In 5 years

5 years has gone by so quickly. It's hard to believe that much time has past. I love looking back to see where we've come. I remember when we felt on top of the world, like nothing wrong could ever happen to us. . . sometimes I still feel that way:)

After some time we both learned that a good marriage means that sometimes I carry you and sometimes you carry me. One of us is always strong enough.

There have been harder times when we have felt like we were just skimming by. We managed to stay balanced enough.

We made it through 2 graduations, 7 + jobs, 4 homes, 4 cars. . . or is it 5?

We've learned that the best way to solve our problems and differences are to dive into the issue and work it through.

Sometimes unexpected things have happened, but we've managed to scrub up and improvise.

One of our great blessings has been family and friends to support us and be there.

We've swam with turtles, seen unforgettable sunrises, argued, made-up, set goals, re-set goals:), created a home with two entertaining boys, done a lot of fixing up, made big decisions, seen some failures, seen many successes, relied on the Lord, and managed to go to sleep every night saying I love you. 5 years is such a small amount of time compared to our future, but I think we have a great start.

Tried and True-sday

I realize that I wrote last week that I was not going to post a recipe this week, but I just had to post our Christmas Breakfast. Cinnamon Rolls are usually my favorite Christmas morning tradition, but I decided to mix things up a little bit and make another breakfast favorite. It's so easy, fast, and delicious to make that it's really pretty shocking that I don't just make it every week. Anyway, here's to sharing something easy. Happy Cooking!

(No, this picture has nothing to do with the recipe. But Brett gifted this beautiful drink dispenser to me for Christmas, and it deserves a picture:) Isn't it beautiful!)

Dutch Babies

(this recipe is from Allrecipes(dot)com

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting
• 
  
• Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg and salt. Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Note: I made ours in a stoneware pan and it worked just fine. Don't use whole wheat flour-it's too heavy and won't puff up correctly.

Christmas Week

We sadly did not have any snow on Christmas but early in the week we had a lot to play with. I made an igloo in the front yard for the boys and when Brett got home from work he really wanted to make one in the back too. I was shocked when he asked me how to do it, I thought he was kidding until he reminded me that he grew up in Arizona. . . . oh, right. So we went to work building an igloo big enough for one of us and the boys.

Of course, Brett said he wanted to sleep in it that night and decided to pose scandalously for this picture.

This was our first Christmas without seeing extended family. With our families being far away we decided to have a low key holiday this year so we wouldn't have to worry about travel, packing, etc. We really did miss having fun with everyone, but it was still a perfect Christmas with our little family as we tried to implement some traditions. On Christmas Eve the boys each wrapped a present for each other and got to open it that night. Hyrum sat waiting on the piano bench and stared at the presents.

Decorating cookies for Santa. Hyrum used about one and a half tubes of frosting on those two cookies. When he was done you really couldn't see the cookies at all.

We decided that one tradition we would implement was decorating for Jesus' birthday with snowflakes. The boys loved it. (Yoda was there to supervise the work)

Another new tradition we started was to reenact Christ's birth story with the boys. We turned out the lights and made a path of candles to resemble the stars light leading the wise men.

Pretty much all of Christmas day was spent building, playing, reading, and playing some more. It was a great Christmas!

Christmas

Every Christmas I spend so much time worrying that I haven't taught my boys enough about the Savior. Do they know what Christmas is really all about? Do they understand that the gifts are such a minor part of the celebration? Do they know that our love for them is only a shadow of a greater love from their Heavenly Father? Have we told them enough that there is more to this life than what they see before them?

I don't know that it's quite fair to expect our boys to have a total comprehension of the Atonement and all that the Restored Gospel encompasses when I, myself only seem to have hit the tip of the iceberg of the knowledge available. I suppose that's why we celebrate Christmas; to remind ourselves of what our lives are becoming and how in-line they are with our spiritual growth. As we are children ourselves, we can ask ourselves the questions we wonder about our own children. Perhaps our children will only truly understand Christmas when we do. So, this year instead of sharing what each of us has done through the year I've decided to share something that is greater. Here is an excerpt of the testimony of our Savior that I can not put into better words.

