Life on Poppy Lane

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T16:23:00.001-07:00

Fishing you a happy halloween

2011-10-31T21:25:00.002-06:00

Sunday

2011-08-28T22:40:00.003-06:00

We were late for church for two reasons:
1. Andy got into the church bag and found some stale cookies he couldn't wait to eat.
2. Could these boys look any cuter in their lumberjack/hipster outfits? I couldn't resist getting a few pics on the way out.

We were late getting home from church for one less cute reason.
1. My car thought I was a thief. Apparently if the keyless entry battery is dead you can't get the car out of park. So they boys and I hitched a ride home. Andy cried "mommy's car" all the way home, for the next ten minutes, and after his nap.

Chalk it up...

2011-08-04T18:01:00.003-06:00

I wish I could post some of the hundreds of photos I've taken this summer. But the thought of going through them all stresses me out. Hopefully soon I can show you pictures of our busy Fourth of July celebrations or our trip to Europe (sans kids of course). But for now I'll post two recent pictures. This is a typical afternoon on Poppy Lane... playing in the driveway.

Honestly the main reason I can't seem to get to editing my photos is that I'd don't think they are that great. Dave bought me a DSLR camera for my birthday in February. I've been wanting one forever and thought I'd have a knack for it. Turns out it is so hard. I've read unlimited blogs, dozens of books (including the manual) and have tried different lenses and settings. Has anyone taken a great class? Or do you have any tips?

Birthday Boys

2011-05-15T22:12:00.010-06:00

The twins are turning two on Monday. But we celebrated on Saturday while dad was around. It was a simple celebration but a lot of fun.

We spent the morning at the zoo...

Played with new toys in the afternoon...

And experienced flaming cakes in the evening...

All in all I'd say it was a great birthday for two two year olds.

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T15:30:00.003-06:00

On our way to the Easter Egg hunt.

Ooooh... We found some eggs.

Ben's best friend (besides Andy of course)

2011-04-20T21:53:00.004-06:00

Ben absolutely adores Katie the cat. He only says a few words an of course Katie/Kitty is his favorite. I love how you can see his affection for his best pal as he's looking through his photo album.

Sharon's Retirement Party

2011-01-25T15:16:00.011-07:00

My mother-in-law retired this month after 45 years of working as a laboratory technologist. She is a wonderfully kind person who deserves a party to celebrate her new found freedom and to reflect on her accomplishments.

The invitations to the shin-dig hopefully were reminiscent of the equipment she uses in the lab. They are petri dishes with a little magnifying glass (pretend it's a microscope). I think paisleys look like beautiful germs so why not use them as the theme for the party.

We have family that lives in a new townhome complex and graciously let us use the clubhouse to have the party. I made 120 feet of garland to fill up the space. It was pretty easy to make just a little time consuming. I bought paisley fabric to match the invitations and cut it in to strips. Then I stapled it on matching ribbon.

Each place setting was complete with a balloon tied to a vile of blood. Well actually they are just bubbles made to look like blood. The table runner are Chinese lanterns tied together with the fabric from the garlands.

Everyone wore lab coats. I love that Sharon refused to wear one because she said she didn't have to anymore because she finally retired.

Andy loved the bubbles...

Ben just wanted to play with the doors. Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures after the party started. I was busy serving homemade lasagna and frying doughnuts for dessert.

Happy Retirement Sharon!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T21:37:00.004-07:00

Homemade Christmas Garland

2010-12-07T14:12:00.003-07:00

To avoid any stocking accidents I decided to hang our stockings on the wall this year. I was in a crafty mood a few weeks ago and decided to make a Christmas light garland with ric rac and felt. I liked the look so much I spruced up some holiday pillows to match.

About Time

2010-11-03T18:14:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Andy reached for his grandpa's hair. Grandpa Chandler said "yep Andy, that's what we call a haircut." I took the hint and today the boys received their first haircut.

I have to admit, I adored the unruly tangle of curls.

The boys did so well. No tears.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:16:00.000-06:00

What does a giraffe say?

2010-09-07T21:21:00.006-06:00

The boys and I were feeling really cooped up this weekend. Dad's on a long trip and boring old mom was staring to get grumpy. So on Monday we joined the crowds at Hogle Zoo.

I don't know how many animals the boys could actually see from their vantage point. But they didn't complain and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

They couldn't miss the giraffes though. Whenever as kids we were getting too loud, my mom would ask "What does a giraffe say?" We would answer "nothing at all" and were expected to be quiet. I like it and think I need to start using it.

Chickens

2010-08-22T21:15:00.007-06:00

We visited our friends Matt and Tammy this weekend. It was great to see them, as always. The boys fed their chickens grapes from the vines. Ben thought the chickens were pretty funny and Andy fought them for the grapes.

Perfect Family Photo

2010-08-04T18:46:00.004-06:00

Unfortunately it's not our family. Just Andy and a random family at the Bees game. Look closely and you can see that Ben also found a new dad. Well actually our good friend Nick has Ben but I have no idea who the family is that Andy made friends with.

Gross?

2010-07-27T20:31:00.003-06:00

People always say that dealing with the gross things that babies do (i.e. poop, vomit etc.) isn't so bad when they are your own kids. I tend to disagree. Gross is gross. But I guess if they are you own children it is slightly less disgusting.

However, I don't think that any motherly love or natural instincts can ever prepare a parent or any human for what I witnessed today. Please don't read any further if you have queasy stomach.

Let's say that one baby, let's call him baby B, had a bowel movement while in the tub. Gross? Absolutely, but not unheard of. Was the other baby in this tub as repulsed as his mother? Absolutely not. Immediately Baby A's grabby little hands found the mass and put it in his mouth. Gross? Beyond belief. Can anyone say uncontrollable dry heaving? Not from baby A, naturally, but from his mother.

Parade, Picnic and the Works

2010-07-05T19:41:00.007-06:00

The boys enjoyed their first Idaho Falls Fourth of July Parade. Ben loved the loud cars, firetrucks, horses and dancing girls.
Andy was just there for the food. He was so excited when a politician handed him a Tootsie Pop.

It's hard to tell from this picture how much Ben loved the fireworks. He clapped and yelled at them sporadically through the show.

Andy loved them too. At one point my mom put him down for just a second. He took off immediately through the crowds to catch them. Man that boy moves fast.

Andy's favorite part of the trip was playing with his cousins in the bouncy castle.

Go Ben go...

MS Ride

2010-06-28T10:13:00.004-06:00

Somehow I managed to get on my bike this year and ride 75 miles in the MS150 ride in Logan. I was pretty out of shape since it's really hard to find time to work out with the twins. I could come up with another dozens excuses but I'll spare you.

Here I am with my good friend Jessica. We joked about how we were eHarmony riding partners because we were matched on 49 degrees of biking compatibility. When actually I think in being prepared for the ride the only thing we had in common was that we both had bikes and matching jerseys. Jess rode in strong and I limped in slowly behind her. We had a great time regardless.

