An Osmond 24th of July

If you live in Utah then you know that the 24th of July is a big deal. It is the day we remember the pioneers that entered the Utah valley on July 24, 1847. We celebrate with a huge parade and fireworks. Business typically close the doors so workers can be with family. Everyone whether Mormon or not spends a little time thinking about all the people who came before us. I think hooray for the inventor of air conditioning and Popsicles. I reflected over this last week by watching the parade (love the shiny floats), having dinner at Fridays with Hilary, attending 2 concerts in honor of the Pioneers, having dinner with my friend for her birthday at the Dodo, having a sleep over with some cute kids and family dinner with my friends family. It was a busy week. At first I thought I might be nuts to attend the concert twice, until I saw it the first time. I went with my friends Beki, Candice and Sue. It was hot, but Sue had ice in bags and we stayed in the shade on the way to the conference center. There were 20,000 people watching with us. The room feel silent and everyone stood up when our Prophet walked in. I then felt this surge of joy. I love to be in the same building as my prophet. He is a wonderful man, and I know when I follow his advice I find peace and lasting happiness. I had a great conversation with Beki as we waited for it all to start. It was neat to see how much Sue knows about the workings of the choir. Then to see disco balls and groovy light in the center with clapping and stomping and hooting and hollering- WOW. It was amazing to watch the choir let their hair down so to speak. We were far away from the stage but the second night I got a better view of the cool archives and hip digital images playing in the background. Marie's dress was super sparkly the first night. I cried from the beautiful spirit I felt to the heavenly music performed. I laughed and clapped and tapped my feet. What a close loving family the Osmonds are. I enjoyed the talent, music, dancing, stories, love and testimony shared. I was envious of the Donny Marie songs thinking I wish that was my brother and me! Anthony and Missy-reunion tour. I guess we would have had to have a first tour to have a 50 year reunion. As a child I was Marie for Halloween for 3 years and I chopped off my long hair when Marie did- which is ironic since right now her hair is super long and mine is short short. SO much for copying her this time around. We gave multiple standing ovations and were very touched to be a part of the night. The next night it was fabulous to be with Marlene and her parents. I really like them. We giggled and reveled in the wonder of it all, even our 30 minutes stuck in the parking garage at gateway. We bumped into her Aunts on the way to the car. I loved the greeting I got from the kids:) They are all getting so tall. Kelsie, Kaden and I drew photos. I watched Monk with Karson and Marlene. Marlene made this big meal the next day for all her family. It was a busy but great week. (Thanks to Tom Smart for these photos from the Deseret News)

Old favorites

My younger brother just had a birthday. He is the most considerate person I know. Anthony tried to make everyone feel special and always rememberd birthdays. He has moved away and I was thrilled that so many people remembered his birthday this year. He has a really tough job and is far from all his family, except his cute wife. She loves her new job. Aunt Sue was beyond excited to see them both and kept hugging and kissing them and got angry when anyone called to take away attention. It made Anth and Salina feel great. We had a few favorites while he was here. 1. Hires is a hamburger joint that has been around since 1959, way before my time. They used to have the roller skating type car hops who now just wear comfortable shoes. Long ago I worked for a bank called Capitol City (a story for another day) where Don Hale the founder of Hires used to bank along with his daughter Nancy. They were a really nice family I loved his wife who was very kind. I think the daughter hubby was a police officer who also was a neat person. All of this made it even cooler that my family had been loyal fans of hires from the get go. They now have many locations. I have had several great moments at Hires. We always go there as a family after a death and even after my next old favorite Anthony's wedding sealing. They make the best rootbeer around. In fact it is the only rootbeer I drink. I do not like cola or carbonation, but when at Hires I order a rootbeer with extra vanilla. I love the root beer freeze too where the blend up vanilla ice cream with rootbeer. They make their own buns, fry sauce, veggie burger (MY FAVORITE veggie burger) dressing, root beer, fresh cut fries the list goes on and on. I lately have ordered the roasted turkey grilled with cranberry- yum! While Anthony was in town for a quick minute we treated him for his birthday to an old favorite- what a fun way to enjoy 2 old favorites. 2. Glause Bakery- a family spot since long before my time. They make a cake that we all enjoy and we were able to get one for him. 3. Crown Burger- not so much a fav of mine but my men love it. 4. Aunt Sue just like the good old days- she is so funny right now. 5. Visited Aunt Shugs grave. Boy do we miss her.

