Ultimate Yumminess!

Food is a passion.  And yummy food is essential to me. I have loved the fact that my hubby loves trying new places and loves exquisite food.  He also loves food I don't like (try Casa Manana & Chalo's-- sorry babe!)  It is a fun hobby for us... trying new great places.

It is a goal of mine to get better at making food that tempts me to overindulge-- not to the point of sickness, extra love handles or chubby cheeks (on both ends). But to the point of complete taste satisfaction.  The type where you eat and don't want to put anything else your mouth for fear of losing the flavor of the delectable last bite.

I experienced this the other day.  I was tempted... by C'est Chique cupcakes.  They are absolutely beautiful cupcakes.  Half of the pleasure of eating something so wonderful is just in the beauty of the food.  I, of course, could not try all the cupcakes at once.   I only ate one cupcake-- it was enough to require another trip back for that ONE cupcake.  Not that I have gone back yet... I am pacing myself... I will return for this DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE.

I ate this with a fork... it was not worth wasting a single morsel by getting it on my face trying to bite into it. 

P.S.  My goal is to replicate this somehow.  I spoke to the baker... he said their secret was extra butter, extra eggs and extra cream!  Oh and by the way-- the frosting is like mousse--not buttercream!! YUMMY!

ENJOY!

Baptism...s

It has been the month for baptisms here in Colorado.  My poor mother and father went from house to house when all these little ones were born.  Collin was born February 25th, McKayla was born February 28th, Azlyn and Sarandon were born March 20th and Cerra was born May 10th.  Now they are all being baptized within one month.

We are just missing one... baby Cerra... or I guess she is not a baby anymore.  She will be eight soon like the rest of these cute kids!  Collin's baptism was wonderful.  Lots of family and friends that packed the room.  He also had the opportunity to be baptized with a girl in our ward who's family has just become active again.  There was a choice spirit there at the meeting.

I was so afraid one of the kids would fall in. There wasn't a glass wall there to prevent this.  Luckily we all have good balance and stayed dry.

I think he looks cute... all wet!

A great treat was to have Collin's great grandma Mack there.  We loved having her come.

Harley Man

I guess it could be worse... Marlboro Man? Thankfully, it is not that.  I never thought that Eric would own a motorcycle again. He once owned a Honda Shadow to ride to school to keep our parking and commute expenses down.  Well hard times bring on hard choices.  One of our patients couldn't sell his Harley to pay for dental work.  So guess who got the Harley?  Eric wasn't crying too hard about it... it is a nice one and has been kept in pristine condition.  So I introduce to you, my Harley Man.  Doesn't he look it?  In his slacks and dress shirt?

A Well-Dressed Home Book Signing

Sweet Heather Gibb sent me all kinds of pictures and collages of the party.  It was such a success and it all turned out great!  I am excited to keep exploring doing food for parties.  It is something I love, but I worry that it will be slightly different since I am so used to doing my own parties with my own vision and expectations.  We will see how it goes.  In the meantime, enjoy some beautiful pics.

Parties are over!

So the parties have ended.  I am sad to see something so fun end, but not sad about the hustle and bustle being over with. (sigh)

I do not have any pics to post from last nights book signing-- I was a little busy.  Hopefully I will get some soon from Heather, the photographer for the evening.   We had a great turnout-- my last count was 70 women!  All wonderful women enjoying talking to Annette Tatum (designer and writer of this book The Well-Dressed Home), looking at Leslie Lewis' jewelry (sold here), enjoying photography by Heather Gibb (here), talking and looking at products from my dear friend and my esthetician, Shauna Gillespie from La Creme (email her), looking at fun house stuff from Old Glory Antiques (here) and then eating my food.  No I don't have a blog yet about my food and parties, but I hope it is coming.

Such fun!  Now on to cleaning up my forgotten house!

Oh and by the way-- I have a fabulous hubby.  I asked him to pick up something last minute from the store before the party and he came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Gotta love him for thinking of me on my stressful and eventful night!  They were beautiful!  And when I came home at 11 o'clock last night-- my kitchen was absolutely clean! He is the best!

 I left all my stuff in the car and hopped right into bed... makeup on and all!  Shhh, don't tell my esthetician!

