brooke's excerpts & extracts

Charlie Ann - Month Two Recap

2012-02-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

Week 9

Out to Redondo Beach to meet one of Dad's climbing friends for dinner.

I am also a big fan of going on morning walks to Starbucks with Mom and my dog. I really like Mom's carrier, especially now that she bought me a sunhat so I can look at the palm trees without squinting.

I am smiling back at Mom and Dad (and sometimes to other people), especially right after I wake up. I also have found my voice and love to tell Mom stories.

Week 10

I enjoy my tummy time more than ever, especially on mom's bed.

Also this week, I got to meet my new friend, Hudson. Our Mom's talked a lot about how much they love us, especially when we wake up all night wanting to be cuddled.

My friend Gretchen gave me her play mat. I absolutely love it! I could lay under it for hours.

I got to take my first big girl bath! It is probably the most fun part of my day. If it were up to me, I would like to take four baths a day, one before every nap. Bath time is just so fun cause I get to kick and splash and look at myself in the mirror. Then I am so tired and warm, I fall right to sleep.

Mom got me a little lady bug to look at while i ride in the car. Now I like my car seat a whole lot more.

Week 11

All dressed up to go to dinner in Long Beach. I look like toy doll for sale!

The whole family spent a nice hot day at Huntington Dog Beach. It was so warm and sunny, and so fun.

Week 12

I had my first appointment with my new pediatrician. She was so sweet to me. She said I am very skinny, only 9lb 9oz, but I am very long, 24 1/2 in! But she wasn't worried. I also got 3 shots and a liquid vaccine. I cried quite a bit, but calmed down quickly. For the next three days, I slept a lot! I am also a big fan of infant's tylenol. It helped so much.

Mom went back to work this week, but thankfully it's only two days a week. And those two days when she is gone, I get to spend all day with Dad. I was pretty upset when Dad tried to feed me with a bottle. I was so mad about it, I decided to take a nap instead of eat. But when lunchtime came around, the bottle sounded like a good idea. I am very good girl for Dad.

I am finally in size 1 diapers. I still easily fit in newborns, but Mom is ready to start using the 8 boxes of 1's we already have. Let me tell you, I love having the top of my diapers in my armpits. I am long enough for my 0-3 months clothes, but I definitely have room for two of me in width. So many of my older friends have been giving me their clothes cause they are growing out of them, I just keep hoping one day I can wear them!

I am getting a lot better at sleeping on my own during the day. I used to have to be held to take any kind of daytime nap. But now, if I sleep on my side, wedged between two warm pillows, I am good to go!

I also like to be home at nite. Unfortunately, Mom and Dad still tote me around everywhere past 6:30pm. I like to look around and take in all the sights, so it's very hard for me to go to sleep with all this newness happening!

And now on to fun stuff of being a 3 month old...

Busy Day Cake

2012-02-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight we're attending a friend's birthday party. I am making dessert. I have a three month old that doesn't like nap without being held. This is quite a conundrum when responsible for that thing I mentioned in sentence two. However, my friend Lani to the rescue! She has shared her great recipe for just my situation.

Well, the proof is in the ~~pudding~~ cake. See image below from this morning. I doubled the recipe and baked in an angel food cake pan for a little shwing.

Busy Day Cake

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min. Oven: 350 F

Cool: 30 min. Makes: 8 servings

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups assorted fresh berries

whipped cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pan; set the pan aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Spread into the prepared pan.

3. Bake about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack about 30 minutes. Serve warm with berries and, if desired, whipped cream.

(Busy-Day Cake with Broiled Coconut Topping:)

Prepare as above, except omit berries and whipped cream. While cake is baking, mix 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons softened butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon milk. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and, if desired, 1/4 cup chopped nuts. Spread over warm cake. Broil 4 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Nephew 2 is here!

2012-01-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

My newest nephew is here! He belongs to the bravest mother I know. Amy, what a birth story you have. Hip hip hooray to healthy boy!!

Welcome

Asher Mark Kelley

8lb 4oz

20 1/2 in

January 19th, 2012

Nephew 1 is here!

2012-01-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

So both of my sister in laws are expecting babies in January.. and well Baby Garrett is finally here!!

Welcome

A.J. Garrett

6lb 3oz

19 in

January 8th, 2012

8 weeks, Charlie Bug

2012-01-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

Little Charlie Ann is 8 weeks old today. It goes so quickly! I
have already posted pictures of her first and second weeks... so here is the newest:

Week 3

My debut week in Springfield, Missouri. Everyone is wanting to come visit and hold me. I definitely got passed around for 6 hours on Thanksgiving Day to every aunt, uncle, cousin and every great aunt, great uncle and second cousins, and of course passed to all the great grandparents too. I was pretty much the hit of the party, although I don't remember a thing because I slept ALL day. Also this week, I met my dad's side of the family, watched my grandma run a 5k, met my great-great grandma and did a lot of Christmas shopping in the mall. I am really loved by everybody!
Grandma's house was super ready for me, I had a pack-n-play, a bassinet, a bouncer, a swing, diapers, wipes, a dresser, a boppy, a carseat, a stroller and new clothes. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment! But, I am a big fussypants at night and don't want to go to sleep before 11:30pm/12am. But after I get walked and rocked and everyone knows I am here, I usually give in and go to sleep til around 3am.

Week 4

This week I started to make a few tiny, little sweet sounds if someone talks to me. I am also going to bed closer to 10:30 and waking up at 5am for breakfast! Mom is happy to get some extended sleep, and I am too.
This week I met a lot of Mom's friends and we went on some big shopping trips, but I dont mind cause I get to be carried in a sling!

Week 5

I am getting better and better at sleeping through the nite, and after my 5am breakfast, I go right back to sleep until second breakfast at 8am. Everyone is happy about this! I am also cracking tiny little grins to Mom and Grandma and Gabby and few lucky others.

Week 6

Dad came this week! I have missed him the last month. He doesn't let anyone else hold me, and that's okay... we have a lot of catching up to do. I am celebrating Christmas and phew, another l-o-n-g day of being held and passed around to all of Mom's relatives. So fun, but so exhausting!

Week 7

All I remember about this week is.. THE CARSEAT! We drove for three days from Missouri all the way to Southern California. Where I slept in a drawer, a chair and a king sized bed, but I did not sleep in my carseat.

8 Weeks Today!

Hello again, SoCal. I am so loving this warm weather here. I get to wear dresses, take lots of walks outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Charlie Ann's First 13 Days

2012-01-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

On the morning Charlie Ann joined our family, my parents met us in the recovery room. It was 5am and they had been awake most of the night waiting for our phone call. What a sweet moment it was when my parents introduced themselves to their first grandchild.

Mom and Charlie Ann meeting for the first time.

Grandpa and Charlie Ann on her first day.

Charlie Ann is ready to go home from the hospital.

We stayed one night and headed home the following evening. My time at Fullerton Hospital was wonderful, the nurses were the best and I felt so taken care of.

Our first evening at home - 3 days old.

Tummy time - 4 days old.

Charlie Ann & Dad - 4 days old.

Grandma & CA. Already holding that head up that first week!

Eyes and nose still swollen - 5 days old.

My mom got to stay with us until Charlie Ann was 6 days old. It was so hard to see her go. Those few days she was here after the hospital were so helpful! I felt like I could actually do this Mom thing after all her help :)

My mom left in the afternoon of CA's 6th day and my mother-in-law arrived that night.

Jarod puts Charlie Ann to sleep in the warm sheets fresh out of the dryer - 6 days old.

My mother-in-law stayed with us for Charlie Ann's second week. What a great help she was cleaning and cooking some amazing meals (especially apple pie).

However, that second week was a tough one. My new found confidence as a mother quickly vanished as soon as my mom left. I felt I could no longer console my daughter's crying spells or soothe her to sleep. I was extremely exhausted/delirious due to the marathon of child birth and from plummeting head first into an every 2-3 hour nursing schedule, both day and night. Jarod was at the end of his semester and crunched by his own deadlines for papers and exams, and he was unable to be as much help as we both wanted. So before I turned psychotic (I'm only halfway joking), I decided to join my mother-in-law on her flight back to Missouri in order to stay with my parents for some extra help. I would stay until Christmas break, when Jarod would join us for the Holidays. So, on 38 hours of no sleep, I scrambled together all of Charlie Ann's newborn clothes and her blankets, and a few items for myself. All else would be borrowed, given or bought for our 6 weeks in the Midwest.

So bleary eyed and overwhelmed, I kissed Jarod goodbye and headed for the airport.

But what a good and perfect idea it was! With Judy's help, we managed a 6am flight Thanksgiving morning with a 13 day old baby from LA to Springfield, MO. Phew! The moment I saw my Dad at baggage claim, I started crying. It was a perfect moment knowing I had made the best decision for myself and little Charlie Ann. And that was the start of the boost of confidence I needed to try to be a good mother to my baby girl.

Charlie Ann's Story of Arrival

2011-12-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl Sickler is finally here! She is darling and wonderful and such a sweet little thing. Jarod and I both are still in shock that we have a little one of our own... I think the reality has yet to hit either of us. But, alas, she is here!

Here is her story of entry into the world.

October 31st - Go to the hospital at 10am because I have felt her move very little all weekend. All checks normal (silly girl was just having a three day r & r, I guess). My doctor checks me, says I am at 2 cm, and 70% effaced. He proceeds to "strip my membranes"(that just means 'get things a-goin'). He leaves us thinking we'll be back in the hospital that evening having a baby. I have my first contractions that day. We both get excited, but none of those contractions amount to anything. So we wait.

