Cookbook for Life

What's For Dinner?: The Last January Post

2012-01-26T18:40:00.002-07:00

Everything I made so far this week was absolutely delicious! We had to do a little change up with tonight's and tomorrow's planned dinners, but let me tell you . . . that tomato soup smells like heaven! I'm just waiting for Mike to come home so we can eat. I thought it was going to be pricey, considering the fact that I paid almost $5.00 for a bottle of sun-dried tomatoes, but I only used half the jar . . . so actually dinner is costing less than $5.00 total as I will make another batch of this delicious soup in the near future.

Did you know that it isn't necessarily a good idea to scrimp on your grocery budget? What you may be saving in groceries might reappear as health problems that cost money to take care of down the road. For example, buying a frozen pizza can be a lot cheaper than making one if you have coupons. But think about how much sodium they added to the product to help it maintain "freshness." Sodium can slowly kill you by raising your blood pressure, forcing you to pay for expensive prescription medication (which costs money). If you made a pizza at home, you could substitute a little white flour with wheat flour, adding fiber to your diet which could save you money when you find that you don't have colon cancer 40 years down the road. You could also spend a few extra pennies and buy fresh veggies to go on your pizza. That would be a healthy decision. Yes, I understand that not every meal I make is healthy. Trust me, I know. But on the flip side, we could be going to McDonald's for dinner every night and that, my friends, would save us a little money, but would raise our health care costs. There are certain things I definitely do not buy at the grocery store: bread, frozen/prepared meals, salad dressings (unless I can pronounce every single ingredient), most mixes (seasonings, muffin, etc.), anything with corn syrup in the ingredient list, packaged cookies, and other stuff. These little decisions will help us out in the long run when it comes to our health.

Then you think, but you decorate cakes for nearly everyone's birthdays, sometimes using a cake mix and sometimes using . . . . oh, my . . . dare I say it? Crisco to make the frosting. Yes, I do! But how often do birthdays happen? Once a year. And in our family, we often celebrate birthdays by the bunch . . . 2, 3, 4, and sometimes even 6 at a time. In reality, we have 1.5 slices a cake on average of once per month (September - December are slow birthday months).

Guess what I've noticed? Today, I came down with my first cold in almost 6 months. And it's not even a very bad one. Just enough to make me cranky and a little congested. In that six months, we've completely changed the way we eat. Do you see a correlation? This time last year, I had already missed several days of work because of illness. To date, this school year I've only missed two. Once because of the 24-hour stomach flu and today, because of this little cold my voice started to go and I knew that if I didn't take a day to rest it, I would pay for it for a week.

Crazy, huh?

Enough about this wordy post. Here's the menu for the rest of January.

27- Tamale Night (finally!!)
28- Lasagna
29- Crock Pot Sunday: Orange Chicken
30- Black Bean Queso (I know you can't really make beans into cheese, but this is sooo good. We substitute the cream for sour cream . . . oh, yum!)
31- Work late . . . no dinner :(
1- Work late, again . . . . . no dinner, again :(
2- Our Best Bites Corn Chowder
3- Hamburgers
4- Pizza (finally!)

I need another crock pot recipe . . . . any suggestions?

What's For Dinner?: January II

2012-01-19T19:48:00.002-07:00

Although I had great expectations of myself for this week, it turned into one big blah week. Yeah, this is how it really went down:

14- Leftovers at Mom's house
15- Crock Pot Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Soup and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
16- Pasta Casserole (recipe at the end of this post)
17- Black Bean and Orzo Soup with Sausage (recipe also at the end of this post)
18- Stew (my Mama made it, no recipe required)
19- Hot, Fresh Chinese Food (this is easy, order take-out)

Over the next few days, this is on the docket. Need to go grocery shopping . . .
20- Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches My ABSOLUTE favorite chicken salad.
21- Chicken Crepes- Trying my hand at it at home and using a little Julia Child for inspiration
22- Crock Pot Sunday: Making Chicken Enchilada Soup . . . again but this time for a family party. It must be good if I'm making it again. . . .just saying. Going to try making homemade tortillas. Also making a chocolate sour cream cake with fudge filling to celebrate birthdays.
23- Leftovers
24- Michael's Famous Waffles
25- Leftovers
26- Tamale Night (can't wait to share my tamale secret with you :) )
27- Creamy Tomato Soup
28- Lasagna, been eyeing this recipe in my cook book and want to try it out

Okay, and now for the recipes:

Pasta Casserole

I like this because it ins't too saucy, the pasta will still be firm so leftovers the next day are still good to eat, and there is a slight crunch to the pasta that was cooked around the edges. It is good. Best of all is the texture of the meatballs in comparison to the shape of the penne pasta. Yum!

- 14 oz. penne pasta (the good kind- I like the ones in the black and clear packaging from Costco)
- 1 lb meatballs (when I buy ground beef, I'll take portions of it and just roll 2 tablespoon-sized meatballs, stick them in the freezer and they're ready to go when I am, just thaw in fridge overnight)
- 2/3 jar of Kroger pasta sauce (really, you don't want the whole thing- the best way to ruin pasta is to put too much sauce on it. Stick the rest in the freezer for another night)
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta according to packaging, cooking it until it is al dente and not a second more. If you tried it, you might think it is slightly underdone but resist the urge to cook longer. It will soften in the oven. While the pasta is cooking, put meatballs and pasta sauce in a pot. Cook on medium low until the pasta is finished. In a 9x13 dish, mix together drained pasta and sauce. Top with cheese. Put in oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and everything is bubbly. Serves 6-8.

Black Bean and Orzo Soup

"Soup" is lightly used in this recipe. It isn't so much soupy as . . . . spoonable . . . just about like a chili. You could probably add whatever meat you like. I just use what we've got on hand which is usually bratwurst, polish sausage, etc.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 medium onion, chopped
1/3 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can petite-diced tomatoes (with chipotle, if available- if not, add a little hot sauce to taste at the end)
4 cups black beans, undrained (this would be 2 cans)
1/3 lb Polish sausage, diced small
1/4 cup orzo pasta
salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan (6 qt. pan should do it). When hot, add onion and green pepper. Saute until slightly tender. Add tomatoes, beans, and sausage. Heat until boiling. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add orzo and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more or until al dente. Serve with quesadillas, tortillas, chips, etc. Makes excellent leftovers. Serves 4-6.

Crock Pot Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Soup

2012-01-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe was good! I started it just before I got ready for church and it was ready when we got home- the perfect Sunday recipe.

Chicken Enchilada Soup
inspired by 101 More Things to Do With A Slow Cooker by Stephanie Ashcraft and Janet Eyring

1 pound boneless chicken, trimmed but not cut up
1 can (28 ounces, the bigger size) crushed tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon prepared minced garlic)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons chicken soup bullion
4 Tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf (1 bay leaf torn into tiny pieces)
4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed

Put everything except beans in a crock pot, stir well. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken from crock pot and shred. Return to crock pot, add beans. Stir well. Serve with cheese, sour cream, fresh tortillas, guacamole, etc.

Love Is In The Air

2012-01-15T16:53:00.008-07:00

The latest creation designed by yours truly.

A Blueberry Sunrise

2012-01-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that blueberries seem to be in season right now? Yes, they're probably from Chile or some other fruit growing South American country, but they are in the grocery stores and usually on sale. We picked up a couple of small packages last night and I couldn't wait to make my favorite blueberry pancake recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens' New Cookbook

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cornmeal (this is a must, if you don't have any, come see me- we just bought 4 pounds of it at Winco)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 cup buttermilk or your choice of replacement (powdered buttermilk, vinegar/lemon juice with milk, etc.)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Maple syrup, berry syrup, or powdered sugar.

1. Mix all ingredients except berries and syrup together. Fold in blueberries, gently.
2. Cook like pancakes. Top with desired syrup or topping and enjoy.

What's For Dinner: January I

2012-01-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Want to know what we've been eating? Here's a rundown of all of the delicious things we've had so far in January.

1- Crock Pot Sunday: Green Pita Chicken
2- Honey Balsamic Chicken Nuggets with a Spinach Poppy Seed Salad
3- Tacos
4- Out to Mimi's Cafe where we had Chicken Crepes (I'm going to find a recipe to share, soooo good)
5- Hamburgers complete with homemade Hamburger Buns
6- Pizza, baked on a pizza stone with a 1/2 wheat crust
7- Baked Potatoes with Chocolate Chipotle Chili
8- Crock Pot Sunday: Cheesy Potato Casserole with Asian Salad
9- Leftovers (school started and it Monday and Wednesday are designated homework nights)
10- Bratwurst and homemade Macaroni and Cheese
11- Leftovers
12- Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Spinach Poppy Seed Salad
13- Bruschetta Chicken with Oven Roasted Potatoes, for dessert we had the best peanut butter cookies I've ever had (I used the recipe out of a Cook's Illustrated book, but this is the same)

Needless to say, we've been eating well. Every single one of these recipes was delicious and oh so tasty.

