The New Norman Conquest

Homemade Ketchup

2012-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

-1 can tomato paste
-1/4 onion
-1 clove of garlic
-1 Tbsp honey (any sweetner will do)
-3/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1/4 tsp dry mustard
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-pinch of cloves
-pinch of allspice
-cayenne pepper to taste
-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

This recipe is from the Frugally Sustainable Facebook page

White Wine and Garlic Dream Cream

2011-06-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 6 large shallots, sliced thinly

· 8 cloves garlic, chopped

· 3 cups white wine, divided

· ground white pepper to taste

· 1-1/2 cups heavy cream at room temperature

· 2 lemon, juiced

· salt to taste

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir the shallots until they become translucent and tender; stir in garlic and cook until tender and aromatic.

2. Stir in 2 cup white wine, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once it boils, add the remaining cup wine. Boil for 10 minutes then reduce heat to medium-low. Season with white pepper to taste.

3. When sauce is no longer boiling, slowly stir in cream, lemon juice and salt. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Communication with Clients 2!

2011-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here is take 2 of our Awesome client communication! You can find the first of them here.

1. I am in a mess me thinks, lol

2. I am sure I still qualify for this as I am head of household for my older daughter but I don`t get to claim either of my children as dependents. (I had a dumb lawyer!!!)

3. You know what I was so stupid, because sick this reason, I want make money from online, but I am not make any penny, only lose my hard earn money, I am victim person, if you really apology to me, please help....I don't want because those lose money that reason let me down.....and my life is the end....

4. I have disolved the company on March 17, 2011. I had no Expenses, Sales, Utilities cost for S corporation, Inventory cost. Please contact me if you need me to send blank pages.

5. This was a phone call to a client: I asked if he had any questions and this was his response:

“I’m in the bathroom. Let me get done with this real quick.”

6. Hello Dear Ladys ! Thank You for Your "Reminder", but plaese give me a call to arrange for some instructions from You to help me giving You correct reports, HM?! Greeting Dagmar

7. I am not sure what the rest of this year will bring. I am completely disgusted with the State of California. Our state government really needs a complete overhaul. Instead of things improving with every passing day things only get worse for the small business owner and the middle class. I have lived here my whole life and I am embarrassed to say so. There was a time when I was so proud to be a Californian but it has been a long time since then. With gas prices above $4.00 a gallon it is we can to just to get back and forth to work and school. It is a shame with California being in the top ten in the world for largest economy that this state is in the shape it is. With the agriculture and Hollywood alone we should be right next to New York as far as the financial status of the residents of the state. Instead we are in the top 5 for unemployment, forclosures, air pollution,and illegal aliens, school test scores and I am sure I missed other issues as well. I don't beleive this is what our founders had in mind. It truely is heartbreaking so with this being said I probably will disolve the business sometime this year. I haven't been able to do anything with it due to the state of our loan modification which is another crisis the country is facing. I am terrified for our children, what in the world are they going to have to deal with.
Thanks Again!

8. How is your business?

Hello, How are you getting on ?

Are you crazy for net shopping ?

I found a website that will give you a large number of lastest electronic products.

And, the price is rather rather low.

You'd better just go there and have a look--- www.hotbuybuy.com

good morning.though we just met several days ago.i miss you so much.

9. Here are my reports for the Month of April. I am also attaching a picture from the Bras for the Cause and Boxers Too. The picture is Cleopatra wearing the Bra that I created for her. Caesar was not in the house when I was taking the picture. I hope to get one of him in the Toga and royal boxers that I made for him. Enjoy the picture.

10. This is tobe canceled and my money send back to ME. This is FAUD all the way . This is the second time I have wrote with no result. I will put in a law suite if nessary. YOU have done nothing for ME and I donot need your servery. Just takening money for nothing and I DO mean nothing. SEND MY MONEY BACK THAT YOU STOLE. FAUD ALL THE WAY

11. How is everybody doing there fine I hope. I'm doing fine to little cool outside this morning here.

This client deserves her own section! The following emails are all individually sent emails, all from the same lady.

1. I hear a frog outside.

2. They will be throwing my ass in jail!!!I guess

3. In response to my email explaining that we need the Date of Incorporation and EIN before we can order the corporate binder for the client:

“ Today is your birthday gonna have a good time”

4. This was a series of emails received within a 30 minute period with no response to any of them:

a. I guess i will need an extension for the first time in my life since I don 't know what the hell is going on!

b. I would like to have a little fun before I die.

c. Since I paid for your services will please call and file an extension for me. My divorce is not quite final so I want to take care of my taxes when that is complete. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

d. I would like acknowledgement of the extension request. Thank you kindly.

e. I am in bed with a migrane!

f. What can I help you with?

The Harry Potter Prequel, by JK Rowling

2011-05-31T10:01:00.001-07:00

The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted ‘whoa!’ Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail light, vanished up the narrow side street.

‘We’ve got ‘em now!” cried PC Anderson excitedly. ‘That’s a dead end!”

Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.

There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour’s chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brick wall and the police car, which was now crashing towards them like some growling, luminous-eyed predator.

There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.

‘Get off the bike!’ he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.

They did as they were told. Finally pulling free from the broken wind mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair; his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter’s guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.

‘No helmets!’ Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. ‘Exceeding the speed limit by – by a considerable amount!’ (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) ‘Failing to stop for the police!’

‘We’d have loved to stop for a chat,’ said the boy in glasses, ‘only we were trying -’

‘Don’t get smart – you two are in a heap of trouble!’ snarled Anderson. ‘Names!’

‘Names?’ repeated the long-haired driver. ‘Er – well, let’s see. There’s Wilberforce… Bathsheba… Elvendork…’

‘And what’s nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy or a girl,’ said the boy in glasses.

