Sorry Candice...

I have to apologize to Candice because this is going to be another one of those blog posts that is tainted by food!  I am having so much fun trying new recipes that I just can't help telling you about! So here goes...and Candice....stop reading because the following is about food and if you don't want to get hungry don't read!!

Last weekend we went to visit sweet Baby Grady and Big Sister Clara!!  They are both so adorable!  Clara is such a good helper with him, and seems to be adapting well!  She is beginning to want to be around me more often (and not just Grandma or mom and dad)...I have to say I LOVE IT! 

Our contribution to the weekend was cooking!  I love cooking for friends who have just had babies!!  There is something about it that is so rewarding, and I get to hold lots of babies!!!

Anyway, I decided to try a couple of new recipes out that I have had because someone else made them or because it just sounded delicious!!  I decided I would make the cinnamon rolls from Pioneer Woman, and I was surprised by how easy they are to make!  They do take some time because the dough has to rise, but it is easy to do the night before, and if you have a rolling pin made by my fabulous father-in-law then it makes it super easy to roll out the dough (thanks Dad C.!).  By far the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had!!!

For lunch that day we had grilled chicken that was coated in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper (Paul made this up and this is now the only way we season our meats), and Homemade Macaroni Cheese!!!  I have a recipe for this and it contains Velveeta and I am beginning to HATE the taste of Velveeta so I was hoping to find something a little more sophisticated.  I had watched an episode of Real Cooking with Sunny Anderson over the summer, and had this recipe on my mind.  This recipe is very cheesy, and it has pepper jack in it for a KICK of spice.  We couldn't stop eating this!  It was so delicious!  I did have to stop I was getting a little sick from all the cheese, but man oh man I would make this again!!  I encourage you to try it out, and if you don't have time let me know, and I will have you over when I make because no one should have to live with out ever trying this dish!! 

Just get out there and start cooking people!!! I have realized that I am missing out on a lot of food when I just cook the same ole boring dishes over and over again!!!

Adoption UPDATE!! and a few other things...

Well, as I sit here watching "24" with my husband I have been checking out this new website that of friend of mine sent me...www.thepioneerwoman.com.  All I have to say is that EVERYTHING that she has on that website looks ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!  I want to make it all!  My friend made some cinnamon rolls for small group from this website and the cinnamon rolls were DELICIOUS!! You know they have to be good if I am using all caps right?!?!  Anyway, just check it out...you won't be disappointed!

In other important news...if you have gone to check out my friend Beth's blog you have noticed that she sells some ABSOLUTELY AMAZING items that she makes.  She has donated some items to Craft Hope to help raise money for the people in Haiti...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE check it out and see if there is anything you would like to purchase so that we can help out those who are really struggling right now.

Finally, we have decided to change Adoption Agencies.  A friend of mine had heard GREAT things about another agency, and the agency we were working with just started to make us feel like they were more interested in placing children wherever than making sure it was the BEST placement for the child.  We are now going to be working with Pathways, and will begin our training in February!

Life is busy, but is so much FUN!!!  God is doing some AMAZING things!!

Love all of you readers!!
Cynthia