Chocolate Sweet Rolls

My friend Ashleigh and I had been talking about this recipe on the pioneer woman's website. It was these gooey yummy melt in your mouth sweet rolls. Ashleigh and I share a passion for deserts. I thought it would be fun to make them for her and give them to her at her bridal shower this weekend. Well, lets just say I am not a pioneer woman yet!!!

This was my goal. The Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Cookie Sweet Rolls

My first attempt =Fail.

My first attempt failed. I was trying to make my log of dough with the sugar, nuts, chocolate inside, so I could then cut to make the individual rolls. My dough was too sticky, no matter how much flour I added, it wouldn't stay together. I ended up baking a sweet roll log. I figured I could cut it into slices and it would be kinda pretty and still taste good. I was wrong. It was not pretty and did not taste good at all.

I didn't have the time before the bridal shower to think about what I did wrong or how to fix it. Last night I figured out how to attempt to make the second half of the dough I had better. I made sweet puffs. I took my left over dough and put it in muffin tins. I then topped each of them with the yummy goodies - butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts -  that would have been on the inside of the sweet roll.



Don't mind the well loved muffin tin.



So my second try worked out much better than my first! Not sweet rolls but these Sweet Puffs are tasty!

The baking lessons I learned were the following.

1. Never think you will perfect a recipe the first time you try it

2. when baking breads make sure you have incorporated all the flour and don't have any flour lumps.

3. Don't rush dough when it is rising or resting

Life lessons

1. What would life be like if we could redo events in life?

2. Each of us have strengths and weaknesses that make us unique, our ingredients. Even how those strengths and weaknesses are put together in each of us creates a different final expression.

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it ALL to the GLORY of the Lord."

I Corinthians 10:31

Splinting

We learned our first BIG therapy intervention, this past week....SPLINTING!! I can now make splints for Swan Neck Deformity, Boutonniere's deformity, Mallet finger, and trigger finger. This list will grow longer through the semester!

When you have a swan neck deformity - from an injury, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, congenital joint laxity, and prolonged positioning - which presents like this...



The distal joint is flexed and the proximal joint is hyperextended



I can make you this...

A beautiful figure eight splint. I couldn't find a picture of exactly what we made. My splints are at school, so soon I will take a picture of what I made and post it for you!

When you have a Boutonniere deformity - from injury, cerebral palsy, or rheumatoid arthritis, your finger could present like this...



Distal joint is hyerextended and proximal joint is flexed

I can make you this...

Look carefully. It is an upside down figure eight. again this isn't exactly what we made - but similar

If you have a mallet finger - from a sports injury, it may present like this...

I can make you something like this...

If you have trigger finger, which your finger just locks and you have to manually release it, it may present like...

In which I can make you something like this...



It keeps your finger in a slightly flexed but functional position

That was an over view of splinting from last week. When I have my camera and splints in the same location, I will take pictures to show you what mine actually look like. They are time consuming for beginners and harder to make than they look! 

Texas Bowl

Baylor in a bowl game. Now that's a new concept and one the Bears have been dreaming about since 1996. :) Once that 6th game was won this season, I just knew I had to go the the Bowl game. The Sunday it was announced that Baylor would be playing Illinois in the Texas Bowl in Houston- I had mom immediately buy our tickets, to make sure we would not miss Baylor in a bowl game! Baylor nation and this bear were so proud that the bears made it to a bowl game and broke many school records this year.

Day of bowl game. We drove to Houston. As we got closer it began to rain,  rain, and rain some more.

 When we got to Reliant Stadium, it was pouring the rain. I thought that Reliant Stadium might become the next Noah's Ark it was raining so much. Walking from the car to the stadium was definitely an experience. Umbrella's kept your head dry but my pants were wet from the knee down and my socks were soaked and stayed that way the whole game. So thankful that Reliant Stadium has a roof!

BAYLOR AT THE TEXAS BOWL!!!!



Sic'em Bears!



The Bears had a little bowl shock and weren't quite their normal. Illinois won. It was great to see my Baylor Bears play in December!!! Look forward to many many more bowl games!



Leaving the stadium.... who did I see? Steph! out of 60,000+ people



ATL!!

The day after finals in December, I boarded a plane destined for Atlanta, Georgia to visit Ryan and his family. It was a great motivation to get through finals and then to celebrate completing my first semester of grad school (which I finished with all As and Bs).

Saturday night we went to a concert at their church. The Atlanta Sacred Chorale was performing. Ryan was the sound man and I helped collect tickets and distribute programs with his mom. The concert was incredible. Through the busyness of finishing the semester, I had not been still to prepare my heart for the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas. The concert definitely quieted my heart and began the Christmas season for me.

