I Made Strawberry Freezer Jam Again

We just ran out of jam last week. Oh dear! Whatever shall we do? Make more! It had been a while since I had made this. My double batch lasted us about two years. How great is that? One batch equals a year supply for our family. Good to know and not too shabby since it's only about $5 worth of strawberries and I usually have everything else I need. 

Paul can't live long without his jam so I knew I needed to get busy and make more.

I got the berries knowing I had everything else I needed, or so I thought. When it came time to add the pectin I realized I had unflavored gelatin in the pantry, not pectin. I called my darling neighbor Diane in a panic and she saved the day. I am so grateful for good neighbors.

I love making this even though it is a bit time consuming and messy. It always makes me think of my friend Rees.

Several years ago we had a recipe night in Relief Society. We got together and shared a dish and swaped recipes. It was fun for a while but then the interest began to fizzle. We decided to try having nights where you learned how to make something instead. On one of those nights my friend Rees shared how she made freezer jam. I went home and made some and now my family won't eat anything else. 

Paul LOVES it because I blend the strawberries tso there are no "hanging chunks" of fruit. I prefer it because even though there is an obscene amount of sugar and corn syrup I know it isn't high fructose corn syrup. 

As I said before, I can't help but think of Rees and her presentation that night the whole entire time I'm making the jam and stirring every five minutes. Now I will be thinking of Diane as well. For me this is a very happy recipe! There is something about making jam or breads that always makes me feel so domestic LOL and I love providing something for my family that I know they love. 

Another New Recipe=Yum!

Saturday morning Paul and I looked through my Pinterest recipe board. We found a bunch of things we wanted to try but they were all very similar. If there was a recipe that had chili powder, soy sauce and lime juice in it I think I pinned it. LOL! We went to the store and bought everything we needed for over a weeks worth of meals. So far we've only made one of the recipes and guess what, this one didn't even have soy sauce. ; )

FYI~The title is a clickable link to the recipe.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Really this recipe is just for a rub (we love rubs!) and then you baste the chicken at the end with honey and vinegar. I made the rub just like she did. I didn't have any coriander or chipotle powder so I left it out. There was one thing I did do differently. I used apple cider vinegar in the honey baste. 

This ended up being the perfect meal us. It was quick, easy and luckily very adaptable. I got what I wanted and the family got what they wanted. I cooked the chicken indoors on the George Foreman and made a pan of jasmine rice to serve with it. I made the kids skewers in the citrus flavor that they like, Paul got chicken with rice like he likes and in the end I got a chicken salad like I like.

Andrew tried a piece of our chicken and said he wouldn't ask for it but would eat it if it I made it again. Then later he asked Paul for another bite. Emma didn't love it but she is getting better about eating things so I think she would eat it if I made it again. 

I asked Paul if this was different enough to include in our regular rotation and he said yes. Wahoo. A new recipe is born. He also tasted my salad and really liked it. Unfortunately he doesn't think a salad is a complete meal. 

 Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

On the page I linked above there was a link to a salad using the grilled chicken. It sounded delicious. The dressing was really unique. I liked it yesterday but I LOVED it today. You could really taste the cumin the next day.

Note to self: The dressing really needs to be made ahead of time so the flavors can blend.

This salad was really good and kept me fuller much longer that I anticipated. I added a bunch of chia seeds to the dressing and left red onions out of my salad. I think next time I will add some cayenne pepper to the dressing just to kick it up a notch.

I had a lot of dressing left over so I ate it today on a different salad just to see how the flavors would work. I used the left over salad mix with cubed swiss cheese, sliced almonds and chunks of navel oranges. I ate my salad with some baked tilapia. It was so good. I like it almost as well as the chicken salad. I will make this dressing over and over again.

Spanish Rice Recipe

In one of my comments I was asked if I had posted my spanish rice recipe. I can't remember if I have posted this or not but here it is just in case. We tried many, many, many, many different rice recipes before deciding "this is it!" We like it almost as much as restaurant rice. (Actually it's better than some of the rice we've gotten in "Mexican" restaurants here in Utah.) Of course the first time I made it I made a mistake (I really need to read recipes more carefully) but it worked so well that I do this mistake every time. Intentionally. 