‘Oh, OUR names, did you mean?’ asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage. ‘You should’ve said! This here is James Potter, and I’m Sirius Black!’

‘Things’ll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little -’

But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.

For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than -

‘Drumsticks?’ jeered Anderson. ‘Right pair of jokers, aren’t you? Right, we’re arresting you on a charge of -’

But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.

The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying – actually FLYING – up the alley on broomsticks – and at the same moment, the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.

Fisher’s knees bucked; he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher’s legs and fell on top of him, as FLUMP – BANG – CRUNCH – they heard the men on brooms slam into the upended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.

The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.

‘Thanks very much!’ called Sirius over the throb of the engine. ‘We owe you one!’

‘Yeah, nice meeting you!’ said James. ‘And don’t forget: Elvendork! It’s unisex!’

There was an earth-shattering crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle’s turn to rear. Before the policemen’s disbelieving eyes, it took off into the air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.

Lincoln's vocal exercises

2011-05-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this kid? He is just the greatest!

Learning to crawl

2011-05-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

He's not quite there, but getting so close! Here are some pictures of his progress!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

2011-05-05T19:33:00.001-07:00

Carne Adovada from Use Real Butter

modified from Santa Fe Recipe (The Shed)

16 dried, red chile pods
3 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp oregano
5 pounds pork shoulder

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove stems from the chile pods. Place pods in a pan and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chiles are lightly roasted. Leave oven door open (I didn’t do this). Don’t breathe the fumes! I shook the seeds out of the pods and discarded them. Place pods in a medium bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 30 minutes. Drain the water from the chile pods, but reserve about 2 cups for the purée. Place pods in a food processor or blender. Add the salt, garlic, and oregano. Cover the mixture with the chile water. Blend well for 2 minutes or until the skins disappear. Cut the pork into 2×4 inch strips. Place the pork in a ziploc bag and add the sauce. Thoroughly coat the pork. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 325F. Place pork and sauce in a baking dish. Cover and bake for 4 hours or until meat is tender. (I cooked mine in a crock pot all day on low.) Shred or chop meat.

The delightful condiments!

Spiceful, tender, and delicious!

Served with avocado, cilantro, lime and cheese

What really matters

2011-05-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was feeling mighty frustrated today at work with life in general when I read my sister-in-law's blog about what matters most. Sometimes I need to just calm down and remember what really matters.

So this is a post to remind me of the things that are really the most important. Even though there may be hard times, things will work out eventually.

This guy may be my hero

2011-04-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Cake of Resignation

"Today I gave a two week's notice of my intent to resign. The letter was written in frosting on a full sheet size cake. The cake was delicious and it was well received.

"Dear Mr. Bowers,

During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim.

However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.

Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.

Sincerely,

W. Neil berrett"

3/16/2009 12:41 - I did submit a paper resignation letter. It's hard to file away a cake."

Pulled from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/neiltron/3351856161/

6 Months!

2011-04-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it was 6 months ago that this little angel joined our family?! I can't believe how fast time flies!

Here are a couple of my Top 6 lists in celebration of his half birthday

Top 6 nicknames

1. Link

2. Munchkin man

3. Sugar muffin

4. Chunky Beef

5. Witto Winkon

6. Baby Bubble

Other notable nicknames: Binky-Winky, Shortround, Little Man, Grampa's boy

My Top 6 favorite things about Link:

1. When Lincoln is happy and has his binkie in his mouth, he makes a sound that sounds like he is saying "Goit." Actually, it's not only when he's happy- sometimes he angry goits. But it is the cutest thing in the world, whether he's happy or angry!

2. Lincoln doesn't really like to sleep, so when he wakes up he just talks and babbles and coos at himself. And then as soon as someone go hes to check on him, he gets the biggest smile on his face!!! Even in the middle of the night, if he is awake enough to realize I'm in his room, he smiles from ear to ear! That toothless grin makes my whole life!

3. Speaking of which, Lincoln is the happiest kid on the planet! He's just happy to be here! Smiling is his favorite thing. As soon as I get home from work, he gets so excited to see me! Even if he was just screaming, he is a happy boy when he sees his mom!

4. Lincoln is such a rolly poley! I lay him on the floor and next thing you know, he is across the room! He is working on getting up onto his knees from his stomach, but hasn't quite figured it out yet. I'm sure he will be crawling just as soon as he can! That kid likes to move!

5. He is so alert all the time! He has the most intelligent eyes and is always taking in the whole world. When we go to the store, I always think he will fall asleep, but he thinks there is just way too much to look at!

6. Lincoln is ticklish! Kissing his neck, fake biting his ribs, tickling his thighs, it doesn't matter! He will just giggle and giggle and giggle! Baby laughs are by far the greatest thing on the planet!

Lincoln's Top 6 Favorite things

1. Lincoln loves it when people sing to him! Whether it is on TV or in person, he loves music! 2. Lincoln loves the TV! If the TV is on and he isn't directly facing it, he will crane his neck to be able to see the TV! We went to the Utah Blaze game and his favorite part about it was the jumbotron!

3. Lincoln loves it when both his mom and dad are home. He is never as happy as when the 3 of us are hanging out together!

4. His binkie!!! The kid goes nuts for his binkie! He gets soooo excited when someone is putting it back in his mouth that his whole body shakes with excitement!

5. He loves to stand! If you offer your hands for him to hold onto, he will pull himself up to standing. And if you lay him down and he's not ready- oh boy does he get mad!

6. Lastly, Lincoln loves to hear himself talk! Whether he is cooing, yelling, goiting or gargling, the boy loves to talk! It is the most adorable thing ever!

Beautiful

2011-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

SHE walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies,

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meets in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress

Or softly lightens o'er her face,

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek and o'er that brow

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,—

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent.

