Mutual

So, I saw on a random blog a really cute birthday based on the Amazing Race that I thought would be fun to recreate for our youth joint activity.  I spent a while searching for ideas and images and this Wednesday was the final moment of truth to see if everything would work.  There were 8 youth leaders that had assignments.  I had planned on 6 youth teams of 8 or under.   (Due to small attendance though I cut it down to 4 teams)  It began with an opening and then the teams were given instructions and rules.  In order to keep it under control and also make for a more intense Pit Stop, I assigned 2 leaders to walk around with a pen and be official 'Penalty Ensue-ers'.  When a team was found being irreverent or not following the rules they would write on the back of their envelope '-2 minutes' (or however many minutes they thought would be fitting) that would be waited out at the Pit Stop before official check-in.  Each team began with one clue to their first challenge.  After completing each challenge they were given their next clue until eventually each team made it to the Pit Stop.  The winning team received full sized candy bars (PayDay's) and all other finishing teams got Nerds.  It took a while to get everything organized and coordinated with everyone else, but I think it was worth it.  The youth had fun and the challenges were all geared on service, sport, spiritual growth, and unity.  My only regret is not making more challenges.  I highly overestimated how much time it would take to complete each challenge. . . especially since we had to cut it down to 4 teams.  The whole activity only lasted one hour. I guess it's all about learning, right?  I will definitely keep the templates so that maybe I can do it again for something else:)

Tried and True-sday -Health

Hyrum loves broccoli soup whenever we go the the Brick Oven.  It's one of his favorite things.  I have NEVER made any kind of broccoli soup before and I really don't know why!  I decided to finally just look up some recipes online and try it out.  The one I decided on trying had great reviews and looked really simple, so I thought I would test it out.  The soup turned out to be really good.  I think the next time I make it though I will not puree anything, but overall a great recipe to have around. Thank you food.com and happy cooking!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half-and-half (I just used 2% milk)

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 lb. fresh broccoli (I just used all the florets of one big head of broccoli)

1 cup carrots, julienned

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter. Set aside.  Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half-and-half.  And the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the broccoli, carrots adn onions.  Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper.  Can be pureed in a blender at this point.  Return to heat and add cheese.  Stir in nutmeg.  Ready to serve!  Great with garlic bread!

Just Jump!

Tonight after Brett was done with work we decided to have a family date.  We went to this really fun place called Jump On It.  Just like it's called, the whole place is filled with things to jump on for all ages.  You know its going to be fun when you have to sign a long waiver upon entering that you won't sue for everything in the world that could possibly happen when being stupid and crazy.  They boys had SOOO much fun (I'm including Brett in that).  Being with child, I decided to stand on the sidelines and be the photographer.  Sadly, the lighting was HORRIBLE and it didn't help that people were jumping all over the place.:)  Oh, well it's the memories that I'll carry.  Here's a scary photographic documentation of the night:

 (They have a 4 feet and under area with about a dozen trampolines.  The boys spent most of the time here and in the bounce houses with slides.)

 (At one point the 'adult' jumping area was pretty empty so the boys went over to jump with Dad.  He tried to teach them some awesome tricks on the wall trampolines.  I wish I could have gotten a better shot.  Noah attempted some flips a couple of times.  Hyrum liked running into the wall tramps and bouncing off.)

Tried and . . .actually not so much

So, it's Tuesday and as I look back at the week I'm seeing that I am definitely pregnant.  One of my favorite things to do has been stolen from me because of my nose that smells things too strong and my stomach that can't like anything that I've been smelling for long.  For the next little while, my cooking will be at a minimum, which means the recipe sharing will be hit-and-miss. I may share some recipes that I just want to share, even though I didn't necessarily make them that week.  Maybe next week.  For now though I'll share the craziness of our busy lives.  

For the past several weeks we have had things going on every day. . . which to the regular person is pretty normal, but for me it's a big change.  Our life with two kids has been based around one project or thing to focus on every day and that was it.  Now it's been packed with appointments and adventures.  I figure I should record them here so that someday when I'm carpooling a million kids to 7 different sports/recitals/whatever it is that kids do, I can laugh at my considering this time busy and say "Wow, you had no idea what you were getting into!".

1. Chiropractor Visits:  After my accident in December I felt fine for a couple of day and then I started waking up with the sorest upper back.  It was kind of debilitating and I was struggling getting going at all before noon.  Most mornings the boys watched cartoons until much later than I would ever allow in any other circumstance.  It hurt to get out of bed and my back would make loud cracking noises frequently throughout the day with the slightest move.  I thought it was just because of my pregnancy, even though I usually don't have any symptoms until my second trimester.  Anyway, after over a month of this I finally decided to go see a chiropractor.  He said I looked bad (actually he used much bigger, cooler words, but 'bad' works for me).  He then put me on a therapy schedule of 3 visits per week for 6 weeks and then gradual tapering off. This is actually now my last week of 3x's.  It has been really wonderful to see what a difference he has made.  I no longer have any pain and  I am getting up in the morning really well - other than my pregnancy tired-ness.  The boys go in with me on Fridays and also get adjusted.  They really love it and are so funny when they explain it to Dad.  Hyrum: "Chiropractor breaked my bones, Dad!" or "Chiropractor made popcorn in my neck."  Noah usually repeats Hyrum's explanation, however he shows us how it's done.  The other day I was sitting down and he walked up to me and put both hands on my face and then turned my head right and left and yelled, "POP! POP!"  He's cracked Brett's neck a few times too:)