*After I add the blender mixture to the rice I don't cover it. I bring it to a boil and then let it boil with the lid off for 5-10 minutes. Probably closer to five. (I wait until I can tell some of the liquid has evaporated) I stir it a few times too. Then I cover it, reduce the heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. At least 20 minutes. It makes a really fluffy dry rice, just the way we like it. We almost always half the recipe. It makes a ton of rice. If you want to make a whole recipe it does freeze and reheat really well. We use this recipe all the time now. 

I wish I could remember where I got it so I could give proper credit but we've been using it so long I've forgotten now. 

Spanish Rice

1-2 T. oil
2 c. white rice
1/2 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
3 T. chicken bouillon granules
5 c. water

Heat oil in skillet and fry rice until light brown. Add tomato sauce and stir. Turn heat off and set aside. Blend onion, bouillon and water in blender on high until pureed. In a saucepan add the blender mixture to the rice mixture, stir well and *cover. Bring rice mixture to a boil, over medium-high heat. Once liquid level has dropped below the rice, turn heat down to low and simmer 30-35 minutes. Move rice to see if liquid remains. If so, keep simmering. Once rice is done, you may crack the lid to let steam out and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving (this helps the rice dry out a little and not be so sticky).

Several New Recipes

So far this year I have really tried to think before I eat. I'm trying to make better choices along with eating less. I am very early in my journey but I have lost five pounds so far this month. I am very very pleased with that but still have a long way to go. I also have concerns that the weight loss will slow down/stop and I will lose my motivation to try. Again. Before I eat I think, "would my great grandmother have eaten this?" If it didn't exist when she was alive I think twice about eating it. Right now I think about it more than I execute it but it's a start in the right direction. 

Thanks to Pinterest I have a never ending supply of new recipes to try. Some are healthier than others but all are better than some of the things I was preparing that used Cheese Whiz etc. The title of the new dish is a link to the original recipe.

Taco Chicken Bowl

I followed the chicken seasoning part of the recipe pretty closely. ( I used less chicken but that was not a big deal.) I did serve this over my spanish rice instead of just white rice. I made my own beans so there would be less sodium so they weren't in the crock pot the whole time. It was a great idea but we didn't like the jar salsa flavor on the chicken. We will make this again but I will use seasoned tomatoes along with the spices instead of the jar salsa. It is pretty similar in taste to the chicken chili I tried last month so I need to make sure those two meals are spaced out. 

Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

This is my new most favorite recipe ever. Paul and I loved it! The kids, not so much. They didn't despise it but they didn't love it either. Their loss. We've already made this twice. 

I didn't use the optional Sriracha but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. I used natural peanut butter, one time it was smooth and one time I used crunchy. I preferred the smooth in this recipe but I'm all out of that and only have crunchy so that's what I'll use. It's fine, just...chunkier. Imagine that!

I served it over Jasmine rice with cilantro garnish. We also had roasted curry cauliflower with it. It was a really great meal. I may even make it again this coming week. Yum! 

Cauliflower Poppers

  

I did not follow the seasoning part of this recipe at all. I drizzled the pieces with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, curry powder and garlic powder. I baked/roasted as directed. The kids screamed when they saw this on the table, "YELLOW BROCCOLI?!?" Nope, just curry cauliflower. Paul and I really enjoyed this easy side dish. We've made it three times over the last couple of weeks. I can't wait to try it will all sorts of different seasonings. You could really make it to fit any meal.

Oatmeal Honey Whole Wheat Rolls

These were good but not pretty like the picture on the original recipe and they were a little heavy for my taste. Now, I did rush them and I think I added too much wheat flour. After mixing it in my Kitchen Aid I kneaded more flour in and I really don't think it needed it. They are TOTALLY worth working on. Next time I make them I will allow three hours, at least. I will let them rise longer and I will try rolling them out just a little and cutting them into rectangles. It may or may not work but these little pinch off and tuck into ball rolls were ugly! We had three leftover. I tried one the next day and it was almost better than it had been the first day. I ended up eating all three, one right after the other. Don't judge! They were really enjoyable. I froze half a dozen balls. I'll be curious to see how they do. If they don't come alive well after being frozen I will know that next time to bake them all since they are so good the next day! 