-Lord Byron

Tickles

2011-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Being a mom is the greatest thing ever.

Adventures in Eating- A Photo Journey

2011-03-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

The most amazingly lemony lemon cake imaginable.

2011-03-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

You should be friends with me, just to try my cooking.

Lemon chiffon cake

makes 2 11x17" sheets or 2 9x3" rounds

14.5 oz cake flour
8.75 oz confectioner’s sugar
6.75 oz whole milk
6 oz canola oil
3.25 oz eggs
0.5 oz baking powder
13 oz egg whites
9.5 oz granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 oz lemon juice

Oven 375F. Prep pan by buttering bottom and sides. Place parchment in pan and butter the parchment. Sift dry ingredients (except granulated sugar) into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (except the 13 oz of egg whites and granulated sugar) in the large bowl until combined. Whip whites and granulated sugar to medium peaks. Fold into batter gently. Bake until set, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and remove from pan. Let cool on a rack. With a large serrated knife, cut the cake into two layers.

From Jen Yu at Use Real Butter: http://userealbutter.com/2008/04/15/lemon-petits-fours-recipe/

Lemon buttercream frosting

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 lemon, juice and zest of

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, sugar and salt and beat till well combined. Add lemon juice, zest and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minute or until creamy.

From Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-buttercream-frosting-from-the-famous-sprinkles-cupcakes-222187

Lemon curd

5 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

From Alton Brown: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lemon-curd-recipe/index.html

Assembly

Cut each of the cake rounds in half to make 4 thin cake rounds. Spread 1/3 of the lemon curd between each layer. When all 4 rounds are stacked, crumb coat the cake with a bit of the lemon buttercream. Thickly coat the cake with the frosting.

This cake is amazing, so you may need to make 2.

5 months!

2011-03-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Lincoln,

You are just about 5 months old and you are without question, the light of my life! I can't imagine my life without you! Every single day you get cuter and more fun.

We didn't have a doctor's appointment this month so I just took these measurements:

You weigh 13.8 lbs

Are 24.5 inches long

Your head is 16.5 inches around

According to Baby Center, that means-

You are below the 5th percentile for weight

You are between the 5th and 10th percentile

For head circumference you are between the 10th and 25th percentile

You are so happy all the time and bring so much light and joy to everyone around you! You have your mom wrapped completely and hop

elessly around your finger! Even in the middle of the night, when I have to come into your room 12 times to calm your squawking, you grin at me and all is forgiven and forgotten! Your smile is the most rewarding thing on this planet!

You seem to be happiest when both mom and dad are home and we are spending time as a family. You have recently discovered how to roll over from both your front to your back, and your back to your front. Needless to say, your parents think you are a genius and are expecting your acceptance letter to Harvard any day now.

You love watching TV. If you can't see the TV, you will crane your neck, or turn yourself so you can see it. Mom thinks it's really funny, but also thinks she's created a monster!

You are ticklish and your laugh is sooo addicting! I would do anything to get a smile, or giggle from you! Here are some of the things that make you laugh the most:

Sometimes when we are singing songs I will change the words to include your name or just for the fun of it. One song that you love is "There was a Chels who had a dog and Dingo was his name-o."
When I try to get you to say or sign "mama." You just smile and laugh at me, as though I'm being funny!
You love looking at yourself in the mirror. There is a mirror in the car so I can check on you, and you love watching yourself! When we ride in the car you just giggle and squeal at yourself!

I feel so blessed to have you in my life, baby boy. In the words of my dad, You're perfect in every way. Head to toe, diapers included!

Love, Mama

Communication with Clients

2011-02-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

I work for a company where most of our business is done online or through email. Because of this, I sometimes get ~~ridiculous~~ awesome tidbits like this! I like to save the funnier correspondence with our clients to share it with friends and family so others can join in the hilarity.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of our hilarious and IQ-challenged clients*

1. I've been hit with all the charges for this service and I have gotten to point I don't which end is up and I'm having bout of Diarrhea and so I need someone to talk to.
2. I would appreciate a prompt response to my request, so that I can either close the cover of this very bad novel with a happy ending or start the final chapter with drama and suspense.
3. "Jennifer’s computer doesn’t have out Outlook, so we are unable to e-mail the original PDF through her hotmail. I’m sending a scanned copy with my computer. This computer has outlook to auto send the PDF file. If you have anymore PDF file please send them to this e-mail address instead."
And then he attached a JPG.
4. Some people, like myself, who know nothing about tax return filing, are handicapped, in a sense, and need to be spoon fed; however I have other skills, so I don't really feel defensive about my shortcomings.
Again, thank you. May the Universal Creative Force be with you, and may you flourish and prosper in your life, in business, the arts, and romance.
5. It is our socialist S.S. who if you don't play their drug/control games they attempt to destroy any ability to be independent.
6. Wicked persons in gov't. and med jobs in my local have falsified and endangered my life for years NOT wanting me to be able to work and be independent from their control and profit. It is the great Socialist System that does not give us what you are told!
7. All the mileage figures is figures after the mileage is figured.

1-26-11 Goiting.MOD

2011-01-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

Letter to Lincoln

2010-12-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Lincoln,

Today is December 30th. You are 2 and a half months old and getting more and more fun by the day! You are just becoming so alert and smiley all the time! When you wake up in the morning, you don't cry, you just sort of gurgle and grunt around until I wake up and I can tell you are ready for the day. As soon as I look at you, you get the biggest smile on your face! You just love to be awake!

I've never met anyone who fights sleep like you! It is the biggest struggle to get you to sleep. As soon as you start falling asleep, you pop your eyes open as if you are refusing to let in. Then, if we do actually get you to sleep, you usually sleep for about a half hour and then wake up. Then, if we try to get you back to sleep, you just give us a huge grin. It's the cutest thing in the world! The good news is, you usually aren't too grumpy, but sometimes you just get soooo tired from fighting your sleep that you just need a good cry. Those times are pretty few and far between though. We are quite blessed that you are such a good baby!

