Christmas Candies Part Three: Peppermint Oreo White Chocolate Truffles

Friends,

I stumbled upon a recipe that called for Oreos and cream cheese. I decided to put my own twist on it and add peppermint to it! (I had some leftover from my peppermint bark).

I didn't follow the recipe AT ALL. I just threw in some cream cheese and Oreos and went to town on it. Big mistake.

To begin with, I used two reams of Oreos and two packages of cream cheese. I ended up using a third ream of Oreo's (although it could have used a fourth for texture!) and still had a sticky paste of a mixture. It looked more like icing than anything. Here's proof!

I added another package of blended Oreos. I attempted to add a bit of powdered sugar to it to thicken it up. No luck. On the bright side, it tasted like Thin Mints!

I ended up chilling the "icing" in the freezer for about an hour. I pulled it out and rolled it into small balls and froze them again. It was quite messy!

I pulled the balls out (I froze them overnight but they were still very mushy, but still worked!) and rolled them around in some white chocolate almond bark.

I popped them in the freezer again and they are DIVINE! My husband and father in law keep sneaking some!

The white chocolate was an afterthought, but it was the only way the balls would be even CLOSE to edible at room temperature.

Here's the "recipe" if you want to try them out!

Peppermint Oreo White Chocolate Truffles

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (room temperature)
2 reams (about 30 cookies) of Oreos
1/2 cup Peppermint (candy canes) blended into a powder (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (added for texture and thickness, also optional)
White chocolate almond bark

1. In a blender, crush and mix cookies into a powder.
2. In a bowl, mix Oreo powder with peppermint powder and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar if necessary.
3. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Roll into small balls.
5. Chill for 1 hour.
6. Melt white chocolate almond bark gradually in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
7. With two spoons, roll truffles around in white chocolate.
8. Lay on wax paper and chill.

Christmas Candies Part Two: Peppermint Bark

I have an entire LIST my mom and I created of all the yummy sweets and naughty treats we can make this Christmas! This is going to be a short (haha...not) series of sweets and recipes I will post! There's just something about Christmas and candies that makes me squeal with excitement!

Peppermint Bark! 

There are two versions of this bark made with white and dark chocolates. This is definitely the simplest candy recipe I have! Two ingredients can't be beat!

I used chocolate chips for the dark and almond bark (baker's chocolate) for the white. Any harder chocolate will work with this recipe.

All you need is chocolate and candy canes!

You'll notice there aren't any measurements for this recipe, but I'll give you a rough estimate of what I used:

12 candy canes

4-6 blocks of chocolate

Depending on how you like your bark, the ratio of peppermint to chocolate doesn't really matter. You can't mess this recipe up!

1. Blend up unwrapped candy canes to a fine powder. (I just used my blender!)

2. Melt chocolate gradually in microwave and stirring every 30 seconds.

3. Roll out wax paper.

4. Mix together peppermint powder and chocolate.

5. Spread mixture over wax paper and let cool.

6. Once solid, break into uneven pieces.

While it was cooling, I sprinkled the peppermint powder on top of the chocolate. It adds an extra garnish to the chocolate!

Christmas Candies Part One: Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! Not only is it a time of family, and reflection, and thanksgiving, but also time for...

SWEETS!

I'll show you the step by step guide to Buckeyes!

Recipes yields approximately 50 balls.

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter

½ cup butter (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups crisp rice cereal [optional]

2 ½ cups sifted* powdered sugar

6 ounces chocolate chips

Toothpicks (for assembly, not to eat! ;) )

*I doubled this recipe. After sifting half of the powdered sugar, I gave up! They turned out fine, so don't worry about sifting! Also, some use 4 cups of sugar, but I used about 2-2.5. I would recommend starting with 2 and adding more to get the crumbling texture you'd like!

Directions:

1. Crush crisp rice cereal into a powder.

2. Beat together butter, peanut butter, and vanilla.

3. Mix in powdered sugar and rice cereal a little at a time. (You may have to use your hands at this point. It gets rather thick!)
4. Mix until a fine crumble starts to form.
5. Roll up into bite size balls. Balls should be firm. If not, chill for 30 minutes.
6. Melt chocolate in microwave. I used chocolate chips. Melt 30 seconds at a time and stir so you don't burn or overheat the chocolate.
7. Roll out wax paper.
8. Poke the ball with a toothpick and roll in chocolate halfway, like in the pictures.
9. Chill and enjoy!

These bad boys are always a hit! For prepping, chilling them may be necessary, but I think they taste better at room temperature. I serve them in little paper wrappers.

Enjoy!

Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Boy do I have something delicious to share with you! Here in Utah, Fall is awesome. It's never long enough, though, so I always have to squeeze in every single pumpkin-halloween-thanksgiving-candy-sweet-spooky-fally thing I know of into the month of October. Luckily, the snow has been kind to us this year (knock on wood!) and hasn't graced us with its presence...yet!

