Buttermilk Waffles

Just realized I have a waffle iron in the cupboard I have only used once or twice the whole time we have been married. For shame! They sounded extra good to me (must be the pregnant thing) So I found a good recipe and whipped out a batch. Thought I would share:

Buttermilk Waffles:
2 eggs
2 C buttermilk
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C butter (melted)

In a bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt , and melted butter and beat until smooth.  Pour batter from cup onto center of waffle iron. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Top with syrup, strawberries, whipped cream or ice cream as desired.

I also folded1/2 Cup frozen raspberries into mine. Mmmmm!

Fall Baking

Who wants yummy cookie recipes!? I have two really good ones to share - Seriously, both of them disappear like crazy when I make them and you will be named "high cookie baker of all the world" if you take them to any type of gathering.


HOMEMADE OREOS (with orange frosting for festive flare)

To make the cookies:
2 devils food cake mixes
1/2 C of shortening
4 large eggs

Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl until everything is moist and dark brown. It takes a little patience, but it will all stick together.

Roll dough into small balls. Place on cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a glass cup to press down on the center of each ball until they are about 1/4 inch thick. (So they look like little round patties)

Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Don't cook too long, and do not try to remove them from the cookie sheet before they have cooled for 15 minutes.

I HIGHLY recommend using an air bake cookie sheet - it makes all the difference in how your cookies will turn out.

To make the filling:
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C softened butter
1tsp vanilla
(I also like to add a 1/2 tsp almond extract - optional)
2 Tbsp milk
4 C powdered sugar

*Blend all ingredients together with beater.

*May want to use a little less or a little more milk depending on what consistency you want for your filling. Thicker is usually better so the cookies are not too goopy.

Alternate Filling:
1 C softened butter
3/4 C powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese

*Using cream cheese gives the cookies a different taste. Some people prefer it, but I am not a fan.

*You can color the frosting orange to give them some fall flare or any color to match the season. Pastels for Easter, Red and green for Christmas, etc.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 C Pumpkin

3/4 C Sugar

1/2 C Vegetable oil

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

2 C Flour

2tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

1tsp Baking Soda

1tsp Milk

1 C chocolate chips

*In a small bowl dissolve Baking Soda in Milk and set aside

*In a large bowl combine Pumpkin, Sugar, Oil, Egg, and vanilla. Stir well.

*Add Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Salt and Baking Soda mixture. Mix well.

*Stir in chocolate chips and spoon small blobs onto sheet (they double in size in oven)

*Bake at 375 for 12 minutes  (I highly recommend using an air bake cookie sheet.)

Mmmmm, the house smells so good.

Weekend well spent

I waited and waited and waited all week for my younger sister ShaNae to finally arrive Friday night! We were over due for some fun times, and we were going to have them!

That very night the crafty craze began as we made some Christmas gifts for friends. I cannot elaborate or post pictures, because some of you might just be recipients of such gifts! I know we are kind of early on the Christmas cheer, but I admit that I am already completely excited for the holidays.

The following morning we took our sweet time getting out of bed. We had some cereal with fresh raspberries - the perfect mid morning snack.  Then had a quick cleaning spree! Don't really know what possessed us to do this... but ShaNae was even nice enough to tackle our bathroom -
dun dun dun! 

We had worked up an appetite at this point so we were off to our traditional meal location - WINGERS! Have I ever mentioned that I drool and dream over their wings?  So So SOOO good. In fact, I already want some more.

Anyway, after our succulent and satisfying lunch, it was back to the house for some Fall / Halloween decorating. We re-arranged my front room and transformed it into a marvelously relaxing Autumn haven.

 

Once my "Harvest" Yankee Candle was lit, all was right with the world. Every time I smell it I feel like I am in the most perfect cozy corner that ever was! I love the room and just want to hang out in there all the time.

That night we settled in downstairs and watched some Psych episodes - this was something my husband participated in. He had been on the outside most of the day, as we carried out our crafty and "non-manly" activities. But don't feel too bad for him,  I am pretty sure he enjoyed a whole Saturday to himself.

Sunday morning was bright and sunny! It has been extremely drizzly, snowy and cold all week - It was so nice to feel the sun coming through the windows as we had breakfast. I made crepes and everyone ate their fill. Then it was off to church to enjoy a great fast and testimony meeting.