This is what we've got planned for next week:
14- Mashed Red Potatoes with Gravy and lots and lots of Veggies
15- Crock Pot Sunday: Chicken Tortilla Soup with a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Salad
16- Pork Chops (Thank you Julia Child!)
17- Spaghetti with a Salad
18- Leftovers
19- Date Night Out
20- Chicken & Wild Rice (need to find a recipe. . . )
21- Chicken Wraps (a Su Casa Copycat- I order it every time we go there YUM!!)

Of course, if you see anything you would like to try, please let me know and I'll email you the recipe or post it here.

Bon Apetit!

2012 Has Begun

2012-01-01T17:20:00.002-07:00

This, the first day of a new year has me thinking about the two goals I have for 2012:

1. To not get any fatter than I already am. :) (Forget the idea of losing weight . . . maybe it will happen on its own.)
and
2. To finish Grad School. It was supposed to be fun and fill up my part-time work schedule. But now that I work full time it isn't as fun as I intended. So, let's get 'er done and be completely done come December 31, 2012.

Sundays this year have been designated as Crock Pot Day. I've never been a huge fan of the Crock Pot and it is something that I want to figure out for when life gets busier and I won't have all day to make beef bourguignon each week. :) Tonight I made Greek Chicken Pita Sandwiches. They were okay. Not great, but okay. I think the topping selection could make a huge difference. If I figure it out, I'll post the recipe but until then . . . .

Happy New Year!

May your goals be equally or less daunting than my own! :)

2011

2011-12-30T14:57:00.003-07:00

Looking at the past 12 months has been joyful. We've been through a lot. We moved, traveled, cooked, decorated cakes, went to school, started a new job, had tough times and great times, and best of all learned from all of our experiences. I spent a few days this week making a book about the year 2011. Click here to see what it was all about.

Almost There

2011-12-23T07:28:00.001-07:00

We're less than 48 hours away from Christmas. This is the time when I really start to think about it and actually feel like it's coming. All but one of the gifts are wrapped, ready to be delivered to all of our loved ones. One of my students gave me a "Fresh Balsam" candle and it smells just like Christmas should. All piney and clean. (I've never lived in a house with a real Christmas tree as far as I remember.) The house is still a work in progress- there's laundry to be done and vacuuming and dusting. Tomorrow I will make Boeuf Bourguignon for our parents' Christmas Eve dinner along with buttered peas, boiled potatoes, and an English Trifle for dessert. That is what Christmas feels like.

Merry Christmas!

From our home to yours!

Another Christmas Preview

2011-12-17T11:53:00.002-07:00

This one is for Baby H. Can you guess what it is?

Oh, My Bruschetta

2011-12-17T11:51:00.003-07:00

We're not the eating out type, but once in a while, we'll do something crazy and eat at a restaurant because we have a gift card or because we are celebrating something special. A few weeks ago, we celebrated an achievement Michael had at school and I wasn't in the mood to cook (a rare occurrence, I assure you). We went to Applebee's which isn't always my first choice but it worked for us. I ordered their Bruschetta Chicken which looks like this. It was delicious, served with roasted potatoes on a bed of caramelized onions and green and red peppers.

Today, while we were cleaning out the fridge, planning this weekend's meals around what we had, I came across a green pepper and I thought about that meal we had at Applebee's. So, I started cooking and came up with this:

Bruschetta Chicken

Serves 2

Can be easily doubled or tripled

Ingrdients

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 chicken breast, cut in half horizontally (think of using your knife to cut parallel to the table while the chicken breast is laying in a normal, flat position)

2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup (about 1/3 of a can) of diced tomatoes in juice

1 Tbs. Basil

1 garlic clove

Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, to taste

Thinly slice the green pepper and onion. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Caramelize onions and green peppers. I suggest you use a tutorial. I'm not going to go into detail right now.

Once those are finished, remove from pan, draining all of the excess oil off. Reheat the pan and add chicken. Cook until about 80%-90% cooked through. Then add Balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Stir and cook until it has reduced into a sauce.

Plate chicken over the onions and green peppers. Top with sauce and tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese, as desired.

Christmas is Coming . . .

2011-12-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

My favorite thing about Christmas is making things with my hands to give to others. We've had so much fun crafting and laughing, sewing and planning. I can hardly wait to pass out gifts each year. Even though it may not look much like Christmas . . . these are all itty bitty sneak peaks of what will be unwrapped in 14 days. Oh, I've had so much fun and still have so much to do!! Must get back to the sewing machine. :)

30 Minute Lasagna, Seriously

2011-12-10T17:50:00.001-07:00

I'll admit that I'm addicted. Yes, I'm addicted to Pinterest. Who isn't? But when I ran across this, I knew I had to try them.

So, I had an idea and I used my own recipe and came up with this:

Oh, my. The secret, I used eggroll wrappers (found in the Asian produce section of the grocery store) instead of lasagna noodles. Easy. And it took less than 30 minutes start to finish.

1/3 lb. ground beef

2 oz. mushrooms, diced

2 cups pasta sauce (I used a homemade sauce, you can use jarred)

6 eggroll wrappers (use the rest of the package to make eggrolls or stick in the freezer for another lasagna day)

1/3 c cottage cheese (cheap substitute for ricata cheese)

1 egg

1/2 c mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef, remove any fat and add mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes until mushrooms become soft. Spray a 12-muffin tray with cooking spray and place 1 spoonful of pasta sauce in the bottom of each pan. Slice all 6 eggroll wrappers in quarters to make 4 smaller squares. Place one in each muffin tin and press down to sauce. Mix cottage cheese and egg together until well blended. Spoon one spoonful over each wrapper, followed by a spoonful of the meat mixture. Top with another spoonful of sauce, then place another wrapper square over top. Add a final round of sauce and mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and brown. Allow to cool for several minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each "cupcake" and carefully remove with a fork or spoon.

Serve with veggies and salad.

Yep. That took just about 30 minutes. Can't get easier (or yummier) than that.

Welcome Home!

2011-12-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our new apartment all decked out for the holidays. We love living here and we had a blast decorating for Christmas. Enjoy!

Here we have my cookbook shelf (yes there is a whole bookshelf dedicated to my cookbooks) with my hand-crafted Santa from last year's craft nights and our favorite wedding photo, which is up year round.

This is what you see walking into our front door, a huge bookshelf with all of my kindergarten picture books, joyously decorated with a nativity set and JOY letters, also from last year's craft nights. This divides our rather large living room into two spaces, an entry way of sorts and a living/entertainment room.

This is my favorite place in our whole house. The case below holds a bunch of my current craft projects in fabric bins while on top we have our initials, a jar that is filled with seasonal things (bells and ornaments below) and a gorgeous Chicadee Shop Wreath. I believe that it is the original. Gorgeous! Hand-made pottery by Michael. Expensive stuff. :)

Our beloved Christmas tree. We've struggled to find a tree topper that is the appropriate size, so we opted for this great moose. Love him.

We love ornaments that mean something. This beauty was purchased at the Salt Lake Farmers' Market this summer. It is hand-made with a hand-blown glass bead on the bottom. We fell instantly in love with it. The felt garland was made by me. Tutorial here.

I love the felt ornaments that my mom has on her tree. So, I whipped up one of my own for last year, signifying our first ever Christmas tree together. Pattern available here.

This is my favorite thing about this season. Michael's sisters and mother made these the Christmas before we were married. It's a small quilted countdown to Christmas. Each number is a pocket and Michael and I take turns putting little notes with activity ideas or little gifts to open in each pocket. Gifts are usually ornaments that mean something from the year (like the Farmer's Market ornament). It's a blast!

By the way, if you are interested in a pattern or tutorial for this little guy, please let me know. I've been wanting to write one up for my Etsy shop but haven't gotten around to it because I don't know if anyone would care. . .

The Garland! This is hand made as well, spanning almost 20 feet of little felt circles and thread. So fun!

Snowflake obsession is here! Until February, there will be snowflakes everywhere!!!

Michael is an amazing snowflake cutter.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our home!!! We love this Christmas season and hope that you enjoy it as well!

Merry Christmas!!

Friends, Food, and a Party

2011-12-03T12:03:00.001-07:00

Mike and I are having a party. We're having a party featuring these:

Photo and recipe from here.

And when our house is clean, I'll be taking photos and posting all of our beautiful Christmas decorations. Can hardly wait to show you.

I'll let you know how those taste, too.

What to do?

2011-11-08T17:45:00.003-07:00

What are you supposed to do when you've been sick in the past 7 days, and you're feeling better but you're really tired. You've got stuff to do, but do you go to bed at 7 pm because you should or do you keep yourself up until a more appropriate bedtime hour like 9 pm?

Let me know if you figure it out.

Update

2011-10-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

I don't know if any of you all care, but here is an update of our life. It should be interesting. :)

- I'm almost done with my second class in the master's program. This whole working full time thing makes it harder to find time to do homework than I would like, but I'll deal with it.

- Michael is doing great in school! He's had more time to study since he cut back his hours at work and he's reaping the benefits.

- My arsenal of great recipes is growing. Our recent favorites are Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches, tortellini soup, and baked potato soup. I love to cook, just in case you were wondering.

