A Perfect Day

Don't you love those days when you get done with them and you think to yourself...."I could totally do that day again"  It involved Stamping, Eating, Football and hanging with some of my favorite people.

Let me share the details.

My stampin club met in the morning for our last get together of the year.  By the way...we are starting a new year and anyone that wants to get together with us is welcome.  You get a chance to host a get together and reap the benefits of hosting a party - Free Stamps, ink, paper, punches etc. 
We started out making cookies with the cookie stamps Stampin UP is now selling - they are so cute and the cookies are tasty!  It comes with a jack-o-lantern, heart and snowflake, plus a couple of recipes.  One for shortbread and one for sugar cookies.  Don't they look good?

These are the three cards we made with the group  - None of the ideas were originally mine - but I say why reinvent the wheel - when someone already has.  As as side note...I haven't posted all the details.  If you are interested in duplicating these - contact me.

Decorating the tree - We made the plaid background paper with the striped embossing folder.  Once again...If you need instructions, contact me and I will provide you with detailed instructions.  This was my favorite card of the class.  (I love anything plaid!)

Christmas from the heart -

This card was easy and just fun.  We used the pennant punch and stamp set to create the trees.  I wish Stampin UP  still sold their gingham ribbon.  I think red gingham would have been perfect. 

This card just pops with the red and green colors.  We used the stocking punch and some cute little jingles bells.  Just a classic looking card.

This card was a sample - Also used the stocking punch.  I saw this idea on pinterest and had to duplicate it.  Put a few touches of my own on it.  I love to watch figure skating.  I always wanted to learn to skate so I could be just like them.  We were never close enough to a place to skate and I am severely challenged when it comes to skating of any kind.  Just ask my friends who tried to teach me to rollerblade.

Jeff and Connie had invited us to go to lunch with them - so we wrapped up with the stamping, which turned out to be at Connies, so we left and picked Ralph up.  We headed to the Grand America for a lunch buffet in the garden cafe.  To sum it up...Wow, you know...I could totally live the 5 star hotel life style.  The food was great, company was better and I ate to stuffing point and them some.  My stomach always seems to have less room for all the goodies my eyes want to eat.  After we finished, the waitress brought out a special treat for us.  Connie had mentioned to the waitress what a great experience they had the last time they had come.  To provide an equally great experience, the waitress brought out two boxes that look like this. 

This was the surprise that we found inside the box.  The chocolate smelled so good. We decided to save it for when we weren't so full and could enjoy the delightful treat.

Wouldn't that be fun to be a chocolatier and make these kinds of treats.  I can't wait to dig in.

After lunch, we wandered around the hotel and admired the beautiful furniture and fun shops.  We wandered into their pastry shop just to see the beatiful handwork and finery.  I saw this glass pumpkin and mentioned how much I liked it.  Next thing I know Connie puts a bag in my hand.  I love it!!!  We were spoiled rotton.  Isn't it great to have such good friends.  I can't wait to go back and see the toy store they were in the process of remodeling.  We took a peak in behind the curtain draped over the door way.  It looked like a lot of fun.

We came home and rested a bit before heading out into the snow to watch a football game.  It snowed the whole first quarter... they had a whole entourage of snow shovelers that would run out onto the field during every timeout and scraped where the lines were and the numbers.  It was cold but so worth it. 

This photo was taken by SL Trib - John White IV (guy with the ball) is a rockstar!  It has been fun to hear the commentary from both teams and their fans.  Score  31-6.  I love football season.

We came home, warmed up and enjoyed the rest of the evening watching football before bed.

Once again I could not have asked for a more perfect day

Ta Ta for now

There are no words....

that can describe what happened at RES.  OH wait - there are...BUTT KICKIN!  I am not sure what team showed up to play against the horned frogs, but it wasn't the team I normally watch.  We couldn't complete a pass, hand off, or hang on to the ball to save our lives.  There was so much hype over the game and then to have it end the way it did was heart breaking and almost comical at the end as we continued to play like we have never seen or played the game before.  Oh well...we learn from it and move on to South Bend IN to play Notre Dame.  Go UTES!

So I rented a couple of movies to watch last night - Iron Man 2 and Letters to Juliet.  Ralph didn't finish his presidency meeting until much later than he anticipated. We only got through Iron Man 2 - thoroughly enjoyed it. Iron Man rocks and so does Pepper Potts!  But don't forget Scarlett Johansens character.  She double rocked!  I think it will be one we eventually add to our collection.

