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New glasses

2012-01-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

So, my sassy red glasses are officially lost. I searched high and low and have not been able to find them for 2 months. This means my eyes were got really tired of contacts since I had to wear them every moment I wanted to be able to see...which happens to be a LOT.
I finally broke down at Christmas and went to get new ones. My father-in-law happens to work at an optical shop and hooked me up with some awesome new glasses! You can't really tell in the picture but they have subtle brown and black stripes on the outside and dark purple on the inside. I was temped to go again with red, but then if I ever found my last ones...I'd have two red pair, so I went darker this time. How do you like them?

Choose your own adventure birthday

2012-01-14T10:43:00.003-07:00

Kimi had a birthday this week. Missy and I wanted to do something for her and she opted for a surprise.
I texted her 4 random questions and she unknowingly choose her own adventure:
Out or In (she chose: In)
Fancy or Comfortable (she chose: comfortable)
Exotic or American (she chose: exotic)
New or Familiar (she chose: new)

So, we stayed in, wore comfy clothes, made a blanket tent in the front room like we used to do all the time when we were little, had an exotic meal (Ethiopian food) and watched a new movie with just the girls. Missy made a yummy toffee chocolate cake. We had a blast.

I had a lot of fun making the Ethiopian food. I'd had it before at a restaurant so I kind of knew what to expect. To explain, it is a large thin pancake like bread, with little piles of each kind of stew. I had chicken stew with hard boiled eggs, lentil stew, vegetable stew, and a cottage cheese/lemon mixture. They are all heavily spiced and delicious. You tear of pieces of the bread with your hands and grab parts of the stew to eat it. It is also very filling, we found out.

Sushi!

2012-01-13T19:55:00.001-07:00

I had my first experience rolling my own sushi. I have watched the sushi chefs make it behind the bars and it didn't look too hard. Ben happened to have a sushi mat and a nice rice cooker so now I had the right supplies. I think I did pretty good on my first try. We only did california rolls and a shrimp rolls to start with before we tried the expense of sushi-grade fish. Now we are excited to try more...

New Year Project

2011-12-30T14:05:00.001-07:00

I am starting a food blog! I will try not to neglect this personal blog...which I will use for trip reports, fun stories, life updates and pictures I remember to take. I wanted a more structured way to share recipies I'm working on, trying and enjoying. I am, however, limiting the blog to a certain type of recipes. I kind of wanted to start with a niche and then expand later if I want.

The Blog will be called "OnlySoups". Click Here to get there. Come on over and follow me there too! First recipe post will start next week. Invite your friends if you enjoy what are you reading there!

Merry Married Sickly Holidays

2011-12-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone's holidays were happy and bright. Ours turned out a little different than planned.
   Ben got sick...all week, so much he actually cancelled the private ski lessons he was supposed to teach-that almost never happens so he was really ill. So much that he finally let me take him to an instacare. Poor guy. Luckily, the antibiotics finally won the war and he is finally feeling better...just in time for me to catch it. :( Even though I was extra careful not to get it: I even slept in a different room and attended the family holiday parties by myself (I am used to that by now) and left him at home so he wouldn't spread the germs, took Zicam, vit C and drank water like a fish. Still not enough prophylaxis. My immune system has never been a strong player.
   Even though he was sickly, Ben was still very sweet to me. I need to work on being extra nice even when I don't feel good. He was excited to tell me what he got me for Christmas, that he woke me up at 7:00am to let me know. (I got a ski helmet, ipod shuffle for exercise, and subscription to Bon Appetit).
    All that really matters is that we were able to think about Christ and his birth and life. What a wonderful gift we have from Him, the power to bring us back to perfection and into His presence. Merry Christmas!

Ask Me...

2011-12-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ask me what on earth came to my house in such a huge box...
Ask me how much it weighed...
Ask me how only 2 of us were able to get it out of the box and down the stairs...
and then back up 2 flights of stairs and then down the stairs again... (not without casualties, I assure you)

Ask me how I like my new Tempurpedic...

We've been in the market for a new bed for a couple months. We shopped stores, laid on many a mattress, did a lot of research asking personal friends and looking up surveys/reviews, etc. online and finally decided on a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme.

So far, we LOVE it.
Here's my review...in case any of you are considering one:

It is awesome for the back or back pains, etc. support, support, support.
Soft enough for a princess like me who can feel a pea, firm enough for the guy who can sleep on a hard floor without trouble.
I think it feels like it just hugs your body curves all over. It lets my bony shoulders and hips dig in without pressure.
Softer than the original Tempurpedic or other versions we tried...doesn't have that initial hard feeling on first contact.
We are still debating whether it sleeps "warmer" than any other bed because heat gets trapped. It is firmer when cold, though.
There is definitely a smell with the newborn mattress. Not too bad for me, but then again my allergies make sure I don't have a very discerning nose like Ben-it does bother him some.
VERY heavy, even the bottom box support. Get friends to help you move it if you are going to do stairs.
Much less residual bouncing when a spouse tosses and turns in the night
Whoever told me that I probably need a tempurpedic pillow as much or more than a mattress, I agree. Gotta get me one of those so my neck feels as good as the rest of my body.
Can be pricey...but there is a reliable company on eBay that sells original products for about $500 less than retail. :)

Christmas Craft

2011-12-18T15:45:00.001-07:00

My token craft of the season this year was a new wreath for my front door. My wreath from last year was way cute...and ended up being very versatile. The fabric flowers' colors were diverse enough to leave around through Valentines and then by spring the fabrics had faded enough to pass as a spring wreath and then... let's be honest, I was just lazy to take it down. Anyway, with all the wreath ideas floating around on the internet and blogosphere, you'd think people were making them all the time for every holiday, and yet, where do they find space to store them all?? So, this year's wreath is generic enough to be able to work for several seasons...maybe I'll get ambitious and change the ribbon color!
I branched off from my usual twig type and got a foam wreath. Then, wrapped it with white yarn (this is not hard but time consuming, unless you have a couple hrs watching a movie or chilling with your sisters at "craft day"). Then I added some bright red and brown artificial hydrangeas and a ribbon. Here's how it turned out.

Pie Convert

2011-11-26T13:54:00.006-07:00

My assignment for Thanksgiving, 9 times out of 10, is the vegetable dish. Either because they think I am the "food police" and want at least something healthy there, or because no one else actually likes cooking vegetables or maybe they don't want me "improving" or "experimenting" with the traditional staples. I don't mind though. I usually come up with something fun and even get my dad to to try a vegetable he only has bad memories about...like parsnips!
Anyway, this year I also got to make a pie! I was excited to try this recipe for Creamy Pear Pie I got from my friend Kate at OurBestBites. Her recipes always turn out... so there were no qualms about trying something new, especially something you can't taste beforehand (it's impossible to sneak a piece of pie without everyone knowing).

Since my husband has always told me he doesn't like pie, I haven't made one for a long time. I was surprised that he actually wanted a taste of my slice after Thanksgiving dinner. All it took, though, was one bite and he was converted. He couldn't stop exclaiming how good it was. We brought the leftover pieces to his parents' house the next day and he made everyone try a bite. I agree that it turned out fantastic. He told me a week later that it was honestly the best dessert he had ever tasted. Now THAT's a compliment

We have now conquered his aversion to soups, pie, fruit in salads, and pumpkin. Now off to convert him to the fruit/meat combo idea he is still wary of.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2011-11-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

So, I think I started a post about this last year and never finished it. Oops. Since I love cooking and I especially love cooking for my very appreciative husband, you are getting more food posts lately. I don't know if you all like that or not, but it's the most exciting thing in my life right now.

This recipe is one of my most requested recipes. Friends ask about it every year. I have yet to have anyone tell me they have tried it on their own but maybe one of you will, especially any of you that have unused butternut squashes from their gardens still hanging around. I used the bones of a recipe I found from Bon Appetit but changed it a good deal and have stuck with my changes for years now because they worked well for me.

One of the tricks is to know how to handle butternut squash. Many people tell me they are scared of it or have no idea what to do with it. I have a few suggestions to start with.

First: use rubber gloves to handle it while cutting (If you don't, you will be left with this weird dry film that you can't get off your hands for a day no matter how much you wash them).

Second: use a big knife (this is not the time for your do-it-all little paring knife). Get your large chef knife or any other big and sharp knife to help make this easier on you. Winter squashes are tough when still raw.

Third: Separate the top portion and the bulby portions. They are much easier to peel separately. If you get to choose your own squash at the store instead of using them from your own garden, get ones with long necks to get more stuff you can use.

Peel it by running your knife down the outside layer of the squash to reveal the bright orangey inside (that's the edible part).

For this recipe, chop it into 1/4 inch slices. Still use the bottom portion of the squash after you remove the seeds, those slices will just look like rings.

Ok, now the hardest parts are over. Let's get cooking! Here's the recipe.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

1 9 oz. package of lasagna noodles

2 TBSP olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1 large package (or 2 small) of baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2/3 C chopped pecans

2 lb butterut squash (peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch slices)
1 14 oz. can chicken or vegetable broth
4 TBSP thyme
4 TBSP sage

2 15 oz. containers of lowfat cottage cheese
1 15 oz. container of blended hard cheeses (romano, parmesan, asiago)
1 egg (beaten)
salt and pepper

Start by boiling the lasagna noodles, according to package directions (you may use the no-boil kind but the edges still come out hard).

In a skillet, saute the mushrooms and onion in the olive oil until just soft (about 3 min) , and mix in chopped nuts. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

In same skillet, layer the squash slices (put rings on the bottom to allow more of the steam/liquid to cook the solid slices). Add in broth plus 1/2 the thyme and sage. Cover and let simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 8 min.).

Mix together the cheeses, the egg and the rest of the thyme and sage. Add several turns of black pepper and a few shakes of salt to season.

Assemble the lasagna in 9 x 13 pan by layering cheeses, noodles, squash and mushroom mix a couple times. I usually make sure cheeses end up on top. Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. covered, then 25 min. more uncovered. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving (or it will fall apart more while serving it... but it still tastes good). This works great to make the day before, both waiting to cook it the day of, or cooking it before and just reheating. I've tried it all. Always yummy.

p.s. If you are looking for other ways to use butternut squash, I have a few other recipes here and here

Chopped

2011-11-15T19:27:00.001-07:00

We had a great cooking date night with our friends, inspired by the show "Chopped" where we had to make a course with 4 mystery ingredients. It was a lot of fun and challenged our cooking creativity under pressure. We got second place... the Elkins totally won with what they came up with for dessert (wow!). See my friend Kasey's post (http://kaseychild.blogspot.com/2011/11/chopped.html) about it for a longer explanation and pictures. I would love to do it again.

pumpkin oatmeal

2011-11-05T12:06:00.000-06:00

An autumn-ized breakfast for you. The inspiration for this came from a visit to my friend Ivy's house last year when she served me this hot pumpkin cereal for breakfast. You know how I love everything pumpkin... I don't remember much about it except that it was yummy so I decided to create a version of my own.