Sunday afternoon was cookie making time!!!Sugar cookies are kind of a big deal...

Pumpkins, Ghosts, cats, bats, and candy corn!  I would estimate that we made between 40 and 50 cookie masterpieces. Here are a few close up:

It was maybe sort of a little past dark when we finished and ShaNae headed back to Provo. Woops! She made it back safely, but it was probably hard to keep her eyes open while driving ---

Hahaha! Aren't these candy corn eyeballs genius!? Cracks me up! We are very glad she was able to come down and spend the weekend. Thanks ShaNaedle and see you at Thanksgiving!!!

Picnic Basket's Day in the Park

So we had a picnic basket lying around. We acquired it from some friends --- who had it laying around for so long that they gave it to us. And so I thought about the tragic life of this basket. Never fulfilling its' purpose. It was then that I told Jake we had to take it out for a day in the park.

 This is our delicious banquet. Hoagies, homemade Mac n Cheese bake, some nice crunchy grapes - you know the kind that practically shatter when you bite them. Yum!  And for dessert we indulged in some soda, and  I made some mini peach pies! Quite domestic.....

It took a good portion of my morning, but that is some niiice lattice top, eh? Perfect for... say.... a PICNIC!

And here we are swept up in the romance of it all..... (er, forcing Jake to pose like this for a brief moment while we snapped a picture.)  I am pretty sure it was those crunchy grapes that inspired such a whimsical streak in me.

After we were nice and plump from eating only a fraction of the food I had packed, we pulled another blanket out of the car and.... you guessed it.... took a nap! Don't worry, we let the picnic basket stay out on the lush green grass as not to ruin the outing for him.

It was blazing hot, even in the shade, so I didn't actually doze off. Though Jake was out in a matter of minutes. I will refrain from posting the picture of him sleeping --- Because of his willingness to go on this picnic I suppose I can spare him that. (Just picture his face squished against a makeshift pillow and the rest of him sprawled out on our neon orange fleece blanket.)  As he enjoyed his summer slumber I took a little stroll around the park. Mostly people watching and being a creeper :)

It wasn't long before Jake came to, and we got in a little frisbee time.We used to do this a lot while we were dating, so I enjoyed the nostalgic memories as he threw it buzzing toward my head --- must have been that Del Sol color changing frisbee that actually won my heart.

....And we let the picnic basket watch. He makes for a phenomenal spectator.

Our next move was to walk down to the shaved ice booth for a refreshingly cold treat. Turns out they were closed for the season. Really? Summer is NOT over dudes! We figured it had to be because the college kids were out of town and that is of course the majority of their business. 

So we walked across the street to Gator Jacks and got a nice big cup of ice instead. I am a BIG ice lover, and let me tell you that a cup of ice never tasted soooo good. We sat at a bench and watched the ambitious runners go by. It turns out we knew a few of them, and counted their laps for them. mwa hahaha. Another pal of ours rode by on his bike, so he stopped and chatted about Harry Potter for awhile. These are the moments we live for kids! 

Meanwhile the picnic basket was thoroughly enjoying the fact that we left him in the car. Sorry man, it can't always be about you ya know! But we hope you lovely day at the park.

PIzza Night

Our menu this fine evening
(back in July)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza,
Chicken Alfredo with tomatoes Pizza,
and Salmon and spinach Pizza.

That's right. Pizza from scratch!

 It was delicious. But I am still 

trying to decide if it was 

worth it, or if I should have 

called Little Ceasars?

It's that late night "I want more pizza and I am a crazy person" look

NEW SKILLS

New skill number one: cooking a seriously tasty rack of BBQ ribs. While searching for new recipes online I came across a "comfort food" section and began drooling incessantly! They had a picture similar to this one of mine, and my tummy told me that's what I had to make for dinner.

I was excited at the prospect and went to the grocery store in search of some baby back ribs. Well, what I found was quite intimidating... a whole side of pork that had to be at least 3 ft long. At the Rexburg grocery store this huge slab (covered in fat mind you) was my only option. Uh.... not quite sure what I was doing, but I bought it. hahahaha. I had a coupon, so this rather large chunk of meat only cost me $10.

