Addicted

Yep, thanks to our friends Shane and Tracy we are officially addicted...yes, we also dance to the intro music!

11 Years!!

Today is our Anniversary! I spent the first few years thinking "I can't believe I'm married". Now I think I can't imagine we have been together for 11 years. Chad is a rock, he treats me like a queen and keeps me from falling flat on my face all the time.

I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend!

Georgia!!

We are going to Georgia!! We going to visit my twin Stuart who lives in Atlanta with his wonderful wifey and little girl. We don't get to visit frequently but are planning a trip with my parents this year. I simply cannot wait!! We are officially 15 second apart and look nothing alike but when we are together we are known as the "pet idiots". We both tend to revert back to approx. age 10 laughing uncontrollably and non-stop goofing off. Thankfully our spouses have each other to commiserate with!

Afterwork

This is what happens every night when Chad gets home from work. Neither one of the dogs wants a thing to do with me at this point. They both want exclusive attention and the right to jump and crawl all over Chad. (Personally my favorite time of the day) not only is my sweetheart home, but the dogs leave me alone (yes, I am evil)...they are sweet, but have their pushy, crazy, want to sit on you constantly moments.

Wow... we do remember how to cook!

So I can't really stand Rachel Ray, and the phrase Yum-O really leaves me slightly nauseous. It's just that, that phrase was the the first thought I had in regards to the last few things we have made for meals. Some classic, some super easy, others Divine! Speaking of divine, thanks to those willing to eat some of the pumpkin roll, I didn't have a jelly roll pan so I one and a halved the recipe and made it on a cookie sheet. It was big and a little weird, but so good!

This Sunday afternoon we had Ina's Asian Grill Salmon is was AWESOME...I know you're thinking I am just being biased and after my summer fast food I probably would think a homemade PB & J would seem like a food network original. For a girl that doesn't really like Salmon it was wonderful and we had it yesterday and for leftovers today at lunch.

I have to brag a little as I haven't felt like cooking most of the summer. I need to give a huge thanks to the renewed motivation from my friend Tracy who made the best homemade Cafe Rio Pork salad and Creamy Tomatillo dressing! She helped me get out of the "can't think of anything to make" funk!

Asian Grilled Salmon - Barefoot Contessa

1 side of Fresh or frozen Salmon

Marinade - 1/2 before grilling and 1/2 after grilling

2 Tbs Dijon Mustard

3 Tbs Soy Sauce

5 Tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp minced Garlic

While the Grill is heating up cut up Salmon into serving size portions. Whisk together marinade. Drizzle half the marinade on the salmon and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Brush the grilling rack with oil. Place the salmon on the grill skin side down; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4-5 minutes. The Salmon will be slightly rare inside but will continue to cook as it sits. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a serving plate, skin size down, and spoon the remaining marinade on top.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Cake

1/4 cup powdered Sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated Sugar

2/3 cup Libby's canned Pumpkin

3/4 cup mini Chocolate Chips or nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 15 x 10 jelly-roll pan; line with parchment or wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in a mixer or mixing bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with Chocolate chips or nuts and bake for 13 to 15 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen around sides and turn out onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Filling

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

5 TBS butter, softened

1 tsp Vanilla

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Green Chili Taco Skillet

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 Garlic salt

2 Tbs Dried Onion

Cook ground meat until browned then add:

1 can diced Green chilies

1 1/2 cups Green Chili Sauce

1/2 cup of water

6 -6 inch flour or corn tortillas diced into one inch pieces

Bring to a boil reduce to low and cover pan let simmer for 5 minutes. Add

1/2 cup Sharp Cheese and cover until melted.

*note this can be made with Green or Red Sauce.

What we did on our Summer Vacation

This summer has been BUSY, Chad and I have spent a lot of time together just playing, working and having fun.

Chad finished a Masters Degree, Coached softball, cleaned and helped organize, went to Girls Camp, kicked my trash on pretty much every Wii game, facebooked, and watched his fair share of Hell's Kitchen, House...etc.

I cleaned, watched more than my fair share of Hell's Kitchen, House and random selections from Netfilx, cleaned, played a lot, cleaned, threw away more stuff we didn't need, cut Rusty's crazy mane, organized, did I say cleaned... cooked and played a lot of games (yes, and I do have to mention wasted far too much time on facebook (for a short time I became addicted to the quizzes)).

We did BBQing with friends, played with family in Ogden, had a great family reunion in Seattle with the whole Seely, Hatch, Yougstrom group which included Yakima, Seattle, Safeco with the Mariners, Steamers Seafood, and who can forget the Super Mall!!! We finished up July with an amazingly peaceful trip to the Shakespeare Festival with the Warbys.

Whew! We are now both back at work, me busy getting ready for 2500 plus students to invade the school and Chad getting every athlete ready to tryout and hopefully play ball, oh yeah and teach a little Spanish.

This last week we had a little move to Washington scare, kind of out of no where we felt like Chad needed to apply for a Principal job in Yakima. It didn't pan out, we found out later that it was most definitely for the best as the school wasn't in the best of shape. So we're a little sad as we had started to put our eggs in the Washington basket and the possibilities seemed so new and fresh.

So for now we will focus on finding joy in Lehi, and try to get more sleep as apparently when you work you don't get to stay up until 2 every night!

*Just a few pictures from the summer, everything from food cooked to family fun.

Just a