Oh So Good Chicken (Only it wasn't that good but I'll take the blame) 

The kids hated this and acted like we were trying to torture them. It was weird. I think our problem was toooo much sauce! It never really caramelized. I used way less chicken than the recipe called for so it was totally my fault. This was a recipe that I thought at first glance was pretty healthy but when I started making it I realized there was a ton of sugar in it. How did I miss that much sugar in the ingredients?!? I did version two, the fast version to avoid the frying so it would be healthier. Maybe that was an issue too? It was very peppery and really intensely flavored. Paul and I didn't mind it but I can understand why the kids didn't love it. I would eat it again if it was healthier but since it's not I doubt I will cook it again. We served this will the whole wheat rolls, baked potato and a green salad. 

Three New Recipes to Share

This month I've tried three new recipes and liked them all. Paul did too. These are all so so so super easy. I love super easy. I am so over trying to impress people/family with my cooking skills. I know I can cook. I also know I have the worlds pickiest kids so I no longer cook for fun, I cook because I have to. If I can find something easy that will fill us up it is success in the kitchen! If 50% of us enjoy it's time to party!!!

The kids didn't like the cranberry chicken. Emma ate it but didn't enjoy it and Andrew cried and flat out refused to eat it after taking the first bite. Andrew also said he didn't like the chili but he cleared his bowl so it couldn't have been that bad.

Cranberry Chicken

1 onion soup mix packet

1 8 oz. bottle of French Dressing

2 cans of whole berry cranberry sauce

6-8 chicken breasts (thawed)  - we used frozen chicken tenders

Put chicken in a 9 X 13 casserole dish.  Mix 1st 3 ingredients together and pour over chicken.  Bake at 350 F until chicken is cooked and sauce is bubbly (about 1 hour).  Serve over rice.

I did a much smaller portion. I only used two breasts (cut into smaller pieces) and I was going to half the sauce but it was tasting too onion soupy so I added most of the second can of cranberry sauce. Just taste it as you go and make it how you like. I had a lot of extra sauce so I froze half it and used it again later in the month. It worked perfectly. I served this over jasmine rice with steamed sugar snap peas. I think we had some bread too.  

Here is a link to the chili recipe

I basically ignored the recipe once I found out Paul didn't like hominy. I had been wanting to make this for a long time. Paul was NOT interested. Finally he said I could make it the night his parents were coming for dinner. He knew they would help us eat it and he wouldn't be stuck with leftovers for a week

                                             

Chicken Chili 

2 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 package (1 ounce) Old El Paso® chili seasoning mix

1 can of each black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans rinsed

Sour cream, if desired

Cilantro, if desired (I desired it but forgot to buy it so we didn't have it.)

                                    

I put it all in the crockpot. Once the chicken was cooked I shredded it. I served this with cornbread and tortilla chips. It was great!

Kneader's Caramel Syrup

This syrup was freaking a-maz-ing! I don't think it would be as good on waffles or pancakes but on french toast, be still my heart, it is to die for! We had it at our ward Christmas party and I wanted to lick my plate. I'm not kidding. When I took the first bite my eyes rolled back in my head and I started groaning it was that awesome. 

It is equal parts brown sugar, light corn syrup and heavy/whipping cream. You combine the three ingredients in a sauce pan, stir until combined and heated through.

I used 1/2 cup of each and it was enough for our family with some left over. I don't know how long it will keep but I saved it and will use the rest in the next day or two. 

 I let the syrup sit on the lowest setting while I finished the bacon, hash-browns and french toast.  (I would stir it when it started to bubble so it wouldn't reduce and become too thick.) This will be a new staple when we have french toast. 

The New Recipes We've Tried Recently

I haven't been very adventurous in the kitchen lately. In an effort to save money for our trip to Disneyland we ate a lot of cereal for dinner and things like grilled cheese, quesadillas etc. It worked. We saved a lot of money eating that way, but the family (well Paul) was beginning to revolt.

Would you think less of me if I told you that I really enjoyed my break from cooking? I freely admit that I get tired of putting a lot of money and effort forth when undoubtedly 50% of the family turn their nose up at what I have prepared! Oh well. The glory days have ended.

Even though I took "time off" I managed to try a few new things.

Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Yield: six 8-oz portions

Ingredients:
4 large Russet Potatoes (peeled and small diced)
4 medium Red Potatoes (small diced)
6 oz (2 large stalks) Celery (small diced)
6 oz (1 large or 2 small) Carrots (peeled and small diced)
I medium yellow Onion (small diced)
2 oz unsalted Butter
1 lb. bacon (rough chopped) (*tip: place slices of bacon in the freezer to make it easier to cut. Will slip less)
16 oz Chicken stock or vegetable stock
32 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
2 oz Flour
1 oz vegetable oil
Salt/pepper to taste
*Small dice is ¼ In. x ¼ In.