Directions:

Prepared plain oatmeal (quick, regular or steel-cut oats, steel cut). I will not specify the time you cook it or the ratio of water/milk to oats, I think most people have varying preferences on this. I like mine more watery with still chewy oats, not a congealed mass...so I tend to undercook mine, but to each their own.

Add a spoon of plain pumpkin puree (I used a heaping TBSP for my one bowl, which was plenty)

1 tsp brown sugar (you really don't need as much as you used to use when you were a kid)

a dash of cinnamon and allspice

It's that easy. I guess if you wanted to even skip the seasoning part, use just pumpkin pie filling and it would probably be very similar.

p.s. I added a few mini chocolate chips for decoration in the picture, but I have to admit, as appetizing as it sounded, I didn't like it as much with them in there.

Zupa's Pumpkin Coconut soup

2011-11-02T20:16:00.002-06:00

This year, I took a break from my usual spicy pumpkin bisque (which I swear I've posted before but can't find) and decided to recreate Zupa's newest seasonal soup that I had the other day on an outing with my sisters.

I think I did pretty good for my make-it-up-as-you-go, knock-off recipe. I figure I need to write it down before I forget what I did (I didn't measure the spices so those are estimates). My picture of it didn't turn out. Here it is:

Pumpkin Coconut soup

2 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 TBSP olive oil
1 C canned pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 potato (chopped into small cubes)
1 large roma tomato (or 2 little ones) chopped into small cubes
shredded coconut

In a soup pot, saute the garlic and onion with the ginger, and nutmeg in the oil until fragrant and translucent (do not brown), then add the pumpkin, broth, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring to a boil. Add in the potatoes and tomato and cook until the potatoes are soft (sometimes I precook these to cut down on prep time). Taste and add the salt and pepper (I have to add that in because I break that rule too often and need reminders). Top with shredded coconut and serve.

(I've also thought of adding a few pine nuts or sunflower seeds)

Colors make me Happy!

2011-10-19T19:09:00.002-06:00

There are few things that can really change my mood as quickly as seeing nature's beauty, especially the gorgeous autumn colors. I just had to take a scenic drive today. My leg was not up to actually hiking yet after last weeks soccer game injury (I am just not as resilient as I used to be) so I just drove, got out and sat amongst the trees and took pretty pictures.

Ben's Lettuce Wraps

2011-09-29T21:58:00.002-06:00

I am definitely not the only cook in my house. Ben has some great skills in the kitchen, too. Here's one of his famous recipes that he made for our dinner party the other night. He let me help with some it so I could learn, so this is my memory of his recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
2 TBSP oil
1 8 oz can of water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onion, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
1 C dry shitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water until soft) chopped
1/2 C pine nuts
1 head lettuce (I suggest butterhead or romaine lettuce, not iceberg or green)

Sauce:
3-4 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP Hoisin sauce

Brown chicken in a skillet with the oil, salt and pepper. Add in the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. In another dry skillet, toast the pine nuts on med to low heat (shirring or shaking often since they burn easy) until golden brown-add to the meat mixture. Mix together sauce ingredients in a bowl and add to meat. Cook all together until flavors are soaked though and vegetables are soft. Adjust with more sauce ingredients to taste. Serve a spoon of meat mixture on a leaf of lettuce.

Vanilla Cider Pork with Pears

2011-09-24T21:13:00.000-06:00

Fall is here! And I have officially caught the cooking bug. It's even more fun this year because I have a husband to cook with/for so I get excited to try stuff out on him. He has yet to not like something yet, surprisingly. I am successfully converting him over to the ideas of soups (he has only ever known canned soups), pumpkin-everything, and fruit +meat. Here was one of our dinners this week that helped with the latter. I got this recipe for a "Cuisine at Home" magazine years ago (I got it for a year-I don't remember why). I've adjusted it a bit, they totally lied about how long everything takes and I've made some substitutions to make it less costly, less fatty, easier to do quickly, and less alcoholic... it's still good, I promise.

Vanilla Cider Pork with Pears
4 pork chops
2 pears (cored and quartered)
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1/2 C flour
1 C chicken broth
1 C apple cider (not juice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP water
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat (not high...don't be impatient you'll burn the poor pears). Saute the pears until lightly browned, remove from heat. Set pears aside.

Season pork with salt and pepper and dredge lightly in flour. Saute pork (in same pan pears came from) until cooked through, about 5 minutes each side (or more if your chops are huge like the ones from Costco). Set pork aside.

Deglaze that same blessed pan with the broth, cider, and cream. Bring to a boil and add vanilla (or vanilla bean if you are really going all out). Reduce the liquid to half (this takes about 4-5 min). Add a little roux (flour and water mixed to a paste) to get it a little thicker. Put pears and pork back in the pan and cook all together a few more minutes. Serve! (I always like to serve it with the recipe below)

Pecan Wild Rice
1 C wild rice blend
14 oz. chicken broth
1/4 C apple cider
1/4 C pecan pieces

Boil chicken broth and cider in a saucepan, add rice mixture. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in pecans and serve.

Book Club

2011-09-21T22:35:00.000-06:00

I'm in a real book club! I've never actually been a member of one before, and I quite like it. The closest I ever got was being a writer of a book blog that we wrote synopsis and critique about each book we read. That fizzled after several months.
There's only 5 of us that come regularly to our current club although there are a lot more that are invited. They invited me a couple weeks after joining my ward and it's been good to know these girls (neighbors) that I've lived by for 3 yrs and never knew! We've read some interesting books the last couple months. Everyone has their opinion and take on things so it is fun to discuss. It makes me think more about the books I'm reading and the themes, hidden meanings and agendas of the writers. I haven't done that since High School English class.
I like having book suggestions from others, even though my random picks at the bookstore sometimes surprise me in how good they are. We put together our list for this next year, and now I think I shouldn't have given so many suggestions because that means I've already read several of the books on there. Oh well. There should still be enough to keep me engaged. Anyone have any of these books I can borrow in the coming months?
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Wise and Joyful Potter of Niederbipp
The Help
Devil in the White City
1776
Peace Like a River
The Poisinwood Bible

Recipe Shortcut

2011-09-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

I have heard from a reader or two that they wanted to go back and find a recipe I posted once upon a time and had a hard time finding it. I admit, I actually go back frequently to see my version of tikka masala, etc. So, I finally got around to putting in a new gadget on the side with links to a few favorite recipes I've posted in the last couple years for quick access. It also made me think I haven't posted a recipe in a while...

remodeling

2011-09-13T22:08:00.003-06:00

Did you know I have mad tiling skills? neither did I. You never know until you try it. I've had plenty of opportunities of late, helping Ben and his dad remodel their old house to sell. We tiled the kitchen floor, bathroom floors, and the shower walls. I'm pretty proud of my work. I guess it's a little hard to see in this picture.

I also helped install a tub, lay rockerboard, and remove wallpaper. Not to mention cleaning out 50 yrs worth of stuff, including large food storage bins from their crawl-space basement. I feel so handy. This is leaps and bounds above changing a furnace filter. It is always easier when with people who know what they are doing, too. What a smart and handy hubby I have!

The Bride

2011-09-01T20:38:00.002-06:00

The Dress

The Side View

The Dress Back

The Shoes

Hair, Flowers and Veil

The Bustle

Side Flowers

Jewelry

The Bottom View

The Dress Front

The Curly Tulle Skirt

The Train

Wedding!

2011-09-01T19:44:00.003-06:00

I finally got my wedding pictures back from my photographer. Here are some of my favorites.

Marriage!

2011-08-23T18:25:00.002-06:00

Yes, I am still alive! I've been a little busy getting married to the most wonderful man. It has been a long-awaited change and I'm excited to start a great new life with him. Here's to you Ben, my love! (thanks to Stacey for this photo)

p.s. I promise to post more pictures from the wedding and honeymoon travels soon.

17 days to go

2011-07-17T15:40:00.009-06:00

Yup, time is speeding up and I am realizing all the little detail things I didn't think of before.

Invitations are finally OUT! Well, except for the few addresses I'm still waiting for...

Here's some of our favorite engagement pictures for those of you who haven't seen them on facebook.

28 days to go

2011-07-04T11:33:00.008-06:00

I went for a long weekend to Austin, TX to visit my brother Paul, his wife, and 3 kids (all aged 3 and under). It was fun! We went to Sea World, saw the largest bat colony come out at night, ate great food and hung out with friends.The kids were so adorable (see this cutie-pie above, I could just squeeze and kiss him cheeks all day)

and then these toddlers that are so sweet when they call me Auntie-Emmy and say the cutest things...but could also throw some terrific tantrums. Good reminder (birth control) for a newly-wed.

I also got to hang out with Paul and Vee, their friends Naomi and Sharon, and my friends Ralphie and Brian. It was a good break.

31 days to go

2011-07-04T11:15:00.003-06:00

I got excited again today and I tried to put a countdown widget on the side of my blog...yeah, I am blog-challenged because I couldn't get it to work, or the next one I tried, or the next. This while people are in the other room talking about computer languages and coding, etc. Sigh... This is why my blog never changes backgrounds or includes videos. I guess that just means I'll have to count myself and blog more often :) Or swallow my pride and go ask for help.

Exciting!

2011-07-02T14:22:00.002-06:00

Hooray. I am getting married on August 4th. The plans are now solidified, the date is set and reservations made. I am excited to finally have it set for sure...it had to be moved back several times due to things beyond my control and I struggle with patience so this is very relieving for me. I am so thankful that the approval came the very last day to reserve a room before the temple closed for the whole month of July. Look forward to formal announcements coming soon!

Summer Breakfast

2011-06-04T11:23:00.003-06:00

Mmmm. Can't you just feel the sunshine when eating fresh berries and nectarines?

You have to try these pancakes. You'll never think IHOP is worth it again.