Here are some of my favorite things about this stage:
-One of my favorite things is watching you learn. Your eyes are so intelligent and you just take in the world as if you don't want to miss a thing. Two of your favorite things to stare at are the letters on the wall in your nursery that dad painted, and the wall-hang with the Celtic knots on it that Grandpa Lewis brought home from Wales.
-You are still my little cuddle bug. You just want to be held the whole day long. It's frustrating sometimes, but at the same time it's my favorite part of the day when I can just hold you. You love to be in your little baby sling, cuddled against my chest. When I need to walk Mayzie, I put you in that sling and put a hoodie around both of us and you love it. I could take you anywhere, as long as you are in the sling, you are happy! Sometimes when you are fighting sleep, I put you in the sling and just stand and read. It calms you down and you go right to sleep.
-Your chin is ticklish. Every time I kiss you or wipe spit-up off your chin, you think it's so funny! I would love to just tickle your chin the whole day to get smiles from you!
-You are just so happy! Sometimes when we are smiling and playing, you get so happy that you double over! It's the cutest thing!
-You have discovered your hands. You love to play with your fingers- especially while you are eating. Also, while you are being held, you usually will hold onto the neckline of the shirt of whoever is holding you.

I love you the most, my baby boy! I am so blessed that you're mine!
Love,
Your mom

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T11:17:00.001-08:00

My little Stud Puffin

2010-12-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

John and Tracie gave Lincoln this bib for Christmas. Isn't it awesome?

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-12-21T17:39:00.001-08:00

For a work pot luck, I made an oh-so-delicious pumpkin cheesecake! It turned out beautiful! Here is the delicious recipe:

1 cup crushed ginger snaps

2 Tbl melted butter

3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground allspice

2 cups sour cream

3 Tbl sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350* F. Mix ginger snap crumbs with melted butter. Press evenly into springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven to 300* F. Beat cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and the salt. Add 3 of the eggs and the 2 tsp of vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Pour half the mix into the pan.

Stir in pumpkin, spices, and remaining egg into the rest of the batter. Spread over the regular cheesecake batter. Bake for 60 minutes or until set in the center.

During the last couple minutes of baking, beat together sour cream, remaining sugar and remaining vanilla. Once you remove the cheesecake from the over, spread this mixture over the baked cheesecake. Bake for 10 more minutes.

2 Months?!?!

2010-12-15T08:47:00.001-08:00

As of yesterday, my little man is 2 months old! I can't believe how fast time flies!!!!!

Here are some of my favorite things he does:

He smiles and coos, especially while we are changing his diaper

He loves staring at the letters on his nursery wall

He loves his bath, especially getting his head scrubbed

He can rollover from his stomach to his back

He loves it when we wiggle our tongues- it makes him laugh

He clicks his tongue

He does what Tom calls the "tadpole" move- He moves his head from side to side like a tadpole swimming trying to find either food or his binkie

I sure do love this little guy!!!

Lunch

2010-12-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today for lunch I'm having homemade roasted vegetable soup, homemade whole wheat sunflower seed bread, and a diet pepsi. Ok, so a little unbalanced. But here are the delicious, delicious recipes!

Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Bread:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tsp yeast

2 cups white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbl Powdered milk

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, finely chopped

4 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbl honey

Dissolve yeast in water and let sit for 5 minutes

In large bowl stir together white flour, whole wheat flour, salt, powdered milk, and sunflower seeds until completely incorporated. Add olive oil, honey and yeast water until dough forms. If it is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Turn onto floured surface or use a kitchen aid mixer to knead for 2-3 minutes until dough springs back when touched. Shape dough into a loaf and place into a greased bread pan. Let bread rise for an hour in warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375* F. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until bread sounds hollow when tapped and is golden brown. Cover the top with butter.

Roasted Vegetable Soup:

Serves 10

3 sweet potatoes

4 potatoes

1 lb carrots

3 red peppers

1 yellow pepper

1 stalk celery

6-8 cups beef broth (or any other broth or stock)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in 350* oven for about 45 minutes.

Puree 3/4 of the vegetables and thin out with the broth until a good consistency. Flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the other vegetables and bring back up to a simmer.

Giving Thanks

2010-12-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

This time of year is the greatest, isn't it? It begins with Thanksgiving where we get the opportunity to look at our lives and really acknowledge how lucky we are, and then spend the next month or so full of parties, family, food and, of course gifts!

I think too often that we take for granted all the great things in our lives. It's so great to be able to slow down for a minute and appreciate it. Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed with just how lucky I am (Since about October 14th to be exact...) I have sooo much to be thankful for this holiday season!

I have to begin my list with my baby and my husband. I feel so lucky to be a mother to the most amazing kid ever! I could never really picture myself as a mom, or that it was something I really ever wanted. But now that he is in my life, I can't imagine how I could have ever lived without him! It seems so natural to take care of him and absolutely love every second of it! I hate when I have to leave him, even if it is just to go to the store for a couple minutes. He is in perfect health and is gaining weight like a mad man! We couldn't ask for a better baby and I am so grateful that he is in my life!

My husband is the greatest man in the world. It's been almost 5 years and I still am ridiculously in love! At times he frustrates me so much that I just want to scream, but I couldn't imagine my life without him. He still makes me laugh every single day and I couldn't ask for a more patient man. He puts up with my faults and loves me anyway. There is no way I could have gotten through the pregnancy and delivery without him.

