LDS Mom

A New Blog

2012-01-31T20:38:00.002-07:00

I know . . . another blog. I can hardly keep up with this one. How will I manage one more? Here I go anyway! The new blog is called A Natural Family. It will chronicle our family on our journey to a healthier, more natural life. Take a peak.

My New Favorite

2012-01-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite thing. I can hardly believe I hadn't discovered it before now. It's tea, fruit and herbal tea, of course.

I have been drinking one or two cups a day, usually early morning or late at night. Not only is it warm and comforting, but it is also a calorie free treat, especially when I sweeten it with Stevia. Who knew?!

Unscheduled Project

2012-01-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

I know . . . I've done this before, not often, but it does happen. I put my to do list down and did something just because I wanted to. I made some cloth napkins to use during Valentine season. I love them. And I loved the break from the same old routine.

Fire Alarm

2012-01-14T18:56:00.024-07:00

The power went out today. We had our fireplace burning at full, with the fan blowing. The back up power we have from the windmill kept the fan blowing for quite a while. But then it stopped. Something in the house smelled like burning. And then the fire alarms all went on. And stayed on.

We were pretty sure it was just the fireplace, but didn't want to take any chances. The kids were reminded to follow the drill we had practiced. Todd and Thomas searched through the house, including the attic, making sure everything was okay.

I grabbed my predetermined items, the back up computer drive, our important papers, my purse, and coat, and joined the kids outside.

No fire, just smoke that got pulled in when the power went out. Good practice drill.

To the Ball

2012-01-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Todd's parents, also known as grandma and grandpa around here, came for a quick visit to attend the Governor's Ball again. It is so fun to see them all decked out. Check out grandma's sexy shoes!

One More Holiday Treat

2012-01-04T17:39:00.006-07:00

The kids weren't ready to leave the holidays behind. So we decided to make one more holiday treat . . .

pretzel rods dipped in chocolate. Yum! Sweet, salty, and crunchy all rolled into one!

A Place to Sleep

2012-01-01T14:35:00.013-07:00

Thomas has always been the child who didn't want to sleep in his bed. This is where I found him sleeping this morning, laying across 4 chairs just a few short feet from the warm fireplace.

Square Foot Gardening

2011-12-31T16:33:00.001-07:00

Our new project for this year is square foot gardening. Todd made the 4 X 8 foot boxes . . .

and put them out next to the front yard.

I'm sure there will be more pictures of this as we progress through the seasons.

Winter Camp Out

2011-12-31T12:27:00.006-07:00

The kids begged to sleep in the tent. Up it went, right in the middle of the living room. By morning only the two girls were left inside. One boy was in his own bed and the other was on the couch.

Christmas Presents

2011-12-25T11:58:00.001-07:00

What a treat! We got to have Niko with us for Christmas eve and Christmas morning! Woo hoo!

We are still trying to avoid the crazy over done Christmas present thing. This year we opted for practical gifts for everyone . . . monogrammed towels and sleeping bags. Todd and I also tied new, big fleece blankets for everyone. Aunt Teresa had made all of the kids blankets about 10 years ago. They have been well used but now are a little small and worn with age.

We also got a new 8 person tent, a one minute tent, literally. With a stop watch in my hand, Todd and Thomas put it up for the first time in one minute. In the house.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Comparison

2011-12-25T11:53:00.001-07:00

I was looking through last year's pictures of Christmas eve in preperation for this year and I came across this picture. I was so amazed at how big Todd and I looked.

We decided to take a similar picture of the two of us this year to compare. Can you tell a difference? I hope so!

Just wait until next year . . . it will be even better!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-25T11:47:00.003-07:00

We have had the same foods for our big Christmas Eve celebration for as long as I can remember. Why? I don't know. So this year we decided to try something new. We went with an Asian theme.

These take out boxes, filled with Asian candies, were our place cards. This is Brian, my brother in-law and head chef for any holiday feast. We never would have pulled off the evening if it were not for him.

Red chargers with white plates were topped with napkins and chopsticks. The centerpieces were Thomas' idea. Yes, those are fish. I should not take him with me when I go shopping. He has this Jedi power where he talks me into things.

My favorite Christmas visitor . . .

And then we dig in! I have no pictures of the food because I was so tired from working in the kitchen that it didn't even cross my mind. Woops! We had pork and seeds, pot stickers, egg rolls, and California rolls for appetizers. Then bowls of eggs drop soup. The meal consisted of steamed white rice, stir fried vegetables, sesame noodles, almond chicken, orange chicken, and schezwan shrimp. It was delicious. And we had a LOT of left overs.

The traditional nativity . . .

Karen and Paul joined us for the first time this year. Karen was our pianist for our Christmas Carol sing-a-long.

And of course a visit from Santa!

Christmas Trees

2011-12-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

I have an Christmas obsession. Christmas Trees. I don't have a ton of Christmas decorations, except for trees. This year we had 4 large and 3 smaller trees. There is just something about those small twinkling lights that just make any room feel like Christmas.

Human Postal Sponge

2011-12-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I was getting some Christmas cards ready to mail today but didn't want to lick all those envelopes . . . so I let each of the kids take a turn.

Don't worry . . . no paper cuts.

The Bad and the Good

2011-12-17T15:30:00.002-07:00

The bad news is . . . this is what you will see piled just inside my front door.

The good news is . . . this pile also came with one returning college student.

Shooting

2011-11-28T10:49:00.001-07:00

Before Christy and Brian headed home on Saturday, Todd, Thomas, Christy and I went shooting.

