Holiday Fun.....

....With Cooking!

12-13-09 Disclaimer: If you are hungry, looking at this post may cause anger! ( This is for you Colton!)

Let me just start out with this: This year I have loved cooking! I don't know what changed exactly but this year I have really wanted to broaden my horizons in the kitchen. I made my very first pie from scratch, dutch apple, and I thought it was pretty darn good. Mom taught me how to make bread, at my request. Now let me just say that homemade bread is so D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! I am so happy that I can make it now. And I actually haven't bought a loaf of bread since October. I have bought lots more flour bread dough rising than ever before though!

My loaves of bread, fresh from the oven

I also had my first canning experience besides corn. I went home in October for like 3 days or so and I learned how to make bread and then Dad helped me can beans and apples. Peeling the apples was quite the chore but having homemade apple pie filling is worth it! Then because I'm baking bread more I've just experimented with the leftover dough and I've made cinnamon rolls and just plain rolls. This may not seem like a big deal to those of you who've been cooking for a long time but I'm just happy I'm learning more. Then with the holidays here I've been experimenting more!

I work with one lady every Friday and Saturday and we've been pretty bored lately, so we look up recipes and then try them out. We were looking at Christmas candy and so we both tried to make a easy toffee recipe. We tried different ones and I'm sad to say that I made mine twice and they were disasters-I thought! But third time's the charm so I gave it one more try and it worked much better.

It was interesting because you use saltine crackers to make the toffee but it is tasty! After that I've been doing other experiments for Christmas goodie plates. I made something similar to peanut butter balls and then tried Oreo balls. The other day I discovered the Pioneerwoman blog that Kiersty loves and I found a recipe on there that looked amazing. So, since I made bread tonight and had leftover dough, I made it. It's called Monkey Muffins or something like that, we used to make Monkey Bread when we were growing up and that stuff was awesome so... I made them and they're pretty amazing, I had to to sample one tonight just to make sure they were okay! I've also found plenty of other recipes that look amazing on that blog that I'm definitely looking forward to trying. I'll let you know how those turn out!

This is the Monkey Muffins, they look so yummy!

It's about TIME.........

for and UPDATE................

So....I was told the other day that it's been a long time since I updated my blog. And it was almost 2 months ago so I thought I'd work on that.

I don't have a whole lot new to share but I've been reading all these other blogs about being thankful and that's got me thinking. Since Thanksgiving is in a few days, I thought I'd list some things that I'm grateful for.

1. The church. Thats kind of a blanket one because there is so much about the church and this gospel that I am thankful for. I'm thankful to know that I have a Heavenly Father who know me personally, He loves me despite my flaws. I'm thankful to know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He suffered for me and He knows all of my pain and sorrow, all of my happiness and joy. I am thankful for the knowledge that families are eternal and that life continues after death. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I am given to serve and to give of myself to others. I am thankful for wonderful leaders, a prophet who loves us and who loves the Lord. There is so much more that I could say about the church but I'll stop there!

2. My family. I just read a post by my sister about being homesick for family and I would have to agree with her. I live only a couple hours from my parents right now but because of work and school I don't get to see them very often. All of my siblings are now out of the state and I'm missing them. This isn't the first time I've been away from family but it doesn't seem to get easier. I'm so thankful for my family and I'm grateful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents and little sister. I can't really imagine being born into a different family. I am thankful for wonderful parents who have taught me so many things. They love me, and I know that I wasn't the easiest child to raise! I'm so thankful for them and their love and patience in raising all of us. I'm so thankful for such awesome sisters. We didn't and don't always get along but...I think we finally learned to accept each other and be friends. Now that we don't live in the same house, it's easier to get along I guess! All joking aside, I'm very thankful to have 4 sisters that are my friends. I wish at times that we lived a little closer to each other so that I didn't have to wait once a year to see some of them. And I have to add that I'm very thankful that in a few months I will finally have a nephew to love an spoil rotten! I'm also thankful for 3 awesome brothers-in-law. They are all such good additions to our family and I'm so thankful for them. I guess it was worth waiting all those years for brothers! I may not have liked them so much if I grew up with them! Just kidding, I'm very thankful for each of them and the wonderful examples they are to me.

3. A job. At this time, I am very thankful to have a job that I like. There are definitely days when I wished that I didn't have to go to work and there are days where I get frustrated. But, for the most part I really enjoy my job. I love being able to talk to people and learn about their lives even if it's very brief. In this economy, where many people have lost jobs, I'm very grateful to have one that I'm good at and that I enjoy.

4. Friends. I am truly thankful for the friends in my life, both past and present. I have been blessed in my life with really great friends who have helped me at different parts of my life. I'm so thankful for the people that Heavenly Father sends into my life and for the blessings they always bring. I am so thankful for the wonderful friends that I have around me. They are amazing and are such a blessing to me.