Silent Night

We were thrilled to squeeze in a few holiday traditions this year I thought we wouldn't get to do. The first is the Temple Square lights. If you ever are in Salt Lake and have never seen the holiday display it is something special. I grew up going to see the lights and they are never a disappointment. We went with our friends the Deloneys and their 3 exchange students. For that few years they have also done some neat luminaries and nativities from around the world. I love ending the night with a visit to the 11-foot statue of Thorcaldsen's Christus, a magnificent statue of the Savior. There you can reflect on the majesty and wonder of God's creations as you stand beneath the star-studded dome in the rotunda of the North Visitors' Center and ponder the invitation of the outstretched arms. It was neat to hear the kids talk about the love they have for Jesus. Alex said "Scott, I believe in Jesus and Santa." We also warmed up with hot chocolate and caught up on the years events. We also went to visit Santa with the Dixon's, my cousins family. It was really funny to hear Santa react to all of us. We always have a great time with Teri, Kelly and the kids. We went to a holiday movie with them as well, Enchanted (which I loved except for the cleavage). I think that one of the huge changes in me is how much I love a happy ending and sweet stories. I use to like troubled dark stories-- gone are those days. It was funny and I love a good fairy tale. We attended a few parties and look forward the rest of the months festivities. This will be a slow journal month as each moment is filled I hope I can catch up in Jan.

Love My Stingy Salsa Man

My man is a jack of all trades and he is pretty good at many of them. It is good I adore him or I could get a little jealous of his practically perfect in every way-ness. For Labor Day he slaved over fresh salsa making it all day. If I tried to help out I was chased out of the area. He first woke up before the sun and drove to different farms looking for tomatoes he could buy fresh picked. Then I didn't do my part by helping get him prepared so we have a difficult time finding lids, peppers, unprocessed organic honey... Finally he got started and the fumes were unbearable- my eyes tears and burned for hours. I peeked down at him in the kitchen and he had on our snorkel gear-- to off set the onion/ garlic/ pepper gases. Aunt Sue thought is smelled Delicious; I could not smell it I could only feel it. It was heavy in the air. 2 batches later he made it to bed at 3AM that is almost a 24 hour labor intensive project. He is the master of salsa. I LOVE IT!!! YUM YUM YUM!!! We have eaten 2 bottle already. It is thick, fresh Delicious heavenly yummo yum. We also have been eating other fresh veggies and I could burst of happiness. I wish there were words to describe my pure joy at eating fresh veggies. There is nothing that beats the flavor of a fresh picked vegetable. Scott's shoulders are very sore and his back is bothering him. He is kind of stingy with the salsa because of the labor to make it. I'm glad he is selfish because I don't want to share it either it is amazing. At first we thought of Christmas gifts this year of all canned by us gifts... apricot jam, salsa, peaches-- but then we decided- Forget That:) Hoard it for ourselves. (That makes me giggle.) Our dear friend Tina is the one who shared her recipe for salsa many years ago and we have been craving it for years. Scott used to go over to Tina house once a year and she would help him make it. Then he felt to no more impose and bought all his own equipment. We (make that HE) did almost 60 jars this year in the 2 batches. Last year was hilarious as my brother wanted in on the yum. He went along to Tina's but would not believe Scott to bring gloves and protective goggles. His hands were red for weeks and he was heavily perfumed with garlic/ onion/ peppers. He did gain a huge appreciation of the art of salsa and decided to not try making it again. He used to tease Scott about the stinginess of the salsa, no more my friend. He still loves to eat it just not make it.