- We are almost ready for Christmas. Just need to decorate. :) I can't wait for the relaxing Christmas that this year will hopefully turn out to be. Last year I was still making gifts on Christmas Eve. :(

- We recently got a sneak peek of the new Natural History Museum of Utah. Holy cow! It's incredible. I highly recommend that you take the time to visit. I can hardly wait to start teaching camps and other programs there soon.

Why?!?!

2011-10-17T18:52:00.001-06:00

Why am I doing homework so I can finish my Master's degree?

This is why:

And so, maybe, one day, we can decide that we've had enough school and settle down. Maybe buy a house, have a baby, and plant our own garden. Maybe.

Christmas in October

2011-10-11T20:21:00.000-06:00

Last year, for Christmas gifts to give to their parents, I had each kid make a calendar (I am using this one from an Etsy store this year). We studied about each month and for this year, I decided to make a sort of color board to display in a Power Point.

We'll talk about what happens in October (I already know that Halloween will be the hot topic) and then I'll set the little ones loose to draw and decorate the October page in the calendar. I'm pretty excited about it. Now I've just go 11 more color boards to make . . .

Graphics from Microsoft, Font (ABCPrint) from Downhill Publishing

I Believe

2011-10-10T20:56:00.002-06:00

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and we hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy we seek after these things.

(Article of Faith #13)

As a kid, this was one of the articles of faith that I learned first. I loved how it mentions that we seek after virtuous, lovely, good, or praiseworthy things. Every time there is a mention of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the media and I make the mistake of reading a few of the comments, I just wish that I could sit down with each of those who obviously don't understand who we are and bear testimony with Article of Faith #13. It is the perfect thing to answer every question about our intentions and our faith.

Holy Cow! I made it!

2011-10-02T12:06:00.000-06:00

Now let's just hope it makes it to Lehi later.

Here is what this beautiful cake is filled with: cream cheese and strawberries. Oh, yum!

So, if you can't tell, it's a cake based on the children's storybook, Pinkalicious. There is a cupcake on top, never mind that it looks more like a hamburger to me. And yes, the cupcake is supposed to be leaning.

Happy Birthday Maggie!

Pinkalicious Cake

2011-09-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

Ugh. I'm so sick of homework. And I only did about 1.5 hours worth tonight. :(

Maggie's birthday is in a few days and we will soon be celebrating the dear girl. She's having a Pinkalicious birthday party. What turning 5 year old wouldn't? So, I volunteered to make a cake fit for a pink princess.

Here is the inspiration:

cute cupcake on the left . . .

photo compliments of here

with this treatment for the "frosting" on top

photo from here

What do you think?

Yes? No?

I Feel Sick

2011-09-22T18:21:00.001-06:00

My experience as a teacher in the public school system has been well . . . one roller coaster after another. If you want the details of last year, I'm sorry but I've put it behind me and would rather not think about it ever again. Does that give you an idea of what I'm thinking? Anyway, this week I was offered the opportunity to switch from part-time to full-time. Yahoo!! My prayers are answered. But now enter butterflies and tummy aches because I'm so nervous. Eye twitching and nausea to come from the stress. We'll see how I fair.

Which One?

2011-09-20T07:11:00.002-06:00

Which photo would look best blown up in our living room? Post a comment with your choice or choices. I'm thinking of having a photo printed on metallic in about an 18"x24" size. Thanks for helping me!

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

No. 5

No. 6

No. 7

No. 8

? ? ? ?

No, No Cookies

2011-09-18T16:51:00.003-06:00

Ask me to whip out a yeast bread an in two hours you'll have a beautiful loaf or set of perfectly round rolls steaming on the table before you. Ask me to make cookies and you'll get this:

Inedible, flat discs of dough, with no texture. Seriously? What am I doing wrong? My butter was perfect, I was careful not to overmix the dough. Anyone have any ideas?

Although, I will have you know that last night, I did win a game of Risk 2210. Today we played again. Michael was cornered and almost dead in less than five turns. So maybe that makes up for the cookie failure?

Free Teaching Resources . . . Anyone?

2011-09-15T19:24:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, my family did a little free sale swap. We all brought the junk we were going to give to DI to a central location and just took what we wanted. I got a lot of great stuff like a small saute pan, some great alphabet books, a new skirt, and a few other items. I've been toying around with the idea of doing a online free sale. What do you think? We have a lot of stuff and need to clean out a little. We'll see.

In the meantime, if you're a teacher or someone who needs books like this, are you interested in any of these? Sorry for the pictures, I'm way to lazy to switch things around. They are free if you come get them, or if we can arrange a way to get them to you. Interested? If not, they are going back to DI, where I found some of them. :)

School is Cool

2011-09-15T17:01:00.002-06:00

Many of you have asked how my studies at Western Governors University are going. Truth be told, it's going great! I'm about half way through my first class which I think is pretty good considering I've been working for about 10 days so far.

I've loved the school so far. They aim to help you succeed and I really appreciate their low tuition rates. I was surprised today when I found a box on my doorstep.

At first I thought that I would open the box and find the web camera thing they make you to use when you take a test. Or maybe a box of pens. Or even possibly a textbook. Nope.

Instead I found post-its, a pen, WGU referral cards, a t-shirt, refrigerator magnets, a photo frame, and a mug labeled "liquid motivation." I don't think there is a liquid motivation allowed in the Word of Wisdom that would keep me going during my weekly 6:30 AM phone call with my mentor. Maybe if Mike woke up at 5:45 AM to make me an orange julius to fill this ginormous mug every week I might change my mind.

I've truly been needing this little stress ball all week long. One can only tell themselves that they can do it so many times, you know. So glad they sent it to me.

Proud to be a WGU student!

Only, I'm already looking towards graduation. :)

Thoughts

2011-09-04T22:20:00.001-06:00

You've probably heard me talking about this cookbook, but it is totally worth it. It's filled with wonderful, practical recipes that I can us every day.

Tonight we had a dinner guest and even though I was nervous, dinner was fantastic. We had Sweet and Sour Meatballs (page 126, if you're interested), rolls made from this recipe (which is in the book and on the blog), and for dessert I made a HUGE batch of Peanut Butter Bars (we ate a few, sent some home with our guest, packed a medium box full for my sister's kids, and still have about 30 left for Michael's lunches). Needless to say, dinner was a hit! Of course we filled it in with a couple of diced yams and a salad covered in a honey wine vinegar dressing (oh. my. gosh.). Might I just say that Michael is the luckiest guy around. :)

We had a not-so-wonderful restaurant experience this weekend and I've come to the conclusion that I should save my money and not go out to eat. Like ever again. So . . . coming soon to our blog will be homemade recipes for some of our favorite meals:

Mexican pizza
Caesar wraps (did you ever have these at Su Casa when it was in Bountiful? Yum!)
Egg rolls
Chicken salads
Ruben sandwiches
Bread bowls filled with yummy soups
Hawaiian BBQ
Tamales
Gourmet hamburgers
Etc.

The Fooditude Revolution

2011-09-01T19:04:00.000-06:00

If you can't find it on the outside perimeter of the store, you won't find it in our kitchen. Think of your favorite grocery store, what types of food are on the perimeter of the store? First you see the fresh vegetables and fruits, then the meats section. After that you'll see the dairy products. And, if you're at WinCo, you'll notice the bulk section filled with bulk whole wheat, spices galore, old-fashioned oats, rice, dry beans, and my personal favorite: honey. I haven't bought anything that comes in a cardboard box or a tin can (with the exception of tomato paste and sauce) for a long time.

But, it's not about losing weight (neither of us have lost much weight and it's okay) or some fad diet . It's about being happy. And healthy. For me, the happy part rings louder and more important than anything else. We've still eaten a little bit of white sugar here and there and we still love bacon and white flour pancakes more than anything else in the world. However, if you brought a third person into our house before and after we made this dietary switch you would notice a few things:

We accomplish A LOT more every day
Mike and I fight significantly less
I have become a friendlier person (no lie)
We sleep 200% better, even when it is 115 degrees in our apartment
We wake up relaxed and refreshed and don't cry about having to exercise at 6:15 am nor do we "sleep" through our days- we're alert and our brains work more efficiently

And this is only after 2 weeks. I wonder what will happen in 2 months?!?! But until then, I highly recommend a fooditude revolution. Change your food and then your attitude will change with it.

Tonight we're having hamburgers and potato salad. Everything is made from ingredients on the outer rim of the grocery store, including the buns. Are you coming for dinner?

Happy 400th Post!

2011-08-27T21:31:00.000-06:00

I've posted 400 entries on my blog! And it is cause for some celebration!! Okay, maybe not. How about a recipe instead?

Please don't mind these blurry pictures. There are no windows in our dining room, hence bad lighting and blurry photos.

The first thing you'll need to do to make this recipe is to purchase split bone-in chicken breasts. They're on sale at Fresh Market until Tuesday for $1.29 per pound.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Chicken Breasts

4 split bone-in chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 sprigs rosemary

1 garlic clove, sliced thinly

Kosher salt

ground pepper

1. Wash and dry chicken breasts. Put on an jelly roll pan lightly coated in olive oil. Mix together olive oil, rosemary, and garlic.