I got to shoot one of my other birthday gifts for the first time. It was the first time I had ever fired a hand gun. I was amazed at how much power such a small gun had.

Loved it! Can't wait to go again!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T10:25:00.002-07:00

We got to have Thomas home for 5 whole Days!

Uncle Travis and Aunt Jenna stopped by with their friend Stephanie and stayed the night, before heading on to Pocatello.

Aunt Christy and Uncle Brian came with their 3 kids.

There was a lot of craziness and silliness going on.

And just a lot of fun and even more catching up.

We all ate way too much.

This is my brother in-law, Brian. He always makes the work load easier. And he is a much better cook than I am.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A Visitor

2011-11-14T10:09:00.001-07:00

My brother, Larry, came to visit for a few days. Can you believe I didn't take a single picture at all?! Me either. We had a great week visiting, eating, and checking out some of my favorite stores and stores I have always wanted to visit. My brother and I seem to share many similar ideas and love for many of the same things. Love spending time with him!

Chicken and Dumplings

2011-10-31T09:59:00.000-06:00

One of my new birthday gifts was a a large enamel coated dutch oven. Something I have always wanted but never wanted to pay for. Yes, I am totally spoiled. The first meal I made in it was Chicken and dumplings. So delicious. I have had this recipe for years but haven't made it for quite some time. I got the recipe here. It is always a favorite. I usually double the dumplings and leave out the thyme.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

I lined the family up for a picture in costume and noticed they were all wearing black. What ever happened to Spiderman and princesses?!

My Birthday

2011-10-30T09:07:00.001-06:00

I went with a really good friend to the spa on my birthday. We had pedicures . . .

and then we got our eyebrows waxed.

We met our husbands for lunch at Kneaders.

Check out this yummy turkey avocado sandwich that I had for lunch!

And this delicious fruit tart I had for dessert!

My family showered me with many great gifts including this one and the "thing" that goes with it. I'll leave that part up to your imagination.

It was a most excellent day!

A New Member of the Flock

2011-10-26T12:09:00.001-06:00

Meet Ethel, the newest member of the flock.

We had some friends who had 2 chickens. When one died, they worried the other was lonely. They asked if she could come join our chickens. Of course! It's a little of a "trick" to get her accepted in, but happens quite quickly. The kids have enjoyed holding, petting, and loving her already.

Choir Concert

2011-10-21T12:03:00.000-06:00

Is Erica really old enough to be in high school?!

She was in her first choir concert.

Honey

2011-10-20T11:01:00.002-06:00

Our first honey harvested by my honey!

Todd brought the boxes in,

scrapped the caps off of the honeycomb with a hot knife,

spun the comb really fast to release the honey,

and then filtered the honey, twice.

There it is . . . our beautiful raw honey.

We got 18 pounds from our first harvest! We are hoping to get more next year as the bees will not have to work at building all the honeycomb because we left it for them to use again. Also, Todd is thinking about getting some more hives. What a successful project!

A Hike

2011-10-15T18:22:00.022-06:00

Last night we took a family hike at Camel's Back park with the Atwood family.

No, we did not climb straight up that hill . . .

We took the switchbacks.

Check out the view on the way up! I am mostly talking about the cute guy on the left, but the view of the city is nice too.

When we got back to the bottom, the kids (and Karen) rolled down the grassy hill.

We ended with some fun on the playground and a stop for ice cream at McDonald's.

What a great way to spend a Friday evening. We missed Jay who stayed home sick.

3 Old Boxes

2011-10-09T17:40:00.001-06:00

Or maybe I should say . . . 3 old boxes that are new to me. I love old things that can be repurposed. And I especially love old boxes. I found 3.

This first one is to store wood in next to the fire place. It replaces a thrown together, lidless, unpainted, particle board box. And I love it.

Here's the second one. Guess what I am using this one for?

My new sewing box! Love it too!

And here's the third. I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet but I still love it anyway!

Ukraine to Utah

2011-10-05T21:24:00.000-06:00

Please take a minute to check out this blog: Ukraine to Utah. Kevin and Becky are friends of my brother. Their story stole my heart. I know how it is to know a child, not born into, but is still meant to be a part of your family.

And if you have a few extra dollars, send them their way.

An Addiction

2011-10-05T19:54:00.000-06:00

I have a new addiction . . . green smoothies! Yep, that's pretty much what they look like.

Every morning, around 7:00 am, I pull out the blender, a bunch of greens, and some frozen fruit. I start blending and filling up these jars for the whole family. I drink 2 of these quarts a day, Todd drinks one, and each of the kids get a pint. I did say whole family and that includes grandpa. I asked him everyday for the last week if I could make him one. He would give me a look like, "You've got to be kidding," and he would always say no. But I kept offering. And yesterday he said, "I guess I should be drinking those too. Do you have any extra?" And he loved it.

The one above is the one I drank this afternoon. It is one of my favorite blends. It has raw spinach, kale, chard, peaches, and strawberries. Do you have any idea how many great vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are in these?! If you can get past the color, they are delicious. Come on over and I'll make you one.

I won!

2011-10-04T19:41:00.000-06:00

The Women's Show that I mentioned in the previous post is like a trade show with a bunch of retailers that are of interest to women. It is held the 2 days prior to the Women's Fitness Celebration. It is also where we go to pick up our race t-shirts and race numbers. Many of the retailers have drawings at their booths to encourage us to take a look. And I won one of the drawings!

