Not So Boring

If everyday of your life were the same you might be ok with it for awhile. You would always know what is about to happen, what to buy at the grocery store and you could probably even drive to work with your eyes closed. But after awhile you would start to want something different...something out of the ordinary. Maybe chocolate instead of vanilla? Now think of how interesting your life might be if you put your faith and trust in someone else to guide your life. You may not even know what the next day will bring you but you know that it will be blessed no matter what my happen. That is how I long to live my life. I strive to fully put my trust in the One who created you and me. A lot of times when you pray or ask for someting you may not get the answer you were looking for. Most likely your prayer will be answered in a not so conventional way. Our God does not always make things plain and clear but He does like to reveal Himself in not so boring ways. Ways that you have no choice but to believe that a miracle just took place and Heaven invaded Earth. When God was leading the Isralites out of Egypt He guided them to a sea of water while they were being chased by an army! In our minds, and probably theirs, this would not be logical...He led us out of slavery just to be killed. There might be panic and doubt that God could rescue them. But, He does show up and lead them across the parted sea on dry land and allows the water to swallow up their former captors. I am not sure how anyone can say the Christian faith is boring...if anything, it is a whirlwind of trusting God for your next breath. It is having faith in something that is unseen but manifested in our lives everyday. God does not always make sense....but, He knows where He is leading us. All we have to do is have the faith that he will take care of us along the journey. It's easier said than done but I guarantee it is well worth it. Not a single day is boring!

The Design Process

Here are a few thoughts that have been revealed to me. I hope you enjoy... Take a minute to thing about how something is designed. Whether it be an outfit, space ship or just a simple friendship. We enjoy that finished design and don't put too much thought into how it came to be. The creator of that design put hours of hard work and sweat into making something that could be shared with everyone. There was passion in the development. There were roadblocks that needed to be overcome so the perfect item could be produced. Something this great does not come overnight. Once that precious design on paper became a reality the creator was finally able to relish in the satisfaction that all that hard work paid off. To God, you are His design. He knew about your design before you were even a thought to your parents. God put countless hours into making sure His creation was just as He intended it to be. He even sacrificed His most precious creation, Jesus, so you could fully develop. We have the most powerful and loving creator and He is just waiting for you to shine and bring Him glory. Know that you did not just happen to end up with the family you are part of. It is all part of the design to create who you are. Sometimes we might think we have been dealt an unlucky hand and it may feel like that most days. He is still designing you but letting you have some say in the design too. Choose today that you will allow God to design you in His image. Lay your pride down and humble yourself....you would not be here if He did not have a purpose for your beautiful messy life. He uses the tough times to mold you into a strong, humble, loving, faithful, obedient and forgiving beautifully designed creation. I encourage you to live your life with purpose....because you have one! Allow yourself to be tweaked along the process and know that you are loved by the most high King!

A Beautiful Chocolate Tart.

What better excuse to make a tasty dessert than for dinner guests. This was the second time I ever made a tart and it has to be my favorite chocolate dessert right now. The chocolate is very rich and the crust is a perfect savory compliment. I wish I could tell you that this is an easy recipe...but nothing this good is going to be easy and you will cherish every single delicious bite of your creation. Enjoy creating a dessert that is truly a piece of art. This recipe is sure to impress anyone and you can pull it off. I guess all the running I just did was for this amazing dessert....and SO worth it!

Here we go. I have to give Tyler Florence credit for an amazing recipe. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chocolate-tart-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Tart Shell Pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
• 1 large egg, separated
• 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

THE CRUST

Step 1: Mix your flour, sugar and salt and add butter. I like to cut mine--as it mixes easier

Step 2: Using a pastry blender or fork blend the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly

Step 3: Whisk your egg yolk and ice water. Make a well the flour/butter mixture and add your egg mixture. Blend together with your hands until it holds form. You may add more ice water if it is not holding...but only a little bit at a time.

Step 4: Mold your crust into a large disk and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 Step 5: Preheat oven to 350 F.  Roll your dough out and place in tart form. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes. You want to make sure you weigh the pastry down. I use aluminum foil and dried beans and it works just fine.  Place in oven (middle rack) and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from oven and remove weights.  Brush with beaten egg white and bake for an additional 8 minutes until the crust starts to get golden (see below)

Congratulations! You have finished the crust. I promise this is the hardest part. 

THE CHOCOLATE

Step 1: Mix your Milk and Cream on medium-high heat until it starts to bubble around the edges. Make sure you keep mixing it. I like to use a whisk. Remove from heat when you see those bubbles.

Step 2: Have you 10 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate ready to mix in the hot milk and cream. I like to use the mini morsels to cut eliminate chopping the chocolate. Mix well until the chocolate is nice and smooth. Add you sugar and 2 beaten eggs until well incorporated. 

  Step 3: Pour your warm delicious chocolate into your cooled tart crust. Bake 325F for 15-20 minutes until the chocolate is set. I check mine after 15 minutes and usually still have another 5 minutes to go. If you see your tart start to crack remove it right away as this is a sign of over baking.

This is how your tart should look like when it is finished baking. You have no idea how hard this was to let it sit for a whole day until our dinner guests arrived! You want to make sure you let it completely cool and sit for a few hours before you remove it from the tart pan. I actually like mine when it is cold.

The last and final step: ENJOY

My favorite is to enjoy this rich dessert with fresh raspberries and a lot of them! 

 I hope you enjoyed this recipe and will try to create something beautiful yourself. I promise you will want to make this again...even though it takes a better part of your day to make.

hello fall

Fall was just around the corner and our door was missing something. As I was trying to figure out what to create our car was sick and we were stuck at the house. So, I had to find things I already had stocked up. I knew I kept a burlap bag around for 7 years for a reason ;) After some researching I found great inspiration here...  http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/09/fall-embroidery-hoop-door-hanging.html   I found some fun things around the house and started to create our unique fall wreath. I encourage you to find things in your house to reuse and create something beautiful and unique to fit your personality.

 I learned how to embroider words too!

Ingredients: burlap, embroidery thread, lace, embroidery ring, scrap material, hot glue, needle and thread
Cost: $0

you are beautifully designed

hello

Hello! Welcome to my very 1st blog post. I'm so excited to start sharing what I hear interest people about my life. Every day is an adventure when you have two small children and a husband who is a musician. I love not knowing what each day is going to bring and ready for whatever may come. I hope to share some of my life experiences, fun crafts, tasty recipes, saving ideas and whatever else this beautiful life may bring. Thank you for joining me on this amazing ride we call life.


you are beautifully designed