Magens Blog Spot

It's time...

2010-01-12T17:00:00.002-07:00

I'm officially switching the blog. Thank you to all that read along on Magen's Blog Spot. My new blog is my project and an idea that's been in my head for a very long time. You can now find me over at maemaedaily.com . Soon this blog will take you to the new one. Go tell me what you think...I need the encouragement. Remember it's a work in progress :)

Candied Squash

2009-12-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went through a butternut squash phase. It blows me away that a vegetable can be SO good just by itself. Growing up every vegetable was usually smothered in either butter, gravy or cream cheese at our household. I can bake butternut squash with just water and be perfectly happy gobbling it up straight out of the oven.

One recipe I've been waiting to try is Pasta with Butternut Parmesean Sauce from Simply Recipes. This pasta was very yummy with a very good combination of sweet and savory...so in other words, it was rich. If I made it again I think it would have to be made as a side or with something bitter on the side. This pasta is a little too rich to eat by itself...which we attempted. I was very pleased that Kellen tried this recipe because he claims he doesn't like squash...and he liked it!

Another recipe I had on the waiting list was Butternut Squash with Browned Butter and Thyme from Simply Recipes. Butternut squash AND browned butter...yes please. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents in lieu of candied yams. I really don't like candied yams and no one eats them in my family. So I followed this recipe (omitting the Thyme) and at the end I spread the squash into a ceramic dish and tossed marshmallows on top. I then "toasted" them it in the oven...I in reality charred them and advise that you don't take your eyes off them this step. It turned out to be very good and MUCH better than candied yams. My family actually ate some. I consider that an accomplishment. Also, I was surprised to find that when saved and then nuked in the coming days it was even better! I LOVE dishes like that. When you warm them in a microwave the marshmallows melt into a syrup which is incredible. Give this one a try...maybe for Christmas dinner in a couple of days?

"Where the Locals Eat"

2009-12-21T10:42:00.001-07:00

We were kicked out of the house this morning. We're to loud and the drums are too loud for us.

We spent the night at Kellen's moms in Logan so that they could record drums today. So I thought I would make up for us not having breakfast Friday of last week and take the girls out for breakfast.

I've been wanting to try Angie's ever since his mom moved to Logan. It looks homey from the outside and of course the slogan "where the locals eat" entices me. Apparently, it has the opposite effect on Kellen and he has been apprehensive about coming with me. I have a need to fit into local food scenes...being able to navigate eats like I have been living there my whole life. Not sure where that need stems from, possibly a mix of love for food and being a "know-it-all".

As we made our way inside my first impression was that this place had a quick pace. They quickly took us back to a booth and had us settled in while others were buzzing around chatting. I even noticed the manager walking around chatting with families and people he knew. Again, I had envy in my heart...pathetic I know.

Leah was pumped that they had crayons and was not much of a conversationalist after she set to coloring on her menu (I barely was able to get her to look up for the picture).

Our waitress was very pleasant and non-intrusive. They also had those translucent brown diner cups (some kind of nostalgic plus for me) and fresh flowers on the table...although wilting (it's the thought that counts). Again, playing on the local theme some of the servers were wearing Aggie shirts and I noticed you can get 20% off your meal if you bring a game ticket in.

Leah has a kids meal which was very generous...I ate her egg because I can not get enough of eggs lately!

I had the Garden omelet with FRESH mushrooms...hallelujah! Only thing...not just topped with cheese, infused with it...I'll admit it was good and I ate it all, but if your looking for a healthier version of breakfast this is not for you. I'm kinda at a loss what you would order...I guess the granola, fruit and yogurt.

Overall my expectations were met and I enjoyed the food. Now I just need to convince Kellen to join me...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lame Chow Mein

2009-12-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Okay. So maybe you'll think this is gross or below you...or maybe this is something you haven't thought of. Chow Mein made with Ramen noodles? Your liking it right...huh huh? Yeah...I know Lame Chow Mein.

We (I) make it all the time because it is so convenient. Leah eats Ramen EVERY night and so we have large quantities of Ramen noodles on hand at all times and we always have random veggies that need to be used ASAP before they become less than desirable.

So it usually goes like this, I take whatever veggies are available (leftover) and stir fry them with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and a few drops of sesame seed oil. I then add the al dente cooked Ramen noodles and fry them up with an added splash of soy sauce. Yum. Tonight I even spruced it up with some toasted sesame seeds. Again...yum. I usually will serve it with some homemade egg drop soup or egg fried rice...both of which I'll have to post about in the future.

Hope this brings some inspiration for desperate dinner nights! Enjoy.

Big Ed's (The Hungover Breakfast)

2009-12-11T21:45:00.095-07:00

Located close to campus at the U of U and following in suit with the atmosphere of a lot of local campus eats...grungy with specialized menus and loyal followings. It felt like this was the the cool place to get breakfast every morning on campus, whether your a student, professor or local. The kind of place where you don't need a menu because you get the same thing every morning. Kellen described the vibe as "homey" and it's true...many of the customers looked right at home with newspapers or homework while the lone waitress called customers by name.

As we walked through the door I felt like I was intruding. Maybe it was the way everyone looked up with a weary eye as they noticed our newness to the establishment or it could have been my surprise to walk into such an intimate dark setting from the bright cold day outside. We quickly tried to blend in as we found a table and the waitress brought us menus...because WE would clearly need them.

The walls are covered with pictures of customers from over the years. Makes you kinda want to belong...

I had the vegetable omelet with hash browns and wheat toast on the side.

Kellen had the G.A.W.D, hash browns topped with chili, cheese, and a fried egg.

This place was all atmosphere. We had mixed reviews on the food. They offer the hardcore breakfast. Your not going to find any pancakes on the menu...but if you want some meat, toast and hash browns they've got it! Kellen really enjoyed his meal although he felt anyone could make it at home. I was not very fond of my omelet. I'm pretty sure the mushrooms were from a can...which is a big no no. I HATE rubbery mushrooms. I also thought the hash browns had a funny taste.

So if your looking for a home away from home, where the female cook can often be heard yelling out to the waitress from the kitchen and where you can establish a place where you sit and have "the usual" every morning...this is the place for you. I wouldn't recommend it for a stellar breakfast.

Lily felt right at home...and look at those cheeks!!!

An Official Family Update

2009-12-08T01:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Holiday's Everyone!

2009 brought our family a 5 year anniversary, a new edition and a lot of fun times together. I've enjoyed blogging about our family and my own endeavors. I'm hoping that in the near future I will have a re-vamped website so check back and tell me what you think.

Let me update you on our current happenings:

Kellen starts his last undergraduate semester in January. He is getting a degree in Communications and specializing in Public Relations. Last weekend he took the LSAT and spent most of his free time for the last three months studying for it. He feels that he did well...and I'm willing to bet he did VERY well. In coming months he will be applying to law schools on the west coast for fall 2010.

Right now I'm living it up at home with the girls while I'm on maternity leave from work. The house has never been cleaner :) We have a lot of fun together playing and crafting. I spend my free time reading, blogging and if I'm lucky sewing. The beginning of 2010 I'll start back at work which will be hard because I'll miss the girls and our routine. I'm still working at a local Emergency Department as a Crisis Worker. Fortunately, I enjoy the work I do and the people I work with which will hopefully make the return easier. I have only a few months until I will receive my official license as a LCSW which is currently my goal.

Leah is currently into Disney princesses and cutting paper. She sings all day long and prances about. She is excited to have a little sister and is very helpful big sister. Currently she attends a fine arts pre-school three times weekly. Her school is perfect for her...they sing, dance, try different art forms and make-up stories each morning. Leah is a very good and happy little girl who always keeps us entertained!

Lily sleeps most of the day, eats franticly when she does wake and occasionally opens her eyes long enough to give us some smiles. As of today she has started cooing and is working on laughing...but at this point it just sounds like she is hyperventilating. We are blessed to have two girls that are happy and love to sleep!

2010 will most likely bring a lot of change for us. Kellen will graduate this spring and we hope to move to Portland, Oregon at the end of summer. It's time for us to leave the state of Utah behind before Leah starts Kindergarten. We are grateful for all our blessings and the gift of family. Thank you all for keeping in touch and we hope to hear from you. Have a happy new year!

An Ice-skating First

2009-12-06T18:15:00.003-07:00

Leah's aunt and uncle, Kalob and Harmony, wanted to take Leah iceskating. She has been talking about iceskating for a while but we had not made it much of a priority unfortuantly. Thank goodness for aunts and uncles that spoil our children with love and consideration.

It was seriously cold outside...20 degrees. Holy freak. I'm not one for exposing myself to that kind of torture and was talked into going last minute. I guilt tripped myself...who would miss their child's first ice-skating moment? So I threw on and layered everything I saw in sight in an attempt avoid the cold. Lily was nice and toasty in her sling and never even made an appearance during the event.

Harmony and Leah

I loved watching Harmony, Kalob and Kellen help Leah. She did pretty good for her first time!

How cute are they?

This photo captures how very spoiled Leah can be. She is sipping the hot chocolate that Kalob went and got her because she was crying...Kellen wrapped her feet in Lily's blanket to keep them warm...she's leaning on me and asking me to hold her hot chocolate so that she can eat Harmony's snack...Can she be more pampered?

Thanks Harmony and Kalob for being proactive!

