Ed and Brooke

The return of the blogger yard sale

2011-08-17T11:13:00.004-06:00

I've decided to sell my Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag. It's in excellent condition, I just don't need it anymore. It retails for $175 new. I've listed the specifications below:

-Black and White batik inspired medallion motif. Crimson hand embroidery detail.
-Crimson water-resistant liner
-Messenger style comfort strap with thoughtfully designed cell phone holder
-PPB signature zip-out changing station with detachable changing pad
-Four bottle pockets (2 interior, 2 exterior)
-Three extra-wide external back pockets
-Removeable "dirty diaper pouch"
-A "no more digging" key clip
-A Petunia Pickle Bottom monogrammed wipes case
-Dimensions: 14 X15 X 4.5
-PVC-Free glazed canvas (easy to clean)

If you're interested in purchasing it, can email pictures or answer any questions you have. Please email me at bsidegirl@gmail.com.

The summer so far

2011-08-15T14:27:00.010-06:00

I feel like every post on here starts with "so much has been going on, where do i even start?" I last posted in April. What happened in May again? Ughhh so much for keeping our blog going for posterity sake, right?

At the end of April, my sis came into town and we went to St. George to visit my parents. Is it just me or does anyone else feel like their child becomes the child of your nightmares during family vacations? The drive was difficult (Esley has now learned how to kick the DVD player-shoot me) and naps were worse. On a lighter note, I did get to enjoy Heather and her cute little Bella.

We went swimming a lot and shopped while my mom watched Esley and Bella.

June was mostly spent around Arizona. We ended up buying a new camera (woo hoo!) and Ed took his boards. So glad to have all the studying and worry over. Now to stress about residency programs...

In July we went to Utah for the month. Ed had a rotation at the U and really, with my excellent experiences of previous car trips why would I pass up another one? (Has anyone else stopped at the Maverick in Nephi... maybe Filmore? with the playground? It is a life saver!) We stayed with Ed's parents for the 4th of July and went to Huntsville for the parade and pancake breakfast.

Getting our watermelon fix :)

Hiking at Millcreek. I absolutely miss hiking in Utah more than anything. 100+ temperatures are not the most welcoming for well, anything.

We were able to meet up with Julie and Owen while we were in Salt Lake. Esley and Owen get along so well even if they are doing their own things. I love this one...

I went to my moms for 2 weeks. I was expecting it to be crazy like it was in May when Heather and I were in town. It was surprisingly so fun and so incredibly easy.

Earlier this month we went to San Diego for a few days before Ed left to Philadelphia for more audition rotations. Overall the trip was good. Vacations aren't really "vacations" with a toddler in tow, but he makes it so much more fun.

I'm happy to say we're back and happy to be in our own little routine again. Ed will be gone until mid October, but we'll see each other here and there between now and then.

Photos

2011-04-26T14:32:00.004-06:00

One of my customers is the most amazing photographer. She sent me some pictures of her sweet little girl in some of my products. I am dying! Makes me want to have a girl.

Busy

2011-02-26T16:23:00.003-07:00

I'd like to think the reason for my blogging.. or lack there of.. is because I've been so busy with this...

I love doing wholesale orders.. don't get me wrong.... it's just a little draining at the end of the day with a 16 month old who is into e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. It's so funny how little things don't bother you anymore when you have kids. I got a call from Heather (my sis) this week going on and on about how her friend came over and brought her 3 year old who subsequently destroyed her (Heather's) house. I remember having the same convo with ed a few years ago before we had Esley. It's really a change of attitude... "messy" takes on a whole new meaning when you have kids. Who knew your whole house could be in pieces and you could whip it in shape in 10 minutes before your visiting teachers show up and you completely spaced it?

Old news

2011-02-14T20:45:00.003-07:00

I'm sure everyone has seen this by now... but oh my goodness... BHLDN has its unveiling today. I am dying over the beauties that Anthro has whipped up.

These aren't even the wedding dresses! So incredibly amazing.

Rendtions of Esley

2011-01-23T21:14:00.007-07:00

ESLEY THE PRESIDENT

ESLEY RETRO ROCK STAR

ESLEY NANO-ENGINEER

ESLEY THE ASTRONAUT

Quiet gifts

2011-01-22T08:26:00.004-07:00

Have you ever sat down to eat something yummy, only to be distracted by a phone call as you take your first bite? The next thing you know, the phone call is over, and your food has disappeared. But you don't recall tasting a bite? I've often had this same feeling with Esley as he's gotten older and grown out of different stages. I often feel like something special is coming to an end.

Many of my days are spent dwelling on the paradoxical perspective of not wanting life to change, yet wondering if I can bear the chaos any longer. I've wondered how I can make it through the next few hours before his next nap, while worrying that those hours will never be enough to savor all of the possible joy. How can I want to fast-forward, pause, rewind all in the same breath?

A friend of mine stopped by this week right after I had had a really terrible morning. Esley and I had gone to storytime at the library, like we usually do, only to leave within the first 10 minutes because Esley was screaming. Never wanting to sit still, I feel like he is always on the move... which means I am always running after him. Looking back on the situation and the feelings of inadequacy that I felt (from the stares of the other mothers, to the restraints that I put on myself), I was actually able to spend time with Esley in a more constructive manner rather than an organized one. I have to remember that it isn't about what I am missing because my child is stubborn, but what I am gaining from the time we are able to spend together. For me, the secret of enjoying motherhood is in these moments. I'm trying so hard right now to take time and be present in the moment. This is my greatest desire and my greatest anxiety-that it's going by too quickly to be able to squeeze all of the life and love out of it that I can. I feel like I'm up against a race against time. He is such a joy to me. I can only hope I can be the same for him.

Christmas

2011-01-02T19:50:00.006-07:00

October was really the last time I blogged? Sorry to be such a lame blogger. This is what happens when you leave your camera at home.

Last Christmas...

this was Esley's first Christmas. We basically did a whole lot of hanging out. This year was so much more fun. Not that he really "got it" or anything, but he enjoyed the lights and opening presents.

Yeah, we found out pretty quick that it doesn't take long for him to feel overwhelmed from all the gift giving. He's so cute when he's mad though. I love that last picture.

It was so great to see family and friends and celebrate the holidays with them. We're all grateful to be happy and healthy this year. We're excited to see what 2011 has in store for us.

Hail Storm

2010-10-10T17:07:00.007-06:00

This was the storm we had last week, luckily this pot was the only thing damaged.

A few more

2010-10-07T21:18:00.005-06:00

Here are the last few items that I'm getting rid of right now. If you're interested, email me bsidegirl@gmail.com

anthropologie turtle neck size small $10 SOLD
anthropologie top size small $10

anthropologie skirt size 4 $15

Blogger yard sale

2010-10-07T12:37:00.006-06:00

I have a ton of things that I don't wear and that getting rid of. I figured I would offer them to you before I list them on ebay. I'm willing to ship as well for anyone that doesn't live close. Email me at bsidegirl@gmail.com if you are interested.

anthropologie skirt size 4 $20 SOLD

anthropologie jacket size 0 (fits more like a 2-4) $30 SOLD

anthropologie trench size 4 $15 SOLD

anthropologie skirt size 2 $15 SOLD

Sorry for the awful picture quality. My batteries kept dying and I was just trying to get the picture taken. Anyway, I'll post more when I replace them.

3

2010-10-06T09:36:00.002-06:00

3 years ago I married my very best friend. Wouldn't change any of it for the world. Well, maybe the bad wedding photos... yes, that I would change. Love you.

Living Between the Lines

2010-10-01T02:37:00.004-06:00

I stumbled upon this while I was reading Janelle's blog. It hits so close to home. Really made my week.

