31 Days of Decadent Desserts

31 Days

31 Blog Posts

31 Decadent Desserts

Last year when The Nester opened the 31 days challenge for anyone who wanted to participate, I was right in there! I had just gotten my Nikon camera and I chose the theme Photography Fun to share some of the photos I had taken with my new friend. This year, I'm right in there again! When thinking about a theme, I wanted to do something that I loved but I didn't want to do just photos again. Back in May, my Mom and I were talking about what topics we could do for the coming October challenge and the idea for Decadent Desserts was born. I love to bake. I am the baker at our house. Well, I bake the most. It works out well, too since Mom doesn't care for baking that much; she would much prefer to cook. We get the best of both worlds.

I immediately started making desserts and photographing them and I even got so enthused about it that I created my button. The months passed, the desserts made and photographed, and my family was very happy that I chose the topic of desserts.

During the coming month, I will share some of my favorite recipes, we'll welcome a few guest posters, you'll see a giveaway or two, and there will be one day a week that you can link up your own recipes.

Below is a list that I'll be adding to over the month, of all the recipes I've posted. To see the whole series click ~here~ which will take you to the label.

Day 1- Pineapple Cake
Day 2- Apple Cider Caramels
Day 3- Strawberry Pie
Day 4- Peanut Butter Fudge Trifle
Day 5- Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Day 6- Giveaway #1 - Cupcake Recipe Cards (closed)
Day 7- Schoolhouse Brownies
Day 8- Apple Cobbler | Guest Post by Nela
Day 9- Cupcakes for Two
Day 10- Chocolate Chip Cookies
Day 11- Cake Balls | Guest Post by Brooke
Day 12- German Apple Cake
Day 13- Giveaway #2 - Cupcake Earrings (closed)
Day 14- Pound Cake
Day 15- Pumpkin Layer Cake
Day 16- Pinspiring Ideas
Day 17- Rainy Day Chocolate Pudding | Guest Post by Kristin
Day 18- Giveaway # 3 - Fall Baker's Party Pack (closed)
Day 19- Chocolate Chip Bars
Day 20- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Day 21- Apple Pie
Day 22- Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Day 23- Boards of Pinspiration
Day 24- Chocolate Fudge
Day 25- Jewish Apple Cake | Guest Post by Lorraine
Day 26- Crème Brûlée and link-up (open through October 30)
Day 27- Mint Cookies
Day 28- Sponge Cakes
Day 29- Maple Walnut Pie
Day 30- Lemon Cake
Day 31- Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

~ ~ ~ I am linking up, along with many other bloggers, to The Nester's 31 Days.

Be Still, My Soul

Be Still, My Soul
words by Ka­tha­ri­na A. von Schle­gel

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Be still, and know that I am God.  ~Psalm 46:10

Photo Friday: O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

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Since I'll be taking a break from normal postings in the month of October, the monthly link-up is one week early. This link-up will stay open through October 11.

Next link-up: November 2.

Survey Results and An Announcement

The results are in from the survey I asked you to fill out the other week. 

For those of you who said that you would like to see me share recipes or that you enjoyed seeing recipes on this blog then you're in luck! For the month of October, I'll be joining the 31 days project with the theme of

Decadent Desserts!

I have a couple giveaways and a weekly link-up planned in addition to sharing some of my favorite dessert recipes. You'll even find a few guest posters here during the month.

I'll be taking a break from my normal postings of Photo Friday and a hymn. But not to fear, I'll be starting them back up starting November 2 (my birthday!).

Thanks everyone for doing my survey!

Fall Room Decor

Yesterday, after I showed you this picture, I promised to show you more of my fall room decor.

Fall found its way to my black tray with a bowl of pears, an apple box given to me by a friend, and a brown coffee bean candle.

On my dresser, I chose to put a candle, a vase made by my friend Miss Tamara, and box that has all the colors of my room (also given to me by a friend).

I added a fall colored candle next to the frame with a picture of me when I was a little girl.

Have you decorated for fall yet?

A Breath of Fall

Fall has officially come and not just because the calendar says so.

Fall is decorating with apples and pears, fall scents and dark, rich colors.

come back tomorrow for more glimpses of my fall decorations

Fall is going to the farm stand and picking out pumpkins, mums, and indian corn.

It's making fall foods like pies, fresh breads, and homemade soups.

Fall is also starting to drinking cups of tea in the afternoon.

Fall is photo shoots with more enjoyable weather.

Even the berries are stating that Fall has arrived.

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Sunday Was The Perfect Day...

...to have a fall photo shoot!

The weather was cool, the sun was shining, and out we went for a fall shoot. 

We got some shots of the these beautiful girls.

Some family shots were taken.

Some of all the kids.

Brian and Kristin got a few.

And so did the siblings.

We even got several random shots. 

All in all we got some great fall pictures.

Blessed Redeemer

Blessed Redeemer
words by Fanny Crosby

Blessèd Redeemer, full of compassion,
Great is Thy mercy, boundless and free;
Now in my weakness, seeking Thy favor,
Lord, I am coming closer to Thee.

Blessèd Redeemer, Thou art my Refuge,
Under Thy watch-care, safe I shall be;
Gladly adoring, joyfully trusting,
Still I am coming closer to Thee.

Blessèd Redeemer, gracious and tender,
New and forever dwell Thou in me;
Thou, my Protector, Shield and Defender,
Draw me and keep me closer to Thee.