Lagoon 2007

Today we had a much needed break at Lagoon Park. It is a spot from my childhood memories. We would go and it was a real treat. We would count down the days until we went and begged my dad to let us stay until midnight. It always seemed more magic at night with all the carnival lights on. It is here that I used to perform with Razz-Ma-Tazz, here where I lost my retainer (dad fished it out of the trash), here where I broke the record with Katie for 44 consecutive rides on the Tidal Wave. I have so many memories. The thing is all the rides are mostly the same. The fun house is gone, the tri-star gone, gravatron gone but my favorites... tilt a whirl and Tidal Wave-- still there:) I love going with Marlene and kids. They hang on me kissing me and love to ride with me. Now I have an excuse to not ride the ones I don't care for because baby MK is too tiny. I was sad to see the missing pirates on my favorite. I hope they are undergoing some rehab of some sort and will reappear later in the season. We attempted to go last week but the church ran into a few snags and it took Scott's attention for the day. But today I got him all day. We had Arbonne Region meeting in the morning and then off we went. This time we did all get a tad dizzy. But it was still great to be together. It was fun. LOVE the kids and Marlene... and Karson for the hour we saw him. Tomorrow we get to have Elder Teran's homecoming:) Yipee. He is home!!! Homecoming are the BEST!!!

Treasure

This is the time of year when we reflect on the greatest treasure in the history of history. The Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. When I was young we used to spend some Easters in Arizona. They do this fabulous Easter pageant at the Mesa Temple grounds. It is scenes from the life of Jesus. I loved this time of year. I remember holding my nephews on my lap as they watched the pageant with wide eyes. They started to know when the good parts were coming and would shout..."Aunt Messy, Jesus is coming... watch". I loved holding Teddy because he had curly blond hair, which I could play with because he would be distracted watching. One year when we were riding home with Michelle's family the youngest son said... "Jesus is the best". We all smiled until several moments later he said... "Grandpa, your the best", which is when we started to laugh. Michelle said... "Yep dad, you and Jesus." I wish I had wrote down all the funny things they have said over the years.
It was wonderful to be with my family, in sunny AZ. Usually the orange blossoms were in full swing and sometimes it would rain and the little ground areas that were sunk down would fill with water making lots of little ponds. The ground was so dry that it could not take it in. It reminds me of me. Am I allowing myself to become so dry that the gospel has a hard time penetrating? It takes daily effort. It is not big things that can distract and pull me away. Little bad feelings unresolved, not being diligent in my media choices, watching the news, becoming overwhelmed and getting discouraged. All of this tears away at the protections of the spirit. We are commanded to be happy to have joy and be cheerful. To look on the bright side. If I can keep my heart soft then I can always take in "water" and never thirst. If I make mistakes which is bound to happen-- I can repent and start all over. Spring is a wonderful time of year. Fall is my first favorite season and then Spring. I love Utah and the 4 seasons. I just realized my 2 favorite seasons also are when General Conference is held each year... Spring and Fall. It is beautiful to watch the earth change and I'll bet equally beautiful to see people transform as they walk with Christ becoming brand new in the Lord.
I took these photos at the Temple when I went the other day. Easter is a time of rebirth and joy at the wonder of Christ overcoming death and the world. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time for a day and relive a day when my dad was alive. I heard a quote that really touched me. I can't find the exact words or who it was that said it but it went like this... Let me enjoy the bread before there is none, Love the people before they are gone and live my life before it is through. So instead of wishing I could time travel who can I appreciate today, before they are gone? It sounds morbid but it is really a joyful way to express thanksgiving for blessings. I am so glad to believe in Jesus as the Christ, to know that I can see my loved ones again and that each week I can renew my covenants and repent and start new.

Easter Baskets

Easter is the second biggest candy holiday in the US. First is Halloween with 2 billion pounds sold, followed by Easter with 1.9 billion, then Christmas with 1.4 billion and last Valentines with 1 billion. It made me think of the elaborate baskets my mom had for us when we were little. We had stuffed animals, stationary, stickers and candy.

What is your favorite item in a basket? I found phtots of some of mine fromover the years. I miss the Easter bunny.