I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes with y'all, but with my added twist.

WARNING: This chili is anything but low calorie! Bathing suit season isn't for another 8 months, so I say go for it! Just kidding! I'm just forewarning you. This stuff is so delicious and highly addictive!

In a later post, I will delve into my love affair with www.allrecipes.com. Seriously, it's a daily website! Thousands upon THOUSANDS of delicious recipes. Type in an ingredient and BOOM you have something fabulous, with 5,874 ratings, and user reviews that have tweaked the recipe to perfection! I love that each recipe is just a basic idea, and the gourmet chefs give advice on how to update it or make it even more scrumptious! Here's just one of the recipes I love, but with my own little twist!


Original recipe can be found here.

Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 or 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chili peppers

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

3 (15 oz) cans white beans (1 can mashed)

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese (optional)

Sour cream

Fast Cook: 

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slow Cooker:  

Place whole chicken breasts and chicken broth into slow cooker. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, low for 4-5. 

Shred chicken once thoroughly cooked.

Heat oil and cook onion, garlic, pepper, and spices and sauté until tender. Dump onion and spice mixture into slow cooker. (Mash or puree 1 can of beans. Leave two cans whole.) Add beans and cream cheese. Cook low for at least one hour (I leave it for about 2 hours). 

Serve warm with cheese! Lots and lots of cheese and sour cream!

Changes made from the original: 

- I halved the cumin form 2 tsp to just 1. It's very strong, especially in the slow cooker!

- I love green chillies! The original called for 1 can, but I always put 2 cans in any recipe! Sometimes more. It's a nice kick that my tastebuds can handle, so I up the amount to give it more flavor.

- I opted out of the jalapeño peppers. Too much hot for me.

- I mash 1 cans of the white beans for added thickness. It's a smoother, creamier chili. The 2 cans of whole beans still leave it with that chili texture.

- Cream cheese was unheard of in the original recipe! Who can resist that creamy goodness, though? 

- Sour cream, I think, was also added to the slow cooker recipe at one point in time, but it is just fine as an additional topping after cooking.

- I believe I throw in the cheese before serving to give it that stringy, cheesy effect. Cheese as an optional topping may be preferable for guests, though.

- In the past, I've skipped the cayenne and oregano and called it good with the cumin. I didn't have those spices on hand, so I made do with just the cumin. To be honest, I don't think it made a huge difference in the recipe, but then again, I don't love spicy things that much! If you and your husband love the spices, go for it!

Photo credit allrecipes.com

This recipe is so fast and delicious. Let me know if you try it! If you have any changes or suggestions for the recipe, share with us!

Creamy Vegetable Rice Soup!

My husband is the sexiest chef!

Last night, he made the most DELICIOUS soup!

I posted a picture to Facebook and got crazy feedback, so I decided to post the recipe and share it with the world! It's so easy and so delicious!

And the best part about it is that it's cheap, cheap, cheap to make! And it makes a ton! We ate it for the next three meals (almost literally). It gets more flavorful after a day or two :)

This recipe came from my husband's mission in Lithuania!

These pictures don't do it justice!

Creamy Vegetable Rice Soup 

1/4 cup butter 

4 stalks celery, chopped 

2 medium carrots, grated 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 red bell pepper, chopped 

5 cups chicken broth

About 1/2 cup flour

3 cups cooked rice

3 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup parsley (optional)

Salt

Pepper

1. In large pan, sauté vegetables in melted butter for 8-10 minutes on medium heat.

2. Add: 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour, 1 tsp salt,  and 1/2 tsp pepper 

3. Pour in about 5 or so cups of chicken stock or broth. 

4. Add: 3 cups cooked rice 

5. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. 

6. Take the pan off of heat and pour in whipping cream. 

*Do not continue heating once cream has been added.

We ate this with a slice of wheat bread! It was divine!

Beef or Pork? Or Berk?

As I've gone on before, I love my crock pot. The other day, I decided I was going to do my usual mustard-ginger-soy pork roast. I got out the meat to thaw. We were having company the next day, so I decided to double it! I threw one roast in the microwave and the other under some warm water. My husband suggested that I do just one of the roasts because it was plenty big, so I stopped thawing the other roast in the microwave and threw it back into the freezer. I threw the "musginsoy" concoction on it and called it a night.

Funny Story...

The next day, we decided to throw some baby carrots into the crock pot for the last few hours of cooking. It wasn't until then that I realized we made a BEEF roast! I mean, we're talking about two different animals here! Silly, silly me. The other roast was a pork roast. I literally face palmed myself. Could you imagine if I had thrown both of them into the crock pot?! Oh, boy.

Here is the said beef roast. It was rather delicious!

Served with sweet potatoes and green beans!

Paleo?

