Sunday, June 1, 2014
My Outlet
Apparently, I've never really taken blogging seriously. Haha! Maybe I should start! The reason for starting or actually doing, the blog is the same but there is an added element. I need an outlet. I need my voice to be heard, I need a place to write and think and BE me and if nobody ever sees a single word I write, that's okay, I want this for me. Since my last post I've closed my side business, added another little human to the mix, started a mama's ministry at my church, lost 70 lbs by changing my eating habits and joining CrossFit (which I'm addicted to). So I've been busy and have learned a whole other slew of information along the way, grown as a woman of God, a wife and a mother. My relationship has blossomed to something more beautiful than it ever was, my kids are fantastic, healthy and are my world and my church community as shown me, by example, what unconditional love and forgiveness looks like, just by doing life together. I'm going to start a list. A list of things I'm going to TRY to blog about. A list of things I think *some* people will want to know about. I'll give my honest opinions, the why and why not, how-to and much more. But not a lot on cooking or baking. I'm just really not that good at it. You can find me on Pinterest. I "pin" a lot of cool stuff but only do about 15% of it. Intentions are really really good, though. I'm also planning Baby G's first birthday so if I can actually get it together with the blogosphere, I'll post pictures and links. It's a Nautical theme, it's to-die-for-cute but BOY do I have my work cut out for me!! Then I need to get right on to the next big thing...our first trip to Disneyland as a family! And of course there's all that life stuff in between; vacations, fevers, mama's group, serving my husband, raising my kids, keeping us all healthy and happy and most importantly, focused on God. It's no small feat, and honestly, I'm not ready for my training wheels to come off just yet so be patient and walk with me through this crazy journey of motherhood.
Monday, January 9, 2012
And just like that....it's all over.
Christmas...the most wonderful time of the year. It really is. Colder weather, but not too cold. Each neighborhood in each town with lights strung all around. Parties, good food, good company. Family, friends. Jesus. I love Christmas and everything that it entails. And because I love Jesus, it has special meaning to me as a Christian. It's time when we celebrate the Lord's birth. So, it's probably not a surprise that I take major issue with what this society has done to Christmas...the way they've commercialized it. The way they have shortened Christmas to Xmas...taking Christ right out of it. I could go on and on about how sad this new way of celebrating Christ's birth makes me and I could get angry at the fact that there are millions people out there celebrating Christmas who don't even believe in Jesus or understand the reasons why we do what we do on Christmas. They don't understand why we give each other presents, or have a tree, or put up lights. But yet they still do it, just because everyone else does. Not realizing that those traditions are done because Jesus was real, and he was born so that he could die, for them.
And just like that....after all the work and preparation, dinners and drinks, it's over. And just like that...it's all over and everyone forgets, if they even knew in the first place. Christmas is something that we should keep in our hearts all year long. It's not just an event, it's a celebration of something that changed the world, that saved us.
And just like that....after all the work and preparation, dinners and drinks, it's over. And just like that...it's all over and everyone forgets, if they even knew in the first place. Christmas is something that we should keep in our hearts all year long. It's not just an event, it's a celebration of something that changed the world, that saved us.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The absolute BEST carrott cake you will ever eat!!
No joke! The recipe below serves A LOT so either make it for a party/holiday or plan to give some away. Keeping this in your house is dangerous! Seriously!
Carrot Sheet Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
*Note: I haven’t tried it but am guessing you could easily half this recipe and bake it in a 9X13-inch pan. Also, you can eliminate the whipped cream from the frosting recipe, but you’ll be missing out on an ethereal confection that takes cream cheese frosting to a whole new level.
*Serves 16-20
Cake:
4 large eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 pounds carrots, washed and ends trimmed (they don’t need to be peeled)
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour an 11X17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Shred the carrots, finely, on a box grater or food processor. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, water and vanilla. Whisk in the sugar to combine until evenly mixed.
In a second bowl mix flour, spices, salt, soda and baking powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold the carrots into the batter until evenly distributed. Bake the cake for 30-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, vanilla and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the frosting and whip to combine (don’t overmix or the frosting will become too stiff). The frosting should be smooth and creamy.
Enjoy!!
Carrot Sheet Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
*Note: I haven’t tried it but am guessing you could easily half this recipe and bake it in a 9X13-inch pan. Also, you can eliminate the whipped cream from the frosting recipe, but you’ll be missing out on an ethereal confection that takes cream cheese frosting to a whole new level.