Garnish with these items If desired:
Chives (chopped)
Bacon Bits
Sour Cream
Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

PROCEDURE:
1.Place stock pot, (6-8 quart pot) over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, butter and bacon. Start rendering the bacon (process of releasing the fat through cooking). The bacon will start to release its fat. Do not allow it to burn.
2.Cook bacon until crispy, remove and set aside on a paper towel; leaving the fat from the bacon in the pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Traditionally these 3 items are called the MIREPOIX. Sweat the mirepoix until the onions turn translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Add the flour to make roux. Cook roux until blond in color, (about 5 to 7 minutes), while stirring constantly. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon back into the pan. (Reserve the rest of the bacon for garnish.) Season with salt and pepper.
3.Turn the heat to medium high, bring the soup up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
4.You can adjust the thickness by adding water or stock for a thinner soup. It should have a creamy consistency. Adjust your seasonings.
5.Garnish with your desired toppings.

This recipe is disgusting in it's fat content but really really good in flavor. It is suppose to be a copy of the loaded baked potato soup that we got at the Carnation cafe in Disneyland. I needed to let the soup cook longer than the instructions said. Since I followed the directions it wasn't as creamy and mooshy but the flavor was still really good. I don't know if I will ever make this again since my dad was just diagnosed with type two diabetes and high cholesterol (yes that means I'm at risk) but it was fun to try once. There is something about cooking bacon in butter and oil, then using those dripping IN the soup that just doesn't sit well with me LOL!

I recently made my regular potato soup recipe (which isn't exactly healthy) and added the sour cream and topped it with bacon. It was close enough that I don't imagine I will ever need to saute'  veggies in bacon fat again. 

Did you know that we like to fly Delta just because they give you Biscoff cookies? Okay so that isn't entirely true but it certainly is a lovely perk. We really enjoy those crisp, cinnamony, delectable little cookies.

When I saw this recipe on Picky Palate I knew I HAD to try it. One problem. Where can I get the cookies? I know you can order them from Amazon but that seemed silly. I put the recipe on the back burner for a while.

One day Paul and I were at IKEA and I was starving so I picked up a small box of cookies. (I wish I had a picture of them.) Anyway I started eating them in the car and realized they tasted just like Biscoff cookies! They were thin, almost like a wafer but other than that they were really close. I saved most of the box and tried this recipe shortly after. It was so good. Paul didn't love the white chocolate but I certainly did. Yum!

Biscoff Crunch White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Biscoff Crunch White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
20 finely ground Biscoff Cookies (I just eyeballed the cookies since mine were different)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
20 crushed Biscoff Cookies (coarsely chopped for an added crunch)
2 cups white chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add eggs then vanilla until well combined.
3. In a large bowl add the flour, ground Biscoff Cookies, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine then slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Add coarsely chopped Biscoff cookies and white chips until just combined.
4. With a medium cookies scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk. Makes 3 dozen cookies

Isn't the paper plate classy? 

Before Disneyland I was sick. Soup sounded so good to me. Really, really good. I had everything for this recipe that also popped up on Picky Palate except the mustard. (Yes I am obsessed with Picky Palate. Almost everything she posts looks really good to me. She could probably classify me as one her top blog stalkers!) We all know mustard is cheap so this was the perfect soup to try. 

I think I loved it but then again I was really congested so I didn't have all my taste buds working the way they should have been. (The reason I am second guessing myself is my friend tried it and she said her family thought it was okay. Hmmm.) Everyone in my family ate it but I was the one that enjoyed it the most. Watch out family. If I cook something, anything, and we have leftover rice I will probably make this. It's not a fancy meal but it's really fast and it's great, total feel good, comfort food. 

Classic Chicken and Rice Soup
Classic Chicken and Rice Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
7 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked white rice
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onions, and cook stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add celery and carrots, cooking and stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, chicken broth, rice, Dijon, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir and reduce heat to low. Let simmer until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings

This last recipe saw a picture of it on Pinterest. I LOVE a good hearty classic beef stew. The picture on this one was gorgeous. I practically started salivating at first glance.