I never thought I’d spend an hour coloring in my daughter’s coloring book, alone. Looking back now, I see how that hour changed my perspective of the little things that color my life as a stay-at-home mom.
When our second car broke down, I felt a piece of my independence disappear. My husband worked from home when he could, which allowed an occasional escape to the grocery store or library, but the option of getting the girls dressed and just going somewhere was gone. A few weeks later, my computer crashed. It was my last window to the outside world except for our television. And then, as if there were some electronic conspiracy against me, the TV took its last breath, and died. I had become a hostage within my own home.
There was an eerie silence in our house as I tried to piece together what I had left to keep myself sane as a stay-at-home mom. Within a few weeks, I had lost my freedom to plan my day without coordinating my routine with my husband’s work schedule. Checking my email or updating my blogs during nap time was no longer an option. And, perhaps most importantly, I didn’t have Disney as back-up entertainment during that crazy hour of 5 to 6 pm when I needed to make dinner, tidy up, or just sit down.
It was a Friday and the clock showed 4:08 pm. My three year-old was still napping and my one year-old was circling my feet, wanting to be held. I dug out the crayons and a dinosaur coloring book and opened up to a cheerful Triceratops chasing a butterfly. I tried to get my daughter to color with me but after about five minutes her fleeting attention span left me to myself. I considered getting up and doing another load of laundry, but lost the energy as I saw the previous load heaped and unfolded on my couch. I stared at the collage of toys, library books, shoes and the occasional diaper scattered across my floor and decided to gather a family of plastic vegetables into a small crate. As I was digging a potato out from under the couch, my daughter dumped the entire thing onto the floor again. I collapsed back against the couch with the potato in hand as she giggled and gave me the empty crate.
I returned to the Triceratops who seemed to be waiting for his finishing touches. My daughter sat next to me, pulling out the crayons one by one. I reached down and picked up a light brown, rolling it over between my fingers until I saw the small black title, Raw Sienna. I colored the smooth round rocks that dotted the grass, feeling more settled amongst the mess on my living room floor. I even felt a sense of pride once the entire drawing was complete. I slowly turned the page, peeking up at my toddler who was diligently tearing the paper off of a crayon and dropping it onto the floor.
The next picture showed a smiling Brontosaurus grazing in a field of flowers. I leafed through the pinks, settling on Razzmatazz and slowly traced over the dark lines that formed the flower petals, making sure the outer edges were shaded slightly darker than the middle like I used to do in elementary school. I found the sharpener on the back of the crayon box and sharpened a half-eaten Asparagus for the dinosaur’s tall, curved neck. I became addicted to my task until everything was given a color. I even filled in the sky with a pale Periwinkle. The entire process required the sharpening of three more crayons, but I didn’t mind. It felt good to complete something that was somewhat permanent, like a trophy for my escape from the routine. I was tempted to tear out the page and hang it on the refrigerator.
As I stared at my work, my daughter reached over with a dark blue crayon and colored on my completed page. Instinctively, I blocked her hand to protect my artwork. She looked up at me surprised, with a scrap of Crayola paper pasted to her chin. I smiled and slowly drew my hand away, allowing her to scribble across my tidy fuchsia flowers. I turned the page again.
I remember feeling trapped when I was a teenager. No car, no savings, nothing that belonged entirely to me. I wanted so much to own something for myself. When I was fifteen, I saved my money and bought a solid wood nightstand that I still keep in my bedroom, twelve years later. It was my first real possession. When I got married, I worked as an editor for a small publishing company and would get defensive any time my husband corrected my grammar. That was my talent. He was great at a number of things, but I wanted to be the proficient writer and grammar guru. (It didn’t help when I slammed him in Scrabble with the word “militia” and pronounced it “muh-lit-ee-yuh.”)
I do not have ownership over time, the physical state of my living room floor, my bust size, or the length of my kids’ naps. It has become a constant quest to discover what things I can actually claim as my own, besides my full-time title as “Mom.” I have never regretted my choice to stay at home with my kids, but I have had to work hard to maintain a true sense of self. I don’t receive compensation for my hours at home or get recognition for calming a hot temper without losing my own. But only I can decide what to do during those in between moments when I’m alone and the house is quiet. Time to myself is rare, and what I do with that time defines me more than I ever realized.
The next day was Saturday. My husband took the kids outside to play and I knew I had at least an hour to myself. I ran through that mental list that is always looming in my brain: clean the bathroom, finish the dishes, organize the office, scrape off the food that has fossilized on the floor below the high chair. And then I saw them; the crayons were lying on the dining room table conveniently close to our stack of coloring books, politely inviting me back. I walked over to the window and watched as my husband showed our oldest daughter how to throw a basketball. Then I slowly closed the curtain.
For the next hour, I sat alone at the table, coloring a giraffe reaching up for a mouthful of leaves, a playful pull-string duck, and a plump goldfish trapped inside a round, glistening bowl. As I finished each page, I flipped through the book until another caught my eye. I loved outlining the waves beneath the slim legs of a flamingo and highlighting the white in the eyes of a doll. I discovered the contrast between Dandelion and Vivid Tangerine and the cool touch of Magic Mint. With each picture, I promised myself it would be the last before I’d get up and clean something. But after a while, I surrendered to the calming effect of sitting still and doing nothing more than coloring between the lines.
Some days I know exactly who I am during those quiet moments I have to myself. Other days I feel fruitless and expendable. I’m sure I’ll never be perfect in this mission of motherhood. No matter how hard I try, there will always be sticky spots on my kitchen floor and stains on the front of my kids’ tee shirts. But if someone were to ask me today what it is that I do, I might give a little more color to my response. Instead of the simple, “I’m a stay-at-home mom,” I would tell them that I am a keeper of secrets, a gourmet grilled-cheese maker, walking napkin, body pillow and memory conservator. I have rescued jewelry from the fated flush of a toilet and searched for swallowed pennies and balloons in places I’d never mention. And I can color a mean Triceratops.
I never thought that by opening my child’s coloring book, I’d find a piece of myself that was missing; the piece that dismisses guilt and embraces reality. It was the part of me that’s okay with who I am and isn’t obsessing over whether or not I’ll pass or fail in the future. Losing the car, the computer, the TV and, so I thought, my freedom taught me a lesson I’ll never forget. If I’m too busy digging a potato out from under the couch or scrubbing stubborn strawberries off of my floor, I might miss something more important—like the chance to just sit down, pick up a color and fill in some of the space in between the lines of my own life.
And for that I would definitely choose Mauvelous.

1

2010-09-29T10:37:00.003-06:00

Esley, Bumble, Esley Bee, there are so many days that are special to me because you are in it. While today will become a special day for you in the future (presents, cake, friends), it will always be a special day for me. It's hard to think of where were last year...

and where we are today...

I love the pitter-patter of your little knees and hands crawling across the floor, the cuddles, the way I know you're into mischief by the eerie silence and the mischievous laughter that follows, and the smile that comes across your face when I start brushing my teeth. I love each stage that you're growing into. I'm desperately trying to hold on to moments and relish them while I can... Life is far too fleeting. You are my whole world. And for the moment I am yours. Happy Birthday little one.

Hello My name is...

2010-09-20T21:57:00.005-06:00

Brooke. You may not remember me from my lack of posting, but yes we are still alive. A lot has gone on in the last month and a half (yes, it's been that long). Ed had his rural rotation in Prescott so I went to St. George to stay with the fam for 2 1/2 weeks. Whenever I have a hankering to visit my family, I should really try to restrain my desires and refer back to this post. While I love them, they drive me crazy. Insanely crazy. By the end of the trip, I'm THRILLED to be coming home to triple digits in LATE September and my beloved xeriscaped yard. One nice thing about the trip was the help! Esley had 4 teeth come in while we were visiting the fam. It was rough-for both of us. Couldn't have done it without my mom and the tylenol! My mom is going to kill me for posting these.

