Advent!

I love Advent! The weeks leading up to Christmas are so fun, with the hustle and bustle of the season, thinking about ways to brighten the lives of the people we love, the sights and sounds and smells, beautiful music--I love everything about it. I think the madness of singing in HiLites during Christmastime in high school cemented that for me--running around doing sometimes as many as six or seven performances in a day and seeing the faces of the kids and adults alike as we danced and sang was something I truly, truly loved. I treasure those memories.

But the time leading up to Christmas is also a time to slow down, take some quiet time, and reflect on the many blessings we've been given, the greatest of which shows up as a tiny baby in a manger just a few days from now. I have been SO blessed, particularly in this last year. You all know it's been an enormously difficult year or so for me, but these last few months have been incredible. And you know, I wouldn't trade the tough times for anything, because looking back I realize how much I've learned and grown from everything. So this year, those are some of the blessings I've been reflecting on for this Advent season. This last week or two is supposed to be a time of great joy, and judging by the smile that rarely leaves my face these days, I think I've been properly observing Advent. :)

So I wish you all a joyous and happy last few days of Advent! May you get a few minutes each day to stop, breathe, and remember how incredibly blessed we are. And know that I count each and every one of you among my greatest blessings.

Post note: when I worked at St. Anthony's in Forest Grove a few years ago, you might remember me talking about running a huge, crazy event on the first Sunday of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas) called, appropriately, "The Advent Event." It was a ton of work and giant pain in the neck for me, but one of the coolest things about that event is the chance to make an Advent wreath. Members of the congregation bring in tons of fresh greenery from their yards and people can make their own wreaths for their homes. I've tried to go out for it every year since I left to visit and say hello and make a wreath. The photo at the top of this post is the wreath I made this year! They made fun of me because I took a long time to make it, but I am so proud of it--I think it turned out beautifully!)

Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

Do you need a new dessert recipe for Christmas? Well, do I have one for you! It's totally not that hard to make and it is unbelievably decadent (and not the slightest bit good for you! Which is okay at the holidays, right? :) I know, I know...). I made it for my family for Thanksgiving (soooo good!) and they loved it! (And truthfully, I've made it a couple other times and it has been a huge hit every time.) This is a Pioneer Woman recipe, which means it's amazing. You can link to her post HERE.

(Just a couple tips: I left out the pecans because I'm allergic, but I'm sure it's delicious with them. Also, I used neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese because it's a lot better for you, and it turned out just fine. And did you know you can crush cookies in a blender? Thanks to my lovely sister for that time and labor-saving tip!)

Didn't it turn out lovely? Just as delicious as it is pretty!

Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

Ingredients

• FOR CRUST
• 12 ounces, weight Storebought Gingersnaps
• ½ cups Chopped Pecans
• 6 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 dash Salt
• _____
• Filling
• 4 packages (8 0z. Packages) Cream Cheese
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 can 15-ounce Pumpkin Puree (NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Allspice
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 4 whole Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• 1 jar (about 12 Oz.) Caramel Topping
• Extra Chopped Pecans
• Extra Crushed Gingersnaps

Preparation Instructions

For crust:
In a food processor (or large ziploc bag) crush gingersnps. Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt, and pulse (or mix) until thoroughly combined. Press into bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

For filling:
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and spices and mix again. Add eggs one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each addition. Add cream and mix until just combined.

Remove crust from fridge. Pour 1/2 jar of caramel topping on crust. (This can be omitted. See note below.) Sprinkle caramel with chopped pecans. Gently pour cheesecake filling into pan. Even out the top with a flat spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until no longer soupy. Cheesecake should still be somewhat jiggly.

Cool on counter for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the rest of the caramel topping over the top. Smooth with a flat spatula until evenly smooth. Cover and chill cheesecake for another four hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove rim from pan and slice. Sprinkle each slice with extra crushed gingersnaps.

