This just made me laugh......

Only in Utah. :)

Not much going on right now. Just wanted to update my blog background. Life has been crazy. Several people I knew(either by working with, neighbors, family members of people I know) have died in the last 3 months. Several of them suicide.
How can someone's life be so depressing and horrible that they can do that to themselves. As someone who has experienced depression and anxiety, I still can't even fathom doing something like that! I just hope these people's families have the help to get through a loss like that.
Then Jack being in the hospital, the stress and worrying over that, crazy. Luckily he's home and doing good. And Jamesons home and getting better. Annie is going to have her baby soon.
Work has been SUPER busy getting stuff ready to send to the stores for black friday. Luckily for me I have a nice long thanksgiving weekend. Now I need ideas on what to do. :)

Sterling Trip

So a really close friend of mine was diagnosed with bone cancer over the summer, they are like other parents to me, so I went up to visit them in Sterling(up by Manti), they are trying to sell their house so they can move to SLC and be closer for treatments. Before they move I know I am going to go visit again. I love it up there! Because when they move I will have no reason to go up.
I wish I had gotten more pictures, but I can't find my camera and all I had was my phone.
I drove up to my grandma's after work friday- got there around 3:30-4 am, found a dead mouse on the kitchen floor. Slept for a little while, drove up to Richfield, did a little shopping. Drove up to Gunnison, called Barbara, told her I was so busy running errands and going crazy so she wouldn't know I was coming(her husband knew). It was so fun! We hung out that night, visited. Good to catch up.
Sunday, we were so tired, that we didn't get up in time for church, but I did run over to the church to make sure Barbara's husband made it home ok(across the street). Talked to some of the bishopric. One of them knew my uncle Dave.
While Barbara's husband(there are 2 Jim's involved in this story) did his chemo treatment, went to hang out with the other Jim and his horses.

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Jim(and his dog- she is the sweetest dog ever).


Barbara says this is a hens and chicks plant, but it doesn't look like it. But it was really pretty. She had a ton of them.


one of Jim's horses

So after annoying the heck out of Jim for a couple of hours(he is so funny, and really nice to talk to). Went back to my friends, then packed to head back to my grandmas. Stopped in Richfield again to see my aunt Viola, who is the sweetest old lady ever. Got some chinese food, went back to Junction, changed the shower curtain, watched Fast Five, went to bed.
Got up, did a little weeding, picked some apples. Found another dead mouse(whatever they are doing is apparently working to kill them). By then I was like no way am I staying another night. I was planning to stay till tuesday but I just wanted to come home.
So I stopped and visited Bree and Travis for a little while, which was fun!
Stopped in Cedar at Starbucks. And came home!
While I was at my grandma's I went into her bedroom to make sure everything was good, I just had this urge to sit down and cry, I miss her so much. She was such an amazing person. I love that old house.
Anyways, this is such a journal entry. I am totally printing this, since I don't write in my journal! lol!

Sterling, utah

Just quick little post. Its 3:30 am. I'm in Sterling Utah. I fell asleep around 11, which is miracle for me.
Then I woke and now I am wide awake. This trip has been so good for me. I will post more after I get back
Home. Right now I am just on my phone. Now my next feat will be getting up for 9 am church. Lol

My new favorite picture. Taken up on the Northwest Coast. Makes me miss it up there. As soon as I get my jeep paid off I am going to start saving for a trip up there. I already know where I want to go, what I want to do. $2,000 left on the jeep. Better get crackin'. :)

lately...

Not much going on! Super awesome storm today. Back to work. And working a ton of hours, love it.

9/11. Flag during the storm we had today. Loved it.


Family reunion, Melanie and her daughter.


Newly weds!


reading the paper while camping, Ipson thing! lol!


During the storm, we were all out on the front porch.

recent pics

Here are some pictures taken over the last few weeks.

I think this looks like someone got a paintbrush and swiped it across the sky.


The fire from last week. Scary. Bad picture. This was during the backfire. At like 3 am. It was cool! :)


I made a potted herb garden on our front porch, I sprayed water proof stuff on the insides and outside, but apparently for some reason the green one(rosemary) started bubbling up. Looks really cool. It reminds me of a frog. Lol!
Anyways, thats whats been going on lately!!!

New Recipe

Here's a recipe that I make every so often. I LOVE it. I love the lemony flavor, I always add more lemon juice than called for. But it depends on your own likes and dislikes. I always use fresh lemons(I can't stand lemon juice in a bottle).
I got these recipes out of Taste of Homes Quick Cooking 2002(page 216)

Read my tips in the end to see how easy it is to make it.