Breakfast Fridays

2009-12-04T11:38:00.001-07:00

Every Friday morning Kellen and I go out to breakfast together. A nice marital ritual while Leah's at school. When we go out I really like reviewing restaurants and contributing pictures to Urban Spoon.

So today, I got excited because Kellen found The Ultimate Breakfast Guide written for Salt Lake Magazine that lists breakfast stops throughout Utah by different categories: Diners, cafe's, healthy, etc. We had maxed out on referrals and begun returning to the same places for our breakfast dates a couple of weeks ago. Now I have new places to check out. Woohoo!

While basking in my excitement I thought...hey! Why not document our breakfast adventures on the blog? Here we go Breakfast Fridays!

Today we tried out a new diner, Over The Counter, in the Millcreek area. Open 6:30-2pm...go on in and seat yourself! Oh, make sure you have cash or your check book.

The kitchen is open in the middle of the diner which is cool.

Kellen had the Spanish omlet which LOOKED very good.

I had the French Toast Combo.

The food was good...nothing exceptional but good diner food. Obviously yummy enough for us to clean our plates.

There were a few things that stood out. The meal was cheap for one which is always a good thing. The food was nicely presented which I really appreciate from a diner. The staff were NICE...not friendly which in all honestly can sometimes be annoying...but smiley nice. Also, they were very fast, so fast that I realized I never unzipped my jacket! I think when it comes down to it I would go back for the nice staff. I mean the cook would even look up and smile as he filled orders...

This was my companionship for the morning...studying for the LSAT has taken it's toll.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One More Tea Party (Leah's B-Day 09)

2009-12-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

I got through it. Marathon decorating of Leah's room for her birthday and planning the birthday Tea Party. Actually, there wasn't that much planning for the party because I'm becoming an expert at quick Tea Party's. The most involved process for me now is the invitations.

I just threw together stuff to eat the day of. Which included peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, turkey pesto sandwiches (of course with crusts removed), snack foods, pigs in a blanket, fruit and Chinese chicken salad. We bought decorations as we shopped and picked up some balloons at the store. While at Costco we saw these flowers that we had to have because they matched everything so well. Leah fell in love with them and has been requesting flowers ever since!

Leah's cousins Kyra, Alivia and Sam were able to come which made Leah's day. They spent most of the party running around outside in the wind playing Peter Pan and other imaginary games.

Give Sam a balloon and he will be happy for a while! He's so cute...

I should note that the day of her party I was thoroughly worn out (regardless of pregnancy) and not feeling well. Which explains why I never got around to getting Leah dressed...and why she ended up dressing herself in this scandalous belly shirt dress-up ensemble with no shoes and scraggly hair. Oh well!

I did have a surprise when Kellen showed up to the party with my birthday present. He bought me a Flip video camera! I was SO excited and surprised...when I opened the box I almost started crying (again I was exhausted) with the pure thoughtfulness of it! I'll have to post video clips later.

I have a very thoughtful mother-in-law. She made a bunch of tea party hats for the party and had everyone wear them...we did request tea party attire!

Isn't Harmony beautiful in her hat?

Anything for Leah...

Leah's favorite cake is vanilla with strawberries. What a coincidence ...so is mine :) I just made a white cake, poured whip cream on top and added the strawberries...MMMM. So pretty too.

We were supposed to have the tea party outside because it was a "Garden Tea Party" but it was too windy. It turned out to be a casual event because of the change of plans. At the end of her party Leah decided wanted to sacrifice her balloons to the wind...which I'm sure the neighbors appreciated :)

Here's to 5 Years!

2009-12-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today Kellen and I have been married five years. Crazy. I'm sure in jest Kellen would say that it seems like SOOOO much longer...and I would agree :)

We celebrated during our trip to the west coast and went to dinner together tonight. But I also feel that this anniversary deserves public recognition in a culture where five years feels like a large milestone. Kellen might not like this blog...but oh well!

We have had a lot of great moments in the last five years in marriage from schooling to different jobs, children, traveling and playing together. My favorite part of marriage is growing together. When you first get married you have to learn how to mesh your lives. We have learned to do this fairly seamlessly without losing ourselves. I appreciate our partnership in bettering one another and loving our children. We're a team.

Here is my photo tribute. I thought that I would feature some of the out-takes along with some nice pictures from our engagement and wedding. They were not the highest quality to begin with and then I scanned them in which did not help. Just imagine their potential.

Kellen and I, along with our family, had a VERY cold photo experience on our wedding day.

I like this picture because it seems to sum up our relationship. I would name it "Oh Kellen..."

Kellen's infamous open eyed weirdo smile...

This picture creeps me out...

Exhaustion.

Kellen, thank you for five great years (and staying so incredibly attractive)....I'm excited to see what we can do with the next five. How about a house and one more child?

4 Weeks

2009-12-01T19:37:00.002-07:00

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks! It seems like we just brought her home. She is such a good baby and I'm grateful that she has fit into our lives so easily.

I took these pictures on my phone during a rare moment yesterday when she was awake. We love our sleepy head baby!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Soft Peppermint Puffs

2009-11-30T10:24:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago I discovered these in sticks at Walmart for 80 cents during Christmas time. I LOVE them. It's the texture...they are chalky and I can crunch them up.

My thoughtful mother-in-law found them at the dollar store in puffs...I can't stop! They are so yummy but probably destroying my teeth as well as my chance at losing baby weight in the near future. Maybe blogging about them will make really think about what I'm doing to myself.

King Leo I love you and hate you.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Falling for Fall

2009-11-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

This season brings the yummy smells of autumn (rain, dried grass and crunchy leaves) and of course anticipation for the holidays. I love the changing leaves and the beautiful colors of fall. I love that apples taste so yummy this time of year and the unpredictable weather and snuggling up inside when it looks so gloomy outside.

This year Leah has shared in my love for fall. She anxiously awaited the trees to change and would get very excited when she saw leaves on the ground. This afternoon we decided to indulge a bit...

Leah found this pile of leaves minutes before a truck pulled up to vacuum all the leaves up. Her eyes lit up when I suggested jumping in the pile...because it never occurred to her.

We have had a beautiful fall. As a matter of fact, I really wanted to give Lily a middle name that incorporated fall-y-ness but I could not come up with ANYTHING. She enjoyed a nap underneath the changing foliage while her sister frolicked.

Awwwww...pure joy.

In The Garden

2009-11-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

The Beginning

Mid-Summer

When Mother's Day rolls around I want to grow something! To me it signifies the end of stifling winter and sunshine and green is what I crave. A couple years ago I bought a honeysuckle plant for Mother's Day to grow outside our door. I wanted to smell it as I came in and out of our home. This year for Mother's Day I got a load of supplies for our garden plot. Gardening is therapeutic... and man did I need some therapy as I became more and more pregnant....growing right along with my little garden. Due to inability to sleep you could often find me outside working in my small garden as the sun was coming up and soaking up the quiet.

During my childhood my father often had a garden. We didn't contribute very much to it's maintenance but I must have caught on somewhat because some gardening abilities come naturally to me while the rest comes through research. This year I'm documenting what I have learned so I continue to grow as a gardener.

TOMATOES:
I planted multiple different kinds of tomatoes this year, Roma's, Grape, Jet Setters and Beef. I wish I would have taken pictures of the garden at the end of the season because the grape tomatoes were very impressive. I had one plant and they spread throughout the garden. I would definitely plant them again because of their output. Once they started producing I would bring back a sandwich bag full of them whenever I went out. It was nice having a variety of tomatoes on hand but I would not plant as many if I had a small plot again...it became a lot of maintenance to avoid them becoming a tomato plant jungle.

One thing I feel like I mastered this year was watering. I realized two things...when leaves start turning a yellowish color they are getting too much water (this goes for all plants) and when they start to wilt they are not getting enough. It's all about balance. This year I observed more and noticed that some plants only needed water once a week while others needed water almost every day. I would water individual plants accordingly. Paying attention to temperatures and weather forecasts was also important for water control. If it is going to be very hot I would water more in the morning or late evenings before the heat hit. If it is supposed to rain I would not water at all. Tomatoes like hot and humid conditions. A general rule is they like the soil to be kept moist but not waterlogged making sure you water around the roots.

Something that was new to me this year was pruning and it made a HUGE difference in my tomatoes. I constantly had other gardeners coming up to me and asking me advise on their tomatoes. There should be one distinct stem up the middle and I staked the one stem up straight. The trick is that you only allow 4 to 5 fruit bearing tresses to grow from the main stem. Pinch out any additional side shoots leaving the top shoot intact. Be aware of suckers which grow in the V space of the main stem and branches...pinch these out ASAP. Pruning directs energy to the fruit.

Additional Tips: Roma tomatoes do not need pruning or staking because they are bred to grow compact. Also, remove all the yellow leaves on tomato plants to prevent disease.

SUMMER SQUASH (Zucchini):
Luckily I had enough experience with Zucchini growing up to know that I could only fit one Zucchini plant in our garden and it would provide us more than enough squash!

Again, pruning was the new thing this year. This really helped with the excessive growth of squash. After 4-6 fruit have set you can start pruning. Use a knife to cut bigger leaves that are closer to the base of the pant leaving all others. DO NOT trim any stems. A good rule of thumb is trimming 1 out of 3 leaves on the plant. Again, this directs energy to the fruit.

