Apple Pie Filling (in heavy syrup)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple pie spice (or cinnamon)

Directions:

Place the butter in a baking dish and put in a 350 degree oven until the butter has melted (this takes about 5 minutes). Leave the oven on. Stir together the flour, apple pie spice (or cinnamon) and sugar. Gradually stir in the milk, mixing well. Pour the mixture on top of the melted butter (DO NOT STIR). Place the Apples from the can on top of the batter (Reserve the Juice in the Can). You can use a slotted spoon to help with this step. DO NOT STIR. Gently pour the reserved syrup from the can over the top of the apples. DO NOT STIR (the batter will rise to the top on its own while baking). Bake the cobbler for 30 minutes. This is best served warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

Trusting God in the Silence and Believing that He Makes All Things New

God has been teaching me lately to be patient and to trust Him even when He is Silent. And, to be honest with you, I don't like the lesson very much. I much prefer, and I find it so much easier, to trust Him when He speaks clearly to me, when His ways are evident, and when all is right in my world. To explain myself better, I would like to share a story with you....

Almost two years ago (August 2008), on the day we discoverd that our daughter, Savannah, had a fatal chromosome disorder called Triploidy, a dear friend of mine had been praying for us. She was praying for Savannah and I when she clearly heard God tell her, “I am So Big; I created the Universe: I make All Things New.” My friend felt that God was sharing this with her so she could share it with me. She also felt that the song “All Things New” by Steven Curtis Chapman was meant to be shared with us as well. There is a line in Steven Curtis Chapman’s song that says, “You take every living thing, and you breathe your breath of life into it over and over again.” From the moment she told me this, Darin and I tried to figure out what God meant. Did He mean that because He is Great and is the Creator that He could heal our Savannah completely resulting in a happy life with our precious baby? Or did He mean that He woulde make All Things New after we walked this journey of sorrow and loss and He gave our Savannah a perfect body in Heaven? Or did it mean He will heal us emotionally and spiritually resulting in a new, closer walk with Him? At the time, we had no idea what God was trying to tell us.

God did heal our precious baby girl, giving her a perfect body and a joyful life by His side in Heaven. And, He has been healing our hearts and drawing us closer in relationship to Him while we walk this journey of grief and loss. But, we still don't know what exactly what He meant when He said that "He Makes All Things New." Several people have suggested to us throughout the past two years that perhaps it meant that God would bless us with another healthy baby girl. And, what a blessing that would be! It is the deep desire of our hearts to have more children, and we have been waiting and trusting God for that to happen. But, lately, I have been overwhelmed with doubt and anxiety that that will happen. And I find myself just utterly frustrated that the one child that was conceived "so quickly" "so easily" was taken from us so quickly. So, for two years now, God has been silent. As we seek Him for another baby, as we search Him for the reason why Savannah died, we have heard nothing, except, "Trust Me."

Fast Forward to last week when His silence ended, and my Faith was renewed, and I realized that I don't always trust Him when He is Silent. It was a hard lesson to learn that my faith had been dependent on hearing from Him and on "feeling" something. Last week, I was at my Bible Study for the Women's Leadership Team at Church. At the conclusion of our lesson, our leader asked for prayer requests. I am a very private person and was hesitant to share what was really on my heart. At the last minute, I did. I shared that we were trying to conceive again and that I was fearful and anxious and was having a hard time trusting God. Our amazing Bible Study leader, began praying for all of the ladies, and she prayed for me and thanked God for "making all things new" in my life. When she said those words tears began falling from my eyes. You see, the woman who prayed for me had never heard the story about the direct word from God two years ago when God spoke the same words. When my leader stopped praying, she said, "Christina, when I was praying for you to have another baby, it was as if I audibly heard God tell me, 'Behold, I make all things new'" Of course, I began crying uncontrollably. God used the same words twice to remind me that He does see me, He does hear me, and He knows the desire of my heart. He was silent for two years and spoke the same words to my heart to remind me that I can trust Him-when He is silent and when He speaks. He will make ALL THINGS NEW in our lives and I am choosing to believe Him for that!

I came home that night and shared the story with my husband. He was as overwhelmed as I was and so thankful for God's Word to us. The following morning, Darin shared with me the devotional that He read that morning from his "Our Daily Bread" book. The title was "Silence and Trust" and the main point was that we need to trust our loving Father even when He is silent. This was further confirmation that God is trustworthy and that when He is silent, we must focus on the things we know about His character-that He does not change, that He is love, and that His promises are true. Oswald Chambers said, "Has God trusted you with silence-a silence that is big with meaning? His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvellous understanding of Himself...If God has given you a silence, praise Him, He is bringing you into the great run of His purposes."

Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song"

Psalm 13:5 "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

ALL THINGS NEW LYRICS - STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN

You spoke and made the sun rise
To light up the very first day
You breathed across the water
And started the very first wave
It was you
You introduced your glory
To every living creature on earth
And they started singing
The first song to ever be heard
They sang for you

You make all things new
You make all things new

Then the world was broken
Fallen and battered and scarred
You took the hopeless
The life wasted, ruined and marred
And made it new

You make all things new
You make all things new
You redeem and You transform
You renew and You restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

You turn winter into spring
You take every living thing
And You breathe the breath of life into it
Over and over again

You made the sunrise
Day after day after day
But there’s a morning coming
When old things will all pass away
And everyone will see

You make all things new
You make all things new
Come redeem and come transform
Come renew and restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You
Now and forever you are making all things new

You’re making all things new

Missing Muffins??? No worries...Muffin #59: Gingerbread Muffins

Hello my Beautiful Friends! I am back :-). I am so sorry for the absence in blog posts. I was terribly sick for an entire week with an awful stomach flu and then my hubby and I were gone for a long vacation to the Virgin Islands to celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary. It was an absolutely amazing vacation, and I feel so very blessed to have shared in God's breathtaking creation with my amazing hubby. We swam with the dolphins, snorkled, explored, shopped, and sunbathed for 7 glorious days. After we returned, I was busy filling the Coffeehouse Orders for my Baking Business so I am just now getting around to blogging and to resuming my 100 muffin baking quest.

Today, I restarted the muffin madness with Gingerbread Muffins. I have been searching all over our little town for crystallized ginger candy, and wouldn't you know I would find it in St. Thomas. Who knew you had to travel to the Carribean to find such delicacies :-)? Hopefully, you will have better luck finding it where you live if you attempt to make these muffins.

It is a shame that my Mom and Dad just left to return home to N.C. because my Dad adores Gingerbread, and I know that he would have loved these muffins. They turned out quite yummy, and I think they would be delicious served warm with a lemon glaze drizzled on top. Or, top one with a dollop of cool whip for an extra special treat.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Cranberry & Orange Muffins

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Gingerbread Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder

4 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 pieces preserved ginger in syrup, finely chopped (I used 3 pieces crystallized ginger candy)

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk

4 tbsp dark corn syrup
6 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

To make the muffins, sift together the flour, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the light brown sugar and chopped ginger.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, oil, and corn syrup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.