Category: In the Kitchen

Bake Something Beautiful

Two Sundays ago, I decided to use my Raspberry Artisan KitchenAid mixer for the first time. I knew that I wanted to bake something beautiful because I was grateful for the new investment that I had. And at that moment, baking something beautiful meant doing these three things:

1.) Making a Raspberry-Vanilla cake

2.) Including fresh Raspberries in it, and

3.) Frosting it with Raspberry Buttercream icing shaped like roses.

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I really enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen that day. Because of the freshly baked cakes, our kitchen smelled like sweet vanilla! Moreover, whipping the buttercream frosting was a breeze because of the KitchenAid mixer.

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However, I did struggle with frosting the cake because I didn’t have much time to let the icing chill in the refrigerator. This resulted to a softer cream which made it difficult for me to pipe roses out of it. After frosting half of the cake, I started to get discouraged because it didn’t seem pretty at all. And at one point, I even told my sister “Maybe I should just smudge the icing on the cake and make it look like an abstract design.”

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I placed the cake in the refrigerator and took a break for a few minutes. A part of me really wanted to smudge the icing, but somehow, I felt like doing it would be a waste of resources because I had a purpose for it. In spite of the discouragement and the cake’s flaws, God allowed me to see the beauty in it and He encouraged me to continue frosting the cake.

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And so, after 10-15 minutes, I got the cake from the refrigerator and started to pipe roses again. The amount of icing was just enough to make three layers of roses and the extra fresh Raspberries that I had were lovely toppings for the cake too.

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By God’s grace, I served the cake to my family after dinner and they genuinely appreciated it! They said that it looked pretty and it tasted good. Woohoo! (Thank you for being so supportive. :) )

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This experience reminded me of three things:

Inspite of our weaknesses and struggles,

1.) God never gives up on us.

2.) God sees the good and beauty in us.

3.) God is constantly at work in our lives.

I realized that many times, it would be more convenient for us to complain and to give up when things don’t go the way we want them to. But, I’m learning to continue doing my best as I put my trust in God because He definitely knows what He’s doing in our lives. And in His perfect timing, I know that He can make beautiful things out of our weaknesses too. :)

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

 Encourage yourself one treat at a time. :)

Joy that Lasts

Some of my friends from college hosted a Mooncake Festival at their lovely home today. It was a fun event because we were able to spend time with them, enjoy the Dice game, win prizes, and experience the privilege of being invited to their place. Because of their family’s generosity, I went home with awesome treats! I won a bar of Twix, a set of Simpsons stationery, and a pack of Hershey’s kisses with almonds.

Playing the Dice game
Playing the Dice game

On my way home from the event, I stopped at an intersection and saw two men, who looked like they were in their late 20’s, resting at the sidewalk. One was carrying the other on his back because the latter couldn’t walk – He had really thin and weak legs. When I saw them, somehow, I was encouraged by God to give them food. So, I quickly looked around to see if there were any biscuits in the car. But after searching, I couldn’t find any.

By God’s grace, just a few seconds before the traffic light turned green, I saw the pack of Hershey’s kisses in my bag, opened the window near the passenger’s seat, called the attention of the two guys I saw, and gave it to them. I will never forget the expression of the man’s face when he received the pack of Kisses. I saw his face light up as he held onto the chocolates. And I saw him look at me and say “Salamat.” (Thank you.)

Angel, Aldwin, and I with our prizes! :)
Angel, Aldwin, and I with our prizes! :)

Two seconds later, the traffic light turned green and I drove straight ahead, leaving the intersection. My heart melted as the moment flashed back in my mind and I said “Lord, thank you for that. It was a blessing to give to others and to see that man enjoy the treat.”

I then continued to think about that experience and wondered if those two men knew God. As I continued to drive, I felt the burden to pray for them and I said “Lord, I saw how joyful the men were when they got the pack of chocolates. But I know that those Kisses would only last for a few hours or days. I pray that you would also allow them to know You more, have a personal relationship with You, and experience the Joy of knowing You. Because You alone can give us joy that would last forever. Thank you for Your love for us.”

Thank you, Pendoza family! <3
Thank you, Pendoza family! <3

It says in John 15:9-11: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

It was my first time to participate in the Dice game at a Mooncake event and I honestly didn’t expect to win anything. But, because God graciously blessed the family who hosted the party, they were able to bless me and the men on the street as well. Thank you, Lord, for simple joys and moments with You. It was and it will always be an honor experiencing You and Your joy in our lives.

Simple Sunday Snack: JELL-O WEDGES

I love how God randomly reveals Himself to us through nature. Nowadays, I rarely get to see sunsets, but when I do, my heart melts because I am reminded of God’s beauty and greatness. Also, whenever I witness seeds grow into fruit-bearing trees, I am amazed because only He can do such a wonderful thing. It really is a delight to experience God through these simple things. Just recently, He gave me another opportunity to get to know Him more while I was experimenting with one of His fruity creations: ORANGES!

