Second Grade Cowboy Program

Matthew with his teacher, Mrs. Sanders. She is amazing.

Matthew and I had a bit of fun playing with some pictures. He loves this "cartoon" version of him with some classmates.

Matthew did such a great job in his school program. He is naturally pretty shy on stage, but has learned that if he looks right at me and smiles, I'll give him a big smile back. That seems to keep him focused and smiling. Each class performed their own country dance. It was hilarious to watch the variety of enthusiasm the kids had for these dances, as well as the individual "styles" each one contributed.

Wheat! Hold everything!

OK, OK, so this will sound exactly like one of the testimonials on an infomercial, so you'll have to forgive us. Thank you, Bill C., for your fantastic recommendation for a wheat grinder! We've had this one for a few months, but still haven't taken the opportunity to rave about it on the blog. This grinder/grain mill is so great because:

1. It functions as a hand grinder but also has an adapter that will attach it to our beloved Bosch mixer, thus allowing it to run off the power of the Bosch's motor and resulting in a much less expensive product.
2. It grinds the wheat so finely that I can make 90% wheat flour bread and have an incredibly soft texture.
3. It is so much fun to use, Brent asks if he can grind wheat for me every couple of weeks! (and I graciously grant him the privilege)
4. Finally, a use for all that wheat in the basement other than cracked wheat cereal!
5. Now, if I could just remember the name of the grinder...
   

Draper Temple Open House

We are so fortunate to live close enough to the new Draper temple so we could take our kids to the open house. Unfortunately, they funneled us from parking lot to chapel to bus to tent corridor maze to the temple interior so efficiently that we never had any photo ops outside the temple (and of course inside is not allowed). So you will have to imagine how beautiful it is or go see it yourself for those who haven't already. It was a great opportunity for us to discuss temples with our kids and answer their many questions. Elizabeth was especially fascinated and claimed her favorite room was the bride's room "where they make the brides look so beautiful so they can get married." Emma and Matthew liked the baptismal font. The entire building is absolutely breathtaking, to say the least. After leaving the temple, we walked into the adjacent chapel where there was a very nice reception. We were impressed with the whole experience, as we hope our children were!

More Yummy Recipes

OK, for those who requested these, here they are:

Chocolate Caramel Bars for the Bishop
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 oz.) bag caramels (48)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 (12 oz.) pkg. milk or semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients to form a crumbly mixture. Unwrap caramels (let kids help). Melt caramels and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat. Sprinkle half of crumbly mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle chocoalte chips over baked mixture and top with melted caramel mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Make a day or several hours ahead to allow time for caramel to set. Makes at least 2 dozen bars (very rich).

Cafe Rio Salads (thanks, Stacy J!)
We had these for our W. family Christmas party. We all stuffed ourselves silly. They are to die for! They are listed in random order, but you basically build a salad or burrito with them.

1. Pork
5-6 lb. pork roast
1/2-1 Tbsp. cumin
1 cup brown sugar
12 oz. bottle La Victoria taco sauce
20 oz. Coke (can use caffeine-free)

Cook roast on low for 12 hours (overnight) in crockpot with water added halfway up roast. After 12 hours, drain water off roast, add remaining ingredients and continue cooking for 4 more hours. Then shred the meat and cook 2 more hours.

2. Beef
4-5 lbs. rump or sirloin roast
1/4-1/2 cup Yoshida's sauce (or other sweet sauce)
1 can mexican (or Italian) stewed tomatoes
Montreal steak seasoning to taste
a little water

Brown roast first in large pot, then add other ingredients and cook all day. Trim fat, shred meat, and add back to sauce. Add cumin, oregano, garlic salt, pepper, and taco sauce to taste.

3. Rice
1 cup rice (uncooked, not instant)
1 tsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. lime zest
1 15 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup water

Boil above mixture for 15-20 minutes. Then toss the following with cooked rice:

2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped (I used less so it would be less spicy)

I tripled this recipe for a large group.

4. Black Beans
Saute 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp. cumin in 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Then add:

1 can black beans, drained
1/3 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (or less)

I doubled this recipe.