Conference brings blessings of peace and family

I got Scott squared-- My brother Scott was in town with his youngest daughter Ellie. (Scott's real name is Theodore after my dad, and his son is Ted, and my great grandpa was Theodore... you get the picture.) Ellie is a beauty and so feminine. SHe is a natural blond, but a few years ago she went dark- (so she now had blond roots). Ellie is named after my grandma Elizabeth Scharrier, who I never got to meet. She died of kidney failure before I was born. She was young. My older siblings loved her, they tell me how warm and loving she was. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of her friends and family over the years and I think I will just be the best of friends with her in heaven.
It was fun to be with Scott and Ellie and watch conference. How cute that my brother flew up here with his daughter and did stuff she wanted to do. (I did miss seeing Scott's wife Karen, who has been a angel over the years to all of us.) Scott even took Ellie shopping. Scott makes me laugh- he is funny brother.
Anthony, Scott (my hubby Scott) couldn't get over how much Scott reminds us of our dad. Do any of us look alike? We were sad to hear how Scott's step dad is very ill with Alzheimer's. He was a really neat man, kind and funny. That is a disease that breaks hearts. Watching your loved one lost inside themselves. It about killed my mom when my Grandpa Dixon had it. He lived for 10 years like that.
It seems when I am overwhelmed with sorrow I can lean on the new conference talks. I believe them to be inspired from God to help lead us with love and happiness. Since we have to live in an imperfect world with our imperfect selves it is refreshing to be reminded that we are strangers here on earth. I loved the first talk on Sat. about prayer. Here is a link to listen to it if you missed it. http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,49-1-690,00.html Then click on Elder Scott's from the Sat. session. They had excellent talks about marriage, divorce, how to be better, the bible, Jesus and repentance. It was nice to be together as a family and learn from God how to improve ourselves, our jobs, our families our personal relationship with God. Another thing I love about conference is I get Scott all to myself. The ward keeps itself busy and the phone was relatively quite. I hope that is not selfish, 2 weekends a year:)

Its that time of year again

I guess my first memory of those delicious cookies is as a small girl hunting to find the hidden box my Mom bought to savor in her closet in moments of solitude. She had no intention of sharing that little green or purple box. She was not the best example of sharing and I have proudly followed in those footsteps. I was a Girl Scout for a brief time. We would meet at the church; I even earned a few badges. I know I also had a brief stint with 4-H. But is there anyone who can deny the yum of a Girl Scout cookie? Normally I prefer homemade cookies, even to the point of cookie snob; yet I can’t deny the love I have for these tasty treats. Do you think if they were sold at a store year round they would demand such adoration? I think part of the fun is longing for them over the entire year. Once I remember having missed my chance. I made Scott drive me to the headquarters and still no luck. Boy the next year I went over board spending about $60.00 on cookies. I rationalized that it was for a worthy cause. Those cute girls!!! Who can resist a sweet face full of hope wanting to meet the goals set loftily by the competitive mother? Not I. They get so excited to get the order. Over the years my loyalty to Thin Mints has remained strong, I love eating a bunch out of the freezer with a cold glass of milk. I really love Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos; peanut buttery heaven. I also relish biting into a box of Samoas. Café Cookies are the new ones this year and I find them disappointing. But my 4 favs have been around for over thirty years! I think if they did away with them it could possibly bring down the free world as we know it. Long live the Girl Scout Cookie!!!

Hearts

I love hearts. In the 5th grade I started to dot my i's with hearts. My teacher marked me down a grade when I would not stop. I just love-- love. Scott and I made lists of the things we most love about each other they are fun to look at and read for Valentines!!! I can still remember the first time I saw him, our first kiss, and a 100 other memories I cherish. I am so excited to grow old with him by my side, how does the saying go... the best is yet to be. We had a whirlwind romance and still do. When he proposed he promised everyday would be Valentines. It has.
Scotts list for me...

