CAKE!!

Black Forest Cake (This was a recipe that Mike's Grandma made all the time and we love it! This is one of my go to cakes when I make one to take to someone for funeral, celebrations etc! It's so easy and yummy!

1 Box chocolate cake of your choice(OR a Cherry Chip or Strawberry cake)

3 Large eggs

1 Can Cherry Pie filling

Beat eggs, add to cake mix and then add can of cherry pie filling and stir. You can make this in a 9x13 but the layered cakes are so pretty! Divide batter into 2-8" cake pans ( A great trick I learned from the Queen of cooking Miss Paula Dean...use a ladle to do this so you can get even amounts in each pan and even cakes. Also spray your pans well and place a square of parchment paper in the bottom and spray that if you have it, if you don't spraying works!)

Bake 35-40 mins. until toothpick comes out clean. Cool a few mins. and invert.

Frost with 1 1/2 cans Chocolate icing (if you use 1/2 of a 2nd. can then you have it in the fridge next time you need another 1/2! ha I just don't think they put enough icing in those cans anymore especially for a layer cake!) and I like to doll up the top! You could sprinkle it with powdered sugar after the icing sets up, or sprinkle the soft icing with any kind of sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts of any kind but this time I had some beautiful strawberries so I melted a few Tbs. of Chocolate chips and a bit of Crisco in the microwave and dipped those berries and set them on a plate with wax paper and popped them in the freezer! YUUUUMMM!

This baby boy is turning 17 today!! amazing how time has flown....We've spent this year watching him run Cross Country and Track, do alot in his leadership group at school, he loves his Youth group at church and enjoys discipling younger kids, he got his first "real" job including paycheck this Spring, we made a college visit and I think he's decided on that too....Crazy to be doing all this stuff with him when just yesterday we were watching Toy Story 3 and he was singing along with Buzz and Woody! boo hoo....He is a wonderful young man and we couldn't be more proud...I'm so sad he will leave home before we know it but I guess this is why we raised him, to go out into the world and do his thing...and he does a pretty great job!!

Busy with fun....

Well I haven't blogged in a few weeks...I've been too busy having fun!!! We have enjoyed having Spring finally feeling and sounding like Spring around here! We've enjoyed tulips popping up, and the gold finches coming out, and ducks basking in the sun....
We've enjoyed tea parties!! A gal at our church throws a tea for two for mom's and their daughters 1st-5th. grade! So Grace and I went! I've gone in the past with Macy and with Macy and Grace together but this year Macy was a helper in the little ladies boutique....where the little ladies can get their nails done and make up and pick feather boas and fake jewels and fans to wear during the tea!! So much fun!


Here are the girls and I! It was a cold day so we were still wearing out sweaters! The host had three kinds of tea, finger sandwiches and many tasty mini dessert treats! She tells the story of how afternoon tea began.......way back in the day a "fine lady" decided that waiting between lunch and dinner was too long....they ate lunch and then did not eat their evening ten course meal until sometimes 7 or 8:00! So she asked her cook to make her tea and some small sandwiches and treats...soon the Queen began the same and it became tradition! A "high tea" is served with dessert after the evening meal! You don't want to confuse the two! It was a lovely afternoon for the girls and I and I won a door prize with a beautiful set of plates and place mats and TEAS of course! My favorite new tea was Cinnamon Plum! mmm

Mother's day...it was nice and sunny outside and here came my "baby" jumping into my arms and I savored every moment since she's 10 and won't fit in my arms like this much longer!!! What a blessed mom I am of three fabulous kiddos that are the light of my life!!

Not to forget the great daddy who shares in this fun adventure of raising these little ducklings with me! He goes all out to make it special for me all the time!! I love that our Forsythia bushes are in bloom!! a true sign warmth is coming!!

And MY BIRTHDAY.....I am getting to the point where I can remember how old I am turning now on each Birthday! After 40 perhaps you lose count...which is ok, why does it matter? ha My Birthday goes on and on...on the day of my Birthday it was our Weds. night church service so Mike and the kids grilled steak and made a yummy dinner...Then the day after we had a family party! Here I am with aunt Roz's famous lemon cake with homemade Lemon Butter cream icing! OH HONEY! my fav!! that's aunt Roz to the left!! mmm mmm We had a great time! I got an E Reader from my parents! a total surprise, and a long 4 ft. Gold finch feeder I've wanted badly from Mike and the kids with seeds and all! I asked for a real Kick Ball because I love to play kick ball and we play with a soccer ball which hurts my toes!! haha A few gifts of money I'll use to buy flowers to plant soon and gift card, an adorable apron from a good friend, books...lots of cutie little stuff!

I am a blessed lady and May is a month full of celebrating for me! Mother's day, my Birthday and my Anniversary which is next week...22 years of wedded bliss to my honey!!

I hope you're all having a fabulous Spring!!

Apricot chicken and noodles

I am a huge fan of Apricot flavored foods so this chicken dish was so good over noodles!

4-5 boneless chicken breasts

Olive Oil

1 ts. garlic, minced

salt

pepper

1 18 oz Jar Apricot Jam/preserves

Serve over No Yolks or Whole Wheat Egg noodles

Heat 2 Tb. Olive oil in a large skillet (I use an Electric skillet so it fits all of it but if you don't have one that large cook the chicken in batches. Salt and Pepper chicken and saute' in Olive Oil (add more oil if you do this in batches) until browned and put lid on pan for 10 mins. on med/low heat. Remove chicken to a plate and add 1 ts. garlic to hot pan and stir about 1 minute. Add 1/2 C. hot water to pan and turn heat to low....After chicken has sat for at least 5 minutes cut into large chunks and add back to pan. Spoon 1/2 a jar of Apricot jam into pan and let simmer on low for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Serve over Noodles or Rice! This would be great with red peppers in it but I didn't have any one hand, you can saute' the red pepper after your remove the chicken for a few mins. and then add garlic and proceed as the recipe says.

HAPPY SPRING!