**SPOILERS**I watched Letters to Juliet when I got home from the football game as it had to be returned tonight before 9:00.  It was good - Vanessa Redgrave is just beautiful  A class act.  My soft romantic brain got sucked in and I loved the scene when the character Claire comes to check on Sophie after a rough day of searching for Lorenzo.  She offers to brush Sophie's hair and says “One of the great joys in life is having one's hair brushed"- tears were sitting on the edge of my eyelids by the end of the scene.  I even made Ralph sit down watch as I replayed the scene.   The ending was a bit cheesy - but loved the happy ending.  I think the real love affair took place between Claire and Sophie.  What a sweet relationship that was.  I needed that after todays fiasco.

For breakfast this morning I really wanted some French Toast - Ralph suggested that pumpin french toast would be a good idea.  So I tried it.  It turned out exactly as I had imagined it would taste.  It will be one we add to our recipe pile of keepers.  I don't have a picture of the finished product, but it looks a lot like regular french toast.  Here is the recipe:
3 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/4 C cream
1/4 C pureed pumpkin
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamon
8 to 10 sliced of bread.

Mix the custard ingredients together.  Soak bread in custard mixture and cook.  These would be good stuffed with cream cheese.  This could also be adjusted to make a good bread pudding.    Use your imagination and enjoy it.

Ta Ta for now

Cause I got a golden ticket!

It is finally

Ok my ticket is not really gold, but none the less I am excited.  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir does a Chrismtas Concert every year - 4 days during December.  There are 21200 seats in the conference center and would you believe it, it "sells" out every year.  You put your name in a lottery for the tickets and I got some.  YAY!
This concert is one of my favorite things to do.  You are in the middle of an incredibly busy season and it provides an opportunity for me to stop and enjoy the Christmas lights, and the spirit of the season.  David Archuletta is the guest performer this year.  He wouldn't be my first pick, by I enjoy listening to his Christmas music.  I am looking forward to it!

Football game tomorrow - Wahoo I can hardly wait.  ESPN Gameday will be broadcasting from the stadium.  The crazy fans are sleeping out over night so they can be there in the morning.  The school is hoping to have 10,000 fans there to join in the ESPN gameday celebration.  It is also the U's blackout game.  Normally this particular game is in the evening so my black sweatshirt works just fine.   Well the game is at 1:30 and it is supposed to be 68 F  I can't sit in the NEZ with the sun beating down on me in a sweatshrit.  I need a Utah black t-shirt.  Guess I will have to forgo my walk up the canyon for a walk to the sports store.  Go Utes!!!

Well - as my Mum would say - I need to "hunker" down and get to work - lots to do!

Garden Harvest and stuff.

Summer is definitely over.  Sigh.  With the fall breezes my allergies have spiked this week.  My nose is sore from wiping it so much.  Ralph harvested the rest of the garden and got it ready for all the plants to be tilled under.  I think we will be doing grape juice here shortly, once we have a freeze  - makes the grapes sweeter.  the apples have been harvested and we are scheduled to help press them for cider next weekend.  I am glad we don't have a ton of leaves to rake this year.  The abundance of trees and leaves at our last place of residence was overwhelming. 

It is raining and a bit cold.  The forecast is for colder weather.  My problem is that I don't have any sweats, pajama bottoms, or pants that fit.  This is the time of year when I come home from work - change from my fancy duds to my pajamas and a sweatshirt.  Old Navy should have something cute and comfy - maybe Shop Ko or Smiths Marketplace.  What I really need is a sewing machine and some cute flannel fabric to make my own.

(I feel bad about my neck!)

So if you are wondering...Ralph and I opted for a football game instead of stake meetings.  Even though it was in the rain for the majority of the game it was worth.  I love spending time with Ralph watching football.  This is time we set aside to be together without the stresses of home and other responsibilities.  Church meetings just take a 2nd to certain things.  with all the different colored rain poncho's the stadium looked like a big package of skittles.   It stopped raining by about mid 3rd quarter, but our bums were already wet.  We got home from the game and had hot chocolate and made buffalo chicken wings.  The hot chocolate felt so good going down.  By the time I finished witht he - my lips were burning!  They were so tasty and I even baked them instead of frying and believe it or not they still turned out crispy. 