November 1st - a few more contractions, and still we wait.

November 2nd - less contractions than the days before... and we wait some more. Meanwhile, I finish packing the hospital bag.

November 3rd - Nothing. My mom arrives and she is ready to be a grandma.

November 4th - Dr. Appt. Doctor says I am at 3cm, about 80% effaced and all looks well. I get a second "stripping of the membranes." I get a few more unproductive contractions. So we continue waiting.

on the way to the Dr.'s Appt - big belly!

November 5th - I walk 3 miles trying to get this ball rolling... but all I get are contractions that stop when I stop walking. And so we wait.

November 6th - My due date! Hello 40 weeks. Goodbye 40 weeks. I am still pregnant.

November 7th - Dad arrives and he is ready to be a grandpa, but still we wait.

November 8th - Here a contraction, there a contraction, everywhere a contraction.. but nothing is really happening.

November 9th - Dr. Appt. 3cm, 80% effaced, he is quite surprised that I still haven't gone into labor. He lets us decide if would rather wait for Baby Girl or be induced. Meanwhile, he suggests a fetal heart monitoring test and an ultrasound. All checks healthy and normal, but the amniotic fluid is approaching a danger level. We can wait, but I have to get monitored and ultrasound-ed every 2 days to make sure all stays well; or we can induce. My doctor is on call the next day. We choose to induce on November 10th. Jarod and I go on a last date that evening as a family of two. I cry a lot. I am nervous and anxious and excited and scared. Jarod is as cool as a cucumber.

November 10th -
7am - I shower. I cry. I eat cereal. I have butterflies in my stomach.

8am - check into the hospital. Gown up. Sign my life away on a million forms. I have a mild panic attack that I cant go through with birthing a child. I'm tempted to run out of the doors. But I stay.

All ready.

10am - Get an I.V., I cry. The I.V. hurts and I cant bend my left wrist. The pitocin drip begins. We watch the Price is Right and decide Bob Barker was a way better host.

12pm - Mom and Dad bring Jarod lunch from Panera. I suck on ice chips.

2pm - My contractions are getting stronger. The doctor comes in to check me. Still at 3cm. 90% effaced. The doctor breaks my water. I am pretty sure I lose 15 pounds in all that gushing fluid. Very awkward feeling. Contractions intensify.

Looking pretty tired already.

   3pm - After 5 hours of contractions, and knowing I still have 7cm to go, I decide I want an epidural. The nurse proceeds to say there is an emergency and the anesthesiologists are unavailable for another several hours. I tell her I need something, anything. She gives me analgesics (I.V. drugs). Within 2 minutes I was whistling Skip to My Lou and seeing double.

   3:15pm - The nurse tells me there is an anesthesiologist available and that if I do want that epidural, now is the time. I say fabulous, I'll take two. Jarod proceeds to stabilize my loopy self and watches the epidural procedure. He is joyously amazed and wants to know if he can tell me how big the needle is. I reply, "as if.." and flop into a pile on the bed. The joys of being doubly drugged.
In a few minutes, my blood pressure drops dangerously low and I sway between consciousness and passing out. The nurse and anesthesiologist give me ephedrine on 10 minute intervals for over an hour to stabilize my blood pressure. Meanwhile, they stop the pitocin drip due to the complications.

   5pm - Doctor check. 3cm, 90% effaced. No progress. They must start the pitocin drip over from the ground again. This is slow going. My epidural is working really great on my right side. My left... eh, not so much.

   7:30pm - nurse changeover. Our new nurse, Lolli, says it's time to have this baby. She checks me. I am still at 3cm. She stretches me to 5cm, I am sure that would have been painful without an epidural. She cranks up my pitocin every 20 minutes. Things are rollin' now.

   10:15pm - Jarod is a zombie and asks to take a nap. I dont mind. Sure enough, as soon as he falls asleep, I have to change breathing techniques to endure the contractions.

   11:30pm - I wake up Jarod to say that I need some help. The nurse checks me, 8cm. I'm really wishing that left side felt as numb as my right side.

   12:30am - I tell Jarod I need the nurse, that the pain is near intolerable. She comes in, checks me, and asks if I'm ready to push.

   1:15am - I do my first push. Jarod said it was pretty much worthless (well, he told me that later). I tell them I'm going to be sick. I throw up green stomach acid everywhere. My throat feels burned. Both the nurse and Jarod say that the heaving was my best push. I'm dying for a drink. I can only think about the two bottles of Gatorade I packed and how good they are going to taste. I thinkI repeated the word 'Gatorade' 400 times in my head during the pushing.

   2:30am - Still pushing. I'm exhausted. And I can feel her on my left side. The pressure is unbelievable. I throw up again, but at least I get a good push out of it. The doctor and his entourage of his nurses arrive. She comes slowly; the doctor is letting me do all the work. The nurse makes me feel her head during the crowning. She has so much hair and it's so soft! I've never been thirstier in my life, oh Gatorade. The last half hour is the worst. With every push I am sure I am going to throw up. Waiting between contractions is the hardest, the pressure and pain makes me groan and cry.

2:55am - One last push and Charlie Ann is here! They put her immediately on my belly. She's goopy and soft and wide-eyed. We look at each other. She's beautiful. She nurses immediately. Everyone leaves and we are a little family of three.

Welcome to the world, Charlie Ann. We are so thrilled you have joined our family.

Pumpkin Recipe Compilation

2011-11-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

I went to Sam's Club. I bought a package of three, 28 oz cans of Libby's pure pumpkin puree. (Say that ten times). I am learning that most recipes do not call for 28 oz of pumpkin; they call for a fraction of the amount.. like 1 cup or at the most, 14 oz. Needless to say, I have a lot of pumpkin to use. And for one 28 oz can, I can almost guarantee that I need at least two recipes.

So, in delight of today being the start of November/the Holiday Season, and because of a lot of pumpkin in my pantry-- I have assembled some of my favorite pumpkin recipes to share, as well as new pumpkin recipes that look very tasty.

Pumpkin Spice Cake - tried and true

I posted this recipe last fall. But it's completely worth posting again and baking annually! This is my mom's recipe and I have enjoyed for many fall seasons :)

Pumpkin Crunch Cake - tried and true

1 29. oz can pumpkin

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 6 ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 metal baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix all over. Drizzle melted butter all over the cake mix topping. Bake 55-60 minutes.

Spiced Pumpkin Dip - tried and true

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1/2 orange (half peeled)

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar (or less)

1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. ginger

2 Tbs. brown sugar

Add, in order listed ,to blender, blend 45 sec or until combined. Serve with fruit, bagels or ginger snaps.

Pumpkin Smoothie - taste test

Pumpkin Pie Pockets - taste test

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes - taste test

Also, I am looking for a good pumpkin cookie recipe... one that is more on the denser/chewier side, as opposed to the softer/fluffier cookies. Any one have a recipe they're willing to share?

39 weeks

2011-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I will have finished 39 weeks of pregnancy tomorrow. And I think my body proves I am near the end... belly is HUGE, face is starting to get puffy/ultra-splotchy and my ankles are the size of my knees. Surely this little girl is ready to come out and join the party! Well, this momma is ready for her little girl to come out and join the party, that is.

So these were taken last nite, on our way to Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer on the Cardinals in Game 7 of the World Series. What a fun evening! AND, I even managed to squeeze (just barely) into my Cardinals tshirt :) Yay, me.

LegoLand California!

2011-10-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, my sis-in-law and her family came to visit us and do a few sites of Southern California. We spent three days down in Carlsbad (near San Diego) enjoying LEGOLAND - CALIFORNIA!

WHAT A BLAST! Even though I was 36 weeks pregnant, and Aimee was 24 weeks pregnant, we STILL had a fabulous time walking around the park and watching the boys have a good time.

Aimee, Lance and the boys: Colby & Kyle.

Me & Jarod - hello 36 weeks! Bam, look at that belly!

Fun Lego stuff EVERYWHERE!

Kyle & Lance versus Jarod & Colby for the race to the top.

Life size Lego Tourist.

FunTown, USA. The boys' got their Lego Driver's License and cruised around this city.

Jarod and Lance getting all discombobulated on a fun ride.

LegoLand Waterpark - gettin' a little sun in October :) --and lookin' pretty big and tired. Ha.

35 weeks Pregnant!

2011-10-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

We had our 35 week ultrasound. I know these pictures are always difficult to make out, so I labeled to try and help. They are pictures of only her face. We think she's pretty cute.

In this first one, her mouth is open and she is sucking on the back of her hand.

This one just basically shows that her eyes are open!

Summer Slacker - Part 4 {Final Edition!}

2011-10-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yes. I am typing a post that has "Summer" in the title in October. I understand your concerns. Pregnancy has not warped my brain THAT much. This is my last summer hoorah, bare with me.

I took a mini, 10 day vacay to the midwest at the end of August. LOTS of fun was had... visits with all the family, multiple Baby Showers, (not multiple babies, just multiple showers for this one baby), breakfast dates with friends, and a 4 day weekend at the farm. It was a fabulously relaxing trip.

My sister-in-laws, Aimee & Amy, put together a very fun fondue party with the immediate girl family. And my sweet father-in-law gave us this funny bouquet/centerpiece of "MotherShip beer" {which we all took home to our spouses}, attached to yellow roses and tied with a measuring tape, chilled on ice of course :)

Aimee, Me, Amy - ALL pregnant - ALL due this winter! How fun is that?!