We also had a mini-bday party for Esley while we were visiting. He wasn't complaining.

1 already! Crazy, how fast time flies!

As of late

2010-08-09T07:36:00.006-06:00

This Summer has been really great. Ed took his boards (so glad those are done) and did fantastic, we moved from our apartment to a house, and I went and stayed with my parents for 2 weeks while Ed was studying. It's been so nice to have him around more but I really miss him being home everyday for lunch. Esley and I have been having fun together with all of the extra time we have.

He is crawling everywhere and is into everything. Disregard his pants not being on in this picture. What can you do?

We've gone swimming ALOT. It's been fun except for the ant infestation.... thats another story.

Esley will do just about anything to watch Baby Einstein.

It's monsoon season here. This was taken right outside our front door. 5 minutes later and we had a mini lake as a road. so crazy.

The grossest thing ever

2010-07-11T22:29:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's what you think it is. Sadly, this is the second time this has happened to us.

New in the shop

2010-06-23T10:15:00.003-06:00

I've added new items in the shop! More can be seen here.

2010-06-10T22:32:00.002-06:00

My little omnivore

2010-05-16T20:03:00.004-06:00

Guess who loves his veggies?

Etsy

2010-05-14T14:33:00.004-06:00

After thinking about it a lot, I decided to open an Etsy shop. I never realized this before I opened it but you immediately feel apprehensive about it. You don't want someone to criticize your work but you are putting yourself out there for commentary (either good or bad). Anyway, with reluctancy.... my etsy store can be found here.

In other news, I finished making a carseat cover for a friend of mine. L-O-V-E how it turned out.

I was going through my photobooth a few days ago and came across this picture...

Esley was maybe a month or two old? While I miss him being that small, he has gotten so so so fun! He is one of the happiest babies I've ever seen, but he can switch his smile to a frown in half a second if he doesn't get what he wants.

Yes, he is sitting in the bumbo on the kitchen counter while I make dinner. He was playing with his links, random stickers I got in the mail (he couldn't pull them off so I helped..I can only take so much screaming), an unopened package of glue sticks, and there are 3 tricuits wedged somewhere between him and the bumbo. Oh, the joys of parenthood!

Cloth diapering

2010-05-07T08:21:00.002-06:00

I've been interested in cloth diapers for awhile. I love the benefits that they have: biodegradable, eco-friendly, cheaper, cuter, etc. I just don't really know anyone who uses them. I've been reading this blog a lot lately (love it by the way) and this article has really helped ease my mind. I love that gDiapers have the flush or toss option. It's really the best of both worlds... you can toss it like a disposable but you have all of the benefits of a cloth diaper. I love how they velcro in the back (esley has figured out how to un-velcro his disposables). Does anyone use cloth diapers out there or has anyone tried them? I've looked at a lot of options (bumgenius, Flip diapers, etc) and I really feel like gDiapers might be the best option. Any advice?

The last month or so

2010-04-21T08:29:00.012-06:00

School is over for the semester and I finally have time to blog. We've been busy the last month or so. Esley has gotten really really fun and the spit up has drastically decreased (thank goodness). We've been doing a lot outside with the weather being so nice. Seriously, if you haven't been to Arizona this time of year you should visit. 75 degree weather everyday for the last 5 months will have you trading in your ski jacket and snow boots for something a little closer to the border... even if our fate is soon to come this summer.

We took Esley swimming. We tried the pool. He was fine with the cold water, I wasn't. The hot tub is a better fit for me. Esley didn't seem to mind the bubbles either.

Ed's school has a ton of family friendly activities during the year. Right before Easter they had a big egg hunt for the kids. This was taken there.

Easter Sunday in between conference sessions. We live really close to a duck pond that we like to frequent and feed the ducks and baby turtles.

This is Esley;s new sleeping position. No idea how he sleeps like that.

He also LOVES the mouse on Ed's computer. I'm sure its due to the right click which my computer doesn't have.

I celebrated my birthday yesterday. It was really really fun. Esley was really exhausted while we were at dinner though, so we took our dessert to go.

Life, as I now know it

2010-04-05T20:24:00.003-06:00

I used to be a perfectionist. really. You wouldn't know that by capturing a glimpse at my life now, but once upon a time I had an orderly life. This is no longer the case. I basically hit rock bottom last Friday. Our ward has this thing every Friday called Music Makers. It's kind of a get together with other women in the ward to sing and play music with your child. Anyway, I figured Esley and I would go. Esley and I were dressed and ready 15 minutes before we needed to be there. 10 minutes before it started we were backing out. Ed always goes this one way to church (I never drive when we are together) and I figured I'll take the free way (he never does) and it will be so much faster, right? This was not the case. Because I never drive and we never go the way I went, I completely missed the turn off and took the exit after the one the church is on. At this point I figured.. oh it must be a little further and I preceded to keep going in the completely wrong direction. After realizing, I was already 5 minutes late I text Ed and asked him what road the church was on. At this point in the story (if I were the reader) I would think..."just turn around and go the right way." With special thanks to ADOT and their never ending road construction, I didn't get the chance to turn around until I reached 111th Ave (the church is on 67th) and I see signs welcoming me to Sun City. (If you're still following, I was 15 minutes late at this point). From the back seat, I no longer heard Esley's elephant jingly-thingy making noise... oh no, I now hear a grunting noise from Esley. Yes. Exactly what you're thinking happened at this point. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. With all good intentions, we did no make it to Music Makers. Instead, we made it to Target for a little retail therapy.

Is anyone else feeling like they're running on empty?

Favorites

2010-03-27T08:41:00.008-06:00

When I first had Esley one of my good friends gave me one of the best gifts I received: her favorite baby things. She packed it full of things that she couldn't live without (and things I now can't live without). My friend Laura is pregnant and it got me thinking... what are my favorite things? (They are pretty recent finds that go with Esley's current age. While I didn't include these things in her gift, they are still fantastic.)

I LOVE these bottles by Green To Grow. They have this beautiful natural golden color to the plastic of the bottle because they are free of phthalates and bisphenol A. Plus, who doesn't love that little plum?

The only way Esley can really keep anything down (due to the reflux) is if we give him tons of rice cereal with his milk. Earth's Best is by far the best cereal out there. We started with the brown rice and oatmeal varities and now we are on the Multi-grain one. This one has oats, spelt, and barley. It's also organic! Love this one... so does Esley.

While this is no Beaba Babycook, this baby food grinder is fantastic! I can easily grind any fruits or vegetables that we are eating and give them to Esley.

What are your favorites?

Fabulous finds

2010-03-17T21:39:00.005-06:00

I can't get enough of...

Don't you love that? You can find more here.

I love a fantastic pair of flats. Can't go wrong with these...

I absolutely adore this picture. He is so crazy and playful sometimes. It's moments like this that make the really awful ones seem well worth it.

2010-03-15T21:00:00.002-06:00

(Ok, I know the picture below is a serious safety concern. I never thought I would be one of "those" mothers, but really... you do what you have to do to get through the day.)

I promise I'm not becoming a baby blogger. I've just been busy as of late.

Seriously, what happened to February?

2010-02-28T21:36:00.004-07:00

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last post. Really, all of your suggestions have helped. Basically, after seeing a specialist we've just been told to start Esley on solids. I'll let you know how things go over the next couple of weeks.

I ended up buying a few children's books off of Amazon a few weeks ago and I am so in love with them! I stumbled across Saxton Freymann's work a few years ago and have envied it ever since. Who knew food could have so much personality?

0%?

2010-01-30T16:01:00.002-07:00

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I've been dealing with Esley's weight not being on "the chart" at all. I haven't really been too concerned because he seems happy, he's growing, and he's sleeping through the night. He's had a lot of problems in the last few months though.

Problem #1: He was constantly spitting up. I'm talking projectile vomiting. It was everywhere.