We did attend meetings today down at the conference center today as it was a multi-stake/regional conference.  Our stake just happened to be one of the many that were invited downtown.  The messages were very basic - go on a mission, be temple worthy and focus on your family.  All of them very timely considering the moral values of the world.  I love 2 hour church!

I am working on starting up a home book keeping business.  One of my BFF's is helping me get on my feet.  No guarantees yet that I am going to stick with it, as it is hard enough to put in 8 hours and come home and do more, but the extra income sure could help us out.  Combine that with some of the things Ralph is working on  - hopefully things will turn out for us.

I haven't stamped much this week - I was trying to get things done for a gal that missed the stamp a stack.  She wanted to take my stuff home and work on it.  Normally that wouldn't have been so bad, but she lives in Ogden and I wasn't ready to part with my stuff.  I ended up stamping all of her projects and assembling a sample so that she could assemble the rest when she gets home.  I have missed a couple of my Christmas countdowns...so I will make it up to you on Friday with some great ideas.

Monday brings a new finance program at work.  I am not quite sure where to start, when I arrive at work, but hopefully things will run smoothly.

So as we have been getting doused with rain, Saturday morning Ralph and I stepped out onto our porch to wactch the rain come down... I left the door open to see what Riley would do, knowing full well that he hates getting wet.  Sure enough he sat in the doorway and barked at us.  There was no way he was coming out in the rain, but he didn't want to get left either.  Then he ran back in and started doing things that gets him in trouble - just so we would come back in.  Funny little dog.  On that note - I am going to take Riley while it is not raining to do his business and then watch the UofU football game again before bed.
Ta Ta for now

Football Countdown and a birthday wish

I can hardly wait – we got these in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I am completely giddy! In less than two weeks and I will be sitting in Rice Eccles Stadium watching the Utes play football against Pittsburg. The Vegas odds are Utes by 3 – I hope it ends by 10.  I love football season. Sitting in the stadium - enjoying the weather, watching the crazy fans, yelling at the team and coaches, cheering them on, and Red (my favorite color) - everywhere!  GO UTES

Since we are on the topic of football…I was going to let this go but I decided to speak my piece. I am not impressed with how BYU has handled the whole going independent “thing.” I think a lot of teams have been shafted. I won’t go into the whole story.   As ESPN's Colin Cowherd has reported…Independence is overrated – everybody needs somebody. BYU doesn’t have what it takes to make it as an independent. BYU can talk all they want – even if they go 12 and 0 you are not going to get any home and home games with the big boys. It sounds a lot cooler than it is. BYU is selling out.  Here is the link.  ESPN Radio - THE HERD  If you are interested you will have followed the media stories and if you are not interested the last place you want to read about it is here. At this point I think BYU is going to end up with egg all over their faces no matter how this turns out
Gary’s birthday was yesterday and I am sad I was not there to celebrate with him. I did make a card and I made sure it got there on his birthday. I had to take a picture of it with my phone camera as I got to work and realized I hadn’t gotten a picture yet. Thus you get the washed out look from this great flourescnt lighting we have in the office.  The inside reads – May your layers be many and your frosting be thick.

Stamps – Voila, fabulous phrases, Twill background
Ink - Stazon Black, blush blossom, basic gray, river rock, bashful blue, sahara stand, daffodil delight, not quite navy
Paper – Not quite Navy, Garden Green DSP, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Basic Black
Accessories – white gel pen, crystal effects

Ta Ta for now

Football and stuff

I am staying home from work today.  Not really playing hookie.  I have a cold - that I have been trying to fight off, but it has over taken me as of this morning.  So, while I am not sharing my cold with my co-workers I can alleviate some of my stresses by working on the packing - with what little energy I have.

It turned out that watching the neices and nephews on Saturday was a welcome break to packing.  Ralph and I were tired at the end of the day so it was a great excuse to quit for a while.  We had pizza and watched the 2nd Night at the Museum movie.  The kids were great!

Yesterday we went up to one of Ralph's brothers homes to watch the superbowl.  We had a great time and way yummy food.  We all brought up our dogs to play together and that was kind of funny.  Riley let the two younger dogs know that he wanted to be in charge.  Once they accepted that the evening went fine.  They loved to chase the ball.  There was a coon hound there that kept dragging the little Australian collie around by its collar/neck.  Kind of funny, but not really.  Behavior issues up the wazzoo with that one. 