Once I got it home I just trusted the internet cooks to tell me how to proceed. Apparently you have to do what is called "stripping the membrane" --- sounds gross, I know. And it pretty much is. It's the white slimy layer on one side that you have to peel off. It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, just kind of unnerving. (This, coming from the girl who has hunted, shot, and gutted a moose - eye roll.) Anyway, the point of removing that layer is so that the seasoning can saturate the meat. Flavor cannot penetrate the membrane - thus the reason for taking it off. I also trimmed a bit of the excess fat off. The hardest part was breaking the rack into smaller portions. I used a big knife, and cut the meat into 4 sections but then you have to break the bone. Kind of tricky, but if you get a good notch in it with the knife, it snaps pretty easy. Grossed out yet? It's easy from here on....

Next step, making the dry rub. Here is the recipe I came up with after researching the matter:

1/2 C Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Paprika

2 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp Pepper

1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper

2 tsp minced garlic (or garlic powder)

1tsp Cayenne

I also added some onion flakes that I had and a few sprinkles of a grill-mate mix that I had.

Just mixed it all together and rubbed it onto the meat - both sides. I let it sit for about 15 minutes and then brushed a layer of BBQ sauce on. (Our favorite is Jack Daniels Original so I used that.) I wrapped each of the 4 sections tightly in tinfoil and let them sit in the fridge for about 4 hours --- probably be good to do it overnight, I just didn't have time.  Once they had been in the fridge for a considerable amount of time I took the tinfoil packets and put them on a cookie sheet. Baked them at 300 degrees for 2/12 hours. For a finishing touch (that I highly recommend) I unwrapped each one and added more BBQ sauce - then let them broil uncovered for about 10 more minutes.

Just have to say that I had one very happy husband that night and a couple of friends who were sufficiently impressed. The only thing I might do different next time is use one of those disposable tinfoil baking dishes - clean up was a little intense. :)

New skill number two: learning to sew. I have discovered a few fun projects lately that require this skill. When it comes to sewing, I have always kind of found a way around it (namely doing without or calling Mom) - but decided that I might really like it. So I claimed my grandmother's sewing machine (manufactured in 1965) from my parents storage room and my Dad helped me restore it to working capacity. It's funny to me how it is part of the desk. It does not sit on top, but actually folds down into the furniture. But it's well built, and I'm actually amazed at what it can do!

 

In the picture you see brown burlap material to the left and a strip of cream muslin under the needle. It is the workings of a very basic table runner that I made to compliment some of my Easter decor (see burlap bunnies in next post.) With the help of this awesome machine, I made a muslin ruffle at each end and was quite happy with the outcome. The whole project was intended to look shabby so it worked out well that my edges, and lines weren't exactly perfect ---

 I have a few other ideas about what I will be using the machine for, and you might even see some future posts about my lavish fabric piecing skills. (yeah right!)

Enormous Calzones   

 

Last night I was ambitious about dinner!

First, I made some french-bread dough

Then some marinara sauce with italian stewed tomatoes

  Add mis-match toppings and it's looking mighty tasty!

Fold it over, bake, and you have a ginormous calzone!

Yum to the yum yum yummy

TWITTERPATION  AT  ITS  FINEST

I feel like the last few days have been LOVE in every sense of the word. SO not perfect, but SO wouldn't change it. Since we have been celebrating our Valentines Day all weekend,  it's been more like Valentine's SEASON.

SATURDAY -  We rolled out of bed a little hesitantly, but we had plans to attend a Breakfast Fundraiser at Applebee's. It was held in honor of our neighbor, Jeanette Johnson, who was in a car accident and is currently in a stabilized coma. We have really been wanting to show our support, but weren't sure how to help. So we were glad we found out about this. When we showed up the place was overflowing with people. It was crazy mayhem, but  made me feel good about the people in our community. I was choked-up when I witnessed the crowds and knew how much she is loved. Unfortunately, they were only accepting cash and we didn't have enough. We donated what we had, but did not get in to eat.  There were really more people than they could accommodate as it was, so I hope our good intentions counted for something. While we were out and about we ended up going somewhere else for breakfast. There is a place in Rexburg called the Flap-Jack Shack that serves an awesome breakfast. I would highly recommend it! You get a full breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and heavenly pancake for $5. Their specialty pancakes include chocolate-chip, huckleberry, hawaiin, and a few others. Sooo good. They also have other fantastic choices (biscuits and gravy) if you are not a pancake lover. The couple that runs the place are just the coolest --- small town family business ---and we support them every chance we get! Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, then headed home.