Problem #2: He has acid reflux. When we finally figured it out, our pediatrician put him on some medication. This solved problem #1.

Problem #3: He has an extremely sensitive stomach. Right after Esley was born, my mom came into town and stayed with us. She said that she would get up with him at night and just give him formula because there is no way I could get 2-3 bottles ahead in pumping every single day. Anyway, Esley can't take regular formula. He would scream for h-o-u-r-s. So, we bought him a special kind where the milk proteins were partially broken down. He was constipated and still screaming. So, needless to say... we haven't gone back to formula since.

Problem #4: He is most likely allergic to peanuts. Before we figured this out, I lived off of chunky peanut butter. We finally figured it out and I stopped eating it. He has been doing pretty good since then.

I bring all of this up because the appointment this week at the pediatricians office did not go well. Esley is STILL under 10 lbs.... and he's 4 months. It's not like I don't have enough milk to go around. He is getting plenty. Our pediatrician wants us to "supplement" his diet if he hasn't gained 6-8 oz in the next 2 weeks. We can't go back to formula. I seriously don't think I can live through that again. Does anyone have any advice, help, words of encouragement, etc in helping Esley absorb more so that he can gain some weight? I'm lost on what to do.

New

2010-01-27T15:14:00.010-07:00

I've come to the conclusion that the best part of starting a project is in the very beginning. You're excited about it... anxious to get started. After you start it and stop it over and over again, it's no longer that exciting. Anyway, I've finished a lot of projects this last week which I've put on the back-burner for months. It feels really good to cross something off the list.

I finally finished the carseat cover! Love the way it turned out.

The sweater I made for Esley. Remember these booties I made ages ago? This was the sweater that went with them. I decided to use toggles instead of the ribbon that was originally supposed to be on it.

Out of desperation, I was kind of forced into making a wrap. (It's a long story... the bjorn is out of commission for the next little while.)

I made these two for a friend of mine who is having a baby in the next few weeks.

In other news, guess who is 4 months old?

We may have a future soccer player

2010-01-10T20:24:00.005-07:00

Esley spontaneously started playing with the ball with his feet today. here is a short clip. When he first started doing it he was carefully holding the ball between his feet and then he started to kick it repetitively.

a little of this... a little of that

2009-12-22T19:52:00.006-07:00

I've had the last 2 weeks off from school. 2 weeks! Besides dealing with the drama of Esley, I've kept myself busy with a few things. A friend of mine is having her baby in a few weeks and I put this together for her...

This picture really doesn't do it justice. It turned out so so so cute.

I've also finished knitting Esley a sweater, made a million batches of granola and lemon curd, and made my sister a bag for her birthday next month... more on that later.

In other news, Ed took this of Esley earlier this week.

Esley is 3 months today! I'd like to say that it's gone by fast (because it has), but it also seems like its been ages since he joined our little family.

A serious pouty lip

2009-12-18T14:10:00.003-07:00

How funny is this?

Heather's wedding

2009-12-10T14:08:00.006-07:00

When my sister Heather asked me a few months ago if I knew any photographers, I immediately thought of Sarah. I met Sarah ages ago when we both worked at Anthro. We've kept in touch mostly through blogging and I noticed she does photography on the side. She has amazing style and still lives in Utah. Anyway, Heather got her photos from her wedding in the mail yesterday (it took us 6 months to get ours) and they are incredible. I seriously wished we would have had Sarah do our wedding.

G-ma and Esley.

sisters.

Heather and mom.

the cute couple. don't you love her dress?

seriously, such a good cake.

at the reception.

My sister Missy and me.

Drifting

2009-12-06T15:29:00.003-07:00

I don't know what it is about finals week that makes me space out c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y. I can't seem to focus on what I should be doing or what I should be studying. I'm too preoccupied with finishing random projects which I started ages ago and never got around to finishing. I think it's just because there is an end in site. Anyway, I finished making these hair clips for my niece today.

Love them. and her.

Recent Happenings

2009-11-30T20:36:00.006-07:00

Things have been crazy the last few weeks. Ed had Fall break so we drove up to Utah to see family and celebrate Thanksgiving. While we were there, we blessed Esley, watched Heather get married, planted a tree, and had the heater in the car go out.

After the blessing. Esley didn't wear this for the blessing, he just spit up on what he was wearing for the blessing.

We planted a tree to commemorate the event.

Heather is off the market. ldslinkup will surely miss her, im sure. This is a photo of all of my sisters. Seriously, none of us look alike.

Heather and my dad

Heather and Joe.

More to come...

Speechless

2009-11-13T11:21:00.004-07:00

I can't really describe the last few weeks. Stressful? Sleep Depriving? Anxious? There isn't a particular adjective that could sum it all up. Ed and I were having a discussion a few days ago about how this (motherhood/parenting) is the only job where you are screamed at, spit up on, and peed on and you still keep coming back for more.

It's moments like this that leave me utterly speechless though. It's funny how a simple gum-y smile can completely make you immediately so grateful for those 1 am wake up calls.

Photo contest

2009-11-04T07:31:00.003-07:00

Our friends Cami and Josh own a company called Captivated Candids. It's a photography business that has really grown within the last year from all of the weddings, engagements, family photos, and children pictures that they've taken. Cami has set up a Cutest Kids Contest on her blog which we've entered Esley in. The contest started on November 1st and goes until the 30th. There are some fantastic prizes (we so want to win). Please please please go here and vote for him. Leave a comment on the blog for #15. If you want to post anonymously, leave your first name and email address in addition to #15. You can vote once a day for the whole month of November!

Esley likes ducks and other fun

2009-10-13T10:59:00.006-06:00

We went to the duck pond behind our house a few days ago. By the time we got there it was fairly dark, but here are a few pictures from the experience.

I made this onesie for Esley. The photo is horrible. You can't really see it, but it has trees on it.

2 years

2009-10-05T15:12:00.003-06:00

Happy anniversary to us! So crazy to think of where we've come in the last 2 years. Love you.

Baby is here!

2009-10-04T19:41:00.000-06:00

Baby Stevenson 6 lb 12 oz, 19 3/4 in, 7:15. Mom and baby doing well.

Photos on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2291662&id=17823978&l=9c152bab29

more later

Baby is here!

2009-09-30T01:45:00.001-06:00

Baby Stevenson 6 lb 12 oz, 19 3/4 in, 7:15. Mom and baby doing well.

Photos on facebook: www.facebook.com/edward.stevenson

more later

Finishing touches

2009-09-24T22:58:00.005-06:00

No, no baby yet. Playing a never ending waiting game has really started to lose it's appeal. I've been keeping myself busy catching up on things I've put off for months and these projects...

Awhile back, I made my friend Megan (who had her baby earlier this month) a similar pair of these shoes. I love the way they turned out and decided I would make some for our baby as well.

It's a pacifier clip. Love this little mouse. The only thing missing is the baby...

The final countdown

2009-09-16T14:45:00.002-06:00

2 1/2 weeks to go... or so they say.

As you can see from my lack of posts that things have been a little crazy over the last few weeks. We've been trying to get a few stray odds and ends taken care of and the anxiety/excitement is starting to set in. Let's hope they go by fast.

San Diego

2009-08-29T00:05:00.010-06:00

Ed and I were able to go to San Diego this week before the start of school, before the baby comes, and to escape the heat. I think we brought the heat with us though. San Diego was having record highs. We still had a great time though (minus my ever present edema and random crying spells... yeah, you haven't seen anything until you seen a grown women crying during the Shamu exhibit).
After we arrived, we went to the beach for a few hours. (I was talking to my mom when this picture was taken... 5 weeks left--lets hope they're short. I am honestly getting bigger by the day and more uncomfortable by the second.)

We went to SeaWorld. You have no idea how many people were man-handling the starfish. I feel so bad for those things.

