Rad Dinner

Today Doug and I bought our very first Christmas tree!!! I am so excited about it. Its a cheap one, but a it is just perfect for us. Sorry, no pictures yet until its completely decorated. So that way you can have the full effect.

I made a pretty rad dinner tonight, but forgot to take picture of it for your viewing pleasure. Man I really need to bet better at this picture thing. But you are just going to have to use your imagination on this one. It was so so so so yummy. No joke.

The first thing I made was Boneless BBQ Ribs. They are seriously so tender and so delicious. We struggle to ration ourselves so we can have it for 2 meals. Here is the recipe:

5 lbs boneless ribs (I like to use pork)
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. vinegar

Cut up meat into desired sizes, and remove excess fat. Boil 1-2 hours until soft and tender. Place in a 9 x 13 pan. In separate bowl mix sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire and vinegar. Place sauce over meat and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy enough right?? And so so so good. You should try it! Yeah it takes a little bit of time to make since you have to boil it. I have always boiled mine for just an hour and it usually tastes really good. But do not skip the boiling step, because that is what makes the meat so tender. The recipe is easily halved if you do less meat, which is what I usually do, because 5 pounds is a lot for 2 people.

The second yummy component we had for our dinner was mock Red Lobster biscuits. And I know there are a lot of recipes out there for these. Mine is super quick and tastes splendid.

2 c. Bisquick pancake mix
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheese
1 tsp parsley

Combine all this in a bowl. Batter will be really thick. Drop large spoonfuls (or small handfulls) on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until done in the middle. Might have to do longer if you make bigger biscuits.
When the are done, brush them with a mixture of 1/4 c. melted butter that has 1 tsp garlic salt added to it. Give is that nice buttery flavor. Voila!

Again, I apologize for the lack of visuals. I could take a picture of the dirty dishes to show you how much we liked it? Just promise me you will try one of the recipes at least. If no other reason then at least to make me feel better about my recipes that I think are amazing. I take total blame if you don't like them.

Home again home again

Well I am back in chilly Provo again. Arizona was so much fun! And so warm! The saddest part was, I took my camera all the way there, and all the way back and didn't take a single picture. Hopefully my mother-in-law will send me some that she took.

Here is the brief run-down of the trip:
Sunday: The 12 hour drive down to Arizona. My first time ever seeing Las Vegas. We took a little detour to go down the strip. The only thing I did take a picture of. We went through during the day, so no lights... But Doug said we could come back sometime so I will see it lit up eventually.

Monday: A little bit of shopping in the morning for the accessories in our family pictures. Then we made lunch, and lounged until time to primp for pictures. Trying to get 16 people, including a rambunctious 2-year-old to all smile at the same time is no easy feat.

Tuesday: The hardest hike of my life! Straight up a cliff basically. Like climbing on your hands and knees on the way up and sliding down on your bum on the way down hard. Whew! Saw some good looking cacti and worked up a good sweat. That evening, us girls went to see Breaking Dawn Part II. It was good. I liked how they made the movie more interesting than the end of the book. The movie felt short though and almost rushed. But not horrible. 

This was only from halfway up!

Wednesday: Made 3 chocolate chip pies in the morning. If you have not been introduced to chocolate chip pies, you are missing out. especially if you are a fan of chocolate chip cookies. I always find my recipe just on the Nestle Toll House website. Yummy! Shopped in the afternoon. More girl bonding time. Then mini golfing with everybody. I even beat Doug 53-57**. Then boys took off for the Suns' game and us girls headed to Texas Roadhouse for way too much food and  watched a chick flick.

Thursdays: TURKEY!!! Cooked and ate and hung out with the fam. My day ended not so ideally. Got a stomach ache... and I know you are thinking, "It's Thanksgiving, everybody gets a stomach ache." But this was not a "I ate too much and now my tummy hurts" problem. It was a weird something else. SO I went to bed at 9:00 and slept great all night!

Friday: The longggggg drive home where we had 13 seats and 13 people. Talk about getting to know the in-laws! Cozy 12 hour drive will do the trick.

Made it back home all in one piece, with one sore tush and probably at least 5 pounds heavier. Hitting the gym first thing tomorrow for some bonding time with the treadmill. Happy Thanksgiving!!

** since posting the above, I have been corrected. Doug's 1's apparently look like 7's. So that means I lost in golf 51-53.... oops.

Ready for a break

This is what my notes looked like today in class...

I had to white out the sketch I messed up on... sorry.
I may or may not have spelled "pilgrims" wrong on my sketch, but that is okay right?

Yeah you could say I am super ready for Thanksgiving break.   Hooray for no classes on Fridays! Hooray for Arizona on Sunday! Hooray for spontaneous lunch dates with my favorite man! Today has been a great day to kick of the festivities with. It is going to be hard to focus once school starts again. Yuck. Let's not even think about it.

