Hands

I'm working on a project for a church women's activity based on the quote by Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the earth; yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.”

I'm taking some photos of the hands of as many of the women as I can as part of a presentation.  Here's the one I've just finished:

I think the quote is beautiful. 

And so are the hands that I'm photographing.  

Such beautiful, giving, loving hands getting worn out in service and good works.

These sisters inspire me every day.  What a blessing to be in their company.

Lerv Cinnamon rolls

Oy!  Been too long since I've been on here.  So here's something for ya.

Heart shaped cinnamon rolls!  I know--it's way past V-day, but I did these for my kids a couple of days later, since I wasn't organized enough to leave time for the things to rise the morning of the day of lerv.

So I did it for an after school snack instead.

Easy to do.  You make the dough as normal (or cheat like me and use a loaf of frozen sweet dough.  Whatever turns your crank and lets you get it done without stress!).  Roll the dough out into a rectangle like you usually would for cinnamon rolls and add loads of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  

Then stop and think for a sec, cause the next part is pretty tricky!  Instead of simply rolling one long end to the other, you roll it to the center.  Stop.  Then roll the other end to the center until it kisses the other long side.  It IS for lerv day, after all, so let them kiss.  It's OK this once.  Do you understand what I mean?  I should have taken pics but didn't think about it.  

So let me review the rolling process.  Instead of rolling it all the way like you normally would, you just roll it half way.  Then do the same for the other side.  

When you've accomplished that terribly tricky task, you cut the rolls into slices as you usually would.  Then you plop them in the pan--but give them more space than usual so they don't shove into each other too much as they rise.  They've been kissing, after all, so emotions are high.  Best to keep them apart for a bit.  Pinch their little bottoms to give them the heart point.  Rise until double.  Bake til done.

Voila!

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In other Valentine's day news, aren't these cookies adorable?

Aren't these adorable?  Adrianne at Color Me Cookie (look for her on facebook!), made these for me to give to Meryl for Valentine's Day.  I'm fortunate that she lives nearby, I must say!

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And finally:

A piece of fried bread dough that looks like a bear.  It was completely unintentional.  Adam insisted that I take a picture of it before he smeared it with butter and honey and bit its head off.

First 48: Baby Xavier

Was blessed to be able to document Xavier's Nikovanni's birthday!  His dad created his middle name--isn't it a nice one?  I'm working on a slide show, but had to tease you with a few shots first.     OK.  More than a few--but he's so adorable, and his mom is so beautiful.  Holy Hannah! Seriously gorgeous--and after giving birth, too.  It's sooo not fair!

Again, these are just a few and are the less--erm--intimate ones.

Sparks the Elf

We started the Elf on the Shelf thing this December.  It was kind of fun--although the elf IS rather creepy looking.  The kids started writing little notes to him, and he'd reply.  Julia gave him cookies and other goodies, and he got the kids a Christmas ornament.

I forgot to post some photos of the "best of the elf," so without further ado, I present to you--Sparks.

 Helping take out the tree decorations.

Indulging in a nice, sweet breakfast while attending an elf meeting.

Kinda like a ball pit--only with marshmallow "snowballs!"

The kids had a really hard time finding him up here!

I really appreciated the help this year. 

Must get squeaky clean after all that messing around.

I don't have photos of him sharing Christmas cookies with Julia's stuffed animals, diving off a Christmas tree branch, sleeping in the gravy boat, eating from the gingerbread house...which reminds me that I KNOW I took some photos of the gingerbread house and him by it.  Hang on...hmn.  I looked through everything and they appear not to be on my computer, or else they'll show up somewhere odd.  How strange.  He was with us for about three weeks, and got into all kinds of mischief--it's just the mother who wasn't as with it as she should have been with the camera.  I'll have to dig out the little notes the kids wrote and scan them.  They were sweet, and his responses were remarkably wise, considering the mess he made around here...

Groovy doggie

Oooh yeah, we've got one groovy dog.

Cool man...

Lone photos

This Christmas, I took only two photos.  Two.  The rest of the time I just enjoyed being with the kiddos without an appendage.  So here are the photos.

And inexplicably, although I have no pictures of dinner--I have one of the cake.  Why? Not sure.  But here it is:

It's a fudgy brownie peppermint torte, but since I didn't have four 9-inch pans to make it more torte-like, so the layers are thicker and there are only three of them.  Anyway, I digress.  Brownie layers, cream cheese and peppermint filling.  Festive.

And that's that!  Two photos but probably the most relaxing Christmas I've had in years.  

I hope your Christmas was merry and that you have a wonderful 2012.  I'm excited that I can finally write it on my checks.  I've been doing it and having to cross it out for months.  It slides so smoothly off the pen--2012--that it just has to be a great year!

Nighters.

This is for you, Mom!

Lefse day right before Christmas.  I'm pleased to report that they turned out better than any I've done before, I was able to roll them paper thin for once, and Meryl was happy to eat them saying they didn't taste like dry tortillas this time.  Yes, it was a different recipe (sorry Grandma).  Cream and a little sugar makes everything taste better, yes?