Gospel Choir of the Cascades

Here are the bright, shining, smiling faces of the Gospel Choir of the Cascades.  Love these people.   The choir is five years old now... started as this itty bitty thing meeting in people's houses.  I just wasn't sure what was going to happen... who would come, where it would go.

To look back for a moment at the people we've had in the choir, the concerts, the lives touched, the people inspired to sing and be joyful... well, I hate to quote Martha Stewart, but it's a really, really, really "good thing."  Amen.

Zen Time

Breathing in.  Breathing out.
           

Goals for the summer:

Spend as much time as possible in our canoe:

* Paddling (of course)
* Eating
* Reading
* Floating
* Laughing
* Fishing
* Kissing (each other, not the fish)

View from canoe at Drake Park - Summer 2012

(Our canoe actually IS red.)  :-)

So's I don't go forgettin', here are some recipes I wanna make for my sweet fam-fam:

Greek Style Beef Stew

Greek Chicken Recipe

Brazilian Lemonade Recipe

My next cupcake recipe is below.  Chocolate peanut butter.  Looks amazing.  Will make it soon... say... Friday night?  Yes, Friday night would be good.  A real T.G.I.F. as they say.  A real sweet start to the weekend.  Yessiree Bob.  Gonna make these.  Lookin' forward to Friday night now.  Not just for the cupcakes... also because it means I'm done working for a day.  Saturday off and all that good stuff.  The weekend with my sweet hubby.  Lots of fragmented sentences there.  Huh?  Yep.  Okay, okay, here's the link.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe


Here's the text for the ol' recipe-o.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 10 ounces cream cheese (room temp.)
• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 5 cups powdered sugar/confectioners sugar
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixer bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add vegetable oil and sour cream and mix until blended.
4. Slowly add in water (to prevent water from flying out of your mixing bowl).
5. Add white vinegar, vanilla extract, and eggs, and mix until blended well.
6. Place paper liners in your cupcake tin, and fill each about three quarters of the way full.
7. Bake for around 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
8. While cupcakes are baking, begin making peanut butter frosting by combining the cream cheese and unsalted butter in your mixer. Beat until fluffy.
9. Add in 5 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
10. Lastly, add in the peanut butter and mix until it’s blended well. Make sure to scrape down the sides of your mixer bowl to ensure everything is combined.
11. When cupcakes have cooled, frost them.
12. Try to not eat all of the cupcakes in one sitting. Enjoy!

Here's the pic:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

How much do I love this song?


Link is here... just click on the words...  Let's Celebrate by Stephen Hurd

So much.  It's powerful and so, so, so uplifting.  Raises your spirits.  I want to know if any neurologist peeps have done studies on the effect of really good gospel music on the neurons, synapses and dopamine levels.  You know, comparing great gospel music with, say, auto-tuned, bass-heavy pop music.

Drake Park Sunset
May 14, 2012

Sometimes you just have to shed the inertia.  You gotta get up on out of the house, y'all.  Can I preach here for a minute?  Sorry, I was just listening to Otis Moss III preach the other day - he's the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago a.k.a. "Obama's old church."  That man is full of truth and love and passion, that Otis Moss III.  Anyway, back to getting off the couch.  Please see Exhibit A above (that photo of the sunset, the river, the mountains, the trees the reflections in the water...)  ***So glad we did.***