He was by my side the entire time and such a great support to me. I am so glad I had him there to hold my hand every step of the way. My favorite part of every day is when we are both home, getting ready for bed, watching TV and cuddling with Mayzie and Lincoln! To me, that is Heaven!

One of the things I love most about him is that he is such a great dad! Nothing makes me happier than seeing my husband adore our son. He just loves that little Link so much! Sometimes I can hear him talking to Link while he is changing his diaper

or giving him a bath in his little cutesy voice and it makes me smile every time. Since I have gone back to work, Tom and Link get to spend that whole time with each other and I know that Link is in the most capable, caring hands that he could possibly be in.

Our little family wouldn't be complete without my little Mayzie Day! She lights up my life! Such a happy girl! Always so excited to see us! She doesn't really get the attention she used to get anymore, but I am still so grateful to her and the happiness she brings to us!

I could go on and on about all the things and people I am grateful for, but this post would be about 80 pages long. I sure am a lucky girl!!!!

Holiday Baking

2010-11-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about the holidays is making candy and doing all the holiday baking! When I was younger, my mom and grandma would do demonstrations at the Festival of Trees on how to make Christmas Candy, specifically making and dipping chocolates, and us young kids would be the hired help.

Last night I made two of my favorite holiday treats and sent some with Tom to his work and brought some in to my work. I had many people request the recipes because they are pretty much the most delicious things ever! The fudge recipe has been handed down from my great-grandpa, so you know it's good!

Kartchner Fudge

12 oz chocolate chips

1/2 lb butter or margarine

chopped nuts

4 cups sugar

1 can evaporated milk

30 marshmallows

Put chocolate chips, butter, and nuts in a glass bowl. Set aside. Bring the sugar and canned milk to a boil, stirring constantly, until it reaches 242*. At the last minute, stir in the 30 marshmallows and continue to stir until melted. Pour into the first bowl until the chocolate chips and butter are melted. Pour the fudge into a buttered 9x13 pan and allow to set up.

Soda Cracker Toffee

Saltine crackers

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup REAL butter (if you use margarine, it will not be crunchy, it will be soft and won't be nearly as delightful)

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray. Put 1 layer of saltine crackers. Boil together the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Spoon over the saltines. Bake at 350* for 5 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. Let sit for 2 minutes and spread chocolate across the top. Allow to cool completely in fridge and break into pieces to serve.

Welcome to the world, little Lincoln!

2010-10-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Nursery #2

2010-09-22T19:15:00.001-07:00

I wish I had a goat!!!

2010-08-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Secret Confession

2010-06-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

I'm in love.... with Mr. Darcy. And to me, Colin Firth is the only Mr. Darcy, ever.

mmmmmmmmmmm...... I'll take 2 please.

Our nursery

2010-06-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Netty

2010-06-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Next week it will have been 6 months since my little Netty girl died. I still miss her so much. It's amazing how big a void such a small creature can create when they are gone.

There is something so special about disabled animals, I have found. Anything they lack in physical ability is more than made up for with the capacity to love. At least that was the case with Netty and

I definitely hold a special place in my heart anytime I hear about a "lesser abled" animal because of her. I just am so glad that I was able to take care of her while she was here.

One of my favorite things about her was that you could never tell HER that she was disabled. According to her, anything Mayzie did, she could do too. She used to throw a fit if Mayzie got to go on a walk without her. We tried to keep her inside in the winter because she would get so cold with her bad circulation and also, if she walked on anything other than grass, her back feet would get torn up when she walked due to them dragging. But if we were anywhere near the door with a leash for Mayzie, Netty would start whining and throwing a fit to come too. Sometimes I couldn't open the door to go outside without her squeezing out and running as fast as she could down the side walk.

This is how I almost always saw her. If she could have just slept on my lap all day long she would be in heaven. When I would get up, she would give me a look of what looked to me like annoyance that I would dare disturb her when she was comfortable.

For some reason she loved to use my slipper as a chew toy. It was just about the same size as her, but she would whip it back and forth, showing that little slipper who was boss. Then when she got bored of fighting it, she would use it as a pillow.

I came across this picture just a couple weeks ago. You probably have to look close, but Netty is there, cuddled under Mayzie. Ever since Netty died, Mayzie has been much more cuddly with Tom and I, and much more clingy. She hates being left alone now, when she used to seem to not mind it so much because she had Netty to keep her company.

It was so funny to watch Mayzie and Netty play. You would think that Mayzie would be the bully because she was so much stronger and bigger than Netty, but that was not the case at all. Netty would chase her around the house until finally Mayzie would get sick of it, jump on the couch and just stare at Netty because she knew she couldn't get her up there. Netty would keep on trying to jump up to get her though. "Determined" in an understatement when talking about Netty. I have even seen Netty pull Mayzie off the couch if Mayzie let her guard down enough to allow any part of her body (ears, mainly) within Netty's reach.

This is one of the last pictures we ever took of her. Tom got her that little sweater for Christmas. It was too big on her, but she sure looked cute in that little hoodie. Because of her poor circulation, she was cold all the time. We kept a little sweater on her pretty much from September to April to keep her from shivering.

Tommy

2010-06-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was just reading an article on Complimenting your way to a happier marriage. I absolutely loved this article! I thought it was so true! Sometimes we just take our husbands for granted. I know I do. I wish I didn't, but it definitely happens. So I just wanted to take this time to talk about how amazing my husband is and how glad I am that he is my husband!

The first thing that needs to be said about Tom is how funny he is! He makes me laugh every single day. I love his sense of humor, he is a complete goof ball and he is so much fun to be around. He is a completely unique individual who lives by his own rules. He doesn't let things get to him. Both those things can be frustrating for me sometimes, but I need to learn from his example and start taking life as it comes instead of worrying about what could be.

Tommy is a very smart man. He seems to always interject into conversations with random facts that no one should ever really know. I love being able to talk to him and to hear him get on a

subject that he is really passionate about.