Jake told me to suit up in my snuggliest snow-gear and he would take me to the sand dunes with a sled! SLEDDING! I was sooo excited about this prospect. The idea has come up every winter since we have been married, and now in our fifth year we were finally going. Well... there was a road closure on the way which significantly slowed our progress. Something about the extra driving made me really car sick and I kind of put a downer on the outing. BUT, we did find a detour and arrived at the dunes. There were quite a few families out there already, and the sound of their giggling and squealing cheered me right up again.(That, and the crisp cold air)  The first hill we found was insanely steep so Jake braved it first. I saw his intense grasp on the sled as it skidded out of control, then watched as he crumpled at the bottom, and let out a low moaning noise. hahahah- I tried not to laugh as he told me we should find a different spot. We found a long hill with several good tracks on it, where we spent the next hour or so. A couple families joined us there and it was funny to watch the kids get dumped, and watch the grandparents slide down too! Jake and I raced a few times, pushed each other occasionally, and caught some brag-worthy air once or twice. It was such a nice day that we had to shed our coats and even our hats so we wouldn't be so hot (I think part of that was repeatedly hiking up a snow-covered hill.) We are oldies, so we got tired out and went back to the car. But on the way out, I saw another hill I had to try. It was different than the others because it had softer snow on it. I didn't anticipate how much harder that would make it to climb - but the ride down was WAY better. Not so brutally bum-bruising! We spent probably another half hour here, because I was having a grand ol' time. I was all about getting as many runs in as I could. Jake liked to stay at the top and try to prevent me from climbing up --- I was bombarded with snowballs and he caved in the footprints that I was using as steps! How rude :) Then I joined him up there when we found out we could cut out a chunk of the crust and it would roll down the hill like a wheel. That was pretty entertaining, and I held the record for a while - but Jake finally beat it and THEN it was time to go. hahaha. I think I still took 2 or 3 more coasts before we left. Ahhhh, it was such a beautiful day for it!

And the fun had just begun... We got all cleaned up, and met another couple for dinner. The four of us drove to Idaho Falls where the boys treated us to Olive Garden! Another fantastic idea - but when we got there they said we would be waiting for an hour for a table. boo! So we put our names on the list, got a buzzer, and went to Walmart to wander around for awhile. Us girls browsed the baby aisle, and the boys went to sporting goods. About 10 minutes later, the buzzer starting playing a little tune to notify us, but the boys thought it was someones cell phone ignored it. silly boys :)  Can't blame them though, they weren't expecting it to go off for another 45 minutes! We met up with them not too long after that, and we all realized that the buzzer was going off. Amazingly, we made it back to the restaurant in time to claim our table. I was glad we only waited 20 minutes, because I was so hungry and the place smelled so good! I think just walking in there and breathing the air is like eating 500 calories. hahahaha. I ate 5 helpings of their salad, and was on cloud nine. It's a strange phenomenon - how much I dislike dressing of anykind except Olive Garden. Between that and the breadsticks I was completely content, and then I got to order some Chicken Alfredo as well. Yum! Jake got steak pasta, then the other two got cheese filled ravioli and a pear and shrimp pasta. We all tasted the pear plate, because it was so weird, but were all very impressed by it. Our waiter was probably the best waiter I have ever had, EVER. Don't really know why, but he just did an excellent job - and maybe I was just in an especially good mood.

I should not have eaten so much, because directly after our divine dinner, we were headed to a dance! The boys were a little less excited about this, but were willing. My hubby can dance so well so it is a shame not to get him on the dance floor now and then :)  A lady in our church ward was born on Valentine's Day and her husband organized this surprise dance for her 50th birthday. I thought it was such a sweet gesture and so I wanted to go be part of it. That, and she is one of the ladies that I visit teach. They played lots of classic love songs and we actually had an excellent time. Between playing with the table center pieces, and munching on cookies, I would say it was a total success! It was awesome to see the little-old-lady/ little-old-man-couple out there getting their boogie on. Jake and I were both in a mood, and had a silly-cheesy-romantic-goofy-charming time! The couple we were with left a bit early so they could go pick up their baby from the sitter, and we left not long after them. Back at home we rested our poor worn out feet and watched an episode of Psych to wind down. What an amazing day full of good-clean-fun! My husband really knows how to spoil me. 