Pancakes

fresh sliced nectarines/peaches (canned are NOT the same)

Homemade blueberry syrup (Take frozen/fresh blueberries, heat them up in saucepan with a little sugar, then pop them with the back of a spoon while cooking to release their wonderful blue juice and stir until bubbly and a bit thick)

Top with whipped cream.

Savor the flavors!

Thai Peanut noodles with shrimp

2011-05-29T16:52:00.004-06:00

I've made this dish 3 times in the last month I think. That means Ben and I both really like it AND it's fast. I've tried several recipes for similar things before but this one is by far my favorite. Thanks goes to my good friend Kate and her new famous cookbook (which I use all the time. she and her co-writer are brilliant). You can get the recipe from her blog www.OurBestBites.com

I just add shrimp and occasionally other vegetables to it. YUM!! Good hot or cold.

*For my friends with wheat, egg, dairy, or soy allergies, just change the linguini to Thai rice noodles and soy sauce to fish sauce. Still excellent. Sorry nut allergies...you are just out of luck on this one.

Brakes

2011-05-24T21:18:00.003-06:00

Ben is amazing. He knows a lot about a lot of things. Besides doing tiling, drywall, cabinets, installing toilets and tubs, and painting this week in the old house...he helped me change the brake pads on my car. I know...pretty handy, don't you think?

It's not too hard to change brake pads yourself...IF you have someone that knows what they are doing with you AND have a strong guy to loosen the lugnuts on the wheel. Luckily in my case, they were the same good-looking person.

Now my brakes work wonderfully. Thanks honey!

the B.A.D. club shower

2011-05-09T21:30:00.003-06:00

My girl friends from High School threw me a bridal shower up in Logan last Saturday. We went back to our favorite restaurant/hang out "Fredrico's Pizza" and then to Amy's house for gifts and dessert. We were a pretty tight knit group back then, and whenever we are together we can still pick things like good friends. It is really quite fun. Even if they all got married a good 10 yrs ago and have 2-3 kids each by now. I am the last remaining one, by a long shot. They were all so excited I was engaged they kind of had to fight over who got to throw the shower... they worked it out and all helped out in some way. :)

We had this self made club back in High School called the "Boys Are Dumb" club. We even got little bead necklaces that said BAD on them, which we loved because they made our moms cringe. Yup, we were sooo rebellious. So much that we even made quilts... where we each sewed squares about ourselves and then traded. One of the squares we wrote Boys Are Dumb and got all of our guy friends to sign...or we may have forged a few signatures...

Domestic, rebellious teenage girls...

I love you guys! Especially since we have almost all made it back to northern Utah somehow.

Singles Wards

2011-04-25T21:53:00.004-06:00

And so I say goodbye to the world of singles wards, for good. It's been fun...they have been a big part of my life for the last...let's say, a really long time. Longer than most people would ever expect or think is possible. From a few months before my 18th birthday till a few months before my 31st, excepting my mission of course, I have been very involved in a singles ward.

Now I get to re-acclimate to the world of family wards: complete with crying children during the sacrament, ward choirs of 8 people, relief societies with little old ladies, deacons passing the sacrament, etc. Thankfully, the church is true no matter where you are and I am excited for this new change. I have always been one that looks forward to change, and since other "changes" aren't happening as quickly as I had planned, this will have to do.

I am very grateful for the establishment of singles wards. They certainly provide an environment to learn leadership and church responsibility, while offering the great sociality of peers with the same beliefs. I never feared moving to a new city as long as I could connect with the singles ward there. I would instantly have friends and activities to attend. My coworkers always thought it amazing how quickly I was acclimated to the area and people. I can honestly say that I was able to meet and work among amazing, very talented, and dedicated saints. I was constantly inspired to be better by my peers there, as we supported each other through similar struggles.

I didn't think my singles ward experience would end like this...months before I could officially "graduate" by getting married-or by turning 31-or both, a complete overhaul of the Salt Lake valley's university and YSA wards threw everything into chaos. It just makes most sense to make the transition into the established family ward of my area now.

May I just send a shout-out to the USU 40th, USU 39th, USU 11th, Sam Houston, University 39th, El Dorado, Harbor 2nd, and the great University 48th wards! Thanks for all the great lessons and times!

My advice to anyone attending a singles ward:

Get Involved!!!! Jump in head first, attend activities, sit by different people (everyone else is probably somewhat shy and new to the ward as well), get to know them, always volunteer to help, fulfill your calling completely, and flirt mercilessly (guys don't get the subtle clues or "playing hard to get"...get over it). It only takes a few people dedicated to making it a fun, friendly ward and it will catch on like wildfire. Remember those things and you will always have a marvelous experience.

Aprils Fools Dinner

2011-04-01T22:38:00.009-06:00

I made a fun dinner for April Fools Day

We started with dessert first:

Cake with Raspberry filling, cream cheese frosting/decorations. (meatloaf with ketchup, pureed cauliflower and spinach flowers)

Ice Cream sundaes with hazelnuts, caramel sauce and cherry

(mashed potatoes, mushroom bits, gravy and cherry tomato)
Then we had our meal:

Mashed potatoes and gravy (ice cream with caramel sauce)

and peas and carrots (green skittles and cut orange starbursts)

It was tasty and fun, despite the strange looks Ben made when he first saw them.

On a side note, it was my very first attempt at meatloaf (which I typically don't like) but it turned out surprisingly good. Thanks "SimplyRecipes" blog.

Wisdom

2011-03-27T18:44:00.006-06:00

Good Advice I was once given, that have influenced my life at critical points:

Question everything and find your own answers
Don't go to school for something you already know how to do, go to learn something new
Don't let your fears overcome your faith and goals. God can help you accomplish anything
Don't ever make important decisions when PMS-y
If you act very confident in what you are doing, others will believe you more
The best way to give a talk is to study, prepare, and write it all out... Then leave it at home.
Simplify, simplify, simplify. What is MOST important, and what is "fluff"?
Once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. Don't give up when the pressure mounts.
Life is Hard, and then you die...

The Story

2011-03-07T21:46:00.004-07:00

I've had several requests for the engagement story. Here's my favorite version:

The night he proposed, Ben took me back to Red Butte Cafe, the restaurant where we met on a blind date almost exactly 2 years ago. It was kind of neat to reminisce on our time together since then. Back at my house, when he came in the door, he gave me a big hug and started telling me that he was sorry, he knew that I had been waiting a long time and I had been very patient, but I just needed to wait a little longer... I got pretty disappointed right about then, sure that it meant that it wouldn't happen that night. Then he stopped and said "I have a better idea" and knelt down on one knee and asked "Emily, will you marry me?". I was startled at the shift and said "Are you kidding me?" (in my defense, he had been teasing me about it all week). At which point, he pulled out the ring box and told me how he loved me, trusted me and wanted me to wear this... There was the most beautiful ring I ever saw (ok, I did help design it so I knew I would love it). I definitely said YES! I think he was just as excited to see it on my hand as I was.

The announcement you've all been waiting for...

2011-03-04T22:40:00.002-07:00

Yes, I'm engaged! It's official now. I have found the love of my life, someone that is perfect for me. Someone I am excited to share eternity with...and I have a very sparkly ring to show for it. :)

Things you don't mention to a hypochondriac

2011-03-02T22:17:00.005-07:00

I think every health care professional ends up as a hypochondriac of sorts. Especially those of us who never did the medical school thing but know just enough to be dangerous. We are familiar with a few signs and dangers, but not enough to know the whole story.

So, symptoms that others might get very worked up over, we can dismiss easily as nothing significant. But what many people will dismiss as something weird, turns us to fretting we have cancer. We get even worse when we socialize around other medical personnel. Since I seem to have surrounded myself with nurses, in and out of work, I get all sorts of interesting perspectives and opinions. I consequently was almost convinced last night that I had had a mini-stoke. Thanks for that, Ben.

Thankfully, I have hilarious sisters that kept me laughing about it and let me blame all my horrible raquetball playing on that...

Diabetes 101

2011-02-18T22:55:00.004-07:00

Lets see how you guys do on my myth/fact diabetes quiz I use with my diabetes group class:

Myth or Fact?

1. Type 2 diabetes will turn to type 1 diabetes eventually

2. Taking insulin can cause complications of diabetes

3. There is no cure for diabetes

4. People with diabetes are not allowed to eat desserts unless they are sugar-free

5. Milk can raise your blood sugar

6. Being on insulin is a lifetime sentence

7. Eating too much sugar can cause diabetes

8. People with diabetes do not have a shorter lifespan if they control their blood sugars

9. It is best to treat a low blood sugar with peanut butter

Ok...got your answers?

Was it hard?

Think you got them all right?

Do you want to know the real answers?

In case you do, here you go:

1. Myth. type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. People with type 2 will always have type 2 (unless they were misdiagnosed at first) even if they use insulin.

2. Myth. Insulin does not cause complications, it actually prevents them by controlling blood sugar as long as they are on the right amounts. Many people wait too long before agreeing to use insulin and already have complications.

3. Fact. There is no cure. Even people that are not currently taking medication are still considered diabetic.

4. Myth. People with diabetes can eat dessert as long as they keep it to small portions and fit it into their meal plan. Sugar-free desserts can often raise blood sugar just as much as the regular kind.

5. Fact. Milk does have a natural sugar, lactose.

6. Myth. Insulin is not a lifetime sentence. I have seen many patients make significant lifestyle changes and be able to get off of insulin. Some people only need it when they are taking certain steroid-based medications for a period of time.

7. Myth. I don't care how much your parents said it, sugar does NOT cause diabetes. Diabetes is a function of not producing enough insulin to keep up with the body's demand for it (often caused by insulin resistance, obesity, aging, or genetics).

8. Fact. As long as blood sugars are well controlled, diabetics live just as long as others.

9. Myth. If a person has a true low blood sugar, it is typically best to give them real sugar. Just a TBSP of honey/sugar or 1/2 cup juice. Usually you do not want to add protein (like peanut butter) or fat (like in chocolate) or it will take longer for their blood sugar to come up.

Did you learn anything?

