Ephraim's Party

This post is LONG over due.

It has already been a month since our little man turned ONE. I can not believe it!

He had a wonderful first party filled with lots of wonderful family.

My sweet friend Kristen took all the amazing photos at Ephraim's party. I've known Kristen my whole life and I am so proud of the precious woman she has become! Please consider her when searching for a photographer!

I made Ephraim's caterpillar cupcakes.

And my awesome sister in law made E's amazing smash cake!

Enjoy all the following pictures ...

I know, I know, SO many pictures. I just think that these are the only way to really share how great his party was!

Happy Birthday Ephraim Brite!

Is this real life??

A few posts ago I talked about looking into culinary school. Well, I went for a tour this week. I got so excited just when we were talking with the admissions director about what all I would be doing in my classes and then when we toured the actual culinard school I was sold! Before visiting I had assumed that I had already missed the enrollment date and wouldn't be able to start til the beginning of 2012, come to find out, since the program is only 9 months classes start October 3rd. Hello! Wasn't expecting that at all! So needless to say I had to make a decision on wether or not I was actually going to do this. I decided that I am going to enroll in this term. I am so excited but so nervous at the same time. I needed a pinch to make me realize this was all real. I went back yesterday to talk to about financial aid and what not and I found out that I am eligible for almost full pell grant and then the full amount of student loans. My financial aid advisor thinks that I should qualify for full pell grant so I have to bring her some tax forms so she can see of she can get me more free money! If that is the case and I do qualify for full pell, there is a possibility the school will give me a small grant as well! Also, she told me about a grant program that the different county's do and I have to do is go down and apply for that. Good news! If I qualify for the full county grant ALL that grant money is mine bc school will be paid for by other grants and loans. So I would use that money to pay off half of my student loans right off the bat! Im sure that's a lot of information not everone who reads this will be as excited about as I am, but this is all a huge answered prayer! Just reassures me that this is what I am really supposed to do.
The nervousness comes when I think of how busy we will all be now. Our Monday- Friday will be stephan works, I work/stay home with Ephraim, stephan gets home from work, I leave for school, stephan keeps Ephraim, Ephraim and stephan go to bed, I get home from school, I go to bed and... repeat... Not a huge fan but we both knew life would be like that for a season if either of us ever decided to go back to school. I know it will all be worth it when it's over!


My plan right now is to start my business from our home while I'm in school and continue that way after school for a while. Stephan is thinking about going back to school for business when I'm done so he can be the business side and I can just bake my little heart out! Thank goodness bc I do not want to go to school for that as well, plus his work will pay for it! After I get established I want to open a "cupcakery" in Trussville. How exciting! So if you know anyone that needed cupcakes or a cake let them know about me please :)

No bread maker required

Once again I am blogging from my phone. This really is getting annoying. I miss adding picture to my posts and typing on real keys instead of the touch pad where I am constantly missing letter and what not. Oh the woes!


For some reason I was in the mood to completely destroy my kitchen this evening, um I mean bake. On our meal list for next week is homemade pizzas which meant that I finally had a good reason to buy some bread flour. Before making pizzas I wanted to try my hand at homemade bread. I found this recipe here http://afoodiestaysfit.com/2011/01/my-moms-famous-white-bread/ and for my first attempt and no stand mixer to use it taste fabulous! I posted a picture on Facebook of my first loaf and I will post an entire post of pictures as soon as I get a computer! My loaf sure doesnt look as pretty as her's do, but practice makes perfect I guess. It also took me longer to make my dough because I am still in need of a stand mixer and was using my hand mixer. It conveniently came with small puney bread hook attachments when we purchased it. Thank goodness or it would have been nearly impossible for me to make. My bread never rose to the top of the pan when I let it sit but I decided to stick it in the over anyways (mainly bc I'm impatient) and it turned out just fine! Okay so yummy bread everyone should try it! I am making whole wheat next time though for a healthier option, and because Stephan prefers it.

After the bread, or actually during the time the bread was rising, I made cookies. Really amazing sugar cookies. I found the recipe for those here http://caleighskitchen.com/2011/07/13/nannys-sugar-cookies.aspx These cookies have one ingredient I never would have thought to add to a sugar cookie and that's the dusting of nutmeg on top right before baking. I honestly almost omitted that all together but I figured why not try. Good decision because they are delicious!! The recipe called for lemon zest in the cookie but we didn't have any lemons and I didn't feel like getting Ephraim in the carseat to go out for one little lemon but the batter tasted a little too bland without it so I added a little vanilla extract, about 2tsp. The vanilla added a little something without overpowering the cookie. Good decision! I baked mine for 9 1/2 mins and they came out perfection! Not too hard but not too soft either. The recipe made 3 dozen so we shared some with the sweet old lady who lives next door! Ephraim loved visiting with her and so did I. I'm thankful for such a sweet neighbor in a neighborhood filled with some crazies!