bakeddd:

5 ingredient nutella-stuffed funfetti cookies

• click here for recipe

yes please

my sister is getting married! my sister is getting married! my sister is getting married!

flying home tonight to get this wedding weekend started.

i. cannot. wait

Today I saw my past and my heart stopped. It literally stopped. I have never felt that way before. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I don’t understand why he still has that affect on me. I need to get a hold on myself. It was the most overwhelming feeling.

But. I have overcome all of my pain, all of what I did wrong. God has brought beauty out of it. And God, my amazing God, has showered me with love and whispered sweet words to me, telling me that He loves me more than I will ever know and more than I will ever be able to let Him know. I won’t ever get over being forgiven, not just by Jesus but by others who I am wronged with the selfish choices I have made. 

I can’t wait to see what God has planned for me because whatever it is it is going to be big. 

I made my mom’s apple pie and we left a piece for our neighbor upstairs and just got a text saying he was allergic to apples. Oops 

spiritualinspiration:

Sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into. Eighteen credits and seven classes. I mean they are all wonderful, minus maybe international business, but at least it is beneficial. So what to I do when I have a whole pile of homework before me? Bake. Praise the Lord for baking. It is my perfect stress reliever. 

And to top it off we are doing our internship presentation tomorrow! Hello mission majors, awesome outfits, crazy dances, and a great time of fellowship and stuffing our faces with cupcakes. 

screw-it-and-eat-everything:

Perfect Party Cake
from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

 Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. 

Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. 

Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. 

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. 

While still warm, poke each layer all over with a fork, and pour over lemon glaze (recipe follows). When cool, frost cake with black tea frosting & garnish with candied lemon slices.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice, stir with a fork. 


Black Tea Frosting

2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup strongly brewed black tea
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup strongly brewed black tea

Beat egg whites in a mixing bowl until foamy & thick, they should mound, but not peak. 

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, black tea & salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 242 degrees F and all sugar is dissolved.  
Begin beating the egg whites again and slowly pour in boiling sugar syrup in a slow steam. Continue to beat on high for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. 

Add 1/4 black tea by the tablespoon, beating after each addition. 

Continue beating until frosting reaches desired consistency, about 2 minutes. Use immediately.


Candied Lemon Slices
From Martha Stewart

1 large lemon

1 cup sugar

    Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut lemon into 12 paper-thin slices; discard seeds and ends of rind.

    Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and add lemon slices; stir until softened, about 1 minute. Drain, and immediately plunge slices into ice-water bath. Drain.

    Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium skillet, swirling to dissolve sugar. When liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low. Add lemon slices, arranging them in one layer with tongs. Simmer (do not let boil) until rinds are translucent, about 1 hour.

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Let stand until ready to serve.

(via moonshineandwool)

Tomorrow is the day that I thought wouldn’t ever come but the day that is going to change the rest of my life. Tomorrow I am going to Nepal. 

Twelve weeks. That is a looong time. But I feel so very blessed to be in Nepal for twelve weeks. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do through me and in me. I know that He will be in every moment whether it be good or bad. I know that these next twelve weeks, even though they may seem like a long time, are going to go so fast and I just pray that I soak up every moment. I pray that I fall in love with the people and the culture and fall more in love with Him who created it even more. 

Just knowing that people are praying for me and supporting me means so much to me. I was talking with my aunt a few minutes ago and she said to me, “Go show those people how big of a heart you have.” I know that my heart is gonna get even bigger while I am there, I know God is going to open my eyes to things that I had not thought about before. I know I am going to fall in love while I am over there.

Going to Nepal is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I pray that I always remember that and that I don’t take anything for granted. 

My heart is open for God to use me however He wants. 

spiritualinspiration:

http://www.facebook.com/naeemcallaway

(via strangelittleorangetopeel)