"He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the

Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father,

He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by

him; and without him was not any thing made that was

made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to

fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good”

(Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a

message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow

His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing

the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He

taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal

existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential

for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great

atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on

spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced

to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the

sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in

behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all

human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded

on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only

Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world." - The Living Christ

Merry Christmas!

Tried and True-sday

Christmas just isn't the same without building Gingerbread houses. I decided to make this one of our activities while Brett was gone last week. I made one and the boys had fun making a whole production of theirs. Hyrum had a whole story behind it. We decided to build them with no candy this year, since I know we would just eat all the candy off. The great thing about real Gingerbread is that it tastes so good soft or hard. We've been munching on it every day since they were made. Noah especially loves to climb up to the counter and gnaw on the roofs and trees(great teether). . . they don't look like much anymore. This will be my last recipe of the year, so enjoy and happy cooking:

Williams-Sonoma Gingerbread

Mix together and set aside:

5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1 1/2 tsp salt

beat on medium speed for 4 minutes:

2 sticks softened butter

then add and beat for another 2 minutes:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Add and beat gradually:

1 cup molasses

1 egg

Combine the dry mixture into the wet mixture gradually, mixing in between. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Form the dough into 2 smooth mounds. Shape each into disks and wrap separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let dough stand on counter for about 10 minutes. Then roll (one disk at a time) out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or just a knife to make your desired shapes then place on baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Tip: The dough will rise a bit in the oven, so if you want the shapes to stay exactly the same than you should roll the dough out on the baking sheet and then cut the shapes out without removing the excess dough. When it comes out of the oven you can re-cut out the pieces with a knife and take them out for a perfect shape.

Kid friendly frosting(it doesn't stick well, but they can decorate with it and eat it without worry):

Lots of powdered sugar

milk (Tbsp. at a time until you get frosting consistency)

Royal Icing (this is really like glue):

3 egg whites, room temp

1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

1 lb. powdered sugar

Combine and beat at high speed for about 7-10 minutes. Keep covered with a damp cloth because it dries really fast.

Reality and Make Believe

Brett left us for Florida on Monday morning and got back on Thursday afternoon. I knew we would be fine, but things are admittedly much easier when Brett's around to rescue me at the end of the day. The boys really missed their Dad. Noah's becoming quite a Daddy's boy and I was pretty worried how he would do without him. The week stayed full with Joy School for Hyrum and I prepared fun activities to do each day. Since he's been home the boys have been pretty clingy to him though, which is kind of nice for me:)

On Friday I packed my 'errand running and need to keep the boys happy' bag full of snacks, treats, camera, etc. We started drive. Just before the Freeway on-ramp there was a big Ford truck stopped. I was just passing the sign that said we did not need to stop if getting onto Freeway, so I gave a friendly double beep of the horn. He didn't move. As I started to get closer I slowed down some more and honked again. He didn't move. I continued to put my foot on the break, but then I hit some black ice and couldn't stop. I put my hand on the horn and didn't stop honking. The truck wasn't budging. There was a big Yukon behind me who also was gliding on the ice. Crash. Crash. Noah was silent at first and then he started laughing. Hyrum was crying and screaming. I turned to see if they were alright. I calmed Hyrum down. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. We were all fine(Miracle 1)Then I pulled out my handy dandy bag of miracles (miracle 2) and gave them both some juice and fruit snacks while I got out to talk to the other drivers. The Ford driver was a 70 year old man that didn't seam to know what happened or what was wrong. He insisted that there was a red light. . . hmmm, funny since that lane has no light. He evidently also didn't hear my continuous honking, or see the two cars out of control coming right for him. I called the police and then got out my camera (miracle 3) and took pictures of everything including the no-stop sign and the icy conditions. The officer arrived and was amazing. He was friendly and calmed us all down. He told us to go ahead and wait in our cars, and he would come to each of us to get our info. I went back to my handy dandy bag to find that I somehow forgot to put my wallet (which was in my usual purse) into the bag of wonders. . . ahhhh! The officer came. I was so nervous and stressed about the accident and then forgetting my wallet that I couldn't think strait. He asked me for my birth-date and I seemed to be able to remember my phone number several times, my boys birthdays, maybe even historical dates, but it took about the 5th try before I could finally recite my birthday. I think the officer felt sorry for me. When he went back to his car I said a little prayer with the boys in thanks that we were safe and also a plea that the officer would show mercy. No tickets or citations were issued. (Miracle 4) The front and back of the car look a bit squashed, but the car was still driveable (Miracle 5). Hyrum had a lot to say about the whole thing. In general: "Do not like car sandwich!", "Do not want car sandwich again, Mom!". Geared toward other cars involved, "Not very nice! You did not listen to Mom! She honk lots of times. Supposed to listen to honk, when you make bad choices! Supposed to say sorry!" He was pretty worked up about everything and it was his topic of pretty much all conversation for the rest of the day. I really feel that everything went ideal, considering. It could have been much worse, the officer could have been less nice, the boys could have been more hysterical. . . I have much to be grateful for, and I really felt that we were watched over that day. Brett was home from his trip and in his office only miles away (Miracle 6) and was able to comfort me and be such a great help after it happened. He even took charge to call all of the insurances so I wouldn't have to worry.

