Participating in all these boutiques around Utah, we are finding lots of cute things! Here are some of our favortie vendors from the Checkered Umbrella. Its never too early to start shopping for Christmas gifts, right? You can check out their etsy stores and see more of all the great stuff they make.
www.mydearclementine.etsy.com
www.MDsparks.etsy.com
www.emilymaysparks.etsy.com
I have been absent from the blogging world for quite some time. So, rather than try to fill everyone in on what has happened the last couple of months, I will instead tell you five new things currently happening at our house. 1. Camp planning has begun. I thought I just finished with camp, however, tomorrow I am going to a Stake YW meeting to discuss and begin planning for 2010. I am not emotionally prepared for this. 2. Steve was called to be a first couselor in the bishopric on BYU campus. The 151st ward to be exact. This means that on top of meetings 5x a week, the girls and I go to church alone, my Sunday chef is gone, and He now has more friends on facebook than I do. 3. Abigail was nominated to be the Sophmore Homecoming Princess. We don't think she won, but thats OK, because now we don't have to buy a new dress for a dance she can't even attend. 4. Lydia made the JV Tennis Team. She practices for 2 hours after school everyday and she has a tan. She isn't sure she likes high school yet. (It has something to do with the fact that she now at the bottom of the food chain.) 5. The girls and I have been very busy with our "button business". We attended the Women's Expo last week and currently have 4 boutiques lined up in the next 6 weeks. Who would have thought I would be making so many buttons. This list was inspired by my niece Elise! Thanks for the inspiration!
At our house Amy came home sick from 5th grade camp. She is still sick. They thought she might have Swine Flu. Now she has an ear infection too. She can't be around anyone until the coughing stops. We think that is going to take a while. At our house we spent Tuesday night in the ER with Eliza. We thought she had appendicitis. Instead they think she has a viral infection in her lymph nodes in her abdomen. Now she has strep throat and a possible UTI. At our house yesterday, Ruthie threw up and had diarrhea. At our house we are trying to get everyone healthy before I leave for girls camp, keep everyone healthy, and keep our sanity. Aren't you glad you are not at our house? And you should probably stay away from our house.
Abigail and Lydia decided to start a blog today in order to document their many summer adventures. Be sure to take a look. abbeyandlydia.blogspot.com
Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? So do I! Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool or swing in a tree up high? Is that what you do? So do I! Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades or count all the stars in the sky? Is that what you do? So do I! I have a confession. I really don't like that song. Whenever, we would sing it in Primary it would depress me. I could never figure it out. Why didn't I like it? Everyone else seemed too. Then just recently I figured out why: those things sounded like pure torture in AZ. First of all, my world wasn't green. At least not then. It was green during the winter when the grass was soft - not summer. Summer grass was hard, pokey, and filled with ants. And streams? Where? You mean the canals? And to lazily dream as the clouds go by? Is that a death wish? The only line I could relate to was to swim in a pool to make yourself cool. That I understood. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing like AZ winters. I long for them right around February. And sunsets? I have never seen one that rivals a desert sun. But Utah summers - my favorite! Our garden is growing. Leaves are coming back on our trees. We have biked through Provo Canyon,climbed along the rocks at Bridal Veil Falls, picniced in the park, had a bonfire in the backyard,slept on the trampoline, and played night games. Welcome Summer!
A can of coconut milk + a chefs knife = stitches. My bottle opener is broken, has been for a while. But no worries, I have just stabbed the cans with a chef knife instead. Except this time, I stabbed my hand. Stupid I know. My brilliant stunt resulted in one trip to urgent care, one tetanus shot, three stitches, and a very sore hand. Tomorrow I am buying a bottle opener.
A while back Steve and I ate at Winger's. Steve ordered the Sticky Chicken Salad. It was good. In true Steve fashion Steve said, "I bet I could make this." He did. Since then it has become a favorite. It's ridiculously easy if you buy the chicken already breaded. However, you can always bread and fry the chicken yourself. I like to skip the mess. This isn't really a recipe as much as a "how to" since we never measure. (Sorry!)
Ingredients:
Chopped Romaine Lettuce -
Craisins -
Shredded cheddar cheese-
Cherry tomatoes (optional)-
1 bottle of Lousiana Style Hot Sauce (like Frank's Hot Sauce) -
Brown Sugar -
Breaded Chicken strips -
Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing -
In a saucepan combine equal parts hot sauce and brown sugar in order to make the amount of sauce you want. I always add the whole bottle, make the sauce, and then put the leftover sauce back in the hot sauce bottle. Then next time I can even skip this step! Heat it through and let it thicken a little. Toss the sauce over the breaded chicken. We like to assemble the salads individually, since some like more craisins, some don't like tomatoes, etc. So in each bowl, add chopped romaine lettuce, craisins, cheese, tomatoes, and top with chicken strips. Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing.