Jessica, Austin, Derek and I spent most of the weekend cracking jokes, laughing and eating good food. I keep trying to talk Dave into coming every year because I know he'd have a great time. Maybe next year?

Yay for Summer

2010-06-22T17:42:00.002-06:00

Father's Day Present

2010-06-20T14:02:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Family Pictures

2010-06-12T15:10:00.006-06:00

We took family pictures last month. It was way more challenging than I could have imagined. The boys were so fussy. Andy wanted to crawl everywhere and refused to be held and Ben seemed so confused. I had a terrible cold and Dave didn't understand the purpose. So we didn't make it very easy for the photographer. But I think Jeni did a great job with our crazy family.

Maybe next year we can get a photo of everyone smiling at the same time. But I have a feeling it won't get much easier until we are all adults.

Happy First Birthday

2010-05-16T17:31:00.008-06:00

The boys turned 1 today. We had a busy family party on Saturday night to celebrate. My parents and Grandma even came from Idaho. It was so good to seem them and watch them play with the babes.

The Birthday hats didn't last long. Which I'm sure isn't too surprising. However, I was impressed that most of the guests wore theirs throughout the party.

Andy thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of cake. He was so excited and confused that food doesn't have to taste like pureed vegetables.

Whereas Ben would have preferred to eat pureed vegetables. He liked to play with the cake but puckered his face when he took his first and only bite. I've seen him enjoy a lemon more than he did the chocolate cake.

Andy loved all of his toys. I had no idea they'd have so much fun.

Ben was excited to play with the with his toys and the deflated balloons the next morning. That was until he got completely tangled in all of the ribbons.

In case your wondering, I didn't make a fancy cake for the boys. I ran out of time and energy so instead I made cupcakes. Not super exciting, but I've got many birthdays to make up for it.

Mother's Day with the babes

2010-05-09T20:18:00.004-06:00

This is a pretty typical evening at our house.

If Katie is in the house she is usually lying as close as she can to Ben. And if Ben is near a book he is usually flipping through the pages. I couldn't help but think... Little Ben, little Ben what do you see? I see a Katie cat lying next to me.

And Andy... this kid has loads of energy. Surprising he can stay entertained for an unbelievable amount of time in his activity saucer. He just looks around and bobs his head.

Break Dancing Andy

2010-04-12T10:08:00.003-06:00

Anyone who has spent time with Andy is probably familiar with his little dance move. For those of you who haven't, here's a little treat for you.

Speaking of Woodland Creatures

2010-04-04T13:30:00.006-06:00

I made this cake for a baby shower. It was fun to revisit my good owl and hedgehog friends. I spent a good portion of my pregnancy seeking out little woodland creatures for the twin's nursery.

I was asked to use butter cream frosting instead of fondant for the base of the cake. I personally don't like the look as much but it does make for a tastier cake.

The Adventures of Ben and Andy: The Case of the Kitchen Gate

2010-04-04T12:53:00.006-06:00

Andy: Hey Ben, what do you see in there? I bet there's a lot of fun things or else mom wouldn't lock us out.

Ben: Look there's Katie. Let's see if she can help us get in. Mom always lets her in there, maybe she can show us the secret.

Andy: Good job Ben on opening the gate, but would you get off my legs so I can get through before we get caught.

Ben: Go Andy go!

Andy: Ben you've got to get in here. Katie has lots of food in a bowl we can share. Ooh and there's some stairs we could roll down. I can't believe mom won't let us in here.

While Mom's Away

2010-03-25T16:27:00.006-06:00

So I was catching up on reading my friend Jen's blog and found these pictures on a post from last month. She was watching the babes for Dave while I was at work. I was so surprised to see my babies being poked with light sabers and sawed in half. Oh boys...

Thanks Jen. It seems like they were all having a great time. I need to have your boys come over and entertain the babes.

Back From Mexico

2010-03-23T16:10:00.006-06:00

Dave and I went on a cruise to Mexico last week. We tearfully left the babes with my parents and joyfully worked on our tans.

Our good friends Nate and Jordan joined us on our gastronomic adventures. I don't think any of us particularly cared where we went on the cruise, we were just excited for the wonderful food and sunny days. Mission accomplished.

Ben was especially excited to see us. I think he was a little nervous being away from home.

Andy was too busy working on pulling himself up on furniture to notice that we were gone.

Hello

2010-02-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

They boys just want to say hi.

My Little Brother's Wedding

2010-01-06T19:34:00.012-07:00

My youngest brother got married over the Holidays to a sweet, wonderful, beautiful , smart, cheery girl (I could go on and on with compliments.) My mom had the wedding at her house which turned out perfectly. Here's the wedding cake that I made. The design was simple and hopefully added to the winter white theme of the wedding.

I also painted a picture that my dad framed and matted to use instead of a guest book. I did something similar for my own wedding and my sisters. I think it's a little more practical than a book and hopefully will add some color to the newlywed's first home.

Here's a compilation of little videos I shot with my digital camera the day of the wedding. It's a little shaky and Andy is squawking through the last half of the video. But the bride and groom look happy and beautiful. It makes me a little teary just thinking about how proud I am of both of them.

Baby's First Christmas

2010-01-06T19:24:00.004-07:00

Christmas morning was filled with Andy crinkling paper, Ben eating paper and Katie pouncing on paper. I'm glad to see that my family appreciates wrapping paper almost as much as I do.

Ben and Andy were thrilled to go to Grandma Jensen's house after Christmas. They have never seen so many toys and things to play with.

The best presents under our tree

2009-12-19T14:14:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T20:26:00.004-07:00

We had a very eventful Thanksgiving. Dave started the day in the emergency room because he dislocated his thumb playing football in the neighborhood Turkey Bowl. Dave was home for about an hour before we had to rush to the hospital again. Stupidly I hung Andy's stocking within arm's reach from his activity saucer. He grabbed it and the star shaped metal stocking weight fell and hit him in the eye. Luckily he didn't have to have stitches and his eye is just fine. I'm sure tomorrow his eye will be pretty purple.

Here are my injured boys.

Apparently Ben thinks he's a bull rider.

We're Six Months Old

2009-11-22T12:08:00.004-07:00

Are the happy? Or are they concerned? Boy it's hard to get two babies to smile at that same time for a picture.

Nap Time

2009-11-04T21:20:00.005-07:00

It's funny how different the boys view nap time.

Here's Ben... He loves nap time. If he has a binky and his blankets he's in heaven. He can be fussy and all I have to do is walk into the nursery and he seems relieved.

Now here's Andy... You just have to come within a few feet of his crib and he screams and yells. As soon as you lay him down he nudges his way to the very top and smashes his head against the bumpers, sucks his thumb like it's a fish hook and grabs the nearest toy to put over his face.

Tigers and Monkeys

2009-11-02T14:23:00.005-07:00

As you can see from this picture, the boys weren't too thrilled with their Halloween costumes. I didn't see even the slightest grin when the costumes were anywhere near them. Hopefully next Halloween will be a little more exciting for the babes.