I could go on about the things I love about Tom forever, but I probably ought to get on to something more productive. I just want to finish with how excited I am to see him be a dad! I know he is going to be amazing. Any doubts I have about my own parenting skills are made up for because I know he will be by my side. He is sooo good with kids and has only ever wanted a family. I couldn't ask for a better partner in parenthood and can't wait to get started!

All in all, I am an extremely lucky woman to have found such a perfect partner for me. I couldn't be happier with spending forever with such a great man.

Croquembouche

2010-06-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

May's challenge for the Daring Bakers was a Piece Montée or Croquembouche. I have always heard them called Croqembouche, so that is what I am going to call it. A classic Croquembouche is a pyramid or cone of basically custard filled puff pastries glued together with caramel, decorated with spun sugar, flowers, or chocolate. It is what is used as the traditional wedding cake in France. I have always thought they looked so beautiful and have always wanted to try my hand at it so I was excited to do it!

Making the Pate a Choux (puff pastry) from scratch turned out to be a struggle for me. My first batch was waaaayyyy too runny and turned into egg flavored disks. My second batch turned out perfectly though. I forgot to brush the egg wash over them before they cooked but they still browned nicely, so that is good.

I ran out of the custard before all the cream puffs were filled, but I did have some chocolate whipped cream in the fridge. I ended up using that to fill the rest and they were just as good if not better than the custard filled ones.

Here is what a traditional Croquembouche is supposed to look like:

And here is what mine looked like:

Soooooo.... not quite the same. But it was still delicious! And was more than enough for 7 people for dessert with leftovers.

Here is the recipe as given to us by Little Miss Cupcake:

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:
Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:
You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place – see video #4 below).

When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

It's a Boy!!!!!

2010-05-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post the little video they gave me, but apparently I can't figure out how to do it. Maybe once I learn I will post it, but until then, cyber-world, you just get this picture. Isn't he cute?!?!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

2010-05-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day this year, my family gave my mom a day of service, working in the yard. While the fam was hard at work outside, I stayed in my element and made cinnamon rolls for a big Mother's Day brunch. They ended up quite ridiculously tasty, if I may say so myself! I had some requests for the recipe so I thought I would share it with anyone who was so inclined.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe from Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur

Rolls

1 package active dry yeast (¼ oz size)

1 cup warm milk (105-110° F)

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup margarine

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 cups all purpose flour

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 ½ Tbl cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine, softened

Icing

8 Tbl margarine, softened

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup (2 oz) cream cheese

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

2. Mix together the sugar, margarine, salt and eggs. Add flour, and mix well.

3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough flat until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide. It should be about ¼ inch thick.

5. Preheat oven to 400°F.

6. For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened margarine evenly over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly over the surface.

7. Working carefully from the top (a 21-inch side), roll the dough down to the bottom edge.

8. Cut the rolled dough into 1 ¾ inch slices and place 6 at a time evenly spaced, in a lightly greased baking pan. Let the rolls rise again until double in size (about 30 minutes). Bake for 10 minutes, or until light brown on top.

9. While the rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls come out of the oven, coat each generously with icing.

Pictures of Tom and me

2010-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

In November, my extremely talented roommate from my freshman year of college took some pictures of Tom and I. We hadn't had any professional pictures of us since our wedding and wanted some to show off how damn good-looking we are!!!! :) She is amazing and did such a great job! Here are some of my favorites that she took. Thanks again Bekah!

So......

2010-05-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently I suck at this. Considering how often I am on the computer, you would think I would get the time to update my blog. But it doesn't happen. Sorry, maybe I'll get better at it someday.

So, I guess it has been almost a year since I last updated this. A lot has happened in that time. I will just give the short and sweet version of it all I guess.

1. The biggest life changing event that happened in the last year is that we found out we're pregnant! Our little baby Norman is due October 19th. I can't believe it's really happening. I still just look like I ate too much, a little bit of a baby bump, but not so much that you can tell that there is a baby in there and I'm not just extra chubby.

2. The second event that changed our lives was that our sweet little Netty passed away on December 30th. It is still so hard for me to handle, I miss her so much. I should just be grateful that I was blessed with the little angel for as long as I was, but she was the biggest comfort to me in my times of need and now when I need her most she is not here. My goal is to post another blog about her within the next week.

3. I graduated from the University of Utah with my Bachelor's Degree in Accounting just last weekend. It was a looooong time coming, but at least it's over now! If I want to get my CPA, I will still need to get my Master's Degree, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

4. We moved from a 2 bedroom apartment into a 3 bedroom apartment to start getting ready for little baby Norman. Tom's sister Hillary is still living with us. Tom and I always said that after I graduated, we would move out of state to establish an identity of our own little family and to experience life outside of Utah. Tom still wants to do this, but I am hesitant with the baby on the way. We will see where life takes us, I guess.

5. I was laid off from my job at Parsons Brinckerhoff in May of last year and got a job at eBay. I met some amazing people, but a call center is not where I want to be, so I got a job at Precision Corporate Services in February doing bookkeeping for small companies.

6. Tom got a job at Overstock.com doing customer service. He was quickly promoted to a "Seal" which is basically a mini-team lead. A couple of weeks ago he was moved off of "front line" customer service and moved to technical support which he enjoys a lot more.

I guess that pretty much catches you all up on our lives! That's all I've got for now.

Daring Cooks Challenge- Potstickers

2009-06-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Oops! I was supposed to post this on the 14th, but I forgot! So here we are! Just a little late!

This was my first attempt at a Daring Cooks Recipe. I was pretty overwhelmed by the sight of it, so waited until just about the last minute before I tried it!