Hot Chocolate

2011-02-13T10:39:00.003-07:00

I was pondering hot chocolate this morning. I know... who does that? Well, I do. I was drinking my hot chocolate while preparing my Gospel Doctrine lesson, drinking in the warm chocolaty goodness, and thinking of how it makes me happy. I decided that probably my favorite kind of hot chocolate is the Stephen's Raspberry Chocolate flavor mixed with Belgium Dark Chocolate flavor, 1/2 milk, 1/2 water. This comes in just above the Hazelnut flavor with a dash of cinnamon and the Dark Chocolate with a sprinkle of Chili Powder. Then I remembered a blog post from my friend's cooking blog (ourbestbites.com) about recipes for gourmet hot chocolate, and I vowed to try some of them soon. After those, you can never really be satisfied with Swiss Miss again. This thought brought me to think that I would like to try hot chocolate in Switzerland, made from scratch with good Swiss chocolate, that I could drink while looking out the Alps. Mmmmm, on so many levels, mmmmmm. I wonder if they make hot chocolate like us or like the Croats do... Croatian hot chocolate is more like warmed chocolate pudding. You literally have to eat it with a spoon. It is very rich and delicious. I ordered pudding once to see what the difference was, apparently pudding to them means something solid, like flan.

Anyway, go look at that website and see their beautiful pictures of hot chocolate...you'll want to drink some too after that.

Piano Lessons

2011-02-05T09:02:00.004-07:00

I cannot say that I always loved taking piano lessons or the practicing involved. I had my moments just like any distracted child or surly teenager. But I stuck it out and kept it up, thanks to my overdeveloped competitiveness, need for praise, and the constant encouragement of my wonderful parents. I shall be forever grateful.

My mom was pianist herself and had set a rule in our house that each child would take at least 2 yrs of piano lessons (enough to learn at least to play the church hymns). My siblings all met the obligatory requirement, some needing a lot more effort on the part of my Mother to keep them on the piano bench than others. Most of our teachers lived quite a ways away, requiring even more time each week to make it to lessons. Those of us that took from teachers that taught Suzuki also had "listening time" where we had to listen to tapes of the songs over and over again so it would easier for us to learn and memorize. Unfortunately, most of the kids were on different songs so the whole family got to listen to the whole tape nonstop. Ask any of us still to this day, and we can sing you any song from book 1-3. How my mom ever did that with 7 children is beyond me. Even after that, she decided to start her own piano studio and teach other people's children. My father still gets to listen to those same songs. Patience of saints, I tell you.

I was always a musical child. I was singing before I could talk and learned to play the piano before I could read. I begged to take piano lessons when I was 3 years old. I remember loving the music and learning things easily but the drive to practice and get better was more related to competition in becoming better than the older piano students (like my brother). I soaked up the praise and surprise from people like it was sunshine. I played almost every day of my life until I turned 18. I outgrew 3 teachers and ended up taking from a University professor, was the first student in Cache Valley to graduate from the Suzuki repertoire, started teaching other students at age 14, and even started competing in High School. My parents were so supportive that they even made the sacrifice to buy a grand piano for me to practice on. (since my last teacher would not allow me to use our upright at home. I would drive to the college or church to practice for a while). I made the decision to not pursue piano as a career (for which I think my parents were relieved), but I am still grateful and use my talents/skills all the time. What is even more, looking back, I can see that I learned more from piano than just piano. This is expressed well in this talk from the Ensign in 1981 by Clayne Robison:

"We had a hard time figuring out why our parents were so anxious for us to learn to perform good music that they would assume the financial and emotional pressures involved...It is only today that I, begin to appreciate the vision of those two good people. We always joked about their caring more that we be good musicians than that we be good people; but for Mom at least, those two attainments were inextricably connected. Playing an instrument well led to that kind of discipline which would make a good missionary, a good provider, a good parent. Playing an instrument well would lead you into companionships with children who had also developed discipline, children who had a constructive place to spend their leisure hours. Playing an instrument well would lead you to appreciate the beauty of the rest of God's creations. Playing an instrument well would give you self-respect and confidence in the midst of people. If you could stand up to the roughnecks calling you a "Fauntleroy" because you played the piano and had to practice every afternoon, you could stand up to teenage friends who would tempt you by social pressure into smoking and drinking and throwing around casual caresses. It was a worthy testing ground for all of those preliminary Mosiac virtues of discipline, obedience, and sacrifice... Although I honestly feel that there will be many in the celestial kingdom who have no appreciation for a Chopin waltz beautifully played...I am convinced that my own chances of living close to the Spirit have been tangibly increased because of my mother's vision [of encouraging piano lessons]. "

Skiing

2011-02-01T22:02:00.007-07:00

I went skiing twice in 1 month. Record! Probably because I have been excited to use my new ski equipment that I got for Christmas. If I am really nice to the cute ski instructor I know at Deer Valley, I can score some free lift tickets so it is free for me to ski now! I know... don't you wish YOU had hookups like that?

My brother Mark and I went at the first of the month before he flew back to 70 degree sunny Hawaii. Then, last week, my sister Kimi and I skied together. I put her in charge of remembering to take pictures so we actually got some. We had fun trying to take them too. Except the ones when we found ourselves going down a very steep icy slope out of control.... best to delete those ones before the aforementioned ski instructor sees and shakes his head at my weak technique. I think I need another teaching ski day to get me back on track... how 'bout it Ben?

Thanks to my patient siblings in helping me get more comfortable on the blue runs now, even if I still ski slow sometimes. I had lots of fun!

Reduce Reuse or Recycle

2011-01-31T10:04:00.004-07:00

I once had a beautiful silk purple skirt. It was a rare treasure found on the clearance rack at Banana Republic many years ago and was definitely a favorite of mine. It didn't wrinkle, always hung right and was the most beautiful dark purple color. As is the way of any delicate material, the day came when it received an un-fixable stain. So, I had an EDP party. What is an EDP you ask? Well, it is an "expensive decorative pillow", a phrase coined by my mother when she had a house full of unruly teenagers that liked to throw pillows. She got these nice white lacy pillows to decorate her living room couches with and couldn't call them "throw pillows" as you can only imagine what behavior that would encourage. We were told that we had to be nice to the "expensive decorative pillows". We shortened it to EDP. For a craft day with my sisters, we all brought stuff to make EDPs for our houses/beds/couches/whatever. Here's how I did it, in case any of you are in the mood to make a ruffled EDP in the near future:

Find a similar color for the actual pillow part (mine was a cheap satin at Walmart for $2/yd) Cut the skirt (or other desired material) into long strips.

Hand baste down the middle of each strip and then gather it together into a ruffle.

Tack on each fold of the ruffle (from the backside) as you arrange them into swirls

Voila!

Dinner is Served

2011-01-21T22:20:00.005-07:00

At least to those who won the bid for my annual donation of a 4-course gourmet meal at the ward's Service Auction...

Here was the menu of culinary creations this year:

Artisan Bread with Fig Vinegar (which I had shipped from Maine-where I first tasted it's amazingness) and Walnut Oil.

African Peanut Stew (found this recipe on www.simplyrecipes.com, one of my favorite cooking blogs) It was voted the favorite recipe of the night.

Rosemary-Cranberry Pork Tenderloin (featuring Michele's homemade cranberry sauce)

Saffron Couscous

Roasted Cauliflower/Brocciflower with Dijon-Lemon sauce

Poached Pears with Tangy-Ginger Sauce

story time

2011-01-16T10:18:00.003-07:00

So, you all know that I am allergic to everything (except food---thank goodness!). Despite the annoyance of runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and itchy skin all the time, they have never posed actual danger to me until now. This week I had my first experience with an epi-pen. Didn't think I'd ever have to use one but there's a first for everything. I've been doing allergy shots for the last 4 months and progressing fine. That day, was just the same, but two hours later, right in the middle of work, I start getting hives all over my body, start feeling horrible and my throat was getting swollen. (the patient I was teaching was oblivious to the fact I was turning bright red in front of her eyes and I didn't get up to look until after our session was done-holy moly! THAT would have been quite the picture) Benedryl wasn't helping at all at this point and it was getting worse. I had to stab my leg with the pen and feel that rush of epinephrine take over. It helped considerably but the after-effects are not pretty. I was shaking so bad I could hardly walk or control my hands for an hour. The ER just watched me to make sure the reaction didn't come back after it wore off. This happened right before my voice recital, too. Bummer, I was looking forward to singing. Thanks to my lovely sister, who had to come babysit me overnight just in case. I was just drained for the next day or two and had all the nurses in my life frequently tell me I looked very pale. Thanks for that. I know I am fragile... but hey, I was proud that I didn't pass out through this! I'm fine now, no worries. Life keeps you guessing!

New Year!

2011-01-02T20:06:00.005-07:00

Here's to a 2011, a brand new year! I welcome it with open arms.

Although an adventure, this year has definitely changed me, as many of you have told me or noticed. It has been both wonderful and difficult as I have faced several challenges, experienced new joys, learned important lessons and turned thirty. I am really looking forward to the next important step in my life. I guess I am more grown up, and in more ways than one. At least I feel I am a better person than I was before, thanks to God and his endless patience with me, and that is what counts.

Some highlights of this last year were:

-Seeing the Olympics in Vancouver

-Cruise to Mexico with my parents and Kimi

-Autumn leaves and lobster in Maine

-Visiting my birthplace (Texas)

-Visiting family in Wyoming for the only non-windy days in history

-Falling more in love with Ben

-Family vacation in a mansion at Bear Lake

-Speaking at the annual Diabetes Educator Conference

-participating in the production "Joseph Smith the Prophet"

-winning a large check from a work drawing

-taking voice lessons

-keeping my amaryllis alive and even winning the race to get the first blooms!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T15:31:00.013-07:00

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I had some fun decorating for Christmas this year. I revamped my tree decor (all on a food theme). I still have a handful of dried citrus ornaments from years past and added cookie cutters, dried gingerbread tree cookies, cinnamon sticks, cranberry garland, and pinecones.

I also made several new crafts, like the ornament ball tree (which is still trying to recover from trying to transport it back from my sisters house (probably a craft I would recommend only doing at home) and fabric flower wreath.

Several lucky friends and family members got one of my new culinary creations from this year, flavored pecans! I did my famous cayenne-crusted ones, as well as cocoa-chili, cinnamon-nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and chocolate-covered flavors.

I once got a black eye from my Bishop

2010-12-09T23:41:00.003-07:00

Funny story from the past. I was going through iphoto to pick a random picture and share a story that it reminded me of...and found this.