Chocolate & Cheese Fondue & Sparkling Pear Cider. Fun!

Now, to the farm!

It was SO hot, triple digit heat... which feels like quad digit heat if you're pregnant.

Time to go down to the river.

Family fun around the fire pit.

Mom, is this "all about changed lives!" Or else?!

Good shot!

Amy & the dogs and the farmhouse :)

COUSINS!!

Austin & Amy found out they're having a boy!! YAY!

Canoeing!

Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous time in Missouri! More pictures of the shower to come :)

Russian Submarine

2011-09-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

My father in law, Scott, has been in the area the past two weeks on business. So, Jarod and I have been making a few commutes down to Long Beach for nice dinners and some hang out time.

Last weekend, we walked to the waterfront and toured a 1950's Russian Submarine. Scott spent several years in the Navy on submarines and why not go on a tour, when you have an expert on hand?! Crazy to think how many men they squeezed onto this boat - pretty tight quarters! And besides Scott sticking his foot in his mouth and insulting a Russian tourist, it was a good tour :) Haha.

The Russian Sub in the Long Beach Harbor

Jarod & Scott in the torpedo launcher room (I'm sure that's what the Navy calls it)

Us in the torpedo launcher room.

I'm not sure why that big grey bar is at the bottom of our photo... I feel like it should be scrolling with breaking news headlines or something.

Busted!

2011-09-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Came into the living room and noticed that somebody had made herself quite cozy in the Love Sac. This now explains the dog hair we were finding in the Sac....

In her defense, however, it does look like a giant dog bed.

Silly Girl.

Crustless Spinach Quiche & Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits

2011-09-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Quiche. It's what's for dinner. Well, here at the Sickler home, at least.

Wednesdays should just be relabeled Maddashday. I get home from work around 4, totter the dog outside (it's my pregnant walk), throw together a hot meal, then race to campus to share a 20 minute dinner date with Jarod before he heads to a night class. Then I usually sit at the empty table and recover for awhile before packing up the picnic.

But tonight however, was nice, that is, while I was sitting at the table with my two loves (Jarod and Taiga). The weather was perfect. We sat outside the Talbot Building, watched the sun drop behind the palms, shared a meal and rested for a few minutes before parting our separate ways. Ahh, it was lovely.

Anyway.. tonight, dinner, recipe.

So... I threw together a quiche, and it was super dee dooper good! It's a pretty basic recipe that you could alter with your particular whims, tastes and fancies. But I'll share what I assembled today.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

olive oil (for sauteing)
1/2 large chopped onion
3 big handfuls of fresh chopped spinach (6 cups?)
1/3 cup chopped green olives [optional]**
1 chopped chicken sausage (precooked kind) [optional]**
7 eggs
several dashes of fresh ground pepper
dash of sea salt
two dashes of garlic powder
2 cups fresh grated parmesan
1 cup grated mozzarella

1. Heat oven to 350. Prepare a 9" pie plate.
2. Saute onion in olive oil. Add spinach to pan for the last 1-2 minutes.
3. In large bowl, mix eggs, olives, sausage, cheeses and spices. Add sauted onions and spinach.
4. Pour in pie plate. Bake 30 minutes, until eggs have set. Let set 10 minutes before serving.

**I think mushrooms or tomato or zucchini or broccoli or artichokes or jalapenos or peppers could all be added in fun combinations too. Also, I think as long as you use 3 cups of cheese, you could vary the kind of cheese depending on your 'add-ins' theme.

Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 TBS (or so) milled flax seed
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 450. Prepare cookie sheet.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Stir in butter and milk until moistened. Drop large spoonfuls on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8-12 minutes. Serve warm! **Especially good with apple butter, cherry preserves or lemon curd)

My August Birthday

2011-09-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Jarod left for a nine day climbing trip the morning after my mom and my aunt boarded a plane to go home. While I was catching up on rest and recovery from a pretty big past month, Jarod was in Central Cal climbing the Sierra's.

Unfortunately he was gone over my birthday :( However, I did get this photo in my inbox that day.

My wild flower birthday bouquet. Happy Birthday to me.

After Jarod got back from his trip, we did celebrate with dinner and my first 3-D movie experience.

Summer Slacker - Part 3

2011-09-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

The day after we returned from our 3 week long venture over all of God's green earth in July, my mom and my aunt arrived here in LA. What a FUN time we had! My mom and Aunt Suzanne were here an entire 7 days and we packed it with all that Southern California has to offer. A few pictures of our favorite things from our time together:

Mom & Aunt Suzanne at the Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. We had an early morning Sunday breakfast right on the beach.. complete with blankets and a clear view of the dolphins.

See how where it says Crystal Cove on the beach shack?

Beachcomber Cafe

27 weeks preggo. Baby Girl's first picture with Grandma Kelley :)

Crystal Cove (between Newport & Laguna Beach). So so so pretty in the mornings.

Mom and a succulent on steroids :) Outside of "Seed: The People's Market", Costa Mesa

A really terrible picture of Jarod and I after biking along Huntington Beach. We both look a little wind blown :)

Mom and Aunt Suzanne. This was our rest stop during the bike ride.. it served chocolate covered frozen bananas. Mmmm.

Bike Ride complete!

Jarod and I peddling our bikes back to the car. Cant believe I went biking 6 1/2 months pregnant! Baby Girl was not happy about it either, she kicked me the whole time!!

Surf City - Huntington Beach, CALI

Baby!

Last photo of their trip here! SO MUCH FUN! I'm so glad they came out :)

Summer Slacker - Part 2

2011-09-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

July Summer Fun - After Colorado, we were back in California for about a week, before heading on our 3 week adVENTURE of the Pacific Northwest, the West and closing the loop back to Cali.

A few highlights of the trip, well let me clarify "highlights". These highlights are really just times that we remembered to take out our camera and snap a shot. We had LOTS of great moments that went un-photographed. Carrying on, Highlights:

Driving Highway 1 up the coast of California. Beeeeeautiful.

Us.

Beardy Jarod. Preggo Brooke.

Crater Lake, Oregon

Us at Crater Lake, Oregon... freezing.

Pumice Desert, Oregon. Complete with real pumice stones, imagine that.

Coffee roasted at 3:15am of the day we bought it. It was like cotton candy coffee, the kind that melts in your mouth. Portland.

Who is that disgruntled preggo? Get her a latte and a foot massage. Portland.

6 months pregnant at Grandma Georgia's house. Couer d'Alene, Idaho.

Tasty dinner with the Hoag's in Littleton, Colorado.

Sunset from the Schultz's rooftop. Laramie, Wyoming.

Climbing. Vedawoo, Wyoming. Bonus points for proper pronunciation.

Summer Slacker - Part 1

2011-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrassed. TWO WHOLE MONTHS since my last blog post. That's a crying shame. The last two months ~~was~~ were(?) even summer break (key word, break) and I didn't even have time to blog. Pa Thet Ic.

Well, a little recap might do us all good... to remind myself where my summer vacation went and to remind you that I'm not a flippant blogger.

Ahem. Here we go.

June Summer Fun - 11 days in Durango, Colorado. I stayed in a comfy cabin at Camp Kivu, while Jarod took a group of teenagers to close by Moab, Utah for some outside, sand in your sleeping bag, rock climbing.

One Dish Dinner: Southwest Heaven

2011-07-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

We're leaving for a three week vacation in about 30 hours. This means that this entire week I have avoided the grocery store in efforts to avoid leaving a full fridge to spoil. This does not mean that it's been peanut butter and eating out, however. I have managed to assemble some hodge-podgey, yet tasty meals. This was one was a success for sure:

Southwest Heaven

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
4 cups water
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
2 cups uncooked long grain rice (or brown or white)

2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt (?)
1/2 tsp pepper
dash paprika
dash chili powder
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 cup of corn
juice of one lime

Directions:
1. In medium pot, boil chicken in water til cooked through. Meanwhile, chop onions, pepper and garlic.
2. Remove cooked chicken for shredding. Add 2 cups rice to chicken broth water. Cook rice. Shred chicken with forks.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked rice and spices. Add beans, tomatoes and corn; heat through. Squeeze lime over entree before serving.

**If you feel like making this more "tex-mex", than "southwest", stir in a mix of cheddar & jack cheese to your bowl. Mmmm.

Recent Reads

2011-07-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

I have been reading quite a few books these past few months. This is partially due to terrible, awful morning sickness in the late Spring, partially due to summer vacation and road trips, partially due to my love of reading, and partially due to personal determination to read what is already on my shelves, and therefore, hopefully condensing my number of books by chucking all but the keepers.

So here we go. My journey of books the past three months:

I finally finished the Harry Potter books this past spring... I went hard core on the first five, then got a little burnt out. I took a six month hiatus to rekindle my Potter love. I am glad to say, however, that these last two were VERY good and ended the series strong. They both get 4 stars.

Next up, "Let the Great World Spin", by Colum McCann. Ehh, good character development, well written and interesting. But, I was not that excited about the actual content of the story. I can handle reading about the depravity of mankind, however, I need some redemption or some hope or SOME sort of saving quality at the close. And I was left lacking when I read the last page. This author reminds me of another, Frank McCourt, who is also Irish; both writers tend to be melancholy and borderline depressing. I gave it 3 stars.