Additional Tip: The leaves on squash can develop powdery mildew if they get to much water on the leave whether it's due to watering or rain. Try to trim these leaves or you can spray weekly with a mix of 1 part milk to 9 parts water.

Red Pepper

I'm pretty proud of this red pepper. It slowly turned fully red after what seemed like weeks. I made a red pepper sauce with it right away. It's really the only pepper I used. We use a lot of red pepper in our cooking so it is too bad that I was only able to yield one red pepper...I would like to grow more plants next time and figure out what I was doing wrong!

PEPPERS:
I didn't learn a whole lot about peppers this year but honestly I wasn't that invested. Kellen really wanted a lot of peppers (which he never used) and tomatillos...neither are very expensive in the store and didn't seem very smart to grow but we were experimenting. Maybe my lack of interest led to the failure of the peppers and tomatillos... or maybe it really was the weather. At least we yielded some peppers unlike the tomatillos which grew bushy and looked promising but the husks never filled out...they may be a do-over crop.

There were a couple of things I did learn. Peppers (like most plants) need the soil around the base tilled regularly to avoid bugs making homes. A couple of times I did not get to this fast enough and I noticed bugs making their residence. Be careful when you do till because their roots are really shallow. Also, peppers like to have the soil moist but not drenched. It seemed counter-intuitive to me but peppers don't seem to like heat. Mine flourished when the days dropped into the 80's...which did not leave very much time for high volumes of production.

BASIL:

The basil was my pride and joy. One of my main motivations for gardening is to have a huge basil crop in order to have fresh pesto year-round. I got closer to my goal this year!

I learned that there is two huge tricks to growing healthy basil plants...one, they don't need much water. I would let the soil almost completely dry out before I would water it again. I would say every 3 days or even up to a week without water. Second, pinching out any flowers that appear. This is where I can use some improvement as I did not have the time to invest in the proper amount of pinching! Next time I would just pull of the entire top to prevent them from flowering and cultivate larger leaves. I started a few from seed and they did not do well do to bugs. Next time around I'll just work with plants at the beginning of the season.

Also, make sure you pick a few leaves off a number of plants rather than all off one. Making sure you harvest the top most leaves first. This year I would harvest enough to make a batch of pesto and then next harvest I would freeze it for winter. I also had a bug problem with the basil that I will have to learn how to manage better next time around.

I also tried Oregeno, Thyme, Cilantro and Bush Beans. The Oregano I would plant again because we actually used it, it was low maintenance and I think it would do well as a undergrowth in a flower garden. Thyme seemed kind of worthless because I don't like Thyme very much and it did not do well. Cilantro was fun because it grew so fast from seed. The problem with cilantro is that it does not last very long before it goes to seed and is pretty cheap in stores. But it would be cool to have fresh cilantro always on hand in the backyard. Kellen and my sister thought it tasted much better fresh. If I grew cliantro again I would plant it every couple of weeks for a couple of months in order to always have a bunch. The Bush Beans grew a bit from seed and then slowly died off due to bugs and general lack of knowledge. They are a do-over crop because I love me some green beans!

KID TIP:

Leah wanted to water the plants every day. So in order to avoid over-watering everything I planted a few flowers (marigolds....which actually ward off lots of different bugs) on the outside of the garden so she could water to her hearts desire!

PROCLAMATION!!! It's a Medieval Party.

2009-11-12T00:14:00.005-07:00

To celebrate all the Holgate birthdays in August/Early September we threw a Medieval birthday celebration. Clint and Riley really like to dress up and I kinda wanted to be over-the-top this year with this and Leah's tea party. It was so much fun!

Introducing....Princess Leah!

King Kellen and Squire Clint

Friar Kalob and Lady Harmony...and other commoners.

Allison the Gypsy

Adam the Wizard

What medieval party would be any good without a feast? Our feast included goblets of juice and silver platters piled with food...and a speech from the king.

Doesn't this look like fun? We really only had enough sunlight for one of the tournament games. We jousted. This included pinning a balloon to our sides and trying to pop our opponents balloon with our Styrofoam lances with pins in the ends. It was so funny...as well as painful because we kept sticking each other! There was also a rule that we had to gallop which made it all the more ridiculous.

We also played slay the dragon with a dragon pinata. After all this I can only imagine what our new neighbors think of us. They probably think we are really into larping :)

A big thank you to everyone who celebrated with us! How cool is it that our family and friends would go out of their way to play along? And by the way...my parents were there as well....they managed to stay out of all my pictures.

P.S. I must mention this cake I made for the party....Doesn't it look incredible? Good news...it tastes as good as it looks!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tiered Cake with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and a Peanut Butter Chocolate Glaze... For REAL.

I had been day dreaming about this cake for weeks. It was a big hit and I need to share one of my favorite food blogs that brought it to my attention, Smitten Kitchen. Follow the link for this yummy recipe.

August 2008

Red Pepper Spagatti Sauce

2009-11-10T23:16:00.011-07:00

Kellen is now vegetarian and because I've never really liked meat I'm fine with it. Our family gets to eat more of what I like and Kellen seems more adventurous. He made tofu lettuce wraps the other night and they were delicious!

Leah says that she only eats "chicken" which usually means steak and since we only eat steak once in a blue moon, she is basically a vegetarian as well and okay with it. She is going to have to learn to like fish... or we need to stop telling her it's fish before she attempts to eat it! I think her problem with fish is that she see's her dad catch fish and has caught a few herself and so she is too sympathetic.

Back to the recipe! We can't get over this one. I made it up one week and we've made it every week since. Due to the garden producing so much summer squash...it's always served on the side all fried up..yumm. I still need to figure out how to cook summer squash another way...any ideas? I blend the onions and garlic in this sauce because I enjoy the smoothness and Leah will eat it easier but it is not necessary.

Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Cloves Garlic
Whole Onion
Whole Red Pepper (roasted)
16 oz Tomato Sauce
14 oz Crushed Tomato
Cayenne Pepper
(To taste)
2 cubes or teaspoons of Beef Bouillon
1 teaspoon Basil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Fresh Basil

1. Dice onion and garlic roughly and saute both until translucent. Meanwhile, roast red pepper under broiler with olive oil until soft. Place onion, garlic and pepper in blender.

2. Add 1/2 can of tomato sauce to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture into pan. Add all of the remaining ingredients to pan (besides fresh basil) and let simmer for 30 min.

3. Add fresh basil and remove from heat.

08/02/09

Getting Caught Up

2009-11-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

I think being pregnant and working full-time was just about all I could take for the past 10 months. During that time I started about 30 posts and never finished them. It's time to get caught up!...especially since my main job right now is just being a milk maker :)

My goal is to finish writing and organizing everything by the end of the year. As a late Christmas gift to myself I am going to have everything printed and bound. So I'm going to pump some posts out and worry about the order of events later on...try not to get too confused...and wish me luck!!!

Leah is turning 4.

2009-08-05T19:00:00.000-06:00

For those of you out of town...a virtual invite to Leah's Tea Party. She had so much fun last year she wants to do it again! This year we are not going as fancy and I'm just going to make a bunch of finger foods that she will enjoy and let her dress up in a princess dress. I can't believe that she is turning 4! Wow.

Babe #2 (Warning: Bare Belly Photos)

2009-08-03T19:00:00.000-06:00

It's about time I publish about the baby in waiting. I don't know why it's taken me so long...maybe because she doesn't have a name yet. I should tell you that I have had this secret desire to keep her all to myself and our little family. I don't like leaking information. Her arrival has only been a far off date and only proof of her existence is my expanding belly and her movements that are only for my own knowledge. I don't know why it is. I guess my pregnancy (and birth) of Leah was all too public.

I can't hide any longer. I am much larger with this baby than with Leah and I'm getting pretty close here people. It snuck up on me. So here are the much requested belly shots you've all been waiting for and a few of the ultrasound pictures for documentation purposes. I'm 27 weeks and all baby.

This pregnancy has been very uneventful which has been really nice. Leah's first 2 trimesters were the same way. This time around I was sick with a cold and then sinus infections for the first couple of months which in turn made me nauseous from medications. But I still was much better off than most! I totally held it together emotionally this time around...I don't know what the heck Leah did to me but I was an emotional wreck with her the first trimester or maybe I have just matured :) This second trimester has been utterly uneventful. Again good. One other thing that is different is that this baby girl is really low riding. It doesn't even seem right. I keep thinking she might fall out. Leah was so far up and in it was hard to tell I was pregnant at all.

The one thing I look forward to the most about this baby girl coming is Leah's interaction with her. Leah has wanted a sibling for so long and refused to believe we would have anything but a sister for her. When the ultrasound technician told us it was a girl Leah had this expression on her face like..."What the heck did YOU expect it to be?" No biggy for her. For the last 6 months she has spoken about her sister in her play and refers to the baby as "my baby". She tells me everyday how her sister will soon be involved in whatever she is doing. She will be a very good big sister.

SO. Now for suggestions or opinion. I have come to the conclusion that we will not be able to agree on a name for this little girl. So I'm letting Kellen name her with the idea that I can name the next. Kellen really wants to name her Sadie Mae. It's a cute name but for some reason I am struggling with it (probably because my grandparents had a dog named Sadie). What do you think? Any suggestions? He told me I could change the middle name but everyone seems to like it and I think Mae is really pretty. I'm just afraid it sounds hickish. Let me know what you think and I will continue to update on the baby as my 3rd trimester plays out. Due date : Halloween. Kinda fitting for our little family I think!

