MOMS video

Here is the video that was shown at Church in February. Enjoy!

Invisible Woman-by Nicole Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Overnight Berry Coffee Cake

Overnight Berry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup melted butter or margarine
2 beaten eggs
1 cup frozen blueberries or raspberries

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
1.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. 
2.  In another bowl combine wet ingredients. 
3.  Add wet to dry and mix until well blended. 
4.  Fold in berries. 
5.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan. 
6.  Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. 
7.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 
8.  Uncover and bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done.

Note:  This is the one Bernice made last week for breakfast at MOMS!

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns

If you are looking for a yummy and easy recipe for a Sunday morning brunch (or any morning for that matter) here is a great one that was passed along to me. It originated from the Allrecipes.com website. Make it the night before and just pop in the oven in the morning and enjoy!

20 unbaked frozen dinner rolls ( I get them from Safeway in the freezer section)
1C brown sugar
1/4 C instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C raisins
1/3 C melted butter

1.Lightly grease a 10inch bundt cake pan. Place frozen rolls into pan and sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding mix, ground cinnamon and raisins. Pour melted butter over rolls. Cover with a clean damp cloth and leave overnight at room temp.
2.In the morning, preheat oven to 350. Bake rolls for 25min, until golden brown. Turn rolls out onto serving plate and serve warm.

I like to add a few extra raisins, but I know some people who omit them all together!
~Teri

7 day forecast.

Apparently it's supposed to be +1 on Monday. My theory on the weather forecast is that it's geared towards preventing riots. Have you ever noticed how the last 2 days of a 7 day forecast are always warmer? And as each day passes those 2 days don't get closer, they keep on moving to the last 2 days? They truly are happy where they are - no complaints in their life, just happy to be the last 2 days. Unfortunately that leaves us in the cold. So you look at the forecast, get down about the -33 with the windchill AGAIN but see that it's supposed to get nicer on Monday.... or is it? I mean we know it has to come eventually, but when we're into March and spring isn't in sight all I can keep telling myself is "At least it's not November!".

For those of us who have depression - January and February are really hard months. Winter is coming to an end (or it's supposed to be coming to an end) and the lack of sunshine is so apparently obvious as each day passes. Personally, I'm not a fan of the winter sun, it's low in the sky and so incredibly bright that it annoys me but I will admit that it is better than the snow... and on the days where it's so cold there is a sundog around the sun - it's breathtaking (if you don't freeze your insides when taking that breath).


On this particular morning it was -37. Thankfully I was at the Church for a MOMS meeting or I might not have seen this because nobody goes out at 8:45 in the morning when it's -37 if they don't have to. I know a LOT of people who are struggling with this weather right now. For me if everyone in my house makes it through another day alive it's a good day. The bonus - I'm not alone... and neither is everyone else. Remember that in everything you are experiencing in your life - someone else is going through the same thing. You are NEVER alone.

The solution to cold weather and depression is simple. Friends. When it's -37 and nobody in their right mind would go out if they didn't have to, GO OUT... because when you're struggling with depression you're not in your right mind!

The prudent (the smart chicks) see danger and take refuge (call their friends); the simple (dummies for lack of a better word) go on (back to bed) and keep suffering (stay depressed). - Proverbs 22:3

Let your friends be your refuge! They want to help you! Think of your own friends and what you would do to help them feel better... pretty much anything right? And how does it make you feel when they let you help them? Good right? On the flip side - your friends feel the same way about you. When you don't ask for help or don't let them help you - you are denying them the right to serve you because they WANT to help you, they WANT to make you feel better and they WANT to be a part of your life. So let them.

Behind the Scenes

Sunday morning 10:00 service

It wasn't exactly on my bucket list but if I actually had a bucket list it probably would've been! Ashley and I did the announcements at Church this weekend - and it was a bit nerve wracking. We went early Saturday for a run through at 5:00 and then hung around until it was time for service - which doesn't really help the nerves. I totally did not realize all the work it takes to run the show and there are a lot of behind the scenes people who deserve a round of applause! There weren't a lot of people at the Saturday service and other than feeling a bit nautious I think it went pretty good. I was kind of banking on the spot lights blinding me so I wouldn't be able to see - yea, it doesn't really work that way. My husband came to the Saturday service and I did see him and the usual smirk/smile he has on his face whenever I'm doing any sort of public speaking. He's kind of cute. The 10:00 service on Sunday busy. Standing on the side waiting to go on stage I was actually feeling a bit dizzy and I should've taken Mike up on the clipboard offer cause my hands were a bit shaky. Ashley almost took a impromptu holiday to BC last week and I am so grateful she didn't! It was nice to have a partner in crime and we had some good laughs - it was actually kind of fun. Thanks to Rachel, Bernice and Shelby for sitting in the front row and supporting us! We even got a bit of applause at the end!

The Green Room

I thought it was pretty cool that we got to go in the green room. It's like we're part of an elite club or something! I would like to thank the volunteers who brought food to the green room for us all. Breakfast was sooo good - french toast, bacon, sausage, fruit, cheese... the worship team and behind the scenes people spend a large part of their Saturday and Sunday at Church and I think it's wonderful that volunteers from the Church take the time to come in and bring food.

Don't forget that registration night is this Tuesday - the 15th! It's from 6:30 to 7:30 in the lobby and I am looking very forward to seeing everyone there. If you can't make it that night you can still register on the first morning - which is Tuesday, March 1st. See you all in a couple of days!!!!

And now for dessert there are so many options but this should be a little treat for ourselves as well so I think that some individual cheesecakes would hit the spot for me ;) To make this all romantic, and fun for the kids as well, I would go to Michael's and get the silicone heart shaped muffin cups. They are fun and reusable and will look beautiful on little plates on the table.

Super Easy Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
1 package of Nilla Wafers (usually found in the baking aisle)
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup whit sugar

1. put 1 nilla wafer in the bottom of muffin cup
2. beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth
3. beat in 1 egg at a time until smooth
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of cream cheese mixture
5. top with a spoon full of cherry pie filler
6. bake for about 20 min at 350 degrees
7. let completly cool before putting in the fridge and chill for 2 hours
8. yields for me between 12-24 cakes depending on how big I want them. Just go with it you can't make mistakes with cheesecake :p

Before serving garnish with a dollop of whip cream and shaved chocolate and a maraschino cherry on top and have a fantastic evening.