Cinnamon and crafts...heaven!

[ Cinnamon rolls just out of the oven :) ]

Since I learned to bake and realized how much I liked it, I started making cinnamon rolls for Christmas. These little gems are from a recipe by Smitten Kitchen - an amazing food blog, by the way. I make them with fat-free milk instead of whole-milk and they come out just amazing. Try them for yourself and you'll see what I mean...


I was feeling crafty on Christmas Eve and decided to do something I've never done before...make a card! It was super fun and now I'm thinking of all kinds of new ideas to make cards. This did take a little bit because of the hand stitching, but it was worth it and I like how it turned out. Now what to add to it? I don't know quite yet :)

Gingerbread (Men)!

Just in time for Christmas...

(made by a sweet girl named Molly)
I have never made gingerbread before, so this was a little bit of an adventure for me...and for an audience to boot! I was babysitting all week for a family I used to nanny for. The little girl had 2 friends over so I decided to make some cookies for them to decorate. Instead of doing sugar cookies (because I know how to do that!!), I decided to do Gingerbread (Men) - we made snowmen and trees and men too ;)

All the ingredients lined up!

Mixing the butter into the dough...

Find the recipe here (though I would recommend trying a different one, I didn't love how much the cookies spread, but they tasted great! I might recommend this one)

My Obsession

So we all have an obsession. The two closest to my heart are collecting recipes and, closely related, food-blogging.

Do you know what food-blogging is? There isn't a definition, really. It means that I go to this website and completely freak out about the amazing amount of recipes and click on a billion different pages and end up taking way, way, WAY too much time salivating over the different foods. Some people thing it's weird (and they tell me I need to calm down). But here's the thing, I get satisfaction out of this.

As for my recipe obsession...you should see my bookmarked list. I can't even navigate it anymore.For whatever reason, I love recipes. I love cooking, I love being in the kitchen...and for the most part, I love food (with the exception of a few things). I like things to taste good. Which is why I would do everything to find the perfect recipe.

Over the last few months, I have come to realize, however, that there are just simply things I should never cook. I mean...what is the point of slaving in a hot kitchen to make a batch of...crackers? Marshmallows? Girl Scout Cookies? (yes...someone has spent the time to come up with a recipe for homemade Samoas and Thin Mints and Tagalongs - your dreams can come true year-round ladies). I mean, it's absurd right? Making CrAcKeRs?! Here's the catch...the only thing that has kept me from adventuring out and making these recipes is lack of time. Yes, I would go through the effort to buy ingredients and slave in a kitchen to make the perfect batch of Thin Mints just to say that I've done it. And then when the Girl Scouts came around...I'd buy a box or two.

What is your obsession?

Trust me

Trust me. Those are the words God has been laying on my heart since I could begin to think...I think. Really, they are the words he says to everyone.

Trust me. Now, why is that so hard? Rather, why do I make it so hard? Still, I am not sure why. This whole college experience thing has been a kick in my butt, if I'm honest with myself. I have grown more than I would've liked [sarcasm]. I was quite comfortable with myself...really, I was. But God had other plans for me. He is pushing my buttons, the buttons he made and knows to push because he knows everything about me. He knows that if he pushes those buttons I will grow. He knows what makes me feel sad, happy, joyful, whole, confused, tired and angry (believe it or not, I get angry once in a while).

Trust me. Now, here's the thing I've forgotten and am just beginning to realize again. He pushes my buttons with love. For a long time I forgot that God loves me. Now, how could I ever forget that? Remember that time you thought the world was over and everything was going terribly and you couldn't see how things could ever work out? That's when you forgot that God loves you. It creeps in there. God loves me so unconditionally, so radically, so fully, so...much. He slathers it on thick. Definition of slather according to my computer: [to spread or smear thickly or liberally]. God truly slathers it on. Just look at his Word. Look at his Creation. How he loves us.

Trust me. He loves you too. He loves everyone of us more than we could ever ask for or imagine. His love is higher, deeper, wider, and longer than we could ever fathom [measure the depth of] - Eph. 3:17-19.

Trust me. I'm learning Father. I'm learning to daily reach out my hands in faith knowing that you will love me, lead me, and treasure me in your hand.