5. lots of others.... I could keep naming so many more but it's getting late. Quickly, I'm thankful for the chance to get an education and to learn and grow. I'm thankful for an apartment in a less seedy part of town. I'm thankful for a car that gets me to work and school and everywhere I need to go. I'm thankful for learning new skills and finding new talents and hobbies. I'm thankful to live in the desert, not everyone appreciates it but I love it. I'm thankful to not have to drive in the snow. I'm thankful that my parents instilled in me a love for reading. I'm thankful for music. I could go on and on about this one. Music is just so amazing to me, I love the spirit that a great song can bring. I love singing, I love listening to music, I just love music. I'm thankful for rain and thunderstorms, I think that they can be so beautiful.

Well, there is a little update. Maybe after Thanksgiving there will be more to share. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. To my family that I won't see- I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving. I know that you all wish you were in Arizona with me and Britt because we will be have a Parent Trap movie marathon and who wouldn't want to be around for that? Now I'm sure everyone is jealous.......

And drumroll please...........

This is May and June, The Before Pics:

This is October, The After Pictures:

As you all can see, I finally cut my hair last Saturday. I'd been thinking about it for awhile. It was just time to cut it. This is me, a good 12 inches later. I still can't believe I had that much hair to cut off and still have this much left! The girl who cut my hair was a little nervous to cut off so much. I did donate 10 inches to Lock of Love! Now someone else can walk around with my hair! I do like the cut, it's so much easier and faster in the mornings. My head feels so much lighter too. For those of you who don't know, I have pretty thick hair and it weighs a ton when it's long! I know there aren't a lot of pictures posted, but I at least got some posted for you Kalli!

If You're Happy and You Know It.....

So I don't know how many people have heard of these different sites like fml.com and stuff. I hear about them from people at work. This particular site is dedicated to all the crappy things that happen to people each day. I've never really wanted to visit the site. Anyways a friend sent me the link to a site called mylifeisaverage.com and it was a funny site that wasn't vulgar and just clean fun. From there I discovered mylifeisg.com. I really fell in love with this site. It is all the good things that happen to people and I love reading about good and happy things! It's amazing how reading about other people's good experiences can just uplift your day! I was also feeling kind of like there wasn't a lot of good being done ( I know that there is but, sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the bad), and this site just helped me realize how much good is still out there! So, there's my little spiel! I'm more determined to recognize the good things in my life. I know that I am blessed and I'm so grateful for all the wonderful things in my life. I have a great family, the gospel, wonderful friends, a place to live, food to eat...there are so many more! I just am so happy for my life and for all the wonderful things I have been able to experience. There are so many things that I look forward to experiencing. I just want to share with anyone who reads this that My Life is Great and I pray that all of your lives are just as good. Please know that you have each blessed my life and helped me to have a great life! Thank you all.

Remembering

I can't belive that it's been 8 years since the attack on 9/11/01. I was at work last night talking with co-workers about that day. I still remember getting ready for school when Aunt Tomie called and told us that the towers had just been hit. I remember driving to school that morning with the radio on listening to the news; trying to figure out what was going on. The news was playing in pretty much every class I went to that day. I don't remember really anything else that went on at school that day. I feel like in some ways I wasn't affected that day because I didn't personally know anyone in the towers or on the planes. I know that sounds mean. It did affect me though, I realized how much hate and anger can destroy people. I never knew that there were people out there that hated our country and Americans so much that they would kill so many innocent people. I guess you could say the rose colored glasses came off that day for me. I may not have known anyone personally that was injured or killed during that attack but we are all citizens of the same country, they were my neighbors. It took me awhile to realize that.

I remember when war was declared. I know that President Bush may not have done everything right during his terms but I feel like he handled that crisis as best as he could. For just being in office under a year and having that major of a crisis, I felt that he did what was needed. He helped unite us as a country and remember that we're all in this with each other. We are brothers and sisters and I feel like he was definitely the man we needed at the time. There are many different opinions out there regarding that, this is mine.

Today I watched a Mormon Message from Youtube. It was the story of a man who survived the attack. He was in one of the towers and made it out alive. His story was how he found God and meaning in his life that day and in the days and years after the attack. It was just amazing to know that no matter what situations life brings, God is always there to help and give hope. I can't imagine what this man or any of the survivors have gone through in their lives since that day. I just think it's amazing what happens when we let God in our lives and how He can help those trials and experiences change us for the better. This is a side note, but if you have the September issue of the Ensign, read the 'Lessons from Liberty Jail' talk by Elder Holland. I read it a couple of days ago, and writing this I'm just recalling a lot of what was said in that article. It's amazing and will probably change your life!

I think that's all for this post. I feel like it's kind of scattered and who knows if it makes sense, but thats just how my mind works! In all seriousness, it's been 8 years and I can still remember what I was doing when I heard the news, what I wore that day, and how I felt that day. I can remember the days following the attack and seeing the country pull together. I hope that we don't forget that we are the United States of America. We need to remember that and not let things divide us.