Ahhh, sweet little "Anne, with an "e", of Green Gables." I would just like to know how in the world I missed this book growing up?! It's such a classic and such a delight to read. I give it 4 stars.

{And then, the best part, was that I wanted Jarod to watch ALL the movies with me. He easily agreed, stating that he had watched the movies as a kid and liked them. About 30 minutes into the first movie, Jarod said, "Wow, I must have been a real loser of kid to like these." Haha.}

"The Bridges of Madison County" is a short book and a very fast read. I think I read it in one setting, maybe two. It's a captivating love story that quickly swallows the reader into the throngs of hidden and forbidden love. (Perhaps why I read it one setting). While I was totally engrossed in the story, I kept wondering, why is all steamy, passionate love always taking place OUTSIDE of the husband and wife's relationship? Shame. No hope for us ol' married people. Anyway, it's a sappy love story, and a well written one nonetheless. 3 1/2 stars.

"Stones from the River", BLEH. I gave it a good, hard run.. honest, I did. But finally at page 138, I couldn't handle it anymore. Midgets?! Nazi's?! Psychotic, institutionalized mothers?! It was too much. And it started making me wonder if I was going to have a midget baby. It's in my give-away pile. 2 stars.

"The Soloist". Well, I thought it was the book that spawned the movie (with the same title) starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx... WRONG. A totally different book, however, creepily similar to the movie. The book I read was also based in LA, also had a famous cello player and also involved a schizophrenic. Hmm, makes me wonder if this book had a "borrowed plot", which was tossed in the blender and called his own. Anyway, a decent book, but, not all that life changing. 3 stars.

Oh. My. Gosh. "Belly Laughs" is absolutely hysterical if you are, or recently were, pregnant. Jarod and I read it out loud to each other on our recent road trip to Colorado. We were crying, we were laughing SO hard. Now, keep in mind, it's Jenny McCarthy. SOOO, if you're offended by foul language or body fluids or vulgarity and indecent topics... then this book is not for you. Clearly, I'm not too bothered by those things and found this book 100% accurate of my personal pregnancy experience. 4 stars.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. This book was AMAZING. "The Glass Castle" was the best book I have read this year. I could NOT put it down, therefore finishing it in two days. It is a jaw-dropping autobiography (as in TRUE STORY) of a girl's growing up in a transient, dysfunctional, bizarre family. I loved this book and just heard the author recently wrote her grandmother's story, titled "Brokeback Horses". I will purchase that book. But, sigh, I loved this book. And I find myself thinking about it all the time. 5 stars!!!

"The Joy Luck Club", hmm. It was good. It was insightful. It was well written. Yet, I was not engaged. All I could think about was Jeanette and her crazy family!!! (See entry above). Some books you get at just the right time, and it makes the read. And others, well... you get the point. I really do think this is a good book, but it just came at an unfortunate moment. Perhaps I'll give it another chance, another day. Honestly, it was an interesting book about the clashes of cultures amongst Chinese mothers and their American born, Chinese daughters; really, it was interesting. I promise. 3 1/2 stars.

And here is what I am currently reading, "The Life and Times of Michael K." Ahhh, can't go wrong with a South African story set during Apartheid. I am about a third of the way into it, and it's wonderfully written. So far, there has yet to be a book about South Africa that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Well, maybe I'm biased. Stars TBA.

5 1/2 Months

2011-07-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Banana Cake with Banana Butter Frosting

2011-07-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

So what to do with my fruit bowl full of bananas that are starting to round up fruit flies like a herd of cows? Make Banana Cake! Then peel and freeze the rest for morning smoothies.

I was thoroughly, THOROUGHLY impressed with this recipe. Ultra moist, so banana-y, and a 4th of July hit!

Banana Cake with Banana Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

cake

3/4 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup turbinado sugar (or white)

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk ---> just add 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice to milk, mix and set for 5 min

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)

frosting

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

cake

1. Preheat oven to 275 (YES, NOT a typo!!) Grease 9x13 pan.

2. Mash bananas with lemon juice in small bowl, set aside. In medium bowl, mix flours, soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir.

4. Add dry mixture alternately with buttermilk to the large bowl of butter/sugar mix and combine well. Finally, stir in mashed bananas.

5. Bake for 60 min or until toothpick comes out clean, (mine took close 80 min).

6. Immediately place in freezer for 45 min or longer, after removing from oven (!) (Makes for one amazing moist cake)

frosting

1. Cream butter until fluffy. Use hand mixer to combine banana, lemon juice and vanilla to butter.

2. Slowly add sugar. (This frosting is almost like a banana glaze)

3. Frost cooled cake.

Serve immediately with hot coffee. Or as in my case, it was for a post-fireworks gathering with friends on the patio at 10pm, so we had banana cake and ice water. :)

Finding Out Our Christmas Present

2011-06-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

The big day finally arrived this week--June 8th, the day we would get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. It was like anticipating Christmas morning, impatience for what's in that present!

Our ultrasound was just so fun! There has been tremendous change since week 7's ultrasound :) It was amazing, I could have watched all evening. We saw all the fingers and toes, watched the heartbeat just thumping away, and oh, the kicking!! Right leg, left leg, both together, and repeat! I said it was cute, and Jarod said, wait til you're about 7 months along... Im not sure you'll think the same about all that kicking. And the cutest part of all was watching the little hands reach and play with the umbilical cord. Haha. I guess, why not? Nothing else to do in there til November :)

Head, belly and arms (there's crazy kicking legs too, just not in the picture :)

Profile

We had the tech write the gender down and seal it in an envelope, and from there we went to Buca de Bepo for a celebratory dinner. So over rigatoni and meatballs, we found out we were having...

A BABY GIRL!

From the restaurant, we called my friend back in Missouri, Becca, who has a new, wonderful event planning business, to tell her the news. She had a double layer cake waiting to be filled with either pink or blue icing. She did a wonderful job! The cake was gorgeous and she had it in my brother's hands (who waited in the living room, so he couldn't see) within ten minutes.

My brother rushed off to surprise my parents at their house, as it was already 8pm, central time, and my sister in law was running out of stalling antics to keep my grandmother up past her bedtime.

Well, one fiasco later, two stop signs away from Becca's house, the cake slid under the back seat, completely removing all of the icing off the top! My poor brother turned back around to Becca's place in a state of confusion. Poor Becca came to the rescue a SECOND time and apparently fixed the cake back to unnoticable perfection.

Twenty minutes later, my brother pulls into my parents house with the surprise cake, but Dad has gone to take my GrannyAnnie home. Austin leaves the cake in the vehicle with the air-conditioner running, as it is 90 degrees outside, until my Dad arrives. FINALLY, at 9:30, Austin comes in with the cake, and announces the the surprise! Mom got to cut it and they were all were excited to see bright pink icing.

Jarod and I sat enjoying a lovely meal here in Los Angeles, while we were causing an absolute debacle back home in Missouri!! Haha, it was quite funny to hear them retell the story over the phone. Oh well. I tried to be creative for them :) Maybe they would have just preferred a call. Haha.

One Cute Onesie

2011-06-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

This came in the mail from Auntie Aimee a few weeks ago - too cute!!

Go Doyers!

2011-05-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

What I love about this picture is the little girl behind us with the binoculars... too cute :)

Jarod and I went with my mother & father in law to a Dodger's game a few weeks ago. Had so much fun!! We had GREAT seats (thank you Scott, for donating your StubHub savings! haha), GREAT Doyer Dogs (yum!), GREAT weather (of course, sunny SoCal!) and with a GREAT family (love you Scott & Judy!) Hopefully more pics to come from my mom in law's camera :)

4 Months Pregnant

2011-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

4 months pregnant, and yep, it's startin' to show.

Officially: 16 weeks and 2 days

Baby Sickler is the size of my hand this week! Whoa!

Taco Soup

2011-05-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

It has been rainy and cold (60+ degrees--everything is relative) the past three days and I was in a hot soup mood. I rummaged my "pantry" (which is really the top of my fridge), threw this together and was quite impressed with the taste. Yum! There are two packaged seasonings in the soup and I am apologizing/embarressed that they are in this recipe.. I usually cook a bit more "whole foods" style. But alas, I'm pregnant. (My new excuse for everything).

Taco Soup
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
2 cans green chilis (with juice)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Ranch dressing mix (about 7 tbs of mix)
2 1/2 cps beef broth (or water if you want)
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans
2 cans pinto beans, drained
1 can red beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Saute turkey and onion until cooked through. Add peppers and chilis, saute 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, taco & ranch seasonings.
2. Add beef broth (or water), stir in all beans and tomatoes. **I kept adding beans and tomatoes til my pot was full--feel free to do the same)
3. Salt and pepper to taste. **IF you used beef broth, I found that my seasonings were masked, so I added more cumin, paprika, garlic, onion powder and chili powder... and a few more scoops of Ranch ** Taste frequently!
4. Bring to boil, then let simmer 30 minutes.
5. Serve with shredded mexican cheese, sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips.

EASY AND DELISH! Two of my favorite words.

I'm Back to "Me" Again

2011-05-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I was beginning to wonder if I could truly handle being pregnant (although it's not like you can exactly smack the "quit" button and eject yourself off the ride). I was having some SERIOUS doubts and some serious self talks on a regular basis... Never in my life had I felt so bad for so long. Nothing was bringing relief. I tried every trick in the book, old wives tales, friend's suggestions, my doctor's advise... But the sad, bad truth was I just needed to wait it out. I remember going to bed and thinking, "Whelp, guess I'll wake up sick again tomorrow."