One of our errands we were planning on running that morning was to go meet Santa. I have to admit that despite my Santa Vs. No Santa post last year, I still struggle a bit with the concept, but I'm trying. As evidence of my efforts I wanted to take them to see the big man. The boys were very nice that morning when I told them we would have to see Santa later because our car was broken. We were so lucky that there were no lines when we got there and the boys were able to chat with him for awhile. All Hyrum could talk about was the accident, so Santa jokingly said that he would give us AAA for Christmas.:) The boys had fun, and it was a nice distraction from the previous events of the day.

The Boys Room

When we first bought our house (almost two years ago! Wow time flies) I really liked the boys room. The walls were the same sand color as most of the house but it had a thick red stripe on the upper third of the wall. I thought it was pretty cool. . . until it came time to hang anything. It seemed like a weird height to put anything on the walls without it looking weird. And when we did put a shelf up we realized the stripe was actually not level. Anyway, I've been wanting to re-do the boys room for a while and so I decided to make a goal of having it done before the end of the year. At the beginning of the year Noah was in a crib and Hyrum was in a cool big boy bed. Now the crib is stored and we sold Hyrum's bed on KSL classifieds (an awesome free online classifieds for the area! I love it!) I wanted their room to look nice but also be a place that I wouldn't be upset if things broke. So, we bought their dresser and storage ottomans off people on KSL for a great deal. I got some great thrift store finds, and we decided to make inexpensive art part of their room. I hit the Joanne's Black Friday deals and got some great canvas' and

paint that the boys can create art on. The thing I love about canvas is that it's hard to break and they can recreate their art every year. My Mom is an artist and I want to be sure that our boys have an appreciation for art.

First I want to give my mom a little plug. CLICK HERE to see her gallery. This is one of my favorite pictures my Mom has painted:

So I look funny in this pic but I love how diligent the boys were. They had SO much fun!

Here's the art up. We did two tones of brown on the walls. And, please don't judge the fact that I painted the white branches on top of their art. After they finished I realized that it was so dark that they kind of blended into the wall too much. Hyrum likes it. He said, "Look! A tree growing on my picture!" Brett did an awesome job hanging their names up! Oh, and why do I seem to always make indoor pictures blurry? Even though it's blurry I had to use this picture because both of the boys are swinging their lassos (Brett's boot shoelaces). This is a daily occurrence:) Sorry, Brett.

The old beds got traded in for bunk beds! They've done really well in them. And we got an awesome deal at a furniture warehouse place.

This was my art contribution:

Tried and True-sday

With Christmas coming up in less than 2 weeks things have started to get a little crazy. . .but good crazy. We've had a lot going on and Brett is on his first business travel trip this week. I feel like such a grown up knowing that Brett is traveling on business. :) The boys and I have been having fun and staying busy. Last week we had our annual adult-only Street Progressive Dinner. There were 13 couples that were able to participate this year. It was so nice to visit our neighbors without kids running all over the place and have a somewhat 'formal' evening together. I volunteered to do the Main Dish this year for 6-8 people. Because of some last minute cancellations one of my neighbors that was also supposed to feed 6-8 people was down to 4. So, I invited her group and her food to come to our house for a big buffet. It was A LOT of food for only 10 people. Especially considering we already had appetizers, salad, and dessert to come. No one seemed to complain though:) The food was amazing and I have to thank Mike and Brittany Allred for giving me this awesome recipe. It is a major crowd pleaser that leaves you wanting more. You've got to try it! Happy cooking!