I am so grateful for the men and women serving in the armed forces. For the sacrifices they have made since that day and for the things they have witnessed. I'm so grateful that they are willing to fight to preserve the freedoms we enjoy. I love this country and I'm so thankful to have been born in this land that allows us the freedom to choose how and who we worship. There are so many other freedoms that I'm thankful for but that would be my top one. I love that I get to choose, I'm not told what I can do and what I can't. Thank you. Thank you to those fighting now and those who have fought over the last 200+ years. This truly is a blessed land. Those who fight against it will not win.

My Soapbox

So recently I've been feeling this barrage of political turmoil in my life. It's not so much my political feelings as much as I feel like I'm constantly being attacked with other peoples opinions. Normally this probably wouldn't be a bad thing, I just am tired of it. I have a hard time making up my mind about how I feel when I'm constantly having other's share their views with me. I don't want to turn this into a rant so I'll get to what I wanted to say.

I just started reading Pres. Hinckley's book, Standing for Something. I know that this is an older book and has been published for awhile but this is the first time I've ever read it. Already I love it! I loved the forward by Mike Wallace, the respect he had for Pres. Hinckley is just so amazing to me. I remember when the 60 Minutes interview happened and I remember wondering if it would be a good interview or a bad one. Looking back, I don't know how it could've been bad with Pres. Hinckley being the interviewee! He always handled everything so well. The introduction to the book just really hit home though especially after all that I've been feeling with politics and the division that has occurred in this country since the last election and before that. The introduction talks about America and how great this country is. We are so blessed to have been founded in the manner we were, with God in mind. I know that the founding of this country was inspired by Heavenly Father and it is that inspiration and guidance that has let this country prosper for so long. The fact that He used to be publicly recognized also made a huge difference. It saddens me more than I can say, that God is not longer allowed in public places. He has been taken out of public school and there are people trying to take God completely out of our lives I feel. This country most definitely was divinely inspired, God was at the helm and I can not agree with those who feel that it is offensive to hear His name and want it taken out of the pledge and oaths said in the courtroom. It offends me. In the introduction, there are two scriptures quoted that I liked. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Psalm 33:11-12 says, " The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." I really like these three verses. I just think it puts things into perspective. Pres. Hinckley said, " Can we expect peace and prosperity, harmony and goodwill, when we turn our backs on the Source of our strength?"

I know this is kind of scattered and I apologize. Let me be the first to admit that I am not the most politically educated person in this world. To be perfectly honest I have shied away from politics most of my life because there has always been such conflict and I don't always know how to get an unbiased education. I have felt the need more recently to become better educated on what is happening in the world and still feel unable to find that unbiased education. I have both sides coming at me all the time and it's hard to know which to believe. I am definitely more conservative in all things. This last election was particularly difficult because I felt there was not a good solution in either candidate. Again, those are just my feelings, I don't have anything to back that up, other than the fact that I didn't feel either man had the countries best interests at heart. I know that Bush made mistakes in his two terms as president and that no man is perfect. I did however feel that Bush tried in the beginning to make the right choices for the country. I have not had that feeling with Obama and again, it may be my ignorance on the subject. I do believe that education on the facts isn't everything though, you also need to feel, through the gift we have been given, what is right and wrong.

I'm sorry again, if this doesn't really make sense to any one. I've just been feeling overwhelmed by everything that is going on around me and then reading this book was just what I needed. I know that this post kind of did turn into a rant and I'm sorry to those of you who don't like my opinions. I just feel very strongly that rather than argue about Republicans and Democrats, we should be focusing on fixing a struggling nation. A nation that, with God, will continue to be great. I feel like that is the fight we should be fighting, to have God acknowledged for the great blessings He has given us. Maybe I'm just preaching to the choir and everyone already knows and gets this, I'm just a little slow I guess!

Anyways, that is my speech on my little soapbox. Sorry again if it's all jumbled and confusing, it's been a long week and I'm tired!

Small Updates

I feel like I haven't posted in awhile so I'm just writing to say I'm still alive here in Tucson. I still haven't taken any pictures of my new apartment, so those are still coming. It's mostly all set up, I just keep forgetting about it! I do like it though, it's weird to only have one other roommate, I've always had at least 3 or 4 other roommates. Its quiet, sometimes really quiet! I'm just staying busy with work and I honestly don't know what else keeps me so busy, but this summer has just flown by and I don't know where all the time went! I do know where part of it has gone, I now have a pool at this apartment and I love swimming. I'm usually there most mornings before work. So this summer I'm going to have a nice tan at least! I mean I live in Arizona, I've got to have a good tan, right?

Anyways....I just wanted to give a little update. I'm still here and wishing that this summer wasn't so close to being over. Its been fun, but all good things must come to an end!