2. Dentist Visit:  The boys both had their 6 month checkup this last week.  I was expecting them to be okay and was so proud to see both of them be excellent for the Hygienists and Doctor.  They opened their mouths wide, held still and did everything that was asked them.  Noah did tell the Hygienist that it was his turn to use the polisher a few times and she was very sweet to take turns with him polishing his teeth. No cavities! Woohoo!

3.  Joy School:  This year I started a JoySchool with a friend of mine.  It has been such a great experience for Hyrum.  He has been able to learn better social skills and to learn and create new things in safe environments with his friends.  We began with six Moms and six three-year-olds.  We've had a few changes over the past few months, but the group is still great!  The kids meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11am.  The first few weeks and preparation/organization before was a little crazy, but now it's running perfectly.  I will definitely do JoySchool again for Noah.  Someday I'll take pictures to put up.  If you're interested in our curriculum schedule we set up or want more information on how we did it, just let me know and I'd be happy to pass things along to you.

(I had to take a picture of the boys because Hyrum made a big deal about how their clothes don't look alike AT ALL, when I made a little comment about them wearing clothes that match.  For some reason it really bothered him that I could ever think that they matched. . . hmm, do you see a similarity?)    

4. Noah had his 2 year checkup.  He is 97% in height!  He's such a tall little man.  The Pediatrician was amazed at his speaking ability.  He's an early talker and had a lot to say to the Doctor.  He's usually pretty shy around strangers, but when he opens up, you'll know it.  It's not uncommon to hear full sentences and even have conversations with him.  The Doctor asked him about his Birthday and he said, "Noah's birthday went down to basement for party.  Eat yummy cake and watch movie in basement. Noah have Woody doll."  I was really impressed that he remembered all of that since it was a few weeks before.  He's so smart and we love having him as a part of our family!

(The boys LOVE 'hand balloons' it's always the first thing they ask for at every appointment.  Hyrum has gotten really good at blowing the gloves up.  HE gets them HUGE as you can see by this picture.)

5. Night life:  Well, I can't remember ever really having nights free, so nothing has changed.  Monday nights are reserved for our family to spend together.  Tuesday nights Brett's at the church to help the Bishop.  Wednesday nights are my mutual/grocery shopping nights.  Thursdays are always eaten up by something, Brett and I seem to alternate weeks on who does their thing on that night.  Which leaves Friday and Saturday nights to anythings else that needs to get done, and the occasional date out.  I actually don't know what I would do with myself if I had a whole week with nothing planned in the evenings.  I really enjoy having things to do and places to go. . . it makes me feel like there's more to me than Ring-Around-The-Rosie.

6.  Oh, Baby!  Well, I seem to just love to be complicated with my pregnancies.  When I went in for my pregnancy blood work they called me back to say that they found something in my blood and needed me to see a Perinatologist.  I went in today with Brett.  They did an ultrasound (the baby looked so cute!)  Then the Perinatologist came in to speak to us.  Basically my blood has developed an Anti-body to fight off an Antigen coming from Brett's blood.  Oooh, our blood is fighting. . . sounds so Twilight!  The issue is that the baby is half his in my body, so if the baby carries the same antigen and our blood happens to meet than I will start fighting the baby's blood.  The chances of that happening are not big.  Worst case scenario would be that the baby would need a blood transfusion, possibly be anemic, and/or need to be delivered prematurely because it would be safer out than in.  Those are the WORST CASE scenerios, and most likely will NEVER reach that point, but Doctors have to follow every safety precaution.  We obviously aren't taking it lightly, but we also feel that there's really nothing to worry about unless there's something to worry about, and right now there isn't.  Our chances are highly in our favor for everything to be normal.  I'm actually happy to follow the safety precautions, because it means more ultrasounds!  I love having the visual of the growing cutie.  The only things that were certain facts was that the baby will need to be delivered early for their safety, and that now that I have the antibody it will never go away and it will either stay the same or get worse.  We'll just keep that in mind as we plan our family.  Overall, I think the outcome of the appointment was good.  Nothing to really worry about at this point, and the baby looks perfect and growing well.  He/She is measuring one week bigger than my date, but I tend to have big measuring babies. :)

 (I did actually make some bread with Hyrum this week.  The boys LOVED it!  Hyrum's new favorite machine is my wheat grinder-I'll share more bread stuff sometime when I'm sharing recipes)

Well, that's it. We've been busy, but we've also been having a lot of fun and I have been loving our warmer weather lately.  I realize that there will probably be one or two more big snows before real Spring comes, but I'll take what I can get:)

Tried and Truesday: Health

Because of last weeks illness galore I can honestly say I cooked absolutely nothing all week.  Brett picked up the reins on kitchen duties and grocery shopping (even making most of the list) and really came up with an awesome meal that I just had to share.   We didn't have any skewers but the Kabob's still turned out amazing, thanks to a grill tray.  Exact measurements were not used (the amount shown below is Brett's best guess), so just go by taste and you'll be happy with the results!  Thanks Brett for being the best husband ever! Happy Cooking!