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork

2 pounds pork roast

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)

1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice. If you want to use Minute rice just improvise so that the liquids equal the rice measurements.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

Serve these on Tortillas with cheese, olives, sour cream, or whatever else you would like to add.

Traditions - in a Pear Tree

Today I laid down on the floor by the tree. As I looked up at the lights they looked like little stars and it was beautiful. The ornaments looked so big from the floor. I imagine the tree must be such a magical thing for the boys. All those fun ornaments and lights sitting on a tree, of all things. Almost all the ornaments have a history and meaning. Brett's family has an ornament tradition that has been going on forever. . .or at least as long as he can remember. Every year around Thanksgiving time his Grandma-ma Long would gift each of the kids an ornament that somewhat resembled that child or events that happened that year. Each year the ornaments are carefully packaged and labeled with the date when it's time to put them away. Now our boys are also getting ornaments and it's so fun to pull out Brett's that were given to him at the same age. As we look at the tree it's like looking at a scrapbook of where we've come, each year holding a new meaning.

Around the Holidays Brett and I always start talking about traditions and what we want to pass on to our family. Last year he told me about their stockings. Each of them had their own special stocking that had a nickname on it. As they got older the nicknames didn't always stick but it became a fun thing to pull out every year and remember. Amy=Namy K, Ryan=Dr.Yan, Chris=Christopher Robin, Kaley=Curlz, and Brett=Bretter. I decided that I would make the boys stockings with their name on one side and nick-name on the other. This became a perfect opportunity to also complete a Personal Progress Project. It took a lot more time than I originally thought, but I enjoyed learning some new things and making these stockings for our boys to have memories with. They're really pretty big, so there's plenty of room for foot growth:)

Tried and True-sday

When I make chocolate chip cookies my theory is that there should be just enough dough to hold the chips in form, no more. The real feature is the chips. Here's a little Christmas flavored deliciousness you will not regret making:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Christmas

cream together:

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

stir together:

4 cups flour

1 cup oats

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soda

1 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 pkg. milk chocolate chips

1/2 pkg. Andes mint chips

1/2 pkg. peppermint chips

Combine the two mixtures. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (Don't over bake)

You'll love them. It makes a lot but they freeze really well for last minute desserts whenever you need them. Happy cooking!

Dear Noah

I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday. I hate yelling. You're so small and sweet and yelling at you makes me feel like a bully. I want you to know that EVERYONE makes mistakes, even your parents. You make me SOO happy knowing that you are my little 'Goose'. You're too small to understand a lot of things right now, and I will try to remember that. I just wanted to tell you a few things that might make us all get along a little better. I know you didn't mean to spill the flour, but did you really have to throw that dough on the floor too? We have tissue, you really didn't have to blow your nose in my hair. When you bite my arm or leg it REALLY hurts. Don't do that anymore, please. Toothpaste is not a meal. Please stop sucking all the tubes dry! We moved the breakable ornaments up high so that you wouldn't reach them. You're smart and

realized that throwing things at them will break things up high. . . please stop. We go through 4 gallons of milk a week. I'm pretty sure, collectively throughout a week, half a gallon is spilled on

the table by you. Try and be more careful at the table. Our bookshelf doors are fun to open and shut, but now that you've broken one door off, I think it would be a good idea to not play with them anymore. Screaming is the opposite of singing, no one wants to hear it and it hurts my ears. Ok, I feel a little bit better now that I've gotten that out. We all live in this home together. We are all trying to learn and grow, so let's learn and grow together. I'll try to be more patient. Someday you will be a teenager and I will drive you crazy. You will have a list of things that I do wrong and that 'ruin' your life. All I ask is that you read this when you are feeling the same way about me and please try and be patient. After all, no one is perfect. Most importantly I want you to know that no matter how frustrated I am, more than anything I love you.