2. Use a brush or your hands to spread the mixture under the skin on top of the chicken and all over the top. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and ground pepper. Flip chicken over and sprinkle with salt and pepper again. Return the chicken to right-side up (bone side down).

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature. It should be 165 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.

4. Enjoy!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Future

2011-08-22T09:53:00.001-06:00

What did you do this summer?

We drove.

We took pictures of ourselves. Bad pictures.

Do you like my new hair cut?

Oh, this is sooooo good.

Yes, I made this fire all by myself.

I cooked and cooked and cooked and cooked and found so many new delicious (and healthy) recipes.

I spent tons of time with my love, my true love.

And we saw a couple of these (not the car).

Now I get to see 20 new faces, start GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!! and kiss the summer freedom goodbye.

Homemade Ranch Dressing, Rethinking Food

2011-08-22T09:34:00.002-06:00

Do you every have "I wonder" moments about outrageous things? Well, here is mine:

Do you think that the reason why people have a hard time losing weight is because the preservatives in our food get into our bodies and "preserves" the fat? Just wondered.

Until we figure that out, I'm tossing all of my bottled salad dressings (there weren't many to begin with) and making only this from now on. I love ranch and would eat it on anything, so this is the perfect recipe for us:

Homemade Ranch Dressing
from Heavenly Homemakers

Mix:
5 Tablespoons dried minced onion
7 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Put in a jar and mix OR (my favorite way) put in a small food processor and blend until it is a chunky powder. Just be sure if you do the second thing that you let it sit with the lid on for a minute or two to avoid a ranch cloud when you twist off the lid.

To Serve:
Mix 2 Tablespoons mix with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayo.
OR
Mix 2 Tablespoons mix with 2 cups of sour cream.
OR
Mix to taste. (which is what we do because I don't measure if I don't have to)

Holy Cow. You will never each bottled ranch again because this is WAYYY better. An at 90 healthy, no corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup calories it doesn't get any better!

Have You Ever

2011-08-08T17:45:00.000-06:00

This year for Christmas, we are doing something a little different. (I know, I know you're thinking Why are you thinking about Christmas already?!?!? But I've got to get started now or I'll never finish in time.) We decided that it is a Christmas of passing on. We have a lot of stuff (especially in the crafting department; I overbought by a lot the last few projects, er I mean years) and we wanted to turn it into something beautiful and wonderful. Just think . . . how did you feel when you last received a handmade gift? Was it special? Did it mean something to you? How long did it take you to throw it out? How often do you think about the love that it expresses from the giver?

I'm getting a head start. We've got 138 days, people. And I'm counting down.

In the past month, I've cut thousands of little circles out of red and white felt. I believe it was 3 yards of 72" fabric into 2 inch circles with pinking shears, to be exact. Wow!

I've hand cut many many ghosts out of this cool paper from an old Making Memories Halloween Collection.

I have made yo-yo after yo-yo after yo-yo. Photo from here.

Of course, there are a select few gifts that we will buy. But 95% of everything under that tree for our families will be handmade by myself and my dearest. I would love to show you the finished products, but that will have to wait until AFTER Christmas. And, if you have been lucky enough to visit this little elf's workshop, keep your lips sealed, please. We wouldn't want to spoil any surprises, would we?

Oh, So Good Cincinnati Chili, 30 minute meals

2011-08-07T21:32:00.000-06:00

When I make chili it is usually a little of this and a little of that. No measurements, just whatever I have on hand and my tongue to guide our creation. When I saw this recipe on Cooks Country (by America's Test Kitchen) I just knew I had to try it. It is a little unusual. Whoever heard of serving chili over cooked plain spaghetti? But, oh my, it is SOOOOO good. You can find the recipe here or below. For a 30 minute meal, start your water to boil in a separate pot after you cook the onions. They will be done about the same time. :)

Cincinnati Chili

1 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T tomato paste
2 T chili powder
1 T dried oregano
1 1/2 t cinnamon
Salt
3/4 t pepper
1/4 t allspice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used a 14 ounce can which is less about 1/4 cup off of the measurement and it was fine)
2 cups canned tomato sauce (NOT jarred spaghetti sauce)
2 T cider vinegar (white vinegar works, too)
2 t brown sugar (dark brown sugar if available)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (85% lean)

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Cook onions about 8 minutes until soft and lightly browned.

**I strongly recommend that while the onions are cooking you measure out the rest of the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice into a bowl. Also, into a separate bowl, measure the chicken broth, vinegar, and sugar as well as open tomato sauce. The next step goes so fast that it is easy to burn the ingredients.

2. Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

3. Add ground beef and use a potato masher to break up the pieces into small chunks. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is deep brown and thickened slightly. Season with additional salt if needed and serve.

Store in an airtight container for 3 days in refrigerator or in freezer for 2 months.

There are five ways to serve this. When you order at a restaurant you can order:

One-Way: Chili sauce only
Two-Way: Served over spaghetti
Three-Way: Served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese
Four-Way: Served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese and onions
Five-Way: Served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese, onions, and red or pinto beans

We prefer Five-Way, no onions :)

One Boring Pirate Cake

2011-08-01T20:51:00.000-06:00

This is a boring pirate cake.

This is an exciting pirate cake.

This is a second view of the exciting pirate cake.

Happy Birthday Darling Children!

Best Vacation . . . Ever

2011-08-01T20:44:00.000-06:00

We (and when I say we I mean I) don't like to travel. It comes with anxiety and all sorts of other stuff because the whole plane ride I sit there and think: "Did I forget to turn the stove off?" "I brought a toothbrush, right?" And so on. Thus, we end up doing what I call vacationing. We leave very early in the morning and go to the furthest desitation first. Then work our way back home often making additional stops from what was originally planned. This was our vacation in July. We went to the aquarium. Then we went to Heber and got Train Burgers. We loved it. You should go there soon.

We're Taking Suggestions

2011-07-30T09:50:00.000-06:00

Michael and I will both be attending school this fall. I've decided to go back for a graduate degree while I have the wonderful opportunity to work part time. (Thanks to WGU, I may be able to finish in 12 months.) But that's just the problem. How will we ever survive off of 2 part time jobs while both attending school and paying the associated costs?

Do you have any suggestions?

Homemade Seasonings: Hamburger Seasoning

2011-07-29T07:34:00.000-06:00

I've recently become a huge fan of homemade seasonings. Taco seasoning, Chinese food seasonings, etc. When I stumbled upon a hamburger seasoning, I was in heaven. Especially when I tried it and it was DELICIOUS!!

2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

Put in a small plastic container, bag, or jar and shake to mix. Sprinkle a little on each hamburger before cooking. Yumm!!

Back to the Grind

2011-07-25T19:38:00.000-06:00

I go back to work tomorrow. Not the relaxed summer job, but the job with black suit pants and reports on student-progress to write. It's a new school, a new sea of names to learn. This time I'm committing myself to learn the name of every faculty and staff member at the school. (It was hard to keep straight the names and faces at the two schools I worked at last year.) I'll be meeting 20 or 30 new little faces. Some will end up in my class, some will not. We'll talk about letters and sounds and numbers and counting. We'll write and read and pattern. The only thing I can think is that I am not yet ready to give up this odd freedom I've experienced. But at the same time I'm ready to move on. Ready to go back to work. To do something productive. Again. It's time to go back to work.

Things I Will Never Buy Again: Flatbread

2011-07-19T20:21:00.000-06:00

I LOVE Subway's new flatbread. My favorite thing to order there is a ham and provolone cheese on flatbread, toasted, with lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, a little oil and vinegar and some deliciousness. It is amazing!

So, when I thought about making dinner tonight I thought about that delicious flatbread. Michael wanted a hamburger. It was destined to be.

This recipe is EASY. It takes a little more than 90 minutes start to finish but it is so easy you will never ever have to buy a flatbread sandwich again. You'll love it:

1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Scald the milk. Pour into large bowl and add butter, honey, and salt. Stir until the butter has melted.
2. Combine yeast and water in a separate, small bowl. Cover and allow to get bubbly.
3. Add 1 1/2 cup of flour to the milk mixture. Add the egg, then stir well.
4. Add the yeast and rest of the flour. Mix until sticky.
5. Knead the dough until it is soft and supple, about 6 minutes. The dough will still feel sticky, because of the honey, but resist the urge to add more flour.
6. Put the dough back into the large bowl (oil the bowl beforehand for easier handling later on), and allow the bread to double in size, about one hour.
7. Dump the dough out onto the counter and divide into equal pieces. Most likely about 12-16 pieces. Cover and let rest about 15 minutes.
8. Roll the dough into individual dough balls. Roll each piece out into a round about 8-10" and about 1/8" thick.
9. Heat a large skillet to medium low heat, cook one piece of bread at a time (15-25 seconds per side).
10. Cool and Enjoy!

So Excited!

2011-07-16T21:18:00.000-06:00

When I interviewed for my position at Burton Elementary, I wasn't sure that I had interviewed well enough to deserve the position. It was rough. Just a few days before the school year ended, I received the best phone call I could have dreamed of. I got the job! There were only good things about it:

only 15 minutes from home
part-time, so my husband can retire from being a house-husband and focus on the full-time student aspect of our lives (However, I would never say no to full-time. Ever.)
awesome principal and kindergarten team
wonderful, beautiful classroom
it's kindergarten!!