So from week 6 to week 15, my life looked like this:

6:30am- wake up (not take shower, since heat from hot water made for extra nauseousness in the morning)
6:35am- sip milk, while sitting on couch
6:55am- try to make self look presentable
7:30am- commute to La Puente for work, keeping heat on and windows rolled down for fresh air
8:00am- eat crackers
8:30am- see first student
9:00am- eat more crackers, see more students
12:00pm- lunch break = lying down in my car, sipping Gatorade and eating crackers
12:45pm- see more students
1:30pm- eat crackers, see students, suck on Jolly Rancher suckers
3:00pm- commute home, blasting air-conditioning with rolled down windows
3:30pm- change into sweatpants, lie on couch, eat crackers, sleep
6:00pm- talk to Jarod while still lying on couch, have another sucker
6:30pm- pysche self up for shower
7:00pm- eat more crackers, gag on prenatal vitamin, climb in bed
7:30pm- watch reruns of Simpsons and the Office on Hulu.com, while "enjoying" another Jolly Rancher sucker
9:30pm- fall asleep, with sleeve of crackers near pillow
11:00pm+ - wake up multiple times in the nite, sometimes to pee, but mostly because I was uncomfortable, hot, nauseas, hungry or cold

I bought Saltines in the large boxes from Sam's. I was hungry, yet grossed out by food. I wanted crackers (obviously), french fries, biscuits and milk. Mix in a few popsicles and suckers, and that was my healthy first trimester diet.

My doctor was not pleased with me around week 10. I was losing weight, dehydrated, tired and he even said I looked bad. Imagine that. He prescribed Zofran. I would love to say that I could pop a Zofran and I was queen bee again... but not so much. At times it helped, but most times, I couldn't even tell. My doctor said I must be on the tail end of my ~~morning~~ all day sickness. Uh huh.

Week 14 - STILL SICK! I was for sure I was one of the "few" that would be sick the entire nine months.

However, something magical happened the beginning of week 15, I woke up and did not have that bad taste in my mouth like I was going to puke! It was a miracle. I ate a normal breakfast, I showered, we went to church, I enjoyed the car ride to Newport Beach, we shopped at REI, I was up and walking about, ENJOYING LIFE! No afternoon nap for me, instead I organized my closet, washed Taiga's bedding, lysoled her kennel, vacuumed behind her kennel and febreezed the crap out of everywhere she is (I love having superhuman smelling powers)... I felt like a new woman!!

I am now on Nausea Free Day Four. Hooray! I am feeling like my old self again, cooking dinner, exercising the dog and smiling. I can honestly say I am enjoying being pregnant now, and getting excited to meet our baby.

I would like to add a plug for my husband now. That man has more patience, compassion and understanding in his little finger than I do in my whole body. I would be crying on the couch, so frustrated and self-consumed that I couldn't "do" anything helpful... and he would tell me to just lie down and rest.. and then bring me Chic-Fil-A fries and red boxes. For over two months, Jarod managed to keep our place in order, take care of all a dog's needs in the city, baby me, fix his own meals (even if I made him open all the doors and turn on the fans when he made curry stir fry- gag!!) and make A's on all his assignments. How did he do that? He's just that incredible. And well, he did say that he did get me into this mess and being responsible, he would assist as much as possible :)

14th week

2011-05-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

First Pregnancy Photo

What's funny is that when I stepped on the patio, the dog ran out with me and sat right down. Apparently, she wanted in the picture too. Silly girl.

Well, I am into my 2nd trimester already! What?! And, unfortunately, still feeling not the greatest. I am praying that I am not the exception when it comes to feeling better in the later months.

Friends from Wyoming

2011-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

We had a fun visit from our friends, the Schultz's on Sunday. Highlights of our time together included a little lunch at In-N-Out, Santa Monica pier and beach, cruise through Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and dinner in ChinaTown. Thanks for the visit Clayton and Molly! Looking forward to dinner and dessert on Wednesday with ya'll.

Baby Sickler

2011-04-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Baby Sickler

Ultrasound picture taken: March 21, 2011 at 7 weeks, 1 day

Heartbeat: 145 beats p/ minute

Size: 1cm

Due Date: November 6th, 2011

I did it!

2011-03-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas this afternoon, all unabridged 1,462 pages. Phew! What an accomplishment! I think it took me about two months, not exactly record speed. But I am feeling good about being on track with one of my New Year's Resolutions, reading more classics. The Count of Monte Cristo was definitely my "classics" start with a big bang.

The first 350 pages are riveting-- getting all caught up in the middle of an exceptional jail break story..

But then, there is a dramatic change starting in Chapter 31, "Italy: Sinbad the Sailor." A whole new cast of characters appear on the scene, each with a half a dozen back stories.. and well, this reader was a bit lost. I should have paid a bit more attention to these lines at the end of Chapter 30, "The Fifth of September":

"And now," said the unknown, "farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been Heaven's substitute to recompense the good- now the God of Vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!"

Around page 500, I was seriously doubting my ability to continue another thousand pages to the finish. But my friends encouraged me. Luckily, around page 800, the story again gained steam. At a dinner party scene, the various characters and back stories began overlapping and explaining each other.. and I kept muttering, "oh! aha! yes!" And I was glad I had stuck things out.

All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with Dumas' story telling ability. He wove a web of characters, plot lines and French history... successfully culminating into a satisfying ending of righted wrongs, lovers reunited, vengeance delivered and hope restored. I like these endings!!

If you read this book, I encourage you to
1]keep the dictionary app on your phone open the whole time!
2]find a list of characters online and tape it to the inside of your book cover
3]download the movie to your iTunes and watch it AFTER you finish the book

So to Edmond Dantes, Sinbad the Sailor, Lord Wilmore, Abbe Busoni and the Count of Monte Cristo, thank you for entertaining me (and growing my vocabulary) the past two months.

Secret Ingredient Mashed Potatoes

2011-03-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

A sneaky way to slip in vegetables.. and I get compliments about having the "best mashed potatoes" quite often... and they never know!!!

Secret Ingredient Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs+ potatoes, washed and chunked (peeled if desired)
1/2 head of cauliflower, washed and chunked
salt, to taste
4-5 Tbs+ butter
2/3 cup+ milk
1 tsp+ granulated garlic, to taste

Directions:
1. Place potatoes and cauliflower {I like to keep the ratio 2/3 potatoes to1/3 cauliflower} in large pot of boiling water. Boil 25-30 minutes, until very tender.
2. Drain water. Add milk, butter, salt and garlic. Blend with hand mixer. Adjust amount of ingredients accordingly to taste :)
3. Add any other fun condiments found in your fridge, {i.e., ranch dressing, sour cream, cheese, parsley, etc.}
4. Serve hot!

Step 1: Wash and chunk veggies.

Step 1 con't: Add veggies to boiling water.

Artichoke Florentine Dip

2011-03-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, the rich and creamy cravings continue. I feel a bit more guilt about this recipe than the Manicotti Florentine, even if I try to tell myself that it has spinach in it...

Artichoke Florentine Dip
1 cup+ fresh spinach, chopped
3/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup mayonaise (I like the kind made from olive oil)
8 oz package cream cheese
3/4 cup fresh parmesan, grated
3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (IF you like it spicy!)
a shake or two of black pepper for fun

Directions:
1. In medium bowl, cream mayo and cream cheese together with a fork. Stir in parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, lemon juice and spices.
2. Fold in spinach and artichokes.
3. Press into greased 8x8 dish. Bake covered 20 minutes at 375. Bake uncovered additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown. *If everything is cold, (i.e. coming out of fridge) may need to bake 25 minutes first.

Serve warm with blue corn tortilla chips or warm bread.

Manicotti Florentine

2011-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Serious craving for rich Italian food these days. This recipe hit the spot without too much guilt.

Manicotti Florentine
1 1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup+ mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce (Classico Traditional Sweet Basil for me :)
1 package manicotti pasta (16 or so shells), uncooked

Directions:
1. Mix spinach, mushrooms, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and salt & pepper in medium bowl.
2. Spread 1 or 2 cups pasta sauce on bottom of 9x13 dish.
3. Fill shells with cheese & veg mixture.
4. Place in dish. Cover with more pasta sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake covered 50 min at 375. Remove cover for additional 10 minutes.

Serve with Greek Salad.

Polenta Lasagna

2011-03-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is one of my "go-to recipes". One of the "old fall backs". One of the ones I always try to have everything on hand for, in case I need to whip up a quick and easy dinner. As a bonus, this is recipe is Gluten Free and easily Vegetarian.

Polenta Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 package polenta, sliced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
4 cups (?) mozzarella cheese
veggies! [whatever is in your pantry and fridge!] tonight I used about a handful of each:
purple onion, chunked
broccoli, chunked
carrots, chopped
olives, halved
mushrooms, sliced
*sausage [I've cooked it on stovetop before hand OR I just slice precooked chicken sausage links]

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Chop all veggies. Slice polenta.
3. Layer in baking dish: polenta, spread a layer of spaghetti sauce on top of the polenta, a smattering of veggies (and sausage, if you choose), half of the cheese. Repeat!
4. Bake covered, for 45-50 minutes. Remove covering last 10-15 minutes. Let stand for 5-10min before serving.