How sweet is this? The flamingo's had babies.

We went to Balboa Park and walked around the museums and gardens.

Ed starts class on Monday. I keep thinking that one of these days we're going to get sick of each other because we've spent so much time together this summer but we don't. I keep thinking how soon we'll have a new baby to be absorbed with and we won't get to spend time with just each other. In the mean time, it's nice to just get wrapped up in each other.

Ed's Birthday

2009-08-14T23:52:00.004-06:00

So glad I get to spend my days with this person...

I was luck enough to have some really random pictures left on my computer that I found earlier this week. This one included.

Happy Birthday favorite, I hope it's been a good one.

Date Idea

2009-08-07T21:15:00.001-06:00

So we were at one of those pregnancy prep class they offer at the hospital, you know, the ones that they tell you every thing discussing that they and their fellow nurses have seen on the labor and delivery floor...just in case it happens to you. Well the topic of the evening was breast feeding and well, we now know every dirty detail of what one can know about breast feeding. But the best part of our 2.5 hour nonstop lecture about "latching success" was this guy across the room drinking from what you will notice is a hooters cup.....umm...maybe I should say hooters mug. I guess he and his wife?? (this is glendale) were making a whole date of the evening...a theme date.

DIY- Crib top changing table

2009-08-01T23:04:00.010-06:00

We're sharing our office space with the baby so we are limited on the space we have for furniture additionally is the fact that accessory crib furniture is expensive. We liked the over-the-crib changing station but the only ones we could find cost $350, so I decided to build one myself. It cost less than $30 for supplies plus an investment in a drill and drill bit set. Here are the details. if you aren't interesting in the construction scroll to the bottom to see the finished product.

The competition:

Plans for wood cuts on the back of a 3x5 card, designed to be cut from a 24''x48'' sheet of wood. We found some 5/8'' thick laminate pine board that already well sanded at home depot.
Dimensions have an internal size of 32" X 16" which seems to be the standard size of changing pads.

The home depot guy was nice enough to cut the several pieces for us and here are all the pieces laid out on our ikea rug that now serves as the patio covering for all of our projects.

This is furniture for baby so we need to soften the edges. I used the electric sander - one of the best purchases ever and it was just as expensive as buying all the hand sanding tools.

Here's the wood after 2 layers of stain. I used polyshades by minwax, the color is bombay mahogany, statin. 3 coats of stain will eventually go on. I did this in the Arizona afternoon heat, which makes it hard to spread because it drys quickly, but it makes it nice to be able to stain the opposite sides and apply additional coats because it is dry enough to sand after just a few hours.

I drilled and screwed, and glued the panels together. I didn't need to glue it but I go for thorough quality. I probably should have used wood glue but I had gorilla glue at the house. Gorilla glue is the most awesome stuff. It is incredibly strong and adheres to everything. (if you are ever bored get a bottle of gorilla glue and some rocks and just be stunned by how much fun you are having. Gorilla glue is also the worlds biggest pain-it will never, ever, ever, ever come out of your clothes, it will not come off of your hands until you have shed your skin, the instruction recomend to removed it with a chisel or sand paper (if you have the time). The biggest issue is that if foams as it solidifies, this is nice as it fills space but it also comes out of the crevasses. I found a bamboo skewer works really well to pop the foaming bubbles and push glue back into the crevasses as well as useful to wipe off small amounts of excess.

The finished box

This is the bottom of the box. The rear panel hangs down to form the retaining support, and a small piece of wood is placed to be the front retainer.

Here it is is on the crib. The redness of the wood doesn't really come out in this picture but the color is nearly a perfect match with the dark plum colored wood of the crib. Brooke likes it, that the important thing. And baby can awe at the beautiful wood and craftsmanship and he is getting his clean diapers on.

Fresh From the Oven: Focaccia

2009-07-28T10:04:00.002-06:00

This month the challenge was Focaccia. We were able to choose whatever recipe we wanted. I found one from The Food Network that received really good reviews. I need to stop basing my decisions on what other people think of something they make. It is often completely different than my own opinion. Anyway, the recipe that I used can be found here. I added sun dried tomatoes to it and should have waited to add them until the last 3-5 minutes. They turned out crispy and gross. I don't know if I added too much Parmesan, but it seemed a little dry on the top as well. The bread itself was really good, the toppings kind of sucked though.

The Return of the Sweet Potato

2009-07-27T20:36:00.001-06:00

When we moved to Arizona, almost one year ago we had a voluptuous sweet potato plant which died from its miserable journey in the big yellow penske truck. We planted another one and despite the horrid heat it has been doing very well. The pineapple plant behind it is also doing well after trying to start like 16 pineapple heads. We lost half of our plants to a gnat infestation this summer. Anyways go sweet potato.

The Narrows

2009-07-12T20:47:00.007-06:00

Over the 4th of July holiday, we stopped at my mom's and went hiking in Zion while we were visiting. Devin (Ed's brother) and his friend drove down from Salt Lake as well to join us. Overall, I don't think we would have lasted if the water hadn't been so chilly. It was a little over 104 that day and the water was probably 65-70 degrees.

Brian (Devin's friend), me and Ed

Devin, me and Ed

Some serious snacking

28 weeks

2009-07-08T15:49:00.005-06:00

Pregnancy is really a bizarre feeling. You resent it but feel elated all at the same time. I guess I felt like I had really experienced every situation life has in store for me and then the rug is pulled out from under me... again. Never thought I would have a desire to eat a text book. It's good to say I can check that one off the list.

Anyways, We bought this crib a few weeks ago...

And we received this bedding in the mail this week...

Just the simple act of actually having a space for the baby has made everything seem so much more real.

It really is hard not to feel huge, but every time I feel our little baby move I know that it's at home. Such a blessing.

Rustic Bread

2009-06-27T14:42:00.004-06:00

We're visiting family and friends in Utah for the next few weeks and things have been a little crazy. Ed was sick a week or so ago... then I got it... and lost my voice. I hate being sick. Other than the stated obvious (spending my days in bed close to a box of kleenex), things haven't been too adventurous. I'm getting huge... which should explain this post. I'm taking a break from Daring Bakers for awhile and decided to join a bread baking group. This month the challenge was Rustic Bread.

Overall, the bread was pretty good. I added wheat germ to it as well for added fiber. Wheat bread always tends to stay moist longer than white. I love that.

This month's challenge is hosted by Brianna. She has chosen a Rustic Bread from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes. The recipe can be found here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/rusticbread

Special delivery

2009-06-13T17:52:00.007-06:00

These lovelies came in the mail today...

I was on etsy one day and stumbled upon them through this shop. I was able to choose the colors and everything. Love them.

We've been watching way too many movies lately which has allowed me to finally finish these...
Ok, so they are a little feminine... i know. But really... yellow and seafoam? It could be worse.

The almighty to do list

2009-06-03T23:23:00.001-06:00

So now that I don't have school to get in the way of my life, I'm finnally getting around to a lot of things that need to be done or could be done but its a little hard to justify the time away from studying or vegetating to do them until now. so some of the things to git done...