Kabobs

Beef, cubed
1 Red bell pepper, sliced into short pieces (1-1.5")
1 Green bell pepper, sliced into short pieces (1-1.5")
Pineapple

(Marinate beef over night or for several hours:)
Italian Dressing (2 oz)
Raspberry Vinaigrette (2 oz)
Worcestershire Sauce (2 tbsp)
Ketchup (3/8 cup)*
Mustard (1/8 cup)*
Onion Flakes (1 tbsp)
Basil Powder (1 tsp)
Garlic Powder (1 tsp)
Curry Powder (2-4 tbsp)
Thai Peanut Sauce (2-3 tbsp)**
Water (just to make it more liquidy, maybe 1 cup)

*Filled one 1/2 cup with ketchup, put it in the bag, then filled the same 1/2 cup again with half ketchup/half mustard
**Just adds a nice very slight tang, don't overdo it

When ready to grill place peppers, pineapple, and beef on skewers and have fun!  In our case:  Brett put the peppers and meat in the tray and let them all cook together and then added the pineapple a little later so that they were juicier.  He also saved some pineapple slices to grill individually. . . yumm!

Sick Days

This has really been a week of sickness.  We have some yucky stuff going on here and I want it to be gone.  Luckily, Brett hasn't gotten it.  The boys and I however have been in bed most of the week.  Nothing has gotten done.  The house is a mess.  And we've watched WAY too many movies and cartoons.  A typical day this week consists of:

7ish: Wake up. Watch Cartoons.
9ish: Eat Breakfast. Go back to watching cartoons.
12:30: Eat Lunch.
12:45: Nap
3ish: Watch a movie
4:30: Attempt to do something other than lay on the couch
5:30: Magic School Bus
6: Dinner
7: Baths and getting ready for bed

I can't tell you how grateful I am that the boys and I have been sick at the same time. Life is SO much easier when you all just want to lay in bed.  Another thing I am grateful for is Noah's perfect contentment playing by himself.  He can't sit through a whole movie or most shows, but he's happy making his own adventure.  Yesterday was pretty bad for Hyrum and I.  We actually didn't get out of bed until 12:30.  Noah came in a few times to show or tell me something, but other than that the house was his maze.  When I went down I was pleasantly surprised to only find bananas on the floor, my wedding ring missing (I found it moments later, don't worry), and Noah smelling very covered in Brett's deodorant. Anyway, the week has been a bit off, to say the least.  However, due to some very disgusting accidents today, Hyrum became acquainted with the basement shower for the first time.  I promised the boys that they could both take a shower down there right before bed.  I think this is the happiest I've seen them all week!  It made me smile.  Look how happy they are when they are actually in the water.  Their faces are priceless. My boys are just so cute even when they're gross.

Tried and True-sday

It's official.  We're having a third!  I'm about 10 weeks along and so happy to bring another little dude/babe into the world.  In honor of the occasion today's recipe is for all those with a 'bun' in the oven:). . . and for those who just want to take that literally.  Thanks for the great recipe Mic!

(thanks to cookingpanda-dot-com for the picture)

Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

In small cup proof the yeast:
1/2 cup HOT water
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
-set aside

In medium sauce pan, bring the following to a boil:
1 cup water
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
-once the mixture has boiled, remove from heat and add:
1 cup water
-cool until luke warm

Place both mixtures (yeast and butter) in KitchenAid or mixer.

Mix and add gradually:
4 eggs-beaten
7 1/2-9 cups flour

Mix everything until dough has elastic texture.  Kneed dough for 2-5 mintues. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.  Remove from bowl, spread out on lightly floured surface.  Kneed slightly and roll out into large rectangle  (dough may need to be divided in two if space is limited)

Spread/sprinkle the following across the open dough:
1-2 cubes butter-melted
cinnamon
brown sugar (don't be too stingy on this)
opt. nuts

Roll dough into a log (or two) and cut into equally sized rolls (floss is the BEST way to cut) Place rolls into greased baking pan leaving room for rolls to nearly double in size.  Cover rolls with a light cloth and let rise about another hour.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Rolls will be medium to dark brown on top- do NOT under bake.

Remove rolls from oven and immediately cover with frosting.  If you wait to cover the rolls with the frosing until they have already cooled, the frosting is not able to seep into the crevasses of the rolls and the rolls will not be as soft.  I usually pour 3/4 of the frosting on the rolls immediately and save the last little bit to put a dab on the top after it's cooled.

Frosting:

(whip with electric mixer)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
4 Tbsp. butter (softened)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-4 cups powdered sugar
milk (add to desired thickness)