Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Super Saturday



So not only was my last Saturday chock full of lots to do with party decor and what not but I also did 2 faces for the WX High Christmas dance. This is a lot of fun for me as I get to catch up with my old Sunday School girls and check up on what they are doing. Here's 2 faces with different eyes; one natural pink and the other greens finished off with some purple liner. What's sad is that I used to wear makeup like this everyday to work but now I don't get up early enough to do it anymore so I've settled into the 'everyday' makeup routine for time. Maybe once the New Year hits I'll feel inspired to get up a little earlier. I just wish I could find enough inspiration to wake up early enough to pull off a workout. But I know that won't happen.

I can finally start pretending that Christmas is at my house


After Sabrina took over my life for the past week and a half with ward party decorations I can finally resume my normal habits. Sabrina is amazing and has the best party decor ideas so it was fun to get to be a 'scraper' for a week and do crafty stuff. But on Sunday Jared and I finally got our Christmas tree up. I love our tree and I have to fix holes here and there because Atticus thinks its a toy he can climb. Of course there are no presents under it yet but we'll get there. Oh and I bought some lime green glittery wire ribbon last night at Michaels and I need to you tube a video to make a big bow. I have no idea how to make those bows. Funny huh? Here's detailed pics and a cute pic of Jared and I this holiday.

Endless Enchiladas


Here's what Jared and I have been eating for the entire last week. I finally finished off the last of it yesterday at lunch. I realized that I already blogged this recipe but its a keeper so it doesn't hurt to mention it again. Recipe can be found on 1/5/09 post. Technically that my 2nd post ever on this blahg. Make these . . . they're yummy I promise. And to top it off Jared brought home an entire pan of pork enchiladas from Cafe Rio last week as well. So I'm not kidding when I say we had enchiladas coming out our ears. Mmmm, Cafe Rio. Love that place.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Two good books

In a few weeks I'll do a post of the best books I read for 2009. But I thought I would put a plug in on 2 books by the same author that I totally got sucked into. This author writes a lot but these are the only 2 books that I really got sucked into. I read MSK a while ago but read The Pact last month and couldn't put it down. Jodi Picoult always writes controversial topics so you always know what you could possibly be getting into. I actually tried other books of hers but they never hit a nerve with me.

Easy Weeknight Dinner

Don't you love how one night I just post like 4 posts at once. I need to be better and posting on a regular basis. Here's an extremely easy weeknight dinner.

Chicken Parm
4 pieces chicken breast cut in 8 halves
salt, pepper, and garlic
italian bread crumbs
your favorite spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese
spaghetti noodles

First, get a nice long piece or saran wrap and put one of the chicken halves on on wrap and then cover with remaining wrap. With a meat cleaver pound out to where chicken is about 1/3 inch thick. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and garlic on chicken. Take pounded chicken and cover in bread crumbs. Do this to all the chicken until every piece is breaded.
In a large frying pan, use about 1-2 Tbs of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Cook chicken about 3 minutes on each side. Chicken will not be all the way done but this is what we want. Once your chicken is cooked put it in a 9x13 inch glass dish. Once all your chicken is laid at the bottom of the dish cover with your spaghetti sauce and cover it good. Top off with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake on 350 for 25 minutes. I like to broil the top for the last 3-5 minutes to brown the cheese and burn it a little. Serve over some noodles. We light the wheat pasta.

Yummy Holiday Salad Anyone?


Some of the best recipes of mine come from those Pillsbury and Betty Crocker books that they sell at the check out stands at the grocery store. I can't help but pick some of them up when I'm checking out. I was asked to make a salad for my dad's birthday party and I had dog earred this salad because I was needing an excuse to make it. And I'm glad I did because it was so yummy. The dressing is what made it all come together. This salad would be great for any holiday party or your Christmas dinner.

Apple-Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
1/2 cp. jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 cp. olive oil
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. grated orange peel
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh orange peel
1/4 tsp. salt

Salad
1 head green leaf lettuce
2 medium apples, diced (squeeze a little orange juice on these to keep them from browning)
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (they're called Craisins at the store)
3/4 cp. cubed Brie Cheese (ok I LOVE Brie cheese - seriously - good stuff)
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

To toast walnut, turn oven on to 350 and then toast on cookie sheet for 6-10 minutes. Set aside. In blender, place all vinaigrette ingredients. Cover and blend for 15-20 seconds or until smooth. Pour into a air tight container and refrigerate up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving.

In large bowl, stir together lettuce, apples, and cranberries. Divide salad evenly among 8 plates and top with Brie and walnuts. Drizzle vinaigrette to your liking and enjoy. Seriously, so good, and just typing this makes me want to make it again.

Long overdue post - Thanksgiving Quick Trip



So Jared and I headed out of town for Thanksgiving this year. We went the go-around with where we were going to go. First, it started out as St. George. Then we changed to Vegas. Finally after putting it off as long as was comfortable we settled on Jackson, WY. I had never been and thought it just sounded like too much fun. We stayed in Silver Creek Ranch on a recommendation from some friends of ours. We had a fireplace right in our room as we got addicted to it very quick. Plus Jared got to exhibit his man skills with building us fires every morning and night. We had Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant at the lodge called The Granary. It was quite good although I missed a sweet potato dish. That is always a holiday favorite of mine. On Black Friday we did some shopping in the town square and I bought a pair of shoes that I can't wear until Spring. We also ate breakfast at The Bunnery twice on a recommendation from Sabrina. I wanted to eat everything in the pastry counter. Yummy. First pic if of Jared and I on the outside balcony of our room. Second pic is a snipit of our room.