Refrain:
Blessèd Redeemer, wonderful Savior,
Fountain of wisdom, Ancient of Days,
Hope of the faithful, Light of all ages,
Jesus my Savior, Thee will I praise.

:: :: :: :: ::

His mercy endureth forever.  ~1 Chronicles 16:34

Photo Friday: Puss

Cat's Are Wonderful Friends
author unknown

Gentle eyes that see so much,
Paws that have the quiet touch,
Purrs to signal "all is well"
And show more love than words could tell.
Graceful movements touched with pride,
a calming presence by our side
A friendship that takes time to grow
Small wonder why we love them so.



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Jessica's Jewels Review

Last week, I won a $10 gift certificate from Jessica's etsy shop on Nela's blog "Beloved Star." I chose a wire rose ring that I've been admiring. The ring came in the mail this week. It came in a small organza bag with one of Jessica's cards.

It's a beautiful silver rose ring. It's light and fits on my finger perfectly. It's also very comfortable and not bulky at all.

I'm very happy with the quality and the shipping was very prompt.

Thanks Nela and Jessica!

In Which Kati Loses Her Wisdom and Tells of Her Adventures

For about a year before my surgery I had been having trouble with one of my wisdom teeth. It would flare up every now and then but finally my dentist (who is also my cousin, Kevin) suggested that I have them taken out.

Here are a few things I found helpful during my surgery and after:

Ice cream is your friend. It helps to have something cold on your gums and it's one of the only times in your life that you can eat it every day for a week and not feel guilty. ;)

Be sure to have some chapstick. My lips were quite chapped for a few days after the surgery.

Clove oil might be nasty tasting in your mouth and it makes your mouth tingly but it does numb the area. I used this starting on day 5. At first I didn't see much difference in pain but when your pain meds are starting to wear off it really helped. You can find clove oil in most pharmacies behind the counter. It can also help if you get dry socket.

It was quite helpful that my sister Kristin wrote a blog post about her wisdom teeth surgery recovery back in January. I referred to that post a lot to see how I was "supposed to feel." :)


This is how I really felt:

Day 1- My mouth was numb until early afternoon. Bleeding was an issue most of the day. Tried biting down on a tea bag (which is supposed to help stop bleeding) as a change from the gauze but liked the feel of the gauze better. Iced 20 minutes on one cheek, 20 minutes on the other, and 20 minutes off. I wasn't allowed to have caffeine for the first 24 hours which was hard!

I was a slight bit stiff and very sore but I was able to use just ibuprofen and Tylenol for pain instead of using the narcotic prescription. Woke up in the middle of the night for ibuprofen and an ice pack.

Day 2-  Very sore. I could hardly open my mouth from stiffness. The swelling was worse then the day before but this day was the peak. Kept ice on my cheeks all day long, 20, 20, 20. Used a product called Sockit! a couple of times. Sockit! is supposed to help with dry socket  and is a wound dressing. My lips were chapped and I started using chapstick. Soft foods like oatmeal, soup, applesauce, and jello were on my diet. Woke up in the middle of the night for meds and ice again.

Day 3- The pain was very bad when I got up and I was very stiff. By mid-morning the pain was back down to how it was the day before. I think that the angle at which my pillows were  propped up put pressure on my gums. Used Sockit! many times during the day and started washing water over the incisions using a syringe. A friend from church brought me a present of a frozen coffee from Dunkin' Donuts which felt very good on my sore mouth (thanks Alissa!). I noticed that the sutures were starting to disappear. The lower left incision started bleeding again but with gauze and a tea bag it soon stopped. Slept through the night.

Day 4- Still very sore but a little bit less stiff. There was still a bit of swelling but if you didn't know it you couldn't tell. My lips were a little less chapped then before. You could see a slight bruise on my left cheek. The bottom left is the one that hurt the most but that is the only tooth that broke as they tried to pull it out so that was to be expected. Used the Sockit! all day.

Day 5- Had a dry socket scare when I sneezed but it didn't turn into anything.

Day 8- The last of the sutures came out. The pain was still there but a slight bit less. I started chewing a little but it still hurt the gums.

Day 14- Went back to the oral surgeon for my follow-up and was released from his care.

Have You had your wisdom teeth out?

How did you feel?

The World of Pooh

Have you ever read the Pooh books by A. A. Milne? If not, then you should give them a try! They are excellently written, witty, and so cute.


Pooh's thoughts on breakfast...

On friendship...

Love...

About Tuesday...

Linking up to the September Note Card Party...

What Are You Reading?

I am a bibliophile...and I love it! 

Here is what I've been reading lately:

The Covenant by Beverly Lewis; first book in the series Abram's Daughters
     My sister, Kristin said that this series was her favorite of Beverly Lewis' books so I decided to give it a try.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzy
     I am slowly making my way through this book. I don't read it every night but occasionally I'll pick it up and read a chapter or two.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
     This is our family read aloud right now. We are slowly reading our way through all the Narnia books. This is the first time I've read them.

Bible 
     I am going through Isaiah in my own reading and we are in the book of Jude in our church Bible Study.

What are you reading?

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

A Shelter in the Time of Storm
words by Vernon Charlesworth

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.



Refrain:
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

~  ~  ~

You have been…a shelter from the storm.  ~ Isaiah 25:4

Photo Friday: Late Summer Butterfly

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