Herta's Fruit Cobbler

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Isn't it crazy how things change as we get older?

I was reading this post at Paint Speckled Pawprints earlier this week that immediatly took me back to 1998. Although my experience at The University of Toledo was nothing like that, I still have thousands of vivid memories of it.

I was in my Sophmore year at The University of Toledo.

I was majoring in Administrative Office Assisting, I was Public Relations V.P. of my Sororotiy, Alpha Xi Delta, I was dating my high school sweetheart, and my roommate had access to Malley's Chocolates. One of the best chocolatiers on the entire planet (well, of the one's I've tried).

Everything was great, except for one thing.

I was 2 hours away from my entire family, including my future hubby.

I was homesick.

I loved being in college, but I wanted to be home.

I made a decision to change my life path, and to come home and finish my degree at Wright State University. I'm so glad I did. Sure, there are those days that I wish I would have finished there, but I'm so grateful for all of the experiences I had, and the people I met, both at UT and at WSU that I would't change it for the world.

My days slowly changed after graduating. I went from being a carefree college student, to being a full-time employee, a wife, and eventually a mom.

Before we had kids though, my hubby and I had some friends that we would spend almost every weekend with.  Typically we'd be hanging around a campfire, filling up on snacks and adult beverages. Myself, I've never been much of a drinker, but there's just something about sitting around a fire enjoying a nice wine cooler or Zima (how's that for a flashback!)

We've all grown up a little since then.

There have been marriages, divorces, babies, new homes, sickness, surgeries, deaths.

But one thing has stayed constant.

The knowledge that if any of us need anything, the others will be there to help.

This recipe was always a favorite of  ours around those campfires.

In fact, everytime that we take our family camping now this is the first thing that goes in the camp box to make for dessert.

Herta's Fruit Cobbler

Herta is like a second mom to all of us.

She's one of the strongest women I know.

An amazing mom & grandma.

She's had a tough life, but with the help of her family and friends she greets each day with a smile, no matter what it may bring.

I remember so many times Herta hanging out with us, laughing, smiling, and just being one of us.

I miss her. I know I should just pick up the phone, or just stop by, but some how, life always seems to get in the way.

I make this cobbler as my own personal tribute to her. I helps me remember the good 'ole days.

When we make this, we typically use cherry pie filling, but it is great with any other filling you can find. Canned or homemade, both work just great. This recipe is so easy to make. Like I said I make this both at home and around the campfire. I'll give you both ways.

First, here's what you need:

1 can cherry pie filling (or whatever flavor you'd like)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

This is what you do:

First-the oven version:

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl melt butter in microwave, set aside.

2. In a seperate bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and milk. Stir until combined well.

3. Pour sugar mixture on top of melted butter, DO NOT STIR.

4. Open pie filling and pour on top of butter & batter, again, DO NOT STIR.

5. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and, if you can wait, allow it to cool before serving.

Next-the campfire version:

1. In a dutch oven, melt butter over medium fire (make sure you don't scorch it).

2. In a large ziploc bag combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and milk. Squish it around until it's all mixed up really well (no clumps).

3. Snip corner of bag and pour it into dutch oven, on top of butter, DO NOT STIR.

4. Pour in pie filling on top of batter, again, DO NOT STIR.

5. Place lid on dutch oven, lower closer to fire, place coals on top of lid, and allow to bake over the fire for 30 minutes.

6. Remove coals from top, open lid, and check top for doneness (it should be golden brown)

7. Remove from fire and serve.

I'm telling you, this cobbler is so good and so easy!

We enjoy it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or personally, I enjoy  it right out of the bowl!

I'm not picky!

Mix some up, bake it up, and invite over those friends that you swear you're going to call next weekend! Make the call now! Life doesn't last forever!

A day at the office

It's Friday. It's February, and it's cold outside. Where am I sitting? At a black formica countertop, surrounded by techologically-overachieving computer parts, behind a sliding glass window, staring blankly out a mini-blind covered window (hey at least there's a window). This is a view into my daily life.

Well, kind of. You see, I work in a medical office, this beautiful office space here is our satellite office, usually I'm perched upon my billing department chair, surrounded by four walls and a door, calculating away.

As I sat here this morning I was reflecting at my life and my career. I've been working for this office for about 13 years now. I have seen people come, and people go. Marriages, new babies, amazing friendships move to different states (although she did come back to the great state of Ohio), and each and every one of us change in ways we never even knew we could.  I love this office. I love the people I work with. I love how we are such a close group of people that we're almost like a set of Septuplets that have been raised by two Dads. We finish each other's sentences. We know what the others are thinking. We have our spats, we apologize and we go on. We've learned so much together. We've had our good days and bad. We've had our fights over bathrooms and cell phone time, and we still enjoy seeing each other every day. Over the past year we've struggled and we're slowly getting through and back to a state of organization.

As much as I love this place and the people in it, something for me has changed. I have decided to become a baker and a blogger. I feel like it has taken over my life. I feel like there are so many things that I want to do and see and blog about. I have a problem. I'm an addict. A blogging addict. (Quietly in my head I'm hearing, "Hi Kim" in a soft, 12 step program voice).