The Harbor 2nd singles ward decided to play Broom Hockey in the church gym. I was in charge of all activities in the ward at that point and was hesitant about promoting this idea-since someone was bound to get hurt. Yup. Maybe I have an biased memory but it seems that whenever I say that, it's typically me that is the lucky one. My bishopric was really getting into the broom hockey game and even taped their broom straws down so they could hit the ball harder. In a flurry of activity on the court, Bishop's broom met my face...and hard. I blacked out a second, then dazed and throbbing, I left the game so they couldn't see me cry. He didn't even know what had happened. When he found it, he felt sooo bad. He came to my house and brought me a potted plant and an apology-he looked so darn uncomfortable that I felt bad for him-and that he had to see me with a big purple bruise on the right side of my face. He really was a good bishop-poor guy sat out on any competetive play from then on. I didn't learn to do that until later. I am finally getting the fact that I might also be fragile, despite how competitive and adventurous I can be. This is why I now avoid playing broom hockey, dodgeball, softball, basketball, and pick-up soccer games in fields with holes.

Texas Star

2010-11-22T22:09:00.009-07:00

I took a whirlwind trip down to visit my birthplace state-Texas. I have a brother and his family that now live there, as well as a dear former mission companion, Sestra Portwood (aka Ivy). They both live in Austin so I went to visit. They were awesome to take me all around to experience the wonders of Austin... funky food trailers, zealous football fans, BBQ, Town Lake (which seems to really be a river...), peacock nature preserve, massive Whole Foods store, state capitol and all. Paul, Vi, the kids and I also drove down to visit San Antonio to see the house where I lived the first 3 yrs of my life and then took a boat around the "Riverwalk".
It was a wonderful time, especially since we were playing around in 70 degree weather while it was snowing like crazy back home in Utah.

What a Deal

2010-11-11T17:49:00.003-07:00

I learned something fantastic last night. Thought I would share this little tidbit with those faithful few that read my blog. Shop online for flights after midnight. I was contemplating taking a last minute trip with a 3 day weekend I have coming up and was disappointed that the flight prices were quite high. I was debating all evening on whether to go or not. I decided to check the prices online again right before I crawled into bed (just after midnight). Voila! $125 cheaper than it had been a few hrs earlier. Same flights, same times. I was thrilled! Was it just a fluke? Someone told me that it might have to do with the volume of people booking at a certain time or that the airlines change their prices at midnight...but I can't verify that. Has anyone else tried it?

Halloween!

2010-10-30T21:54:00.011-06:00

I had a fantastic Halloween season! Since there were several parties and gatherings to attend, I thought I would make good use of my costume bins.The main costume of the year was "Maria the Vampire" (from the movie Eclipse). Ben was Jasper. I sewed most of the pieces myself. Everyone especially loved the eyes.

I also revamped my Christmas Elf (aka. Santa's little Ho) costume from for my ward's roller-skating party.

I went as Bella Swan to help my niece and nephew go trick-or-treating.

Lastly, pulled out my fantastic Witch hat and socks for Ben's family get-together on Halloween day.

Here are a couple of my favorite costumes that others wore:

Sewing Lesson on Linings

2010-10-30T21:35:00.005-06:00

I confess. I use sewing patterns like I use recipes... as general guidelines that I rarely follow to the letter. I enjoy "improving upon" them to get what I am after, or skipping steps I deem unnecessary. I usually get away with it, but sometimes it teaches me hard lessons that involve a lot of action by my trusty seam ripper. And thus it was as I made my first piece of lined clothing. Linings are tricky! I called upon google and several people that sew to help me when I sewed myself into a corner but they were a confused as I. I was finally saved by a youtube video showing me the right way to sew lining on armholes of a vest.

For anyone (or me) that plans to attempt this again in the future, here are a few helpful hints:

Sew collar together first

Turn it right sides out before you attempt to sew armholes to armhole lining

Wrap lining around through the color to attach right sides together at armhole and sew so it looks like a long tube.

Then, you will be able to sew the side seams (lining to lining, fabric to fabric) down

(Kind of like doing pant-leg holes)

Lastly do the bottom hem.

If you do it in any other order, you will be stuck with a garment that will not turn right sides out and end up spending more time watching sewing you-tube videos and unpicking your work than you would like to admit.

It warms my heart...

2010-10-24T20:43:00.007-06:00

To cook with all the autumn flavors... pumpkin, butternut squash, nuts, and apples...YUM

When I see this handsome face looking at me

When I get a phone message from this cute nephew of mine: "Hi Emmy, I goin' to bed. I love you. Bye!". I melted...and then listened to it about 4 more times.To see the vibrant array of colors every time I go outside.
To see so many reminders of how much God loves me.

I am grateful for the little things in life that make it worthwhile.

Hilly Billy Threat

2010-10-18T21:59:00.002-06:00

My cousin is serving a mission in Georgia. He sent this picture in his email this week of a sign he found while tracting. Hilarious.

Logan Canyon

2010-10-10T10:22:00.005-06:00

Logan Canyon typically has some of the beautiful autumn leaves in the world. This year hasn't been especially fantastic but we were still able to find some amazing views. Ben and I took his dad (one of the most amazing 80-yr old hikers I know) up to Blind Hollow yesterday. Seems it was also the first day of Elk Hunting...so he thought the orange was a good idea.

More on Maine

2010-10-09T18:07:00.009-06:00

I finally got some more pictures, friends. Yes, these ones have people in them. No, the last few weren't postcards, they were taken by yours truly. It's harder to pick good ones with me in them...my photogenicity skills are lacking some days...especially when wind complicates things.

We hiked on the Appalachian Trail! We also spent a day at the outlet malls and spent some good money :)

We went on a hike to a "waterfall" (that was really a series of places where water fell over rocks). It was pouring rain, but we were stalwart in our plans to get out in nature, despite the weather. Here is the flooded trail. I have a lovely bruise the size of a grapefruit on my leg where I slipped on a root and fell. It was pretty and worth it anyway.We took a ferry out to Peak's Island, rented some old beach cruiser bikes and rode around the whole island. A very fun day.
One of our goals was to eat seafood every day. (we both love seafood too much to live in land-locked Utah). One night, I ate a whole lobster! Well, I wasn't brave enough to try the head or the mushy green stuff inside the belly, but the rest was fantastic. It was live only 15 min. before I ate it-so fresh and soo sweet that you didn't even need the drawn butter for it. YUM! Will definitely do that again.

Maine is Beautiful

2010-10-03T22:42:00.005-06:00

Spring Rolls

2010-09-29T20:25:00.003-06:00

I made some amazing Spring Rolls the other day. Actually, they were chicken-green mango spring rolls with a Thai pineapple-lime dipping sauce. It was my first experience using rice paper in my kitchen. My sister Rachel actually helped me with that...I would definitely suggest doing it with a partner your first time. Rice paper is pretty cool stuff! You can only get it as Asian markets, though...it took me a couple days to get my hands on it. It is super fast, so once you have all your filling ingredients ready, you soak the paper in hot water for a couple seconds and then it is ready to be stuffed, rolled, presented, and of course, eaten. Delicious!!!

Remodel project

2010-09-26T23:01:00.012-06:00

For Mother's Day, my family decided to do some service for my mother. We were going to reorganize her sewing room. Since it had ancient orange/green/black striped carpet from the 70's, we thought it would be great to replace that as well...and if we were going to do that, my dad decided to spring for new carpet in all the downstairs...and if we were going to re-carpet, it would be ideal to do new paint on the walls first...and if we were going to paint, why not take out the wood-burning stove and brick wall that didn't match anything...and if that, then the old built-in cupboards too...and if that then we need to hire a contractor...who can also fix the leak in the other bedroom...which we should turn into a hobby room...which means we could make the sewing room into a playroom...but that would need a new wall...and new furniture for the family room so things all look matching in the newly remodeled space...

As you can tell, it turned into an entire basement remodel project. I got to choose the color schemes (making sure my mother approved, of course...it is her house afterall). Several months later, I think it turned out fantastic.

Here is the "Before":

After:

Kimi painted this mural for the kid's playroom, which is adorable, I must say.

I had to laugh

2010-09-24T18:06:00.002-06:00

I got two emails at work with great lines:

"I think my sugar went high because I didn't know how to count all the crabs in the cake and ice cream"

Me: while seafood is great, and actually carbohydrate free, I don't think it would make very good ice cream.

"My diet is still the same...lots of yogurt, cottage cheese, and small snakes. What am I doing wrong?"

Me: Maybe you should lay off the reptiles for a while...

Croydon

2010-09-14T21:00:00.006-06:00

Croydon is famous for only 3 things:

Being close to Devil's Slide

Home of the "Widow-Maker" hill climb

DeLaMare family reunion.

A quaint little town that has only 1 park (which my extended family takes over every Labor Day weekend, thus doubling the population there). I spent many a birthday here growing up (since it always seemed to also fall on that weekend). I was actually kind of bitter to that fact for a while. Who wants to spend their sweet 16th birthday in the middle of nowhere, camping in a park?

I have since come to appreciate the joys of our family get-together there and loved being with everyone this year. I even took a few pictures!

(Ben didn't get to come since his dog got very ill that weekend)

My nephew TJ was trying to be cool and lay like his Grandpa.My cute sisters and our cousin Taylor

In my next 30 yrs

2010-08-30T23:04:00.003-06:00

I recently had a monumental birthday. I am now in my 30's! I guess I can no longer be called a "young" single adult. Just a plain adult, I guess. I was a little apprehensive about it, who knows why... maybe because I'm a silly girl. Yup. That's why. I had long decided to plan a trip to celebrate so it was more something I looked forward to. It's not Italy, but it is something else on my bucket list: Seeing the autumn leaves in Maine. I'm all set to go the first of October. Too bad they couldn't come a month early for my real birthday.

Looking back on my last 30 yrs, I can't believe how much I've experienced and learned. It is definitely something to be proud of.

The rest of this post is inspired by the Tim McGraw song "In my next 30 yrs".

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age,

The ending of an era, the turning of a page

Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here

I'll be much better in my next thirty years.

In my next thirty years I'm gonna not keep track of scores

Cry a little less, laugh a little more

Focus on the happiness and not the hurt and fear

Remember what I'm doing here, In my next thirty years.

In my next thirty years I'm gonna balance more my time

cross off more bucket lists while I'm still in my prime

Change a few more lives at home and in my great career

Make up for lost time here in my next thirty years.

My next thirty years, I'll make the best ones that I can

Raise a little family and hang out with my man.

Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear

Trust God to lead me through my next thirty years.

How we met

2010-08-28T15:58:00.007-06:00

I think it's kind of a fun story.