Notes:
*Obviously don't include the sausage if you intend to make it vegetarian.
*Because of the water in the fresh veggies, there will be liquid in the bottom of the pan. Use slotted spoon to serve.
*Other vegetables that turn out well are squash, zucchini, peppers and spinach.
*Polenta can be hard to track down. I have found it at Trader Joe's and ethnic sections of the grocery store.
*Serve with warm bread dipped in olive oil and black pepper.

Step 3: Layering.

Step 3: Starting the 2nd layer with sliced polenta.

Health Nut Muffins

2011-03-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Health Nut Muffins
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
3/4 cup flax seed meal
5 ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease large muffin tin or loaf pan.
2. In large bowl, mix sugar, flax seed, bananas, milk, yogurt and eggs. In separate medium bowl, combine, flour, soda, salt and spices. Gently stir dry mix into wet.
3. Bake 50 minutes. Serve warm with black coffee.

Pad See Ew

2011-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

WOAH! This recipe is amazing, as in ahh-may-zing! My friend, Lani, whipped this up at her house last week and it was better than any Thai Restaurant Pad See Ew I have ever tasted. She gave me the recipe and I couldn't even wait a full week to make it for my little family. It was a 100% hit tonight.

Lani's Pad See Ew
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs peanut butter (nutty or creamy)
1/2 cup lime juice
3 garlic gloves, minced
2 tsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 tsp dry ground ginger)
2 Tbs light brown sugar
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup cucumber, cut into matchstick size
1 med carrot, grated
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 oz rice noodles, prepared as directed on package

Directions:
1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, both sides. Saute in skillet until thoroughly cooked. Shred. Set aside.
2. While chicken is cooking, prepare rice noodles (usually cooking in boiling water 3-5 min., then rinsed with cold water).
3. Whisk together oil, fish & soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, garlic, ginger, sugar and pepper flakes in medium bowl. Stir in onion, carrot and cilantro.
4. In large bowl, stir together noodles, chicken and sauce. Serve room temperature or hot. Top with hot chili sauce for added kick.

Serves 4, large helpings.

Megs & Me in LA

2011-02-26T23:08:00.000-08:00

Precisely one week ago, at 10:40pm on a Saturday night, I was laughing with Megan over a ridiculous 80's dance movie... on my couch... in my little apartment.. here in LA! How I wish it was that same last weekend again!

My forever friend, Megan, flew into So Cal for a long weekend getaway. And it was so wonderful! The time went by too fast, but we soaked up every moment.

A visit to the OC, and of course, Seed: The People's Market.

At Seed, they've opened up a new drink shop, called "Milk & Honey". I had a dirty lavender latte.. quite lovely.

Admired this lovely pillow inside Seed.

Since the last time Megan came to LA, she has been jonesin' for Sprinkle's Cupcakes.

We indulged.

Look at how excited she is about these!

Sunday Brunch in Santa Monica at my most favorite French bakery, Le Pain Quotidien.

One tiny, scrumptious, lemon tart.

Did we do more than eat over the weekend? Ha.

Yes, of course we did. Strolled the Promenade and the Pier in Santa Monica, cruised the PCH, visited my church in Anaheim, went on a few neighborhood walks with Taiga, Trader Joe's, Penzey Spice Shoppe, and introduced Megan to our friends, the Huffmans.

Santa Monica Pier, CALI

Thanks for coming all the way out here, Megan! It was such a treat and look forward to many more good times ahead :)

Smoothies

2011-02-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Sunrise Zinger
1 small banana
1/2+ plain yogurt
whole cranberries (big handful) or 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice blend
baby carrots (big handful)
2 stalks celery
2-3 mandarines (Cuties, etc.) or 1 orange
ice cubes

Blueberry Delight
1 small banana
1/2+ plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup whole blueberries
raw almonds (handful)
ice cubes

Green Machine
2 large kale leaves
1 banana
honey
1/3 cup unsweetened cranberry juice blend
ice cubes

Pear Bliss
1 small banana
1/2 cup+ plain yogurt
1 pear
1/2 apple
1/3 cup unsweetened cranberry juice blend
ice cubes

Strawberry Dreams
1 small banana
1/2 cup+ plain yogurt
2 big handfuls strawberries
1/3 cup orange juice
ice cubes

Vita-Meta-Vega-Mine
2 kale leaf
1 large carrot
1/2 apple
1 big handful of red grapes
1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice blend or orange juice
couple of big lime squeezes
ice cubes

These are so yummy! I have been on a sincere smoothie kick for two months now. And by jumpstarting my day with fruits and veggies, I seem to make better food choices all day long. And, have I mentioned how tasty these are?! YUM.

On a side note, the yogurt is not a necessary ingredient for any of these smoothies. I prefer a creamier smoothie, so the smoothies without yogurt will just be a bit more "juice like".. and if you keep the banana, it still has a nice consistency. But of course, have fun and mix up your style!

{NON PROCESSED} Cheese & Broccoli Soup

2011-01-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

Aka.. no Velveeta in this soup. **

Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chunked
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
3 Tbs cornstarch
4 cups fresh broccoli, chunked in large pieces
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped small in food processor
2 cups half-n-half
2 cups water
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
dash of sea salt
dash of garlic powder
1-2 tsp of fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Saute onion and mushrooms in melted butter in large pot. {Saute just a few minutes!}
2. Add chicken broth and 1 cup water. Bring to boil.
3. Measure cornstarch in separate bowl. Add a little broth to cornstarch, whisk together.
4. Slowly add into pot. Stir in broccoli and carrots. Simmer until veggies are tender {(5 min) - no mushy broccoli! Blek}
5. Add half-n-half, 2 cups water, and cheese. Stir in spices. Keep stirring until all cheese has melted. {Do not boil!}
6. Serve with hearty whole grain or rye bread {or croutons, like me}. Serves 8.

**A little note about this soup: It is wonderfully fabulous immediately after preparing. However, reheating this soup multiple times for leftovers, makes for soft broccoli and the cheese has difficulty congealing again. I recommend finishing the pot on the first go! :)

Day Five Solo

2011-01-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Jarod has been gone for five days... and I am so ready for my husband to be home now. AND he still has four more days of his trip before he's back in California with me. Lame.

Tonight, I did all the things that usually happen on Friday evenings. Things like walking the dog around the neighborhood, cooking a new recipe for dinner, watching the Office on hulu.com, tidying up the house... but it's just 100% lame when I'm by myself. I'm pretty lonely for him. I've had a few friends call and ask to hang out tonight, but I'm just being mopey. I miss my Jarod.

AND THEN, just a few minutes ago, in the depth of my misery, he emailed me this photo!!

WHAT?!?! Apparently, when he was doing this:

and this:

That would be ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado...

a piece of ice fell and sliced his face.

Aye-yie-yie!

Can you see the ice in his beard?! Goodness. Tomorrow they are doing the big, last, final hoorah in Telluride, Colorado: Bridal Veil Falls. Let's hope there's no more bloody faces.

Crispy Baked Chicken

2011-01-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Whelp. I haven't been in the kitchen very much. Dinners have been uneventful salads for most of January. Breakfasts are smoothies in the VitaMix. And lunch consists of an apple and a LARABAR. While this does keep my kitchen clean, it doesn't make for fun food blogs. Boring.

HOWEVER, I did cook ONE dish this month: Crispy Baked Chicken. It was pretty tasty. Jarod gave it two thumbs up.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 pounds chicken, cut up (I had 4 big thighs on hand and cut those into strips OR you could cut up a broiler-fryer chicken)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:
Combine the first six ingredients. Dip chicken in milk, then roll in the cornmeal mixture. Place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until juices run clear.

This is a pretty easy recipe to whip together. I served the chicken with Sauteed Yellow Squash and Sweet Potato Fries. (picture of fries coming soon :)

Snaps of the Eastern Sierras

2011-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

Snap shots from the base of Mt. Whitney

Lone Pine, California

Just a bit north is Manzanar Internment Camp. We toured the Memorial.

Jarod & Whitney

2011-01-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

Mt. Whitney, that is.

Over the weekend, Jarod summited the tallest peak in the lower 48! (Thats 14,505 ft--and in the middle of JANUARY, of all months to choose) Although mountaineering isn't exactly Jarod's forte... and by that, I mean, he tells me it's not challenging enough for him (what?!?!) Ha. He says, "You basically just have to keep walking, Brooke." WELL, I am still impressed and I know he had a good time. And, some of these photos are a bit more precarious that just "walking". My crazy husband, he has one deep, "need for high-risk" cup.

These photos were taken by Andrew Summerset. He is a friend of Jarod's who is climbing multiple 14-ers across the nation, and who invited Jarod on this trip.

A little photo recap of his trip last weekend:

Mt. Whitney is the large peak on the right.

They camped up there two nights. Remember the fab yellow tent? :)

I would like to call to everyone's attention that Jarod does not have an ice axe (necessary for all mountaineering trips). What he does have (and is using) is a tent pole found en route. Hmm. Safe. What?!?!

I love these views of the Eastern Sierras.

Summit!

IKEA in Action

2011-01-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of my new IKEA shelves, hangers, clocks, tea towels and book cases in my apartment.. they are finally on the wall!! For a closer look, click the picture.

For fun photos like these, go here to download! It's a fun, free app for your iPhone.

Sam's Throne, Arkansas

2011-01-13T18:18:00.000-08:00

During our visit home, we set aside time for a day trip to Sam's Throne in Northwest Arkansas to do some climbing. This year, my brother and sister-in-law got to come with my parents and us. It was so fun to have them along!