Sunday after church, I took a nap and then laid in bed and watched snow fall. Have you ever been still to watch snow fall? Each flake is completely different from the one next to it. What a Creator! Not only did He create each and everyone of us different, but takes time to create individual snow flakes. Makes me wonder what small details He has created in me that I have passed over. He is most definitely God of detail - EVERYTHING has His finger print on it. The snow wasn't always flakes but small like specs of glitter - oh so wonderful!.

Ryan and I went shopping. We like walking around stores, pointing out what we like or what we think is odd. We did a little Christmas shopping too.

We were also celebrating our 1st anniversary two months late. We ate at Sweet Tomatoes, where we ate on the day he asked me out! He's definitely a keeper because he let me lead him to a restaurant that is primarily a salad buffet, it does also have baked potatoes, pasta, and soups. If you know Ryan, you know he is more a meat guy! The best part is he liked it...well not the salad but everything else!

One night, we saw Tangled. We were 2 of 4 in the theatre, kinda like our own private showing. :) Very cute flick.

I also helped Ryan's family move from one house to another. It was great to be of service to them and be apart of a life event in their family. I was the first guest in the new house and shared in the first official meal too!

Ryan being the sound guy for the concert!



Can you see the snow?



3-D glasses on. Ready for Tangled!

We got a good bit of relaxing in too!

The morning I left. I like his shirt! :)

Winter Wedding

Alison and James tied the knot on 12.18.2010 in a beautiful ceremony in Nacogdoches, Tx! The picture above was from this past Labor Day weekend, they were my first visitors along with Claire and Blake. We walked the Kemah Boardwalk, people watched, and ate homemade icecream.

I have known Alison throughout college and so happy that she found her guy to share life with. Their goal as husband and wife is to strive to imulate Christ's relationship with the Church.

The wedding was beautiful. Christmas decorations in a church are so festive and make beautiful wedding decor.

Not only was it a wonderful day celebrating the joining of Alison and James as husband and wife but wonderful to catch up with friends!




the 442 girls



Tyler Roses



Sic'em Bears! Minus the axe'm jacks in the background. :)



I think I am turning into an adult.

I asked for a filing cabinet for Christmas. Some might find that odd to ask for. I had no qualms about asking for it, because I needed it. Beside the Christmas tree Christmas morning was.... A filing cabinet. It is now sitting in my closet with a pile of things to be filed. My inspiration to ask for a filling cabinet was the head of the OT department - she told us to find a way to stay organized or else on day we would turn out like her - her office has stacks and stacks of paper everywhere. I will keep you posted on how the organization goes! I do like to be organized!

I also received scrubs for Christmas from Wink. They are very cute and professional. They will have their first major use this semester. In March we go out into the field for a week. I cant wait to wear my new scrubs and put to use the knowledge I have gained already!



Thankful

This post is a little belated... its been in progress for a while.

I always try to count and be mindful of my blessings, but this month (November) I decided to write one down each day. I will just share a few. I don't deserve what the Lord has bestowed to me yet since I am His child, He blesses me. And in turn I pray I glorify the Lord and bless others around me. These are in no particular order of importance, just what I was thinking about that day.

Nov. 1 - My Half Birthday! I am thankful for 23.5 wonderful years of life in which I have grown in Lord and learned about my Creator and Father.
Nov. 2 - Election Day! I am thankful to live in a country where my voice can be heard and have no fear of my life being taken. I am thankful for the framework of government our founding fathers risked their lives to create.
Nov 6 - Ryan. Though he's in Georgia and I am in Texas, our hearts have grown close. It has been a wonderful adventure together so far and only more to come.
Nov. 7 - As a follower of Christ, I am sent to make disciples out of others. II Corinthians 5:19 says, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you [plural - meaning followers of Christ]." What an honor to be called to bring others to Christ- at the same time kinda scary.
Nov. 8 - School. I thankful that I am where I can learn about what I am passionate about - helping others and their families though enabling them to do what they want to do. I am thankful the Lord blessed me with a brain to think and a heart to have compassion, both of which I pray bring glory to him.
Nov. 14 - Forever friends. and those that are only in my life for a season.
Nov 19 - The human body, We were in the cadaver lab today and I couldn't help but think, the intricacy and precision only points to one thing, a heavenly Creator and Designer.
Nov 25- I am thankful to be able to gather around a table with loved ones to be grateful for our blessings together.

I am thankful for so much more. I thought I'd just share a small bit of my thankful list with you. What are you thankful for?