The crinkle in your forehead when you are confused
That you are my happy girl
Your childlike qualities
Adorable laugh
That you try to cook for me
Your cute smile, our jokes
Your beauty
That you love and want me
Your Passion for animals
Your Love for people
How you Fight for the underdog
How You like to try new things
Unique magnetic personality
Your light inside

My list for Scott...

noble Spirit
unwavering loyalty
how I feel when I'm around you
courage to stand for what you believe
work ethic and honesty
handsome looks, adorable eyes
how I fit in your nooks
passion for living life in the present
confident and humble
fix it skills and determination
how you carry yourself and look in your clothes
laugh and genuine smile
watching you in action
love for me, Arbonne, dogs and the outdoors
your vision and no matter what attitude

Christmas memories 2006 part 2 photos

The most wonderful time of the year. We are very lucky to travel to be with Scott's family. I love the kids he loves the dogs and his mom. We both love her food and decorations. For 2006 we went to three states. Utah, Arizona, and California. In CA we spent time with my Scharrier cousins the Odles. Amiee was having a birthday. We went to Disneyland and then were not allowed in as it was too capacity:( No worries we loved being with family and finding a yummy cupcake store called Sprinkles. In AZ we did our annual marshmallow roast a highlight to my year where the kids fall asleep on my lap looking for Santa and I strive to make the perfect marshmallow. I like to suck on it first to get it wet then it browns nice and slow getting all melted inside. It is an art. Neal made me these amazing wood window treatments and teased me with hunter shooting squirrels. Lynda gave my new bling I love! We try to spend New years with my brother his wife and my mom in St George. It was a relaxing trip with the two of us having a blast. Happy Christmas 2006

Figgy Pudding

Has anyone ever really eaten figgy pudding? Everyone sing "Now bring us some figgy pudding" they even go as far as saying "we WON"T go until we get some. SO I have conducted a little survey... it was my uncle Dave's idea. Guess what? NO ONE has ever tried it, NO ONE wants to try it. Same thing goes for chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I think they may even be poisonous. I'm all for tradition's, but I fear some may be in song only. I don't even like fig newtons let alone figgy pudding.

Thanksgiving menu 2006

As you might know I have a weakness for the food network. (Since Aunt Sue is living with us and she can't live without cable Scott had to give in and get her cable. He is very happy she has been reading more at least through the commercials, although that means more trips to the library for him).
So I enjoy Good Eats, 30 minute meals, Everyday Italian, Home cookin with Paula, Emerile, Bobby Flay, most of the shows I like. Scott would ordinarily object but it has vastly improved my cooking and baking abilities. So he indulges me and lets me watch, which since I am a great multi-tasker I can do multiple things at once. This year 2006 for Thanksgiving we went to St. George to be with my mom and we took our friend Marj with us. She is a darling widow that is like 18 years old, well she is really 60 but you would swear she is 18. Her and my mom grew up in the same neighborhood. There is a really cute photo of the two of them in primary together.
I was tired of the same old turkey. My dad always did the turkey in one of those cooking bags. It was OK not to dry. This year it was AWESOME. Here is what we did. First we bought a 5 gallon bucket form Costco. Mom got 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey.

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.


Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix
(recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.


Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with butter mixture. (see below) Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper.
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1 lemon cut in 1/4s
1 orange cut in 1/4s
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
thyme
garlic cloves

Add aromatics to cavity along with rosemary, thyme and sage. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with apple, orange, onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices.These above ingredients you will use to stuff the inside of the bird, you will not eat any of it. We also put carrots and celery and potatoes in the bottom of the roaster to add flavor tot eh gravy and some chicken broth.

A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Stuffin Muffins
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened (mom made us use more)
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix
(recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.
Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature. (Mom made us use lots more butter).

Yummy mashed potatoes
russet potatoes
cream cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons kosher salt
1 stick of butter

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Let soak in water for 30 min. (helps get rid of starch)
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.
Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream cheese, salt, stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.
Mashed potatoes have been an American favorite for decades. For best results when preparing mashed potatoes, place a quarter of a lemon in the cooking water to prevent potatoes from breaking up, and cook them in their skins to prevent water logging. After cooking, pull the skin from the end of the potato to remove it easily. While mashing, add warm milk to the potatoes gradually to gauge consistency; then add any other favorite condiments.
There are a lot of differing opinions on this practice. In general the advice is to peel and use potatoes straight away as soaking can leach away nutrients, in particular Vitamin C. If you cannot use the potatoes immediately they should be covered with water to prevent the potatoes discoloring but for no more than an hour or two. This water can be acidulated with a tsp of vinegar if desired.For french fries or sauté potatoes it is sometimes recommended to soak the potatoes in water for 30 minutes to remove the excess starch. Recently there has been a suggestion that this practice also helps to reduce the quantity of acrylamide in the fried potato, but this is still under discussion.Personally I do not add salt to the soaking water as this tends to draw water out of the potato which can leave it very soft, but others feel it compacts the potato and prevents it from breaking up during cooking.