Moab 09

2009-05-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

FINALLY we can camp again. Still questionable with late snow and rain storms but we went and it was good. I told Kellen then I only want to camp once a year at a rocky place and so now we are done for the year :) It was gorgeous and really cool but dirty. Moab is a really cool place because you have access to so much recreational opportunities (rafting, 4 wheeling, biking, etc.) and also access to 2 national parks. So we visited both Arches National Park and Canyonlands. Here is the evidence of a great time...

First off...our campsite was covered in these caterpillars. Leah loved it and was often covered in them. At the very end of the trip she found some friends in the campground but found out that they were stepping on the caterpillars. She gathered as many as she could from their campsite and ran to ours. She didn't play with them again :)

Leah loved this hike...sandstone arch. It was all sand and their were kids everywhere rolling down the hill. This is also a good pic of my pregnant belly at 14 weeks! (Disclaimer...I look nasty because I had been hiking in the heat pregnant, please keep in mind.)

I like to call this "Kellen ruling the sky." Canyonlands National Park

Mesa Arch at Canyonlands. This was so cool in person because there is a huge drop off on the other side. It's pretty freaky but so cool to look through. This is the most daring I got all trip letting Leah go up with Kellen.

Leah has been messing around with this cheesy smile for a while now. It's really funny. She also got this leather hiking purse the night before which is great because it limits the amount of rocks she carries with her. She gave sacrifices (rocks) to many of the hike gods along our hikes. She literally says she is going to feed things so we can pass.

Kellen is such a great photographer. This is my favorite of the trip. As Kellen would say...Epic.

It rained off and on the last two days which was actually wonderful because the temperature dropped, kept the dust down and the people away. We got a lot of things to ourselves which was so nice. Here is a picture of balancing rock with the storm in the background.

Family picture in front of one of the window's arches. We got there right before sunset and it was beautiful. We got so many good pictures of the trip and I downloaded a bunch to flickr and facebook if you want to have a look! Link to flickr album is :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theholgates/sets/721

Jumper

2009-03-29T18:11:00.000-06:00

From Leah Jumping

Leah loves to utilize our couches as trampolines as well as balance beams. She watches herself in the mirror that is hanging adjacent to the couches and gets a kick out of watching herself fly through the air. Leah has perfected jumping from one couch to the other, she's an expert. Kellen captured some jumping with his camera the other day and I thought I would share. These pictures are too good to pass up.

From Leah Jumping

Cute Baby Alert

2009-03-19T20:01:00.000-06:00

From Sam 03/01/09

So I'm just supper lazy about blogging the last 2 weeks. I know I should do it but I can't bring myself to. So I am at work and decided to post a couple cute pictures we took of Sam (my new nephew) in honor of him being blessed this weekend. And this way when I look at my blog I can see him :) I promise I'll blog something soon!

From Sam 03/01/09

Love Day

2009-03-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to document Leah's first school valentines. I found out they were going to do Valentines at school late and so we (I) made some last minute homemade ones for her classmates. She didn't really care. I was sad.

But she was really excited that she got valentines from all her classmates...came home, threw her boots off and coat into the air, plopped down and ate all of her candy in one sitting. I figure it's better for her then eating it for days and maybe she'll feel gross afterwards and not want candy anymore :) My backwards thinking.

We didn't have a babysitter this year so we rented a movie and had a fondue feast in the living room. Fondue is our Valentines tradition which is perfect because it seems romantic whether it's alone with your hubby or if you have a third wheel (small child.)

I love celebrating holidays. Every Valentines day I hear someone say "I would rather he/she showed me they love me everyday." I think that's lame. If that's not happening then you have other issues and your not going to help them by saying you don't want to celebrate valentines in protest. You know what I mean? Accept the idea of one more day to buy/make thoughtful gifts and express your love to your family. Suck it up.

In family therapy we call these opportunites rituals. Rituals are one of the things relationships thrive on. If your not doing enough of them or if you are not respecting the ones you have established over the years...you may be sabatoging your relationship. Maybe I'll write a blog on rituals...to be continued.

BFF Photo Shoot

2009-02-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

From BFF Pictures

Kellen likes to take pictures. Now Leah has learned how to pose for the camera. This particular day Leah asked her daddy to take pictures of her and whale together. Whale is Leah's best friend. This at times can be interesting because Whale is not your typical stuffed animal...he's really large. One of Leah's favorite things to pass the time is to sit and stroke whale.

From BFF Pictures

Another thing Leah loves is her thumb. Now some people cringe that Leah sucks her thumb...but I don't really care. I'm actually proud that she does. Leah has always been a self-soother. As parents we can't be control freaks about everything. When Leah gets upset she doesn't look to someone to soothe her and tell her everything is going to be alright...she just pops her thumb in and grabs whale!

This may sound harsh, but I'm not always going to be around when life throws her challenges and it's comforting to know that she'll already know what its like to take something on herself. Now that she is getting older and she's putting two and two together, I've seen her step back from situations and handle them independently (with out her thumb) and I know that's because she's confident that she doesn't always needs someone else. I think as parents WE are the one's who are afraid, afraid to let go of the control...we don't want our kids not to need us. But I say it's okay. So I let Leah suck on her thumb.

Besides, as time goes on she uses it less and less and the pediatrician explained to me that really it does not permanently hurt their teeth until they are 5 or 6 and usually it's too embarrassing at this age for them to continue doing!

From BFF Pictures

Edamame Love

2009-02-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

From Edemame and Others

Please tell me that you have tried Edamame (soy beans.) You would never believe that something so healthy looking can taste so good. This is how good...I have preferred it to popcorn. Yes, me, the popcorn addict.

From Edemame and Others

What does it taste like? Hmm...its savory, nutty and satisfies my need for carbs. AWESOME. So get this, until recently we have only had edamame in restaurants but I was perusing Costco one fine Saturday and sampled me some microwavable edamame. It was as good as any I've ever had but I was heart broken...I knew it would cost a fortune and I could not justify a edamame purchase. WRONG. Went back to it's freezer section to pine over it and it was $6 for a HUGE bag. It gets better, within the bag the edamame is packaged in serving sized bags and there is at least 30 bags.

From Edemame and Others

Just grab a bag, steam in the microwave for 3 minutes, sprinkle on some salt and enjoy. Wondering how you eat them? I think there are different preferences but I like squeezing the beans out with my mouth...that way you get some salt with it. This has become my new favorite late night snack but I can't wait to use them in stir-fry this week!

This blog was inspired by Kellen's impromptu edamame photo shoot.

**** The Fine print. It is actually really good for you...I hope this doesn't scare you off!

Edamame is a complete protein containing all the eseential Amino Acids. Great source of protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, and isoflavones (found only in Soy). It is an excellent food for weight loss as well. Just 1/2 cup of them a day really punches up the fiber, protein and vitamin/mineral content of your diet.

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods:

120 calories
9 grams fiber
2.5 grams fat
1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
11 grams protein
13 grams carbohydrate
15 mg sodium
10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
10% Daily Value for iron
8% Daily Value for vitamin A
4% Daily Value for calcium

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast. www.medicinenet.com

Mommy and Me

2009-02-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

From Edemame and Others

I love this picture. Kellen showed it to me last night...he was holding out on me. Leah has been such a mommy's girl lately and I love it. Sometimes I feel bad for Kellen...for example when she refuses to hold his hand but I don't think he minds much. He probably knows it won't last forever. When it goes away I'll cherish this picture :)

Turkey Pesto Sandwiches

2009-02-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why Kellen and I get so excited about taking pictures of food. But we do. I wrote most of this blog like a year ago but never added pictures. We made these and Kellen and I had a quick photo shoot. You need to see these sandwiches to fully imagine their appeal.

With most recipes I start with someone else's recipe and morph...this is not one of those. This is my very own. This is perfection in a sandwich (if I do say so myself.) I made these once while my family was up from California and they wanted them the entire weekend... I think they forgot about them since. Maybe not for long.

INGREDIENTS:

Sourdough bread

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Butter

Pesto (See Previous blog)

Thinly sliced turkey meat from deli counter

Cheddar Cheese

Alfalfa sprouts

1. Lightly butter or brush with olive oil two slices of bread. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and then toast under broiler.

2. Turn bread over and spread pesto on both slices of bread. Add turkey to one slice and cheese to the other. Return to broiler until cheese is melted.

3. Add sprouts on top of the turkey side of sandwich and place cheesy half on top. Cut and enjoy!

Mmmmm!!!!!!

Me likey.

PESTO

2009-02-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been putting a lot of my recipes on Allrecipes.com. I like Allrecipes because I can easily add recipes from the site to my recipe box, add my own private recipes, organize my recipes and print them in a variety of sizes. Very handy for all the recipe clipings I find in magazines and print outs from food blogs, I just enter them into allrecipes and label them as to try.

Unfortunately, this means that I have less motivation to document recipes on my blog. I'll try to keep it up though because I really do like taking pictures of food :)

Pesto is something that we would like to always have on hand in our household. When basil is in season we normally make a batch a week. It is so handy and delicious. Replace pesto for mayonnaise on sandwiches or just boil some pasta and toss with pesto, wallaaa!

