This Is The Day

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Baking Binge

This weekend Tom was harvesting beets while I stayed home (had to work on a group project). In my spare time I went on quite the baking binge. I love to bake and so it was a lot of fun. If I could own a bakery, and not eat everything I made, I would. It is just something I really enjoy doing.

So anyway, I went on this baking binge. It started out that we had a bunch of carrots we needed to use up. So I thought to myself, "Carrots...what can I do with carrots." And as I thought, I came up with carrot bread and carrot cake (a late birthday cake for Tom, since we were out of town over his birthday).

Here is the carrot bread batter (a quick bread, so really easy to make).

Would you like a slice? (It looks kind of dark because of a few adjustments I made. Whole wheat flour instead of white, honey instead of sugar, applesauce instead of oil.)

Oh yes! Something not carrot. You always need something chocolate. Ok, you don't NEED it, but it's nice. These are "Black Bottom Cupcakes" and are SO good. I don't normally really like cupcakes but these are just great. It's a chocolate cupcake batter on the bottom, with a cream cheese mixture on top. Heavenly.

Back to the carrots. They are some what laborious. Definitely worth it though, as it just makes the cake really moist. The cake called for 2 cups shredded carrots, and so I shredded, and shredded carrots.

My set up. I may not have the biggest kitchen (in our nice little apartment, which we are so very thankful for), but I have some great tools that I have been blessed with. Here is my KitchenAid that I use a TON, along with my cook book stand! (This particular cook book is "Taste of Home".)

The recipe. Not intentionally, but I see I cut off the nutrition information. Trust me, it's better that you don't see.

Ahh, yes. The carrots.

Ready to bake.

Cooling. (I'm so impatient during this stage because I just want to frost them.)

The finished product! Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!

The Girls

Tom and I are lucky enough to get to babysit, a couple times a month or so, my two little cousins, Kajsa and Greta (remember "Baby Greta"? She's 4 now.) :) . They are two of the sweetest little girls you'll meet and we love getting to hang out with them. (I actually get to be with them three days a week, so think it's pretty cool when we babysit in the evenings and Tom is along.)

I thought this picture was so cute of the girls in the tub. They thought they were pretty cool with their goggles!

As you can see, they think Tom is just the coolest. Perhaps because he gives them "flying rides" in the laundry basket or pretends to be a sick puppy for them to doctor up. I'm not sure, but they sure do like him.

Silly faces are always a hit. :)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Time on the Farm

After we got married we spent quite a bit of time at the Stinar farm. Tom actually stayed there all week and I would be in Fargo 2-3 days a week and then be at the farm the rest of the week. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but it worked out pretty well. I was able to keep my job and Tom was able to farm! We are really excited to move to Warren in the spring to be a farming family, so this was a good prep time for me to see what it will be like.

One Sunday afternoon we drove around checking fields, and this is what we found. Harvest season is just so beautiful!

Wheat

Sugar Beets

A close-up picture of a sugar beet

Tom and I enjoyed the Marshall County Fair in Warren at the end of July! Here we are having a slush and a $1.00 vanilla shake.....pretty good deal. :)

Wedding (Reception)

The reception. We had our receiving line at the reception hall right before everyone went in to eat. Because there were around 375 people it took quite a while (around an hour and a half to two hours) to greet everyone. However, we just thought it was so important to do that and we just wanted to greet everyone and thank them for coming. We're so glad they were all there!

Thanks for pouring punch, Derek and Tessa!

Here's a few of greeting our friends and family.

We thought little Greta's expression in this picture was so cute. She was so excited!

My new little niece, Jori!

They told her to do different faces, and his was her grumpy face. She is pretty fun. :)

With all of my Espe aunts and uncles. In order: Glenn & Marge, Marvin & Myrna, Duane & Linda, Paul & Evadell, Milo & Judy, Edgar & Charlotte, Sheldon & Val (my mom and dad)

Chad & Penny did our pre-marriage counseling with us and Chad was one of our pastors for the wedding. They have been a huge blessing to us!

My camp girl friends! Cassie (she also went to CBC with me), Camille, Erica, Myranda, & Penny

With all of my Larson aunts and uncles. Lori, DeWayne & Gwen, Grandpa, Danny, Rob & Caryn, Mike & JoAnn, Dad & Mom

Grandpa Neil

The Stinar family with the kiddos, Jori & Ezra.

With Brock & Amber, Madison, Isaac, Hannah, and baby Audrey! Brock and Amber have been such great friends since I was in 9th grade when I got to know them through working with them at the theater. (I actually babysat Madison before that, though!) It was such a treat that they could be there (they live in Montana now) and I was just blessed by them making that long trip just to be at our wedding! It was so fun to have Madison and Isaac as part of the wedding, too, as the Lindbergs really just seem like family.

We had a wonderful day and just truly enjoyed every part of it. We are so thankful God brought us together and just praise Him for His goodness to us!