SUNDAY - Began with the wonderful activity that is called sleeping in! We lounged about, then took our showers just in time for church at 1:00. I love the feeling of sitting in Sacrament meeting and enjoying the calm after the rush of getting ready. We sat in the overflow, so we didn't listen as well as we should have. Jake wouldn't stop flirting with me ;)  I did enjoy the talk given by one of the return missionaries though. At one point I told Jake that I would draw him a picture and he had to draw me one. So I drew a crazy person face with cross-eyes and spikey hair that was sticking his tongue out - then I wrote "Love you like Crazy." It was my version of a Valentine. I don't think Jake knew what I was going for, cuz he drew me a picture of the zombie apocolypse. (complete with running people and him with a big gun pointed at them.) BAHAHAHA!

Or maybe he did know what I was going for and chose to be abnoxious - this is much more likely :) Gotta love 'im. Sunday School, was much more educational. We learned a lot about Christ's life and the miracles he performed. We both liked the way the instructor led the discussion, but threw in random tid-bits of her own off-topic thoughts. I can't really tell you much about Priesthood meeting: Jake said he was a little bummed because it was about WORK and he didn't want to think about work on the weekend. haha. But I think they were on the wrong lesson because in Relief Society we talked about Sacrifice - and I learned a lot. This was one of my favorite quotes. By Elder Ballard: "The law of sacrifice provides an opportunity for us to prove to the Lord that we love Him more than any other thing. This course sometimes becomes difficult since this is the process of perfection."

Nothing like 3 hours of church to encourage an appetite! We were invited over to Hofstetter's house to eat Sunday dinner with them. We were in charge of bringing a dessert, and I took great JOY in this task :)  I made mini-strawberry-cheesecakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries.   

 Classic Valentines Treats. mmmmm. Our firends had a marvelous baked potato bar all layed out. Lots of cheese and bacon bits for me!  So again, we ate far too much. We watched a few episodes of Big Bang Theory while we ate, then played a rousing game of Phase 10! (I would like to take this opportunity to say.... I WON! ) As we were putting away the cards, we discovered a new form of entertainment among their games. Magnetic builder set! You know the kind with the little magnetic balls that have connector sticks. The boys proceeded to try to build indestructible structures, but took great pleasure in destroying them. Arianna and I tried to build various animals, and I made some really cool looking wheels that rolled! The boys also found a way to create a nearly infinte spinning top - quite intriguing. It got late really quick. We didn't make it home until about 10:30. We've decided that we are very grateful for friends who are content to just hang out doing quirky things. 

MONDAY- It was tough to put a stop to all the fun we had been having all weekend, but it was back to work! Jake left at 8am and I was up doing laundry. We agreed that our Valentine's had been sufficiently celebrated so we would not worry about doing anything this day. BUT, I couldn't resist. I began with a roll of duct tape and put my imagination to work. About 5 hours later, here is what I ended up with:

A dozen duct tape roses! My version of manly flowers. They were waiting by the door when he got home. AND when he arrived, he had some roses for me too--- only real ones. :)  

But the romance was short-lived, because we had to be at the church by 6:00 for cleaning duty. Why would they give out an assignment to clean the church on Valentine's Day? Isn't it usually done on a Saturday to get ready for Sunday? We thought it was out of the ordinary, but maybe someone always does it on Mondays and it has just never been us? Oh well, we went to check it out. There were four families on the list, but it turned out to be just us and one other family that showed up. But we were so grateful for them! They did most of the hardest jobs, and brought their kids to help. One of the little girls followed me around and wanted to help me do everything. She told me that cleaning the church was like giving a Valentine to Heavenly Father.  So that made me smile and changed my attitude pretty quickly. It was really pretty painless, and we got it done in less than 2 hours. Home again, home again, where we picked out a movie and ate Olive Garden leftovers. Mmmmm, life is good, isn't it?  We watched "Last Song." It has Miley Cyrus in it, and was better than anticipated! But WAY too sad. We designated it a "tear-jerker" instead of a romance. In our bittersweet and pensive state of being, we curled up in our cozy bed. 

Husband! Thanks for being a witness to my life, and for living it to the fullest with me!

Summer Shenanigans

So soon it is the middle of August, and boy do we EVER have a lot to report! Awesome adventures, silly schemes, good-humored get-togethers, beneficial bustle - we've been loving summer!