To be honest, getting to this point where there are only good things ahead has been absolutely brutal. Just a few months ago, I threatened to give up and end the torture of my first year of teaching. It was plain awful. I had a wonderful kindergarten team at both schools and also great support from around the school community itself, but it was hard. Way harder than I thought it would be. I cried every day for at least two months. But at the end of the day, I had to pick myself up and try again the next day.

But now, after I've moved into my third classroom (which is quite a change from having two separate classrooms all to myself), I am thrilled to say that I am a kindergarten teacher. There's so much to do! I've got to bind books, make copies, write a hello letter to my new students, get everyone's name on everything, prepare centers, figure out my literacy block for the school year, and so much more. To celebrate however, I started a new blog. It's called eKindergarten. I'll be posting good ideas and bad ideas- fun centers, great activities, and so much more. I hope you'll hop on over for a look or two.

Shopping

2011-07-12T20:08:00.000-06:00

I worked a computer shift today. Which means that I stared at a computer screen with my hands buzzing round for 6 hours today. It was fun. Afterwards, I headed to the mall. It has been AGES since I went clothes shopping. The last time I tried more than 2 things on at once was 1 1/2 years ago- I was trying on wedding dresses. It was fun to pull things off of the rack, try them on, look longingly in the mirror, have sticker shock, and buy only a few well, chosen items. At one point I ended up at New York and Company. I've had a few pieces from there over the years, but as I'm assembling my 2011-2012 wardrobe for work, it's important to have some great quality, well shaped, amazing looking clothes. And then, I stumbled upon their 7th Avenue Pants. Oh. My. Goodness. They are amazing. Amazing fabric. Amazing cut. Amazing fit. Absolutely amazing. Until you see the price tag. $46.95 per pair. That looks like a lot at first. But then, do the math.

The pants cost $46.95 per pair. I will wear these pants at least twice a week, every week for the next 9 months. So let's multiply 2 times x 4 weeks x 9 months. This comes out to be 72. $46.95 divided by 72 equals: $0.65. They super comfortable which is worth at least $0.20 per wear (comfort is a major factor when you're sitting on the floor bending over, and sitting on chairs that don't come up to your knees). $0.65 subtract $0.20 is $0.45. That is less than one Diet Coke every day. Since I've kicked the habit, I'll definitely come out ahead. These lovelies will cost me 45 cents per wear, should they last just one school year. I think they'll last at least two. Wow! Justification always makes me feel better. :)

The Circus is in Town

2011-07-11T12:45:00.000-06:00

These two boys sure do know how to throw one heck of a party. And . . . . they have great taste in cakes! :) It was a carnival theme and the circus tent cake was a huge hit!

Those are two great looking 3 year olds!

Twins are Turning 3!

2011-07-07T13:19:00.000-06:00

My little twin nephews are turning 3 and we will be celebrating this weekend with a cake. I've got quite the complicated (not!) design process. It starts with collecting ideas. My favorite way to do this is via Pintrest. I stick them all on my Cake Design Board and start thinking. Then I sketch. Here is a preview of what I've designed:

(Don't mind that it's drawn on the bottom of an advertisement for ice cream.)

Don't Laugh!

2011-07-06T07:32:00.000-06:00

So you know when the local store starts carrying Christmas stuff in September and you're like "Enough already!" by the time November rolls around. Yeah, me too! But . . . I couldn't help but start wrapping a few Christmas presents that I have ready for the family. I guess I'm ahead of the game. Either that or crazy.

Book Organization

2011-07-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

Some bright idea I had to organize my classroom books has turned into a bit of a nightmare. But . . . I'm halfway done. Too bad our entire living room floor looks just like this picture. Not for long . . . .

The First Bliss Cake

2011-06-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

In February of this year, I started taking the Wilton Cake Decorating classes for fun. Four months later, I finished a one-day workshop on Tall Cakes. This was my project today: a 6" cake safely atop a 8" cake. Beautiful. I love the look of fondant, but it takes to much work and isn't always my favorite flavor so I opted for a beautiful yellow buttercream frosting with hand-piped white accents. I think it turned out perfectly. Of course, it isn't PERFECT, but it will do for my firest tiered cake! :)

Restaurant Review

2011-06-23T22:20:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, Michael and I will say to ourselves "Let's try a new restaurant!" We've found some pretty good ones and a few terrible ones. Our new favorite came to us via the Entertainment Coupon Book that many schools and organizations sell as fundraisers. Tonight I was flipping through the book looking for a place to eat and viola! Here it is:

SugarHouse Barbeque Company

Location: 2200 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah

Oh. My. Goodness. It was incredible! When we arrived at the restaurant, Michael took one good sniff and was sold. We started with a combo appetizer of burnt ends and chicken wings. Then moved on to pulled pork and beef brisket. Side dishes of cucumber salad (ever heard of that?) and baked beans were to die for. And the best part of all- they make all of their own sauces in house. Sitting on our table was a LARGE bottle of the best barbeque sauce I've ever had, "pig sauce" which is a vinegar based sauce with red pepper flakes, hot sauce, and a sweet mustard. Oh, yes! Just try it! You will love it too.

Easy Candy Bar Cupcakes, Perfect for BBQ and Parties

2011-06-17T16:11:00.000-06:00

I've had a few requests for this dessert. It was super easy to make with the right supplies and very delicious. Enjoy!

Candy Bar Cupcakes

Ingredients:
- Baked chocolate cupcakes (homemade or mix)
- One prepared box of chocolate pudding
- One cup of heavy whipping cream whipped with sugar to taste until stiff peaks form
- One candy bar of your choice for every 12 cupcakes

Tools:
- Disposable plastic pastry bags (makes clean-up so easy)
- Wilton Bismarck Tip 230
- Wilton Star Tip 1M
(You can get these supplies at Michael's in the Wilton aisle. With a 40% off coupon it's less than $5.00.)
Method:
1. Put Tip 230 in a disposable pastry bag. Cut to expose tip. Fill bag with chocolate pudding and twist the open end to secure filling.
2. Holding a cupcake in your non-dominant hand, push tip into center of the cupcake and gently squeeze the bag. You will feel the bag come up slightly when the cupcake is starting to fill. Move bag away from cupcake, releasing pressure just before reaching the top of the cupcake. Repeat for all cupcakes.
3. Fit another disposable pastry bag with Star Tip 1M. Fill bag with whipped cream. Pipe cream on top of cupcakes in a circular motion with hand at a near 90 angle to the cupcake.
4. Chop each candy bar into 12 pieces. Top each cupcake with one piece. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Oh, Yum!

2011-06-14T21:26:00.000-06:00

The husband really liked this one. It was a corn and black bean salsa salad served with warm quesadilla pieces and Mexican cheesy cornbread. Oh. Yes. I. Did.

BEST Corn Bread Recipe

1 1/2 cups corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can diced jalapenos, well drained
1/2 cup cheese
1 tsp. chili powder

Dump everything into a bowl and mix well. Fill 12 greased muffin tins 7/8 full and bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

It's that easy. So. Yes. YOU. Did.

Black Bean Brownies

2011-06-13T16:35:00.000-06:00

Mike loves these brownies. And, I don't feel too guilty making them for him because they are high in protein and lower in carbohydrates (no flour). We like them best after they have been frozen once and then thawed. They are gluten, dairy, and soy free!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 12 count muffin tin. I do not recommend muffin papers.

Put the following into a blender and blend until smooth:
1 can black beans (I use about 2 cups of beans when I reconstitute my beans from dry)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt (use 2 pinches if you have made your beans from dry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin. These don't rise too much so you can fill them about 3/4 full. Sprinkle 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips over the top.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Check. Then bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until top is dry and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Oh, what would summer be without:

2011-06-12T22:27:00.001-06:00

Beautiful Birthday Cakes

Gorgeous Children

Messy Babies on their 1st Birthday

And Delicious Snickers Cupcakes?

Try Try Try Again

2011-06-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

I haven't felt well the past couple of weeks. Anytime I eat anything I get shooting, stabbing pains in my tummy. It isn't fun. I've often wondered if I've had a sensitivity to gluten (found in almost everything) which is part of wheat grains. And so, we're trying something new at our house. We're trying a gluten free diet until I can get into the doctor next week. Heck, I might not be sensitive to gluten, but it might make me feel better anyway. So, I ordered some of this:

And will be trying a few recipes from Eat Free by a local woman.

Awesome book with some really yummy looking recipes. Can't wait to try a few.

I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, you've got to try black bean brownies. They're the best! Gluten-free or not!

Recipe to be posted soon! :)

Cake Design

2011-06-06T07:40:00.000-06:00

As a recent graduate of the Wilton Cake Decorating Classes (I took all 3), it is my pleasure to showcase my most recent creations:

My sculptor of a husband sculpted the robot parts which look amazing!

Handmade flowers and bumble bee truffles. So fun!