The recipe is from Jen at use real butter. That website has been my motivation to start my own food blog, join the daring kitchen and try all sorts of new recipes! I defintiely think you

should check out her website! She's amazing!!!

Filling Ingredients

Minced Vegetables

Making the Dough

The delicious finished product! MMMMmmm....

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

pork filling:
1 lb (450g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried - rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup (75g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 (55g) cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce
2 tbsp (28g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

shrimp filling:
1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2009-05-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

This sunday was Mother's day, but since we did the re-model to my parents house for Christmas, they wouldn't let us do any gifts for Mother's day (or father's day, or birthdays....). So instead of doing the normal breakfast in bed for our mom, my siblings and I decided to do a big family breakfast.

The menu was Cranberry-Orange Scones, Breakfast Kabobs, roasted rosemary potatoes, fresh berries and orange juice. And then to top it all off- The Chocolate Bag!

The bag is completely chocolate and filled with homemade poundcake, chocolate mousse, and fresh berries. Absolutely delicious!!!

On a completely different subject- I think my professors are waiting until the last possible second before they post their grades, just to make us have anxiety issues...

The Daring Kitchen!

2009-05-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have just joined the world of professional food bloggers by joining the Daring Bakers and the Daring Cooks! That means that twice a month I will be trying out a new recipe and posting the final results on my blog! Keep reading to find out about the most recent things I've made!

Berry Chocolate Chip cupcakes and Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

2009-04-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Berry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

Cookies, Cupcakes and Truffles. Oh my!

2009-04-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

love to cook and bake and so recently I've been toying with the idea of incorporating that into something I can make money doing and possibly turn it into a full time job. So I am doing a lot of experiments with delicious food to see if people might actually want to buy the stuff I make...

This week I made chocolate orange cupcakes with lemon frosting, yellow cupcakes with chocolate ganache, and berry chocolate chip cupcakes.

I also experimented with some truffles. I made peanut butter, mocha, and chili powder truffles!

This weekend I am planning on trying out some iced lemon lavender cookies and possibly some mini-Boston Cream pies!

If you or anyone you know whats to be a test subject for some of these cookies or cupcakes, let me know! I will sell the experimental batches of cupcakes for $8, and a batch of cookies for $5.

Babies!

2009-04-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, I have to say, I LOVE having a big family! Everyone is very thoughtfully having babies for me, so I get my baby fix when I need it! Here are some of the cutest kids in the world!!!

Kian looks like he is about to eat Jack Jack!
5 day old Presley in her Easter Dress!
Garrett with his Easter eggs!
Start 'em early, that's what I say!!!!
Little Duffy is one of the happiest chubbiest babies! He's so much fun!!!
Presley and me, the day after she was born
Caleb is too dang cute!!! I just love him to pieces!
Ok, so Ty and Mara aren't babies anymore, but they still deserve a spot because of how cute and perfect they are!!!
And last, but not least, my perfect little Jack Jack! He owns the kissin-est cheeks ever! I can't ever walk past him without kissing him!!!

School

2009-01-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

School has started once again, but this semester I'm not alone! Tom decided the time was right for him to go back to school so Tuesday was basically his first class since high school!!! I couldn't be prouder of him- it's got to be incredibly hard to go back after all that time.

He is taking 4 classes this semester:

History- which he loves! For some reason he likes to just sit and read his textbook. Not sure yet what is wrong with him, but hopefully we'll find a cure soon!

Algebra- pretty basic, but is a good review and an easy class to ease him back into school mode.

Intro to Architecture- once again he loves it!

and CIS- another boring intro class.

I'm only taking 3 classes this semester. My classes are:

Accounting Information Systems

Financial Accounting 2

Operations Management

I'm planning on the semester kicking my butt since all my classes are really work intensive. But hopefully with only 3 classes I'll be able to somewhat survive!

I have to say though, it's nice to have someone to study with me every night!

Tom's Car

2009-01-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

In the middle of December during one of the big snow storms, Tom's (relatively) new car was hit. We didn't think it was that much damage, even though he was the only one of the 3 cars involved that couldn't drive away from the accident. As time went on though we found out that since the frame of the car was bent, it was totalled by the impact. He wasn't at fault so we were confident that our insurance company would take care of us, and be able to compensate us fully.

Unfortunately we found out that we will only be getting about 3/4 the value of our car loan and about half of what we thought the car's value was. When Tom talked to the adjuster and asked about the remaining money in the loan, the adjuster told him he would be able to get the money from the other car's insurance company. Once our insurance agent came back from the holidays she told us that the this wasn't really the case, that the money we had been originally offered was all we were going to get. We then contacted my aunt Diane (attorney-at-law) who said that we should call them back and try to retract our acceptance of the money. Our agent said that wasn't a problem and she would retract the check first thing in the morning. Then we found out that her manager didn't want to let us retract our (misled) acceptance, so wouldn't let her take the check back. So after countless calls between Diane, Tom, and our insurance company, we are not only carless, but now owe $3,000 on a car that is no longer in existence, by no fault of ours. Awesome! Thanks All-State!

We are still trying to work with our insurance company, but at this point doesn't look like there is much else we can do. We'll keep you updated if anything good happens! Cross your fingers for us!

Baby Garrett

2008-10-08T20:24:00.001-07:00

We finally got a new camera! Yay! This is our 3rd camera in as many years. But now maybe I will be better at keeping up on the blogs because I will actually have fun pictures to share instead of just random stories. My siblings and I gave my brother, Colin tickets to the Weezer that was last night so we got to tend my nephew Garrett while they were at the concert! Mayzie absolutely loves baby G! When Garrett cries Mayzie runs over to check on him and if we don't make him happy soon enough she will start crying too. She is always checking on him to make sure he is ok. Its pretty cute!!! This is Mayzie playing watch dog from her post on top of the chair.