You can see most everything in this basket . . . salt scrub, body butter, pomegranate soap, cuticle lotion, linen spray, nail brush, foot pumice stone, and a cute little wallet. The flowers in the back are actually attached to a cute pair of chocolate brown flip flops. The part that you can't see in the picture is my favorite part . . . $150 gift certificate to one of the nicest salon and spas in Idaho. Hooray!

I love to be pampered, but it seems to always come with a little bit of guilt, like maybe I should be spending my money on something we need. Now I can enjoy my spa pampering, guilt free. What can be better than that?!

Women's Fitness Celebration

2011-09-30T09:34:00.000-06:00

Kim and I use to participate in the Women's Fitness Celebration every year. And then my feet and knees went bad from all the extra weight I had put on over the years. Well, my feet and knees are better. So thanks to the encouragement from friends, Erica and I joined in this year. Kim and Allie were there walking with all of the Mrs. Idaho title holders. We had a great time. I hope we go again next year.

A Visitor

2011-09-30T09:26:00.000-06:00

We got to spend the day with Allie while her mom and dad were volunteering at the Women's Show. And I just can't seem to put my camera away whenever she is around. I just want to remember every moment with her.

A Visitor

2011-09-23T08:50:00.014-06:00

Look who showed up unexpected at midnight, last night. Oh, my! What a welcome surprise! His roommate had received his mission call yesterday, so they hopped in the car and came home so he could open the call with his family. I fixed him a hot meal and then Todd and I visited with him until about 1:00 am, before we all decided we should get some rest. Thomas was only home for a few short hours. They left by 6:30 this morning to get back to classes.

The Tractor Arrives

2011-09-17T08:36:00.004-06:00

It's a happy day at our house. Todd and 2 friends spent 7 hours last evening loading and driving our new/old tractor home.

Fall

2011-09-17T08:26:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again, fall. Time for cool crisp mornings and warm sunny afternoons. Time to change the wreath on the front door. I love this time of year.

A Sister

2011-09-15T19:42:00.003-06:00

Sorry this is bit more long winded than my usual blog posts, but read it. It's worth it.

Erica has been struggling with this jump into high school. Besides the fact that she’s in a new and very big school, she’s a little on the shy side. We have been praying very earnestly for Erica to find some good friends she could connect with in high school. As she started to make friends, a girl in her choir class seemed to be a favorite. Luckily, they where given seats right next to each other in class. Yesterday, the girl said, “You look a lot like me. Were you adopted?” Erica told her she was. The girl was also adopted and she told Erica what her biological mother’s first name was. She also knew the first letter of the mother's last name.

When Erica got home from school, she told me about the conversation. She asked me if I would tell her the first name of her birth mother. I did. And it was the same. She asked if the last name started with a certain letter. And it did. By now we are both getting a little freaked out.

Erica had 2 older biological sisters that were adopted about the same time she was. Our families had met, and us parents, knew each other’s names. But that was over 13 years ago. And neither of us lived anywhere near each other or anywhere near here.

The friend called Erica on the phone. They only talked for a couple of minutes because her mom needed to use the phone. But she said she would call back in a few minutes. I looked at the caller ID and realized it had the last name of Erica’s adopted sisters. After about a half an hour, I called the number back. The friend answered and said, “Sorry Erica I didn’t call back yet.” Then I said, “This is actually Erica’s mom. Is your mom’s name ***** and your dad’s name ****.” She said, “Yes. I’m kind of freaking out right now. You should probably talk to my mom.” I said, “That a good idea. Why don’t you let me talk to your mom.” I told the mom who I was and asked her if she remembered me, of which she did. I asked her if her daughter had been sharing the same information with her, of which she did. And then I said, “I guess the girls have found each other.” We talked for a while and decided to let this all sink in for a few days with our families and then decide what to do. But the girls are already fast friends.

And there is another sister too. So there you have it . . . three sisters, ages 14, 16, and 18, that have just found each other. Amazing. An answer to prayers.

Here’s a picture of the 2 of them. Do you see the same similarities they saw in each other?

I see the same eyes, nose, lips, and hair. Erica even has the same cheekbones when she smiles a little bigger. Even the fingers look the same.

Canning

2011-09-15T19:36:00.000-06:00

I haven't canned in years. But when you are offered free peaches, how can one resist?

I peeled and cut some up to freeze for smoothies. I bottled a few. And then used up most of the rest to make a batch of peach jam, of which I cannot even taste until I am done with this round of HCG.

I started to catch the canning bug a little . . .

The next day I made Zucchini Relish. And the day after that I made Apple and Raisin Marmalade. Both of which I can't taste yet either.

Today I picked a gallon bag full of Jalapenos from Atwood's garden to make pepper jelly tomorrow.

Off to College

2011-09-09T19:14:00.000-06:00

I think I am still in a little bit of denial. Thomas and Parker drove themselves off to college, packed to the roof. I thought the second child would be easier. But, no.

They drove off smiling. I cried all the way home.

They drove up on Tuesday. Todd, I, and 3 kids followed behind on Thursday with the rest of Thomas' stuff. Todd and I dropped the 3 kids off with Kim for the day and then finished our trip. We carried Tom's stuff into his apartment, visited with him for a while, went to the Temple, and then spent the evening with a couple of my college roommates eating, visiting, and taking pictures.

It took us a few minutes to get serious.

I'm sure we look just the same as we did 20 years ago.

Here we are with our spouses, of which we all met at Ricks College.

It was so fun to catch up with them. The time was too short.

