Cleaning and Blanket

Today Addison and I cleaned the kitchen, her room and started cleaning the bathroom, but this little girl was getting tired.  She sniffs for her blanket and when she gets it, she smells it and hugs it!!!, I was trying to hold her off till noon, trying to transition into ONE NAP, but she wasn't having any of that.

She has been sleeping almost 3 hrs in the morning and then she lays in her be around 2:30 or 3:00 for another nap that she might sleep 30 min.  So, hence by 6:30pm she is a bear and needs to go to bed but I have to hold her off till at least 7 so she will sleep till 7-7:30am.  I was hoping she was going to wait till the summer was over to change, but I think she's ready now.  The long nap will be good, but I will miss the two naps.  (the time to get more things done)

Oh, cleaning Addison's room was fun because it was a disaster!!!  We hadn't for a few days and there were toys and cloths everywhere.  We got dressed, picked up toys and went to go through her shoes and she thought that was pretty fun.  One of the many things she's enjoying is pulling everything out of somewhere and leaving it for mommy to clean up!!! 

Quick & Crusty French Baguettes

I found this while searching around.  They are quick and easy!!

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1 packet yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and sugar.  Set the bowl on top of your preheating oven for ten minutes.  Stir in the salt and add the flour a half-cup at a time, until the dough becomes soft but not sticky.  Knead the dough until elastic.
Cut the dough into four even pieces.  Roll each of them into four long, thin ropes.  Twist together two of the ropes to form one loaf.  Twist the other two ropes together to form a second loaf.  Transfer both onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
You can now bake the loaf right away (if you’re in a hurry) or allow it to rise for an additional 15-30 minutes on top of your warm oven.
Now for the SECRET: Fill a large bowl with 3-4 cups of ice.  Open your hot oven and place the baking sheet with the baguettes inside, then toss the ice cubes on the bottom of the oven and quickly shut the door.  Do NOT open your oven for 15 minutes.  Bake until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.

Cherry Picking

Cherry pie or cherry crisp is probable one of the best things around if made with pie cherries, sorry not the ones you buy at the store, home grown and picked with love!!!!!

Growing up we had cherry trees and having those in the freezer to just pull out was taken for granted.  For the last few years I have kept my eye on who has a tree, and are they going to use them?  Well Last year I had just had Addison so no energy, but this year down the street and around the corner from us is a pie cherry tree. When I saw they were ready to pick and no one was picking them, I went a knocking. For three days I knocked morning and evening, no answer???  Then on sunday going to church I saw cars in there driveway.  They had been out of town.

They said I could have a the cherries I wanted (because they were sour to them)they are pie cherries but good for me....wooo hooo!!!!

We picked three Ice cream buckets and I really need to go finish picking the tree, cause the rest are ripe and will be gone in another day or so, but I'm so happy to have cherries in the freezer to use for the year till I can pick again. 

I though this little girl was going to give a sour face when she tried the cherries, but she loved them and wanted more...go figure!!!!

Recipes to Try.....Coconut Crusted French Toast

I was looking on pinterest and saw this picture and wanted to find the recipe.   It's very simple, but here it is.

 

Coconut Crusted French Toast with Bananas and Strawberries

Ingredients

Sweet Hawaiian Bread

milk

eggs

Vanilla

coconut

berries

bananas

coconut syrup

Make french toast as your normally would using Kings Hawaiian sliced bread. Before cooking on pan, put coconut on both sides of french toast. Cook as normal.

Add berries and bananas and coconut syrup and enjoy!

Coconut Syrup

I just heat up a can of cocoa Lopez and poor it over the french toast, but you can make your own if you'd like. 

• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour in the corn syrup, sugar, and coconut; bring to a boil, stirring continually. As soon as the mixture comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool completely before serving.

PicTurE reCap Of tHe lAst YeaR

Look how much Addison has changed!!! 

Five movies I'll drop everything to watch

Today I was reading a post on the Pioneer Woman, which I love by the way, and I decided to answer the question my self.  "What five movies would I drop everything to watch?"

1.  The Man from Snowy River

"I'll be back for them and whatever else is mine......" She's not for you lad, He's not a lad brother, he's a man!!!!  The man from snowy river!!!!!
This is my all time favorite movie.  I have a lot of all time favorites, but This one leads the pack in that category!!!!


2.  Secretariat

"I've run my race, now it's your turn to run yours!!"  I know this movie isn't an old one, but every time I get sucked into this goody, I get so emotional.  My one dream would be to have a horse farm and be apart of this life (here's for living through something, right!)