I couldn't find the photos of the ones I made, but they looked like the Jell-O smiles in this photo. (Taken from http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/)
I couldn’t find the photos of the ones I made, but they looked like the Jell-O smiles in this photo. (Taken from http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/)

A few months ago, I saw random people making Jell-O orange wedges in the internet and I fell in love with the idea. What a simple, delicious, and delightful treat! And so, I bought oranges and packs of Jell-O.

Making the JELL-O Wedges/Smiles involves the following steps:

SLICE THE ORANGES IN HALVES.

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GENTLY SCOOP OUT THE FRUIT. (You may also use the fruit as a dressing for your salad or as an ingredient in your juices/shakes, etc.)

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DISSOLVE THE JELL-O POWDER IN HOT AND COLD WATER.

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POUR INTO THE ORANGE MOLD.

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CHILL IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR 4 HOURS OR MORE.

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SLICE INTO WEDGES/SMILES.

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I really enjoyed preparing the Jell-O smiles because the steps were really simple. However, in the process of doing so, I unintentionally created holes in 3 of the orange molds that I had. While I was scooping the fruit out, the “inner orange peel” also came out, as seen in the photo below.

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I tried to stuff crumpled foil in it and under it to prevent the Jell-O from pouring out. But, after preparing and chilling the molds, it still leaked and I ended up with half-filled Jell-O smiles.

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In the same way, God used this moment to remind me of the importance of surrendering every part of me and my life to Him. Because even a tiny hole in my life, a hint of sin, or anything that hinders me from knowing, loving, and obeying God will cause me to have a half-filled, mediocre life.

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I praise God for His goodness because we have hope in Him always. It says in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

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Our God, who created us, also desires that we live our lives with Him abundantly. And because of His grace, we can experience this fullness of life when we humble ourselves before Him and accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.

I pray that we won’t settle for a ‘half-filled life’, because God deserves the best! He deserves our best effort, time, resources, and praises. He deserves to be honored with hearts that are totally surrendered to Him and lives that are committed to Him. :)

I know that the same God who paints beautiful sunsets and makes fruit-bearing trees grow, can also wonderfully work in our hearts and lives for our good and for His glory! Indeed, nothing is impossible with Him.

Encourage yourself one treat at a time!

To Be Like You

One of the things that I genuinely enjoy about baking is being able to personalize the goodies that I make. I just love how baking allows us to get creative with the quantity, design, colors, size, and taste of the treats. Moreover, being able to see the good, beauty, and “desired look” in the finished products makes it a delightful experience for me.

Recently, I had the opportunity and privilege of sharing some of the treats to my friends at Friday Night Light (FNL). At that time, because we were raising funds for the ministry by selling shirts, I thought of experimenting with sugar cookies and making personalized FNL sugar T-shirt cookies. :)

 

The process of making these treats involved the ff:

Make the cookie dough.

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Use cookie cutters to shape the cookies.

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Prepare the Royal Icing.

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Design the cookies using the Icing.

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Let the Cookies Dry and Serve/Pack

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At that time, I remembered looking at and using the FNL shirts that I had at home as my pattern and guide while making and designing the sugar cookies.  There were moments when I experienced difficulties in applying the icing, rolling out/cutting the soft cookie dough, and even letting the cookies dry. But, God reminded me to continue looking at my pattern and guide (FNL shirts) and persevere in making the FNL sugar T-shirt cookies.

He reminded me of the same principle in the Bible, where it says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

This verse shows us the reality of experiencing discouragements, weaknesses, and problems in this world. But more importantly, it shows us the peace and victory that we have in Christ even in the midst of these things. What an encouragement! :)

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By the end of the night, I was able to make and pack more than 50 FNL shirt-like sugar cookies! Only by God’s grace. :)

It really was a lovely sight for me because the little shirt cookies looked like the real thing — the FNL shirts I had in my closet!

It was also encouraging  because I was reminded of how God, the One who made us, also desires for us to become more like His Son, Jesus. He takes pleasure in us not because of our “own” righteousness, achievements, status, or strengths, but because of His righteousness and grace in us through His Son, Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

♫ Oh to be like You
Give all I have just to know You
Jesus, there’s no one besides You
Forever the hope in my heart… ♫

[Hillsong]

And so I ask myself this question: “Is there anything in my life that does not look like Christ?”

Thank You, God, for giving us opportunities each day to grow more in our walk with You and become like Jesus. :)

 

Encourage yourself one treat at a time. :)

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About Me

My name is Nicole Obligacion and I started this blog because I was inspired by Hebrews 10:24 and Hebrews 3:13. I love to eat, cook, bake, read the Bible, and encourage. :)

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