We drove back to Kim and Travis' that night to sleep. I arose early to the first sounds of my garanddaughter so we could play before everyone else woke up.

Farmer Todd

2011-09-02T14:40:00.001-06:00

My husband, a budding farmer, has bought a tractor. We'll be picking it up in a few weeks. Pictures to come . . .

HCG

2011-09-02T13:41:00.005-06:00

I have started my 3rd round of HCG. Todd has joined me this time. It is so much easier having someone doing it right along with me.

I have been a little obsessed in the past with feeling deprived. I haven't been hungry on the diet. But when I see or smell something that I really want, I feel deprived. I say obsessed because all I could concentrate on was that I was missing out on something I wanted and everybody could have it except for me. Then I realized each time that I was obsessing, I was totally forgetting that I had a goal. The reason I was going without the thing I wanted was to reach my goal. Once I realized that, a whole new world opened up to me. And the diet became easy. Does that make sense?

So I made this little reminder to wear on my wrist everyday . . . Do I want to be THIN or do I want to BINGE? I know it is a little thing. But it makes all the difference.

On a little side note . . . I know my bracelet is a little primitive. If you like the idea of hand stamped and personal jewelry, this is the place to get it . . .
Vintage Heart Designs by Barbara Wiser.
Check out these cute Halloween necklaces . . .

An Open House

2011-08-26T14:18:00.000-06:00

Marie had made friends with a widow in our ward. We invited her over to our home and Marie was constantly drawing her pictures and writing her notes.

A wonderful thing happened this summer. She got married. They didn't want a big reception. But I talked them in to an open house if we put a note on the invitation that said, "No gifts, please."

It was a great evening filled with family, friends, food, and fun. I may have been the organizer. But I was once again reminded of the amazing and dependable friends I am surrounded by. The Fuhrmans let us use their back yard. Amy Packer took pictures.

Jenn Gold let me borrow decorations.

And countless people brought desserts.

Trip to Texas

2011-08-22T19:47:00.026-06:00

Todd and I flew to Texas for a few days. Our niece, Jeana, was leaving on a mission. We wanted to hear her speak and sing in church the Sunday before she headed into the MTC, Missionary Training Center.

Todd made our first stop be at the In-n-Out Burger only moments from getting off the plane.

The first morning we went to the Dallas Temple. There were so many similarities between it and our Boise Temple. They are called sister temples.

Here is our beautiful niece with her parents.

That afternoon and evening was spent with family visiting, eating, playing in Tracy and Virginia's swimming pool . . .

and playing games like Minute to Win It.

Here are my 2 beautiful sisters in-laws, Delsa and Angela, fixing some yummy food at Troy and Delsa's home the next day, Sunday.

One last pose of the siblings before we said our goodbyes . . .

Fun in the Sun

2011-08-18T19:07:00.002-06:00

Another year of swim lessons . . .

Lunch

2011-08-13T19:06:00.000-06:00

On our way home from pictures, we stopped at The Gyro Shack. Delicious Gyros! I don't think I have ever tasted a gyro I didn't like.

Nice service too. They didn't seem to be overwhelmed by our big group coming to their little shack.

Family Pictures

2011-08-13T18:45:00.006-06:00

We spent our morning at the park taking family pictures with Christina Martin. Here are a few of my favorites.

Visitors

2011-08-12T18:35:00.003-06:00

Look who came to visit us for the weekend . . .

Kim, Travis, and that cute little granddaughter of mine.

They came up for the weekend to take some family pictures with us. Next post . . .

A Summer Job

2011-08-10T18:14:00.020-06:00

Thomas worked at Camp Morrison Boy Scout Camp this summer as a life guard. Todd and I took Niko and Justin up to McCall to pick him up, along with a van load of his stuff.

We checked out the cabin where he called home.

He said a few final goodbyes.

He showed us where he ate . . .

and where he spent most of his time . . .

by the docks at the lake.

It's so great to have him home. Well, at least for a few weeks . . . until he heads off to college.

Pickled Eggs, Part 2

2011-08-04T16:54:00.015-06:00

We let the pickled eggs sit in the fridge for almost a week. They were beautiful on the inside when I cut them open.

I loved the taste, but then again I love hard boiled eggs and I love pickles. The kids didn't like them. I don't know know if they tasted the way they were suppose to because I have never had a pickled egg before. I hope I can try one sometime, away from home, to know.

A Frog

2011-08-03T15:15:00.000-06:00

A little green visitor was hanging out in the middle of the window right next to our front door.

I am still amazed that such a simple little thing will fill my children with awe for hours at a time.

Burger Express

2011-08-03T15:10:00.000-06:00

Todd and I have been fans of In-N-Out Burger for many years. But here in Idaho, there is not a single one to be found.

So when we heard there was some controversy around town about the new Burger Express being similar to In-n-Out Burger, we had to check it out. The signs and color scheme were similar. The menu was almost identical. But all the employees were pretty adamant that Burger Express was nothing like In-n-Out.

Todd and I each ordered the double double, urrr, umm, I mean the Express Double, with grilled onions, fries, and a chocolate shake.

It has been a while, almost a year, since I have sunk my teeth into In-n-Out food so I will tread on this review very lightly. The fries and shake were very similar . . . and very tasty. The double cheeseburger, although I don't think it was close to In-n-Out's Double Double, was fresh and delicious.

If I were faced with a burger stop at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or the new Burger Express, I would pick Burger Express. The food was good, really good. And fresh.