July 10th
Let's go back to July when Jake and I went to the Double Feature Drive-In Movie in Idaho Falls. We invited a couple of friends to go along and made it a double date. As a group, we decided there was only one way to watch a Drive in movie - and that is of course from the back of a truck! And not just any truck bed, but one overflowing with padding, blankets, and pillows. I admit that I had the little-kid jitters and sparkly eyes whenever I thought about the excursion. Just something about the anticipation really brings out the youngster in me. :)
Look at that mini sound system. Doesn't it just make you want to drive up next to it and stare at that big screen for a while?

Anyway, we got there, found a great parking spot, bought some concessions, and settled in. The first film we saw was Toy Story 3 and we were diggin' it! Good story line, Good times... and then I felt a sprinkling of rain. At first we tried to ignore the occasional raindrop and just snuggled deeper into our blankets, but soon the storm rolled in and we all began laughing and frantically searching for cover. Each of us held a corner of a sleeping bag and tried to construct a shelter over our heads. You can guess how effective that was, and it wasn't long before we were soaked. The clouds did blow over after about 20 minutes and we all gave each other that dumb look and were awestruck by what we just endured. It must have been that fresh smell of rain that made us stay for the second show - Prince of Persia. Another great movie... but we only thought the storm had passed. Not even half way through, the rain began PELTING down on us yet again. Back up with the sleeping bag - but really it was soaked and dripping all over us. But there we remained. Our retreat did not come until the movie was finished. I've never been so wet, frozen, and sleepy.... it was the GREATEST!

Awww summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. :)


July 24th
The next big event was the annual Pioneer celebration in my home town - Fairview, of Wyoming, of the U.S. of A. Jake was unable to accompany me due to a HUGELY important inspection he was preparing for at work. Sob Sob... But I am glad that I was able to go.

Friday night dinner at the Box-H was yum yum delicious. Afterward THE softball game began. All the Hyde's assembled and formed almost an entire team. The apposing team took the lead early on, but before to long Hyde's pulled ahead - WAY ahead - for a marvelous victory! I know I know, Hyde Pride... it's a curse.

The next morning we all pulled together a shimmery shiny float to ride on for the parade and rehearsed a little song to sing as well.
Here's the goofy lyrics: (more for the sake of keeping a copy than to pain you into reading it...)

[To the tune of "Here comes the Sun" by the Beatles]
Hello Fairview, It's been a long cold lonely winter
But now Fairview, our pioneer day is here
Here comes the sun, do 'n do do
Here comes the sun, and we say,
what a day
Hello Fairview, the Hyde's returning to our home town
Hello Fairview, It's been a year since we've been here
Chorus
Sun, Sun, Sun, here it comes
Chicken chasing here we come
Softball playing here we come
Chariot racing here we come sawdust digging here we come
and egg tossin here we come
fun fun fun, here we come
Hello Fairview, bust out the pie and watermelon
Grab a burger, join in the games let's celebrate
Here comes the fun, do n do do
Join in the fun, and we say what a day

All the traditional festivities followed: all except for the chicken chasing that is. We were QUITE appalled that this particular event was excluded, but soon got over it as we enjoyed the many other games, contests, and goodies.

Here we are lined up in front of the grandstand, wearing our matchy-matchy home made tye dye T-shirts.

ShaNae, Kendra, and I decided to take part in a competitive game of Water-Bucket-Musical chairs. There were actually no chairs involved --- only 5 gallon buckets full of water that you had to sit on to claim.:)

This picture of my niece screams SUMMER! And I can't blame her for having such a cheezer smile on her face. I probably looked like that too, because after all there is no place like home! Click HERE to see more pictures of ... in her words... "the best day ever!"


July 31st
Has it really been ten years? Jake experienced a bit of a Twilight Zone evening as we attended his 10 year high school reunion in Preston,Idaho. Not a great turn out, but it was fun to hear a few "back in the day" stories that I had never heard, and also to meet a few more of of the people he grew up with. [I wish I had an old picture of him to post from those days. It's probably for the better that I don't have one, or he might just murder me. hee hee] We really enjoyed a big lunch of pulled pork and dutch oven potatoes, and reminisced for a bit. Unfortunately most of his closest friends, and those who he was most curious to see, weren't able to make it. We probably would not have been in town either, except it was the week of the fair and - The 75th Famous Preston Night Rodeo. So the reunion was just he beginning.