Of course, we brought the dogs too...

and those wild things loved it!

Crazily enough, Austin had NEVER been climbing. Here he is on his first route!

Then Amy took her turn for her first send as well.

(Side note - gotta love that BLUE sky!)

Nice job.

Of course Jarod's laps up and down Windy Arm Buster. Where's ~~Waldo~~ Jarod?

Sam's is just too gorgeous.

The overlook is incredible from the top of the ridge.

I like that Amy and I have matching Marmot down jackets :)

Aww, Mom and Dad.

This is Jarod and I from our day trip in 2009.

And this is Jarod and I from the recent trip in 2010.

Aww, Sam's. You make us so happy.

Highlights from Christmas in the Ozarks

2011-01-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

I got to have great, face to face time with two of my close friends, Megan & Becca.

My sweet mother-in-~~law~~love & father-in-~~law~~love took us on the annual trip to Silver Dollar City to see the Christmas lights.

This picture of the Garrett family (my sister-in-law) cracks me up! I pull out my camera, and simultaneously, the boys hide and the parents smile. I can't help but laugh. Too cute!

Sippin' that wassail!

Me & the Hubs.

Mr. & Mrs. GingerBread

We are rarely cheesy, I promise :)

Colby & his Durwood

And just a few days later, Colby lost his FIRST TOOTH at dinner!

Spicy Potato Sausage Soup

2011-01-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Resolutions list is very long. And I am excited about every single item on that long list. As I have inspected my list over the past few days, I realized that I am adding lots to my life. So, in order to be successful with my resolutions, something has to give - meaning I am giving up and taking out of my life a few things, in order to make room for the new.

The first thing to go: BAKING. Sad? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely. I weighed the pros and cons of my baking love, and the bake shop came up lacking. So, it's outta here. As fun and relaxing as baking is for me, it left my kitchen in a heap of a mess and too many extra calories hovering on my counter tops.

So as a fair compromise, I am taking on COOKING. Isn't that nearly the same thing? Not at all. Cooking is a whole different world. Cooking with whole foods is nutritious and challenging. I had been slacking off in the dinner department. But no more. We must have dinner and there is no MUST for dessert and other baked items.

So, yesterday, I scoped the pantry and the fridge and assembled this recipe for a cold, rainy day soup.

Spicy Potato Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped in 1/2 in. pieces
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, whole
12 oz sausage, medium spice
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs butter
4 Tbs flour
5 cups milk
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups white corn
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs chicken soup base
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Place potatoes, carrots, celery and all garlic in large pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15-18 minutes. Drain carefully (not letting chopped garlic escape!) Place about 3-4 cups in separate bowl and mash with fork. Place remaining cooked veggies in another bowl.
2. While veggies are simmering, cook sausage and onion together in frying pan, until sausage is no longer pink and onions have browned. Set aside.
3. In original large pot, melt butter. Add flour and stir together well. Slowly add milk and water. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Whisk in soup base and dissolve while boiling. Add spices. Whisk in mashed veggies. Stir in onion & sausage mixture and corn. Slowly add remaining cooked vegetables. Heat thoroughly. Serve with hearty bread.

Back Home and Back on the Grid

2011-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

I took 17 days off from all things that plug in, charge or in some fashion, half-heartedly connect me with people. And it was a nice break. No Facebook, no phone, no status updates, no blog posting, no email, no tweets, nothing. And during those 17 days free of electronics, I relished true, face to face time with the people I love and care about. It was a perfect way to end the 2010 year.

Now... ring in 2011 and here I am, laptop in hand.. Ha.

So during those 17 days, Jarod and I traveled back to our hometowns in Missouri and Oklahoma. We hopped in the car December 16th and 31 hours later (I-40 closed down somewhere around Albuquerque, New Mexico and we were delayed a few hours by snow and ice) we were sitting on my parent's couch. Then it was a whirlwind of multiple Christmases, lunch dates with friends, dinners and games with family, Holiday movies, shopping, and lots and lots of food.

On the trek home, we took our time, meeting up with friends from OKC and caravan-ing west together, and sharing a hotel on the Arizona border. All of which made today (our first day back in LA) not feel like we are in a sleep deprived, hazy jet lag; also meaning less recovery time from the vacation!

I can also say after 16 nights in other beds, I had some wonderful sleep with my own pillows and blankets last night. It was a great Christmas Vacation with our family and friends, but I am so glad to be back at home in Southern California!

New Year's Resolutions.. a Bit Early

2010-12-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

Just kidding.

Actually, I am on the far, far other side. I can always think of at least 30 things that I want to change/improve/alter in my life.

I have New Year's on the brain because this week, I am meeting with all of my students one last time before the Christmas Break. And I have been discussing their resolutions with them. So, inevitably, I start thinking, "Well if I am asking THEM to do it, I ought to take my own advice..."

SO - While we still have a couple of weeks before the big New Year's Day, it's not too early to start thinking of some ideas for 2011. I have just a couple on my list so far, {including: Read "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Anne of Greene Gables"; start Taiga's classes towards a certified Therapy dog; and complete one Beth Moore Bible Study.} I'll be sharing the rest closer to the Big Day.

But I am curious to know what's on your upcoming resolution list? I love being inspired by other people's ideas.

Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies

2010-12-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

What could be better than baking on a warm, sunny Saturday morning? Baking with a friend on a warm, sunny Saturday morning.

My dear friend, Heather arrived at 9:30am at my gate, holding a big red bowl of cookie cutters. Together, we conquered dozens of Sugar Cookies and Mint Chocolate Crinkles.

First the laborious task of Sugar Cookies- Mixing the dough, running to Albertson's when you realize you left your baking powder and almond extract in Utah, chilling the dough, understanding and using the role of parchment paper correctly and effectively, adding the proper amount of flour to avoid stickiness, and also avoiding overworked dough, etc., etc. Needless to say, a big task. But, one that is aided with Egg Nog, also from mid morning run to Albertson's, and laughs from a friend.

Sugar Cookies

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups shortening

3 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 small carton sour cream (8oz)

5 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

1. Blend sugar and shortening until there are no lumps. Stir in eggs individually. Add extracts. Gently fold in sour cream.

2. Combine dry ingredients.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate 2-3 hours, or place in freezer 30-45 minutes.

5. Work only 2 cups of dough at a time to keep stiff and workable. Keep remaining dough in fridge. Generously coat with flour while rolling out dough, also roll dough between parchment paper to minimize sticking.

5. Bake 6-8 min. at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheets. Remove from oven before edges are light brown.

6. Allow complete cooling before frosting. Can be frozen until desired frosting date.

Now onto Mint Chocolate Crinkles. Relatively easy compared to the multi steps of Sugar Cookie-ing.

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp mint extract

2 tsp vanilla extracts.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

powdered sugar

1. Stir together cocoa, sugar & oil. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in extracts.

2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add dry mix to wet and mix thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate dough 2-4 hours or place in freezer 45 minutes.

5. Roll dough into 1 in balls, coat thoroughly in powdered sugar and place several inches apart on baking sheet. (My cookies weren't spreading as nicely as I wanted, so smashed balls with a spoon before placing in oven.)

6. Bake 10-12min at 350 degrees. Let cookies set a few minutes on pan before removing to cool.

Recent Book Fails

2010-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Swing... and a miss! Swing... and another miss! This has seriously been my luck with books recently. Striking out! Apparently my internal-book-picker is off, very off. Here are my recent misses:

Most recently, (just finished this last weekend):

I suppose... with a title like "Wicked", you should expect a dark book. And, quite dumbly, I was caught off guard by it's darkness. I was actually grossed out a bit in a few parts. BUT, what most irked me in this book (and I had similar feelings regarding "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand) was, that it is really a Philosophy book, cleverly disguised as a novel. I'm all for Philosophy books, and I have to be, my husband is one of those Philosophers, BUT please don't try to package that in a story form! When I opened this book, I wanted a story, a story from Oz. But really it was a debate on the nature of evil. And this book was filled with animal rights agendas and just entirely too political for me. Hmph. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Ball 2:

A classic!, I had heard. Every person should read this book!, I had also heard. Life changing! Translated in hundreds of languages! Read by millions! Whelp, personally, I was bored. I am just not a fantasy, mystical-ly kind of girl. I had a hard time not laughing at this boy's encounters with the sun and the wind and desert and his sheep. All his dreams and destiny, bleh. It seems, if anything, this story would best be told outloud, at night, around a campfire, by an Indian smoking a pipe or by an African with a thick accent. THEN, I might buy into it. But for now, I'm just not drinkin' Coelho's kool-aid.

Does anyone have a good book they could toss my way?

Zion National Park for Thanksgiving {Part 4}

2010-11-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

A Hawaiian Thanksgiving

And this is just a funny picture of my dog wearing socks.

Zion National Park for Thanksgiving {Part 3}

2010-11-30T22:45:00.000-08:00

Zion with snow is simply breath taking.

Zion National Park for Thanksgiving {Part 2}

2010-11-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hanging out.. outside.

Zion National Park for Thanksgiving {Part 1}

2010-11-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hanging out... inside.

Approximately 30 Hours Til...

2010-11-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

We'll be in Zion National Park for the week of Thanksgiving!

8in of fresh snow falling there now, with more snowfall expected tomorrow evening. I can't wait! Zion is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I am so excited to be there again.

Daydreaming at my desk for now.

A Special Delivery

2010-11-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, from our home to theirs.