Burger Express
6615 W. Fairview Ave.
Boise, Idaho

Swimming Fun

2011-08-01T13:26:00.000-06:00

Thank you Karen for inviting us over for a swim this morning. We had a great time.

Joe Momma's Breakfast Eatery

2011-07-31T21:23:00.001-06:00

Marie and Niko joined me for lunch at

Joe Momma's Breakfast Eatery in Eagle, Idaho.

The kids both picked a cheeseburger. Marie had fries on the side and

Niko had pasta salad on the side. I was worried Niko, who loves pasta salad, would not like this pasta salad that was mixed with a few grown up flavors. But he loved it.

I had the Reuben with a side of fries. Delicious!

Great food and great service. I would write more, but this is the last in a series of many posts that I was behind on this summer as I finished my schoolwork. And I am kind of brain dead right now.

Joe Momma's Breakfast Eatery

600 South Rivershore Lane #170

Eagle, Idaho

Boise Farmer's Market

2011-07-31T20:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Todd, I, and the 2 girls headed in to Boise to the Capital City Public Market

and joined thousands of others on the streets of downtown.

We enjoyed all the local vendors

and street performers.

We came home with some delicious bread, roasted almonds, homemade toffee and fudge, and a pie. Yes. Those are all things I could have made on my own, for a much cheaper price. But there is just something about being surrounded by and supporting your community. I can hardly wait to go back.

A New Clock

2011-07-29T20:03:00.000-06:00

I have been looking for a clock to fit this very spot. It is on the wall between the mud room and the stairway. I finally found one. Todd made sure it was high enough on the wall so that he and Thomas could go under it without hitting their heads.

And I love it.

Pickled Eggs

2011-07-29T19:51:00.000-06:00

Have you ever tried pickled eggs? I haven't.

I've heard they are really good. I like eggs and I like pickles. We have a good supply of eggs and sometimes I am looking for ways to use up the excess. So . . . I made some pickled beet eggs. They look beautiful in the jar. The picture doesn't do it justice.

How did they taste? I'll let you know in a few days when I bite into one. They are suppose to sit in the pickling juice for at least 3 days, but the longer they are there, the better they are suppose to taste.

Sweet Valley Cookie Co.

2011-07-28T19:15:00.001-06:00

Tacos and cookies, my 2 favorites. Hence, the next food stop was to Sweet Valley Cookie Company in Eagle, Idaho.

Erica was along with me for this adventure. We walked in the door to the wonderful smell of baking cookies. The cookies, I believe were just under $2 each or you could get a half dozen for $10. The service was nice and each kind of cookie was tempting.

Erica picked a classic kids favorite, a frosted sugar cookie. I picked one of their best sellers, the Brookie, a brownie on the bottom and a chocolate chip cookie on the top. Um, yes. It was delicious and big.

Would I go there again? There is a lot of baking that already goes on at our house and it was a little bit of a drive out to Eagle. But if I were in the neighborhood and had a sweet craving, I would definitely stop in and grab one . . . or two.

Sweet Valley Cookie Co.
360 E. State Road
Eagle, Idaho

Boise Hawks Baseball

2011-07-23T20:10:00.013-06:00

We took the family to a Boise Hawks baseball game, minus Erica who was at a family reunion and Thomas.

The evening began with classic baseball food, hamburgers and hot dogs, by the field.

Marie and Niko got their faces painted.

Then we enjoyed the game.

Lorena's Mexican Grill

2011-07-21T19:12:00.003-06:00

My second food adventure proved much more satisfying. I stopped with the girls at Lorena's Mexican Grill. It's a little taco shack, literally attached to the side of Mister Car Wash near the NW corner of Fairview and Curtis in Boise.

Lorena, the owner, was so friendly. By the time she had finished grilling our tacos, we were sharing stories about our grandkids.

The tacos were $1.50 each, a real bargain. And delicious! We ordered steak and pork tacos. The meat was placed on a double layer of corn tortillas and then topped with onions and cilantro. Although I love hot food, I topped my tacos with Lorena's medium sauce, instead of the hot, so I could really taste the tacos. I squeezed the lime on top.

I could say I would definitely go back soon, but the truth is . . . I have already been back, twice. And I am sure I will return many times. I took Thomas there when he was home for the weekend. He has always been my food buddy, willing to try anything with me. After he had a couple of tacos, he tried a fish tostada, which he said was delicious. We had a few of the younger kids with us too. The next week I took Todd and his sister, Angela. Every time I am out running errands with the kids, they ask if we can stop and get a taco. I am tempted everytime, but I don't want Lorena to think we are stalking her.

Did I mention that my 2 favorite foods are cookies and tacos? Yep. True. And as far as Tacos go, these at Lorena's Mexican Grill may just be the best I have ever had. But I am willing to try a few more places out, just to be sure.

Stan's Hot Dogs

2011-07-14T18:30:00.003-06:00

My first stop at a local food joint was Stan's Hot Dogs. It was not at the top of my list to try, but I was in the neighborhood and was intrigued by the story of Stan Linkowski and his bronco sauce of which he purchased the recipe for $50,000. You can read about it here.

First I must say, I hope to bring my camera along for future adventures.