I went to my 10 yr high school reunion

Ran into Jade there (we were good friends back in elementary school days) and mentioned I had just bought a house and was looking for roommates.

She happened to think immediately of Michele (whom she works with at the University hospital, that was looking for a new place) so I gave her my number.

Michele moved in and we became fast friends.

Michele also met Ben about that time while working at the hospital

She couldn't get over the feeling that she should set us up. She did a lot of covert questioning while working with him to make sure he was a good enough fellow. She would tell me about him every time I would end a relationship or start dating someone she didn't particularly like over the next 6 months.

She showed him a picture or two on facebook... she said he thought I was "out of his league".

She finally got around to actually setting us up.

He called me and we set a date to meet.

We met up for dinner. He didn't think I was interested and so he walked me to the car after our dinner and was about to leave until I stopped him and told him very plainly that I wanted to go out with him again. He said "Really?"

We've been dating ever since.

He's a wonderful man.

I still love him to pieces... even when he's driving me crazy.

Michele doesn't set people up that often, but hen she does, it always works. She does her homework, pays attention, gets the feel, and it pays off. She has a flawless record so far. Now that's the kind of roommate I needed.

So, thanks Jade and Michele and high school reunions...

Hives give you answers

2010-08-20T20:58:00.002-06:00

I had a very interesting visit to an allergist yesterday. The consensus? I am officially allergic to almost every plant. Well, not pine trees...too bad my favorite trees are the ones that turn colors in the fall. I am allergic to all those. And every grass and weed. I actually think I already knew that but now I have the proof! I am also allergic to cats, dogs, feathers, and mold. I guess this is a better excuse for me to not like animals or pets, right? So please don't be offended if I avoid your pets from now on. Unfortunately, there goes my down comforter as well... I am not, however, allergic to foods (thank goodness!), dust, dust mites, or rabbits. Random, I know. Perhaps I should live in a pine forest and make friends with the rabbits?

For those that have never experienced an allergist appointment, let me describe what it was like. You have to go several days without taking any allergy medicine so the doctor can examine your raw symptoms (so you are very uncomfortable already going into the test...wanting to itch everything), you fill out a long questionnaire that includes everything about what symptoms you have and when, your living conditions, bedding, pets, other triggers, your allergy history, family's allergies, pills used, etc. and discuss them with the doctor. Then they draw lots of little dots on your back and prick each one with a specific allergen. They tell you to sit there for 20 min. and resist the temptation to itch while hives grow all over your back. They came to check on me after 10 min. and said "Woah, maybe we'll stop now". They measured the size of the hives and marked down which ones I reacted to. They were so impressed with my reactions that they brought in another nurse to come and see. They wipe off the allergens with alcohol and put cream on them to help stop the itch. (Lucky me, I still have a few hives that decided to set up camp and continue to pester me). The doctor then discussed the results and treatment options. Avoidance is actually the preferred treatment... imagine that... but since I have no intention of avoiding the outside or living in a plastic bubble, I think I'll opt for the pills and shots. Looking back, I've gotten so used to allergy symptoms, I'm not sure I would recognize life without them. I am very interested in trying it, though. How amazing that modern medicine that can give me that option!

Summer Herbs and Chicken

2010-08-14T15:22:00.004-06:00

It's been quite a while since I did a food post. I admit, I am not as motivated to cook in the summer. I do quick and cold food more than anything (sandwiches and salads mostly). Never fear, Michele's garden is starting to produce some magnificent looking veggies this year-which I am committed to cook/eat. That's our deal: she grows them, I cook them, we both eat. She even gave me a little herb garden of my own this year. This is how successful I was at keeping it alive. Pathetic, I know. Kinda reminds me of the Botanical Gardens in Denver last year...remember that?

Anyway, yesterday I made some delightful, summery chicken and thought I would share it.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1/3 olive oil

1/4 C fresh oregano (or dried if your garden just died)

2 TBSP minced garlic (fresh is really better for this recipe)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

chicken (breasts, thighs, legs, etc.)

2 lemons (sliced)

Oil grill or grill-pan well (or use non-fat cooking spray like me). Grill chicken on both sides until cooked all the way through. While cooking, combine first 6 ingredients together. Brush or pour sauce over chicken mid-cooking and again after it is cooked through. Lay sliced lemons on grill and cook briefly on each side until grill-marked and deliciously warmed. Serve lemons atop chicken on platter. The sauce goes a long way-this recipe should give you enough for about 8-10 thighs or breast halves. Extra sauce, however, is no problem. It was great on top of the veggies, potatoes, and salad, too.

Quote of the Day

2010-08-08T23:31:00.003-06:00

"Emily, what if someday you get old and go to look for your memories and can't find them because you've thrown them all away?" --Kimi

Vampire Eyes

2010-08-01T22:29:00.003-06:00

Freaky, huh? I scared the bejeebers (is that a word?) out of my family at our Murder Mystery Night at the BBC. My character was Ivana Bytiznek a Romanian princess or "vamp in a red dress". Pretty good, eh? Really, any excuse to dress up and I'm there.

The eyes were definitely a worthy new addition to my costume closet. I will most assuredly use those again...maybe this Halloween.

More BBC

2010-07-28T20:52:00.014-06:00

BBC was a blast. The week was full of entertaining, silly, fun activities...as all good family vacations should be.

We got in a hike on the Limber Pine trail.

"Girls Day Out" and pedicure night
Beach Days an ultimate frisbee in the water.
Bunco Night on the porch

Talent Show and Fijian Dance
Lots of playing with all the cute grandkids!
Full use of the indoor gym/playground/trampoline/putting green area.
and of course a ride on a 4-person pedaling bike

and murder mystery night... (next post)

I do not take credit for any of the above pictures. I only have documentation because of Rachel and Stacey. Thanks girls!

Family!

2010-07-24T23:28:00.004-06:00

Isn't my family adorable? This is our latest and greatest family photo.

I just got to spend a whole week with my entire family, which I only get to do about every 2 years. We call it BBC, which stands for Biennial Bondage Camp, lovingly named because of a running family joke that capitalizes on a slip of the tongue I had when a young teenager. We were vacationing in Yellowstone, staying in a cabin that had no electricity (thus making it hard to play games-which is our normal pastime when together). We were all sitting around one night talking and one of my siblings got bored and asked why we weren't "doing" anything. I curtly replied "We are! It's called family bondage" (rather than bonding). They all laughed hysterically and have never forgotten.

Stay tuned for more posts about our activities at our latest BBC.

I'm an Ice Cream Snob

2010-07-15T22:53:00.005-06:00

If you're going to eat it...it had better be worth the calories. That means "only the hard stuff" for me. Rich, high-fat, hard enough you can chew, with lots of chunks. That's right. Usually that means Ben and Jerry's. Because it is soooo good and filling that a 1/2 cup is usually enough.

My favorite flavor is "Everything But The..."

It used to be S.N.A.F.U. but they stopped making it. I have no idea why. It now rests with other retired flavors in Ben and Jerry's Flavor Graveyard (an actual place on a hill just by the Ben and Jerry's factory in Vermont). Yes, I have even been there. I'm serious about my ice cream.

Anyway, it's pretty funny: they write poems about the flavors that didn't make it. They have a virtual graveyard at www.benandjerrys.com/fun/halloween

I proudly wear my Ben and Jerry's apron when I cook. It's only fair to support the ice cream that calms down hormones, cramps and just makes life seem better when you're feeling down.

2010-07-12T21:42:00.002-06:00

I actually had a day off of work (July 5th). Ben (the handsome fellow seen here) and I went on a great hike behind Bountiful to this huge rock that honestly looked like a statue of Aslan from far away. It was beautiful and a perfect get-away-from-the-world activity for a day off. I'm soooo ready for a real vacation.

health care funnies

2010-06-26T00:19:00.003-06:00

This is an excerpt of something I read this in a hospital chart today:

Past Medical History

1. right and left mastectomy

2. hysterectomy

3. wisdom removal

Hmm. I guess she's well on her way to becoming male, isn't she?

Going Grey?

2010-06-07T22:54:00.003-06:00

Went for a haircut and color, looking for something a little different...

Just kidding. It's just a wig from my costume collection. I sure did have Ben scared, though. It was pretty funny.

Really, guys. I have the last half of my life to have grey hair-why would I want to jump the gun on it early?

It made me chuckle

2010-06-03T23:26:00.001-06:00

Bumper sticker seen today: "I bet Jesus would have used HIS turn signals"

new shoes!

2010-05-29T16:37:00.003-06:00

I am unusually excited about my new shoes. They are orangey-pink, pointy-toed, slightly-shimmery, and suprisingly comfortable. A worthy addition to my ever-more-colorful shoe collection!

Lucky Day

2010-05-24T19:35:00.005-06:00

I rarely win things. When I do, it is usually because everybody wins something...and then it is just something like movie tickets that I still haven't used a year later.

But today... I was surprised at work by a bunch of department directors with balloons and large laminated money, there to inform me that I had just won the drawing for $1000!!! We have an employee survey each year and when we reach a certain participation rate, they give away prizes...like the one I just won.

It totally made my day! There are oh, so many things I could do with it, too...

Kitchen Experiment-Tofu

2010-05-23T21:48:00.003-06:00

So, I had to at least try it...

I consider myself a "substitution queen" when it comes to cooking. I developed this talent out of necessity: I know many individuals with food intolerances or allergies, and I rarely have every ingredient necessary for recipes. Having a basic knowledge of Food Science (thank you Charlotte Brennan) is very helpful in this arena, as well as my No-Fear attitude about experimenting. I once created pancakes out of the only 2 things in my apartment...a layered cookie mix and a container of yogurt. They weren't bad either :)

I have long heard and even taught that tofu can be used as a substitute for egg. But, I admit, I had never actually tried it. Probably because I don't really keep tofu just lying around. (I would never ever make it as a vegan...I love my dairy foods and other protein sources way too much. I've eaten tofu before and it's not bad (when cooked by people that know what they are doing) but only when it was used as a meat substitute.

So, I ventured this morning to try German pancakes and use tofu instead. This was a daring endeavor because egg is the main ingredient. But, like any substitution-ist knows, unless you HAVE to trade out an ingredient completely for a baked product (for an allergy or you really don't have ANY in your house), it's best to keep about 1/2 of the original ingredient or the texture/chemistry won't turn out quite right (remind me to tell you about my Ultimate brownie substitution experiment sometime). So, I did 1/2 cup silken tofu and 2 eggs.