PESTO

Pesto is very simple to make.

1. Start off with a bunch of basil. You can usually find a basil in the refrigiorated section of your produce department. Place as much leaves as you desire in a food processor.

2. Add a handful of freshly graded parmesean cheese. PLEASE use fresh parmesean and not bottled Kraft, (yes, mother, I'm talking to you) and if you do not follow this advise please never admit to me.

3. Add a handful of toasted almonds. I just grab a little bag from the baking aisle of slivered almonds...place them in a pan on high and stir so they don't burn. When they are all browned and fragrant take them out. I then put them in the freezer to cool a bit before placing them in the food processor.

4. Add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (your preference) and chop up ingrediants for a few seconds. Next start pouring in extra virgin olive oil while food processor is on untill it reaches your prefered consistency.

All done! You can make pesto with just about anything...diffrent hard cheeses, nuts or fresh herbs. These are just my preferences. Also, pesto freezes well. So make a large batch!

Remember to sign up to follow my blog so your updated regularly. I plan on publishing a recipe for Turkey Pesto Sandwiches very soon.

Leah's Big Brother

2009-02-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

A while ago Leah learned that Jesus Christ was her big brother. She ran with this information. Whenever an opportunity arises she explains to people that she has a brother, Jesus, and now she wants a sister. It always surprises adults and makes people laugh...a fun trick she does... although she is very serious about it. I've been waiting for her to ask me where her brother is :) .

Today she did. We discussed her Heavenly Father and where heaven is. I could just see the wheels in her head turning and the disappointment on her face when I told her that her big brother Jesus died for her. It broke my heart because in the anticipation of this moment, I had forgotten that the details regarding her brothers absense would be upsetting to her. She said "ohhh....*thinking* *thinking* *scrunching of face*...one day I'll have another Jesus brother." We went on to talk about how Jesus is alive again but lives with Heavenly Father and Mother in heaven.

These moments are building blocks. I love them. She soaks up information and thinks it over for a while. A couple of weeks from now she will have more questions for me that I will try and answer satisfactorily.

This conversation was fun to have with Leah but it also made me sad to have to tell her that her big brother died. I could tell she was really saddened by this information. One day I'll be able to explain that it is sad that our Savior had to die for us but also how it was important. Children are so concrete in their thinking which makes experiences and concepts so real and tangible. I'm thankful for these talks. Jesus Christ is my big brother and I am sad that he needed to die for me but I'm glad that he chose to do so because he loved me. He is now my Savior and I am happy to think I'll be able to see him again along with our Heavenly Parents.

The Zoo--- Winter Style

2009-02-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Hogle Zoo was free last Wednesday. They wanted to thank everyone for passing legislation for more funding. I was happy with the thank you because I have always been curious as to what went on at the Zoo in the winter and now I know without having to spend $16. So Leah and I went after pre-school for a couple hours before I went to work and had a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed our time at the zoo better during the winter than when we go in the summer. It was lightly snowing and hardly anyone was there...it was so quiet that it felt like we owned the zoo. We were able to see animals that don't come out during the summer. Example, the cougars were prowling around their enclosure and in the summer they are always tucked in a cool nook. Leah loved the giraffe's. No really...she LOVED them. She kept saying in her little Leah voice..."ohhhh I LOVE them. ohhh I reaally LOVE them....Mommy, the giraffe's really LOVE me too." Her favorite animals were the giraffe's.

So if you know Leah and how much she likes to talk or "chirp" you can only imagine this scene. She was really excited to be at the zoo and literally never stopped talking while we were there. I honestly at times had to walk away from an exhibit until other visitors left because I was afraid Leah was ruining the experience for people. Leah went on and on about how the animals eat snow, the baby monkeys loving their mommies, how the cougars are nice and do not want to eat her, how the gorilla is scared and would like to come down...basically educating me all about how the animal world works.

My favorite was the tiger. We were walking through the Himalayan Cat exhibit and I thought that no way the tiger would be out...it's never out (in the summer.) I heard a gasp behind me and I turned around, this HUGE tiger came out of no where and I was face to face with it. It freaked me out. I had no idea they were that big. It was just hanging out in the snow, rolling around and roaring/growling every 30 sec. Leah was a little bit speechless for a minute and said, "it's scary." It was the coolest thing ever.
Before we left Leah was able to choose what animal she wanted to ride on the carousel. No one was riding at all, probably because it was free to get into the Zoo and people were cheap but we are big spenders and so owned the carousel. What was also awesome was that during the ride they were playing "I like to move it move it" from Madagascar. Leah could not have been happier, pure joy. When she got off and was saying goodbye to the operator she turned and told me, "Mommy, one day they will give me back my ticket so I can ride again!" Good times.

Sam

2009-02-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is my new nephew Sam on his birthday. He is so handsome. I was worried that Leah would act jealous of a new baby but Leah loves Sam. She adores him and talks about him often. She waited with us in the waiting room for 9 hours and by the end she was still patient and I was the whiny one! We're very excited for him to be here now. It has also given us the opportunity to explain a lot of things for Leah which has been funny. She asked her aunt Harmony this week, "How did Sam get in Beki's tummy?"

Sorry...Again

2009-01-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

I know I fall in and out of blogging. I like to blog, but I hate to blog without pictures. The problem has been that I don't have easy access to our pictures while blogging (this one is from facebook). So Kellen is going to figure out an easy way for me to access our pictures online so I can blog at work...when I'm on the computer. So IF this happens I'll commit to blogging every week *crossed fingers*.

UPDATE: Kellen is currently schooling in communications and I believe he is really enjoying his classes. He's grown up now and gets to take all the classes he is actually really interested in which is exciting. Also, he's doing the band thing and they are writing a lot new stuff which is fun. I get to hear some of it live for the first time tomorrow! I'll tell you how I feel about it.

Leah is now almost completely potty trained which is a miracle/blessing. As a result she was able to start preschool which she absolutely loves. Whenever we ask her what she learned during the day she automatically responds, "toys." She is also continuing gymnastics this semester and is doing really well all of a sudden. I mean...she was always good but now it seems like she is actually paying attention to what the teacher is instructing and not invisible butterflies :)

I am enjoying my 3 hours alone while Leah's in preschool. Basically that's what I'm all about right now. It's been a while since I have had alone time. It's really great although I do spend most of the time sleeping or cleaning :) I'll adjust soon. I still really enjoy my job and the schedule it provides me. Obama is president which makes my world a bright and hopeful place. OHH and I have a nephew! I'm very pumped about being an aunt and Leah is very excited to have a new cousin.

Any questions? Requests? Let me know. Keep an eye out for an upcoming post on our cool Zoo trip.

First attempt

2008-09-26T13:33:00.000-06:00

I have kinda been obsessing about learning how to embroider. I know that I am a dork...but I swear it will be cool. I don't think anyone could be as excited to get a book about embroidery as me but I finally got mine and had Kellen bring it to be at work as soon as it came in the mail. The book is Sublime Stitching by Jenny Hart. My friend Emily is the one that brought it to my attention and she has made so many cute things. It's really good for giving some tips and something to reference when you forget what you are doing. What's even better is it has hundreds of iron-on patterns! Woo hoo. So here is my first attempt. Leah wanted me to try a doggie...so I did and we made a little dress for her baby doll. By the way...if anyone is talented enough and figured out how to do a french knot...let me know!

Fruits and Veggies

2008-09-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

To my horror our daughter does not like vegetables or fruit. Kellen loves vegtables....really...if they are available he will eat them like they are candy. I have learned to enjoy vegetables but I love fruit. Kellen will not eat fruit. Maybe Leah is just getting mixed messages. I don't know but I keep hoping that she is going to catch on that this is good stuff! I mean, really, Kellen and I make some really good vegetables and I am always eating fruit.

So I have decided to put forth a good effort to help her along. I'm going to trick her into loving both! I'm starting with fruit because it seems like it would be easier. My first attempt was fruit fondue. I cut up some fruit and gave her toothpicks to dip it in chocolate pudding. It kinda worked. She ate a few banana slices and then decided to just eat the pudding. This was a bit of success considering I can't normally get her to even eat one bite of a banana!

My second attempt has been a complete success story. Frozen banana popsicles. She gobbles them up. Who would have known? I think next time I'm going to add nuts to the outside to pack some protein with it :) If anyone has any idea for how to get her to eat veggies...PLEASE HELP!

Here's how we have been making them:

1. First I put some sugar-free fat free chocolate pudding in a bowl.

2. Next we break up some skewer sticks and stick them through the cut up banana's. I think about 3 inches of banana is a good serving for Leah.

3. We roll the banana around in the pudding. I just use my fingers. Leah tries to do it with the sick which is usually not very successful.

4. Next we put them on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sprinkles :) This is to guarantee that she will eat them. After 2 hours of freezing I stick each individual popsicle in a sandwich bag.

EVIDENCE....

Thank You

2008-09-07T21:24:00.000-06:00

My grandma Berry spent a lot time making Leah a beautiful quilt for her big girl bed. It was her gift to Leah for her 3rd birthday. I heard that she stayed up late into the night finishing it before my parents left from California to come up to Salt Lake. It's beautiful and Leah loves it. She really likes the buttons on the front of the quilt. She will ask me to turn the quilt around so that she can be touching the buttons.

