Warm Weather Brings My Favorite Things

Fresh garden produce

Fruit Trees ( I am excited to see some peaches growing on my trees)
Flowers
Family trips
Early morning run outdoors
Playing outside at night
Parades, Festivals, Fireworks, Races

Here are some pictures of a morning run.  I hope I will be ready for a 15K race next week.  I am running with (or 10/20 minutes behind) my sisters, Karen and Shanna. 

    

This is not a geyser on the left.  I happened upon a busted sprinkler pipe.  It was pretty though.

Ran about 6 miles this day. 
This spot is one mile from home.  It is so beautiful here in June.  The best time of year!

Chicken Pot Pie

This is my favorite pot pie recipe.  My kids ask me to make it frequently. 

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
5 medium carrots sliced ¼ inch thick
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
2 garlic cloves minced
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 cups chicken broth
5 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
½ teaspoon dry dill weed or 1 ½ tsp fresh dill
2 store-bought pie crusts

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until carrots begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and chicken broth using a whisk, until combined. Stir in chicken, peas, and dill and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Spray two glass pie pans with non-stick spray. (A casserole dish works too) Place half the chicken mixture in one pan, then the remaining mixture in the second pie dish.

Gently roll out store-bought crusts until each one reaches 10 inches in diameter. Place dough atop the chicken mixture. Cut vents in the pastry.

Bake in oven until crust is browned and flaky, about 35 minutes at 400 degrees.

Summer Break Begins

Here are a few pictures from May and the first week of June.  Jenicca played "Love Story" by Taylor Swift for her piano recital.  She did a great job.  She got a 4.0 for the whole school year.  Josh got his first A- and put himself a bit less than 4.0.  He was disappointed, but I would be thrilled to get an A- in any math class.  Since he took Math 1050 1060, I think that is fabulous.  One less college class to take.

Phil turned 40!  We had a surprise birthday party for him at the park.  We also made it into a mock graduation ceremony, since he "forgot" to attend the commencement this past December.  We are proud of him for all the sacrifice and hard work it took to get his Masters.   Next step is his PhD.  We are not sure when, how or where, but that is the plan.

Ten family members have attended Utah State or have taken a class from there.  They read the top 10 reasons why attending college at age 40 is better than age 20.

# 10. You don’t have to live in a dorm.

# 9. There is a greater chance you will intimidate your professors instead of them intimidating you.

# 8. Study groups with people from India and the Dominican Republic, and a professor from Korea.

# 7. You have experience translating accents from India, Spanish speaking countries and Asia.

# 6. You are past the age of trying to look cool, so you can ride a scooter in December decked out with ski mask, goggles, helmet, L.L. Bean coat and snow boots.

# 5. The professor sometimes asks you to teach the class and write the test and frequently pauses during lectures to ask “Isn’t that correct, Phil?”

# 4. You can listen to your music on an Ipod instead of a “Sony Walk Man.”

# 3. You don’t need to put a “Cuddle Hotline” banner in your dorm window.

# 2. No dorm food. You have a cook at home and enough money to eat out once and a while.

# 1. A laptop is much easier to carry in your back pack than that old Electronic Typewriter.

Thanks to both families for coming and supporting this fun night!!

I attended a quilt retreat at my mom's house this week.  It was fun to visit, sew, eat, laugh, and get to see family members I don't get to see often enough.

They are all amazing quilters.  Deana made up the hexagon quilt pattern.  Very amazing and beautiful.  I made a couple purses and cut out a few pieces for a quilt I am going to attempt.  I am excited to work on it some more.

The group pictured below, left to right, back row first.  Lyn, Becky, Felicity, Ann, Deana, Kristen, Marie.
Sorry it is blurry.

Check It Out

My sister-in-law has a cute new web site.  She makes awesome stuff.  Good luck Nicci!

redpoppyshop.blogspot.com

My-New-Life

My-New-Life

This is INSPIRING, INSIGHTFUL, INCREDIBLE
Have a tissue close by when you watch this.
Our lives are important and a gift.

Linguine with Chicken, Vegetables, and Peanut Sauce

I tried something new for dinner. The whole family liked this. It is fast and easy to make.
Ingredients:
Cooked Linguine

Slightly steamed broccoli flowerets      
Very thin slices of carrots
Chopped cucumber
Shredded chicken
Directions:
Toss the pasta with shredded chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
Add the vegetables and bottled peanut sauce. Mix together well. We sprinkled a few rice noodles on top too.
(A fresh fruit salad goes well with this. )

Caramel Cookies

These are really good. I got this recipe from my Grandma's cookbook. I should have made these a long time ago.
Cream together:

½ cup margarine                                                     

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

Add:

2 eggs and Mix well then add
1 cup sour cream
Sift together then add to margarine mixture:
2-1/2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
Add:
1 tsp. vanilla
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes
Caramel Frosting (YUM):
¼ cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons boiling water
½ tsp. vanilla
Melt and cook butter until brown. Pour melted butter into a deep bowl then beat in powdered sugar, then add boiling water, then vanilla. You may need to add more water if it seems too stiff. Spread the frosting over the cookies. *Note – I added a little cocoa powder to the frosting to give it a light brown color. The frosting tastes a little like homemade caramel to me.