I'm Running Away

2011-06-03T20:49:00.000-06:00

Any suggestions as to a destination?

Like the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada?

Or something. . . .

Birthday Sneak Peek

2011-05-29T21:34:00.000-06:00

(These photos are sideways, but you'll get the picture.)

The Herb Garden Series

2011-05-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

This summer I'll be having a series of posts relating to my new baby: our herb garden. If it wasn't raining and dark I would include a picture in this post. But alas, I think it will never be dry again. Anyway, I'm holding auditions for the best fresh-herb recipe. Any suggestions?

Golden

2011-05-21T11:58:00.001-06:00

Today's cake is a three layer red velvet beauty. Covered with an off-white fondant and adorned with white and golden accents, it is sure to tickle the taste buds in both the mouth and aesthetics. I'm in love. :)

We've Moved

2011-05-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

In a whirlwind week, we moved out of our old apartment and into our new apartment. I'll post photos of our new pad soon. That, and I'm working on a cake you won't want to miss. :)

Less is More

2011-05-09T20:42:00.000-06:00

Beginning June 6th, we're parking our car and not moving it until sometime in August. The plan:

No Car and No Cards

Yes Buses
Yes Feet
Yes Bicycles
Yes Cash
Yes Savings

Our new apartment is less than 2 miles from anything and everything important. Grocery stores, shopping, and work is all within a bike ride or a bus ride. Perfect.

We'll let you know how it goes.

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-05-06T19:31:00.000-06:00

I found this great recipe for buttermilk pancakes. If you've never made them you've got to try it at least once. I promise it will not dissapoint.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients. Cook as you do any pancakes. Enjoy!

The Tulip

2011-05-05T20:23:00.001-06:00

Today, a young boy in my class came in during the last few minutes of recess. All day long, I had been completely exhausted, so much so that I was practically falling asleep at my desk during the 15 minute break.

"Teacher, I has something for you," his presence shocked me out of my sleepy stupor. His hand came from behind his back and I saw a tulip that I recognized had just bloomed in one of the playground gardens.

"Thank you," I said. I must admit that I felt guilty for accepting this improperly obtained flower. "Maybe next time, you'll just ask me to come outside so we can leave the flower to grow?"

"Naw, it's for you," was followed by one of those rare smiles that just melt your heart to a messy puddle.

This is why I teach kindergarten.

We Didn't Have Fun At All

2011-04-24T16:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe a little bit of fun . . . :)

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:31:00.001-06:00

As we were sewing and stuffing our ninth bunny today, we talked about the true reason why we celebrate Easter. We discussed the truth behind what Jesus Christ did for us and it was incredible to know that because our Savior paved the way for us so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father for eternity. He lives and loves us!

Best Birthday . . . Ever

2011-04-23T13:26:00.000-06:00

I happened to marry a younger man. Four days younger, but still. This week was birthday week. It all started with my birthday. Black bean brownies for everyone!

I'm finally 23 years old. Wow!! Next thing I know I'll be 30!!!

It was the year of the cookbook- Julia Child's cookbook, a crepe recipe book, and Our Best Bites (recipes from the blog I'm constantly drooling over). I'm anxious to get cooking and creating for hungry tummies.

Aren't these GORGEOUS? Mike, the budding photographer, bought me a bouquet of perfect white roses. Beautiful.

Then after my birthday, we moved on to Mike's. The first gift of birthday was a triceratops dinosaur. He loved it needless to say. Lucky guy.

And now we're settling in for the big birthday bash. All of my friends live out of state (or continent for that matter) and so it will be the two of us and 7 of Mike's best friends for the party of the century. Pictures of all the lovelies later. Including two to-die-for cakes.

Happy Birthday Mike!

2011-04-22T22:13:00.002-06:00

And yes, we did start the day with chocolate pancakes. The ultimate birthday breakfast. Sprinkles and all!

Equals

2011-04-12T15:55:00.000-06:00

In kindergarten we have been learning about addition. Well, this is what my day added up to:

2 cases of the stomach flu
+ 1 bathroom accident
+ 2 prep-specialists noting the rowdiness of my class
+ 1 school counselor who seconded that motion
+ 1 sub plan write-up
+ 2 injured students
1 exhausted teacher

If only I had the night off. . .

Q and U Got Hitched

2011-04-03T21:42:00.000-06:00

And there was cake to prove it. No, I didn't make this, but I thought the cake topper was absolutely perfect for this special occasion.

Julie, Julia, and Megan

2011-03-26T17:13:00.002-06:00

I watched one of my favorite movies today: Julie and Julia. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, after the movie, I watched a short "making of" piece and was absolutely amazed. They talked a lot about the real-life Julie and her journey. They talked a lot about the real-life Julia and her life. Both of these women had a lot in common, but one thing struck me most: They were both successful, but they both had amazingly supportive husbands who were completely content to sit back and watch their wives do whatever it is that makes them who they are while cheering for them. For Julie, it was following a plan that she had created for herself. For Julia, it was discovering a new passion and teaching whatever it was that she learned to the rest of the world.

And then I realized how lucky I am.

My husband loves to sit and watch me cut out patterns or sew. He'll sit at the kitchen table and watch as I cook dinner or decorate a cake. Last week I asked him to come to the computer where I pulled up a list of classes I'm dying to take. I want to learn to make croissants and pastries and sourdough bread. I want to learn how to use Illustrator software and draw. Within a few seconds, he asked "Which one do you want for your birthday?" and "Which one do you want to take right now?" I'm grateful for a hubby who wants me to be me. Who encourages me to keep learning and seek those things that are good for both me and us.

How lucky, no, blessed I am!

Giving Away

2011-03-15T20:27:00.004-06:00

Do you remember this wreath from our gorgeous wedding?

As you can see, I have two just sitting in my apartment. Do you want one? If you think you can give this beautiful piece of home decor a nice new place to live it's yours. Just let me know. I promise the orange isn't as bright as it looks in the first picture.

Thanks!

I Have a Tooth (C)ake

2011-03-12T13:03:00.004-07:00

In . . . . and Out

2011-03-08T20:43:00.002-07:00

Today I ate my first double double at In n Out. It will also most likely be my last. No thank you. I could have better used those calories on pancakes and syrup. Did you know that that hamburger with onions has over 650 calories? Yeah.

Dinner

2011-03-04T19:29:00.003-07:00

Well-Seasoned Hamburgers

Potato Salad (photo and recipe from Krista's Cookbook Shelf)

I will NEVER buy hamburger buns again!! (Photo and recipe from Our Best Bites)

It took a few hours, but it was very much worth the work!!

Warning: This Post Will Make You Hungry

2011-03-03T20:16:00.003-07:00

It was January birthday time with the in-laws. I got to make a chocolate sour cream cake with sour cream frosting (if I haven't made this for you you, please contact me and I will, you MUST try it), homemade grown-up macaroni and cheese with caramelized onions, and two aprons that look much cuter on the girls than I could have imagined (not pictured). The hubs went to town with the photos and this is what resulted:

Let Us EAT Cake

2011-03-03T20:08:00.004-07:00

Well, but the looks of things (i.e. the numerical size on my pants) I've been eating A LOT of cake. But for a good reason! I've been spending my evenings up to my elbows in white shortening and powdered sugar at cake decorating classes. It has been a blast! I've learned the tricks and secrets on how to properly bake, frost, and doorbell ditch a perfectly delicious cake. Here are the results of my labors:

I thought it was good, until I noticed the pastel colors I mixed. Not my favorite, but hey! It was truly my first try.

This was our final cake project. We got to choose the decorations ourselves. Don't look too closely or you'll see the crumbs in my ocean blue frosting. Yeah, apparently it happened because I overbaked my cake. I don't think I did, but that's what the professional said.

These roses are supposed to have perfectly smooth outer edges. I think I took the English Rose route and made them frilly. But, the chocolate buttercream frosting smelled so yummy that I'm surprised that any roses make it to the top of the cake at all.

Valentine's Day, One Month Late

2011-03-03T20:00:00.005-07:00

Here, we are, already into March and I haven't posted since who knows when. So, without further delay, our Valentine's Day!

The sweetie my hubby is! He bought me an orchid plant, a gourmet chocolate bar, and Wilton cake decorating classes!! He truly is one amazing man. I would be lost without him!

This is the amaryllis flower that Mike's parents gave us. It bloomed just in time for the holiday!

Completely Homemade

2011-01-17T07:35:00.003-07:00

My sister Jennie asks: "What would you substitute for the onion soup mix? A beef gravy mix or just beef boullion and onions?"

Here's the answer to her question:

Copycat Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
adapted from Food.com

1/4 cup instant minced onion (you could use freshly minced onion if you were going to use the whole mix right away)

2 Tablespoons beef bullion powder (also, if you use it right away, you can probably use a liquid type bullion)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Mix together and use as you would a package of onion soup mix.

I haven't tried this yet, but the reviews say that this is just as good, if not better than the stuff you buy at the store. If you use this type of product frequently, try using the dry/powdered ingredients at the original recipe size here and store it in your cupboard, using 5 Tablespoons each time you want to use an envelope of the original.