1. Write a blog post... and wallah!
2. Use a handle little firefox ad-on called scribefire to write blog posts that I installed months ago but haven't used do to the procrastination of #1.
3. strip and restain antique table, feet of chairs, bookshelf, and antique chest of drawers. For some of these item this is the 3rd attempt at this but now with a power sander we are doing it right.
4. install triple boot to linux ubuntu. this was actually very easy. I'm still finding my way around ubuntu but it works great, its simple, stable, quick, free, and while I still use windows for most things its nice to know I have an option.
5. Pick out name for baby. this is still in the works but progress is being made.
6. found crossloop which is a simple way to remote access and control a computer so I can help my parents out when they have computer issues.
7. find table for living room, this might be done, amazing how hard it is to find a simple accent table. we found one that was perfect except the color was off. We bought one that looks great but don't know if it will work...so we're still looking for now.
8. read a non school book. I've read four, but three were not novels so brooke says they don't count.
9. organized the closet. this is so we have somewhere to put all of baby's and our stuff.
10. figure out what to do when I grow up. some progress made but, this one reaks too much of school right now.
11. figure out what we have and what we need to do for food storage. good news we are doing pretty good.
12. complain about heat. check that a coulpe times.
13..............

not yet done
1.go to bath and body works and get hand soaps
2.watch a bunch of movies
3.figure out if bag of vegetable source protein they sell at sprouts can be made into anything palatable.
4.resolve to not complain about heat.
5.find someplace fun and cold and find affordable way to get there as to make progress on last line. anyone have a house in norway they need to have looked after for a few weeks?
6...........

well the list continues but you probably have a list of your own to work on

One down

2009-05-30T09:20:00.005-06:00

I never have time to get anything done. I'm having the hardest time balancing my obligations and projects which I'm itching to get to. We went to my mom's over memorial day and I was able to get some of my knitting projects out of the way. (It helped that we took a 4 hour detour into California because we missed the turn off and didn't realize it until after we went threw the California security check and then proceeded to drive another hour and a half. I can't blame Ed though. We wouldn't have arrived alive if I was driving, or even on the right road...)

I completed these for a friend whose baby is due 3 weeks before mine. She is also having a boy.

On the car ride back, I started making the mobile. It is honestly going to take me months to get it done. I spent 2-3 hours just on one of the flowers. Each petal is double sided almost like a pocket. I absolutely adore it though. Here is what it should look like when I get finished...

Memories all in one place

2009-05-16T11:44:00.004-06:00

Ed has his finals next week and will then be finished with his first year of medical school. It honestly couldn't have come sooner. I knew that I wanted to give him something when he finished, but I had no idea what. A friend of mine, Melissa, posted this a few months ago. I knew it would be perfect. I emailed Ed's family and friends and pulled together stories and different thoughts that people had about him over the years. Melissa does custom bookbinding (as well as a TON of other things) and sells them in her etsy shop. The book turned out beautiful. I left a lot of it up to her discretion (she has amazing taste) and I was so excited when I picked it up from her earlier this week. She made it from cork and leather. The cork is incredibly soft. I've never felt anything quite like it... especially on a book. I'm stealing her photos of it because lets be honest... hers are going to turn out a ton better than mine.

Don't you love it?

2 HUGE things...

2009-05-08T08:20:00.003-06:00

1. We had the Ultrasound yesterday. Everything looks normal.

2. It's a boy!

Projects

2009-05-05T22:44:00.005-06:00

I'm in the process of finishing these...

Does anyone know where I can get some pacifier clips? I can't seem to find them anywhere.

I saw this today in this book.

So in love with how dainty they are.

19 weeks

2009-05-02T12:53:00.003-06:00

We have our ultrasound next week to see what our baby is. So excited.

Lower Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam

2009-05-01T09:45:00.011-06:00

It's that time of year again... jam season. Most jam recipes call for 4-6 cups of sugar for 1/2 a flat of berries. It kind of makes me sick when I see how much you have to add. Ed's mom gave me a really great lower sugar jam recipe though which is fantastic. It's more of a strawberry syrup then really really solid like most jams. It is so much better than using pectin.

You'll need to cut up (or mash depending upon the berries you use) 5-6 cups of berries. You don't want to make it into a puree though.

In a heavy saucepan, add 2 cups of sugar.

Add 3 Tablespoons of clear starch or corn starch.

Add one packet of Kool-aid. You'll want to use the flavor of Kool-aid that is the same as the flavor of the berries.

Add one cup of Karo Syrup.

Stir all ingredients together on medium/high heat until sugar is no longer crystallized.

Add the strawberries. After they are well incorporated into the sugar mixture, remove from heat.

Spoon jam into jam jars. You can use any type of jam jars you want. The ones I used hold about 2 cups each. This makes A LOT of jam.

April Daring Bakers: Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

2009-04-29T17:25:00.003-06:00

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I don't think it is possible for me to post on time each month. I'm always a few days behind it seems. I'm not much of a cheesecake fan and would probably have never made this on my own. i made it for Easter though and it turned out a lot lighter then other cheesecakes. I changed mine up a bit as well. I used vanilla wafers instead of graham crackers and added orange zest to the crust. For the middle layer, I made it fairly close to the recipe (listed below) minus the 3 sticks of cream cheese and heavy cream. For the topping, I made a really light whipped cream, orange juice, and sugar mixture which turned out fantastic. We had it on Easter with a few friends and it turned out to really compliment the meal--and season.

Disregard my terrible picture. Ed was at school when I took it and I'm slightly retarded with his camera.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:
crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.
5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.
Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.
Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

Cravings

2009-04-27T08:05:00.003-06:00

The two things that I want constantly...

The salsa addiction is getting to the point that I can eat it straight. sick, i know. As for the water, I can go through bottles and bottles a day and still feel thirsty. Any ideas?

Birthday

2009-04-21T08:21:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday and e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e really went out of their way to make it special for me. I've always had extremely high expectations on my birthday and I certainly wasn't disappointed this year despite the fact that I sprained my ankle. (Seriously, I am the only person these kind of things happen to on a regular basis.)Ed and I went to dinner and then to the Botanical Gardens to see the Chihuly exhibit before it ended. Plus, the cacti were in bloom!

Change

2009-04-15T21:32:00.003-06:00

You know that feeling that change is in the air? I often feel it most during literal seasons of change, rarely in hidden moments. I love the feeling of anticipation. I'm not sure what's to come for me, but I can only hope it'll be for the best.

March Daring Bakers: Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna

2009-03-28T15:17:00.003-06:00

Lasagna has never been a favorite of mine and would not be something I would normally make on my own. It was good to have an excuse to make it. I will never again attempt to make my own pasta though. The trouble with home made pasta is that it is never thin enough and has a really chewy texture that I hate. Needless to say, after trying it I went ahead and just gave in to some whole wheat pasta. I also didn't use the meat sauce which was recommended. I used my mom's recipe to try to keep things a bit on the lighter side and to spice it up. If you like things spicy, it's worth it to give it a try.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
Preparation: 45 minutes
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:
Equipment: A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired. A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough. A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta. Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly. A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets. Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more. Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time. Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

#2 Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Spicy meat ragu
1 lb. of hot sausage-chicken sausage is a lot leaner
1/2 lb. beef--i used 4% fat kind. You can't tell a difference
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
2 tea. sugar
2 1/2 tea salt
1 1/2 tea. basil
1/2 tea fennel seeds
1 1/2 tea oregano
1/4 tea pepper

Brown sausage, beef, onion and garlic in a large frying pan or one that other ingredients can be added to. Drain any access oil from the meat and transfer back to pan. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer until cooked through.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Seriously?

2009-03-23T20:40:00.004-06:00

Your baby is, by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)

Does anyone else get the sick satisfaction of comparing your unborn baby to fruit?

So ridiculous, but i love it.

A few cute things

2009-03-13T21:53:00.005-06:00

I don't think I would ever put the words "cute" and "maternity" in the same sentence together. It wasn't until Julianne mentioned to me one day that you already feel crummy while you're pregnant, you don't have to look it too. I love that mentality. In hopes of finding something worth wearing sometime in the near future, I stumbled upon these...

"The Rio"

2009-03-05T19:57:00.003-07:00

Since we have moved from Salt Lake, I have had a constant hankering for cafe rio. The closest one is over an hour away. I have petitioned to them (yes, it has gotten that bad) and have only received a generic email about how thankful they are that I am obsessed with their food but that is all. No site plans to build one here. No date of the ground breaking. Nothing. I had to take matters into my own hands. Melissa made it a few months ago and raved about it. It truly is right on and incredibly close to Cafe Rio's version. I'm still trying to make their tortillas. I've heard the uncooked ones are pretty close, but I have my doubts.