3.  Ann of Green Gables & Ann of Avenly

I have the best memories of siting in the the back room with grandma, both of us on the same chair, (an old green rocker that spun) and watching movies...especially this one.


4.  State Farm (the 1945 version) & Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I posted these together on #4 because I always think of these two movies together.  I don't know why, maybe it's because I always watched them close to each other.  You know afternoons with grandma will do that to ya!!!!

 5. Gone with the Wind

 I love this movie, and I always will even though sometimes it makes me so mad!!!  I just want to change the ending (and everything that let up to it) , then it would be perfect....but I know, I know, that's the lesson we must all learn sometimes!!

Recipes to Try.....Red Velvet Sheet Cake

 Red Velvet Sheet Cake--from the Pioneer Woman

 

    

• 1 cup Shortening
• 1-3/4 cup Sugar
• 2-1/2 cups Cake Flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vinegar
• 1-1/2 ounce, fluid Red Food Coloring
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray a large (18 x 12) sheet cake pan (or you can use a slightly smaller jelly roll pan) with nonstick baking spray. Be sure to get in all the corners of the pan.

Sift together cake flour and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Add vinegar and stir. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, mix together cocoa and red food coloring. Set aside.

Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk/egg mixture until all combined. Pour the red mixture in and beat until combined.

Pour batter into prepared sheet cake pan. Use a large offset spatula or knife to even out the surface. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Place a large cutting board on top of the cake pan, then invert the cake, allowing it to turn out onto the cutting board. Allow cake to cool completely before icing.

Milk Roux Frosting  (This one's mine!)

• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combine. 

This is the only frosting for my Red Velvet cakes, so it's only right to use it with this sheet cake version.

Frost the sheet cake and garnish it with whatever you'd like!!!!

Addie is ONE year old!!!!!

Okay, I'm a slacker.  July thus far has been really busy for us.  I'm just now getting back into the swing of things.

We made it.....ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!!

Addison turned 1year old on July 14, 2011.  Wow where did that year go.  She's a pretty big girl these days...so she thinks!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                          
We went to the doctor July 12, 2011 she's still a tinny girl!!!  

Weight:    16.5 pounds

Height:    27.5 inches

Head:      17   

 She is growing, changing and becoming more of a wiggle worm every day.  Church is wearing mommy and daddy out!!!!  She crawls everywhere and it seems wherever Maggie is (the puppy), she is right behind.  She loves the dog food and I've tried to hide it three times, but she keeps finding it!  She's standing up on everything and walks along it.  She's pretty wobbly still and she has such little legs.  We love this little girl and can't wait for this next year to see how she grows and develops!!!!!!!

*She wrinkles her noise just like her mommy

*She Loves her blankie.  She asks for it by sniffing fast (kinda like what you would do when making a bunny rabbit sound)...it is the cutest thing!!! I wish she would have chosen a more sturdy blanket that was going to last because she has it everywhere.  I wait till she's asleep to take it and wash it.  I feel a lot of fixing and mending coming on!! 

*Going outside is her favorite thing to do.  After she eats dinner and we're waiting for daddy to get home, we play out in the front yard.  She knows when that time is because if we don't go, she points to the door!!

*She still loves food, but lately she know what she wants a bite of. She was eating carrots, pork chops and rice, and apple sauce the other night and I was helping her because the rice and applesauce aren't easy to eat with hands.  I tried to give her a bite of applesauce and she wouldn't take it because she wanted carrots but then the next bite she would take it.  She is really starting to show her personality....she really know what she want's and is starting to let us know!!!

*She loves to wave.  When she see's one of us on the other side of the room, she starts waving and gets this cute little grin on her face.

*She loves reading.  Her favorite book right now is perfect pets (you can feel the pets).  We just got a few new books from Nanny that pop out at her.  She is a tad leery when they first pop out, but then she laughs and wants me to do it again!

*We sing songs a lot during the day and Wheels on the Bus is her favorite right now.  

*Whenever you ask Addison for a kiss, she sure gives you one, mouth wide open and wet...it's so cute!  Daddy doesn't like them so much.

*I always know where Addison has been, she leaves a trail (mess!!) behind her.  

*When Daddy gets home from work Addison wont let him put her down or give her to Mommy...She just want's him!!!!!