And the winner is...

2009-10-05T19:20:00.006-06:00

Andy keeps rolling over and kicking Ben in the face. But don't worry, Ben can take care of himself. A little toe biting seems to be the answer.

Isn't the crab blanket they are rolling around on adorable? Thanks Sarah for making TWO of these for the boys.

Meeting the Band

2009-10-02T09:34:00.006-06:00

My favorite band, Better than Ezra, came to Park City last night. Dave was great to watch the boys so I could go to the concert and have birthday cake with the lead singer, Kevin.

Update: Sorry for not being very descriptive. I'm a little exhausted from the late night at the concert and lack of sleep due to the babelets. My friend Andrea new BTE was my favorite band so she entered a drawing for "Meet and Greet" tickets through a radio station. And luckily she won! It just happened to be Kevin's birthday which made it even more of an event.

I've seen BTE in concert 4 times and this is my second time meeting them. They first time was at Club DV8 about 10 years ago. I bought this tiny baby doll t-shirt that the band signed for me after I sheepishly asked for hugs (I know, stupid 19 year fan). I found the shirt the other night and really wanted to wear to the concert. Unfortunately I couldn't fit it over my big arms. I guess that's what 10 years and twin boys will do to you.

My conversation this time was a slightly cooler than asking for hugs. Kevin showed Andrea and I pictures of his adorable 9 month old twin boys. I guess we have a little more in common a decade later.

I think we've started teething

2009-09-30T12:16:00.004-06:00

I've been trying hard to get Andy to pose for a picture but all he seems interested in doing is chewing his arm, hand, Katie's tail, Ben's foot or whatever is close.

Who Am I?

2009-09-24T14:05:00.002-06:00

Only one of the boys was interested in taking pictures yesterday. Can you guess which one I am?

Vet Cake

2009-09-23T19:03:00.001-06:00

I made this cake a couple of weeks again for a veterinarian. A couple of cats and dog just chillin' on the couch is a typical day in the office.

4 Months

2009-09-14T09:17:00.004-06:00

The boys are going to be 4 months old this week. I can't believe how big they are getting. We are getting closer to everyone sleeping through the night. That has been my #1 goal since day one. We are averaging about 8 hours now which has been quite delightful.

Here is Andy (left) and Ben in their fancy ties. I dressed them up to go to church but then they both decided to take naps.

This picture sums up what the boys are up to the majority of the day. They love to roll and scoot all over the living room.

Two Month Pictures

2009-07-30T17:32:00.006-06:00

I finally got a new camera and decided to practice using it on the boys. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Ben on the left and Andy on the right. It's a little deceiving. Ben looks bigger than Andy which isn't the case. Ben is still over a pound smaller.

This is Ben looking at me with those huge loving eyes.

Andy is always really smiley. In the mornings I have a hard time feeding him because he won't stop smiling to eat.

Ben yawning. I think he was getting board of the photo shoot.

Here's Andy before he broke out of the swaddle.

Baptism Cake

2009-07-07T18:18:00.004-06:00

I finally made another cake. It's been far too long. This cake was for my friend Shyler's baptism. Her mom wanted something elegant. I'm not sure if this cake is elegant or not but it the colors reminded me of Shyler.

I haven't made a cake for so long I feel like I forgot how to use fondant. I had some trouble covering the larger tier. I guess that means I need to start practicing again.

How to stop the crying???

2009-06-30T20:32:00.007-06:00

The last week has been a little tough for the boys. They both have stuffy noses and are sure to tell us how they feel about it. We figured out a few places that always seem to calm the boys down. They love to be outside. Now that the rain has stopped, we spend a lot of time laying on blankets in the shade.
They both really love bath time too. After their baths, they love to hang out on the counter top and look around.

Here is Ben during his first bath.

Hedgehogs and Hermits

2009-06-14T21:38:00.008-06:00

I tried to get some pictures of the boys today. But it ended up being a lot harder than anticipated. I couldn't get either of them to look at me. Or if I had a decent shot of one the other one would cry, yawn or spit up.

So here is the only opened eyed, non fussy picture I was able to get of either of them.

Here is Ben posing with his hedge hog bean bag. Poor kid has been on oxygen for the last couple of weeks and the adhesive to hold on his cannula has been really harsh on his little baby cheeks.

Ben again in his bouncer.

Here's Andy in his matching bouncer. Don't worry Ben, you are not the only one with complexion problems. Andy hit puberty at age 3 weeks and has full blown acne.

Andy with the hedge hog. I know, I know what a silly prop. I have never claimed to be a photographer and my ancient camera doesn't help either.

It's been great to finally have the boys home and healthy. Ben got the approval to take his oxygen off during the day. Being tied to an oxygen tank and a monitor has been exhausting. It's been great for all of us to be able to leave the first floor of our house. I feel like we can finally have a normal life now that we aren't complete hermits.

The Whole Family is Together

2009-06-04T16:42:00.005-06:00

Ben made is home on Sunday afternoon from the NICU. Here's our first picture together as a family.

Andy's sleeping on the left with Ben wide eyed on the right.

Ben's first day home was pretty exciting. While in the NICU Ben had problems taking deep breaths while he was sleeping. He hadn't had any problems for a few days so his doctors sent him home with a monitor to measure his oxygen levels and emergency oxygen just in case. Unfortunately he started having problems again so back Ben went to the hospital.

Ben is now home but he is on a small flow of oxygen. He's doing really well but we can't wait until he's not hooked up to tubes and wires.

Andy's Home Coming

2009-05-29T21:16:00.005-06:00

Andy came home Wednesday afternoon. We were hoping Ben would follow the next day. Unfortunately he had a few problems with his oxygen levels so he has to stay for a few more days. It was really hard to bring Andy home while leaving Ben in the NICU. One of these days the whole family will be home trying to figure out how we are going to make everything work out.

Here is Andy on his first day home sitting in the bouncer Aunt Kimber bought for him.

Andy's first excursion to the pediatrician and then to Target to buy him a pillow to hold his head straight in his too big car seat.

Dave and Nick changing Andy's diaper.

I can't wait to post pictures of Ben's coming home day. Keep your fingers crossed for this Sunday.

First Photo Together

2009-05-25T14:53:00.003-06:00

Both Andrew (left) and Benjamin (right) are off oxygen and IVs. Every day they are getting closer to coming home. Little Ben has a hard time finishing his meals so they have him on a feeding tube. But he eats more and more on his own every day. Today was the first time I was able to hold them together. You can definitely tell they are brothers.

More Pictures of the boys

2009-05-19T14:22:00.003-06:00

Here is a better picture of Andrew. As you can see he is now off supplemental oxygen.

Here's the proud Dad with Andrew.

Ben hanging out under the warming lights. He will hopefully be off the oxygen soon too.

Ben and Andy

2009-05-18T10:06:00.007-06:00

Andrew Blaine and Benjamin Alan officially joined our family early on Saturday morning. Andrew was came at 4:07 weighing 6 lbs. Benjamin followed 6 minutes later weighing 4 lbs 10 oz.