How was the food? I loved the hot dog with the bronco sauce, but I did not like the price. If it was a $2 hot dog, I would stop in anytime I was in the neighborhood. But the hot dog was $4.50. I also had an order of onion rings. They were delicious at just $3 an order. They tasted like an awesome blossom that we get at the fair, but they were in onion slices, much easier to eat than the blossom. Another kicker . . . I had to pay an extra .50 for the fry sauce. I'm not much of a soda drinker, so I just ordered water. But if I had ordered a drink, the meal would have been over $10 for just me. The meal was good, but raising a large family, it's hard to pay $10 for an order of a hot dog and onion rings.

Stan's Charbroiled Hot Dogs
818 South Vista Avenue
Boise, Idaho

Food

2011-07-13T18:25:00.006-06:00

I have done 2 rounds of the HCG diet this year. During each round, when I felt deprived of something good to eat, I would watch the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I would even venture to say I became a little addicted, using the DVR to record my favorite shows and watch them into the late hours after the kids were in bed. I have always loved cooking, just not the cleaning up associated with it. But now I just want a little bit more. I have enjoyed making some fun meals for my family. But I have also embarked on a new venture . . . going out to eat. It is kind of a stretch for me, being a bit of a tightwad and all.

So why this post? So when I post about new places we’ve eaten at, you wont be thinking, “Where did that come from?”

I’ve made a list of places I want to eat and try out the food. I hope to take along a family member or friend with me because, well, it’s just no fun to eat a good meal unless you share it with good company.

One more thing . . . I wont be checking out national franchises. I already have a lot of those favorites. I'll be checking out local places, supporting the community.

Cherry Picking

2011-07-12T18:03:00.001-06:00

I love the years when the Aiello's have a good cherry crop. They always share their harvest.

Twin Falls

2011-07-10T19:35:00.001-06:00

During High School I had the privilege of being surrounded and supported by an amazing group of friends.

I went to Twin Falls with Marie for a mini reunion. I had a great 3 days visiting and catching up. It seemed like we just picked up where we left off. This is just the handful that made it to our reunion. Hopefully we can do it again soon with everyone.

4th of July Breakfast

2011-07-04T17:56:00.000-06:00

Another successful 4th of July Breakfast spent with family and friends . . .

Happy Birthday, Thomas

2011-06-26T17:25:00.003-06:00

Thomas came home from camp for his birthday. We took the whole family to dinner which included Todd and I, Brothers, sisters, grandpa, a great aunt and great uncle, aunt and uncle, and cousins. Although Thomas would have rather been spending time with his friends, he resigned to the fact that he was going to spend his birthday with family.

Then . . . to Thomas' surprise . . .

a bunch of his friends were at Red Robbin waiting for him!

After dinner we returned home for some cake.

I changed the chalkboard to celebrate the occasion.

Visitors

2011-06-25T20:07:00.000-06:00

My sister, Jenn, came to visit with her family, her husband, Steve, and her kids, Tanner, Jon, and Lyndsee. I didn't pull out my camera quite enough while they were here.

The boys went shooting.

We went out to eat at Red Robin which I'll explain in my next post. Niko became quite fond of and attached to his cousins.

But the best part of their visit was sitting around visiting, which we did a lot of. It was a great visit. Thanks for coming!

Family Fun Run

2011-06-04T14:52:00.019-06:00

We joined our ward for a Family Fun Run.

Yes, that is my child in the long jeans and jacket while everyone else is wearing t-shirts and shorts.

There goes Niko. He ran the whole way and felt so sick at the end he could hardly eat breakfast.

Here comes Erica.

After the run we enjoyed a yummy breakfast.

Another Graduation

2011-05-31T14:31:00.002-06:00

Niko is a Kindergarten graduate. Now on to 1st grade.

Graduation

2011-05-29T14:24:00.005-06:00

Thomas graduated from High School. I know. I can hardly believe it myself.

Premier Jazz Roast

2011-05-25T14:12:00.007-06:00

I got to hear Tom sing one of the last times with Premier Jazz at the Jazz Roast. It has been one of my favorite things to do this school year. I hope some of my other kids get the opportunity to enjoy being a part of this group.

The Pullman Pan

2011-05-19T13:53:00.030-06:00

We have a new bread pan at our house, a pullman pan. You bake the bread with the lid on to form an almost perfect square crust on all 4 sides.

I made pain de mie because the recipe was perfect for my size pan.

When sliced, they make a perfect square sandwich bread. Great for toast too. Yummy!

More Parkour

2011-05-18T16:25:00.000-06:00

And a few more pictures of Thomas doing his thing . . .

Parkour

2011-05-18T16:10:00.000-06:00

No photo shoot of Thomas would be complete without some parkour.

Thomas took these pictures and made them into . . .

. . . this . . .

. . . and then this.

Senior Pictures

2011-05-18T15:41:00.002-06:00

I took some senior pictures of Thomas. Please remember that I am new to this photography thing and I am still learning. These are some of my favorites, but, I must add, they are not all Thomas' favorites. But since this is my blog and not his . . .

Thomas hates close ups of himself, but I really like this picture.

Thomas does not like this picture at all. He wanted to know why no one told him how stupid the hat looked.

This last one just makes me smile. It may not be the best photo, but it means the most to me. This is that look Thomas always gives me. I can just hear him saying, "Mom, really?"

A Visitor

2011-05-18T15:18:00.000-06:00

Guess who came to visit me this weekend?

Yes, she really is that cute. No, there was no editing of her eye color.

Senior Recital

2011-05-18T15:01:00.000-06:00

Thomas and Jared had their senior piano recital. It was amazing. Besides the great music, Thomas and Jared added their own fun and humor to the show. I wish I could post the whole concert. I am going to miss his music when he goes off to college and a mission, even the piano playing at 11:00 pm and midnight, which seems to happen frequently. This is Thomas and Jared with their amazing piano teacher.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

2011-05-18T14:19:00.000-06:00

I could hardly wait to make homemade corn tortilla when I got my new tortilla press. The whole process is so simple.