Classic Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 2 large onions, diced (2 cups)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 pound potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 pound baby carrots (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. Coat the beef in the flour. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer to a heavy casserole or a heavy, covered saucepan or Dutch oven. 
2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and coat the onions; transfer to the casserole. Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits; add to the casserole. Stir in the broth, salt, thyme, and bay leaf.
3. Cook the casserole in a 325° F oven for 4 hours, or in the saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. In either case, stir occasionally and add up to 1 cup of additional beef broth if necessary. Add the potatoes and carrots during the last hour of cooking, and the peas just before serving.                               

My stew doesn't look anything like their stew. I liked it more than anyone else in the family but it was waaaay to thyme'y for my taste. If I do make it again I will not use as much thyme. I may not even use thyme. I don't have anything against thyme, but I didn't care for it in this recipe.

There you go. All the new recipes for the last couple of months. I need to find something to try for November soon. Very soon. 

New Recipes

I was getting ready to try a new cookie recipe tonight. That's when I realized that I haven't blogged about recipes since June. I have been trying new things though. Apparently none of them were amazing enough that I felt the need to share.

First up, Basil Marinated Chicken from For The Love of Cooking

 Basil Marinated Chicken Thighs (I only use breasts)

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (again, I buy breasts in bulk so that's what I used)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (I subbed red for balsamic because I like it better)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced finely
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Remove any extra fat off of the chicken thighs then place into a large zip lock bag.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, until well combined. Pour over the chicken thighs and shake them to combine evenly. Refrigerate for 3-12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking. Heat a grill pan that has been coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Season each chicken thigh with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, on both sides. Place the chicken thighs into the hot grill pan and cook for 4 minutes then flip over. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill pan and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.  

Here it is before it was grilled.

Here it is after.

Now I love love love basil. I would say I'm almost obsessed. Of course I liked this a lot but my family members prefer their chicken flavored other ways. They don't share my obsession, I mean love of basil. If I had basil I would totally make this again for me and season the other skewers differently but I don't have fresh basil often so I probably won't get to eat this much.

The Nastiest Potato Salad I've Ever Had

At the beginning of summer there was a segment on a local morning show where one of the hosts was divulging her mother's famous, very secret, potato salad recipe. I am on a mission to find a good potato salad so I was all ears when she shared this secret recipe. We had a church potluck up in the canyon so I decided to give this salad a try. (It's hard for Paul and I to eat a whole salad alone) After you cook the potatoes you marinate them in red wine vinegar for two hours. Then you add Italian dressing as marinate the potatoes in that for a couple of hours. After the fours hours of marination you make a pretty standard mayo and mustard dressing. Obviously I committed a lot of time to this and it was awful. Way too vinegary for my tastes. I was told it's a German version of potato salad. Well that all fine and good but I could barely eat it. I even wrote a warning note to put next to it. It read: Warning, this salad is VERY vinegary. Blech. 

The next recipe is one we tried in August. I got from a blog I have in my Google Reader.

Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken from Six Sister's Stuff

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)

1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)

1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!  Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.  Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce.  Serve over rice. 

This could NOT have been easier. It was awesomely easy. It was pretty good too but we felt like it was missing something. It was very reminiscent to Mango Chicken Stir-Fry but it didn't have the crunch of the cashews. Maybe we will try it again and add the nuts. The kids didn't like it but that really is not surprise. 

This isn't really a recipe but it was something new we cooked. We used a ton of veggies from our garden and cooked them with garlic, seasonings and tons of butter. Yum! 

Right now I'm off to try a new cookie recipe for Paul. I hope they're delicious. 

Catching Up

So, I stopped taking a picture a day since my external hard drive with all of my Project 365 digi kits crashed. I have still been taking a lot of pictures and usually take a picture of something on most days. Lately a lot of the pictures have been hipsta prints because lets face it, my cell phone is always near me. My big camera? Not so much. This week we had a miracle happen. My friend was able to recover all of my data off of my hard drive. I still can't believe it. It shouldn't have happened but it did and I will always be grateful. Now where do I go with project 365? I'm still debating that but for now I will continue to post random pictures on this blog since it's the easiest for me. 

We finally started our garden. It's going to be late this year. We have had so much rain and snow that I just couldn't put it in until the end of May. Aren't these peas adorable? They are much bigger now. They look like they are enjoying the cool weather. 