Their little lungs weren't quite ready to work without assistance so they were rushed to St. Mark's NICU. It was a challenge to find a NICU in the valley with two openings. They originally wanted to split them up, but thanks to the wonderful pediatricians at St. Marks they made room to keep them together.

I was able to be discharged from Alta View early so I could go see my little boys on Sunday. They are beautiful and doing so well. They are breathing much better and now they are focusing on learning to eat on their own.

Here is a picture of Ben at the NICU.

Here's me holding Andrew. I don't have any close shots of Andy on this computer. I'll take more pictures when I go visit them this morning.

The Nursery is Done

2009-04-22T15:23:00.012-06:00

I think I can finally say that I'm done with the nursery. My favorite part is the little knitted animals on the white shelves. I blogged about a pattern that I saw on Etsy and my mom asked a women that she works with to make them. They turned out so cute.

The collage of pictures on the wall is a collection of artwork from Etsy, vintage children's books and a couple of illustrations by me. My friend Kristin gave me the rocking chair which I think couldn't be more perfect. On the wall above the dresser I hung alphabet memory cards designed by Charley Harper. The mobile above the cribs is a collection of scrap booking chipboard animals found at Michaels.

I had so much fun searching for different woodland creatures for the boys. I was thrilled when I found cribs sheets to go with the theme. And the silly hedgehog beanbag from Ikea makes me giggle a little.

The only things it's missing are Baby A and Baby B. Katie is going to be heartbroken to find out the nursery wasn't designed for her. She loves to go in there and look around and lay on the soft rug. Luckily I haven't found her in the cribs yet. But she does think that the red changing pad is hers. No harm there I guess.

White Cake | Black Flowers

2009-04-13T11:35:00.003-06:00

Last Wednesday I made a couple of birthday cakes. One for my sister-in-law Debbie and one for a good friend at work. I haven't had much energy lately, so they both got the same cake. I hope that they didn't mind. I really wanted to add a huge flower or a red ribbon to the top of the cakes but "the boys" told me that I was done.

I had another ultrasound today and everything is looking great. Both boys are head down and growing really well. Baby A is 4 lbs 4 oz and Baby B is 3 lbs 12 oz. That's a lot of baby!

Finally a new cake post

2009-03-10T08:46:00.003-06:00

I feel like I haven't made a cake for ever. So when my friend Jessica asked if I was feeling up to making a cake for her mother-in-law's 50th birthday, I jumped at the chance. This cake was a lot of fun to make and surprisingly pretty quick. I baked the cake and made all of the stars and numbers the night before to give them a chance to harder. So when it came time to decorate the cake I think it only took about an hour.

Poor Katie

2009-02-26T08:28:00.005-07:00

Katie hasn't been feeling so hot this week. She hasn't eaten anything since Sunday and she just mopes around the house. The moping is an improvement from Tuesday when I don't think she moved all day.

Last night I took her to the vet to see what's up. Poor thing was dehydrated and was running a fever. And her stomach was sore to the touch. They did blood work and it came back normal. So we still don't know what is wrong and she's still not eating. The vet injected her with fluids and pain medication. If she's not eating by tomorrow, I'll take her in for more tests.

Katie did so well at the vet. Everyone was amazed that she would just sit next to me on the bench in the waiting room. She didn't even seem to mind when someone brought a dog in. When it was time to leave I thought I was okay just carrying her out to the car. But as soon as we went outside she started howling. As we got closer to my car she started getting really squirmy. It was dark outside and I was the only in the parking lot. I really needed help but wasn't sure what to do. I tried to unlock the car door with one hand and hold Katie with the other hand. She took that as her opportunity to bolt. I was so scared that she would take off and I'd never see her again.

So sickly Katie was running down the street from one parked car to the next. And I, hugely pregnant, was running after her as fast as I could. I finally caught up to her by a truck half way down the block. As soon as I bent down to pick her up she tried to run again. I was able to grab one hind leg and pull her out from under the truck. We both winced in pain.

When I got back to the car fear struck again. I was in the same situation as before. I still hadn't unlocked the car. This time I managed to open the door before she took off again. Luckily I was able to catch her in the parking lot this time. I put her in the back seat and hurried to shut the door. After collecting my purse and paperwork I was able to sneak into the front.

So we made it home. Katie isn't very happy with me and she's still not eating or drinking. I'm so worried about her. Hopefully she will be feeling better soon and we can all laugh about how silly the two of us looked running through some strange neighborhood in the dark of night.

Woodland Creatures

2009-02-23T14:06:00.004-07:00

I've decided on a theme for the babies' room. Originally I didn't want a theme just something sweet and original. But as I started painting and decorating a theme sort of emerged.

I'm loving the idea of decorating with woodland creatures. I've started painting a abstract woodsy mural and will hopefully be done this week. I'll post pictures as I get further along.

I stumbled across this knitting pattern and thought it was absolutely adorable. My Grandma Jensen taught me how to knit when I was 12 but I don't remember much. I wish I would have kept it up so I could make these little critters for the boys.

Florida

2009-02-10T14:03:00.005-07:00

My parents and grandma went to visit my brother in Ft. Lauderdale this past week and last minute I decided to crash their trip. I hope they didn't mind too much.

The highlight of the trip for me was a tour through the Everglades. We started the day with an air boat ride through the marsh. Here's my family hanging out on a hammock in the middle of the swamp. As you can see, we were all bundled up. We were hoping to get away from the cold winter days. Unfortunately, Florida was in the middle of an unusual cold front the majority of the time we were there.

Here's my grandma and I in front of some wild life right off of the road. It's amazing how many alligators and birds we saw. I don't think you can tell from this picture put there were alligators lined up pretty much nonstop along the canal right off the road.

This was as close as I dared get to the alligators. They didn't even seem to notice any of us were around.

The Everglades tour ended with a boat ride where the Everglades end and the Gulf of Mexico begins. I was thrilled to see dolphins swimming in the wake of the boat.

Bad Kitty

2009-01-30T08:33:00.003-07:00

I put Katie on a diet about 2 years ago. What good has it done though? She gets the recommended diet portion of Iam's weight control. But she always seems to be begging for food and has put on more weight. During the summer I attributed the weight gain to her supplemental diet of birds, mice and the neighbors cat's food. Now that it's winter and she doesn't go out much she has found ways to sneak more food.

I came home late last night to this mess in my kitchen. About a week ago she figured out how to get into the cat food bag. I haven't had time to get a cat proof container so I thought putting the food on the counter behind some cookbooks would keep her out. Nope. Here's Katie impressed with her handy work. I swear that cat is like a dog. Had I not cleaned up her mess I'm sure she would have eaten everything and licked the floor clean before I left for work this morning.

We are having two healthy little...

2009-01-16T16:32:00.002-07:00

A Few Highlights From the Trip

2009-01-13T09:16:00.010-07:00

Dave and I went on our Hawaiian vacation with our friend's Sharon and Jared. Here's the closest thing I had to a group picture. Sharon and I posing under the huge Banyan tree, with Jared sneaking in behind us.