*Serves 16-20
Cake:
4 large eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 pounds carrots, washed and ends trimmed (they don’t need to be peeled)
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour an 11X17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Shred the carrots, finely, on a box grater or food processor. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, water and vanilla. Whisk in the sugar to combine until evenly mixed.
In a second bowl mix flour, spices, salt, soda and baking powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold the carrots into the batter until evenly distributed. Bake the cake for 30-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, vanilla and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the frosting and whip to combine (don’t overmix or the frosting will become too stiff). The frosting should be smooth and creamy.
Enjoy!!
Wow...it's been a while!
So, I started this blog a few months after I was married. I was, well, a newlywed. A newlywed who didn't have the first clue about being a wife, much less a good one. Hence, the title, Training Wheel Wife. I never had anyone "show" me how to be a wife. I didn't know what it took to be a good wife, I'd never really had an example so I've just been going with the flow and learning how day by day. In November we'll have our first two years of marriage behind us and a whole bright future ahead of us and all in all, I'd say it's been successful. .
Fast forward to August 2011. We now have an eight month old daughter, Emery. I waited so long for these two...so, so long. We have been blessed by the good Lord every step of the way; from a wonderful healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby girl to a substantial raise for my husband THE day I was to go back to my corporate job--needless to say, I didn't go back and am now a very happy, and somewhat overwhelmed, housewife and stay at home mama--and a semi crunchy one at that!
I suppose the new reason for my blog is to share my knowledge; what I've learned along the way and what I believe to be the *right* way to approach pregnancy, L & D, babies, family, marriage, running a household and every little tiny thing that goes along with it.
I hope you enjoy reading! And I hope I actually write often enough to make it count!
xoxo
Genessa
Fast forward to August 2011. We now have an eight month old daughter, Emery. I waited so long for these two...so, so long. We have been blessed by the good Lord every step of the way; from a wonderful healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby girl to a substantial raise for my husband THE day I was to go back to my corporate job--needless to say, I didn't go back and am now a very happy, and somewhat overwhelmed, housewife and stay at home mama--and a semi crunchy one at that!
I suppose the new reason for my blog is to share my knowledge; what I've learned along the way and what I believe to be the *right* way to approach pregnancy, L & D, babies, family, marriage, running a household and every little tiny thing that goes along with it.
I hope you enjoy reading! And I hope I actually write often enough to make it count!
xoxo
Genessa
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Not all chocolate is created equal!
Seems improbable that something so deliciously bad for your waistline could benefit your health. As a self professed chocoholic, I was thrilled when I first learned that chocolate actually had health benefits. Alas, something that tastes good, that I crave, that I don't have to feel completely guilty about consuming. So...I can eat a 1.6oz piece of DARK chocolate every day and it may reduce my blood pressure, lower cholestrol, help reduce the risk of heart disease, increase brain blood flow and give me better skin? Ummm...sign me up!
Here's the skinny...Dark chocolate (with high-cocoa content) is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate and it's the cocoa that makes chocolate healthy...you get where I'm going here...the higher the cocoa content, the better. And don't forget that the manufacturing process, like with most processed foods, destroys the original makeup of the food, in this case the cocoa -- so up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods. Hats off to the smart guys!
Here's the problem....the experts won't tell us for sure who's making the healthiest chocolate, but they've got some advice for us: "Remember that chocolate is a plant food, so choose the most natural, least processed chocolate you can find. That means avoiding chocolate with milk solids, emulsifiers, and heaps of added sugar. Also, skip chocolates with any mention of alkali or "Dutching," which are known to reduce nutrients".
My advice is buy your chocolate from Whole Foods...and Skinny Bitch says to get these brands; Chocolove Belgian Dark Chocolate, Endangered Species dark chocolate bars and Tropical Source rice crisp dark chocolate.
So there you have it. What's the lesson learned here? Eat more chocolate...just make sure it's DARK and remember the higher the cocoa content the better.
Here's the skinny...Dark chocolate (with high-cocoa content) is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate and it's the cocoa that makes chocolate healthy...you get where I'm going here...the higher the cocoa content, the better. And don't forget that the manufacturing process, like with most processed foods, destroys the original makeup of the food, in this case the cocoa -- so up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods. Hats off to the smart guys!