My boys are the seasoning in my day. They make monotonous things fun and boring things interesting. Noah, thanks for 'locking' the drawers with my mixer attachments.

It may not be in the true nativity story, but according to Hyrum, Spiderman is there to 'spew' the bad guys. I'm sure he's a welcome guest at the manger.

Tried and True-sday -Health

When I was young my Mom would sometimes make granola and I LOVED it. For some reason over the years I had forgotten about how good it was. I had never tried making it before because it seemed like it would be time consuming and complicated. I was SO wrong! I decided to conquer granola making a couple of weeks ago. I did a lot of research into different recipes, baking times, shelf life, etc. After making 5 batches (Which is A LOT of granola) with different recipes and cooking times I've recorded the ultimate granola, which ironically is almost identical to my Mom's original recipe. With Granola there's a base recipe that you can make for plain basic granola, but it's in all the add-ins that make it awesome. So, here you go:

(Ok, so this picture was not making Granola but it was too cute to pass up)

Granola

(basic plain recipe)

10 cups rolled oats

1-1/2 cups wheat germ

1 cup oat bran

1-2 cups sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1 cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla

(add ins-you really could put anything in here in any quantity, these are all approximate)

1 cup sesame seeds

3 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts)

1/2 cup flax meal

1 Tbsp. pumpkin spice

1/2 cup ground chia seed

1/2 cup poppy seed

1 cup soy nuts

(Post cooking add-ins)

dried cranberries, blueberries, dates

Get a big bowl and pour all the dry ingredients in and then the sugars and wet ingredients. Stir it a long time so that there aren't any more lumps and then spread on a baking sheet with parchment paper. You'll want to spoon enough on to be about 3/4 inch thick. Place in preheated oven 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Then take out of oven and turn/stir it with a spoon to break apart stuck pieces then put back in the oven for another 20 minutes. When it's all done it will still be a little sticky. I poured it out onto the counter and let it cool while I put the next tray in the oven. If you plan on storing it long term put it in an airtight container and then store in a cool dark area. Don't add fruit in until your ready to eat it. Once you put fruit in the shelf life drops to only being about a week.

Tips: You can't mess up Granola! Add anything you want. This is just the recipe that I made that I like the most. You can add shredded coconut, raisins, more/less nuts, more seeds, coconut oil . . . the possibilities are endless. Just know that the more dry ingredients you add beyond the basic recipe means that you will need to compensate by adding more molasses and honey. If you want the longest shelf life possible than you want the mix to be pretty dry, so don't add any extra molasses or liquids and cook it for a minute or two longer on each side. Brett really likes the granola to top yogurt and adds fresh fruit. It's great for ice cream, and I actually made the Graham Cracker crust for my Banoffee Pie with Granola instead and it was delicious! I've been eating this for breakfast every morning for the past two weeks and I haven't gotten sick of it because I can change up what fruit I put inside. It's just so great to know exactly what you're eating instead of the mystery colored cereal or cardboard pieces imitation granola. The closest thing I could find to my granola at the grocery store was an organic blend granola. The bag only held about 2 cups and it didn't have nearly as much stuff in it as this does and it cost $6. It cost me about $15 to make about 35 cups of granola. . I'd say it's totally worth it. It's very easy to make, my boys helped me make the first batch and had a lot of fun. The last three batches were made with my neighbor friend. It's a fun activity to do together. I hope you try it out. Happy Cooking!

Thanks

We were SOOO happy to have my sister Angela and her family over for Thanksgiving this year from Boise. The kids had a ton of fun having other friends around to play with. Hyrum even woke up on Saturday, went potty, put his dirty jammies away (well, he actually threw them in the trash, but we found them quickly enough), picked out some clothes, and got completely dressed and THEN came in to our bedroom and announced, "I all ready to go play with friends now!" It was really cute to see his pants on backwards, but his outfit did match.
We had an amazing meal that was easily enough to feed 20. I absolutely love Noah's face in this picture. He did say, "CHEEESE" but couldn't stop starring at the turkey. He was pretty intrigued by the unfortunate bird on our table.