Here's one with Dave so he doesn't feel left out.

The last time I went to Maui my favorite part of the trip was a whale watching boat ride. So that was definitely on our list of must dos this trip. This time we did a dolphin tour knowing that we would see our fair share of whales too. About 15 minutes after leaving the harbor on our way to see the dolphins, a humpback whale jumped out of the water about 20 yards in front of us. It took everyone by surprise. The captain quickly stopped the boat and turned off the engine. No one could believe how close this whale was to us. They usually don't pay much attention to boats, so it was pretty rare when he started circling our boat and flapping his fins.

Here are a couple of pictures I got just leaning over the boat.

The whole experience was pretty amazing. Just as the whale was leaving he did a full breech right in front of the boat.

We spent a couple days snorkeling and saw some pretty cool stuff. Sea turtles where definitely the highlight.

We drove the road to Hana and saw waterfalls and my favorite beach yet. The picture I posted yesterday was from a black sand beach near Hana.

Body surfing at Big Beach was a lot off fun too. Here's Dave and Jared giving it a try.

We had an awesome time. But I did learn a few things about traveling while pregnant that I wasn't expecting.

Laying out while pregnant wasn't as relaxing as I was hoping it would be. I couldn't find a comfortable position. Dave and I tried digging holes in the sand for me to lay my belly, but it didn't work too well. So I could only tan the the front side of my body.
Even though dolphin/whale tours are a lot of fun at first, about 2 hours into it expect to be sick. Yes I'll admit it. I did yack off the back of the boat. Not my finest moment.
I know it seems obvious that body surfing should be a no-no for pregnant women, but I couldn't resist. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun. I only tried it once and thought better of it as I skidded across the beach on my belly then was repeatedly pummelled by waves because I couldn't manage to stand up. Sorry babies.

We're Back

2009-01-12T14:29:00.003-07:00

I've taken a bit of a blogging hiatus. I'll try to be a little more consisted from now on. I blame my lack of doing anything interesting on my first trimester which was pretty rough. I was so exhausted that going to work was about all I could handle. But I'm finally getting my energy back.

In celebration of feeling somewhat like myself again, Dave and I headed to Maui for a week. Here's a sneak peak at out our trip. I'll post more pictures and stories later this week.

Nick and Shay's Wedding Cake

2008-12-30T08:47:00.006-07:00

My friend Tammy's son is getting married today. I feel honored to have been asked to make the wedding cake. They didn't want anything large or with fondant. It's been so long since I've worked with butter cream I was a little nervous taking on the challenge. Luckily I hadn't forgotten how to use a piping bag. This is what we came up with.The groom is in the Navy so they added this sculpture on top of the cake. At first they wanted a nautical themed cake to go with the sculpture but in the end they decided on a more traditional cake. I really love how the cake turned out.

Beginnings of a Nursery

2008-11-06T13:51:00.003-07:00

I haven't had much to blog about lately. It seems like all I do anymore is sleep, work, eat and puke. That doesn't leave much time for making cakes or socializing.

I am getting some ideas together for the nursery, though. I bought this rug last week and thought I would base the nursery around it. I'm planning on using mainly teals and reds.

I'm Pregnant!!!

2008-10-29T08:32:00.002-06:00

Take a close look at my ultrasound and see if you notice anything a little different.

Yep there are two babies in there! I'm only about 8-9 weeks along right now. Originally I didn't want to tell people until I was passed my first trimester, but I couldn't resist. Their due date is June 4th.

Puss n' Sneaks

2008-10-20T08:29:00.003-06:00

Whenever I take a cake on a plane, I usually get a lot of people interested in what I'm traveling with. Last month when I took my ugly ducking cake to Idaho, I came equipped with business cards. A flight attendant from Dave's airline called me shortly after to make this cake for her friend's birthday. Her friend is a marathon runner who has two orange cats. So I made her some running shoes with her feline friends playing with the shoelaces.

More Bouncy Balls

2008-10-10T08:17:00.002-06:00

A woman in Dallas stumbled across my blog and saw the bouncy ball cake I made for my friend Melinda. She asked if I could make the cake and send it to Dallas. I wasn't sure how well that would work so we came up with a compromise. She had a Dallas bakery make the cake and I made all of the fondant bouncy balls. So here they are, ready to be packaged and delivered.

Ready for Ski Season???

2008-10-09T10:42:00.002-06:00

Every fall Dave and I dry up Little or Big Cottonwood Canyon to see the changing leaves. Last night we went up to Alta. Up at the top of the canyon the leaves were starting to turn red, which is my favorite stage. We'll have to go again in a few weeks to see the whole canyon transformed.

I know it looks silly with me wearing my big puffy green coat when it really wasn't that cold outside. I was just so excited to wear it. I bought it last Spring at a snowboard shop and haven't had a chance to wear it yet. I fell in love with it because the fabric is Herringbone which I thought was an awesome choice for a ski jacket. Maybe if I have some cute snow gear I'd be more willing to give skiing another try. We'll see.

Rocking Swan

2008-10-08T10:08:00.003-06:00

I was at D.I. last night looking for some furniture I could refinish. Instead I found this awesome wooden rocking swan. I thought that one day it would look darling in a little nursery. It's missing the velvety plush body. Hopefully I can find a replacement or figure out something similar I can make. I was excited to find that my $8 purchase sells new for $475. Not bad.

Yummy Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-10-07T15:08:00.003-06:00

Now that's it's getting colder outside I'm going to start experimenting with soups. On Friday night I was craving chicken noodle soup. I found this recipe at foodnetwork.com and thought I'd give it a try.

This was the best chicken soup I've ever made. I used a rotisserie chicken and frozen egg noodles. That was pretty much the only alterations I made. The mushrooms sauteed in butter were the best part of the soup. And definitely don't skimp on the fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients
2 quarts canned low-salt chicken broth
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8 ounces dried egg noodles
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Combine chicken broth and chicken in heavy large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large bowl. Cool chicken and broth slightly. Discard skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken meat into bite-size pieces and reserve. Spoon fat off top of chicken broth.
Return broth to simmer. Add onion, carrots and celery. Simmer until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover chicken meat and broth separately and refrigerate. Bring broth to boil before continuing.)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Add mushrooms to broth; stir in noodles, parsley and reserved chicken. Simmer until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Nice Croutons

2008-09-30T08:52:00.004-06:00

The theme for this month's cooking group is salads. I decided to make a traditional green salad with ranch dressing. Well actually it's not that traditional since it's made out of cake. I had a lot of fun with this one. The little croutons are my favorite part. I was asleep before Dave got home last night. As I was getting ready for work, Dave woke up and said "have a nice day at work, and I love the croutons." Then he fell back asleep. I thought that was pretty cute.