Thank you grandma for the thoughtful present. We know it probably took a lot of time to make and it was well worth the effort. Leah loves her blanket from her Great Grandma. She says, "THANK YOU GRANDMA!"

Mt. Timpanogas

2008-09-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we went camping with Kellen's family to Mt. Timpanogas. The main purpose of t his trip was for a few of us to hike Timp. Kellen and I have been dreaming about hiking it for years now. For those of you who don't know Mt. Timpanogas is the mountain that kinda looms over the Provo/Orem valley. It is 11,749 ft tall and is apart of the Unita National Forest (thank you wikipedia). Timp is the 2nd highest mountain in Utah. This surprised me because I always thought that it was the highest but its 2nd to Mt. Nebo.

It was a pretty gnarly hike. All uphill (obviously)and very very long. The scenery is pretty awesome though. Along the hike you go through forest, subalpine and alpine zones. There are tons of waterfalls, rocky slopes and ridges and amazing views. We started WAY too late. Usually you start before the sun comes up but we didn't get started until 11 am. BAD IDEA. It was SO hot. I just got used to the idea that I would be very gross by the end of the hike and I was okay. We stopped every once a while and cooled off near a water fall or took a breather. It was me, Kellen, Kalob, Clint and Riley. Ohh and the dogs, Bella and Harry.

It was really exhausting. The dogs weren't doing well about half way through. So everyone turned around to go back about half way except Kellen and I. We were determined to get to the top. At some point we realized that we were going to run out of sunlight so we decided to keep going to the glacier lake near the top and then turn around. I'm really glad we kept pushing because it was so beautiful up there. We got to see a huge group of mountain goats. Also, the lake was really cool...although small. It had a greenish blue tint to it. It was really disappointing to not make it to the top. Maybe someday. The lake was at 10,380 ft. It took us about 11 hrs round trip. We got back to camp right as it got dark around 9:45. I had trouble narrowing the pictures down...so enjoy! Kellen and I look pretty nasty and dirty by the end...

It was so hard to pick between all the waterfall pictures. I was so appreciative of their beauty but also for the much appreciated break from the heat!

Notice the snow...in the middle of the summer. At some point I was able to walk under some snow to the river underneath. It was sweet :) And cold.

I like this picture. Kellen calls it the hippie picture. I like the view of the rocky mountain face in the background.

These goats were so cool. I've never seen anything like it. I've only seen a couple at a time. I counted like 75 of them.

Kellen at the lake. None of the picture of the lake came out.

Us dirty and tired. We ate our dinner really quickly and then headed down in a hurry. We only had a few hours of sunlight left. That is the peak behind us! Sad.
This is what we should have seen :)

Amazon.com: Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking: Andrew Schloss, David Joachim, Alison Miksch: Books

2008-09-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

Amazon.com: Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking: Andrew Schloss, David Joachim, Alison Miksch: Books

I got this grill book for Kellen for Father's Day. It's awesome. Kellen always has cooking thing he is trying to perfect. He's gone through a pizza phase, tortilla phase, bread phase, and now it's grilling. He's learned a lot from this book and so have I, for example,most meats should have a brine when grilling...not a marinade. Also, cheaper cuts of meats are often better, it's all about how you cook them. Also, you should always buy meat that has a higher fat content and just reduce the amount you eat. The book has full page pictures for almost everything and it's really heavy duty. Anyways...I recommend this book if you like to grill or cook meat :)

Beautiful Cupcakes

2008-09-01T10:55:00.000-06:00

So I have been a major slacker when it comes to blogging. I have TONS of drafts ready to be published to the web. It's not that I don't have anything to write about but more that I can't bring myself to post without pictures. So I have uploaded pictures onto my jumpdrive and will post at work! I am going to schedule them to post every few days...so keep checking. It's like a new season of blogs :)

My co-workers got me these cupcakes for my Birthday. I'm sad that I was unable to take pictures of the other three that we ate at work. They were the prettiest cupcakes I've ever seen. Leah was adoring them and said "Ohhhh they're beautiful!" I want to learn how to make stuff like this.

They are from Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop in downtown SLC.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2008-08-01T19:08:00.000-06:00

I'm giving it 4 stars. Actually I'm not sure why I'm giving The Host 4 stars. Maybe I should be giving it 5. What's silly is the only reason I don't want to give it 5 is because I wanted to keep reading. But it ended. Now I'm sad. I'm pretty sure they said it will not be a series. It was a really easy read like the Twilight series (By the way, Breaking Dawn, the 4th book is coming out tomorrow!!!). I think it was a little more for an adult audience. It makes you think about humanity. I say...give it a chance for sure!!

Day 2: Yellowstone

2008-07-13T21:58:00.000-06:00

We had and awesome trip to Yellowstone. We got to see a whole lot in two days. We were walking up to see Old Faithful and we saw the steam up above the trees...so we missed it. There was no way I was going to wait for 2 hours. Kellen and I had already seen it before and Leah was about to fall asleep so it was a no go. So no pictures of Old Faithful going off...sorry if your disappointed. I want to post a bunch of pictures because I couldn't deside what not to put on the blog! Without further adu, Yellowstone Day 2.

Leah and I, with a river full of Elk cows and calfs.

This is pretty sweet...a bald eagle. Looking very American. Then later on we saw a coyote getting ready to cross the road.

Leah posing between some tree roots...then later dosing off after a disappointing visit to Old Faithful.

Pictures against Yellowstone lake and Leah checking out a steaming geyser.

These pictures are so cool. In the left you can see the steam reflecting the colors, middle looks like one of those sand jars with some trees photoshoped onto it, and right a flow of lava or something.

Left: Lower falls

Right: Upper falls

Oma and Opa will have Leah for the next week. We'll miss her but it will also be a nice break. Expeccially after her grumpy day today :) I hope you all enjoy the Yellowstone pictures. When we get home I will have to post more online.

Day 1: Yellowstone

2008-07-13T00:12:00.000-06:00

So we are in Yellowstone, dropping Leah off for a week of exploring with my parents and trying to squeeze a quick vacation out of it. We were hoping to fit Yellowstone into our summer trips somewhere. So it works out well, considering my dad is a Yellowstone expert therefore an excellent tour guide. Our goal this year was to visit as many national parks as possible...unfortunately gas prices have drastically dashed our enthusiasm. But we are here and today was wonderful. I love being in the great outdoors. Is it less believable when I'm at a National Park and still blogging? I hope not.

I have been to Yellowstone once before with friends but we didn't really know what we were doing. We saw some really awesome stuff today. First off the geysers are crazy. It was like walking around a different planet. It was so colorful and...stinky. Leah kept chanting, "Stinky water, stinky water, stinky water."

I think my second fav of the day was the wildlife. Today we saw a bald eagle, fish, elk, bears, and bison. Maybe more but that's what I remember! Leah had a good conversation with the Bison (not Buffalo because Buffalo are from Africa per my father) about how they should go take a bath. So I have in my possession an article that I plan on reading (I know this gives me less credibility) about how we now have to introduce children to nature. This is really sad. Kids have less and less desire to be in the outdoors and interact with nature. We make it a priority to get out as a family and enjoy the outdoors. Not only do I think it displays gratitude for what we have but also you get exercise, become more self-aware and have good memories as a family. I really appreciate that my parents also made this a priority. I know that not every one can make it a priority but most people can get out more than they do. What do you think? My rant is done...I'll read the article when I get home...and post soon about our day tomorrow. Goodnight.

Family Update

2008-07-05T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I know I haven't posted in a while but we've been so crazy lately. Next week we get a regular week at home. Leah came home today and I'm so happy to have her back. I missed her so much. She has been in California with Oma and Opa and spending her days there with her Grandma too. She had fun but I think she is happy to be back.

So the past couple of weeks were pretty crazy. I don't every really want to talk about it because it makes me tired thinking about it. BUT I do want to let everyone know that we are in Salt Lake now and really happy with the choice we made. We like our apartment and I LOVE my job. I'll have to tell you all about it later but it is exciting and challenging. For those of you don't know I'm working as a crisis worker in the University of Utah Emergency room. This includes covering trauma's, mental health crisis and brain attacks. We get to be the investigators of the ER and see some pretty crazy stuff....and lots of blood and guts (the part I'm unsure about.)

I want to get some pictures up soon when life settles down a bit. I will probably start blogging late at night (and therefore will be even less coherent) because I get out of work at midnight. Hope everyone is well! I'll write more soon.

Dinosaur Makeout

2008-06-19T23:58:00.000-06:00

So those of you who enjoy my brothers' -in-law humor will love this. Kellen was laughing so hard when he came across it that I thought he might wet his pants. I don't know if Clint had anything to do with it but Riley seemed to really enjoy sucking face with a dinosaur.

I really hope my children can entertain themselves as well as these boys do. I'm serious about this. They can have absolutely nothing and make up something to entertain themselves...like practicing playing left handed baseball or dressing up like Jedi's and taking pictures. I really like how my mother-in-law is just sitting at the table with them ... she is always so supportive :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1msc5zFCaE

P.S The move is going good...almost packed!