Result? well. Let's just say I was not impressed. I'm positive that tofu works great in cookies and cakes where egg is a very small part of the recipe. As a main ingredient...it's not even close to an egg. The German pancake turned out spongy and difficult to taste. Pouring my warm fruit compote all over it made it barely tolerable to eat.

I still have half a box of tofu left over...anyone have a good suggestion on how to use it?

My Mother

2010-05-08T23:22:00.006-06:00

I love my beautiful mother. I am amazed at how she cooked for, cleaned, organized, taught, supported, and raised 7 children (as well as starting a piano teaching studio and fulfilling many large church callings). Her faith and love have been a comfort and an encouragement to me. She always tried so hard to do it all and succeeded most of the time. You are a Super woman, indeed. I love you Mom! (Yes, I know I'm a spitten image of her...and her mom....and her mom. It's genetic.)

And a shout out to some of my other favorite mothers (sisters). Happy Mother's Day.

What dietitians deal with on a daily basis

2010-05-02T17:25:00.003-06:00

1. People you've just met will have an overwhelming desire to tell you everything they just ate

2. Whenever eating a meal, someone will ask how nutritious it is

3. Apologies by anyone serving bringing or serving any dish they feel is even slightly "unhealthy"

4. Being asked for "the list" of things you shouldn't eat or to "write them a diet"

5. Doing damage control for some misleading ad on TV

6. Gullible people that believe something they once read has more merit than your credentials/education

7. Automatically carb counting what you are eating

8. Wondering how one is supposed to wash/clean her rubber food models that everyone has handled.

9. Having the contents of your grocery cart scrutinized by people you see at the store

10. The urge to disguise oneself when going through the drive thru at fast food joints

11. Making other people feel good when they announce that they caught you eating Ben & Jerry's or girl scout cookies.

12. Suppressing laughter as you listen to conversations in the grocery store

Wyoming

2010-04-18T23:46:00.008-06:00

Weekend trip to visit my sister Rachel and her adorable son TJ who live in the wide expanse called Wyoming. He was sooo cute and got attached to me very quickly. He always chose me to be the one to read him stories before nap or bedtime, to help him pray, to play games with, etc. He is also so smart. He is talking a lot now but I still love signing with him (he now knows more signs than I do). What other 2 yr old do you know that can fingerspell? So cool. Oh, and he is very serious about his chocolate milk.

I was also the lucky winner of the first wind-less weekend in Laramie. I think it was just because I brought my kites so I could finally fly them... Oh well. It was a short but fun trip.

Annual Limerick Contest

2010-04-08T20:52:00.005-06:00

Remember last year about this time when I unleashed some of my poetry madness upon you all? March came around real quick again this year. I love seeing what my very creative family members come up with during the month. Here's what I came up with this year for my family's annual March Limerick Contest:

When I see death's misery

I turn to a fond memory

of "Blin, blin

blin, blin,

Do remember me".

(an inside joke for my family-but it still got a reader's choice honorable mention)

The snow this morning made the trees bend

but I still felt that it was my friend

because I will ski

tomorrow for free

with an instructor from Switzerland.

(won 3rd place from one of the judges)

To cook can be a wondrous joy,

especially if it's for a boy.

They love to eat

any food's a treat

Unless, of course, you try to make soy.

(won 1st place from one of the judges)

Do you remember that night by the fire

all dressed up in camping attire,

playing chubby bunny

it was so funny

now marshmallows we'll never desire.

If the doc sees the signs of necorsis

and your friends say you have halitosis...

Is your blood sugar high?

Death might be nigh

from diabetic ketoacidosis. (won a reader's choice honorable mention)

The overall winners of the contest were these two:

All we like sheep go astray

Each to his own way.

Through dark and fear,

the Shepherd's near--

A touch of his staff will stay. (by Dad)

When a limerick is

split into two, feet seeming

chopped up and askew,

Count all the sounds, on

syllable bounds--you might find

IT'S MADE OF HAIKU. (by Paul)

My favorite:

Ben thinks he's a Swisser

but I beg to differ

1) cinna bears

2) brown-like hairs

But to Em, he's still a good kisser. (by Kim)

I actually followed a recipe!

2010-03-25T23:31:00.002-06:00

My mother gave me a new cookbook for Valentines Day. I finally decided to put it to some use. It is Rachel Ray's book of top 10 lists. Back in the days when I watched TV regularly (it's been quite a while), I loved her show...this was actually before she got too famous. I took an evening to study the book (much more laborious when they don't have many pictures) and select the ones I would want to try sometime. I had dinner group tonight so it was a perfect opportunity to use them.

The ones I chose allowed me to accomplish 3 things I haven't done much:

1. follow a recipe exactly

2. cook red meat

3. use the wasabi I got for Christmas!

the menu was: Ginger Flank Steak, Wasabi Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, and Ginger-Poached Pears with Ricotta and Blueberries.

Lessons Learned:

1. Shame on me for following the recipe too well. Rachel Ray has a good sense for flavors but stinks on her portion estimates and cooking times.

2. I'm unsure why I have been intimidated by cooking steak in the past-it's pretty easy.

3. It was all delicious, but I have lots of leftovers... anyone hungry?

Cruisin' to Mexico

2010-03-24T23:07:00.010-06:00

Spontaneity was the name of the game for this vacation!
Just after I got back from Vancouver, Kimi sprung the idea of going on a cruise for spring break, which happened to be in about 2 weeks. I'm always up for the idea of a trip, and we actually convinced my parents to join us for the ride on the Fun Ship Carnival for 5 days to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. Arrangements were made fast and off we went! Once in the ports, we just got off the boat and did whatever caught our attention. Completely "tourist" but lovin' it. I especially enjoyed the sunshine and blue water! Mmmm. We came back with a couple sunburns, lots of mexican merchandise, extra pounds from the yummy, plentiful food and many pictures of Clyde.

This is Clyde with the deep blue, beautiful ocean and whales.

Dear Time

2010-03-13T09:34:00.007-07:00

Dear Time,Why are you going so fast? I blink and suddenly it's been a month since Valentines day! I am busy every minute of each day but yet when I look back, I have no recollection of some because they sped by without me noticing. Eek.

Please slow down.

Love,

Emily

p.s. forgot i hadn't blogged about all my Valentine culinary creations, so you get them a month late. (Homemade love-note fortune cookies, heart pancakes with berry compote, chinese new-yr/valentine dinner)

Whoever thought you could curl a stone?

2010-03-01T22:54:00.004-07:00

Curling is a very interesting sport. Seeing a live curling event made it better. For the Olympics, there were 4 games going on all at the same time in the event center. It was difficult at first keeping track of what was always going on. I admit to paying most attention to the U.S. vs China game...I'm biased, I know. Luckily, we also sat next to a woman who had "curled" almost her whole life and she answered all of our questions about strategy, terms, etc. I was super impressed at the accuracy the guys had at placing the stones wherever they wanted. I really kind of want to go try it out myself at the Olympic Oval now, although I am told it is much harder than it looks.

Don't worry, there was plenty of Canadian spirit about Curling as well.

This guy also had a sign that read "Curling. Invented by Scots, Perfected by Canadians."

Canadians sure like their Hockey

2010-02-28T11:35:00.006-07:00

I have always enjoyed hockey games. But, I don't think I've ever enjoyed them so much as watching them with all the Canadian fans. The national pride and hockey enthusiasm was evident EVERYWHERE. From commercials that said: "Let's show the world who's game they are playing" to chants of "Go Canada Go" even during the Russian vs. Czech game to the crowds of people hovering around any and every television set during a game (we made it a point to eat at restaurants with TVs during big games). I don't think I've even seen that much red and white at a U of U football game. Needless to say, I was still pretty excited when the U.S. beat them anyway in the first game and can't wait to watch them do it again today. Go U.S.A.!

Olypmics

2010-02-25T22:32:00.010-07:00

I went to the Olympics!!!!

Since I missed the ones in Utah while I was on a mission, I needed to experience it somewhere else. I had the opportunity to go to Vancouver for the 2010 ones and I took it!

We saw a hockey game and then a curling match.

Our skiing tickets were cancelled due to the rain (washed away the standing spectator area). We took in many of the sights (Canada gear and paraphanalia) and sounds (crowds constantly cheering for Canada) and Olympic sites. So much Fun!!

Sisters

2010-02-09T22:08:00.001-07:00

I love my sisters soooooooo much.

Just sayin'...

Ski Bunny

2010-02-07T21:31:00.003-07:00

My mom gave me ski bunny pajamas for Christmas (had pictures of skiing bunnies on them). I guess she already knew something that I didn't.

I went skiing for the first time in 15 yrs yesterday. It's not that I disliked skiing or couldn't do it, but I had decided that it was too expensive of a hobby for me to get into. Well, when you are dating a hot ski instructor for Deer Valley, there are definitely some perks-like free ski passes and private lessons!

Ben took me skiing Saturday and I had a blast! I could easily get hooked to that sport. Luckily I hadn't forgotten everything I learned up at Beaver Mtn bunny hill on our middle school's ski trips. I was able to do fairly well on all the beginner runs he took me on. I only fell 3 times. The last 2 were in the last 10 min. when my legs got tired and he took me through the kid's obstacle course. lol. Ben said he was actually very impressed with how I did. Hooray! It helps to have a very patient and considerate instructor around :) Maybe he'll even take me again sometime. I can't wait.

Things that impressed me:

-All the 3-5 yr olds just whizzing around on their skiis. For real! I couldn't believe it.

-Deer Valley resort is HUGE compared with the Beav... It was also very beautiful and the lifts didn't take forever.

-I actually ate turkey chili cheese fries (One of Ben's favorite skiing meal). Yeah. I know. Can you image? No offense, Ben...but I probably won't do that again. Although it did help me last easily through fast Sunday.

-Ben's dad (79 yrs old) came skiing with us most of the day. When I'm his age, I hope to be as active as he. Kudos to him.

-Ben can ski backwards! He can flip around just as easily as a person on ice skates. Very cool.

Note to self: Work on arm strength. After a day of skiing, my arms were the most sore of anything (from pushing myself around at the bottom by the lifts). I guess that means my legs aren't too wimpy!

