SHIPPED!

HI THERE TO EVERYONE IN CYBERSPACE!

IF YOU ONE ANY OF MY GIVE AWAYS, YOUR THINGS HAVE ALL BEEN SHIPPED, FINALLY! AND THE WINNER OF THE HAIR CLIPS IS BECCA.

Recipe Monday

Well we didn't get to the cookies tonight, I was too crabby from sitting in a court room all day and I didn't want to spoil holiday cookie night. So instead we made fresh whipped cream which I have never done before. I let my daughter do it and she got rather creative. We used our Christmas cups and she ladled in the whipped cream, topped it with cinnamon and then added a straw which was a cinnamon stick. It looked so pretty and tasted so good. Unfortunately my camera died. So if you've never tried this, although it probably adds 10,000 calories to the hot chocolate, here's the simple recipe.

Fresh whipped cream
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons overflowing powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
Pour heavy cream in kitchen aid (or hand mix)
Beat about 20 seconds on low, add sugar and vanilla, keep mixing on HIGH until peaks form. (about 3 minutes) Do not overbeat.
For hot chocolate, top with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Thank goodness for spell check, I have no idea how to spell cinamin!

Fingerprint Friday

FingerPrint Friday, How do you see God's fingerprint in your life. Maybe God is showing me his fingerprint this week by the problem I just posted about below. Maybe I really do need to pray for my lawyer and R and the judge and the police. Maybe I should try that. And now I'm listening to a Christmas song from Pampering Beckie. What is Christmas all about. This is the season of joy and peace, what's wrong with me. How can I take this situation and make it joyful. A funky version of Amazing Grace just came on. Thanks God, for being there once again.
For my picture, my cousin Donna adopted a bay girl from Russia, tonight was her Christening. What a different life my cousin will have and her new daughter.

I look at my cousin's face and she is so in love.
To see more or join in, go to Pampering Beckie and scroll down to sign up for my give away!

A NEW YORK CITY DIVORCE

I decided to start posting about this horrible divorce, its not even that the divorce is so horrible, I'm over that, it's the judges, the sheriffs and the lawyers.
Why am I posting about this. Well, someday, if it is God's will, I would like to be able to support other women that find themselves in this situation and help them to realize that they are not the crzy ones, THAT IT IS THE SYSTEM.
I love our country. I love what it stands for, I love the principles its based on.
With that said, our court systems are a joke I can't begin to tell you. They protect the guilty. I know that most of the women I connect with here in cyberspace are happily married. Maybe because they don't live in NY. I don't know but I haave been trying to get a divorce for 3 years. I had to sit in the court room 30 times in the last three years, 6 different times, knowing my husband wouldn't show up before they would issue a contempt of court warrent. Yeah, I think were getting somewhere. I spend the last 2 years talking to half the sheriffs in Westchester county. You see, noone wants to arrest him, so what if he doesn't pay child support, so what if he blew off court at least 6 times. So what if he's a violent deadbeat dad, SO WHAT Two weeks ago, the last officer I spoke to in yet another town and I quote "Why did you put my name on the fax, now I'm responsible for this"
Noone will arrest him, an order of contempt means nothing. The judge told me, if I was in an abusive relationship, why didn't I get help. "We have places to take care of that" BS I went to the police 5 years ago, did he hit you, no, he just kicked in the front door, do you have proof he destroyed everything you own, sorry we can't help you. And on and on the story goes. I don't want to be a victim here but I feel so powerless, the judges are so nasty and the police are useless. And even if he was arrested, I would have to prove he's lying and prove he owns buildings and has money.
And my lawyer, he has lyed and lyed to me. Again because I let him because I don't trust myself. Finally tonight, I fired him. We are suppose to go to court tomorrow and he said his back was out and he couldn't fill out the papers, again. Oh, but he did speak to my estranged and they made a date to meet 3 weeks from now in court, sure. Lovely.
I find it really hard to stand up for myself, I believed this lawyer just like I believed my husband.
I am so angry tonight. I have to go to court tomorrow and stand in front of that judge and have a voice and feel powerful. This has to be happening for a reason.
I guess I'm this angry because I'm scared. I trusted this lawyer and he screwed me. Just like R did. I've made amends for my part in the relationship and I know I should be praying for my lawyer tonighht not venting about him...

Give it away Wenesday AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!

#9 CONNIE IS THE WINNER OF LAST WEEK'S GIVE AWAY FOR THE GREEN VELVET SKIRT! CONGRATULATIONS CONNIE!