Sophisticated Girl

2008-06-18T23:26:00.000-06:00

I'm really tired. In one week I got a job offer, accepted, apartment searched,worked and started packing. I'm exhausted and to top it off...fairly sick. I really shouldn't be blogging but I need a break for a sec.

So I was thinking about how my siblings and I still call our parents mommy and daddy. I know this isn't normal. But for me it seems disrespectful to not call them this because if we called them mom and dad it would be like we are to good or something. To my horror my little girl all of a sudden has started calling me "mom" or "Magen." She calls her father "dad" and "Kellen." Kellen has been correcting her but I honestly haven't made a decision about how I should react. And it is a decision for me because I never would have thought that at the age of 2 my daughter would be calling me "mom." Kids these days...the grow up so fast. She's so......sophisticated.

Fathers Day

2008-06-15T17:00:00.000-06:00

Notice that Mommy and Daddy are not in this picture? Hmm...

So our Leah is an odd one. She rarely colors. Doesn't really ever have a desire. BUT she really likes her Mommy and Daddy to color for her. She tells us what to draw...where to put it and what color it should be. It's kinda funny. So this is the picture she drew for her OPA for Father's Day. I'm still unsure why she wanted to be crying...and I definitely like that she wanted her Opa's shirt to be purple and her Oma's hands blue :)

Happy Father's Day Daddy. I'm very grateful for all that you do for Leah and our little family. I am very lucky to have a father that has always been supportive of me. Thank you and I love you.

I'm also very thankful for such a supportive and loving husband. I couldn't imagine my life without Kellen. He is such a good dad. Way more patient then me (Leah's been sick and teething). Happy Father's Day Kellen! I love you!

Happy Father's Day everyone!!!!!!!!!

Summer is HERE!

2008-06-15T15:32:00.000-06:00

It is finally warm here. Unfortunately our cooler isn't working which isn't cool. But the kids were able to go outside in play in the sprinklers. I love little girls in swim suits. It reminds me of me, my sister and our girl cousins in the summertime.

My favorite part of little girls in swimsuits is when their little bums hang out....its so cute! I'm bummed because Leah doesn't have a butt this year. She has become leaner and taller. She's growing up, SAD.

And why is it that something as little as a metal bowl can keep a whole group of children entertained for so long? I love it! WELCOME SUMMER.

http://picasaweb.google.com/magenholgate/July1408

Roasted Veggies

2008-06-12T17:00:00.000-06:00

I make these for my family whenever they are in town. My family aren't vegetable eaters, for the most part, so I get excited to make something they will eat. Everyone should know how to roast vegtables because it's just plain delicious. So this post is for my mom and Beki who always watch me make them and may appreciate online photo instructions.

My favorite roasted veggie combination is Cauliflower, Onion and Carrots. Anything will work...I think...so I encourage everyone to pick their favorite vegetables. I also roast asparagus frequently but usually by itself.

You'll need: Aluminum foil, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and Vegetables.

1) Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Cut vegetables in chucks (I use baby carrots) and place on sheet.

3) Drizzle with olive oil. Not to much because olive oil will smoke at this temperature but not too little because you want the flavor.

4) Generously salt and pepper. Mix with your hand so that the veggies are glistening all over with oil.

5) Roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes until veggies look...roasted :) Be careful opening the oven...back away a little in case the oil is smoking, you don't want a face full of hot smoke.

Chicken BBQ Marinade

2008-06-10T21:31:00.000-06:00

I am really digging posting recipes. Now I have an online recipe collection with pictures...I'll never lose my favorite recipes! Woohoo.

This marinade is kinda surprising. You don't really expect to use these ingredients for a BBQ marinade. It's no big deal but just nice to know. I don't remember where I got this recipe but I do remember that it is a fire house recipe that they use every year for a community cook-out. It doesn't really have any flavor...it just brings out the flavor of the chicken and keeps the chicken moist. You just have to try it to understand. We used it on Free Fishing Day.

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup of Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Just mix these ingredients together and pour in bag then add chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour. I recommend as long as possible :) It adds more flavor if you baste it while cooking. Enjoy.

Free Fishing Day

2008-06-09T18:00:00.000-06:00

Every year Utah hosts "Free Fishing Day" where no one needs a fishing license. So a few of us got together to try and catch our dinner for the week...no luck. Sadley, Kalob was not able to attend and so this photo story line is for him.

Leah was running from Harmony to the boys the entire time. We had many forms of wild life to enjoy. Of course, Ducks. And there was George the dog. He was so cute and such a nice dog. His tag said George which was the name of the owner. Leah chased him around and loved on him...unforturnatly all he wanted was some snacks and Leah wasn't offering any. Later we found out that his name was Joe when his owner shouted his name out from the car and he went sprinting. Future note: Border colie/ Austrianlian Shepard mix, such a good little dog. Oh and then there were the muskrats that were swimming around in the water. And I can't forget Leah's animals that she set up to creep up behind her Daddy fishing...

Kellen insisted on wearing these glasses. He wanted to look as white trash as possible. I think he did a pretty good job myself. Then there was all the fishing that went on. No one caught anything but we had a lot of fun!

Harmony hid from the camera and I would like to think Leah's cute bows stole the show :)

Corn Chowder

2008-06-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

Usually our dinners are centered around being healthy and cheap. I would like to say this is my specialty. Some may say it's impossible to have both but I usually find a way. This is even more important now that food prices have risen so high recently. I was just reading that children from homes suffering from poverty are more and more obese because their parents can't afford to eat healthy...very true. OFTEN it is more expensive to eat healthy (ex. skin-on chicken is much cheaper than skinless chicken which is much healthier) but there are some choices you can make that make a big difference. That was an odd rant leading into the thought that this is not one of those healthy choices...although it is cheap. For some reason I have to say that I am very good at making soups or chowders, it comes natural to me :) This is one of those recipes that I have made and evolved over a couple of years. I have never had a Corn Chowder outside my home so I am not sure if this is what others would taste like...but it is very yummy and a comfort food. I would consider his a semi-healthy meal that I always serve with cornbread muffins. This recipe makes one large pot of soup. We eat it for dinner...eat some leftovers for lunch and then freeze the rest for another dinner in a few weeks. If you freeze it make sure that you de-frost it in the fridge overnight. If you de-frost it other ways it will break down the potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Strips of bacon

1/2 Onion, chopped

4 Potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

4 Cups of milk (or cream if your willing to risk the calories)
2 (11 oz) Can of cream style corn
1 Cup of frozen corn

2 Chicken breasts, boiled and cut into bite size pieces

3 Cubes chicken bouillon

3/4 Teas. Oregano

1 Teas. each of Pepper, Onion Salt, Garlic Powder

1 Tabl. corn starch

1) In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain off grease, leaving about 3 tabl in the pot. Place bacon aside.

2) Place onion in the pot and cook until translucent. Mix in the potatoes and cook until lightly browned on the outside. Stir in 2 cups of milk, 2 cups of water and 3 cubes of bouillon. Season with spices. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.

3)Pour in cream corn and whole frozen corn, crumble in bacon (or reserve for topping I like it crispy still and if you put it in the soup it will get chewy again) and add chicken. Continue to cook for 10 additional minutes.

4) Raise heat and stir in 1 cup of milk that has 1 tabl corn starch whipped in, until thickened.

Serve with cornbread. (I like to just use Betty Crockers packaged cornbread mix. I add a good amount of honey and some corn meal...almost as good as my mom's!)

Nelson's Grove

2008-06-07T17:00:00.000-06:00

Again another wonderful place in UTAH. I have been really trying to get in shape for the summer. Well...and I'm not going to lie...for my Survivor audition tape :) So I try to take Leah out of the house and get moving as often as possible. Thursday night we went down to Nelson's Grove Park by our house to play outside. For those of you who think I'm a great photographer...it's all Kellen. I would like to note that I believe I'm pretty good also but Kellen got a new toy a while back (a new fancy digital camera). He gets to know the ins and outs of electronics and so we have lots of good and different photos. Kellen and I noted how beautiful this park is. It has the coolest stuff...fountain pools to wade in...a circular swing...duck pond, playground, picnic areas and a huge expanse of very green grass. Not to mention a view of our wonderful mountains. It is really hard to pick between the photos so I have to post a bunch...and I just realized Kellen's in none of them! EXPLANATION for above photo: Leah and I love to do Yoga together and hense we are showing off. We always stretch in yoga positions before we go to bed together...since Kellen is gone every night now :) Also the last picture is really beautiful. Leah is leaning against a tree.

Little Girls

2008-06-06T23:30:00.000-06:00

I have been battling getting Leah to bed for the last 2 hours! Almost every night it's a battle. Why is it that for Kellen she goes down so easily? I guess it's a combination of being a softy, laziness and just being plain tired after chasing after her all day. I was explaining to Leah why she needed to go to bed...among my reasoning was that she is a little girl and little girls need to sleep. She replied, "Little girls don't sleep!! Little girls play with toys!!" Touche.