So, I thought it would be nice if the Saints won the game, based on the fact that they haven't ever won the superbowl.  But when I remembered that Austin Collie played for the Colts, there was no way I could support him getting a superbowl ring his first year of playing pro-ball.  So I became even more invested in the Saints winning the football game.  They did it!  Yay! Yay! Yay!

Well - I guess I better get a few things done before run out of energy and have to crash for the day.   I will leave you with our recipe for

Buffalo chicken dip -
•2-3 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
•1 cup of ranch dressing or blue cheese dresssing
•1 cup of Franks Original Red Hot (do not substitute this please)
•1 8 oz block of cream cheese (do not use fat free, 1/3rd less fat OK)
•2 cups of shredded cheese - any blend of cheese you like.
•Green onions (optional)

•mix together the cream cheese, dressing, hot sauce, and shredded cheese - add the shredded chicken. Spread into an 11 x 7 pyrex baking dish and put into a 375 F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with green onions and serve with celery sticks and slices of toasted bagette or crackers.

A Win Win

No, you are not seeing double.  We had two great wins the last couple days.  BYU creamed Oregon St. and Utah beat Cal Bears.  The MWC is making a good showing.  Wyoming won their bowl game.  Now Air Force needs to come through and TCU should finish off with a great win against BSU.  What a great football season.

It snowed all day today.  Just a really fine powder snow, but it put some volume on the ground.  Definitely feels like Christmas.  Today - Christmas Adam...tomorrow Christmas Eve.   Speaking of Christmas...I love getting Christmas cards in the mail.  Especially the home made ones and the photo cards of families.  I always wished for a big enough family to have cool pictures taken.  Ralph, Riley and me just doesn't cut it for a big family picture.  I don't think I could get Ralph to even pose for a little family picture.  We have gotten quite a few cards this year, they are taped up on the wall for all to see.  It is fun to sit back and look at them.  Thanks for the cards!

I still have a ton of things to get done so I will leave you, not with a recipe, but a really cute idea for neighbor treat gifts that I found on a blog that I frequent.   Aren't they cool looking.  I will definitely be doing this next year for office treats, easy neighbor goodies and they look so yummy! Unfrosted brownies, cut into triangles and garnished as trees. How fun is that?!

The Carb Table

Yes, I meant Carb, not card. During the December month fellow team members sign up for a specific day to bring treats for everyone on our floor. Usually 6 to 8 people sign up on any given day. We have had all kinds of goodies. Healthy apples, oranges and veggie trays, home made candies, cookies, chips & salsa - etc. I think you get my point. The table has been nicknamed the CARB Table.

Today the carb table was loaded to the hilt. One thing that caught my eye was not only the seven layer bean dip which I love, but a can of Easy Cheese. You know…the stuff that squirts out of a can. I pride myself on being a cheese purist. I only eat the real stuff and none of this vegetable oil and milk stuff. Every once in a while I suffer a lapse in judgment and succumb to the Velveeta or in this case a can of Easy Cheese. I admit it…I love squirt cheese. I used to take it on road trips because it was convenient and not messy. So today, I have had my taste of squirt cheese and loved it. I probably won’t east processed cheese again for a long time. (ok maybe at the Super Bowl party – but not because I brought it to the party)

BYU plays in their Las Vegas Bowl game tonight. I wish them luck. They will need it against the Rodger boys. It should be a good game.

I have attempted to make home made caramels – not having the best of luck. Let me say that they do come out tasting great, but they are too firm. I want them to be softer, but not too soft. I don’t know if it is my candy thermometer or the pan I cooked them in, but they aren’t turning out. BOO! So instead of making them again…I will make my notes and try again next year.

Lot of things still to do – so I will sign off for now with a recipe I found on one of the many cooking blogs I frequent. The Open Pantry  These are easy and yummy – who can go wrong with cheese, bacon and tomato?

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wraps

Chicken Tenders
Bacon
Lettuce, torn and washed
Tomatoes, sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Shredded Cheddar Cheese or Shredded Cheese Blend
BBQ Sauce
Mayonnaise
Tortilla's or favorite flavored wrap

1. Wrap each chicken tender in one strip of bacon. Cook over medium heat in a skillet until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
2. Mix 1 part mayo to 1/2 part BBQ sauce. Warm up tortillas and spread BBQ/Mayo sauce on each. Layer sauce, cheese, tomato slices, lettuce, red onion and then bacon wrapped chicken tenders on top of tortilla. (Two chicken tenders per wrap is plenty!) Drizzle with additional sauce if desired. Roll up and enjoy!

