Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Even though I didn't get to go home to see my family for Easter, I still had a good one. Saturday I served at the Easter Vigil Mass. I served last year, so this year was my second year doing it and I was actually looking forward to it because I really enjoyed it last year. We welcomed six new people into the Catholic Church. I think it is so exciting and I love to see them receive the sacraments. There is just something about adding more members to our awesome Catholic faith that makes me feel good inside and thankful for everything God has given me. One of my good friends, Jordan, became Catholic and I was glad that I was able to see it. On Sunday, Scott and I went to his house to surprise his mom and visit with his family. We went to mass and spent time at his house afterwards. I would say it was a good Easter!

Lots of Baking!

Today I did a lot of baking because I wanted to make some treats for Easter to share with friends. I will actually be able to try what I made because Lent is over Sunday! Today I made sugar cookies that are in the shape of flowers and Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies. I have never made either of these, but I wanted to try something new. The cookies didn't turn out as well as I thought, but I'm sure they still taste delicious! 

I made up my own recipe for the Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies. I combined two recipes that I found off the internet. Here is the recipe: 

Ingredients:

1 Duncan Hines box Red Velvet cake mix

3/4 cup butter, after melted

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 - 8oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine egg, butter, water in a bowl. Add box mix, stir until the ingredients are combined, and lumps are gone.

3. Add chips and pour mixture into the greased 9x13-inch baking pan.

4. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.

5. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. 

6. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set.

A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned. 

8. Enjoy! :)

Flower Sugar Cookies

My messy desk!

Adding the chocolate chips to the Red Velvet batter

Cheesecake/Cream Cheese mixture (I think it was supposed to be thicker, but I don't know what happened!)

Ready for the oven

Completed masterpiece

YUM!

Website for recipes:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2RVskb/www.eatatallies.com/2011/02/red-velvet-cheesecake-brownies.html

http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/brownies/jilltaylor86/red-velvet-fudge-brownies

I'm Famous, Well Kind of...

I received a $400 scholarship from Potter College of Arts and Letters to study abroad in Spain this summer. Why am I famous? Because my name is posted on their website as a scholarship winner! Want to check it out? Here is the link: http://www.wku.edu/pcal/ml-scholarships. I also received two certificates, one signed by WKU president Gary Ransdell (and it's official, not just a stamp) and a study abroad book to record everything that I experience. A month and 10 days until I embark on my adventure!

Easter Package

I checked my mailbox and I received a package from my family today! It was an Easter gift since I won't be able to see or spend time with them this Easter. I always receive the best packages from my family. I can't wait to see them in less than a month. 
Thanks, Mom, Dad, Chris, and Bailey!

Not much longer!

In ONE month I will be finally home for the summer! I can't wait. I ready for time to do whatever I want, especially NOT studying or doing homework. It will be the first time that I will see my family since Spring Break. I will be counting down the days until freedom!

Hanson - If Only

I was listening to the Hanson CD that I have in my car and wanted to share one of my favorite songs off that CD. This CD, called THIS TIME AROUND, was released in 2000, so I've had this CD for a long time! Hanson has been around for years and they definitely look and sound different. They have a new song out now called "Give a Little" which I've heard on VH1 several times. 


Lyrics for "If Only"

Yeah
Cause I need you
Yeah
Cause I need you
Every single time I see you I start to feel this way
It makes me wonder if I am ever gonna feel this way again
There's a picture that's hanging in the back of my head
I see it over and over
I wanna hold you and love you
In my arms and then
I wanna need you
Cause I need to be with you till the end
Then I hear myself reply "You've got to hold it in" this time tonight
If only I had the guts to feel this way
If only you'd look at me and want to stay
If only I could take you in my arms and say
I won't go cause I need you
Cause I need you
Yeah
I sit here waiting, wondering, hoping that I'll make this right
Cause all I think about is your hands, your face and all these lonely nights
There's a feeling screaming in the back of my head
Saying it over and over
I wanna hold you and love you
In my arms and then
I wanna need you
Cause I need to be with you till the end
Then I hear myself reply "She'll never let you in" this time tonight
If only I had the guts to feel this way
If only you'd look at me and want to stay
If only I could take you in my arms and say
I won't go cause I need you,
please don`t go cause I need you now
I wanna hear you say it'll always be this way
And we'll be hand in hand for everynight and everyday
I wanna scream and shout cause I'm losing any doubt
And all I care about is you and me and us and now
Uh yeah, yeah
yeah, If only I had the guts to feel this way
If only you'd look at me and want to stay
If only I could take you in my arms and say
I won't go cause I need you,
Please don't go cause I need you now
Yeah cause I need you
If only, yeah oh yeah cause I need you now
If only cause I need you, I need you
If only, cause I need you
If only cause I need you
If only, yeah, if only...I need you now....yeah