The Notebook + Forties Fashion

So I am 21, and I just watched the Notebook for the very first time on Saturday. Shocking?? Yeah I guess I am a little behind. Here is my review of the movie: it was good. It was cute. I liked the story. It came together pretty quickly at the end and it left me wishing they had showed more of Noah and Allie's life together after she came back to him. No I did not cry, but yes I got a little teary eyed. All in all I did like the movie. Is it the greatest chick flick of all time? Nah, I don't think so. But I would watch it again. My favorite part was the fashion. I love forties fashion. It is so classy looking and fun. I wish people still dressed like that and still did their hair like that. So lovely.

Beautiful am I right? So tasteful. 

Maybe I was born in the wrong decade fashion wise. 

But actually, I like being able to wear jeans whenever I want, so maybe not.

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching! I keep telling myself I just have to get through this week of classes and then I get a break! So much to do before the week is over though.
Sunday, Doug and I are headed for warmer weather. We are headed to Arizona!! Hello sunshine. This will be my first visit to this southern state. It is going to be a fun trip with the entire Parker crew. Did I mention that Doug is from a huge family?? We are taking family pictures down in AZ and I think we counted there will be 16 of us in the picture. This is all immediate family too. No aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents. Yes, Doug has a lot of siblings. Party time!

In honor of the upcoming holiday, I composed a list of things I am grateful for.

I am grateful for:  

• The taxes I pay because it means I have a job.
• The mess to clean up after a party because it means I am surrounded by good friends
• The clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.
• The floors that need sweeping, the tub that needs scrubbing, and shelves that need dusting because it means I have a home
• I am even grateful for the complaints I hear about the government because it means I live in a land of liberty that allows freedom of speech.
• For the parking spot at the far end of the lot because it means I am capable of walking and have been blessed with a car.
• For the pimple on my forehead, because it means I can see.
• For my heating bill because I am warm
• For my dad who sings off-key because it means I can hear.
• And for the weariness and sore muscles at the end of the day because it means I am healthy and am capable of working hard.

   I am so grateful for so many things. I hope that I never miss a chance to say thank-you for all of the wonderful things I have been blessed with.

Bowling in the Snow

There was so much snow yesterday! It just kept coming and coming and coming. It was beautiful. But cold and potentially dangerous when driving. We decided to venture out anyways for a game of bowling with some of our friends.

Let's just say it wasn't my most fantastic game of bowling. It took me awhile to get back in the groove of the whole aiming thing... I got a 94 on the first game. I didn't even break 100! I was ashamed of myself. The second game I redeemed myself with a 126.

Afterwards we enjoyed some quite delicious cinnamon rolls made by yours truly. Completely homemade may I add. They sure weren't the same as Mom's but hey give me a break it was my first attempt.

Fiesta

Tonight was a brand new recipe never before had been attempted by this naive chef. It was pretty darn good. It passes the Parker palate test. And it is so pretty and colorful.

Fiesta Taco Casserole:
   1 lb ground beef browned
   1 can spicy chili beans in sauce undrained
   1 cup salsa
   2 cups broken tortilla chips
   3/4 cup sour cream
   4 green onions sliced
   1 medium tomato chopped
   1 cup cheese
 
1. Heat oven to 350. Brown beef. Stir in can of beans and salsa. Heat to boiling stirring occasionally.

2. In ungreased casserole dish (I used a 9x13) place broken chip pieces in the bottom. Top with the beef and bean mixture. Spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese, onions and tomato.

3. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with lettuce, chips, and salsa.

Yummy yummy and easy easy. Plus a good way to use up all the broken chip pieces at the bottom of the bag. Basically I didn't measure anything. Just kinda added as much cheese and toppings and sour cream as I wanted. Plus who knew that they sold cans of chili beans already in a sauce ready to go?? I sure didn't. Learn something new everyday!

44 Things My Mom Taught Me In 21 Years

Happy Birthday to my mom! She had a birthday on Tuesday. The big 44. I love her so much. She is the best mother in the world.

She has taught me so much throughout the years and I owe her a lot. 

I decided to make a list. I present to you, 44 things my mom taught me in 21 years:

1.      How to tie my shoes

2.      Chew with my mouth closed

3.      How to read

4.      How to change a diaper

5.      How to make delicious cookies

6.      Be flexible!

7.      The birds and the bees

8.      How to do laundry

9.      How to clean a tub

10.  Always make lists

11.  A love of old TV shows

12.  I should make my bed everyday

13.  How to play the piano

14.  How to make bread

15.  How to sew

16.  Eat a veggie with dinner

17.  Homework before play

18.  To say I’m sorry

19.  Say please and thank-you

20.  Keep a clean house

21.  How to put on mascara

22.  How to drive

23.  Don’t watch sports on Sundays

24.  Go to bed on time (even if husbands like to stay up late)

25.  Peanut butter and bananas

26.  Save your money

27.  Marry in the temple

28.  How to curl my hair

29.  How to make tuna sandwiches

30.  How to waterski

31.  How to make cinnamon toast

32.  How to can tomatoes, peaches, pears and applesauce

33.  The true religion

34.  How to peel potatoes

35.  Taking walks is a good idea

36.  How to make homemade jam

37.  How to make a proper grocery list

38.  It is okay for grownups to take time-outs too

39.  Pray as a family

40.  How to walk

41.  How to laugh at myself

42.  I can do hard things

43.  Go the extra mile

44.  She loves me!

Hiatus

I apologize for the brief hiatus. It feels like its been awhile since I've posted. Our internet has been on the fritz lately and it has taken some extra patience--which I don't usually have. Plus I feel like we haven't been all that exciting this weekend, not much to share.

Friday we were lazy and hung out at home. We watched The Holiday! Ya you could say we are excited for Christmas. Thursday night I spent making some holiday crafts. We both have busted out the Christmas music. Usually I am not one of these people that jumps into Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this year I can't help it. I am so excited!

Saturday we went to my aunt's house in Kaysville to spend time with our cousins who were in town. It was fun to hang out and play games. And yeah. That is as about as exciting as it gets over here.

Little Annie

Little Natalie (I like to think she is named after me)

Big Rob and Kyler

Now on to my sad complaint. Sigh. I miss shopping sometimes. The sad part is I don't realize I miss it until I go to the mall, or allow myself to shop online. But I suppose that is a good thing. There is just something so wonderful about buying new clothes. Maybe it is the self confidence boost of having something new and chic to wear. Maybe it is just knowing that you can buy something new, even if you don't need it. My mom will be the first to tell you that I don't NEED any new clothes. And I realize I don't absolutely need new things, I just want them! Living on a small budget can be a challenge.

Over Thanksgiving we are taking family pictures with Doug's family and of course there is a color scheme to follow so everybody will match... This got me a little bit excited. An excuse to buy a new shirt!! Ok ok I don't need a new shirt. I am sure I can find something in my closet that can work. Or if not in my closet, than my sister is sure to have something. But no matter, I decided to peruse a bit online for Husband and myself. Oh no... Did I get myself in trouble or what. Now I just really want to go shopping. Inner battle going on right now. I know that I do not need new clothes. And I know that Christmas is coming up soon, and maybe I will get some clothes then... But oh how pretty they look and what great deals I am finding. HELP!!! How do you talk yourself out of going to the mall?? The bummer part is that I know that if I buy anything, I am just going to have shopper's remorse after for spending money on frivolous things. Ugh. This is such a struggle.

Sweet Tooth

Sometimes no, ALL the time I have a sweet tooth. I am just a sugar kind of girl. Yeah, popcorn and pretzels, they are nice. I will eat them, and sometimes even crave them. But nothing of that sort is enough to satsify or replace my craving for sweets. Its a problem. Basically I am doomed. It doesn't help that Husby also has the same addiction as me. It is wayyyy too easy to convince him we need to run to the grocery store to pick up some cookie dough. We are not very good at self control. It also doesn't help that we got so many fun kitchen toys for our wedding, like an ice cream machine, a donut maker, and a million cookie pans! We have been trying (TRYING) to cut back on our sugar intake since school started. Its somewhat successful. It keeps me motivated to exercise at least. One of our most indulgent little treats is taking a visit to The Sweet Tooth Fairy. They have the most amazing cupcakes. Not to mention, they won the Food Network's Cupcake Wars back in March (at least I think it was March). If you have not been there yet, you need to try it. Only be warned that you might become addicted. Don't be surprised if you want to go 3 days in a row.
Our personal favorite flavor is the Peanut Butter & Chocolate cupcake. The peanut butter frosting is seriously amazing. It will change your life. You will love it if you are a fan of the classic PB & chocolate duo. They have special flavors they do every month. In September I really enjoyed the Toffee cupcake they featured. Last month (its November now!) I recommended the Pumpkin Chocolate- so good! They also have cute little treats they call Cakebites. It is similar to a cake pop in idea, but they are not on a stick. These are also way yummy, but we don't often purchase them because we feel we get more bang for our buck out of an entire cupcake. However... they do let you sample the cakebites, so that is how we get away with trying all the flavors.

Not to mention, the little bakeries are so adorable. The decorations are so fitting for a cupcake shop. It feels like you stepped back in time to an old ice cream parlor or candy shop. Again, I recommend you go there ASAP, and if you don't live near one, you can order the cakebites online, or just put it on your list of places to visit when you come to Utah. Just don't complain to me later if your pants don't fit, or if you find you are having to re-do your budget to allow for more cupcake spending. But if you are sweets lover, its worth it.