We then ventured forth to explore the Sidewalk Sales, witness the local karaoke performances at the park, and waste a little money on carnival games. And of course we sampled many of the high class food choices found at the fairgrounds. Burgers, Hot Dogs, and caramel apples. The "magical" atmosphere of Podunk Preston suckered us into buying tickets for the rodeo that night. Neither of us had been to one in quite some time and after all... this was THE 75th Famous Preston Night Rodeo :)

Here's view of the grandstands and the ferris-wheel in the background.


And here is a little bit of the excitement - Yeehaw to the Mutton Bustin' kids!

We had a great time being part of the cowboy chaos --- and even though I make fun of it, ya gotta love small town fun.

August 7th
Spur of the moment, last minute, on the turn of a dime and out of spontaneity... we went camping! We went with the same couple that took us to the Drive-In Movie. There is a quiet little canyon in Swan Valley (only about 45 minutes from here) that proved to be the perfect spot. Jake and his buddy actually discovered it while attempting to fill their bear hunting licenses last year. We scoped out a little spot in the quakeys and set up camp. We got there late in the afternoon on Saturday, but made the most of our time. First a long four wheeler through rough terrain. I did not grow up riding 4-wheelers so this was definitely the longest, craziest ride I had ever been on. Jake even let me drive for awhile. (I only almost killed us twice.hahaha)

As you can see, the trail was very adventuresome. There were a lot of sections that had been washed out pretty bad. But it really was a blast.

And then on to the waterfall to clean up. That's right, there was a waterfall hidden off a remote path, and it was breathtaking! I got a few shots, but none that really do it justice. It was too treacherous to carry my camera past a certain point.



The water was icy cold, but we played in it anyway.
I tried to follow Jake into the tumultuous waters, but I got sucked down by the current at one point and cut up my let on the rocks below. Not that I want to admit it in public, but I wasn't tough enough to withstand the intense pressure. I recovered just fine from the fall, and even though I wanted to be stubborn and press on... I turned back to be safe. The boys were able to make it through without any more mishap.

The windy four-wheeler ride back to camp after was extra arctic - not to mention dusty. By the time we got back I was a frozen dust bunny! :) But what a great adventure! We cleaned up the best we could and enjoyed a night by the fire. Roasted hot dogs for dinner and we were happy campers. (Get it? happy CAMPERS. hahaha.) None of us slept very well that night due to ridiculously noisy neighbors, but morning came and we were still pretty content to be up in the fresh mountain air. After our breakfast of granola bars and watermelon, we pulled out the guns and unloaded a few clips before breaking camp.

We couldn't go to the mountains without letting the boys bring their guns... even though it put us behind schedule. We all still made it to 1:00 church, and we even showered first - a fact for which I am sure the congregation was very thankful for.

I'm so glad we just took off and found some fun for the weekend. I'm the type of person who likes to put a little planning into a camping trip to make sure we have all the gear we will want, and food and such. But I actually loved this version where we just up and left. I guess we should go for the last minute ideas once in a while - Think it will keep us young?

August 10th
And it's BBQ time! As a reward for all the stressful work and recent inspections they have been through - Jake was able to throw a BBQ for all of his employees and their spouses. Even the kiddies got to come! Jake and I went early to set up our grill, and were really excited that we got to celebrate their success on the job. Isn't it such an awesome feeling when lots of hard work actually pays off! Here's the part where I brag up my husband a little... For months and months he has had the weight of this inspection on his shoulders. Basically it was an opportunity for the company to start selling their plasma to Europe - which is kind of a big deal. So it has been his responsibility to make sure every detail about the centers' operation was up to par. Working late every night was just the surface of what he's done and as you can tell I am very proud. I am so grateful that he works with such great people who are willing to step up and excel. Everyone sacrifices a little bit of their sanity when one of these audits rolls around. But I hope they know that it is VERY appreciated by me!!! (by Jake and by corporate employees as well.) The marks for the Rexburg Center were top of the charts and it was a sigh of relief for everyone involved. Yes! Hubby, you rock!