Family Yam and Apples Casserole Sylvia Dixon Marianne and me
Juicy apples are layered with sweet and starchy yams for a colorful and full-textured side dish to any roast meat or poultry. Don't hide this one just for Thanksgiving.

6 medium yams, (cooked peeled and sliced (or 1 can yams))
2 large apples, (cored and sliced Rome Beauty or Winesap)
2 and ½ cups water or (Apple 100% Juice)
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 and a ½ cups granulated sugar
( ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
¾ cup butter (1 and ½ sticks)
Butter to grease well the casserole

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
Parboil 6 to 8 yams or use princella or blueplate canned yams then cut into slices.
Alternately layer yams and apples in buttered casserole dish; set aside.
(can use a little lemon to keep apples from browning)
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, salt and sugar with whisk until well blended. Then heat water (or apple juice) in a saucepan. When boiling, stir in cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until thickened (can add cinnamon.) Spoon the sauce over yam/apple mixture. Bake until the apples are tender, 25 to 45 minutes covered in the oven or 20 min in microwave.

Here are a few others I wanted to make...
Orange You Glad It's Thanksgiving Soup Rachel Ray
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pulpy orange juice
2 boxes frozen butternut squash puree
2 or 3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add the onion and carrots and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the orange juice and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth, then return to pot over medium heat. To mixture, add the frozen butternut squash puree and the chicken broth and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Grate some fresh nutmeg and stir to combine.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped thyme and orange zest.


Vegetable Tian Barefoot Contessa
Good olive oil 2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled 3/4 pound zucchini 1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.


Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
1 pound frozen cranberries 2 cups orange juice 3 cups ginger ale 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 orange, zested
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan, (stainless steel) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Carefully puree with an immersion blender or blender until smooth. Check for seasoning and serve in small ramekins.

Jell-O Yummy Pear Delight
This is one of the only jell-o recipes I will eat.
1 cup boiling water
1-6 oz pkg lime gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup pear juice
1 can pears blended in blender
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups whipping cream (beat stiff with ½ tsp vanilla and a little sugar)

Bring water to a boil. Put gelatin and sugar in a medium sized bowl; add boiling water stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Open can of pears. Pour off pear juice in a measuring cup; put pears in the blender with 1 cup of pear juice (I sometime use all the pear juice). Blend until smooth. Slowly add jell-o mixture to blender and 1 tsp vanilla. Will be right to the top-- be careful. Pour into 9 x 13 inch dish. Refrigerate until it cools. Whip cream as it starts to set add a little sugar and vanilla, beat until stiff. Fold into gelatin mixture into 9x13 inch pan. Refrigerate for several hours until firm. I have done it with strawberry jell-o too.


Creme Brulee
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.
Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision.

Sweet Potato Waffles
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
Special equipment: steamer basket and waffle iron
Put cubed sweet potatoes in a steamer basket. Place the basket in a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of steamer. Allow potatoes to steam for 20 minutes of until fork tender. Mash cooked potatoes and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl combine the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, and grated orange rind. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and thoroughly combine. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter 1/3 at a time. The batter will be thick. Using a No. 20 disher (scoop), place 2 scoops of batter onto a preheated, oiled waffle iron, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.

So Excited!!!