To be honest, I love pork much more. The silly blunder of the mustard-ginger-soy recipe added to it wasn't half bad, though! Pork is definitely more absorbant and less fatty. I had to soak up the top layer of juices to minimize the fat in the gravy!

And there you have it, folks. My silly yet successful crock pot adventure!

Veterans of Marriage: Having Fun!

Veterans? More like n00bs!

Guys and gals, let me just tell you how awesome being married is. In this post, I'll touch on a few things I have found are AWESOME about life. Period! You don't have to be married to do these things! It just helps to have your best friend by your side.

This post isn't supposed to be braggy, but hopefully it will be helpful! I've found that my husband and I have an awesome friendship and have a lot of fun, so I wanted to share some of our fun!

I'll try not to be too mushy, 

but this is about a man better than the man of my dreams, 

so beware!

1. Play GAMES! Whether it's Uno, Guess Who?, Backgammon, or ERS, play, play play! Whenever we're tired and want to wind down for the night, we'll play a quick game to end the day. We're both pretty competitive, but reasonably so! We never ever fight over games. Thankfully, we're pretty even when it comes to our skillz with the board games ;)

2. Try new things! Use Groupon (and their awesome app!) coupons! We found the most delicious Mexican restaurant last week! There was a Groupon deal that was $10 for $20!  It was called Agave. Here's their Facebook page. Thomas got a combination plate and I got the vegetarian fajitas. They were the bomb dot com, folks!

3. Be adventurous! You can do lots of fun outdoor activities! Take a walk and get lost, go pool hopping, or even ding dong ditch some cookies! Do something out of the ordinary!

4. Travel to a city close by and visit all of the antique shops, parks, and restaurants! Research the area! Check out visitors centers for coupons and deals for zoos, farmer's markets, museums, etc.

5. Be silly. We love games, playing out side, playing games outside, flying kites, etc. Forget all of your worries and have fun. Being along friends or just play with each other! Summertime is so nice because you can get some fresh air and make new friends!

6. Go thrift shopping! My husband and I have a problem with hoarding board games. But when they're $2 and $3 for brand new games, how can we resist?

Here's what I'm talkin' about!

We pulled them all out the other night to sort through the ones we wanted to resell. As it turns out, we wanted to keep all but one! We'll keep these forever, so I'm happy :)

7. Race! Whenever we want to clean the house but want to go play at the same time, we'll race to see how fast we can clean the living room! I know it sounds so silly, but we played Chutes and Ladders the other day while cleaning. It was a hoot! My husband is so creative.

8. Play 20 questions, Would You Rather, Never Have I Ever, and Truth or Dare. These games are lots of fun in the car or on long road trips. You could dare each other to buy the food for the car behind you for lunch! Or do a happy dance at the gas station! The sky is the limit!

9. Write old friends, missionaries, your mama, or a stranger. Has anyone ever seen the YouTube video Validation? If not, watch it! You'll love the good feelings you get when you see those happy faces!

10. YouTube. I know this is a big one for our generation. Pull up your favorite videos and laugh til you tinkle! We love watching silly ones like these Japanese learning videos! You can watch them here and here! Hysterical.

11. Start a TV series together. We absolutely LOVED Sherlock (BBC version) and Pushing Daisies. Check them out!

12. Start a project! Together, we renovated our little house, created a picture holding frame, and framed pictures from our wedding!

Ain't he handsome?!

There you have it! Just a few of the things we love to do! We hope you have fun together!

Coconut Oil: Fad or Fab?

Ever since I saw the many different uses for coconut oil, I was hooked! Something you can cook with, moisturize your hair and skin, style your hair, etc.

What could be better?

My husband knew I really, really wanted some, so he surprised me a few weeks ago! He found it on Amazon for cheap cheap! I think the entire container was around $6 with a few dollars shipping. I was pleased. Everywhere else I saw was upwards of $15.

This is my favorite!

Cooking:

I steamed some cabbage with coconut oil instead of my usual olive oil. While it tasted delicious, the flavor was too strong for that dish. I probably won't be using it for my cabbage again.

I give this one an 8 out of 10 for potential.

Here's a neat website with Coconut Oil Recipes

Moisturizing:

To be honest, I loved the smell of the oil on my hands, but I didn't notice too much of a difference from regular lotion. I wasn't paying too much attention to how long it lasted. I was also cooking and washing my hands a lot that day, so I'm not positive about how long it lasted. I'll have to try it during the Wintertime when it's much drier.

You can also wash your face with it! I'll have to try this one!

I give this one a 9 out of 10 for the obvious benefits of moisturizing. Friends tell me they rub it all over their body after a shower. Others have told me they shave with the oil. I tried this and shaving with the oil was the best shaving experience ever!