Daring Bakers February: Chocolate Valentino

2009-03-01T14:43:00.005-07:00

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

This challenge was a little difficult time-wise for me. I was in Salt Lake taking care of my mom while she was getting her knee replaced. The first Chocolate Valentino I made was eaten before I had a chance to take a picture of it and this one (the second) was taken 20 minutes or so before I had to leave for the airport to go back home. I think it's a good sign that it was eaten though. There wasn't a crumb left! I used white chocolate in mine, but dark, milk, or semi-sweet can be used as well. The recipe is listed below.

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Love this

2009-02-25T09:56:00.004-07:00

I'm in Salt Lake this week taking care of my mom while she is getting her knee replaced and she surprised me with this...
This is such an amazing knitting book for babies. I am currently making these...

I love the little mittens and hat. I really hope I have a girl or we're going to have one feminine boy.

I like you

2009-02-16T09:22:00.008-07:00

We started packing on Saturday (because once again we are moving) and I stumbled upon this little wonder in a box that Ed was packing. It has been one of my favorite books for a long time. I gave it to Ed last year and I kind of forgot we still had it until Saturday. Besides the fact that I now cry at every animal I see or children's book I read, it brings back a lot of memories.

"On the Fourth of July, I like you because It's the Fourth of July

On the Fifth of July, I like you too

Even if it was nine hundred and ninety ninth of July

Even if it was August

Even if it was way down at the bottom of November

Even if it was no particular place in January

I would go on choosing you and you would go on choosing me over and over again

That's how it would go on every time"

I would never change who I'm married to. I feel like I'm the luckiest girl to be married to Ed.

Dear Salt Lake City,

2009-02-07T15:59:00.005-07:00

After leaving your wintry wonderland not too long ago, I found myself slightly grateful that I live in constant sunny weather... until today. I miss wondering your streets and the plethora of things to do downtown. I miss the Smith's on 4th South in which I saw some man throwing up fairly close to the automated door. I miss fantastic bike rides and Sunday strolls. I miss having soft water and wondering what the smell was in the Covey on any particular day. I miss the lady whose cat ate plastic in our building. I miss the salt residue and having to get my car washed every week in the winter. I miss the ever present road construction and the taco vendors by sears on state street.

I no longer feel the desire to own a cactus or have a rock garden regardless of how cute that song from the Juno soundtrack about the fish who wanted to be a cactus. I no longer appreciate having to replant grass twice a year. I thought Utah had bad drivers, but I was wrong. I do believe I was passed today on the on-ramp to the freeway by a tricycle/ motorcycle/someones midlife crisis. I felt that was slightly degrading and don't think that would happen in your city, SLC. Maybe with a stolen grocery cart in which the wheels have locked because it had been taken off the grocery store's property, but not a tricycle. I am willing to respect your metering lights from now on. I will appreciate custard for all the glory that it holds. I will frequent the DI more often and find the treasures that it holds. I will no longer stare at the one black person in town like they are an alien. I am willing to change, Salt Lake. Perhaps we could work out a deal, maybe?

Missing you,

Brooke

It's official

2009-02-01T21:18:00.005-07:00

I have a huge mouth and figure most of you would rather hear this from me than hearing it through the grape vine.

Guess whose pregnant?

Citrus festival

2009-01-25T19:14:00.003-07:00

We were able to go to a citrus festival on Saturday. While it was slightly disappointing that they only had grapefruit and tart oranges, we had a really good time. I think the majority of nursing homes in the area let the elderly out and they all showed up at the festival.

We were able to pick some fruit and bring home with us though. Here area few pictures of Ed picking some oranges.

I heard that Salt Lake got a TON of snow today. Did I mention its 75 and b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l here?

Pizzeria Bianco

2009-01-14T19:51:00.003-07:00

After making reservations a month in advance, we finally made it to Pizzeria Bianco. The wait time is literally hours to get in and eat (what Oprah calls) "The best pizza in the US!" I'm not sure if we had hyped it too much, but needless to say we were disappointed. The flavors are good, great even, but not worth waiting in line for 5 hours on a Tuesday night to eat. (We felt bad for the sad couple who had been waiting since 4:00 to eat and were told to come back at 9...) Anyway, we all agreed that Pizzeria 712 (in Provo) is much better without a wait.

Happy Birthday Heather!

2009-01-11T12:58:00.004-07:00

Happy Birthday big sis! Miss you like crazy.

A few more from Christmas

2009-01-11T12:33:00.003-07:00

Here are a few more from Christmas...

Devin and Nathan

Christmas Morning while opening presents. I love how Nathan is in the background harassing Terry.

Heihere, Bridgett, Teihani, Angela, Candace, and Morgan

Christmas and sledding

2009-01-04T13:25:00.005-07:00

Christmas this year was great. It was nice to see family and snow.

Mona, Tehani, and Heihere

Tehani

me on the log

after falling off the log

devin and nika

December Daring Bakers Challenge

2008-12-28T09:08:00.001-07:00

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand. The website is entirely in French so if you want it let me know and I will email it to you.

There are 6 different layers (or more depending upon how you stack it) to the French Yule log.
1. Almond Dacquoise. ( I decided to do Lemon Dacquoise instead.)
2. White Chocolate Mousse
3. White Chocolate Ganache Insert
4. Coconut Crisp Insert
5. Vanilla Creme Brulee Insert
6. White Chocolate Icing

It took me several days to get all layers or the Yule Log assembled. Anyway, it was delicious!

Pizza on the grill

2008-12-14T08:54:00.004-07:00

Pizza on the grill is fantastic. The crust is crisp but not too crisp. The sauce is hot. The cheese is melted. We heard about cooking pizza on a grill from Artisan bread in five minutes a day. I made some dough a week and a half ago, made a loaf, and put the rest in the fridge. It is fantastic after it has been sitting and fermenting for so long. One of the main problems with homemade pizza is the crust tends to be soggy when you cook it in the oven. The grill, however, can get much hotter which explains why the crust is so much better. The crust can be cooked directly on the grates of the grill, but we usually cook it on our pizza stone. Here is the result...

White coat ceremony

2008-12-10T08:24:00.005-07:00

Last Saturday Ed received his white coat. The white coat ceremony is a relatively new tradition (in that the student receives it prior to graduation). During this tradition the school welcomes 1st-year students as colleagues dedicated to patient care. During this event, faculty present 1st year students with a white coat, the symbol of clinical service and care. The students take, in unison, a pledge of professionalism. Ed is lucky to have 2 of his good friends that he grew up with at Midwestern with him.

Steve, Ed, and Lou after the ceremony.

Ed's parents drove down for the ceremony as well...

Receiving his white coat...

I'm so proud of Ed and the commitment he has to medicine. He is truely an inspiration.

Big sis

2008-12-06T20:20:00.004-07:00

Heather emailed me the following pictures from our visit over Thanksgiving. Miss this girl like crazy.

In Defense of Food

2008-12-01T15:23:00.002-07:00

After reading Lisa's post, she inspired me to read In Defense of Food. Over Thanksgiving I finished reading it. In it Michael Pollan states, "The question to be asked is not why we should change our diet, but why not?"

I highly encourage everyone to read this book and evaluate your own diet. This book has had more effect on me than any other book I have read in awhile.

Living out of a suitcase

2008-11-18T10:26:00.006-07:00

We are spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Salt Lake and decided to make a trip of the drive up. We left on Sunday and went to the Grand Canyon. As I have never been, the only information I had to go on was the fact that my dad rode a donkey down it. (If you know my dad, you would understand how ridiculous this had to have been. Especially for the donkey).