I would love to bake and blog full-time, but I just can't do that right now. So for this chapter of my life, I get up, go to my day job, come home, bake and blog. There have been many late nights and early weekend mornings, but to me, it's worth it. As I mentioned at the very beginning of this adventure, I feel like God is telling me to follow my heart. Listen to Him. Do what He is telling me to do. Some days I wish His voice was loud enough to hear over the screams and cries of my 6 year and 20 month old, but I know that He is still there. How do I know this? I talk to Him. Alot. Each and every day sitting by myself surrounded by my 4 office walls or my mini-van doors, we talk. About everything. And He talks back. It may not be at the exact time that I think it should be, but at the exact time He feels I need to hear it. God has blessed me with such amazing grace in the last 33 years of life and He continues to amaze me every single day.

I'm on this journey because He has shown me that it will all work out in the end. That He has a plan for me and my life. That I'm not just here to sit in a corner. I'm here to help others, to spread His word, and to be a child of God just as He created me to be.

Wow! Is all I have to say. I'm truely amazed at how things have changed in my life over the past 10 years and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love my everyday life. The craziness of motherhood, wife-hood, full-time working outside of the home-hood, and baking and blogging-hood! I love it all and feel so blessed and grateful for every single thing God has lead me to, and through.

I continue on this journey one day at a time. I have so many things I want to do and say. A dear friend once told me, "Don't worry about saying the right thing, just ask God for guidance and He will give you the right words". I've never been one to have the quick come back line, or be able to quote the verse from the Bible, but I say it how I feel it needs to be said and just pray that the words from my mouth will be a reflection of Him and His wisdom.

This blog has become such a creative outlet for me. I know that some will ask why I do it and why I digress on different topics, but to me, it's my release. It's my chance to show everyone that I don't have a perfect life. That my life is full of messes, both in my house and in my mind, and that I work through them as much as I can. It's a daily struggle to get through this life, but for some unknown reason, God keeps bringing me through it.

I know this post has turned totally away from recipes or cupcakes, but this is how my day has been today so far. Tonight, bring on the cupcakes and the Thin Mint Popcorn (I'll post about that later). So until then, I bid you all a very happy, blessed day!

Oh, and by the way, I did type this whole blog today on my lunch hour, I wasn't actually sitting staring out the window with a blank stare :o) 

A Day of Randomness

Is that a word? Randomness? Hm, who knows. But today in my world it is a word. Random events occured, like this. I would consider this random, since it's been forever since we've had anything around here like this.

This is what the bushes in front of our house look like tonight. Do you know what that white stuff is? It's SNOW!! Finally some measurable snow! Not that I enjoy driving in it, but it's always pretty to look at, or at least I think so. And it's always fun to watch Aiden working as hard as he can between giggles clearing the driveway and sidewalk.

Tonight, after he finished clearing the sidewalk I looked out the front window to see just what he was up to, and I found him face down in the snow making snow angels. I think he's really missed the snow!

So what else was random, well this is going to be random. It just feels like a day to write some random stuff. So here goes. I started writing this blog to tell you all about my random cupcake creations, obviously now not only does it include my cupcakes, but I kind of wanted to let all of you into my world a little bit. As these postings progress I hope that all of you will get to know me a little better, even all of the strange, quirky (some consider crazy) things that go on in my life. My likes, my dislikes, my pet peeves, things that make me happy and things that irritate the ever living crap out of me. So, here's some random facts you may not know.

• I was born September 28, the year is not important :)
• I have an older brother whom I remember laughing with more than fighting with. He also introduced me to Dear Hubby and for that I am forever grateful. Did I mention he's older?
• I took 4 years of French in High School... the only good this would ever do me is if I had to order cheese, green beans, or apples while visiting France. Outside of that, I have no idea what I'm saying.
• I love Vodka and Cranberry juice, although I don't really drink too often these days.
• I love just spending time with Dear Hubby. We don't get much time alone these days with the two little ones around, and it seems when we do we end up either just hanging out at home, or driving to some random store looking for hunting supplies (which I don't mind at all by the way).
• I have a secret yearning to be Lara Croft. Not only is she goregous, but she really knows how to handle her 9mm.
• I miss being a child. There are so many things that I wish I could go back and either pay more attention to and learn from or do differentley.
• I miss my Grandpa Haning terribly. He was an amazing man and there are so many things that I wish I could have shared with him. I see alot of him in Aiden, and I hope that he will grow up to be at least half the man that Grandpa Willis was.
• I have a secret obsession with filling out forms or paperwork of any kind. And I only know one other person in my life that can truly appreciate this quirk, and for that, Mollie, I love ya!
• I have a degree in Computer Science, I have my License in Massage Therapy, and I own a Cupcake business.

Okay so that last one you may have already known, but hey, 10 random thoughts about myself at 9 pm is a little difficult.

I have to look at all of those things as reasons why I am who I am today. The good stuff, the bad stuff, the in between stuff, it all matters. But if there's one thing that I've learned, you have to leave the past in the past, live for today, because no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. I hope all of you enjoyed learning a little bit about me today, I'd love to learn more about all of you out there too! Talk to you soon!!