Hair:

I soaked the oil in my hair for about 3 hours. It only recommends at least two hours before washing, but I think I forgot it was in there :) I soaked it into my ends where I normally condition and threw it into a bun. I've heard some people massage it into their scalp, but that seems like a little too much moisture and oil for me. I washed my hair as normal, and then did another washing on the ends just to be safe. To be honest, I'm not super impressed. I accidentally missed a chunk of my hair, and it was a little greasy and limp.

I give this one a 7 out of 10. I may be biased, though. My hair is naturally soft, so maybe the coconut oil is unnecessary. I've never dyed my hair, but friends of mine that do dye their hair love it.

There are so many uses for coconut oil! These are just the obvious uses I've heard of. I stumbled across this website that gives 101 Uses for Coconut Oil.

Neat tips I saw on the website that you can use coconut with!
-Eye makeup remover
-SPF 4 sunscreen
-Massage oil ;)
-Frizzy hair calmer
-Chap stick
-Allergy symptoms (rub on the inside of nose) Oh my! Trying this one!
-Increase milk supply for breastfeeding mothers
-Good source of energy
-Deep frying

Overall, I love the oil! Not only is it healthier than most oils, butters, etc., it is so versatile! I learned a lot from the 101 Uses website. I can't wait to experiment some more!

The Expensive Nightmare of Automobiles

Raise your hands if you hate money sucking cars!

Recently, my husband and I had really bad luck with our cars. While helping our friends pick up a changing table close by, we were greeted by a huge piece of metal in our Jeep's tire. Poor Sally.

Annihilated Tire

This is what I do while my husband changes the tire.

Up close to the wound.

Long story short, Geico would only tow us 5 miles before charging us. This was at 11 PM on a Saturday night. We were not excited. Luckily, we had pulled off in a fairly quiet part of town 20 miles from home, so we were safe to leave our poor three legged car overnight! We left a note in the windshield just in case. To be safe, I called the local police department to make sure we were okay to park there and that we wouldn't be ticketed. The lovely dispatch had NO idea and couldn't tell me anything. Thankfully, though, we were not punished :)

The next morning, we were able to purchase a new tire close by for only $40! This included the new tire and installation. We were pleased.

So technically, my real reason for this post is to show you:

"How to Not Pay an Arm and a Leg 

(and Possibly Your First Child) on Cars" 

post!

That was a bit too long to be a real title, but there it is! :)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is what I suggest you start doing NOW!

1. Research! Know what your car insurance will and will not do. AAA is really nice for roadside assistance.

2. Know the area you are in! If traveling, research the route and your point B for all mechanics and shops. Google, Yelp, and Yellow Pages are really good resources.

3. Ask friends! This is my favorite resource! Grill anyone and everyone you know about the experiences they've had with local shops.

4. Call around. We have saved hundreds, literally, because we called around to check pricing. Most shops will do what you *think* is wrong, but won't tell you all of the problems until the end. Make sure they explain everything before they change anything! (We thought our brakes were out on the scooter, but it turns out they only needed to be tightened! It ended up being $10 instead of $100! Phew!)

5. Get a crash course on cars. Ask a friend or neighbor to show you the ropes, even if it's basic, such as:

• Changing tires
• Keeping a spare tire in the trunk
• Tire pressure
• Jumping a car
• Checking oil and fluid levels
• Listening for odd noises
• Being aware of your car's warning signs (check engine light)
• Keeping your car's owner manual in the glove box
• Keeping jumper cables in your car

6.  Make sure you get your oil changed every 3 months or 3,000 miles! This is HUGE! I drive a '95 Toyota. I can tell you now that I get awesome MPG because I change my oil often!

7. Stay calm! Don't rush and waste money at the first place you see or remember. I know it's much easier just to pay rather than worry, but that's why we stay prepared!

8. Keep an eye out for coupons and promotions! Newspapers, back of receipts, mailers, etc. This is how we found out favorite mechanic! He is so honest and the least expensive we've ever seen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the way back from changing my husband's tire, we discovered my brakes had completely gone out. The cylinder was also shot (can you tell I have no idea what that means? Haha!). I was not a happy camper. I ended up crying like a little girl. My husband just held me and made me a spinach and strawberry smoothie. What a stud.

My car was a little more pricey; about $300. We went to our trusted mechanic down the street. (He snagged us a few months ago with his super cheap oil changes ad!) Even though it was expensive, I was happy knowing it was good ole' Caesar fixing my car!

For my local readers, this was Provo Car Medic! They are located at: 

660 E 300 S St  Provo, UT 84606

(801) 370-3333

I would honestly travel miles and miles to go to them!

Throughout this whole ordeal, my husband and I were able to pay for everything in cash. We have a few different savings habits, such as a cash stockpile, a money jar, and bank savings. Unfortunately, we had to spend our "play money", but it was nice not to have to put it on credit or pull it from our checking accounts!

Are there any other tips or tricks that have worked for you? Please share with us!

Must-do Summer Activities in Utah!