Here's the problem....the experts won't tell us for sure who's making the healthiest chocolate, but they've got some advice for us: "Remember that chocolate is a plant food, so choose the most natural, least processed chocolate you can find. That means avoiding chocolate with milk solids, emulsifiers, and heaps of added sugar. Also, skip chocolates with any mention of alkali or "Dutching," which are known to reduce nutrients".
My advice is buy your chocolate from Whole Foods...and Skinny Bitch says to get these brands; Chocolove Belgian Dark Chocolate, Endangered Species dark chocolate bars and Tropical Source rice crisp dark chocolate.
So there you have it. What's the lesson learned here? Eat more chocolate...just make sure it's DARK and remember the higher the cocoa content the better.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Why a blog?
Welcome to my new Blog! TWO MONTHS!! Kevin and I have been husband and wife for a little over two months! Married life is amazing...for many reasons! It still seems surreal that I have a husband...the one I've waited for my entire life. Kevin is everything I ever could have imagined and more. God really knew what he was doing when he brought Kevin and I together. And this is just the beginning! Hence, the name of the blog...Training Wheel Wife. Before, I was a W.I.T-- Wife In Training. Now that I am a wife I'm learning to juggle that role, along with being a full time employee, new business owner, sister, daughter, friend, auntie and someday a mommy. Life is about BALANCE. Someday my training wheels might come off but that's not likely...life is a journey...the key is to enjoy every minute of it and make sure we're all taking care of our own head, heart, body, soul and spirit in the process!
Ok...enough of the mushy stuff...why a blog? Well, I have a lot to say..so much useless knowledge about new recipes, beauty products, exercise, nutrition, fashion, budgets, the world and of course all my personal views--which might irritate you at times. So glad we live in a free country and have the right of free speech! The second reason for my new blog is because of a sweet little new business called Sweet Simplicity Candy & Dessert Bars. These candy and dessert bars have become the new rage for weddings, showers, parties, corporate events, etc. The first time I enjoyed a candy buffet was at our dear friends, The Mickey's, wedding. Lots of yummy stuff to munch on, a wonderful display that tied in with the couple's wedding theme. It was then and there that I was inspired. People LOVED it, there was a need. I could work with women helping facilitate their dreams at their wedding, adding those special touches that make a couple unique. Not to mention there is just one other company in San Diego doing this (North county) and I know I can do it better! I always used to ask my mom, "when is God going to give me my bright idea?" She would tell me "Just use someone else's idea and make it better". Okay, I can do that!
My first candy bar is February 6th and it's for our dear friend's baby shower. She and her husband are having a baby boy (LUKE--we can't wait to meet you!) and the shower is co-ed. How much fun is this going to be? Lots of yummy BLUE candy and sweet treats. Stay tuned for pictures!
Too bad I won't be doing a Charger's bar for Super Bowl Sunday! Still sad about the game last week. "Next year"...San Diegans are used to saying that, aren't we?
Ok...enough of the mushy stuff...why a blog? Well, I have a lot to say..so much useless knowledge about new recipes, beauty products, exercise, nutrition, fashion, budgets, the world and of course all my personal views--which might irritate you at times. So glad we live in a free country and have the right of free speech! The second reason for my new blog is because of a sweet little new business called Sweet Simplicity Candy & Dessert Bars. These candy and dessert bars have become the new rage for weddings, showers, parties, corporate events, etc. The first time I enjoyed a candy buffet was at our dear friends, The Mickey's, wedding. Lots of yummy stuff to munch on, a wonderful display that tied in with the couple's wedding theme. It was then and there that I was inspired. People LOVED it, there was a need. I could work with women helping facilitate their dreams at their wedding, adding those special touches that make a couple unique. Not to mention there is just one other company in San Diego doing this (North county) and I know I can do it better! I always used to ask my mom, "when is God going to give me my bright idea?" She would tell me "Just use someone else's idea and make it better". Okay, I can do that!
My first candy bar is February 6th and it's for our dear friend's baby shower. She and her husband are having a baby boy (LUKE--we can't wait to meet you!) and the shower is co-ed. How much fun is this going to be? Lots of yummy BLUE candy and sweet treats. Stay tuned for pictures!
Too bad I won't be doing a Charger's bar for Super Bowl Sunday! Still sad about the game last week. "Next year"...San Diegans are used to saying that, aren't we?
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