We stayed in St. George with some of my parents friends and went to Zion on Monday. It is so incredibly beautiful this time of year. We went hiking up Angel's Landing. There was a disclaimer on the hiking guide that said to not attempt the hike unless you are in shape. Needless to say, it was harder than we anticipated.

First Trimester

2008-11-14T16:02:00.002-07:00

Ed finished his first trimester at school today. After he got home, he was in this position for a few hours...

As for me, I take my medical coding board exam tomorrow. I'll take my second exam in December. I'm so glad to finally be done with the course! We're leaving on Saturday to go back to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving. Things have been crazy with us getting ready to go and this week winding to a close.

Arizona

2008-11-03T08:06:00.001-07:00

In stake conference they referred to this story:

After the Mexican War, General Sherman was enlisted by President Zachary Taylor to survey the newly acquired lands of New Mexico, Arizona, and California, all of which proved to be disappointingly arid.

"Well, Captain," Taylor asked upon Sherman's return, "will our new possessions pay for the blood and treasure spent in the war?"

"Between you and me, General," Sherman replied, "I feel we'll have to go to war again." "What for?" Taylor asked, aghast. Replied Sherman: "To make 'em take the darn country back!"

Vanilla ice cream recipe

2008-10-28T14:39:00.005-06:00

Ok, here is the recipe that goes with yesterdays post...

Vanilla Ice cream from Serendipity 3
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tea. vanilla

Put milk and vanilla bean in a pan on your stove top and slowly bring milk to a boil.
When milk starts to boil, remove from heat and cover for 30 minutes.

While milk it sitting, combine egg yolks and sugar in a mixer and mix for 3-5 minutes. Remove vanilla bean from milk and set aside. Slowly add half of milk mixture to egg mixture to and beat until well blended. Add egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in pan and return to stove top. Reheat mixture through.
Scrap beans from vanilla bean and add to the milk mixture at this time. Do not heat over 170 Degrees. If milk boils, eggs will curdle. Stir continually. Heat until milk thickens and has a light sheen on the back of a spoon. Let milk cool for several hours. (I placed my mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes and it was perfect. It just needs to be at room temperature). Add heavy cream and vanilla extract to milk mixture and place in your ice cream maker.

Enjoy!

The finer things of life

2008-10-27T22:06:00.004-06:00

Ser-en-dip-i-ty(n): the art of making happy discoveries, or finding the unexpectedly pleasant by chance or sagacity.

I've been dying to go to Serendipity for ages. Last year I was shopping and came across this...

At the time, I made a few recipes from this book but never really had time to really get into the ice cream making scene. Now that I am "livin' the dream" (of being unemployed) I have plenty of time to devote to my baking and ice cream skills. It's getting really out of control to tell you the truth. We have an ice cream maker but it always seems like it is more hassle than it is worth to make a batch... except today. The most fabulous vanilla recipe is in this book (along with every other sundae topping to die for). Let me know if any one wants it and I will post it. If you have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend making it.

Grow your own pineapple!

2008-10-15T20:31:00.006-06:00

Ed grew his own pineapple plant a few years ago and he is trying his luck at it again!

Step 1: Cut off the top of the pineapple. There is a space between the yellow part of the fruit and the "stem" or the prickly part that needs to stay WITH the top. (see photo)

Just under the stem on the pineapple are "roots" that help it to grow to make more pineapple. This is why the "roots" need to stay with the "stem" or prickly part.

Step 2: Let the "stem" of the pineapple dry out. Keep it in a cool place, upside down for at least 24 hours or until the bottom is completely dried out.

Step 3: After the "stem" is all dried out, place it in a small glass of water. (This is the bottom of the "stem" where you can see the "roots" in the water.)

Step 4: Change the water every day or two. Keep in a sunny place with filtered light. After the "roots" start to grow, place in a pot with acidic fertilizer and potting soil. After it has been planted in the pot, it can share its love outside.

The flavors of Fall

2008-10-14T08:36:00.004-06:00

I absolutely adore Fall. It's been 80 degrees or so for the last few days and it's hard to miss Salt Lake when I heard they received several inches of snow on Sunday. We have been doing our best to get into the Fall spirit and carved a pumpkin last night. Well, I took out the inside and Ed carved it.

Afterwards, we made healthy, whole wheat, dark chocolate, Pumpkin bread (with our own pumpkin puree!). It smelled to die for! I added extra cinnamon and vanilla. You can also substitute applesauce for the butter. Recipe is listed below!

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup packed natural brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecaons
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, preferrably 60% cocoa
Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lighly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter.
Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
In another large bowl, combine butter, honey, and sugar and beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla -- do not overmix. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in thirds.
Dilute baking soda in ¼ cup hot (not boiling) water, then beat into batter.
Stir in, by hand, the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 for approximately 55 to 65 minutes. (test for doneness being careful not to overbake as it may dry out the bread)
Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. If you plan to serve this to guests and want clean slices, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Otherwise dig in after 5 minutes.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-10-05T14:38:00.003-06:00

Today is our 1 year anniversary. I honestly haven't been happier in all my life. There are so many reasons why I love Edward: he is the only person who will stay up at night with me when I am suffering the ever present case of insomnia, he will go shopping with me, he will honestly tell me if I look fat in something, he knows random trivia (which i can't get enough of), he will simply any medical term down for me ("yeah, it is kind of like scrubbing bubbles"), he can handle my ups and downs, he is fabulous cook!, he loves me, he loves my family, and he loves the Lord. I love you, Favorite. I can only hope the next lifetimes of years can be as wonderful as the last.

Obsessed

2008-09-27T10:10:00.004-06:00

I can't watch enough of this...

Happily employed

2008-09-24T15:47:00.003-06:00

The craziest thing happened today. I had applied for a job with this spinal disorders clinic in Phoenix a month or so ago. I went to the interview, was offered the job, and turned it down because I had been here a little less than a week and thought I might be happier doing something else. Since then, nothing has come of finding a job here. Hundreds of people are out of work and the jobs are few and far between. I've been taking a medical coding course for the last week or so and still keep in touch with the women who interviewed me from the spinal clinic because she is CPC certified and was giving me tips as to how I should go about receiving my certification. She called me today and asked me if I was still looking for a job. Anyway, I start Friday!

Food for thought

2008-09-18T00:15:00.003-06:00

Insomnia sucks. I find myself at 11:00 at night shopping for shoes from Whole Foods. It is sad to say that this is what keeps me from sleeping. Whole foods has some great clothing though. The one in Salt Lake never carried clothes and I never knew what I was missing out on until I went to the store in Scottsdale. Not only are these beauties organic and vegan but they are made out of hemp, bamboo, and coconut. I think I could live off of them in a famine. Anyway, they're darling.

Lunch sacks!

2008-09-10T15:28:00.005-06:00

Last week was the first week of school for Ed (officially). I kept thinking that we needed to buy him a lunchbox until I saw this on Melissa's blog. She has such amazing ideas and has definitely inspired me. I made Ed and I both lunch sacks. Here is a few photos of mine...

Our cute new house!

2008-09-06T14:23:00.005-06:00

We finally are all moved in to our new house. We still have a few things we plan on changing (paint, ect) but you get the general idea...

The kitchen

The dining room

Our bathroom. I didn't load photos of the guest bathroom or bedroom.

Our bedroom.

The living room

Ep motion

2008-08-27T08:10:00.002-06:00

Ed found this video a few weeks ago about a pipetting machine in his lab when he worked at ARUP. It is so funny!

Twilight concert series

2008-08-26T10:26:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures of Ed, me, and our good friend Jesse at Nada Surf a few weeks ago...

Happy Birthday Ed!

2008-08-15T12:43:00.002-06:00

I should have posted this yesterday. I swear, I am the worst wife. Anyway, Ed turned 26 yesterday! Happy Birthday to Ed! This picture still makes me laugh everytime I see it...