It's a Bake Sale!!

Last week was the Annual Valentine Bake Sale at work.  It is put on by the volunteer group at work as our big fund raiser.  This is really a H.U.G.E. project for us and provides the funds for all of our volunteer work for the next year. 


We sold hundreds of valentine cookies  and valentine cookie bouquets that are made by the volunteers.  I wrote about them over here. 

In addition to the cookies we also sold these cute Hershey Kiss Roses.

You can buy them arranged in valentine-themed coffee cups or

as lovely bouquets, ready to present to your dear heart.

Another really fun part of the bake sale are the Executive Bake Off and an Employee Bake Off.  The entrants are judged and awarded fun prizes and bragging rights.  There is also a People's Choice award. 

The most important part of the bake off is the money that is brought in.  Bid sheets are placed in front of the baked goods and employees bid on them throughout the day.  A prize is given for the baked good that brought in the most money.

This is what I made.  No prizes or awards here but I think it brought in $40-$45.  It was a Pear & Raspberry Heart Pie.  Sure hope whoever bought it thought it was good.  It was a recipe off of the Martha Stewart Living website and it's the first time I made it.

Here are photos of some of the entries that I thought were clever.

This is called "That's Amore".  Yes, those are spaghetti and meatballs.  Huh????'.  I'll bet squeezing the tube of icing for the spaghetti was fun.

Then you see this sitting on the table next to it and you get the valentine connection.

"You're a Reel Catch" - there is actually a fish in the bowl; you can't see it because my photography stinks.  The cake is baked in a porcelain baking pan, which goes with the cake to the successful bidder. 

That is partly what brings in big bucks on some of these baked goods.  The bidders will actually bid for the cake stand or beautiful platter.  Whoever bought mine got themselves a $45.00 Pyrex pie plate.  I must do better in the creativity department next year.

"Wild About U!" - Remember Mandy in my cookie post?  This was her cake.

"Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake" - This won the "Most Likely to Appear on a Wolfgang Puck Menu" award.

"Hunt Wheels" - We have a large cycling club within our company.  This cake won "Best Company Theme".

This is another cake that contended for the "Company Theme" category depicting a frac job.  For those of you who are not in the oil and gas industry, a frac job, or fracture stimulation is a technique used by engineers to create a crack or fracture in the rock that contains oil or gas. This crack is then filled with sand or a artificial proppant (ceramic beads, sintered bauxite, or glass beads) to allow the freer flow of oil or gas from the rock to the wellbore.

Did I mention this was an educational site?

 “The Hunt Eagle Ford Peace of Mind”- This fondant covered cake won the judges' "Best Homemade" award in the Executive category as well as taking home the "Peoples' Choice" award.

I lusted after this platter but was out-bid.  Each set of 4 little cups contained Tiramisu, Mango Cheesecake, Carrot Cake and fresh berries and cheese.  Y.U.M.

"Buche de Valentine"

"Glaze'n Chocolate" - Look how shiny!  Think there are many calories in this?  this cake took home the "Best Homemade" in the employee category.

Too cute!  A salute to the company softball team.

"Take My Heart" - This beautiful cake won the "Best Procured" award in the Executive Category.  However, let me note that it was homemade by an employee and the executive paid her to make it.  So, I believe they were both winners!  I was fortunate to taste this.  A friend who paid $85.00 for it shared it at the office.  The cake tasted as good as it is beautiful!

Well, that was our humble bake sale this year.  I can hardly wait to see what people come up with next year!

Good Night Mrs. James

I've loved Etta James' work for many years.

Etta James passed away today of complications from leukemia.

Here are a few that were my favorites; that make me revel in sentimental fondness.

Good Night Mrs. James.  Your music will live on.

On The 12th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

12 Drummers Drumming

Traditionally, the 12 drummers drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.  This is a devotional in itself.

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord
3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary
4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell
5. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father
6. He will come again to judge the living and the dead
7. I believe in the Holy Spirit
8. the holy catholic Church
9. the communion of saints
10. the forgiveness of sins
11. the resurrection of the body
12. and life everlasting

In case you want more, here is the devotional for the 12th Day of Christmas.

I have enjoyed walking through these 12 Days of Christmas.  Tomorrow you may take down your tree and all of your decorations.  Amen.

On The 11th Day of Christmas....

my true love sent to me,

11 Pipers Piping

Sure hope her true love didn't send these too early in the morning!  Whew! Can you imagine the complaints from the neighbors?  Well, you're probably right, these aren't so bad next to all of the noise the birds make, and the cows' mooing.


Traditionally though, the 11 pipers stood for the Eleven Faithful Apostles who stuck with Jesus when seemingly all others had turned against Him.  You could say there were like pipers in that they "tooted their horns" by spreading the gospel as Jesus commanded.  And, they were like the "Pied Piper of Hamlin" because people would follow them.

Only one more devotion after this devotional for the 11th Day of Christmas!

On The 10th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

10 Lords A-Leaping

These dancers were most likely Morris dancers who performed leaping dances between courses at feasts.  It is a form of ancient folk dancing & the dancers wore all sorts of bells on their tights and were very lively jumping all over the place then tried to get those 9 ladies to dance with them.  Not really.

The biblical association for this verse is easy; the 10 Commandments.

Your devotion for the 10th day of Christmas is right here!

On The 9th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

9 Ladies Dancing

Attributed to the 9 Fruits of the Spirit.  Do you know what they are?  In Galatians 5:22 & 23 we are taught that they are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Here is your devotional today for the 9th Day of Christmas!

On The 8th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

8 maids a-milking

milk maid braids

The phrase "As smooth as a milk maid's skin" means exceptionally smooth.  According to Wikipedia, "This phrase came about as a result of exposure to cowpox, which causes no serious symptoms, but does convey a partial immunity to the disfiguring (and often fatal) disease smallpox. Thus, milkmaids lacked the "pockmarked" complexion common to smallpox survivors. This observation led to the development of the first vaccine."

California Milk Maids

And for our purpose today, the lyric is linked to the 8 beatitudes as taught in the sermon on the mount.

Now that you have some milk maid trivia embedded in the folds of your brain, meditate on this devotional for the 8th day of Christmas!