Service Auction Dinner

2010-02-01T22:30:00.008-07:00

Every year for our ward's service auction, I donate a gourmet 4 course dinner. This year, my friend Kasey bought it and we finally made it happen. It's one of those special nights to go all out and use my roommate's expensive china and crystal. I'm getting more confident making up my own recipes so that night was no exception (although because of the number of dishes, and last year's stressful experience, I tried keep them more to the simpler side). Here was the delicious menu:

Drink: Raspberry Mint water

Appetizer: Home-made pita chips with a Cumin-lime Crab and Avocado Dip

Salad: Supreme Oranges, Cucumber, Bean Sprouts on Spring Greens with a Spicy Vinaigrette

Entree: Orange BBQ Salmon

Asparagus Bundles

Walnut Wild Rice

Dessert: New and Improved (& personalized) Chocolate Creme Brulee

It went over very well and made everyone not invited very jealous... Just bid higher for the dinner next year folks!

Brussel Sprouts adventure

2010-01-24T20:38:00.009-07:00

There are many ways to cook, season and prepare foods. I have come to learn that one should not be prejudiced against a certain food because it was prepared badly once. So, in my resolve to fairly treat all foods, I set out to reconstruct my opinion on brussel sprouts.

I was conditioned from a young age to hate brussel sprouts. They were constantly the brunt of a joke in my family and were really only eaten once. My dad came home one day and announced that we were having a "food experience" that night. He bought some frozen brussel sprouts and had my mom boil them for dinner. He precluded the meal with the announcement that everyone HAD to try one and then tell him if they didn't taste "like rubber balls soaked in gasoline". Of course, that's exactly what we expected and exactly what we tasted. Besides, what kid would dare challenge that and risk the teasing by all their sibling for years to come because they actually liked them! Well, this is exactly what I did today.

Will I still get teased by my family? you bet. It's ok, I can take it. Because, guess what! Brussel sprouts can be GOOD!!!!

I tried 2 different recipes (just in case one didn't really turn out), compliments from SimplyRecipes.com. They were the "Roasted Brussel Sprouts" and "Hashed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon". Happily, I liked them both! So did my 2 other dinner guests/trusty-taste-testers (who also were not brussel sprout fans before). The secret? Same as with any other vegetable...don't overcook, add extra flavor, and don't boil them!

I will definitely be making these again!

isn't it unfair little boys have longer eyelashes than big girls?

2010-01-23T13:33:00.003-07:00

Sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands.

Sometimes we go a bit too far

Soprano

2010-01-20T23:20:00.004-07:00

So...after years and years of thinking and talking about it, I finally arranged to take voice lessons. Yes, I have sung my entire life, mostly in choirs and such, but never took private lessons. I just started 2 weeks ago. It has been fun and very eye opening to some things I have done wrong for a long while. My teacher informed me yesterday that I am definitely a natural soprano! What?!? Why have I always been partial to the Alto part? Well partly, I'm sure, because I was very good at hearing and sight reading harmony. Singing high hasn't necessarily been my forte either-but I'm learning why. So watch out, high notes! here I come! I even have my first performance next week at a recital!

"Altos are only Sopranos that used to smoke" --Bishop Bettinson

World Cup

2010-01-17T17:19:00.004-07:00

Ben and I went to some World Cup Skiing events this weekend. We got to see the mogul and aerials competitions. It was a blast! I even stayed warm (thanks to my new down coat, ugg boots and hand warmers). The skiers were amazing!! The speed and the jumps just blew my mind. There was some incredible talent there. It made me doubly excited to see them at the Olympics next month!

Random Photo Captions

2010-01-14T18:08:00.001-07:00

No one likes to be hug-deprived. Right daddy?

New Years Dinner

2010-01-03T23:10:00.005-07:00

So, I got a bunch of new and exciting spices, and several flavor books, for Christmas! I'm addicted to the Flavor Bible and the Cook's encyclopedia. I've been studying and imagining up all sorts of creative foods to make ever since then. If you thought I had adventurous tastes before....beware!

I started out the new year with a fun dinner, inviting my parents and Rachel n' Jeff to be my guests for the "food experience" (a term that has come to mean almost anything Emily makes because I will always challenge you to get out of your food comfort zone). I made up each dish on my very own (down to the dressing) and was very proud of the result.

Here was the menu:

Drink: Lemon and cucumber water

Appetizer: Bruschetta with brie and blueberries/cardamom-spiced pears

Salad: Spring greens w/red onion, feta, cayenne-caramelized pecans and cherry dressing

Main Course: Rosemary, mushroom and apricot stuffed pork loin

Saffron risotto with Spanish paprika

Dessert: lemon-coconut creme brulee

Although all very tasty, the surprise hit of the night: cayenne-caramelized pecans. I can't wait to make those again.

Recap of 2009

2010-01-01T23:48:00.003-07:00

Highlights of 2009

meeting and dating Ben
performing in an opera
hot air balloon ride
wake surfing
first paid professional speaking gig (ADEU conference)
getting a real piano in my house
new Mac laptop
buying an iphone
rock climbing course
seeing Wicked in Denver
cherry blossom festival in D.C.
3 new nieces
new creme brulee torch
St. George trip and hikes
rafting in Moab
flying with my dad in his plane
seeing my brother get sealed to his adopted baby girl
Carmina Burana live (performed by my parent's choir)

pretty cool year when you look back on it all. Hope to make 2010 even better!!

Neglect

2009-12-31T16:59:00.003-07:00

I know I have seriously neglected you, my poor little blog. I now repent and promise to not procrastinate posting because I am waiting for the "perfect picture" that someone else has and will not send me. I will find more things to share with you. After all, it's a new year...

Furnace Fun

2009-11-18T22:32:00.002-07:00

One of the intimidating things about being a home owner are appliances... those large, complicated machines that could potentially break at very inopportune times and leave you feeling helpless. In the last year, I've only had one issue and had to call in the GE man to fix my dishwasher. I was thinking the other day about my furnace-or maybe it was the faint burnt smell I got a whiff of while passing the laundry room. I seemed to remember somewhere that you have to change the filter on furnaces...hmm.

I discussed this with Ben. Although I am sure he knew perfectly well how to do it, he was not the typical guy who was anxious to show off his manly fix-it-all skills and offer to do it. (I've never been able to pull off the helpless girl act well, and come to think of it... some guys I've asked for help on stuff have ended up being, well, less-than-helpful). But knowing my independent spirit, he kindly said, "that will be an interesting project for you to learn about tonight, won't it".

Ok. I'm up for the challenge! what first? pull out the manual? oh wait...find the manual...do I even have a manual? stratch that...that's why there is Google! Read some pointers from howstuffworks.com and it turns out furnaces can all be quite different. I just decided to inspect it myself and figure it out. 30 seconds later, I was done. Really. That was it?

Is it sad that I feel so empowered by the fact that I can change my own furnace filter?

Sub 4 Santa 5k

2009-11-14T20:53:00.006-07:00

My ward does a fundraising 5k race each year for our Sub4Santa fund. It's a low-key,

fun event for anyone that wants to run or even walk. Dressing in holiday festive outerwear is encouraged for the run around sugarhouse park. I wasn't first nor was I last. Not my best time, nor my worst. Good run. The weather even cooperated for the couple hours we were there-and dumped snow the minute I got home!

So, why do you think that event t-shirts never come in smaller sizes. Has vanity sizing gotten so bad that they think small people don't exist anymore...I mean, especially among people that run races...? Diabetes events are even worse...they pretty much just order large or extra large shirts.

Wicked on Halloween

2009-11-03T22:20:00.009-07:00

I took a fun weekend trip to Denver with Ben, to meet up with my parents, Rachel/Jeff/TJ, and Kimi... all for to see Wicked the Musical on Halloween night. We spent the rest of the weekend seeing some of the city. We got to see the botanical gardens as well... which were supposed to have Halloween festivities... but we later learned that those were at the "other botanical gardens". So we had fun roaming about in the beautiful and unseasonably warm weather that day, throwing snowballs and enjoying the company. The workers there recommended the rose garden...I thought of it more as an abstract art combining snow/mud/dead plants, then it really was quite interesting.

"Wicked" was awesome... even the third time you

see it. Each cast gives it a little different flavor but it always is a fantastic experience. This cast had the best Wizard I've seen. Ben thought they all sang a little too much. Lol. Walking the city street on Halloween night was gives one a different exposure to the people of Denver...

Overall, had some good food, wonderful company, great times, and fond memories.

Autumn Tortilla Soup

2009-10-26T22:53:00.004-06:00

This was a big hit with the Dinner Group. The leftovers even received great praise from my roommates and coworkers. It's a perfect warm-your-heart meal for colder autumn days. It was colorful, filling and delicious. I served it with apple cider, pesto bread salad and a "healthy"apple tart.

Autumn Tortilla Soup (I modified the recipe from one in Cuisine at Home magazine.)

1 butternut squash (2 lbs)

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

1 C chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves

1 jalapeno, seeded (this doesn't make it spicy...if you want that, leave in the seeds)

2 TBSP canola oil

3 corn tortillas, cut into strips

2 C chopped Roma tomatoes

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 1/2 TBSP ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

6 C chicken broth

1 lb. kielbasa sausage (can also use turkey sausage)

6 oz spinach

1 can (15 oz) white hominy, drained

salt and pepper

Lime Cream

1/2 C sour cream

1 TBSP lime juice

zest from 1 lime

1 tsp ground cumin

Half the butternut squash, remove seeds, brush with 1 TBSP canola oil and place on baking pan in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 min. Cool until easy to handle. Peel and dice.

While squash bakes, finely chop onion, garlic, jalapeno and corn together. Heat tortilla strips in stock pot until crisp. Remove a handful of them to use as garnish at the end. Add 1 TBSP oil and corn mixture and cook a few minutes until fragrant. Add in cumin, chili powder, tomatoes and tomato paste and cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in broth and 1/2 of the squash, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 min. Use hand blender in pot to blend until smooth. Brown sausage in skillet until well-cooked through.

Stir in remaining squash cubes, sausage, and hominy. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 min. Mix ingredients for lime cream in small bowl and set aside.

Stir in spinach into soup 1-2 minutes before serving. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lime cream and crunchy tortilla strips. Makes about 12 cups.

Butterfly in cedar city

2009-10-26T22:50:00.004-06:00

I got to take a weekend to go to Cedar City and visit Missy, Sammy, and Lucy. We had such fun! Missy and I pulled out our thrifty and crafty skills and made Lucy a beautiful butterfly costume. (that only cost about $3).

Isn't she a cutie!