I love Spring and Summer!

Swimming, grilling out, camping, playing outside, garage sales, etc. I like to think that I never grew out of my childhood love of the outdoors.

My neighbors across the street are always, and I mean always, outside with their kids. I can't wait to do that with my kids! Lemonade stands, sidewalk chalk, and sprinklers!

Funny little story: Growing up, if the sprinkler was on, we were in it. Period. It wasn't until I was an adult (no really!) that I realized that the sprinklers were for watering the lawn and not a toy! I just never thought about it! Oops? :)

In the beautiful land of Utah, I am surrounded by the glorious mountains, trails, lakes, streams, and sunshine. I've often gone longboarding down the canyon, canoeing on the river, and rafting. The snow melt rivers are not ideal, but they can feel lovely on the hottest of days!

For my non local readers, forgive me! To find out about cool activities and places around you, try to google "Fun things to do in..." There are tons of websites that will give you ideas, and even coupons or deals with large groups! Hey! I may even inspire you to take a vacation to Utah! ;)

Here is a list of my favorite things and how to actually do them! 

Canoe down the Provo River

My husband and I did this when we were first dating! It was a lot of fun. We went with another     

couple, but got "lost" down the river. It was perfect. For a canoe for two hours, it's $13 total. Not   

bad! There are a few companies that will host this. I believe we went through CLAS Ropes Course.

Rafting down the Provo River 

Big groups are the best for this! We had a blast doing it.  Usually you can call ahead to get a group     

discount. I've used High Country Rafting quite a few times and I was pleased. My only qualm with 

them was timing. They got behind and we waited an extra two hours to go down the river. They 

charge about $10 per person, but with groups you can usually talk them into $8. What I love is that  

you park, hop on a bus, jump in the river, and then float practically back to your car. It is about a 20 

minute drive up the canyon, and about a two hour float back down. Definitely worth it for me!

Camping in Southern Utah

My husband and I both love camping! In fact, for his last birthday, we got a bunch of camping 

supplies. It was my best birthday ever! ;) We got two lawn chairs, a cooler, a fold out table, and   

cooking supplies. We went camping at Sand Hollow and loved it! It was $8 per day to camp there. I 

loved it because you can camp next to a huge lake! It's absolutely stunning. As a bonus, there are    

restrooms and an open shower close by! I know it's not exactly roughin' it, but when you have to be 

at church early the next morning, you don't want to be sandy and stinky :)

Bonfire in Provo Canyon

Nunn's Park in Provo has the perfect place for a bonfire! It's just up Provo canyon. There are about a

dozen pits and a ton of picnic tables. It's free and based on a first come first served basis. The pit's     

are spaced out nicely, so you don't have to worry about crashing any one's party. Bring your      

starbursts to roast along with your hot dogs and marshmallows!

Bridal Veil Falls

One of my all time favorites! My husband and I have a lot of memories here. This is us last summer. He is 6'9 by the way! I am a proud 5'3 (on a good day).

Here's a better picture of it. As you can see in the picture, it's easy to climb up to the main falls. We usually go barefoot to make sure we have a good grip and don't slip on the rocks. It's like rock climbing, but much safer and cooler in the hot summer sun! It was a weekly thing for us to climb it. We would tie our shoelaces together and throw our shoes over our neck for the hike back down the trail. You can climb back down the falls, but that may be a little risky! I would definitely recommend visiting here even if you don't climb it. It's gorgeous!

At Nunn's park where this is located, there is also a beautiful paved trail for cycling, boarding, and running. The river is rushing right next to you as you sit in luscious green grasses with your watermelon.  We usually chill our watermelon in the river for a few hours and then come back to devour it! Yum!

Longbarding in Provo Canyon

The paved trail is also boarding friendly! I love night riding because it is not nearly as crowded. The trail is perfect for beginners because of it's gradual downward slope. The first few times I went down, I required a friend's hand. My first time riding solo was at night! As scary as that may seem, I was much more focused on my balance and speed because of the darkness. The moonlight gives the perfect "night vision" light. If it's overcast, it's even better! The moonlight reflects on the clouds. It's very peaceful and fun.

Scenic Drive in Park City

I love Park City! I love the old timey feel the little town gives me. It has gorgeous lakes like Deer Creek you can go boating in. There are fields and fields of horses and pastures to soak in. Being a country girl from Georgia, I miss the green fields. This is my "getaway" place if I need to clear my head. I love getting lost and wandering around the town. If you want to go on a Sunday drive, I would recommend Park City!

Horseback Riding

This is something I haven't done in Utah yet, but it's definitely on my bucket list! I love horses and nature. riding horses through nature is amazing! I've gone through the mountains of Virginia before, but never Utah. You can find places to do this here!