It is official (part 2)!

So it is official--- 
I am now behind again in my blogging.  Can we say SWAMPED??  My February is just too crowded with activities. But of course they are all necessary activities and some more fun than others.  Oh and why am I bloggin' when I should be makin' more desserts for an event... BECAUSE I NEED A CHANGE OF SCENERY FOR 5!

Let's start out with...

Stake Choir-- stake conference is in 2 weeks and so that means stake choir practice starts.  I'm in charge... gotta make the doughnuts, I mean gotta get the music, the announcements, the folders, the posters, the singers-- gotta get them all.  The stress of the first practice-- 13 people kindly showed on Super Bowl Sunday.  Then we learned that no one reads the ward bulletins, no one sees the signs we have put up in the foyers and people only come when they are told directly in church or emailed!  So no more wasting my time with the bulletin or the signs-- tell it to their faces!  After we did-- the choir seats were full!  THANK YOU!  Beautiful music is now being made for stake conference.

P.S. Lots of other stake music stuff going on... just to keep me busy, huh?!  Sheesh!

Next up, our annual Valentines dinner.  Every year we host a Valentines Dinner in our home for some of our closest friends.  Usually it is 5 courses, but we change it up sometimes.  Everyone comes to eat a fancy meal that my hubby and I serve to them and then it is time for the romance!  Everyone brings their favorite romantic movie clip.  I will tell you... out of the 7 (yes, I think that is right) times we have done this, we have seen some pretty interesting romantic movies.  It is fun to see what people think is romantic.  And I know what you are thinking... there are no love scenes ever shown.  This whole ordeal is always a learning process for me which is such fun!  Here is the table scape this year and some of our friends who joined us.

5 days later.... A book signing party hosted by my friend, Debbie Jenson.  The lady who wrote the book is celebrity designer Annette Tatum. The book is called The Well Dressed Home-- the premise is you know your style of clothing and fashion--use that in your home.  It should be a great event. But why is it making my life busy?  Debbie asked me to do the food!  I was excited and am right now in the midst of making desserts and more desserts for what she called a "divine dessert bar".  Well I hope it is divine.   So many people have been invited and we are hoping for a grand showing.  Here is some tidbits of what I am making along with the mess!

After that... To TEXAS for a day (24th)! Gotta get my teeth worked on.  It will be short, sweet (not the teeth adjustment) and to the point.


Then finally it is Stake Conference on the 28th!

AND I'm supposed to be running in a 1/2 marathon in almost a month and I am not ready-- due to the fact that I have been staying up late to prepare for these events and therefore don't want to get up early to run.  My loving friends forced me to run it with them... what kind of friends do that, you say?  MINE!  Love them, but might disappoint them with my walking or dying along the trail.  More news after the race!

In the midst of all this I am trying (not successfully) to keep house (my cleaning lady is lazy right now), take care of the kids business (dance class, piano, basketball, school and church), keep my hubby happy (sometimes this is easy! He He He!) and get a little me time in.

Oh the busy-ness of life... ain't it grand?

It is official!

It is official!

I am completely current on this blog!

Woohoo!

Now I can start writing about the here and now!


Make sure you scroll down and check previous pages so you are all caught up.


I mean I know you are all just dying to know anything and everything we have done in the last 12 months!


Hurry up... get to readin'!

My little elf!

We had a little elf visit us Christmas day. She thought it would be so great to pick out and lay out everyone's outfits for the day!  Gotta love Mallory!

What is funny about this picture is that she knows her Daddy so well-- she chose jammies for him!

She even tried to fool us by picking out her own outfit. Sneaky!

A must at Christmas!

So I've got a lot of treats I love, but I have to have my chocolate dipped pretzels every year.  Not just any chocolate dipped pretzels, but pretzels dipped in caramel, then chocolate, then rolled in a mixture of sliced almonds, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. For those of you wondering why you never get them for Christmas...?

 I practically eat them all myself!

I owe my good friend Kimberly Foote for showing me these delicacies!  Love you, Kimberly!

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house... all the children were listening to mom read her favorite Christmas story.

The story The Last Straw is one of my favorites. Such a tear jerker for me.

New jammies on Christmas eve.

A little big, but they will grow, right?