This weeks Sharing the Spirit Give away is for your choice of 4 hair clips. I have many more choices besides whats in the picture. Just leave a comment here sometime before next wednesday at 10:00.
And, if you know of a child in need, please let me know, we would love to help. xoxo

Recipe Monday

Party Clam Dip

This is a great dip for parties. The first time I had it, as disgusting as this sounds, my mother and I ate the whole pan! I make this at every party I have and it's always a hit. This week's hint. Prepare this in the morning, cover with aluminum foil , store in fridge until time to bake. Also, most of my recipes are fattening, at the holidays, I like to eat and think food should taste good and to me that means lots of fresh ingredients, butter and sugar and garlic!

3 cans chopped clams with juice
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 stick butter
3 tablesppons fresh parsly
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1 lemon
1 medium onion (chopped fine)
1/4 cup grated cheese

Heat a little of the butter, add onion and saute a few minutes
Add other ingredients and mix. Cook over low heat about 7 minutes stirring frequently.
Grease 9" pan,bake at 325 for 30 minutes, serve hot with bread.

And remember to scroll down for my giveaway...

Fingerprint Friday

First, if your looking for this week's give away, scroll down and second, if you've been tagged, scroll down!

My photo for Fingerprint Friday. I love this photo! A few days ago, I met the mother of these beautiful children in my Etsy shop. She sent me this photo to show me what her daughter looked like. I wanted to ask her if I could use it for today but was embarressed. Tonight Sarah and I happened to be on the computer at the same time and I was having a very difficult moment. Sarah offered to pray for me and my child and it was a prayer that couldn't have come at a better time. So I think this is how God showed himself to me this week.
If you would like to join in, go over to Pampering Beckie.

Talk about You Tuesday (or Thursday!)

Wow and I have to share this with everyone. I purchased my friend Debbies bow company many years back (she decided to go back to being a lawyer!) so I still have lots of ribbon hangin around here. I have never perfected my bow, until now! Sometimes it's absolutely amazing all the information that is at our fingertips. I just googled, how to make a boutique hair bow and wala! So go and check this site out, Girly Things and you will never have to purchase another bow. (You can just spend hundreds of dollars on ribbon and have it sit around your house for years!)
And..remember to scroll down for my holiday skirt give away.

Give It Away Wednesday--Spreading the Spirit!! And, I've been tagged!

Today's Quote:
He Said "COME TO THE EDGE."
They said, "WE'RE SCARED."
He said, "COME TO THE EDGE."
THEY CAME TO THE EDGE, HE PUSHED THEM AND THEY FLEW.

This week's give away is for a velvet holiday skirt. You have 2 choices for color. green or Burgandy. Just leave a comment here, you have until next Wednesday. Good Luck!

And I have been tagged by Becca's world

The rules are as follows:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.
Here are my six...
1. I have given up on dating.
2. I have been known to use my last dollar to have a party.
3. When I got pregnant, my then husband and I couldn't picture me being a mother, I was such a workaholic. After I gave birth, I raised my head, saw her laying on the table and my first thought was I can take care of her. Then I passed out. I think I am a pretty good mother.
4. Sometimes I feel really sad about losing my business.
5. I totaled my first car, which was a bug, 10 minutes after I got it. My father was not happy!
6. I have had many jobs. I helped run a bed and breakfast, 7-11, pizza maker, short order cook, dollmaker, childrens party planner, sketcher, teacher, waitress, secretary, bakery, bridal alterations, bartender, deli dept at meat farms, babysitter, costume designer, wardrobe mistress, faux painter, stylist,house sitter, boss, factory owner and designer. You think with all that experience, I would be able to find a job!
I have tagged
Who would have thought
Never enoughluff
Connies turning 50
The Zawisza Tribune
My Crazy Life
Three Loud Kids

Recipe Monday

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE
My daughter loves pumpkin pie, by November, I usually can't have another bite of pie! So, I decided to try this pumpkin Spice Cake. I made this for our halloween party. It was delicious, very moist and rich. This recipe's hints: Have all ingredients meaured and ready before you begin, it makes baking much simpler. I made this with the pumpkin creamcheese frosting but it would have been just as good and not so rich with plain cream cheese icing. Great cake for Thanksgiving! Every store I went to was out of Nutmeg, so I left it out. Cake tasted much better the following day. I would ice it and refrigerate uncovered 2 hours before serving. The uniced cake can be frozen for 2 months. I used two 9" pans instead of three 8". Also, very important, I went to 6 different stores looking for plain buttermilk, you can use 2%!
Enjoy!!
Recipe
3/4 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup(s) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with softened butter. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper and fit them into the bottom of the cake pans. Lightly coat the paper circles with butter and set aside.
Make the batter: Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Add the sugars and mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set aside. Combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition until smooth.
Bake the cake: Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to the wire racks until completely cool.
Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one-third recipe of Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. Serve or store refrigerated for up to four days.

Last minute rush, I had to put the guests to work!



Pumpkin Creamcheese Icing
1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon(s) fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon(s) grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, sifted
DIRECTIONS
Blend the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, butter, orange juice, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 5 more minutes