First we mixed the masa with a little bit of salt and then some water to make a dough. We rolled it into balls.

Then we pressed the balls in the tortilla press. One would think you just put the ball in the center and press. But actually the ball needs to be closer to the top, about a third the way down.

The whole trick on not having the tortilla stick to the press and make a mess is all in the plastic. I cut 3 sides off of a heavy duty Ziploc bag and pressed the tortilla between the 2 sides. It comes off the plastic so easy.

The tortilla spent a few minutes in a cast iron skillet. And into a dishcloth to stay warm and soft until we were ready to eat.

We stuffed the tortillas with sweet pork, lettuce, and cheese.

Oh, my! They were so yummy. I made the corn tortillas 2 more times that first week and once again last weekend when Kim, Travis, and Allie were here.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-18T13:49:00.000-06:00

These are the two fun gifts I received for Mother's Day. Yes, I picked them out ahead of time myself, gave them to Todd, and he wrapped them up.

This is a new longer strap for my camera. I actually made the fabric cover for the shoulder pad. I just love the material!

I have been wanting a tortilla press for a while. We made our first batch of homemade corn tortilla that very day.

Prom 2011

2011-05-07T23:12:00.011-06:00

Now days, Prom is a whole day event . . .

The day began with 12 couples at our home for breakfast.

In the afternoon the group went to another home to play mud volleyball.

Almost everyone in the group wore converse tennis shoes, including the girls.

Then the evening began with pictures in the park, dinner, and the dance.

More School

2011-05-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

I am taking another college class from BYU-Idaho this semester. I need to have at least 30 credits from classes in the 300's. I figured it would be fun to fill those last few spots with some religion classes. This semester I am taking Old testament. I will be posting in my other blog (an older, almost forgotten blog) once a week, over the semester, about what I am learning that week. You are welcome to check it out, but please don't judge.

We Count Our Blessings

Last Flowers

2011-05-07T17:31:00.011-06:00

I have been making boutonnieres and corsages for a few years now. Today is Thomas' senior prom. And I will not have another child at dating age for a few more years. I guess these will be the last flowers I will be putting together for a while.

Diffuser

2011-04-30T17:20:00.041-06:00

No laughing at this post if you are a professional photographer . . .

I am just learning to take pictures. Natural light is my favorite. Sometimes it is too dark and I just have to use a flash. But the flash makes everything so stark white. So I made this tiny little white diffuser to slip over my built-in, pop-up flash. Check out the difference.

Before.

After.

Before.

After.

I don't know if I love it, but it sure does take some of the starkness away.

Easter

2011-04-24T17:09:00.018-06:00

Yummy Easter Dinner! There's some of that wheat grass I grow every year.

Jay was so excited to play the piano with Thomas. He said, "My dream finally came true."

Dying Eggs . . .

Check out the interesting colors. Most of the eggs were brown.

A short little egg hunt in the front yard . . .

The Bees Have Arrived

2011-04-21T17:05:00.016-06:00

First chickens . . . now bees. Can you believe it?! I'm still in shock myself. Check out my very brave husband, Todd, putting our bees into their new home.

And a couple of close ups . . .

(Amber, are you okay? Will you still read my blog?)

Yogurt

2011-04-20T17:04:00.021-06:00

The yogurt was fairly simple too.

Pour milk into a pot. Heat it to between 105 degrees and 122 degrees. Add the culture. I added a couple of heaping tablespoon of Greek Yogurt from our fridge as the culture.

Then you have to keep the yogurt at that temperature (105 -122) for 6 to 8 hours. That's the trickiest part. For me it was easy. I bought this yogurt maker on Ebay years ago. It holds the yogurt at the right temperature. The book gives several other ways of keeping the temperature stable like using the oven or a crockpot.

Do I dare attempt to make cheese?!

Butter

2011-04-19T17:00:00.023-06:00

I have been wanting to learn to make cheese for a while. I checked this book out of the library. It has you start by making butter, then yogurt, and eventually cheese.

We have made butter before but I decided to follow the directions in the book. First we put the cream in a jar. Our jar was too small. Next time I will use a pint of cream and put it into a quart jar. Then you shake, shake, and shake some more. This is where it is very handy to have many children.

Within about 10 to 15 minutes the buttermilk separated from the butter.

We placed the butter in cheese cloth and placed it into a strainer. Then we ran water over it until the buttermilk was washed away. Then we stirred in a little salt.

Oh, my! It was delicious!

It Is

2011-04-18T16:18:00.000-06:00

Yes, it is what it looks like! A beehive!

(sorry Amber)

Flowers for Me

2011-04-18T16:07:00.004-06:00

Thomas went on choir tour last weekend. He brought home some beautiful tulips from the flower market for me.

Sewing Away the Stress

2011-04-13T15:23:00.017-06:00

My Dad has been sick. And it has been a little overwhelming. I decided to step away from all my responsibilities for a short while and do something I enjoy . . . sewing. I love to sew. But it seems it always gets put on the back burner because there are so many other priorities.

I pulled out my favorite apron pattern and went to work. I stayed up way too late sewing. And I loved every minute of it. Even the next morning when I was really tired, I didn't regret the time I spent sewing.