Make a food basket for a family who could use a little help in your community for the Holidays. It's worth it.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

The Hardees Visit San Diego

2010-11-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Our long time college pals, Zach & Kerrie Hardee were in town for the weekend in San Diego... so of course we met up and had dinner and drinks in Little Italy. You know you're great friends when you haven't seen each other in over a year and can pick up like we it's been no time at all. I'm so thankful for the Hardee's.

Zach and Kerrie are an amazing couple and that evening together inspired me in my own marriage. Zach is going through Special Forces training for the Air Force (he was in San Diego for 3 weeks completing his Halo Training, not for Xbox, but High-Altitude-Low-Opening, which is exiting planes at 25,000 ft with oxygen -whoa!) Anyway, they have had to live apart 23 months during the extent of his training, and with several other long absences in the future, due to his more than likely deployment. YET, their marriage is as strong as ever. This is Zach's dream, and Kerrie supports him. End of story.

She keeps herself busy in Kansas City with a live-in nanny position while he is state-hopping, working on his different certifications and requirements. She flies to him every other weekend. What a commitment! But their love to each other, despite miles in between is completely evident. It inspires me to work harder at my marriage and to be a better wife for Jarod, knowing their story in light of my own.

On a happy note, at Christmas, Kerrie will join Zach in St. Augustine, Florida, where they will live TOGETHER while he is stationed at the nearby base. Love you two!

Saturday Morning Painting

2010-11-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, I was asked to lead another painting class for a group of women on a Saturday morning. They saw my pictures of the Talbot Wives Sip-n-Stroke event through mutual friends on Facebook and contacted me! How great is that Web?! I got some inspiration from this idea of pattern painting.. and the girls loved it. What a wonderful Saturday morning.

Halloween at DisneyLand

2010-11-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

Going to DisneyLand with ~~the Huffman kids~~ Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell & a Zombie is a whole new experience... a whole new MAGICAL experience. I mean, look at Minnie's face....

Ms. Mouse, Tink & a pretty scary Zombie in their prime:

It's A Small World After All, I mean for real..

Minnie & Tink baking a cake in Ms. Mouse's kitchen

I honestly get a wee bit nauseous just looking at this ride.

I love me some Huffmans.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

2010-11-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

I made this cake earlier this month - wow. It was like pumpkin pie without crust. I don't own loaf pans, (I have no idea how and why I don't own loaf pans, but anyway...) I just dumped all the batter in my angel food cake pan. And it turned out LOVELY.. And, I also added 1/2 cup walnuts. This cake was super quick (10 minutes max prep time) and amazingly delicious (five stars).

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup water

Directions

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely.

Girls Weekend in Dallas

2010-11-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

What a FABULOUS time with the girls in Dallas Texas this past weekend. I had a nice, four day weekend (thank you, Veterans) holiday, and took advantage of a break from Los Angeles and some quality time with my best-ies.

It seems to have become a yearly tradition of reuniting with my college roommates in the fall (Dallas '08, LA '09, Dallas '10)... It is always, ALWAYS wonderful and this year did not fail to disappoint. It was four days and four nites of shopping, chatting, consoling babies, watching movies, crying, laughing, reminiscing, cooking and many, many, many hugs.

These girls have been through thick and thin with me. I can not express how their friendship has affected and formed me into a better woman.

I love you, 2WL!!
AND... added bonus to THIS Girls Weekend 2010 -Life-long pal of mine, sister of Megan and family friend of Barbie --- SARA CLARK! Yay, Sara! It was so great to have you and Baby Jeriah to help celebrate friendship this past weekend.

A Blast from the Past:

{Summer 2005}

{St Patty's Day 2006}

{Baywatch 2004}

{Ashcroft Roomies 2WL 2003}

{Lake Day 2003}

{Barbie's Wedding 2005}

{Summer 2007}

{Megan's Wedding 2007}

{My Wedding 2008}

{Summer 2008}

{Girls Weekend 2009}

{Girls Weekend 2008}

If you're wondering where the pics are from Girls Weekend 2010 - whelp, with all of the happenings mentioned above, the one thing that did NOT happen was photographs!! Shame on us! We were just so busy enjoying, enjoying, enjoying, that we didnt shoot a single shot.. Good grief. Just have to run on memories til Girls Weekend 2011. Until then, I LOVE YOU GIRLS!

If you want your home to smell like Christmas...

2010-11-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

...you must bake this! This is Crustless Cranberry Pie. Wow. This dessert is 50 minutes from start to cooling on your counter. Just add, mix, pour and bake. Enjoy, enjoy. This is possibly the best Cranberry treat I've tasted.

Crustless Cranberry Pie
1 cp flour
1 cp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp+ cinnamon
1/2 tsp+ cloves
2 cups whole fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cp chopped walnuts
1/2 cp melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract

1]Set oven to 350 degrees and grease 9'' pie plate.
2]Mix together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon & cloves.
3]Stir in cranberries & walnuts til coated. Then add butter, eggs & almond extract. Mix well. (Batter is thick!)
4]Pour into pie plate.
5]Bake 40 min or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Great warm or chilled... excellent with coffee... and even yummier with vanilla bean ice cream.

My Pomegranate Tree

2010-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

There is a lovely, fenced in, neighborhood park about a mile and a half up from our place on Citrus Drive. I walk Taiga there on days I don't feel like socializing at the dog park. Monday was one of those days.

I noticed the bushy tree on the left (above tiny Taiga in the park picture) was bulging with some large, reddish-pink orbs.

I inspected a bit closer, getting my shoes muddy (we had had some rain).

This fruit looked familiar, but then again, there are so many sphere-fruit producing trees in southern California, that I thought this was just another "ornamental" fruit tree.

But my curiosity got the best of me, and I picked it.

Then I pulled off part of the skin shell.

Pomegranates!! What?! At my little neighborhood park?!

I tasted the seeds.

Mmm. Pomegranate sweetness.

I am pretty unfamiliar with the pomegranate fruit. But after sampling this one at the park, it's almost like corn kernels. Inside the pomegranate kernel, is the juice and a tiny white pit, which you have to spit out.

It's a good fruit for park eating. Lots of places to spit pits.

Then, on the walk home, I noticed these over the wall by the side walk.

Where do I live, the Garden of Eden?!?!?

Dad's 50th Birthday

2010-10-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Photos from Dad's Surprise 50th Birthday party:

*Photos courtesy of Austin Kelley & Cathy Thompson

Yosemite

2010-10-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was thoroughly disappointed when I realized, about 4 hours into our trek to Yosemite National Park, that I LEFT MY CAMERA! Major bummer. Then, while dropping the guys off to climb El Cap this morning, I remembered my new space phone has a decent camera feature on it... so I was totally "that girl" and taking pics with my iPhone. Lame. HOWEVER, I dropped the guys off at 6am, then watched the sunrise in the Valley. It was a gorgeous morning indeed.

Apple Cake

2010-10-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Cake :
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup oil
-2 cup sugar
-1 t. vanilla
Mix all. Then add:
-2 cups flour
-1/4 t. salt
-1 t. soda
-2 t. cinnamon
Mix. Gently stir apples & nuts til well coated:
-4 large (or 6 small) apples peeled & sliced thin
-1 cup pecans (chop)
Place in a greased, floured 9x13 pan.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then at 325 for 30 minutes

Icing: (the best part) **
-8 oz. cream cheese softened
-1/4 cup cutter softened
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 t. vanilla
Stir. Then frost your cooled apple cake. Enjoy.
**The icing is the same for these Jenny B's Pumpkin Cookies. The cookie icing will frost both recipes. Why not bake both?

Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Kemp

A Pet Peeve...

2010-10-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have a major pet peeve about drinking hot coffee out of plastic or styrofoam or paper or especially the metally material that makes up most to-go mugs. All was lost regarding this pet peeve and I was forced to flench everytime I swallowed coffee on the go... UNTIL YESTERDAY. While grocery shopping at the local Sam's Club, I saw a wonderfully gift wrapped package of Starbucks holiday treats (bonus, but not the main event) which included a to-go CERAMIC mug (main event)!! This is absolutely genius. Doubled walled, (so as to not burn your hand), no handle (love the shape) and a removable plastic top to avoid spilling on the morning commute, but while at work, a wonderful porcelain experience for the mouth. I'm in heaven.

A Typical Night with the Huffmans..

2010-10-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

We talk.

We play cards.

We talk some more.

Then we put Jarod inside the Sprite bottle. *Photo courtesy of D. Huffman

Suicide Rock- Idyllwild CA

2010-10-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

My family (Jarod, Taiga and myself) was hard pressed for some time in the outdoors this weekend... We found ourselves this morning at Suicide Rock with warm sunshine, a cool breeze and beautiful blue skies.

A lovely view of Tahquitz across the valley

Ropin' up for some aid climbing

A bit of a drop off...

Aiding's a slow process.. so much so, that I had time to take these photos while I was belaying.. shhhh.

I was even getting artsy.

This sky...

This shadow is amazing on the rock.

I love my little mutt.

Sips-n-Strokes

2010-10-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

My Talbot Wives group hosted a "Sips-N-Strokes" {coffee/brunch & painting} event yesterday morning.. The event, as most events can be, was a bit "taxing" during the preparation period. BUT, it was all pulled off wonderfully! We had several women show up for an Autumn Brunch & Painting Class. And, from the looks of everyone's good time... we will have "Sips-N-Strokes" Round II in February.