Wrapping Station

2008-09-29T09:05:00.003-06:00

I love ribbon. I like to buy presents just so I can wrap them. I've been wanting a way to organize my ribbon and paper but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. Pottery Barn makes a wrapping station, but it isn't really in my price range and it wouldn't hold all of my paper. So I came up with this inexpensive way to store all of my supplies.

I bought two totes and drilled 1/2 inch holes into the sides. I put 3/8 inch dowels through the holes and strung on my spools of ribbon. Inside of the totes, I secured the dowels with little wooden balls with 3/8 holes in them.

So simple.

In the tote with the lid, I am able to store my scissors, tape and gift tags.

Sneak peak at my new wood floors

2008-09-24T16:36:00.003-06:00

Last week we had our hard wood floors refinished. Two bedrooms, the dining room and the family room were all moved out. Most of it's in my kitchen. I love love love my new floors but I am so ready to have my house back. We have to wait 5 days to move heavy furniture back in while the finish is curing. I'm going nuts. My piano is in front of my stove so cooking is out of the question. Luckily I pulled out the electric skillet before we barricaded the cupboards.

Tonight I'm going to paint the baseboards and Saturday we'll move all of the furniture back. Here is a sneak peek of the floors. This is the cowboy room. Above the stars there is a funny boarder with bucking broncos and cowboys with chaps. I've been using this room as a closet for the last three years since our 1950's home is lacking in closet space. I moved my closet downstairs and think I'll use this room as a craft room. Even though the cowboys inspire my artistic side, I think I might change it up this fall.

Spud Day

2008-09-23T10:31:00.004-06:00

Every year my home town of Shelley has a celebration for the beloved potato. I haven't been for years and was excited to find out it happened to be the weekend that I was in Idaho anyway for my Grandma's funeral.

Between bursts of rain, we headed out to the city park for the festivities. I was looking forward to seeing the spud tug (tug of war over a pit of mashed potatoes) but it was delayed because of the rain. I did get a free loaded spud and a strawberry funnel cake which I have been craving all summer.

Spelunking

2008-09-19T12:50:00.006-06:00

My grandma Jensen passed away on Sunday. The funeral was in Idaho on Wednesday. I took the rest of the week off work to hang out with the family. It was hard to say goodbye to my Grandma but it's been nice to get the whole family together.

On Thursday we all went to Craters of the Moon. It's a national park in Idaho that is covered in Lava rocks. Here I am sitting in a huge green rocking chair with my nieces and nephew at a cute little restaurant in Arco.

I absolutely love my parent's dog Boone. After lots of persuading I talked my Dad into letting me bring Boone on the trip. Here's Boone in the back of the Explorer trying to sneak out of his crate.

Boone and I had a great time hiking around looking at the craters.

I had never been to Craters before and I was really surprised that there were such cool caves to crawl around in.

Here's my dad taking a look around Scout Cave.

When I was taking pictures I wasn't really sure what I was capturing. It's crazy that I can see more of the cave in these pictures than I could see when when we were actually in there.

Lazy Sunday Morning

2008-09-15T08:33:00.001-06:00

Dave and Katie basking in the sun after breakfast.

African Violet Cake #2

2008-09-12T08:27:00.004-06:00

I have a church party tonight and I was asked to bring a centerpiece for one of the dinner tables. I wanted to make a cake that didn't necessarily look like a cake but something you would expect to see as a centerpiece. I decided to give the African Violet cake another try sans the lumpy pot.

Cooking Class

2008-09-05T08:32:00.004-06:00

Last night I went to a cooking class taught by Kelsey Nixon from The Next Food Network Star and Nicole Hill (A Little Sussy). We watched a grilling demonstration on the back patio of a beautiful house in Orem. It was fun watching the girls cook and hearing the dirt from The Next Food Network Star. I was expecting the class to be a little more hands on or to have more challenging recipes though.

I did gets some ideas for the next time I host a party. They made grilled pita with three different dipping sauces. The Pesto, White Bean Purée and Olive Tapenade was very tasty and looked so pretty. I'll definitely give that a try.

Kitty Cat Cake

2008-09-04T13:14:00.004-06:00

If you were to ask me what cake I'd make for my own birthday, I would have to say this little cat on yarn cake. I saw this cake in one of my cake books and I've been dying to make it. My friend asked if I would make a cake for her cat lover grandma's birthday. I knew it was time to give it a try. Now that I've made it I guess I need to choose another favorite birthday cake.

Shower Invitation

2008-09-03T16:45:00.004-06:00

I brushed up on my Flash skills this afternoon and made a shower invitation for my friend. Click here to see an interactive version. Be sure to mouse over the flowers.

E.A.T. test

2008-09-02T16:49:00.003-06:00

My cake made it to Idaho without any problems. TSA kept making comments about preforming an E.A.T. test on the cake to make sure it could pass through security. I told them, "Go ahead, it's made out of Styrofoam!"

Here it is buckled in the seat next to me.

We went straight from the airport to the Fair to drop of the cake. I was the first one there so I wasn't sure what to expect from the other designers.

Turns out my cake was just too little to compete. The winning cake was beautiful though. There were a lot more details than I put on my little cake. I really wasn't sure what to expect. Next competition I think I will be a lot more prepared and hopefully have more time to make my cake special and BIGGER.

Award Winning???

2008-08-29T08:58:00.003-06:00

Here is the Little Duckling Cake I made for the cake competition this weekend. I wish I could have spent more time on it. It's been a busy two weeks. I'm not sure what I would have done differently but I don't feel like it has the "wow" factor.

I'm worried about taking it on the plane. Most of the cake was airbrushed so if anything breaks I won't be able to replace it and get the same color effect. Can you tell I'm a bit nervous? Man this post is a downer.

Wish me luck?

Quads

2008-08-28T09:32:00.004-06:00

I took a day off of work and hung out with my nephews. We took the quads out and let the kids loose. Here's Grandpa laying down the rules. Stuff like, "I know it feels really good to go fast, but keep it under 15mph" and "If I see you going over jumps too fast, I will come and haul your butt back to the truck."

This was my first time driving an ATV. I was a little nervous at first but got the hang of it before too long. I was out by myself and kept entertained by chasing the huge jack rabbits around the trails.

I always love it when Dave's brother Shayne and his family come to town.

Debbie's Wedding Cake

2008-08-25T08:33:00.005-06:00

The wedding turned out beautifully Saturday night. Debbie looked gorgeous and the party was lively.

So here is the wedding cake. The bumble bees were added last minute. Debbie thought they would be cute. At first I wasn't so sure, but when the cake was put together I thought that it worked.

I wish I had a better picture of Debbie and Kylie cutting the cake. I snapped this one really fast beacuse I didn't want to get in the way.

I think we can make it through this

2008-08-22T09:56:00.003-06:00

The wedding cake is done! Yeah! I'll post pictures of it after the wedding.

Surprisingly, besides the bird incident, I didn't have any problems putting the cake together. It only took me twelve hours from baking to adding the finishing touches. I'm sure twelve hours seems like a long time, but I was pretty happy that it didn't take longer.

