A Random thought....and Scary Spider Cupcake!

So today at work (yes i'm still at work...lol) i just had this random thought come in my head..... it was "is Jesus our life, or is he just apart of it?" whoaaaaa that's a question that will really make you check your self.  I would like to say yes he is my life. but it was not always like that.  The other night i had a dream that i was in a classroom  and someone said something about my sister, and i went off! i mean started cussing like a sailor! and that split second in my dream i thought to my self...wow i totally just ruined my witness to whoever just heard me!!  I woke up relieved it was only a dream!!! but the sad part is there was a time in my life you would have never ever thought i was a christian!  I probaly ruined so many oppurtuinties to show people the love of Christ and share my faith with them! actually i know i ruined so many oppurtunities to witness to close friends because i was to busy living for myself! We don't realize how once the world sees you being a certain way when you're "supposed to be a christian" they remember the bad even after you've changed.........but i can't live with a past of regrets i can thank God for bringing me out of some really dark times and using it for his Glory!  okay off my soap box now....:)


Ok I'm not all about some scary stuff....muchless spiders...actually i HATE spiders! anyway cupcake I guess b/c of Halloween
                                           SCARY SPIDERWEB CUPCAKE!
                                                
YOU WILL NEED:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix


Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

3 drops red food color

4 to 5 drops yellow food color

1 tube (0.68 ounce) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel

48 large black gumdrops

DIRECTIONS
1Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.


2Tint frosting with red and yellow food colors to make orange frosting. Spread frosting over tops of cupcakes.

3Squeeze circles of decorating gel on each cupcake; pull knife through gel from center outward to make web. To make each spider, roll out 1 gumdrop and cut out 8 strips for legs; place another gumdrop on top. Place spider on cupcake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.



FALL CRAFT TIME!!

Even tho i'm soooo ready for Christmas but Thanksgiving is still to come!!! :)






THIS IS TRULEY ONE OF THE NEATEST IDES!! SO CUTE!!!!!!!! PICTURE SHOULD EXPLAIN HOW TO DO IT!

COMPELLED.......

THIS WAS AN EMAIL FROM OUR PASTOR TODAY HE SENT OUT TO EVERYONE AND I WANTED TO SHARE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ATTEND LONG HOLLOW WITH US. ARE YOU COMPELLED???



This weekend marks the beginning of “Compelled”, a challenging new series about radical transformation by the Gospel. In preparation for this series, here are a few things we’re challenging you to do today…



1) Pray for hearts to be opened to God’s grace. Again tonight, the Student Crusade is taking place and we are expecting God to move! Be continuous in praying for souls to be saved.

2) Think about who you know that hasn’t accepted Christ as their Savior.

3) Reflect on what it means for you to be compelled by/for the Gospel. Consider this short story below:



At age 18, Charlotte Digges Moon, better known as “Lottie Moon”, realized something about herself: she needed Jesus Christ as her savior. Young and exuberant, Lottie fully embraced the beauty of God’s grace in her life and quickly joined a local church in Georgia. For the next 15 years, Lottie faithfully served the poor and impoverished families in her community. Then, at age 33, she felt God calling her to China.





There, she was assigned to be a school teacher. Of course, this alone would not suffice as Lottie’s only task. She had one focus in mind: people needed Jesus Christ as their savior.

Despite the conventional practices of Baptist missionaries, where only males shared the Gospel, Lottie began reaching out to Chinese women and telling them about Christ. Furthermore, although it contradicted her upbringing, Lottie decided to set aside her cultural preferences – dress, food, culture, education, etc. – and to embrace Chinese culture.

Because of her boldness and willingness to adapt, Lottie spent 39 years in China successfully reaching women for Christ. Lottie did much more than believe in God’s grace; she was compelled to live it out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


* Our student crusade has been going awesome!! we have seen soooo many lives come to the Lord!! I am sooo blessed to be able and serve in the youth ministry!!! I don't HAVE to serve in the youth I GET to!


PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES!





For the Cupcakes:


4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2½ cups packed light-brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1½ cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract


To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers.

4. To finish, use an offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorated tip to top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

To Make the Frosting:
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.



So for the record last night me and bear ate popcorn and cookies for dinner!!! what the heck is wrong with us!!! betsy ate some pop corn too!! i just live that lil munchin! even tho she tends to love bear more b/c she's with him more....:( i do get jealous sometimes i admit.  Basset Hounds are definitley NOT like other dogs, they are more stubborn, more hilarious, they are just such characters!


i haven't been to ANY FALL FESTIVALS THIS YEAR!! and i'm pretty bummed about it!! :( this was my first year out of my whole life i didnt get to go to Gold Rush festival in Georgia. i need a funnell cake and crafts!!



FALL DECOR IDEA!!!



PICTURE IS ENOUGH! LEAVES IN PICTURE FRAME!

The Cutest Pumpkin Cupcakes EVER!!!!

