I'm really enjoying my

calling in the Stake Primary.  The women I work with are amazing.  One thing we are doing is sending a newsletter to the ward presidencies.  Here is the one I wrote for this month.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Here is the recipe that won the Strawberry Cupcake science experiment.

Strawberry Cupcakes Yield: 34 - 36

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cups cake flour  **

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter

2 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 cup strawberries (about 20)

Preheat oven to 350.   Line muffin tins with paper.  Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy.  Add whole eggs and white one at a time until well incorporated.    Combine flours, baking powder, and salt.  Add alternately with milk,   Beat until well combined.  Stir in fresh strawberries by hand.  Fill tins 3/4 full.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  (In my oven I only cooked for about 22 to 24  min). 

**Note:  Cake flour substitution:   For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin.   Replace the two tablespoons of flour that your removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.   

Strawberry Frosting

1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries, thawed

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Pinch Salt

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over mix, or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

We had our Valentine breakfast

last night.  I know it wasn't Valentine's, but if we wanted to have anyone there besides ourselves, we thought we would have it early.

Such cute little girls.

I stayed up until

two in the morning finishing my Saturday Sampler last night.  It would really help if I didn't procrastinate quite so much!   I made 2 emergency trips to the quilt shop to get some help.  If you don't finish the month's project, you have to pay $5.  Not only do I not want to pay $5, but I don't want to get behind.

So, I showed up at the quilting shop at 9 am to show my finished project, went to a Primary meeting at 10, and went to a surprise birthday party for my friend, Robin, at 11 a.m.

 The above picture is of all of us in boots.  It is recreating

the pictures we took in St. George with our painted toe nails. 

 Her daughter's made an adorable Candy Bar,

that I wanted to get pictures of  to copy.

I'm glad that

it is February.  I always seem to fall into a January slump.   It hasn't helped that it has been hazy and cold.  I haven't been going to Yoga, either, but I went today and it felt good.

One morning last week I realized just how much I needed an attitude change.  I usually get up in the morning and think about all the things I need to do and haven't done.  Or I dwell on the hard things I know friends are going through.   I let it overshadow my attitude.

On that morning, as I checked facebook, someone had posted a picture of the beautiful snow and titled it,
"Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day!"   I want to approach each day with that kind of attitude.  To find joy in what I can do, for myself or others, and not what I can't do.   It is really just a matter of habit.

So before I get out of bed each morning, I'm saying, "Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day." It makes a difference.

I keep looking at these

and they make me happy.

Misty made them and gave them to us for Christmas.  Very clever and very sweet.

Amazingly they

didn't fall asleep this year.  I kept my camera ready, but it didn't happen.   And if there was ever a year to fall asleep, it was this one.