Thanksgiving list of gratitude (written as it came in my head):

Stephanie: The Atonement and knowledge through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Brett. My boys Hyrum and Noah. All the extended family. Scriptures, but especially the Book of Mormon. Pictures. Books. Adobe InDesign. Hugs. A comfy couch. Pretty clothes. Our house. Help. Smiles. Dental floss. Music. Blankets. Heating and air conditioning. Cell phones. Blogging. Toys. Bubbles. Animals. Healthy food. Flashlights. Listening. iPod. New pillows. DoTerra. NetFlix. Sleep. Sweaters. Our cars. Fireworks. Mint ice-cream. Chuck and Bones. Education. Crunchy leaves. Raspberries. Watermelon. Nail polish. makeup. Rainbows. Rain. The ocean. Starfish.

Hyrum: "I thankful for aaaaallll my friends. I thankful for my Dad. My Dad like my Mom. My happy word is ride on rocket ship. . . (Mom-"What else makes you happy?")else makes me happy? . . . hmmmm. . . that's tricky. I like yummy food and I make good choices and play in basement. Helping my Dad." Tonight for our Family Night we talked about what we were thankful for and drew pictures. Hyrum insisted that Dad draw a frog with a bug to eat, a wagon, and friends.

Noah: Noah loves talking about, writing(kind of) and reading the alphabet. So when we drew he just shouted out letters that he wanted me to draw:) However, I'll add to his list: 'Hymum'(Hyrum), 'Mio'(Mom), 'Daddio', Vitamins (he asks for them several times a day), Hot Dogs, snacks, phones, kitty(his stuffed animal he sleeps with), blankie, milk, 'hot cholite'-his new favorite, and of course OSO.

Tried and True-sday

I had three recipes that I REALLY wanted to post today, but after a minor internal debate the recipe that won out is a Thanksgiving tradition(Ok, it's only my second year making it, but traditions have to start somewhere.) that will tantalize your taste buds, expand your belt, and leave a grin on your face begging for more. . .well, maybe I exaggerative a little bit, but it can't be that far off. I had never heard of this before until I married Brett. He informed me a couple of years ago that while serving his mission in England he discovered a LOVE for banana cream pie. But, it's not traditional banana cream pie. After some research I found a recipe for an English dessert called Banoffee. This was the one. Although it takes quite a bit of time to make the steps are quite simple and the results are yummilicious! Warning: this is VERY rich, so very thin, small slices are plenty. Happy Cooking! and Happy Thanksgiving!

(Here's a birds eye view before adding the whipped cream:)

Banoffee Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons + butter, softened

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

3 large bananas

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecans optional

opt: grated chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. To create toffee filling, caramelize the sweetened condensed milk. Put unopened cans in a pot with water and boil it for about 4 hours on medium heat with lid on. Add water when running low, just be sure cans are always covered. About half way through the time take cans out with oven mits and shake them. When cooled, open cans upside down and over the pie crust, because sometimes it will shoot out. Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled slice the bananas, fold into carmel filling. Pour filling onto crust and then place any remaining bananas over it. Cover the top with nuts. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas. For aesthetics you can grate chocolate over the whipped cream just before serving. Store in fridge.

Mom's Favorite Special Book

When I was 9 years old the company my Dad was working for went under and the job market was not looking very good. He searched for months to find someplace that would be right for all of us. It was a hard time on the family. I remember how stressed my parents were and how we mostly ate out of our food storage. Things were very tight. Things were often tight, but I never fully felt the effects of it as much as I did that year. My Dad was finally able to find a job in Iowa, of all places. We were all happy at the thought of not having to eat another jar of peaches or beans from our storage everyday, but the thought of moving to Iowa was a bit of a shock. My brother and Dad moved there first so that Dan could start up with basketball season in the High School, and to look for a house for us to live. That Christmas would be without my Dad and brother. I was pretty sad about the whole family not being together since my oldest sister and brother were also serving missions. Then over dinner my Mom let my two

older sisters and me know that with moving preparations underway and finances still pretty tight we would not have a tree or store bought presents this year. We were encouraged to make something with what we could find in the house. It was hard, but I understood. We spent a lot of time in thanks to Heavenly Father for blessing my Dad with a job.