Last night I found a photo of my Grandma Sylvia Rose:) I looked at it for so long. While I was doing this songs came on the radio that were our songs from when I was little. Than today I had the feeling to type her name into the Internet. YIPEE!!! They have a special collection of her works at the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU in the L Tom Perry section. There are tons of poems, songs, plays, history, journals-- all by her:) I am trying to add the link here but it won't work.
It is collection MSS 1495. Here is the link to try from...

http://ead.lib.byu.edu:8080/Ead/ead_viewdoc.jsp?eadid=MSS1495.xml

I called BYU they told me I can go down for a day and view the entire collection. They said it would take atleast a day. When I was young I use to write all the time, entering contests, loving writing. I think I may take it up again. My grandma was a marvel. She was the most creative person I have ever known. What talent. She and my grandpa were so in love and had the most fun parties for their friends. One was an upside down party and they put furniture on the ceiling. He would buy her two Christmas trees and take branches off one to make a perfect one to decorate. She built a cabin in Island Park. She served in YW for years in the Parley Stake and I meet people who adored her. I can't wait to go see what BYU has:) I guess when she died BYU asked my grandpa if he would donate her entire works. He must have said yes. I'm so glad. One of the memories I love is when I would go with Grandma and Mom to shop at ZCMI. They would get me a hot dog with an orange bang. We would also stop by neighbor hood bakery or glause bakery and get a cup cake.

Miners Club at the Canyons Park City

One of my favorite get aways is at the Miners Club. We go up there anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks each year. We take Anthony and Salina, Neal and Lynda, Mom, or our cousins and have so much fun. We went this time with Marlene and family. My favorite times are with the Kinikini's. I love to travel with them. I always feel totally at home and comfortable with them. It is wonderful being with the kids, I love spending time with my best friend Marlene. Scott and Karson loosen up and let the mullets down-- they must have eaten their weight in meat. We go out to eat, we watch movies, we shop, we go to main street, we eat, we watch Disney, we swim, we walk, we laugh. About 6 weeks ago we had a cheetah party up there. We reserved the movie screening room and had a primer night. This trip it seems like all we did was laundry and dishes:) Every time I turned around we were turning on the dishwasher. It was almost humours. We also had a day in jammies- I love those. We watched Christmas movies, cooked and baked, tried to scrapbook and laughed. Scott and I went to the timeshare presentation. It was supposed to be 90 min. We were there for about 25 min and got 200.00:) Kelsie said "wow you are rich!" I loved how Kaden crawled all over me and made his belly button talk. Kelsie had sleepovers in our room where we sang songs trying to guess which song we were singing. Marlene and I went to Baja Cantina just the two of us-- the men held down the fort. We all took turns being sick and trying to keep the baby from noticing Mommy wasn't right there. At four months she is already a mommy girl. She has an adorable smile and giggle.

"Do you want to look like this?"

It is frightening what a cheap pair of false teeth can do to a hunky husband. Not only is the look scary- the talk and demeanour changes to fit the teeth. This year a mullet was added to the ensemble. The first time it came onto the Halloween scene-- all Scott said all night was "why you little" or "woman, get me some food". Any of you who know this sweet gentle man can imagine why this Halloween transformation is stark to reality. When we got home from our annual night of all hallows eve with the Kinikini's I got an email from our dear friends who live out of state. It said Glamour Shots by Deb... do you want to look like this? It made me laugh out loud. We may be separated by miles but our three hubby's are still on the same wave length.

Fall in love all over again

There is something magic about fall. The crisp air, the crunch of colored leaves, the aromas (I imagine are amazing) of spice and warmth fill the air. To me it is a time of renewal. A time to recharge and start anew. One of the traditions we have started is Hauntober Fest. Where the Disney Channel plays childrens Halloween movies each night. We gather together as a family and enjoy them together. Also Frightmares at Lagoon a new way to celebrate the change of season. All my favorite holidays are in the fall. My birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, New Years, and here is to making them last as long as possible. This year we will be hosting our very first ever Halloween party. I could not be more excited about my costume. I had it professionally made by a woman who wears awesome sparkly jewelrly and is fashion forward. I wish I had her sence of style-- let alone her talent in sewing. She is the one to help me get my blog:) My costume is a dream come ture:) My cute friends stopped by on Sunday and got to see it. They were shocked at how perfect it is. Kelsie had a huge goofy grin. I love being her blonde mom.