Yum!

So, since I have had a little time on my hands I have been busy going through all of my fabulous cookbooks, finding recipes, meal planning, and doing lots of cooking! I have tried new recipes, improved others, and had a lot of fun. I absolutely love cooking and baking. Here are some of my favorites:

Feta, Potato, and Leek Tart~


Blueberry Tart with White Chocolate Crust~


Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips (I took pictures of the huge zucchini out of the garden but forgot a pic of the 6 loaves of bread I made!)~



Endive, Fig, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Wraps(not a great picture, but delicious none the less!)~



Chocolate Kaluhua Cake~


Goat Cheese and Strawberry Rhubarb Chutney Puffs~


Finally, a new twist on an old favorite! Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich on Sourdough with Balsamic Vinegar Tomatoes and Basil~

Kids Make Me Laugh...

Seriously, how funny are kids? I mean they can make my mood go from sour to fantastic with one little song, a phrase, or just a silly face! No wonder I am a teacher :) Here are two of my favorite kids, Jake and Kylie. As their nanny this summer I have seen and heard some of the funniest things come out of their mouths. They crack me up. I wanted to share with you two of their most recent recordings that I took and laugh at daily.

Here is Kylie's version of Pink! (Good thing she doesn't know what the song is about!) I recorded her on my iPhone and then she and I turned it into a little "music video" with her pictures. She was super excited about this part!




Here is Jake and his favorite phrase. He says at the best times too!



I hope these made your day~ Just posting them makes me smile :)

My Summer as a Nanny!

After completing my Master's, I wanted to get back into the working world. I decided a great summer gig would be nannying. I had spent a lot of time babysitting/nannying during high school and college but it had definitely been awhile. One of my professors referred me to a family who is newer to the area. They are a family with an almost two year old, Jake, and a four year old, Kylie. I absolutely LOVE these children. I knew starting out that I would only work for them for the summer, but when I started I didn't realize how quickly the time would go by. Two months has flown by so fast! I only have two more weeks with these wonderful children and I am going to miss them immensely. Kylie and Jake are very well behaved and have been taught the best manners! Kylie never says "what," instead she says "pardon!" No joke.. it is so cute! I love that their family has taught them how important manners and kindness are. She is such a softie and cares about everything/everyone. Jake is this funny little guy who will someday be a tough hockey player (like dad) or a football player. He is such a tough guy. He is a "tank" as CJ refers to him. He also cracks me up daily with his impression of the song "We will rock you!"

We have had so much fun this summer going to the zoo, children's museum, pump it up, the park (almost daily), cooking, science experiments, etc. Here are a few pics of my kiddos!

The Emperor Moth

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth and took it home so he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. One day a small opening appeared. The man sat and watched the moth for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. To the man it appeared as if the moth had gotten as far as it could in breaking out of the cocoon and was stuck.

Out of kindness the man decided to help the moth. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the moth could get out. Soon the moth emerged, but it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that in time the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would simultaneously contract to its proper size.

Neither happened. In fact, that little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste didn't understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Just as the moth could only achieve freedom and flight as a result of struggling, we often need to struggle to become all we're intended to be. You see, the struggles of life, heartaches and pains are necessary if you want to be great. Instead of cursing them, understand them while you are experiencing them. They are part of the making of a man.

Author unknown~

Gardens Galore!

This summer has been filled with fun new plants and a vegetable/herb garden. Although we have more than enough room to have our own veggie garden we decided to plant a large one with CJ's parents at their place. It was a lot of work at first but now we are finally seeing some of the "fruit of our labor!"

Here are some pictures from my porch and front yard.








Here is some from our shared vegetable garden! We have corn (a lot!), zucchini, cucumbers, sweet peas, onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery, herbs, beans, lettuce, squash, and pumpkins~ From where it started to where it is today :)













My first picking... I will be taking these camping with us this weekend!

Thank you~

I have been thinking about how lucky I am to be surrounded by amazing men and women. I truly feel blessed to have such a great family and set of friends. So, this post is for you!

These are some of the most important people in my life. You have helped me through this last year in Graduate School and I am so thankful to have you all in my life. I love you all~

First and foremost, CJ. You never cease to amaze me with your love, patience, and generosity. You are my best friend and I am truly grateful for everyday with you.


My mom Mary~ thank you for always inspiring me.


My parents~ Mom, John, Curtis, Joyce and Charlie

Emily and Colin~ oh the good times we have!


The Pacific University ladies(Katie, Karen, Becky) and our advisor Mark


The Awesome Aerotek Wives Club~ Tammy, Amy, Sarah, and Dani!



My lovely friends in no particular order:
Alison, Beth, Julie, Mel, Rob, Claire, Donald, Matt, Beth, Matt, Dee, Dave, Amy, Ashley, Tammy, Greg, Sarah, The Concord girls (Melissa, Vanessa, Ashley, and Joanna), and all of my husband's sweet friends, especially the HilHi guys, who have taken me in!


Thank you all for everything you do!

Crafts!

Since I have finished Graduate School (yay!) and have not started working yet I have had more time for crafts. These are some necklaces that I made for my three favorite girls from Pacific. Without the help of Becky, Karen, and Katie I don't know if I would have made it.

Here are my girls and I at the coast last week.

Here are the necklaces and cards I made for them! I love that my crafty side is coming out again!