Paint Brushes and a Kitchen Aid

I have been doing lots of painting and baking this past week. Using kitchen aids, paint brushes, and all kings of kitchen and artists tools!! How fun!

[number 19]  Banana Breakfast Coffee Cake.
This recipe was gluten free, but I just switched about a couple of this to regular baking items. So, instead of gluten free all-purpose flour, I just use regular flour.

 [number 20] Cinna-Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Theses were so much fun to make!! I actually baked these for my dear Aidan's birthday! (He is my nephew! =] )

And here are my two newest paintings!

 Do you see a resemblance? =]

Our garden has been producing so many tomatoes! I love it!!

Joyfully in Him,

    Diana<3

Interesting......but Good.

This recipe I used was very strange. It was very different than how I usually cook. The recipe said, and I quote "The cookies will appear undone and very soft."  I guess it cooks on the pans after you take it out.  They were really gooey cookies. (I probably won't make these again.) I also made mine a little bit bigger than the picture showed.

Number 18: Funfetti Sugar Cookies

Joyfully in Him,
   Diana<3

Two Yummy Desserts

Okay, I am back to baking! I took a little break (actually it was only one day but it was still a long time!)
I made Banana Bread. [number 16] The recipe called for shortening, and I just used regular butter. So it came out slightly different, but it still tasted good!

 Then I made Cakey Chocolate Cookies.  [number 17] Just the other day, Dad was asking me to make cookies, and I found a good recipe for some! They came out just like a cake/cookie!! =]

Joyfully in Him,
  Diana<3

A Victorian Low Tea

A Victorian Low Tea.  Also known as a really fancy tea party with food that Queen Victoria would eat sitting down. The reason I call it low tea is because you are sitting close to the ground or at a table or in someone's sitting room. On the other hand, there is something called a high tea that originated when farmer's would come and eat supper on really high tables and chairs. 
I thought that it was very interesting!  But we girls had the pleasure of putting on a low tea for some dear friends of ours; and we got to do it Victorian style! It always reminds me of the movie The Young Victoria. 

 The Menu. We had Earl Grey tea and lavender lemonade to drink. Then we had egg salad, chicken salad, and cucumber cress and chive butter sandwiches. And, for dessert, there was buttermilk scones with lemon curd and clotted cream, meringues,  and last of all Queen Victoria's favorite dessert-- Cherries Jubilee Sponge Cake.

 Mom even got out her china tea cups and dishes!

 

 After a lovely evening, I was happily surprised to see that my pink lilies finally bloomed!!

Joyfully in Him,
   Diana<3

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

I could not believe how fast it took me to make this! The whole process took me an hour!
[number 15]

Coffee Cinnamon Rolls

Then on a nice warm summer evening,  Kelle, Jonathan, and I made mini pizzas on the grill!!

 Then I took a little climb in our sliver maple tree!

 And our pool water was 82°! That is the record for this year!!

Another flower bloomed in my garden!! Hurray!! 

Joyfully in Him,
   Diana<3

July 5th and 6th

My birthday!! This day only comes once a year, so I try to make it as special as I can!

Friday & Saturday:  I got up to help Dad set up the tent, played about four games of Monopoly with Jonathan, went grocery shopping with Dad in the Jeep with no top and no doors, started reading Tumtum and Nutmeg, and received some very lovely birthday presents.  Mom set up the kitchen in blue and yellow and with Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh books. I Played with some sparklers, took photos of my two dear nephews, ate the two very first blueberries off my blueberry bush, ::laughed with joy:: as I saw that my garden was producing so many flowers!! And finished the evening watching Lord of the Rings! I *praise* the Lord for giving me so many people in my life that love and care for me! =]

Joyfully in Him,
   Diana<3

July 4th.

Happy Independence day!! Just think about it, 238 years ago, Thomas Jefferson and all of the other republicans, signed the Declaration of Independence!! Wow! I would have loved to be at that scene!!

I got up and started to make Strawberry Lemon Bread [number 14], snapped some photographs of the beautiful sun, started reading a really good book, helped make cookies (they are really patriotic! ) went to a 4th of July party and had such a fun time there! I played  Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball,  and talked with some good friends! Went to see a firework show (I think that this one was way better then last year!)  And I just stand back and thank my Lord for giving me all of my family members and my church family!! =] =] 

 p.s. I didn't take the picture of the fireworks! =P 

Happy 4th!!

Joyfully in Him,

   Diana<3