Paper Towels

2011-04-09T17:05:00.000-06:00

I like to keep my kitchen counters as clear as possible. It seems like there are just some things that are unavoidable. Here is the paper towel holder we have used for years.

Most of the time it looked like this, with a trail of paper towels across the counter.

I picked up this new paper towel holder at Hobby Lobby for 50% off last week. Hooray! More clear counter space. Now if I could just figure out what to do about all those red cups . . .

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2011-04-09T16:49:00.000-06:00

Oh, my! Yum! These are so gooooooood. They taste like chocolate chip cookies on steroids. I got the recipe from here at Your Home Based Mom.

Bread

2011-04-09T16:13:00.001-06:00

I was having lunch at a friend's house and noticed she had round bread on the counter. I asked her what kind of pan she baked it in. Would you believe a pineapple juice can?!

You can fit a bunch of loaves in the oven at once because they all bake upright. It was so easy. One batch of my bread dough filled 5 cans.

And the bread just slipped right out of the pan when it came out of the oven. After slicing the bread I thought the tops and bottoms would make the perfect hamburger bun.

There were delicious. But I must say, we are use to using the light, fluffy, white, store-bought buns. These ones were quite hearty and filling, considering they were made from freshly ground wheat.

50th Anniversary Party

2011-04-09T15:47:00.001-06:00

Now that I paid $5 for extra storage space for my blog, I can post pictures of the 50th Anniversary party we threw for Todd's parents . . .

There was a lot of yummy food . . .

Mom's beautiful wedding dress on display . . .

a lot of visiting going on . . .

this picture just because you know how much I love that beautiful granddaughter of mine . . .

cutting the cake . . .

a little taste . . .

and a song.

What a great occasion to celebrate!

What?!

2011-04-08T01:06:00.003-06:00

I just got this message when I tried to add a picture to my blog post . . .

Whoops! You're out of space. Purchase more storage.

Photos are stored in your Picasa Web Albums account and are included in your 1 GB free quota for photos. Additional storage you purchase is shared between several Google products and is in addition to your free quota.

I guess blogger isn't really free anymore. Has anyone else got this message before? What did you do?

Four Favorites for Friday

2011-04-08T00:01:00.022-06:00

I learned a little bit about myself writing this post . . .

Four of my favorite seasonings . . .

Frank's Hot Sauce

I like to put this on everything . . . meat, vegetables, eggs, mixed with mayonnaise as a dip . . .

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Our favorite way to use this seasoning is on chicken or shrimp just before grilling.

Are you starting to see a pattern?

Crushed Red Pepper

Add this and a little minced garlic to some hot oil before frying meat or vegetables . . . delicious!

And thanks to Kim and Travis, my newest favorite . . .

Valentina Hot Sauce

Super yummy on scrambled eggs.

I kind of knew I liked spicy food. There are many other seasonings that I like, but when I started digging to find my favorite seasonings, I was kind of surprised to find they were all hot.

Clothing Exchange

2011-03-26T18:25:00.000-06:00

I had to do a personal project for the class I am taking this semester at BYU-Idaho. It had to be based off of a talk we had studied during class.

Here is a quote from a conference talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson entitled, “Come to Zion.” (October 2008): “In much of the world, we are entering upon unsettled times. Let us look after one another the very best we can.”

I purposed a clothing exchange. Everyone brought their unused and outgrown clothes and shoes to my house over a 4 week period. I sorted them all by gender and size and then people came back to find things they needed. Every flat surface in our home was covered.

It was very successful. It felt great to have us all helping each other, no money required, just time and things we didn't need anymore.

Family Reunion

2011-03-20T22:18:00.002-06:00

Todd's parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year. All the family gathered at our home to celebrate. We spent many late nights playing games and visiting with each other.

Friday evening we all gathered as Thomas and his friends sang for us,

the sisters surprised their parents, took a family picture,

and watched a slide show of the past 50 years.

Super Moon

2011-03-20T09:45:00.011-06:00

There was a super moon last night. Todd took some pictures of it around 1:00 am this morning. A super moon is when the moon is closer to the earth because of its elliptical orbit and it appears larger, about 13% larger and 30% brighter.

Todd Makes Bread

2011-03-04T08:11:00.015-07:00

Todd has always wanted to learn how to make bread.

Late at night after the kids go to bed, I sit down to watch the shows that have been recorded on the DVR. As I was watching the Martha Stewart show, Todd came and sat down as Martha was making a chocolate swirl coffee cake bread. Todd jumps up and says, "I think I am going to make that right now." So . . . off to the computer to print off the recipe. And he dug right in. Todd said it was way too much work for one loaf of bread. And since he started making it late at night, it didn't even go into the oven until well after midnight.

It was beautiful.

And delicious.

I wanted to work along with him in the kitchen, so I made some granola that I had bought all the supplies for. My project finished hours before his.

Todd decided his next bread making project should be a little bit simpler.

Ceilings

2011-02-26T17:03:00.001-07:00

Todd had the ladder out to change some burnt out light bulbs in the house. He decided to take the opportunity to wash the splatter of "who knows what" off the ceiling that has been there for several years. No one seems to know how it got there. It's a 10 foot ceiling. How do spots and splatters get up there?

Sweetheart Ball

2011-02-20T14:12:00.002-07:00

Thomas and Lizzi

Unexpected Expense

2011-02-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our water pump burned out yesterday, the water pump that is down 200 feet in the well. It was right in the middle of someone's shower, of coarse. And now, $1,600 later, we have water again. Ouch!