VIDEO from YOUTUBE

Spring Flowers

It's spring time! So many flowers are blooming now. I don't really know much about flowers, but I since it's spring I've been curious to learn names of different types:

APPLE BLOSSOM is considered to be one of the most aromatic and splendid flowering species. 

Symbolic Meaning:  Constancy; with gratitude

It is also known as harebell. The BLUEBELL represents a tiny blue- or cream-colored plant bearing the blossoms in the shape of bells.

Lilium 'Casa Blanca' can be commonly called ORIENTAL LILY.

PEONY is the common name for about 33 species of plants in the Peonies genus that is the member of the Ranunculaceae family.

The blooms are very odorous and usually are growing to serve as ornamental plants.

Lathyrus odoratus, commonly known as ‘SWEET PEA’, stands for «delicate pleasures’.

TULIP: Meaning
Perfect lover, Fame, Love, Passion, Romance, charity; declaration of love

From: http://www.types-of-flowers.org/spring-flowers.html

Little Black Book

This Lent I picked up a book called "The Little Black Book" from church. It has prayers and reflections for each day of Lent. One side has random thoughts/information that has to do with the Catholic Church. The other side has a reflection of the weekly readings from Sunday's mass. I've been trying to read it everyday. 

Lent is a time for fasting, prayer, and penitence as we prepare for Easter. As a part of that we try to "give something up for Lent." It could also be adding something extra, like going to church more than once a week or say an extra prayer daily. Reading through the Little Black Book, I found an excerpt interesting about how one famous women changed during one Lenten season. Her name is Dorothy Day. 

Here is what it had to say:

"Like many Catholics, when Lent rolls around each year, peace activist Dorothy Day tried to give something up. A heavy smoker, her day began with a cigarette, and it was followed by many others throughout the day.

But during Lent, she tried to give up the habit.

And it was hard- both on her and on the people around her.

Giving up cigarettes made her irritable, and many of her coworkers secretly prayed she would light up.

One day, Dorothy's confessor suggested that instead of giving up cigarettes that Lent, why not pray each day, 'Dear God, please help me stop smoking.' 

Dorothy agreed and continued to pray that prayer each day during Lent, and for several more years, before reaching for her pack of cigarettes.

One morning, she woke up, reached for her cigarette....and didn't want one.

She never smoked again."

"On this day (March 16) in the year 2000, the Vatican agreed to request from the late Cardinal John O'Connor of New York to begin the process of considering whether Dorothy Day should be become a canonized saint. That process continues today."

It made me think...

Chocolate Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce

Yesterday I went shopping with my friends Erin and Jordan. We went to a shopping center called the Avenue Murfreesboro which is about 20 miles south of Nashville. It was an outside shopping center with probably every store you can imagine. It was really nice. They had a World Market there (which is one of my favorite stores)! Looking around I found specialty spreads and one of them was called "Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter." I wanted to try it so I decided to buy it. I tasted it once I got back and it was delicious! I was looking at the jar and there was a website for it, so I decided to look it up. 

I discovered that it is made in New York City. There is a little restaurant that serves all kind of peanut butter creations. It is called Peanut Butter & Co. One sandwich that they make is called "The Elvis" which is crunchy peanut butter, bananas, honey, and bacon! It sounds interesting to me. Other varieties of homemade and all-natural peanut butter that they make: The Heat is On (Spicy PB), White Chocolate Wonderful (white chocolate with PB), Dark Chocolate Dreams (dark chocolate with PB), The Bees' Knees (honey with PB), Mighty Maple (maple syrup with PB), and Smooth Operator (regular PB). They also have a blog and I checked it out. The most recent post was called "Chocolate Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce" Sounds really rich and too much sugar, but I think I would like to try a bit. Here is the link: http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/recipes/ I hope maybe I could eat there next time I go to NYC.


Here is the company's website: http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/