When Christmas morning came, we didn't make any efforts to wake up before dawn. My mom however was up early making a yummy breakfast (A Christmas tradition that will always be appreciated). We saw stockings sitting on the couch which made me really excited because I wasn't sure if they would be packed up already. Our stockings always had one or two oranges, and a Lifesavers different flavor pack, some shelled nuts, socks, and candy. . .or at least that's what I would always remember. For some reason I was very protective of my oranges. One year I remember keeping them under my pillow so my older siblings couldn't take them from me. Anyway, my Mom than let us know that Dad sent us a special package from Iowa. Inside were a few small presents and one big wrapped thing for each of us girls. I remember crying. When I opened it I was so excited to see a big book called The Wizard of Oz. It was the most beautiful book I had ever seen in my life. It was big, with a hard cover, and had lots of amazing pictures inside. I was sure that this book had to have been worth a fortune and so I took very good care of it. It's probably the only thing that I have kept from my youth. This book reminds me to be thankful for what I have. It reminds me of the year that we trusted in the Lord for everything, and we had enough. It reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. I've kept the book displayed somewhere in the boys room up high so they can't reach it. Over the past year Hyrum has gotten to it a few times and once ripped one of the pages slightly. I was pretty upset and had to explain to him that he had to be extra careful with this book because it was a very special book. Well, about a month ago, before bed, Hyrum asked Brett, "Please read Mom's favorite special book?". . . So, the reading began. It's not an easy child read. It is slightly condensed from the original, but still 96 pages long. (Some of the more violent parts of the story had to be carefully edited by us.) Hyrum LOVED it! It's not often that he will just sit and listen. . . ok, it's VERY rare. But every night before bed he would sit quietly and listen to the book, stare at the pictures, and even ask question. I think reading this book will be a tradition. I am so thankful for every experience and tradition that teach us to grow closer together as a family and closer to God. Thank you Mom and Dad for making that my favorite Christmas of all time.

Tried and True-sday

Is anyone else excited about Thanksgiving? I LOVE Thanksgiving! It's my second favorite holiday next to Christmas. I love having an excuse to be in the kitchen all day. I love the smells, the variety of foods, the leftovers, the spirit of thanks. . . I love it all! I started getting the first wave of foods ready yesterday. Rolls! I love breads more than anything. . . . well, other than dessert. It's too bad they're so full of carbs. Anyway, I found this awesome recipe a couple of months ago and it is amazing! The rolls are perfect and they freeze well. We had some with soup last night and froze about 20 for Thanksgiving in the freezer. The original recipe was from Melskitchencafe(dot)com. I made a couple of alterations that I wrote in as optional. Good luck and happy cooking!:)

Lion House Rolls

*Note: The recipe calls for active dry yeast. I always use instant yeast because that's what I have on hand. To use instant yeast, cut down the amount of yeast to 1 1/2 tablespoons and then there is no need to proof the yeast in the water. Instead, add the yeast and water together with the following ingredients in the recipe and proceed with the directions.

*Makes about 2 dozen rolls

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

5-6 cups flour

(opt: I did 3 cups whole wheat flour and about 2 1/2 cups white)

(opt: add a couple Tablespoons of flax)

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast - just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.

Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way. Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it's open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.

Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned. As soon as you take them out brush with melted butter on top to give the glistening look.

Hay

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I love Fall. My favorite sound in the world is crunching leaves under my feet. I have to admit that I will go out of my way on walks to stomp on fallen leaves. Another great thing about Fall is the farmers markets, but that's a whole other affair. I LOVE the Fall! The end. We've been meaning to post this video for a while. We took a last minute, pull off the road on our way home, trip to a farmers fair. The boys loved it! There were pony rides, a petting zoo, hay maze, etc. Because it was spontaneous we didn't have a camera with us other than Brett's phone. Luckily his video and picture quality turned out pretty well. Here's the hay trampoline. Noah gets really into jumping; it's a serious sport.

For those of you who have asked me how I got my Halloween hair:

It's very easy to do. But your hair has to look like this for a day. When the hairs still wet, put in some mouse and hairspray, and twist it up the afternoon before Halloween. Sleep on it. Around lunch time I took out the rubber bands, ran my fingers through it, and voila. That's it. You should try it next year.