The BBQ was an awesome success and I'm still drooling about the food. Grilled steak, shrimp, chicken and pineapple! Have you ever had grilled pineapple? YUM. Then tons of chips, salads and desserts brought by the people who attended. I myself donated 50 homemade oreos... ...none of them survived. A big group got together after the meal to throw around a football. The whole thing wore me right out, but was a great night.

No other major adventures since then. Lots of little blessings and simple smile moments that the sunshine gives us. Three cheers for summer!!! We will make the most of the good weather while it lasts and we plan to down as many popsicles as we can. :)

Mmmmmints ! (That's Mints... with extra mmmm because they are tasty!)

Aside from a little bit of pinching and hitting this morning, this is as festive as it gets around here. A little green snack. No leprechaun hunt, no decorations, no pot of gold... And "NO CORNED BEEF for dinner!!!" as was forbidden by Jake. (Apparently, he doesn't like it much.) - and other than the lack of celebration going on at our house, I have no real objection to that. By Golly, I have never even tasted Corned Beef! It was just another attempt to take advantage of a holiday - I'm pretty serious about these holiday things. So there they are - Shamrock Mints (with green sprinkles to satisfy my need for elaborate commemorative fanfare.)


Butter Mints - (About 1 pound)

1/2 Stick butter at room temperature
4 C (1 lb) Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp ice water
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp mint extract
Food coloring

In a large bowl, cut butter into sugar or mix by hand. Add 1 Tbs ice water, salt, and mint extract. Knead mixture into a ball until it's smooth. If it is crumbly add a little more water - if it is sticky add a little more powdered sugar. Add food coloring (divide into sections first if more than one color is desired.)

Roll dough into tiny bite size balls or buy a mold to press them into (such as shamrock shown above - you can get them at candy/baking stores or online.)

Dough will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks and in the fridge for a month!

HAPPY ST.PATTY'S!

A small step towards being more well-rounded

It is for those of you who know me best that I post this picture. These are cookies that I made today. On any other blog it may seem mundane or pointless. But on mine, well... it might just turn a few heads.



Yes that's right. Hearts and pink.
I'm a little shocked myself. It was an odd sort of alternate reality moment as I began decorating a whole table full of them.

I didn't even have a heart cookie cutter (and was certainly not going to go out and buy one which I would be obligated to use again later.) Therefore I used a metal can from dinner and bent it into a heart shape. It did the trick and an hour later I was staring at dozens of Valentine, Pink, Heart cookies.

And although it was a sort of break through for me - Don't worry. They are going to be taken to a ward function and given away so I will not have to be eating any of them. Whew... the world is right once again. haha :)

Homemade Soft Pretzels!

I have been trying to think of yummy snacks that would make a good lunch. It's hard to get past the Sandwich idea so I went online looking for a little inspiration. I found PRETZELS! mmmm - they always taste so good in the mall and it's always a great little morsel to tide you over til the next meal. I do LOVE sandwiches, but I was excited for this little "twist" of variety.



They turned out great, although I would make a few alterations to the recipe. Here is what I recommend:

Get a large bowl and put in
1 and a half packets of dry yeast
1 and a half Cups of warm water
Let sit for a few minutes until foamy.

Then add
2 Tbsp brown sugar (White sugar works too)
1 tsp salt
4 Cups flour (normal or bread flour)
Knead flour in then place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for 30 min.

Roll dough into "snakes" about 14-16 inches long. Maybe even longer. Roll them skinny for crispier pretzels and fatter for softer bread-like pretzels. I made 6 pretzels from this recipe.

Combine
2 Cups warm water
2 Tbsp baking soda

Dip snakes into this baking soda mixture then shape into pretzels. Put some melted butter on them and sprinkle with salt. (If you don't have coarse salt, just use regular.)

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Then eat your heart out!!!

My husband melted some Velveeta for some cheese dip. I put a little Cinnamon and sugar on mine. Now you don't have to splurge at the mall when you feel like a fantabulously yummy pretzel.

Cookie Creativity

My family gets a little carried away when it comes to making Christmas Cookies. When we all get together during the holidays out comes the recipe, the rolling pins, and the cookie cutters. Then the sprinkles and the TWEEZERS. Yes, we place each sprinkle individually and lovingly with tweezers. I thought I would share some of the results of this years event.



Mr. and Mrs. Snowman


Stars



Train


Gingerbread man with a string of lights



Army Gingerbread Man (Injured with a cane)



BYU football gingerbread man



Christmas Tree