Chocolate Frosted Butter Cake

I made this cake yesterday and it turned out really well. I was very excited [smile] to find a frosting recipe that did not use a lot of refined white sugar. Generally I use cream cheese icing, but it does not always taste the best with a variety of cakes. I've also made boiled frosting but it takes a lot of time to make. On the other hand this frosting recipe tastes delicious and is thick, smooth, easy to spread and very fast and easy. :)

Butter Cake

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs separated

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the butter mixture, add the vanilla. Mix until combined.

Sift the flour and baking powder together in a medium size bowl.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold stiff peaks. Set aside.

Combine the the dry ingredients with the butter mixture, add the milk. Gently fold in the egg whites to lighten the mixture. Mix just until blended.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes, transfer the cakes to a rack to cool.

Sandwich the layers with frosting, then spread on the top and sides.


Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

5 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Melt the chocolate squares. Let chocolate cool down then stir in the sour cream and salt. :)

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8

All the Way My Savior Leads Me by Fanny J. Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

Quote of the Day

Photo from Wikipedia

"To employ soft words and honeyed phrases in discussing questions of everlasting importance; to deal with errors that strike at the foundations of all human hope as if they were harmless and venial mistakes; To bless where God disapproves, and to make apologies where He calls us to stand up like men and assert, though it may be the aptest method of securing popular applause in a sophistical age, is cruelty to man and treachery to Heaven. Those who on such subjects attach more importance to the rules of courtesy than they do to the measures of truth do not defend the citadel, but betray in into the hands of its enemies. Love for Christ, and for the souls for whom He died, will be the exact measure of our zeal in exposing the dangers by which men's souls are ensnared."

-Thornwell

Miscellaneous Kitchen Hints

~To help keep peanut butter from sticking to the measuring cup, I first spray the measuring cup with non stick cooking oil. It works great.

~A very easy way to clean up the blender after use is to just add a bit of water and a small squirt of liquid soap. Blend on high for about 15 seconds. Then just rinse.

~One great way to keep baked potato's from rolling around on the baking sheet, is to cook them in a muffin pan. One potato per muffin cup. :)

~Instead of taking the time to finely chop onions or green peppers to add to tuna or mac salad, simply use your grater. It's fast and easy.

~Adding one to two tablespoons of oil to noodles while cooking will help keep them from boiling over, and also keep them from sticking together.

~Dip peeled bananas in lemon juice to keep them from getting brown when they will be used in salads.

Unfolding of the Rosebud

My sister took these step by step photos of a rose that was blooming in our yard. I found this beautiful poem that fit so well with the pictures I thought I would post it here. :)

Unfolding Of The Rosebud

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not know to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

-Anon.

~Bird Watching~

We have been blessed to have many varieties of birds nesting in our yard this year. :) So far we have had: Ring Necked Turtle Doves, Cardinals , Carolina Wrens, Brown Thrashers,(I was planning to upload the photo I took of the Brown Thrashers nest as well, but I keep having problems with the upload.) Blue Jays, and in the back woods Wild Turkey. :) It’s been so enjoyable watching all the different kinds of birds up close and seeing how the different kinds each build their nest in their own unique way. God’s creatures are all so amazing!

Wild Turkey

We came across this Wild Turkey nest in the back woods one day while hiking. If anyone was still wondering about the "mystery egg" after looking more online I'm pretty much certain that it was a vulture egg, not a turkey. As you can see, turkey eggs are smaller and also have a slight point at one end while the egg we found in the driveway was larger and had more of an oval shape.

Blue Jay

This Blue Jay nest is in a tree in our back yard. These birds don't really seem to be very common in this area, so it was neat to have them nesting in our yard though it was about twenty feet up in the tree. :)

Cardinal

This is the second Cardinal nest we've had in our yard this year, this nest is just right outside our kitchen window. :) I was a little surprised that only one egg of the four eggs hatched. We never bother any of the nests and when I take the pictures I do it quickly without disturbing anything so I don't think that could be a problem. Does anyone have any ideas?

Ring Necked Turtle Dove

This Ring Necked Turtle Dove (photo of dove sitting on nest) has it's nest in a tree in our front yard where we can watch it while sitting on the porch. These birds are interesting in that both the male and female incubate the eggs. The male during the day and the female at night. The eggs take 15 days to hatch.

Carolina Wren

Some Carolina Wrens built this nest in our shed wall a few weeks ago. :) Wrens are such neat little birds, it's interesting at times to see where they choose to build their nests. We had one once that built a nest in a hanging plant on the front porch.

Photo credits: All small photos of the adult birds were taken from Wikipedia, the small dove photograph was taken by Erik A. Drabløs.

::Braided Rugs::

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Psalm 68:19

Some of the fabric....

My sister's project. :)

This is all I've done so far...:)

We were recently given a large amount of fabric which has been quite a blessing. Some of it is very old fashioned, but we came up with the idea to use it to make braided rugs. :) While I've never tried this particular craft, my sister made it look so easy [smile] that I thought I would try as well. With so much going on lately I haven't had much time to devote to it but I hope to find more time soon. :) All I've done so far is to cut and braided a few pieces... Has anyone else ever tried making rugs? I'm interested in trying to make crochet fabric rugs as well as braided.

~A Beautiful Psalm~

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

~Psalm 103