First off i'd like to say that i'm soooooo happy it's friday!! Friday, saturdays and sundays are my favorite!!! :) get a break from work and school just get to chill and go to the Lords house!! I really love fall and all the yummy things that go along with it!! (like i need any of it! LOL)  These cupakes are the cutest pumpkin cupcakes i have ever seen ever!!! they look like a work of art!! LOL But once you READ THE DIRECTIONS you will see they are not that difficult they just look like they are!! so i hope someone will make them and send me some pictures!

About the Pumpkin Cupcakes

These miniature pumpkins look like tiny showpieces, but they're surprisingly easy to make. You get the rounded top by "gluing" on halved chocolate-covered doughnuts with frosting, then transform the cupcakes into pumpkins with orange-tinted frosting. Orange sprinkles or candies up the wow factor, and a twisted pretzel stick creates the perfect stem. A green fruit chew formed into a vine tendril is the finishing touch.

                                  CUTEST PUMPKIN CUPCAKES EVER!

                                                  


To make your own pumpkin cupcakes, you will need the following:

12 vanilla cupcakes baked in orange paper liners

6 small chocolate glazed doughnuts

1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

Orange paste food coloring

1 cup orange coarse sugar

1 cup orange nonpareils

2 cups orange candy-coated chocolates

6 honey twist pretzels

2 green fruit chews (eg., Laffy Taffy, Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews, etc.)

Here are Karen and Alan's easy decorating steps:

1. Cut the doughnuts in half lengthwise to get 2 equal circles. Spread some of the vanilla frosting on top of a cupcake and attach the doughnut piece, cut side down, on top. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Place the cupcakes in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until firm. Spread some more vanilla frosting on the sides to fill in the gaps. Return to the freezer.

2. Place the sugars and sprinkle in separate shallow bowls. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting orange with the food coloring. Spread a thin layer of the orange frosting on the slightly frozen cupcake. Roll the cupcake in the sugar or sprinkles to cover completely. Or press rows of orange candies all over the frosted cupcake. Use a wooden skewer to make the marks in the side of the sprinkled cupcakes. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

3. Cut a honey wheat stick in half and insert the cut end in the top of the cupcakes as the stem. Cut the green fruit chews into thin slices and roll into ropes. Twist the ropes into tendrils and place on top of the cupcakes.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/10/pumpkin-cupcakes/#ixzz12ReWcOxw


RANDOM PICTURE I FOUND,.....IF I EVER HAVE A LITTLE GIRL I WANT HER ROOM TO LOOK LIKE THIS!!!




ok FALL CRAFT IDEA!

PUMPKIN CANDLE HOLDER



How easy is that!! Just get a smaller pumpkin, and pillar candle (pumpkin pie preferrably! hehe) some fall leafy things, and waaaalaaaaa a perfect fall decoration with lots of character for pretty cheap!!!  i like that!!!

Encouragement!, Candy Corn Cupcakes and Fall Wreath Idea!

Do you ever just feel like you are in a slump? or you let something wear on you?? I know i do! We know to put our faith in God but when it comes down to it do we??? It's alot easier said than done, but when you have a relationship with God you really have no other choice than to just trust him.  When we don't trust that he will bring us through, or provide or whatever it might be that shows disobedience to him....it's a sin. WOW that's a hard pill to swallow.  We have to come to the realization that we can't fix our problems on our own, we have to put it in Gods hand and TRUST he will bring us through.  We can't look to our money, relationships, or "status" to draw our strength.....our strength should come from him only.  I wonder if this makes sense.  It's just what has been laid on my heart.  Here is a good verse from Psalms 121:1-8

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more

and if you have NEVER heard this Psalm sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir youtube it!! it's so awesome!!!!! LOVE IT!!


ok now the Cupcake for today is

CANDY CORN CUPCAKE! this is alot like the rainbow cupcake a few post ago.

1 18.25-oz. white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)


1 c. sour cream (the sour cream makes it great!!) right ashley!!

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

Yellow and orange Wilton food gel (about a heaping 1/2 tsp. of each)

For Frosting use any kind of WHITE frosting!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 24-cup muffin tins with white paper liners (although you may not make it to 24 cupcakes). Combine all ingredients except for food coloring in a large bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat on medium for 2 additional minutes.

Divide batter equally into two bowls; you should have about 2 1/4-2 1/2 c. of batter in each bowl.
LIKE THIS:

Mix about 1/2 heaping tsp. of yellow coloring into one bowl of batter and 1/2 heaping tsp. of orange coloring into the other bowl.


Divide the yellow batter evenly among the muffin tins. I used a standard cookie scoop, which measures about 1 Tbsp. I only had enough to make 20 cupcakes with the cups filled about halfway. Holding the edges of each pan firmly, bang the pan a few times on the counter to level out the batter. Repeat the process with the orange batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Frost and when you cut them open they look like this!! This is so easy i promise! and the sour cream makes them so moist!!!

okay now for the FALL DECOR CRAFT IDEA




This picture is not that great, but it's a wreath obviously, and what i did was just bought a wooden wreath at walmart...which was either $2 or $3 , then i bought the fall garland for $5 and the scarecrow came from dollar tree for $1. I wrapped the garland around wreath and sat scarcrow in the middle! easy as that!! and cheap!!!