(This kit can be found at Sweet Shoppe Designs. It's called Me Time: Chick Flick) 

Maggie's birthday was last week. I made her this card with pictures of some of the movies that we've watched together over the years. I thought it was cute since I decided on a movie theme for her gift. I bought her the book the Help (I really loved this book), asked her to read it and got her a gift card to the movie theater. I made her promise that she would join me at the theater for the Help when it comes out in August. I can't wait to see it. 

Friday was also the last day of school. I was driving from the store to Andrew's school to deliver his teacher's gift and I noticed Daylight was still open. I served in without hesitation and got a dozen donuts thinking it would be a great treat for the kids to celebrate the last day of school. I texted Paul a picture knowing he would be so excited. He called me back a couple of minutes later and said "I'm surprised I didn't see you there." Are you kidding me? Nope, we both bought a dozen donuts. At least it was national donut day! 

We've all had a cold recently. It isn't a terrible cold but it has lasted forever! (Paul is in his second week) I bought myself some vitamins thinking it would help me get over it sooner. The day after I bought them I couldn't remember if I had taken one that day or not. I thought I would count them and see. There were a 100 tablets in the bottle so if there were 99 I knew I still needed to take one. I counted them all out and there were still 100. Hmmm, I guess Wal Mart gives out extras? (I took a picture of this because Paul thought it was hilarious that I was so concerned about not taking too many vitamins) 

I tried a new "recipe." It was suppose to be made in May but will all the end of the year craziness I didn't get to it until early June. The way I saw it made on Pinterest was you take cooked chicken mixed with marinara and place it on a wonton wrapper with some cheese and spinach leaves. Paul and I prefer pesto so I mixed my chicken with a store bought pesto (it wasn't that good) and used Parmesan and instead of spinach I used basil. It was good but I think I needed more wetness, like mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan? I don't know, maybe just better pesto would have helped. I think the oven was too hot. The whole thing didn't get cooked and crispy but the edges were too dark. I think this recipe is worth fiddling with and really the possibilities are endless. 

One morning Andrew came out of his room with the crazy Phil Spector hair. We couldn't help but laugh. He was going to shave it into a mohawk for the last day of school but then changed his mind. He decided to cut it short for summer and then changed his mind. We don't know what is going to happen with his hair. 

On Memorial Day we went to the cemetery where Grandma Fern was buried. We got to see a lot of family plots. It was beautiful with all the flowers and flags. I'm glad we went. 

I've been busy burning pictures and things from my hard drives to DVD's to avoid disaster again. While going back through old pictures I ran across some fun pictures of the kids when there were little. Look how soft and squishy they look. I wish I knew what they had in their mouths. So cute!!!

I took this on the way home one day after rain, rain and more rain. It was so nice to see blue skies.  

Flags from the cemetery. I love our flag. 

I was going to start a new 30 day picture project for June. (Day two was, what are you wearing?) I tried taking a shot of my outfit before I went to lunch but couldn't get it to work well. I had on my cute navy blue TOMS  but couldn't get them in the shot. My arms are long but not that long. I started getting sick and stopped caring about the project. Maybe in July. 

American Fork has a place called Smart Cookie that we just discovered. They have really yummy cookies. The one with the bite missing is almond flavored. It is my all time favorite. Delish! 

I'm still  trying to figure out what the different film and lenses do in my hipsta camera ap. I was playing around and took this picture of the necklace that Maggie got me for my birthday. I wore it Sunday. 

I'm trying to convince myself to start sewing again this summer. So far I can't bring myself to do it. I've been trying out different ideas but I don't want to actually sew. 

The kids have been making friendship bracelets. They make a different kind than I used to make. I showed them this type and Andrew has been having me make them for him ever since. I posted on Facebook "When I learned how to make these in 5th grade I never could have imagined that one day I would be making them for my children."  

The last week of May I went to three movies in eight days. I don't normally do movies in the theater but Emma wanted to see Prom so I took her. Maggie and I wanted to see Something Borrowed so we went. Memorial weekend the kids wanted to see Pirates so we went again. I liked all the movies (Loved Something Borrowed) but I won't feel the need to go again until the Help in August. 

Something Borrowed was so good. I can't wait for the next one. 

Andrew outgrew his little bike this year so I bought him a new acid green Mongoose yesterday. It wasn't expensive but I think it is really cool looking. He loves it too. My baby is growing up.