Tried and True-sday: Health

For the past year Brett and I have been on a quest to live a healthier lifestyle. I can't say that we're total health nuts or that we don't have our trips to fast food places occasionally, but we have made some changes. It was always my belief that freezers were intended to hold ice cream and a house is not a home without baked goods easily available. It was normal to make a huge batch of cookies every other week. . . and if not cookies than we would have brownies, cupcakes, or whatever else I was in the mood to bake. . . oh and don't forget the ice cream that always made the best garnish to any meal. Well, the idea was to not cut everything out but to just cut back. We now pretty much only buy ice cream for the freezer on birthdays. I've cut back to baking cookies about every other month. (By the way, Holiday Season - so far you've been winning the treat war, but I intend to get back at you:) We've tried to add healthier things to our menu. We've also been going to the gym. With those 'small' changes I've decided to call it the 2010 -20. I lost 20 pounds. It wasn't a crash course diet but a year of small changes, and I hope that these small things will only continue to improve our lives. On a side note: I have NEVER been athletic or fit in any way and I recently ran my first mile with out walking on the treadmill. . . I have to give props to myself and a shout out to anyone like me who has never dreamed of running a mile. It's possible! Anyway, enough of the health testimonial. Let's get down to business: As long as I am doing these recipes on Tuesdays I will occasionally be adding in a 'True to your Health' recipe. The one I chose for today is a YUMMMY treat that no one will know is actually good for you. . .. shhhh, don't tell. The recipe also can be made with a few yummy, but less healthy ingredients too. You choose how healthy you want it to be. This was a recipe given to me from a friend that I attend a recipe club with. I've made a few little additions.

Thanks Risa! Enjoy:

(Fall means comfort food, pumpkin, and hot chocolate)

Pumpkin Muffins

¾ cup raisins, dates, or chocolate chips

1 cup all purpose flour*

1 cup whole wheat flour*

½ cup ground flax seed*

1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend**

¾ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 eggs

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds

*can use 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

**can use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans (makes 18 muffins). Soak raisins in hot water for ten minutes to plump, then drain. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce, until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Stir the raisins (or chocolate chips) and walnuts into the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Note: I actually realized I was out of eggs when I started making this recipe. I found out that Flax is an awesome egg substitute. You just put one Tbsp Flax and 3 Tbsp. water in a bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes to equal one egg.

Happy Baking!

Happy Halloween

I absolutely love that in Utah no one has even considered the fact that Halloween is actually on Sunday. Because of the Sabath, everything is automatically on Saturday. It sure makes everything so much easier. We've had a fun filled weekend. On Friday the boys got to go in their costumes to Brett's work for a little trick-or-treating and then we took them to Chuckie Cheese. We told them it was a Halloween Party and that just made them sooo excited. Hyrum had a lot to say about being Superman, "I Superman. I Super strong with BIG muscles! I don't fly yet, wind need be so big, THEN I fly."

I decided to go with the free costume of electric shock. Shocking?

(yes this is my real hair)

Hyrum had a hard time posing with out jumping up and down in his attempts to fly.

We had a fun time at the ward trunk-or-treat (which ended up being inside because of the rain, thank goodness!) Noah ate two candies with the wrappers still in tact- we had to remove the soiled wrappers out of his mouth.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tried and True-sday

Happy Halloween! In anticipation for the day of horror I thought it appropriate to post my absolute favorite pumpkin bread recipe of all time. I've tried many recipes and this one is a winner by far! I found it on Allrecipes(dot)com a couple of years ago. It has over 3,000 ratings of 5 star. You will love it! I've just added and changed a few things to the recipe that make it a bit easier to follow and make it a little more scrumptious.

(I wanted Hyrum to make a nice face and Hyrum wanted to make a scary face. He told me, "It's ok Mom. This is a nice mean pumpkin.")

Downeast Main Pumpkin Bread

• In a large bowl mix together:
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together in a separate bowl:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

opt:

chopped walnuts

chocolate chips

cinnamon and sugar mixture

• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 - 3 loaf pans. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. mix in the optional things at the end. Pour into the prepared pans. sprinkle on top with cinnamon and sugar mixture if desired. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.