Note: I’ve heard from several folks that they wound up with a rock-hard crust when they followed this method. While I’d made the cheesecake several times and had never gotten this result, I’ve determined that the brand of both the gingersnaps AND the caramel sauce can drastically affect the consistency of the crust. You can easily omit this step and still wind up with a delicious cheesecake, so feel free to leave it out. You could also decrease the amount of caramel on the crust to mitigate the hardening effect.

Digital Christmas?

Okay...this is kind of awesome. :)

Pardon the Delay...

So, I know I was super awesome about posting there for a minute when I was telling you all about my disastrous dates. Disastrous dates are apparently great for frequent posting. Turns out really great dates are disastrous for frequent posting. :)

You read that right.

I don't want to be sketchy, but I don't want to say too much just yet--it's still really early and I don't want to jinx it. Because so far, it's pretty fantastic. :) Soooooo...suffice it to say I have a new adventure in my life and it is lovely and sweet and makes me smile entirely too much. So please keep your fingers crossed and say some prayers for me that this will continue to go well. And if it does, I promise I'll share more soon. :)

Honestly, this all started sort of working out right about the same time I begged for your prayers before, so I know they work. Now I'm begging for you to continue them. Thanks for being so supportive and wonderful. Love you all so much!

(P.S. In case you were wondering...he's really cute. :) )

Everyday Inspirations

I just wanted to give a shout out to my adorable friend, Ashley, for her gorgeous blog she shares with her friend Angie! They post a little something every day to bring a smile to your face or an idea to your mind or...the possibilities are endless. They have recipes, quotes, photos, fashion, creative ideas--you name it. And every day is totally different. Check it out! :)

Everyday Inspirations

A Sigh of Relief.

So, GREAT NEWS! I have a job, at least through June, now. Well, it's my same job...sort of. Remember how I told you we lost all our funding at the end of September and that same day we found out we didn't get any of the new grants we'd applied for? Well, that day (Sept. 30) four of my co-workers were laid off (YIKES!!). We had all been told we should be safe through the end of February, but apparently things changed. So a few weeks ago I was told by my supervisor, "We're really working hard to try and keep you working past December." Umm...WHAT???!!!??? I don't mean to panic, but... Anyway, over the past two weeks, we've been awarded several smaller, local grants, which isn't super job security, but it is something. So essentially, as of right now no one else will be laid off. My two co-workers and I will be running programs at a particular school each (a major departure from the whole going to a different school every day thing we've been doing). I'll be at a Middle School in Oregon City, doing case management for at-risk kids and running an after-school program. I'll still be doing all the faith-based programs for our company as well, in addition to trying to continue doing our in-school (different school every day) programs. What that means is that my life is probably going to get LOTS crazier (which is hard to do at this point, since we have the same number of programs as last year with one third of the staff to do them, and we're adding three full-time programs to that load!), but the grant I'll be working for is good through June (at which time they have to reapply). So the good news is, I don't have to start the new year out looking for a new job (Thank You, God!!!), and I should be good, at least until June. Praise the Lord!

GU Night at the Children's Museum!

A couple months ago, my sweet college friend Theresa emailed me. She lives about an hour and a half from Portland with her husband and beautiful little girl, and I've had the opportunity to see her a couple times since I've been here. Gonzaga was planning a Family and Friends night at the Children's Museum, and she asked if I would be interested in being a part of their family for the night so we could hang out! (So sweet!) I thought that sounded like a blast, especially since I hadn't had the opportunity to meet her husband yet. So the weekend before Thanksgiving, we met up for the event. It was such a fun evening! Theresa's husband is funny and kind and super intelligent, and it was fun to meet him and chat for a couple hours. And their sweet girl was hilarious to watch--she had SO much fun running around and playing and exploring everything. By the way, the Portland Children's Museum is pretty awesome--we adults had a pretty good time checking everything out, too!

Is she not the cutest thing ever?

Thanks for letting me join the fam that night, Theresa! It was SO great to see you, meet your wonderful husband, and play with your darling daughter. Love you guys!