Katie and I are on better terms. She spent the last two days in her impromptu hang out in the garage. Yesterday morning I went to check on her. She was laying on her little bed with the saddest look on her face. I went to pet her and she wouldn't even look up at me. I made myself a tuna fish sandwich for lunch just so I could give her the left over tuna juice (her favorite treat). After I finished the cake and put in a safe spot, Katie was aloud back in the house. It only took her a few minutes to warm up to me again. I've forgiven her for dropping a bird on my cake and apparently she has forgiven me for locking her out of the house for two days. I think we can make it through this.

Does anyone want Katie?

2008-08-20T14:40:00.002-06:00

Does anyone want Katie? We’ve been on the outs for the last month and last night she crossed the line. For the last three years I’ve dealt with the nonstop meowing, excessive shedding and the occasion bird, mouse or snake at my doorstep. But last night takes the cake (in more ways than one.)

Dave’s sister is getting married on Saturday and I get to make her cake. This is my first attempt at a wedding cake and I have to admit I’m pretty nervous. Last night I was working on making hundreds of little sugar flowers. I decided to take a break and go get the mail. I left the front door open because I was just going to be a second. As soon as I got the mail I could see Katie on the doorstep with something in her mouth. This is a usual scene at my house. I couldn’t tell what it was but I yelled at her to drop it. Instead she decided to run into the house.

I ran after her and caught her in the kitchen. I realized the bird she was carrying was still very alive. When she saw me she let go of the bird. Unfortunately it was right on top of the flowers I so painstakingly made. The bird was flying around like crazy. I was screaming a trying to get Katie out of the kitchen. I’m sure it would have been a funny sight but I was too freaked out and devastated over the loss of my flowers.

I threw Katie outside and began to look for the bird. I slinked around the kitchen and timidly looked in every corner. No bird. I looked in the basement thinking maybe she flew down there. No bird. I grabbed a laundry basket to use a trap and continued my search throughout the house. Still no bird.

So I opened all of the doors and went outside and cried. I didn’t know what to do. Dave was on a trip, my kitchen was in shambles, and there was some wild bird waiting to attack me somewhere in my house.

As a kid I had a scary incident with a huge grasshopper. It was the most traumatic experience I can remember to date. Until recently every scary dream I had involved grasshoppers. It’s my biggest irrational fear. What bothers me so much about them is how unpredictable they are. You never know where they are going to hop next. Having this bird in my house not knowing where it was or where it will fly next took me right back to that day with the five inch grasshopper.

After spending a half an hour outside talking with my mom as she tried to calm me down I figured the bird had left or maybe it flew outside during the commotion when I wasn’t looking. I convinced myself I was safe. I grabbed the vacuum and started the daunting task of cleaning up all of the feathers. As the vacuum cleaner came close to the bay window in my kitchen the missing bird was not missing any more. It started fluttering and flying into things. Again I screamed and ran outside.

I eventually went next door and asked my neighbor to help me out. I’m sure they think I’m crazy. I was a complete basket case. Through the tears I managed to tell them my predicament. Stan easily grabbed the bird and released it outside. It didn’t seem to be too hurt since it flew away immediately.

I was really surprised by my reaction to this whole situation. I can usually keep it together and rarely cry in front of people. I’m not sure if the tears came from my fear of unpredictable birds, confusion with Katie, or having my cake destroyed.

I think the main reason is because I’m so paranoid about having my house sanitized before I cook for other people. I always kick Katie outside, put on a hair net and sterilize my kitchen before I start cooking anything that is for someone else. I would hate to have people not want to eat my food because they know I have a cat in the house.

Had I not been working on Debbie’s cake I probably wouldn’t have reacted so insanely about a bird in the house. Tonight I’ll resume the cake decorating, sans the risk of passing on the bird flu, and Katie will not be allowed in the house for the next few days. I’ll set up her bed in the garage with some extra treats. I’m sure she’ll be devastated, but I don’t have a choice.

Water Olympics

2008-08-18T08:22:00.008-06:00

In honor of the Summer Games our ward had our own Olympic ceremonies. It turned out better than I could have expected. We started off with a dutch oven breakfast and then tried our hardest to get everyone soaking wet.

The games consisted of rely races

obstacle courses

and of course a medal ceremony.

I'm going on my third year in the activities committee. I'm a little burned out but I don't want to say anything for fear I might get an even more time consuming calling. Luckily my committee is much more excited and dedicated than me.

The Ugly Cygnet

2008-08-15T10:50:00.006-06:00

I received the requirements for the cake competition I will be competing in. Apparently there is a theme for the special occasion cakes. This year it is Fairy Tales. My ocean cake would probably work if I adapted it to "The Little Mermaid" but I think I want to do something completely different. I'm going to try the "Ugly Duckling." There is a lot I can do with this little cygnet. My mom told me what a baby swan was called. Here is my inspiration for the cake. I'll keep you posted as I make the different elements.

Almond Daisy Cake

2008-08-13T16:57:00.003-06:00

I made this cake about 4 years ago, long before I experimented with fondant. The cake is covered in a glaze frosting. I goes on really smooth and has the appearance of fondant with out the work. The flowers are real (I don't think I'll ever be able to make sugar flowers look that realistic.) This is the only time I've put fresh flowers on a cake. I'm usually not a fan. It looks beautiful but I worry about the pollen getting in the edible part of the cake. Maybe next time I'd use edible flowers.

Sugar Orchids

2008-08-12T08:52:00.003-06:00

This weekend I attempted to make orchids out of sugar paste. I made enough petals for about six flowers but was only able to successfully make two orchids. But now I think I've got the technique down so next time it should go a lot smoother. They would look a lot more realistic had I spent the time to paint each petal instead of leaving them white.

Eastern Idaho State Fair

2008-08-07T11:18:00.008-06:00

I was thinking about submitting a cake to the Sugar Arts Festival in Tulsa which is the largest cake competition in America. I went last year as an onlooker and was totally amazed. I think I need to ease into the competitive side of cake decorating though. I found out the Idaho is having their own Sugar Art Show at the Blackfoot fair this year. Perfect. I can easily get a cake to Idaho and I'll have supporters to go to the fair with me.

I need your help though. I'm not sure what to submit. Should I recreate a cake that I've already made or come up with a new idea altogether?

My Finding Nemo cake would be fun. I can spend more time on the sea life details.

I've always liked this popcorn cake. I'd definitely put more detail on the popcorn bucket.

The trout cake might appeal to the Idaho crowd.

I really want to make an original cake. Not out of a book. So the Dragon and Jungle cake are out.

Let me know what you think the judges and fair folk would be the most impressed with.

Pot of African Violets

2008-08-06T10:19:00.003-06:00

A few posts ago I warned you that I would be posting pictures of my beginner cakes. This is my first attempt to make a cake look like something other than a cake. The terracotta pot is a little lumpy but it kind of works. It looks like a kid made it in art class.

This cake was for my mother-in-law's birthday a few years ago.