Chinese at Home

2011-01-15T08:44:00.003-07:00

Who doesn't love Chinese take out?! But after a few not so happy restaurant dates recently, we've decided that unless we have a really good reason to go out, we're staying in. Besides, cooking at home while sipping some grape juice and listening to Norah Jones or Ingrid Michaelson beats the restaurant atmosphere every time. . . that is until you have to do dishes. :)

We tried this little number this week and it was an instant hit! Delicious, and I knew exactly what went into it. What more can I ask for?

Beef and Broccoli (just as good, if not better than the restaurant)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb beef steak cut into 1-inch strips
1 package of frozen broccoli or 1 bunch of fresh, cut into florets and washed
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp cold water
3 Tbsp cornstarch

Step 1: Heat olive oil and brown steak.
Step 2: Add remaining ingredients (except 3 Tbsp water and cornstarch). Cook until broccoli is tender to taste and meat is fully cooked.
Step 3: In small bowl mix 3 T water and cornstarch to make paste. Stir into skillet until sauce thickens.

Serve with hot rice. YUM!!!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2011-01-09T16:37:00.004-07:00

If you like tacos you have GOT to try this!! I found the recipe on $5 Dollar Dinners, a blog with a mom devoted to feeding her family for $5.00 or less per dinner.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (based on personal preference)

Mix all ingredients together. I put mine in a small jar and shook it until everything was combined. We added 1-2 tsp. per 1/2 lb. of hamburger and it gave a great flavor without the salty taste that most store-bought mixes have. Try it!! You'll love it! :)

Christmas in the House

2010-12-26T22:01:00.004-07:00

So. . . I've been busy, who hasn't. And as I took down the Christmas decorations today (gotta get a fresh start for the new year) I realized that our house looked pretty darn good once I got the stacks of felt off the couches and put the rotary cutting board back under the couch. (Making Christmas gifts got the best of our home this year.) So, sit back and enjoy the Christmas view and M&M's.

A 2009 Target clearance find looked great draped around our lamps.

This 2009 clearance find at Michael's Crafts was a great banner. Now I think I need one for all the holidays! :)

I made this JOY decoration at the West Point Faculty Craft Night. I want to find some miniature tinsel garland and wrap the J and Y for next year. What do you think?

The whole enchilada! Complete with the Christmas countdown that was quilted and bound for December 20th! :)

My mom bought our tree last year at Lowe's right before Christmas. It was $5.00, I think. Great job, Mom!

Stockings were $0.50 at Target after Christmas last year.

I made the tree garland and the tree skirt out of red craft felt, 60% off the day after Thanksgiving.

Like the snowflakes hanging from the light fixtures? That, too, was a 2009 clearance find at Michael's!

The most expensive thing we had for our tree were the ornaments that we bought to remind us of all the great things we did this year.

All in all, we had a very beautiful, cheap-ish decorated house! I'm already planning for next year!

Christmas: A Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-12-26T21:54:00.004-07:00

We did indeed celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple. It was fun to wake up at 5:30 am because we were SO excited (I woke Michael up, that is) and open presents. Then we went back to sleep- good thing, too. Because we were going and going all day visiting our families, talking to my little brother missionary, and playing cars with the nephews. So, here are a few pictures of the early-morning festivities. Enjoy! :)

They make boxes so difficult to open these days!

Two of the many favorite gifts that Michael surprised me with! I'm using both as I make a couple of aprons for work.

What haven't I done today?

2010-12-14T20:47:00.004-07:00

This is a question I often ask myself. Do you want to see what I haven't had time to get to today? Well, come for a walk through my house with my camera:

No. 1: Two pinatas for a Christmas party on Friday. Not done yet. Who knew that pinatas took 100 days to make? Obviously not me.

No. 2: Blogging about my pride and joy for the month of December: Santa. Isn't he cute!! :)

No. 3: Countdown to Christmas. I'll be lucky if I get this thing (the last 12 inches, mind you) stitched before New Years.

No. 4: This is a pile of Christmas gifts waiting to be sewn. Yikes!

Day 1: I Need A Little Christmas

2010-12-01T18:09:00.004-07:00

HoHoHo! The jolly season is upon us. To be honest, the Christmas season is one of my favorites. People being happy, sharing, loving. . . .what is there not to enjoy. :) As is tradition in my family, and I'm carrying it down to my own family, we always do a countdown to Christmas. My mother has this cheesy, but well loved Santa countdown with 24 tiny pockets that each hold a special surprise. I decided to make my own (pictures tomorrow . . . hopefully the binding will magically stitch itself on, ha!). We're doing a countdown with special ornaments. I've been making and collecting ornaments that cause me to remember something great from the last year. The first one we unwrapped at 6:45 am today. It was this little penguin:

I picked it because last January, Michael and I rented both March of the Penguins and Happy Feet because I was in a penguin mood. We watched them both while snuggling under at least 3 blankets. It was one of the few movies I remember watching with him last year. We had a great time making fun of Happy Feet's references to political and environmental issues. Not my favorite film however. At all.

But because it's December, I've got to show you something handmade, too! Notice that red and white garland behind the cute little penguin? I made that using a tutorial from one of my favorite blogs: Purl Bee. It's written by a little store in New York (if I'm correct). Anyway, they have the cutest projects using one of the EASIEST fabrics: felt. If you haven't tried a felt fabric, do it! You don't have to buy the expensive wool felt. The polyester stuff works just great, too.

Get Ready!!

2010-11-26T18:39:00.003-07:00

A little cold bug has visited us over the past few hours. :( Not my idea of a Happy Thanksgiving. In fact, I'm missing Snowflake Day as we speak. It's terrible!!!

But, get ready for my favorite month of the year. Stay tuned, glued to your computer chair for posts about all the creative messes I've been in lately. Just saying that it has to do with lots and lots of felt. And it's so important that I waited in a 3 hour cut table line at Joann Fabrics this morning for more of it. What an adventure!! :)

Just a few things on the list:

1. ornaments
2. Christmas countdowns
3. tree garland
4. painting
5. food, both real and fake
6. much, much more

Can hardly wait to start the clock. ;)

Six Months

2010-11-21T21:30:00.003-07:00

Being married for six months never tasted so good!

Especially when it is accompanied by a Vegas Roll! :)
We decided to try a restaurant that I bought a coupon for at Groupon. It is called Rice and is on State Street in Salt Lake. Wow!! It was INCREDIBLE!! Then we went to see Morning Glory. We recommend both, by the way.
Here's to another 6 months and eternity!

Love you, babe!!

Doing Good In Return

2010-11-13T07:48:00.003-07:00

Most teachers will say that parents are the largest problem in education. Sad truth. They're right. I've had nothing but trouble from a handful of parents in one of my classes. I'm not sure if they just think they can get away with it because I'm the young, new gal on the block, but they're starting to become a pain. Tears are shed, life goes on, but I've decided to react in an unusual way. I've decided that every time I have a parent try to tell me that I'm a terrible teacher (which I most definitely am not), I will do something to remind myself who it is that I go to work for every day. (It's definitely not the parents.) By turning my energy from something so upsetting into something that blesses the lives of those I teach:

I have a couple students who I could tell needed some teacherly support. I can tell that they don't have much. When I asked them about having supplies like glue, scissors, pencils, and crayons at home, they replied that they didn't have any. I cried for quite some time over this and decided I could use some retail therapy. One hour later and some donations from my wonderful mother, I had two backpacks each filled with a pencil box full of pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, pencil sharpeners, and a mini can of playdoh. When I gave the boys the backpacks, they were so excited they didn't know quite what to do. But on the way home, they were the first to put their backpacks on and I caught them telling EVERYONE about their cool new backpacks. It made an awful week full of nasty parents 100% better.

It just goes to show that I don't teach for the parents. I teach for the kids. Especially the kids whose lives I plan to change by being their kindergarten teacher. I can't care what the parents think of me. Their children love me. And I am quite fond of them. That's what really matters.

Teach

2010-11-07T21:50:00.003-07:00

Last week, I attended several meetings. One for new teachers, one for the new science curriculum, one for the PTA, etc. I don't know what went down at each meeting, I was trying my best to stay awake, let alone listen. However, one thing that I heard struck me as important and I'm trying to keep it in mind as I work toward whatever comes next. The question was asked, why do you teach? Some said because they like kids, others because it is a secure job (the world will always need teachers), another person said because there are places to go and things to do in teaching whereas in other jobs you get stuck behind a desk. Someone over to my left and behind me said that she teaches because what she does matters.

What I do matters. It's hard to swallow that one when you're split into tiny pieces. I'm a first year teacher toggling between two schools, two principals, two teacher teams, two of nearly everything. I can hardly keep the rules straight from one place to the other and on Friday when I got a stern reprimand for asking for a tape dispenser from the office at one school when the other would have gladly hunted one down for me I realized that the job I took on was a lot harder than I thought it would be. This week, I have 47 students and 47 Parent-Teacher Conferences to host. I can guarantee you that by the time Saturday comes I won't want to get out of bed let alone try to do anything worthwhile. But, if I remember that what I do matters, maybe this week will fly by like all the others have. Maybe I'll find a way to touch a life and help one of my students become successful in their future. Maybe I teach someone something new. Maybe I can change the world one child at a time. It's just a lot to swallow when you're a tender twenty-something and you take care of nearly 50 kids every day. But it's exactly that that matters. What I do matters. It matters a lot.