Is this the cutest face ever?! Mayzie and Baby G playing together.

Washington!

2008-10-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm evidently not very good at this whole blogging thing!!! But at least by posting this blog I should be good for the next couple months, right? :)

As most of you know Tom is in Seattle working right now for a couple weeks- so I decided to fly up next weekend to see him!!! I'm pretty excited about it! A vacation is something great to look forward to while I am missing my husband horribly! But if anyone has any suggestions for things to do in Seattle please let me know!!!

Ok, so this picture was taken in Oregon, not Washington, but its still the northwest so it still counts, right?

Mayzie and Netty

2008-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tom and I have two of the cutest dogs ever in existence! We have a little Poodle Yorkie named Mayzie Day, and a partially disabled Dachshund named Netty.

Mayzie will be 2 just after Christmas. She is the cutest little dog ever! When people first see her they usually think she is a Shi Tzu, but she is really a Yorkie. Its actually a pretty funny story- My sister had a poodle- Shi Tzu mix that was the cutest the puppy, so we decided the world would be a better place if there were more poo-shit puppies in the world. So my mom decided to breed her poodle (Floof) with Shi Tzu. Two days after Christmas Floofy started having her babies, one week before we expected them. She had 5 puppies, one brown puppy (Mayzie), and 4 black and white ones. Mayzie was the first born and the biggest puppy. We didn't think much of it until several months later Mayzie was about half the size of the other puppies and looked completely different from them. About that time we started questioning, "wait a minute, wasn't there a Yorkie that kept sneaking into the backyard when Floof was in heat?" "is it possible to have 2 dads in one litter of puppies?" So we looked it up, and we found out, YES! It is possible! Its actually quite common in lab rats! So, we haven't done any paternity tests or anything, but we are pretty convinced that she is part Yorkie while her siblings are all Shi Tzu!

Mayzie has the best temperament for a small dog! She loves kids! She doesn't mind when kids bug her and play with her and pull her tail. Most dogs get mad after about a minute of that, but she has never gotten mad at anyone! Mayzie's nickname is Mangey for 2 reasons, one reason- when her hair grows out she is basically a swiffer dust mop. Especially when we took her to the ranch Tom grew up on which is located in the middle of the desert! The second reason is that Tom's niece Kylee evidently didn't really hear us when we told her the name so called Mayzie "Mangey" the whole day! We thought it was pretty cute and the name stuck!

Our other baby is Netty. She was born with 4 vertebrae fused together in a funny angle so it pinches on her spinal cord. This means that she doesn't have full control over her back legs or, unfortunately, her bowels, so Netty wears diapers all the time. Tom found an ad on KSL classifieds explaining Netty's situation. He called for me to come read the ad and I told him to call right away! He called and said "We have a couple questions about your puppy for sale." The lady said, "Ok, what are your questions?" And Tom said, "Can we come pick her up today?" She is the sweetest little puppy in the world. If she could sit in your lap the entire day, she would be in heaven!

Netty was named after Tom's mother. Her name was Jeanette and her husband, Jeff, called her Netty. Jeanette hated the name so when Jeff got a red colored horse (same color hair as Jeanette) the name transfered. So on our way down to Provo to pick up our little Netters, Tom said that if the dog was red he wanted to name her Netty.

These two puppies are sometimes, quite a handful, but they are the best puppies ever! Its the best feeling in the world that no matter how bad your day is, you can go home to two puppies that couldn't be more excited to see you!

Hello!!!

2008-07-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well hello everybody! I decided its time to start a blog, not because I think our lives are so ridiculously important that everyone in the world should know about us (although, lets not kid ourselves here, Tom and I are pretty ridiculously important), but since we aren't able to talk to everyone as often as we would like, this is a good way to keep everyone abreast of what is going on in our lives!

Tom and I have been married for almost 2 years and couldn't be happier! I am working at Parson's Brinckerhoff as a project accountant. Parsons Brinckerhoff is a big transportation engineering firm that designs a lot of the big projects around, such as I-15 construction projects and Trax as well as lots of other smaller projects. I work on contracts, budgets, client invoices, sub-consultant invoices, cost proposals, etc... for all the projects we have going on. Its definitely a challenge sometimes for many reasons, but for the most part its a great job and a great opportunity. There aren't many accounting positions where the company is willing to work around a school schedule, so I feel really lucky to be working there! I work with a lot of really great people, and am learning a LOT! And, in case after graduation I decide that is not where I want to be anymore, it will be a great stepping stone for my career. But if I decide I want to keep with this company, there is lots of room for growth and change. In fact, I have gotten emails about project accounting positions in the company in places like Australia and Hawaii in case I decide a change of scenery is in store!

I am still going to school and there is light at the end of the (long!) tunnel! I am only taking Business Law this semester, but the end of that class is coming very soon. I then have about 6 semesters left until I have my Masters of Accounting degree and can sit for the CPA.
Tom is doing very well also. He is still working as a carpenter full-time, doing the framing of LDS churches, but part time he also is doing financial planning with Primerica. He is loving the latter, not so much the former. I am ready for him to be done with construction because its just such a dangerous job. I'm tired of getting text messages that say "what exactly does your insurance cover?" and hearing about his stapling himself or falling out of the trusses. But he is ready to be done because it is so challenging physically. Last summer he tore a disk in his back and it still hurts him pretty regularly, PLUS he recently pinched his sciatic nerve so that hasn't helped the situation very much. Needless to say, he is hoping that the financial planning picks up so he doesn't have to continue to work construction! So, if you know anyone that needs to re-finance their house, is looking for better life insurance, or just needs a little debt consolidation, keep Tom in mind and he will be able to help!

I guess that is it for my background blog! Stay tuned, I'm sure there will be more posts soon!