Ta Ta for now!

Optimism and some Football

It is snowing - not big heavy flakes, but light floaty flakes that will never really cover the ground.  Maybe the snow will help to bring in the Christmas spirit.  I have all the decorations up, but it still doesn't feel like it is Christmas.  I probably just need to get over myself and go find someone that needs my help.  Ultimately that is what is about.. Right?  Giving of oneself? 

Bookgroup at my house was a success.  The food was fabulous and I always enjoy so much talking with them and getting everyone's updates.  By the way...Vegan sausage rolls are ok.  I ate one as it came out of the oven.  Texture was still a little weird, but flavor was ok.  I am still very much attached to pork fat!

We read Candide by Voltaire.  I love discussing philosphy with my friends and with Ralph.  The bookgroup still found it a little hard to find humor in monkeys running around biting womens butts and the women actually liking it.  Or a one buttocked women thinking she is a sex symbol.  To me that is funny.  Voltaire takes a huge pop-shot at royalty and the church as he writes this book.  One of his centuries freest thinkers and trailblazers for it.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is "What is Optimism?" asked Cacambo.  "Alas!" replied Candide; "it is the mania for maintaining that all is right when everything is wrong"   I find myself frequently doing this, not that it is wrong but I think that you can mistake hope for optimism.  They may go together, but they are different.  Voltaire definitley spends the whole book showcasing human suffering, which of course causes the protagonist to see the world as perhaps not the best: "If this is the best of all possible worlds, what must the others be like?"  At the end after his whole journey to find Candide's beautiful true love - he finds out that she is not so much what he imagined.  He marries her anyway and after all the hardships and sufferings he endured, he grasps what is really important in life: "In Voltaire's most famous words, "Il faut cultiver notre jardin" ("we must cultivate our garden") .  After all the travails of life, Voltaire believes that work and industry are antidote to man's unhappy condition. "Labor keeps aloof from us three great evils, - dullness, vice, and want."  Great Book

Football - I love it. 
Oregon vs Oregon State - Wow what a game!  Those Rogers brothers are speedy speedy speedy.  I wonder if the Utes will end up playing them.  We might go to either Las Vegas or the Pointsettia Bowl
Pitt vs Cincy - Cincy has a chance, but Pitt looks amazing
Florida vs Alabama - I honestly don't care who wins this one - I would love to see both of these teams beat.
How will all of this fall out for the bowl games.  All I have to say is that if TCU and BSU don't get the games the deserve and end uplaying each other - there needs to be some serious changes.  The SEC is too afraid they will be beat by TCU.  I would like to see BSU be able to play Cincy or Pitt - that would be a good game.  Tomorrows  rankings and standings will tell all.

For the rest of the day we will be out and about, purchasing stuff to make gifts for friends and family.  I will be finishing up cards and gift tags.  Oh yeah, I also have a Sunday Schoool lesson to prepare.  Not too excited about this one.  It is on "being a good citizen".  Make sure you be good to your neighbor, keep your yards neat, and make sure you vote.  

Recipe for the day - Since it is snowing - I think a good soup is on the menu.
My Clam Chowder
Chowder recipes are a dime a dozen. This is one that we have adapted until we both like it. Feel free to increase the amount of clams.

1 ¼ cup diced celery
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
1 ¼ pound canned clams, drained
2 – 3 cups of reserved clam juice
2-3 thick bacon slices, diced
½ tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
3 cups heavy cream, half & half, or a mixture of both
6 Tbls cooking sherry
Tabasco sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper

Place the potatoes in a large sauce pan, cover with water, and boil until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the bacon in a large stockpot until it is crispy. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon bits, and set them aside. Add the butter, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaves to the bacon drippings. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

Add the flour to the vegetable mixture, and stir over heat to cook the flour (2 -3 minutes). Whisk the cream and clam juice into the vegetables and flour, stirring constantly to work out any lumps. Reduce the heat to simmer. Season with the sherry, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and thyme. Strain the water from the cooked potatoes, and add the potatoes and clams to the chowder.

Heat to serving temperature and serve immediately with crusty sourdough bread.

Keep Warm and Ta Ta for now