June 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008, by Leigh Anne
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Before I share this week’s Friday Favorite I wanted to show you a few fun ideas I used at the graduation party for Cali and Hannah we hosted last Saturday.
My friend Sherra shared these ideas with me after she attended a graduation party of a neighbor. They are so cute and they got rave reviews at our party.
Aren’t these the cutest little graduation caps? They are made from chocolate covered graham crackers and mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. For directions visit Sherra’s blog. I used red and blue M & M’s since those are our school colors. I also used red and blue Fruit by the Foot for the tassels.
Here is the other fun idea we used. I cut the school’s initials out of Styrofoam, frosted them and then covered them with coconut. We then used the letters to hold the fruit kabobs we made. Caution: The frosted Styrofoam may be mistaken for actual cake and people may attempt to eat it!
Everyone loved it and several of the parents asked to borrow the letters for their grad parties so they are making the rounds!
The Friday Favorite recipe is one of the cakes I served at the Grad Party. This recipe was given to me by one of my direct sales team members - Cathy. Every time I have made this cake it has gotten great reviews -and I’ve made it lots! So thank you Cathy!! At the party on Saturday I must have had 10 people comment on how delicious it was.
It is so simple and easy to make and it is a great alternative to the traditional chocolate Texas Sheet Cake and of course I love the almond flavor! It is made in a large jelly roll pan so it makes a lot. There are actually no nuts in the cake - the nuts in the picture were just for decoration.
Texas Almond Sheet Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup water
Place above ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cool a bit. In another bowl combine:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
In another bowl add together:
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract - not imitation
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray, bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes just until lightly brown. Let cool 30 minutes.
Frosting;
Combine and bring to boil:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup milk (heaviest)
Then add 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp. almond extract. Frost cake and eat!
Popularity: 29% [?]
Categories: Nourish, Recipes
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Thursday, June 5, 2008, by Leigh Anne
Fourteen years ago when we moved into our current house the first person we met in our new neighborhood was three year old Hannah. We met her as she was riding her bike with training wheels out in our cul de sac. With a pacifier in her mouth she introduced her self as “Hannah Banana.”
My three year old daughter Cali and Hannah became fast friends and soon were inseperable. They did everything together!
They played for hours together…
They celebrated holidays together…Halloween, Easter, Christmas ……
They started the first day of Kindergarten and every other first day of school for the next 12 years together…..
They lost teeth together….
They made music together….
and they competed together….
They vacationed together…
and then the scary day when they even learned to drive together…..
This past weekend they graduated from high school together….
…and we celebrated their success and achievement with a joint graduation party. The highlight of the party was a special DVD my sweet friend Lorri put together for us. It was a compilation of the many, many photographs we have of Cali and Hannah together over the years. Accompanied by music we watched these two beautiful girls grow up before our eyes. As neighbors, friends and family watched there were many tears!
Tears of happiness, tears of gratitude for the opportunity we have had to watch these two sweet girls grow into such beautiful young woman and tears of sadness that the time went so quickly.
Both girls are ready to start a new journey and adventure in their life as they leave for college in the fall. Hannah is off to Oregon State and Cali to Brigham Young University in Utah. Although they will be miles apart they will also be connected, their lives have been changed because they have known each other - changed for good.
I chose the song “For Good” from Wicked to accompany the pictures on the DVD because I love the message of that song. Here are the words….
‘I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
bringing something we must learn
and we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them
and we help them in return
now I don’t know if I believe that that is true
but I know I’m who I am today because I knew you…
like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun,
like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood…
who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you I have been changed for good.
It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime
so let me say before we part
so much of me is what I have learned from you
you’ll be with me,
like a handprint on my heart
now whatever way our stories may end
I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend…
Like a ship blown from it’s mooring by a wind off the sea
like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood
who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you… I have been changed for good.
We love you Cali and Hannah!! Happy graduation!
Our lives have been changed for good because we knew you!
The journey begins……
Popularity: 19% [?]
Categories: Connect
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008, by Leigh Anne
I am a little late with my posting this week. We are in the middle of high school graduation and there are 25 graduation related activities on our calendar so I am doing my best to keep up!
Since I have a gardening theme going on Mondays the last couple of weeks I thought I’d share with you one of my containers I put together this past week. (even though it is Tuesday today!)
I am really late in getting my flower pots planted this year. Mother’s Day is usually my target date but this year it just didn’t happen.
Since I seem to work well under pressure I decided that the graduation party we hosted in our garden this past Saturday would be my deadline!
The past year I have had fun trying some new plants in my pots - trying to get away from the typical geraniums, marigolds, lobelia, pansies, petunias etc. I have tried to use more perennials. Not only does it save me money in the long run because these plants come back up year after year, but I found them to be lower maintenance too. Not as much deadheading!
Last year I read an article in Fine Gardening about “Thrillers, Fillers & Spillers…a surefire recipe for planting success.” The concept is that in each of your flower pots you should have at least one of each - a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.
A thriller is an anchor plant, a centerpiece plant. They are attention getters, usually tall, upright plants. They tend to have more structure to them and become the backbone or framework for the other plants in the pot.
I select my thriller plant first. The color and texture of the thriller helps me as I choose the filler and spiller.
My thriller in this pot was a fun new grass I found - Electric Pink Cordyline Banksii. The great magenta pink color of the this plant became the theme for the pot.
Next, the Filler. A Filler is a plant that will fill in and surround the Thriller. They tend to mound and fill up the pot. I usually put 2-3 fillers in a pot. I like my pots to look full fast so I tend to cram in as many as I can - remember I’m an impatient person!
My Fillers in this pot are a great new geranium I found Crystal Palace Gem. It has a great bright lime leaf. It gets a red flower but I will cut the flower off as the red just won’t go with the colors of the pot!
I also used one of my favorite annuals - Coleus. This particular one is Peter’s Wonder and the green and magenta colors go perfect with the rest of the plants. I use to think you could only use coleus in the shade but I was wrong! Mine thrive in full sun too.
The third filler is a Purple Shamrock Hebe. It has a great lime green variegation with purple stems.
Finally - my Spiller. I only had room for one Spiller in this pot but will sometimes use a couple. The Spillers are placed toward the edge of the pot and they will drape and flow over the edge of the pot as they grow. The Spiller I used is a diascia, one of my favorite Spillers. I love the colorful, dainty little flower.
Do you have a favorite plant you like to use in your containers that is different or “not the norm”? I’d love to hear.
Happy Planting!
Popularity: 21% [?]
Categories: Nest
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