Temple Picnics

Whether you're LDS or not, this is definitely something you need to do. If you're ever passing through Utah (and many other states) and need a place to take a walk or have a picnic, I would recommend one of the temples! The grounds are open to the public. The grass is always beautiful and the flowers freshly planted. We had time to kill last weekend, so we got some shaved ice and sat in the shade with some good friends. We just talked and enjoyed the beauty of the temple. It was very peaceful and relaxing. If you'd like to find a temple near you, go to this website: http://www.lds.org/locations. You can search for a church building, a temple, visitor centers, and much more!

See what I mean? 

This, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg for activities to do in Utah! I've done quite a few, but I have many more things to discover! For more ideas of Utah activities, you can find the mothership of ideas: here

Happy Summer!

The Crock Pot Diaries: Thunder and Blunders

I am a Crock Pot junkie. I think they are one of the best kitchen appliances man has ever created. If you have something you think is better, then please share! I love nifty gadgets.

Since moving out to college, getting married, etc. I've learned how to make the easiest, fastest meals. Honestly, crock pots are the lazy wife's secret tool!

I have a few favorites that I want to share with y'all.

I call this 

"The Easter Roast"

 I only call it that because I made it for our Easter dinner. Yum!

I had to sneak a bite before the picture! You can just see it falling apart in the picture.

When I tell you the ingredients for this, you will probably think I'm crazy!

Ready? Mustard, ginger, soy. It's a real thing, I promise!

Now, I don't technically follow a recipe for this bad boy, so I'll do my best to give you an idea.

You will need:
-Pork (roast, should, butt, loin, etc.) Whichever you love most!
-Mustard: Just the standard yellow mustard you buy for your hot dogs
-Ginger spice
-Soy. I like Kikkoman.

Technically, you're not supposed to put frozen things in the crock pot, but I break that rule. Often. I would recommend thawing out your roast overnight if you're nervous about it.

Directions:
1. Throw pork into the crock pot on low
2. Mix together the mustard, ginger, and soy.
-Approximately: 1 tsp ginger, 1/4 c mustard, and 1/3 c soy.
3. Pour over roast.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Probably 5-6 hours on high.

After a few hours, I like to throw on some extra mustard and soy for good measure. If you feel there isn't enough liquid in the crock pot, throw some water or even broth in there with it!

My philosophy for the slow cooker is always the longer the better. I recently cooked a pork roast for almost 24 hours. That may be a bit of an overkill, but man was it delicious!

If you try this recipe, let me know!

Ranch House Chicken

You will need:
- 3 or 4 chicken breasts
- Cream of chicken soup (I get the big can or use two 10 oz cans)
- Dry ranch dressing mix
- Sour Cream
- Cream cheese (optional)

The original recipe suggested to shake the ranch powder on last, but I put it directly on the chicken just in case! It probably doesn't matter. It was drool worthy.

1. Put the chicken in the crock pot
2. Sprinkle the ranch packet over chicken
3. Put in sour cream and cream of chicken
4. Put on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours

I put in the cream cheese in the last few hours of cooking. It didn't look creamy enough for me, so I threw it in last as an afterthought!

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

We ate it with mashed potatoes, but you couldn't taste the potatoes! I would recommend eating this as the main dish or having the potatoes on the side.

Here's the original recipe! http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2013/01/ranch-house-crock-pot-chicken.html?m=1

The best thing about this dish was how good it tasted days later! My husband raved over how good the flavors were. I was pretty happy with this one.

Blunder to Thunder!

Forgive my terrible joke. You'll see what I mean ;)

I love the idea of salsa and chicken! Eat it over rice, in tacos, etc. To be honest, I had never tried making it before, so I gave it a shot. And I didn't follow a recipe. I just threw what I thought was yummy into the crock pot. This is almost always a good idea. In this case, though... I did an oops.

I threw in:
-Chicken breasts
-Salsa
-Chicken Broth (first mistake)
-Cream cheese (never a mistake)
-Cooked rice (second mistake)

To be fair, I added the rice at the very end. I thought my husband would be home soon, so I threw in some rice to mix it in and thicken it up.

When I served in an hour later, the rice had turned to mush. I don't know why I didn't realize this would happen... Oops!

My husband kept telling me how good it was during dinner. He is so sweet, but it was awful. The texture of the rice was not a good thing. We sucked it up and ate it.

I contemplated turning it into a casserole with cheese and chips crumbled on top, but never went for it.

Here's where the thunder comes in! The next day and a couple days after that, it was so delicious! I guess the fridge made the rice bearable, the flavors were so yummy, and with some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top (and that is never EVER a bad idea), it was so good! I may have to try this one again, but leave out the rice until just before serving (although I believe that's what made the flavors pop!)

Yum.

Here come the real blunders...

I stumbled upon a recipe that I thought sounded absolutely divine. It turns out that is isn't so great. But maybe that's just me.

The recipe is Orange Chicken in the crock pot.