Top Teeth are In

Well from a week and a half ago to this week, we are doing a lot better.  Addie's top two teeth are in and the two side teeth to those are now trying to come in.  They're just not as fast as the front tops.  I asked Addison to show me her teeth and this is what we got.  She is quite a funny little girl!!!!  She wrinkles her nose just like her momma!!

Life's little pleasures

Yesterday was quite an eventful day.  I love to curl up Addison's hair but we are still dealing with her baby fine hair which doesn't hold the curl very well.   Gel and hairspray help a ton but after her morning nap it's pretty wild and the curl pulls out.  It' sure is cute though.

I was pulling weeds in the front yard and Addison was playing with rocks, dirt and then trying to eat the dirt. She couldn't quite fit the rocks in her mouth; thank goodness they were too big.   She was having a blast!!! 

Addie always wants mommy's phone and sometimes I let her play with it because it makes her so happy, but I have to be careful cause she sucks on it and it can't take much more of that!!!  (look at those big tears because she thinks I'm not going to give it to her, and then that huge smile...how can I not)

Solar Cooking

Well I'm giving a demonstration on solar cooking tomorrow.  I built this solar funnel cooker a month ago and have been trying different things.  I've boiled water in an hour, made carrots and potatoes in 2hrs, made rice in 1.5 hrs, and today I tried biscuits. They have been cooking for an hour now and are not quite done, so here I am just waiting for them.

4th of July Weekend

A year ago at this very time I was ready to pop with Addison.  I had her 10 days after the 4th.  I can't believe it.  I looked back on last year and....how time flies!!!

We had a great 4th!!!  We attended the twins (Cody and Kylie) Baptism, two full days of boating; which grandma stayed home on Monday and watched Addie while she took a nap.  Two days of boating for her would have been too much!  Fire works again from the reservation, and fun down time with the family and a fun four wheeler ride for Allen and I. 

Look at this Hot Stuff.......Allen says, "he's out of shape."  He  could barley pull himself back in the boat after 3 runs.  His runs are record long.  He can hold on for ever, but this time they were just normal....he was a little depressed.  Lets just say he started lifting weights last night and ran on the treadmill. HA HA HA

Girls Day..........

My good friend from Logan, Lisa, came to visit with her baby girl Katie.  It's always good to catch up and do fun things.  We went to Costa Vida for lunch, made hair accessories while the girls napped, and then went to the mall to do some looking and found a few good deals!!!  These two girls are growing up so fast. 

Popsicles make it all Better

For a month now, Addison has been trying to cut her top 4 teeth.  The cranky part has been on again off again during this time.  I could tell yesterday they were going to pop anytime...today they broke the skin!!  It was an emotional day but a walk, because Addie love outside, and Pedilyte Popsicles did the trick. 

She has really been happy considering the situation, I think!!!

Random Thoughts I had Today!!!

Allen wasn't feeling good last night, and then when he woke up this morning, he still wasn't.  We think he has another kidney stone brewing.  He was grouchy, and I guess I would be too, so we didn't have our normal morning routine. We lay in bed, Addison plays with her toys, and we just catch up on what's happening for the day.  I made his lunch and then Addison and I went out to work in the garden.  He left and didn't say anything.  We're not mad at each other, but I guess we're having an unspoken tiff.    (a common woman thing to do, can we get rid of some of these hormones...ha ha) When this happens I tend to reflect on what inspires me to be and do better.  I think, "how can I change me for the better" 

Here are some random thoughts I had this morning while taking it out on the weeds!!!!

I was brushing up on a book the other day, remember reading this quote, and it really hit home...AGAIN!!

"If we are to develop an intimate relationship, we need to know each others desires.  If we wish to love each other, we need to know what the other person wants."
                                                                                                           -Gary Chapman

I remind myself often that President Hinckley always said, "repetition is a law of learning".  Work, dedication,  and sacrifice will never fail you!!!  That's what this life is really about, we will make mistakes, but it's what you do after that...do you learn from them or do you do them again...that is the question!!

I always thought that if you know better, then you do better.  As I watched Oprah this last season, her 25th...the only one I've ever watched, I guess this was her saying too, so she can have to credit since I thought it and shaped my actions around it, but didn't voice it.  Ha Ha!!!  

My parents were really good at teaching us kids to, "worry about ourselves".  I've taken that a step further to not being hypocritical.  I get mad inside that Allen doesn't hang his work shirts up or put his pants back in the drawer, or other stupid little things, but then I don't do it sometimes either, so I can't get mad at him!!!  

We can't work on everything at once or we just get overwhelmed and nothing changes.  Choose the one that enables you to help the others seem easier.