5. Salsa: use your favorite brand or recipe.

6. Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped Cilantro (or less)
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatillos (peel off paper)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

7. Tortillas
Buy uncooked tortillas (pkg. of 36 at Sam's Club). Use a pancake griddle on high heat that is dry (no oil). Cook tortillas on one side until bubbly. Turn over, sprinkle with colby jack cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Then remove to plate. These can go on the bottom of the salad or be folded into a burrito.

8. Romaine Lettuce

9. Extra Cheese

10. Other toppings: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, tortilla chips, avocado, etc.

A week in California

The Saturday after Christmas, we finally left the cold and snow behind to go visit the Aaron clan in California. Rather than waiting and hoping the I-80 route would be clear and dry, we drove all the way down to Barstow in southern California, then headed across to Bakersfield and up the 5 to reach our destination in Clayton. It was a long day with 17 hours of driving, but we were so thankful to not have to stress about black ice or putting on chains. Once we got there, the weather was beautiful and mild; it felt like entering a world of spring! I loved to see green and flowers blooming again, and to take several walks on the trail. The climate there is nourishing to my soul! We all had a great time visiting with Brent's parents, John & Nikki, and Natalie & Aaron. We even got to see Bill & Aftin for a quick hello before they headed home. The kids loved playing with their cousins, going to see the sights in San Francisco, playing at Heather Farms, seeing the lights at the Oakland Temple, and going to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. Going home, we carefully timed our choice of day so we could take the shorter I-80 route. All was clear through the Sierra Nevadas; the only icy patches were around Wells, Nevada. Once home, it was back to streaming our kitchen faucet 24 hours a day so it didn't freeze...ah, the joys of Utah winters.

Projects

Emma's hair for church one Sunday. I was finally brave enough to attempt this style, and she actually was patient enough to sit still for it!

The kids made "caterpillars" as a family home evening activity we'd shared with friends. They are just egg cartons cut into rows that the kids decorated with all sorts of random craft odds and ends. Matthew's ended up as a Link caterpillar (think Zelda) with all sorts of green stuff on it. It was amazing how long this activity held their attention!

One of Matthew's many original Lego creations

For a school project, Matthew was assigned to "dress" a paper doll in native costume from a country of his choice. He decided to go with Mexico.

Christmas 2008

Sorry these pictures uploaded in reverse order. This is our family seeing the Christmas lights at the Oakland Temple (we drove to California two days after Christmas). They were gorgeous!

Jordan, Bryce, and Matthew enjoying a magical Star Wars action figure moment Christmas morning.

Rachel wasn't quite sure what to think, but quickly caught on to the excitement of her first Cabbage Patch Doll.

Notice the sheer elation in Matthew's eyes-- Santa brought him a GameCube with Zelda Windwaker and Lego Star Wars games!

Elizabeth received a (finally) completed wooden dollhouse from her parents, plus furniture and accessories from Santa. Brent had been working on building the dollhouse off and on since her birthday in February! Sarah modge-podged on cute scrapbook papers that Elizabeth picked out. It's adorable!

Emma finally told Santa she wanted a train for Christmas. This is right up her alley.

The kids anxiously awaiting the moment they are allowed to come downstairs for their first peek Christmas morning!

Christmas Eve nativity play

Inside the stable at the living nativity

A list of some of our favorite family Christmas traditions:

* Putting up the tree and decorations while Manheim Steamroller Christmas music plays in the background

* Seeing the lights on Temple Square

*Christmas parties with family and friends

*Christmas concerts

* Singing with the ward choir

* Ward Christmas parties

* Christmas service projects

* Making plenty of hot wassail

* Making and sharing lots of Christmas goodies. This year, Matthew and Elizabeth each selected a new recipe to try together, and they turned out great! Matthew's was Candy Cane Coffee Cake, and Elizabeth's was Fudge-Topped Shortbread (both from Taste of Home).

* Driving around to see beautiful Christmas lights in the surrounding area, especially the Spanish Fork Festival of Lights and Salem Pond Town. This is especially appealing to Mom and Dad since we can entertain our kids without having to get them out of the car!

* Going to the Living Nativity in Alpine (it's called A Step Back in Time Living Nativity). This is probably the most meaningful Christmas tradition we have. It may be nice for our children to visit Santa each year, but much more important for them to visit a "real" baby Jesus in a stable!

* Acting out the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve, and watching the church's short film, The Nativity.