Here's the original recipe: http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/04/crockpot-orange-chicken-recipe.html

I have to admit that there are still leftovers in the fridge. Even though it was only two days ago, I still don't love the idea of it.

I love salt. Salty meat. Salty food, period. The idea of sweet on meat has to be very convincing. That cranberry-like sauce Ikea puts with their Swedish meatballs: BEAUTIFUL. Honey glazed ham? I can do it.

Maybe there was just too much sweet for me in this dish.

All I did was throw chicken, BBQ sauce, and orange marmalade in the crock pot for 8 hours. Served over rice. It smelled so delicious.

Not.a.fan.

Who knows! Maybe you will love it. I think I may have overdone the marmalade a bit, but I think I just didn't love the dish at all overall.


Have you had any crock pot successes or failures? Share with us!

I Need Help!

Friends,

I have a dilemma. Not really, but I could use some help.

My house is ancient and has extremely high ceilings. We made it work with the rest of the house, but the first wall you see when you walk in is very blank and awkward. Do any of you have suggestions or ideas? I've researched it, but I want to hear it straight from y'all!

Ikea had a cute suggestion:

While this is cute, this wall is much, much smaller than ours. Here it is!

Cluster of pictures? A huge picture like the ones you see at Ikea? I'm stuck!

And please excuse the awkward color of the bathroom door. It's under construction. :)

A Penny Saved...

...is a penny earned!

Or a dollar, for that matter.

Many times, I catch myself grabbing that extra box of something delicious, a soda, or a treat for me and my husband. We'd go get ice cream, see a movie, or go out to dinner without much thought.

My husband came up with the perfect remedy for our silly spending: An allowance!

Now, I know that sounds really silly, but it honestly works! We allow ourselves one dollar a day. Once we've saved enough dollars, we can combine our savings and go to dinner, get ice cream, etc.

These are cute, huh?

credit: The Posh Shoppe on Etsy

Mentally, this has proven to be the best money saving trick. I am not tempted to "bored shop" at all. (Unfortunately, this wasn't uncommon in my single days... Yikes!)

Unless it's a bill or necessary groceries, we don't spend it. I definitely notice a difference in our spending habits. Being aware is honestly the best trick of the trade in saving.

I've come to find out that my husband is WAY better at it than I am! I've promptly spent most of my savings of the last week or so we've been doing this. Whether it's a Costco hotdog or a snack while I'm out. Oops...

To justify it, I haven't spend nearly as much as I would have if we weren't doing this!

I never grew up with an allowance, so this was new to me. It seems kind of juvenile, but it totally works! I don't pick up anything extra because I know I want to go out to dinner SOMETIME this year! ;)

We track it mentally, but eventually I'll make a cute little chart that we can cash out on! :)

Here's an interesting article on saving a few bucks a day: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/saving-5-dollar-a-day-change-your-life.html

As time goes on, I'll be sure to keep you posted on what we cash out on!

My Dirty Little Secret

That got your attention, didn't it? Mwahah!

Just kidding. It's not exactly a dirty "secret" per se, but it's definitely not something I love about myself!

The first step the recovery is admitting it, right? Right!

I love soda. Yum. It is delicious. Not saying that this is a justification, but I love diet soda. Sugary soda makes me wanna run around in a million circles and then crash. Not to mention the effects on my stomach! Yikes!

Lately, I noticed I was drinking at least one of these bad boys every single day.

:(

Not only is this very unhealthy, but it isn't cheap either! These are about $1.50-$1.79 at any gas station or grocery store. Unfortunately, I found them at the dollar store. Saving money, right?!

Bad, bad, bad!

The other day, after finishing one of these bottles, I decided that this would be my last! At least, for now.

Every time I've tried to lose weight, this is one of the very first things I get rid of. I can honestly say that by eating right, watching how much you're eating, and eliminating naughty things like soda, I lose weight so fast.

This isn't supposed to make you feel bad about losing weight! I definitely have to do more than those few things to lose the weight I want to. 

As I tried on wedding dresses last year, I decided that losing weight was definitely a priority. Not just to look good, but to feel good about myself! I am not extremely vain, but I think everyone feels a little bit better if they are their target weight. I tried on a dress and it was beautiful! And then the shop girl told me I should try on a size smaller. SERIOUSLY?! I did it anyway. I looked even better! The next day, I tried the dress on again. I couldn't breathe. No lie. That's when I definitely decided I needed to lose a few pounds.

I carry all of my weight in my tummy. My wedding dress, of course, hugged my tummy. Tight!

In just a few months, I lost 15 pounds! My secret? Pay attention!

Being naturally small, I ate whatever the heck I wanted! I didn't stop when I was full. It was just too delicious! I've been up and down in weight, but never unhealthy. 

Once I hit puberty, I never noticed weight gain. I was very athletic (Was! Oops...) and was playing soccer for hours and hours every week. Weight gain was never ever a problem.