Grilling by the Pool - Meetup Group

2008-07-31T08:29:00.005-06:00

Last night I went to the monthly meetup group party. I originally wanted to make grilled corn on the cob with lime butter, chili rub and queso fresco. I forgot to post my suggestion and someone else decided to bring the corn. Actually I think Rechelle's recipe was better than mine anyway.

I had a ton of queso fresco I needed to use. I decided to make my standard pasta salad replacing the Mozzarella with queso fresco. This salad is so simple. Yet the fresh herbs, especially the basil, add a nice touch to this traditional salad.

11 ounces small shell-shaped pasta
3 cloves garlic
18 ounces red cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 handful black olives, pitted
Mozzarella cheese (I used queso fresco)
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1 handful fresh basil
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and garlic, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until al dente, and drain.

Put the garlic to one side for the dressing. Put the pasta in a bowl.

Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, and black olives into small pieces, about half the size of the pasta, and place in the bowl. Roughly chop the herbs and place these in the bowl.

Using a fork mash the cooked garlic cloves on the board with a little salt, add to the salad.
Add the oil, vinegar, and seasoning.

Zucchini Muffins

2008-07-30T08:17:00.004-06:00

I have so much zucchini from my garden and I can't keep up with eating it all. Last night I made these zucchini muffins to use a portion of the squash. I found the recipe on Foodnetwork.com and modified it just a bit.

When it comes to bread I love anything oaty, wheaty, or grainy. This recipe has oatmeal in it and I replaced the oil with applesauce. So overall I'd like to think these are a healthy little snack.

Zucchini Muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 large eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
Crushed Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When combined, mix in the oats. Make a well in the center of the ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the well. Combine lightly, then stir in the zucchini. Do not over mix.

Put the batter into lined muffin tins . Sprinkle with the crushed pecan if you wish. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Bead Fairy

2008-07-29T08:34:00.003-06:00

Last night Dave's Cousin Liz, Aunt Sue and I took a trip to the Bead Fairy. I was thrilled when I found the section of natural stone beads. I always assumed the beads you found in a store like this would all be plastic or glass.

This is what I came up with. The green beads are jade and the coral beads are yep you guest it, coral.

Lightning McQueen

2008-07-25T08:34:00.008-06:00

Dave's high school friend Amanda asked if I would make a cake for her son's 4th birthday. His party is Cars themed so we came up with this Lightning McQueen cake. This was my first attempt at making Lightning. I thought it turned out pretty good. I put in the basement to stay cool, so I thought.

Before I went to bed I decided to check on Lightning. It was so hot yesterday the bottom cake buckled. I'm sure I had enough supports in it but the heat was just too much I guess.

Luckily Wal-Mart carries fondant and is open late. Dave ran to the store while I disassembled the poor Lightning cake. I put a new layer of fondant on the bottom tier and repiped the message. Disaster averted!

I actually like the second cake better. The first time I put Lightning in the center of the cake and wrote Happy Birthday Eli on the side of the bottom tier. I wasn't thrilled with how it turned out. So the second attempt I made room to write the message on the top of the cake.

Cake decorated always has its surprises. When I was working on the cake in the morning I thought "this was too easy." I guess I was a little too confident and needed to be humbled. Well, fixing a cake in the middle of the night in my pajamas seemed to do the trick.

Another Katie Post

2008-07-23T14:05:00.004-06:00

Katie has to be involved with everything I'm doing. Last week I got a pedicure. When I got home I put the spa flip flops on the couch. I looked over and Katie was trying them on. I thought maybe she wanted a pedicure too.

Did I ever tell you how Katie came to live with Dave and I? Well, she belonged to my Great Grandpa Anderson. He got her from the shelter when see was a kitten. He needed company after my Great Grandma past away and Katie was perfect for him. She's very needy and possessive of her people which is kind of annoying for me but was great for my Grandpa. She was always by Grandpa's side.

Two and a half years ago Grandpa moved into a nursing home. They let Katie come with him to the home but after a month it was to hard for Grandpa to take care of himself and Katie. Everyone really wanted Katie to stay in the family because she meant so much to Grandpa. Dave and I were nominated to be Katie's new parents. I drove out to Idaho to see my Grandpa and to pick up Katie. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Grandpa loved Katie so much and had asked for someone to take care of her for him. But when I tried to take her away he was really confused and kept saying "why are you taking my cat?" It broke my heart. Within a week of us taking Katie, Grandpa Anderson passed away. I feel like Katie keeps my Grandpa in my mind and heart.

Here's my Grandma Haws, Grandpa Anderson, Katie and I. Actually at the time her name wasn't Katie. Grandpa named her Chelsey but I don't think he ever called he that. He always called her Kitty. I wasn't a big fan of the name Chelsey for a cat and Kitty isn't really a name. So now she's Katie. I thought it was close enough to Kitty that she wouldn't even notice.

Elopement Cake

2008-07-21T11:53:00.004-06:00

Disclaimer on my next few cake posts: I think I made a bit of a mistake with this blog. I started out showing my most recent cakes which of course are a lot better. So now I'm left with my beginner cakes that are a little lumpy.

This is my first attempt at a tiered cake. My friend Josh eloped a couple of years ago. He and his wife Molly had a casual party to celebrate after they told everyone the news. I thought it would be funny to bring a wedding cake since they didn't have one at their wedding. I was a little nervous bringing it because there was nothing traditional about their wedding. Luckily they loved it. They had a "ceremonial" cake cutting which was really cute.

Does anyone understand 12 year old boys?

2008-07-15T11:21:00.003-06:00

I was shopping for some goodies for Dave to take to scout camp and I found my new favorite treat. Dill Pickle Pringles! I had some Dill Pickle Lays a couple of years ago. I loved the taste put I'm not a big fan of greasy potato chips. But this Pringles are awesome.

Dave told me the menu that the scouts planed for camp and I thought there is no way Dave can survive on the food the scouts said they wanted to bring. Each boy was in charge of a planning and shopping for a meal. One night they are going to have chicken breast. Dave said, "so do you want any sides with your chicken or any seasoning?" The scout said, "no, just chicken breast." For breakfast one morning a scout wants ham and carrots. What? Is that even a meal.

I couldn't bear to let my husband eat food prepared by 12 year old boys so I'm sending him with some processed, high calorie, full of preservatives snacks instead.

Birds and Blooms

2008-07-14T14:33:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I wish Dave and I were a little more frivolous with our money. Because if we were I'd be the proud owner of this cute little writing desk and dresser from Pier 1. I've been in love with this set the first time I saw it last month. I have no need for it but that doesn't change the fact that I can't stop thinking about it.

Wood Floors

2008-07-14T09:20:00.003-06:00

While Dave was getting ready for scout camp, I finished pulling up the carpet in the living room. There are a few problem areas, but overall I think they look pretty nice.

I went to RC Willey last week and picked out a carpet remnant. I had them bind it so we could use it as a rug. I wish we would have done this 3 years ago when we moved in. I think it feels a lot homier.