Hello November!

2010-11-06T20:34:00.003-06:00

Sweet November always brings good things into my life. I get to start some serious work on Christmas gifts, huddle under my big puffy coat, and eat pie. What more could a girl ask for.

This year, I'm working on a special project. I'm working on our Christmas tree. I fell madly in love with a pattern on Etsy for some tree ornaments and I've had a blast stitching away with my needle and thread. Here is the product photo from the Etsy store here.

I'm planning on doing a countdown to Christmas with ornaments this year. It's our first tree and I think it would be a pity to put them all up at once. :)

Day Off

2010-10-14T19:01:00.004-06:00

Today was my first real day off since August 20th. You've probably heard that when your a teacher, especially a first year teacher, nearly your entire life goes on hold while you figure out how to do your job. Well, today that sort of changed. (I will admit that I did do some work-related stuff today, but only because I WANTED to.)

I did the dishes, laundry, and tried my hardest to pick up around our house. I started working on a couple of Christmas presents and made a delicious lunch: Greek chicken salad pitas. YUM! I found this website tonight: www.kitchensimplicity.com . I think I'm in like with it and in a few minutes I'm going to make a batch of homemade Bisquick mix. That'll save me about $5.00 at the grocery store every month.

Today, I started cutting out our halloween costumes. Gotta get sewing here soon. :)

I also started working on a crochet baby blanket. It's amazing how soothing working with yarn can be. I highly recommend that everyone try crocheting or knitting or some other type of yarn art.

A busy day! But so much fun!! What have you been working lately?

Farmington Bird Refuge

2010-10-04T18:51:00.003-06:00

My sweet hubby took this photo last week while we were on a walk in the Farmington Bird Refuge. It was BEAUTIFUL!! The sunset was absolutely perfect out there with nothing but the Great Salt Lake and the unpolluted skyline beyond. I highly recommend a stroll in that direction.

New With You

2010-09-19T20:04:00.002-06:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I last posted. Things have been super busy crazy, but I finally am getting to where I am in the swing of things with my new job and other tasks. In fact, this weekend I started working on Christmas gifts and Halloween costumes. That's a good sign that things are slowing down a bit.

I just put up my first real bulliten board for the year. We've been learning about colors and I had the kids write their name with a white crayon then use watercolors to paint their favorite colors. I had no idea what to do with them so I started making a rainbow with the intention of making more to fill in the gaps. But then I got a brilliant idea! Why not turn our bulliten board into a learning board. The rainbow quickly turned into a graph. I added a question and viola!

As you can see, our favorite color is blue:

I've so many more great thinkgs to tell you about. Can hardly wait until we get the pictures to go with what I am doing!

Games of Risk

2010-09-13T10:53:00.003-06:00

What a game of risk we play.

Life, with all its complexities, joys, failures, and triumphs.
But with you it makes every facet of that life worth living.
Especially when you trounce me . . . every time. :)

Here's to living life with you.

P.S. Remember somewhere out there, is a scuba diver, without his wetsuit. . .

Important

2010-07-22T11:10:00.001-06:00

Lately, i've been getting my priorities way mixed up. It's easy to do when you have 6 billion things running around in your head. So . . . tell me. What is at the top of your list?

My Oh My

2010-07-14T22:05:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I took a little trip to visit my classroom. Yes, it was indeed a trip. A 35 minute one-way trip to the edge of Davis County. I'll do that every day next year. And I'm excited about it. This is what I found:

An almost empty classroom with 6 tables with 4 chairs each. A gathering rug, a few book shelves, a table to two, a teacher's desk, and cupboards filled with nothing. I like the way that it looks- I'll like it even better when my living room no longer looks like a classroom closet. There are children's games and file boxes and school supplies coming out of my ears. I've been collecting stuff that I've seen at the Dollar Store or at DI for a while. Most of the stuff was recently brought from my parents' house.

Mom, you didn't see me do it, but I almost completely cleaned out the closet downstairs.

I can hardly wait until I can see 24 or so little kindergartners running around. That will make the picture perfect.

Yay for kindergarten.

Except that sinking feeling that I have so much stuff to do before school starts. Uggh.

Got 5?

2010-07-07T21:42:00.002-06:00

If you have five minutes (less if you are a quick reader) would you please, please, please visit this survey and fill it out. Once you do that you'll be entered in a drawing for a prize worth $50. And I'll love you forever.

Click here to take survey

Thanks,
Megan

Postponed

2010-07-05T08:39:00.002-06:00

The opening of The Red Sketchbook shop has been postponed due to 10 hour work days. Sorry. It will, however, be opening on July 30th. Be sure to watch for specials and freebies galore.

Just because it's fun to share, I wanted to tell you about some of the things that I'm working on right now (besides the new shop, that is):

1. Getting ready to teach kindergarten. I've been working, thinking, and stressing round the clock about this one. My new sewing machine has come in handy as I've been sewing cute little tote bags for my literacy homework each week. The kids will take home a bag with a book to read with a family member and an activity to do. It surely will be amazing!

2. Making Tamales! Today is the day. I've been dreaming about it since I saw it on someone's blog. I bought 42 ears of corn and a 2 pound pork roast which is in the crock pot as we speak. It'll be A LOT of work but will be super fun. Especially since I'll be doing it with my sisters. Yay!

3. Ordering pictures for our wedding scrapbook. This is fun. I told myself that the last thing I'll ever do scrapbook-wise is my wedding scrapbook (and I'm sticking to it). I just ordered 40 prints of Andee's amazing photos and will be ordering the rest that my family took in the next few days after I process them in Photoshop. I can hardly wait to share the final product with you.

4. Enjoying life. We're busy. Michael and I together work about 90-100 hours every week between the two of us. Last week, I surprised Michael by plastering our bedroom ceiling with glow in the dark stars. Every night since then, we've laid underneath the beautiful stars and chatted and dreamed together until we fall asleep. I'm so glad that I married my best friend.

Help me out! What was your fondest memory of kindergarten? Do you have any bad memories? Please share them with me as I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. :)

A Happy Sunday

2010-06-20T20:55:00.003-06:00

It has been a while since I last blogged. Really blogged. Not just posted a thought or a sentence or two but really posted. So, I have a lot of catching up to do.

Big news!!! I will be opening my second Etsy shop on July 1st. It is called The Red Sketchbook. Stay tuned for the big grand opening. I promise that this surprise will be worth waiting for. Affordable DIY designer home decor will be the emphasis. Perfect. The shop is the result of two of the greatest design minds in the world + the help and inspiration from hundreds of others. So my question is: Would you like to learn how to make this????????

Second big news!!!! I got a job teaching kindergarten. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE kindergarten and cannot wait to step foot in my own classroom and start teaching. I already have six million things that I want to do and more ideas flowing from my mind on a daily basis. First ideas, first: I started the process of making book bags for family literacy homework. I'm excited about my sewing machine which should arrive TOMORROW!!!!! Then I can really get to work.

Third big news!!! I have an awesome husband who supports all these crazy ideas and pushes me to be better every single day. I wake up every morning and count the blessing of his company first. I can hardly wait to see him every afternoon and my heart still skips a beat when I catch him looking at me. This week will be only our sixth week of marriage, but I feel like it has been an eternity since we knelt across from each other at the altar in the Salt Lake Temple where we promised to love and serve each other and stared into the double mirrors, looking at our reflection that never ended. Oh, how lucky I am to have won such a prize.

Tender Mercies

2010-06-18T23:07:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father who leads us and guides us to where we need to be. It is He that sends us on the path that is best for us and sometimes we don't have the light we need to really see where we are going but it is that path that will lead us into the most wonderful blessings we could ever have imagined.

A Degree in Motherhood

2010-06-11T08:20:00.003-06:00

I would really like to get a Reading Specialist Endorsement. That was until today when I realized that you MUST have an Elementary Certificate in order to even think about doing it. That's a bummer.

As I was laying in bed this morning, thinking of any other ways I could possbily be trying to find a teaching job, I suddenly realized that I had probably spent four years getting a degree in How To Be A Mother. To tell you the truth, I am very proud of this degree and a little sad that I will not be able to use it to mother until I have children of my own in the distant, but not too distant future.

It's not that I won't be able to find a job. It's more of a matter of motivation. Michael and I are making some major decisions which will impact our location by more than 60 miles. I can't commute 60 miles a day and still be sane, so it's best that I either find something in the middle or look elsewhere for employment.

Do you have any ideas?

A Few Pictures

2010-06-08T19:43:00.008-06:00

Scotti driving in Idaho.

Scotti at his new favorite store: Smith & Edwards.

The beginning of our garden.

Scotti playing Risk.

Scotti ready for a vacation. To Idaho Cow Country we go!

Michael philosophizing with a bear.

The bear and I. A new musical featuring: ME!! and a bear. Yeah!

Hope you're doing well. Thanks for stopping by!