Sunday Jaunts

2008-06-01T22:57:00.000-06:00

Almost every Sunday afternoon we set aside for getting outdoors and enjoying Heavenly Father's creations and each other. There are so many wonderful things to enjoy in Utah in the outdoors. This Sunday we went up Squaw Peak Rd to the lookout we love. We tried going up there with my parents when they were here but it was closed. The pictures don't even do it justice. The Wasatch Mountains are so incredible. I look out my kitchen window every day to a truly awesome view. Who would know that there is a road that runs along the foothills so high? We found this road about a year ago and I'm so glad we did. You can see everything from up there and this time there were little sunflowers!

http://picasaweb.google.com/magenholgate/SqawPeekLookout

Blog

2008-05-31T16:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it's been quite a while since I have posted anything. I've been busy...then lazy. But I really LOVE blogs. I could and do waste a lot of time reading blogs that I love. So I am going to start again and hopefully recruit others to read so that I keep it up. I have a whole list of things that I want to blog about right now so lets see how fast I get them up. Most of them I just want pictures for before I do....so keep watching for new posts and for those of you who don't have a blog...please start one! I love reading them :)

P.S. I have listed a few blogs that I have been reading, so you guys should check them out and see what I'm talking about. Most are crafty sources from my friend Emily's blog. Yet I am a bit afraid...I have found some kindred spirits on here...people who get really excited about finding new ways of cooking rice etc. Maybe its only me?

P.S.S I want to come up with a new name for my blog....any suggestions?

Yummy Chicken- Cordon Bleu

2008-05-31T15:24:00.000-06:00

So as a lot of you know, Kellen has been in Arizona for some shows for the last couple of days. I have been acting like he never leaves me alone at home. I was watching our local morning talk show the other day on TV and got a yummy recipe. This Chef has a cookbook based around previous prep that you freeze. I WANT it. But I did get this recipe and had a lot of fun making it. I love to cook and for some reason the thought of pounding chicken till it's thin excites me. Anyone else? ...Give this recipe a try :)

A fabulous meal that is perfect for making ahead and stashing in the freezer to save for an easy dinner down the road! Chef: Jenny Stanger

Ingredients: 1 (12 oz) bottle of Lawry’s 30 min. marinade or a homemade marinade. ( I made my own marinade...1 cup of buttermilk, which I make out of buttermilk powder...that's another story if you want to know...1 egg, 1/4 c vegi oil and spices. For me they are poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.)

6-8 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless: I asked the butcher to butterfly cut my breasts (chicken breasts that is for those of you who would be confused)

6-8 slices Swiss cheese (Deli)

6-8 slices of ham (Asked the deli to cut 8 slices of Honey Ham on the thicker side)

2 C. Italian flavored bread crumbs (I used regular crumbs and added spices like basil etc and still yummy!)

Yield: 8-10

Trim the fat off chicken breasts, slice chicken breasts in half (so it folds out like a heart) and slice down the center of the fold. Each breast will make 2 Chicken Cordon Bleu. (Sometimes more depending on how big your breasts are...some I got 2 and 1/2...one baby size for Leah)

Place chicken breasts in 3 large zip-top bags and pour in marinade in each bag. Marinate for 15 minutes minimum. I like to place mine the refrigerator overnight. After marinating, pound and flatten chicken breasts in the large zip top bags with a heavy pan until chicken is 1/4 inch thick (FUN PART). Lay out 2 flat plastic bowls, tooth picks, a cookie sheet and a paper towel. Melt butter in one flat bowl, pour bread crumbs in the other. Place the paper towel on the cookie sheet. Lay out 8-10 tooth picks. Open the zip top bags, spread chicken out on plastic so you can place meat and cheese on chicken breasts all at the same time. Place 1 slice of cheese and 1 slice of ham on each breast. You can slice some large chicken breasts in half to make smaller Chicken Cordon Bleu. Roll chicken and tuck sides in as much as possible. Secure with a toothpick. Dip in butter, roll in bread crumbs. Place on a paper towel and set in the freezer for 1 hour.

I place in individual bags after 1hour of freezing and then into bigger bag.

Place in a large zip top bag, label (Chicken Cordon Bleu 350 degrees 35 minutes)

To serve: Place frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu on a aluminum foil covered cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve warm with a green salad and breadsticks For more information and recipes visit: http://www.freezerdinner.com/

Harmony (sister-in-law) tried them after they were frozen and said that they were indeed yummy. I really liked them with steamed broccoli.

Things I LOVE Lately

2008-01-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping this running list of things I want to blog about and it really comes down to a bunch of stuff I have been loving lately. This my be a blog for girls because you boys don't care about this stuff...

1) Mary Kay Volocity Lightweight Moisturizer. This stuff is so AMAZING. My mom recently became a Mary Kay consultant and she gives me all this free stuff to try. There is some stuff I don't really like and some stuff that is good but I can't live without this stuff. It really is lightweight and it feels like a cool breeze is bouncing off your face after you put it on. I love it...and my sister says the other moisturizer is just as good but I can't attest.

2) The second Mary Kay product I can't live without! Lotus & Bamboo Loofah Body Cleanser and also the lotion. So far not very many people I have shown like the smell of this stuff. So I try not to wear it in public. BUT I really like the smell because it smells exactly like a honeysuckle bush! I know this is weird but when you are so sick of the winter and being stuck indoors, taking a shower with this stuff you may think it's spring again. It lifts my spirit. Weird but I'm being totally honest. So if I do smell like a bush...you know why!

P.S If anyone wants to try Mary Kay let me know! My mom is awesome and I can probably get you a discount the first time you try it or a sample. Her website is www.marykay.com/debbiewhite . You can order off the site.

3) Paolo Nutini. I'm not sure how to say his name. I keep saying Pablo but it's not. Kellen and I discovered him on Austin City Limits. His voice is awesome and really unique...he sounds like he should be an old black jazz singer but instead he is a young Scottish kid that's starting to make it big. Everyone should check him out. I have him a couple of his songs on my facebook profile and if you click on them you can watch the videos.

4) Women's Magic Wallet by Marshal. So I have been getting so annoyed having to switch my debit cards, drivers licence, cash etc from my purse to my briefcase/computer bag, back to my purse. I have been having to switch back and forth a few times a day which gets really annoying. So Kellen got a magic wallet and I was really jealous but now they have a women's magic wallet. So you can put all your stuff in a small space and just switch it from your wallet to your bags without having to take everything out! It's awesome and you can find it on Amazon.com.

5) Fizzix by Yoplait. CARBONATED YOGURT. Need I say more? This stuff is so yummy and we all love to eat it! Plus, its good for you because yogurt is good for you. I like the strawberry lemonade. You can find it by the go-gurts in the dairy section.

6) Find Your Style on HGTV. I have been TiVoing every episode and watching them late at night. Its a pretty sweet show if you like decorating. This designer helps a couple find their type of style...like Bohemian Vintage or Traditional Eclectic. It's cool because you can figure out what you like and how to have a designer home. Its pretty addictive...check it out!

About the show: Find Your Style is the dynamic and stylish show with designer/host Karen McAloon. In this makeover series, Karen takes families who can't figure out how to pull a room together and, with simple steps, fine-tunes their style and shows them how to get exactly what they are looking for (but didn't know how to get)!

From a wife of a New Nervous member

2008-01-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Kellen told me the other night that I'm one of the most critical people of their music. He said that I have something negative to say about 66% of time. I think he's proud of that. I do really like their music but I want them to do their best so I let him know when I think they should change something or I don't like something. BUT can I just say how proud I was of all of them on Friday night? For those of you who don't know , The New Nervous played their first show since they decided to take a few months off to write. They played a new song and it was AMAZING. I guess I did have 2 hangups but it was really good.

Why I am so excited is because it's the first time in a very long time I'm really excited about the direction their going musically. I've been thinking a lot about it and it gives me the same feeling as Brand New's new album. The feeling of freshness and epic moments. I hope everyone enjoyed the show on Friday or Saturday if you went. I guess the Avalon show will be on Comcast in their on demand section next month in case you didn't make it to either of the shows. I'm excited for this new year of New Nervous music and happenings...I'll keep you updated!

Anyone interested in a 5K?

2008-01-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Some of my family and friends know that I have started running. I know it's shocking...especially to me since I vowed I would never run but... I gave in. Running (or for me maybe fast walking is a more accurate visual) is really addictive. You have to learn all this special stuff to do it well without hurting yourself and its really competitive even if your only competing against yourself. :) Some of you might ask, "Why did you decide to start running now?" I was actually inspired by a co-worker who is probably in her late forties but runs a few marathons every year. That blew me away. Living in Utah you kind of get a lot of pressure to be a runner. It seems as if everyone runs and LOVES to run. It drove me crazy because I was so resistive to trying it myself. But when I started listening to my co-worker talk about her long runs each morning I started getting jealous. I began wanting to improve my time when I hadn't even ran a 1/2 mile in my whole life without killing over. So I started really slowly and worked my way up. I still can't run very long but I am getting there. So the whole point of this rant was to try and inspire someone I know to run. It's good for your health and I need a running partner for a 5k. Any takers? I think I want to do the Annual Salt Lake Marathon/5K April 19th. Let me know if your brave enough :)

Blogging

2008-01-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

My friend Emily Sardo has inspired me to start my own blog. In her blog, "My not-so-important blog," she writes about things I like to read about and are pretty informative (sewing, cooking, technology) ....and since I am a pretty opinionated person I think I need a new way of expressing myself. I keep thinking of tons of things I want to blog about but I haven't had a blog to blog them in. So here it is. I don't know if anyone will read them but I will be entertained I'm sure. And if anyone does read them...please forgive the grammer/spelling...I'm terriable I know.