CHICKEN IN CREAMY GRAVY
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cans(10-3/4 oz) cream of chicken(or cream of chicken with broccoli)
1/2 c. milk
4 tsp lemon juice
1/3 tsp pepper
4 lemon slices

In a nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes; drain. In a bowl combine soup, milk, lemon juice and pepper. Pour over chicken. Top each chicken breast with a lemon slice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken juices run clear, about 5 minutes.
4 servings


LEMON LINGUINE

8 oz uncooked linguine
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil(I wasn't a fan of it with basil in it, so I don't put it in at all)
1/2 tsp garlic powder(Again, I love fresh stuff so I use a garlic clove)
1/2 tsp salt free lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water until tender(8-10 minutes). Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic and lemon pepper; cook and stir till butter is melted.
Drain pasta; add butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan and toss.
4 servings

So here's what I do.
1- put pasta on to cook, since it cooks the longest, but as soon as I get it in the boiling water, I put the chicken to cook, so they get done about the same time.
2 while pasta and chicken are cooking get sauce gravy ready for chicken, juice and slice the lemons.
3 pour gravy over done chicken, cover and let simmer/light boil while preparing everything else.
4 drain pasta in a colander, using the same pot- make the pasta sauce(making sure the garlic is cooked, if using fresh garlic). Once that is done I add pasta and cheese.
Then your done....
We like putting the gravy from the chicken on the noodles, it's SOOOOO yummy.
I should have taken a picture of it. So easy.

Happy Fathers Day

MY DAD

Random Pictures from the last little while----

Here are some random pictures I've taken in the last 6 months. Just an update. :)

The eagle/owl. Long funny story.


Travis and Kevin with their daughters at D.J.'s wedding a couple of weeks ago.


Tanner, helping me make dinner for work.


My grandma, she's so funny. I personally can't believe she let me take this picture.


My lamp, my phone was on the negative setting. I just thought it was kinda cool.

just an update

I'm still alive. I will put pictures from Easter and a picture of my aunts beautiful casket on here soon.
Just been busy lately.
So I just started reading the book Dracula by Bram Stoker. We'll see how that goes. I decided that I want to start reading stuff that is more classic and timeless than the junk I've been reading. I have Pride and Prejudice. But I am having a hard time getting into it. As soon as I finish Dracula I am going to read Anna Karina by Tolstoy.
Wish me luck. If there are some good books y'all have read, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

I just thought this was interestingly good....

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' I'm four and a half!' you're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ... You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony ... YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed.
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50.
And your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would.
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday.
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again.' I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I'm alive. I promise. :)

Frog Eye Salad Recipe

I know that I just posted the other day, but my cousin wanted my mom's frog eye salad recipe, and I decided why not just put it on my blog. So everyone can have it AND it's somewhere that I can just copy and paste it if I need it again, without having to search for it! :)

Frog Eye Salad
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 c pineapple juice
1 c. crushed pineapple
2 beaten eggs
2 tbsp flour
Cook ingredients until thick. Stirring constantly. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice

3 qts. water
2 tsp salt
1 package frog eyes(I can't think of what they are called)
1 tbsp oil
Cook until soft, about 12 minutes. drain, combine egg mix and frog eyes. Refrigerate over night in tight container.

Add-
3 cans mandarin oranges- drained
2 20 oz. cans crushed pineapple- drained
2 9 oz. pkg cool whip
mini marshmallows
assorted fruit- apples, bananas, pomegranates, etc.

Fudgy Buttons- so easy

I have this obsession over cookbooks, as most of you know! I LOVE the Taste of Home cookbooks the most! But the Quick Cooking ones are the best. So several years ago I started getting one in the mail each year, then a friend of mines grandma died and she gave me a bunch of hers(ones from previous years, that I didn't have). So since I love them so much I got online(amazon.com) and ordered the only one that I didn't have(1999).
I got it in the mail today, that was so exciting! :) Totally made my day!! :) And eating at Bajios!
So here is a new recipe, SO easy. maybe it had a little too much peanut butter in it, I didn't really measure very well because I had doubled the recipe and our measuring spoon is really flimsy so I had a hard time scrapping it out of the jar.

Fudgy Buttons
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1- 1/2 tsp baking cocoa
1/2 confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp milk
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

In a small sauce pan, melt butter: remove from heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir till smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper: flatten tops and shape into 1-inch patties. Makes about 1-1/2 dozen.

I had it made and done in less than 15 minutes. When I got the peanut butter mixed in enough to handle I kneaded it to blend it better. It was a little warm, but not too much! It melted in my mouth. SO YUMMY! Rich, but yummy! I wish I had a picture of them.

So life has been crazy! Yes, Edwin and I did break up. Work got so busy. but then it slowed down a little, but there is another area that is really busy, so they take all of our people that are cross trained and that leaves a few people to stay in my area. So they hired temps to be trained so when we supposedly get "really busy" we won't fall behind. I'm hoping that we get so busy that we are getting our hours for a couple of months. I need to get some bills paid for. I have plans that I really want to follow through with, but I need to get my jeep paid for soon. Oh-well! And I need new back tires. Being an adult sucks! :p