Once college hit, those dreaded "Freshman Fifteen" decided it was my time to fill out! Sorry if this is TMI, but I filled out in good places, too. Yay!

I noticed the few extra pounds and watched what I ate. The cycle continued, though. I'd get comfortable and gain a few more pounds. Once I got married, I didn't exactly "let my self go", but I wasn't nearly as aware! 

My husband and I are going on our honeymoon this weekend, and being in a bathing suit around hundreds of people is intimidating! It is not a good day when you notice the cellulite cottage cheese on your bum. 

Just today while I was out running errands, I was so tempted to get a Dr. Pepper! I was near the drive thru of McDonald's... A large Diet Coke is only a dollar! Thankfully I resisted the temptation and drove  past! 

I love sweets! I try not to buy them, but sometimes those Reese's Easter Eggs are too hard to resist!

A friend of mine started walking every morning and invited me to join her. It was wonderful! We got up at 8 and walked until 9. It's still fairly cool in the morning here in Utah, so it was the perfect weather! We plan to do this every morning at 8 Monday thru Friday. This is way more reliable than going to the gym! It so much easier not to go if you don't have anyone making you go!

I feel so much better all day after I exercise! "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't."

Does anyone love Jim Gaffigan? He's a very clean, hilarious comedian. One of my favorites!

Annnnnnnd we're back! I highly recommend Jim! He makes my husband laugh so hard, it's hilarious!

***Update! I haven't had soda in quite some time now! I actually feel so much healthier without it. Do any of you have a secret love like I did? Share!

Jen

Quick and Easy!

Friends, I know we live in a "convenience" based world, but sometimes that's not a bad thing!

Recently, I've discovered a few of the fastest and most convenient foods, hairstyles, and more!

Food:

If you're like me, you love love love guacamole. I bought some of those divine avocados the other day to go with my Tostitos Hint of Lime chips! Try them! I'm drooling a little.

I decided to google the "easiest guacamole dip" and stumbled upon this recipe. I should've gone there first! Allrecipes is, again, the mecca of all awesomeness!  The recipe is here, but it only calls for the avocados and garlic salt. I added the garlic salt, but decided it needed something more! Lemon juice! My husband and I killed that guac faster than it took me to whip it up! (Which was approximately 30 seconds. Literally!) This is definitely my go-to recipe for guacamole! 

credit myrecipes.com

Convenience trick number two? 

The Sock Bun! 

Normally, I just throw my hair into a terrible "bun", if you will. It's more of a messy bun, and nothing cute. Like this:

Mine is closer to this:

Okay, so to be honest, she looks cute! That's my typical hair sans the cute bangs and cute face.

I love hairstyles that take little to no effort, yet look adorable!

One of my favorites is the flipped ponytail!

There's just something elegant to it!

On a side note, does anyone remember the infomercials for these?!

Here are a couple of hair tricks that I love! Namely the Goody Simple Style Spin Pin. That's actually the name!

These things are SO fast.  They actually stay in your hair tightly and don't slip out like bobby pins.

My sister poked fun at me for this, but I love my sock bun! 

I just rolled up two socks with the toes cut off for mine!

There are two ways to do this:

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Sock-Bun

Throw your hair in a ponytail, spread your hair all around it, and roll up your hair!

then...

OR

You can spread the hair over the sock, like this one!

credit www.helloframboise.com

Just tuck the remaining hair in with the Goody spin pins or bobby pins and voila! A sock bun.

By the way...

While looking for pictures, I stumbled upon this website.

Oops...  ;)

9 Weirdest Hair Tools

Sock Bun Curls?

Has anyone ever hear of curling your hair with a sock bun?

There's a tutorial on YouTube. It's a bit lengthy, but it works! I watched this video and tried it! 

The only thing I would've changed is adding some sort of product to my hair to make the curls hold longer. I used it as a base curl for my bridals a few months ago. 

Even though they didn't hold as well as I thought they would, they definitely made styling my hair easier!  Just throw some pomade on your hair and you should be good to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FV-YO46E8Y

Fast Meals!

If you've ever used a slow cooker before, you know what a fast meal is! I know it sounds kind of silly. Slow cooker for a fast meal? If the preparation time is extremely short for me, then that is a fast meal!

Try this little experiment: Take your favorite things, throw them in a crock pot, and turn it on low for 8 hours. That night you will be drooling with anticipation! 

Now, this doesn't mean a brownie mix with ribs! Yikes. Vegetables are easy to throw in. Or, to make things easier, research a crock pot recipe with a few ingredients and tweak it to your liking! To make things even easier for you, go check out my board of Crock Pot meals on Pinterest!

http://pinterest.com/jenjenpotts/lazy-cookin-crock-pot/

Do any of you have any fast tips for life? Hair, makeup, food? We'd love to hear about it!