Plenty to be Thankful For

Now to finish off my month of thankfulness. Once again, these are in no particular order! And, out of laziness, I'm not putting pictures with these.

17. My Sonicare toothbrush-So much better than a manual one!

18. Running Water-I think this is self explanatory.

19. Electricity-This one as well.

20. Flowers- They are so beautiful, and I am happy when I look at them!

21. Snow-Hard to drive in, but beautiful and fun to play in!

22. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents-I had so much fun with all my family this past Thanksgiving weekend!

23. Dogs-especially Bones and Parker- I like that they follow me around and want to be my best friends.

24. Contact Lenses-I would be blind without these!

25. Built in retainers-To keep my teeth from moving after braces.

26. Prophets and Apostles-I am so blessed to have their words to guide my life!

27. Modern Medicine-Again, self explanatory.

28. Honeycrisp apples-I could eat one of these every day.

29. Bike-Bike and I have been together for a long time, and we have many more adventures to come!

30. Holiday Cheer-This is such a magical time of year and I love the excitement and happy feelings that surround me.

It's been a good month with so much to be thankful for. I need to do this more often!

More to be Thankful for!

10. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon-I always feel closer to my Heavenly Father when I read, and it has a lot of great things to teach me.

11. My Freshman Year Girls-I love that we are still in touch after all these years, and how every time we see each other, we pick up right where we left off!
12. Sleep-I never get enough, but I love every bit I get!
13. Skiing-Makes me so happy. I also love meeting fun people on the mountain.
14. Tiff-She's always been there for me, and always will.
15. My Siblings-Obviously, they're awesome! I like that we are friends, and a support to each other!
16. Good Friends-Make even cold winter nights fun!

Again, these are in no particular order. More to come!

November

Today I read this quote:
"We should be grateful for all the tender mercies that come into our lives. We are unaware of hosts of blessings that we receive from day to day. It is extremely important that we have a spirit of gratitude in our hearts."
Elder Quentin L. Cook
October 2011 General Conference

I need to remember this. I need to remember that even though everything doesn't always go the way I want it to, I am still immensely blessed! So, to show my gratitude, in a very small way. I am going to be a copycat, and do an entire month of things I'm grateful for. Obviously there are more than just one per day, but I don't want to go crazy! So here are a few for the first few days of November. (In no particular order.)



1. Country Music-it makes me feel happy!

2. My Heated Blanket-for the cold nights, when we can't get our big house very warm.

3. Baking-It's a way for me to be creative and I love sharing with friends.

4. Exercise-This one may seem weird, but I love exercising and I love that my body can do it!

5. My Education-Thanks BYU!

6. Transportation-I am so glad I don't have to ride my bike everywhere in the freezing weather! I am also grateful I have a car that does well in the snow.

7. My job-It's not always my favorite, but I'm glad I have it, and that I'm pretty good at it!

8. My Mom-she is such a great lady! I never cease to be amazed at the things she accomplishes. I admire her love of the gospel and her ability to serve those around her, despite her own trials. I love her go-getter attitude and positivity!

9. My Dad-he taught me so much, and continues to teach me. I want to be more like him; loving everyone and desiring to always serve others and choose the right.

I know it's brief, but I know it's important to remember what we are grateful for and why. I think this will help everyone keep a positive outlook on life! If you haven't already, consider writing down some of the things you're grateful for. It will make you happier!

Some Fall

Fall in Utah is beautiful! I love the changing colors, and I have been loving the great weather we've been having!

These pictures are from Rock Canyon. Beautiful!

I also love Pumpkin in the Fall! I haven't been very dilligent about my pie baking or blogging, obviously, but this is a chocolate pumpkin tart!

I deviated from pies and made a salted carmel, chocolate layer cake. Yummo! And, somehow I managed to make it pretty!

Mini pumpkin pies. Thanks Tiff for the cute pumpkin pie shape maker thingey!

The Apple Pie Series

Fall is creeping into Provo, and I love it. I love the changing colors, the crispness in the air, and most of all, APPLES! I could probably eat only apples all season and be happy. So, to welcome in the season, I baked apple pie. Four times, four ways!

1. Basic Apple Pie

I'm proud of this pie because I was actually able to make the crust pretty somehow! That never happens!

2. Apple Crumb Crostata

Yum. Apple pie, with a crumble topping. What could be better?

3. Tarte Tartin

Apples are cooked in a pan with butter and sugar and then baked in the oven with puff pastry on top. Delicious!

4. Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

I forgot to take a picture of this pie, Boo! It's a basic apple pie, but some of the butter in the crust is substituted by cheddar cheese. I always love the taste of cheese and apples, and this pie brought out that great flavor combination.

I think my next pie series will be pumpkin!

A Great Man

Dr. Christian Arthur Vikari completed his mortal journey on Aug. 31, 2011, after a long and difficult illness. To those of us who knew and loved Art, it seems too soon to say goodbye, yet, there is comfort in knowing this wonderful, compassionate man is now free of the pain and suffering he endured these last few years.

Art leaves behind a great legacy of love for family and friends; caring, compassionate service to others; and an unfailing love of God. All who came within the reach of his smile and warm embrace will long remember how good they felt when they were with him.

Art was raised in Washington, yet his life journey truly began the day he married his sweet companion, Valine. They have been devoted partners in life for 27 years and will be companions forever in the eternities. Art and Valine have been blessed with five beautiful and talented children.

Dr. Vikari practiced oral surgery in Issaquah, and was loved and admired by his patients, staff and colleagues. He cared deeply for his patients and they loved and respected him in return. Art found many ways to help others. He regularly shared his time and talents, and gave generously to others in need.

As a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he ministered to the members of his congregation. He opened the scriptures to the hearts of those searching for answers; he counseled those with heartache and loss; he visited the sick and weary; and encouraged the youth to live up to the best within them. Art was a true friend to all who came within the sphere of his influence.

Art accomplished much in life and enjoyed a variety of interests, however, his greatest joy and satisfaction came from his family. Home was where he most longed to be. Above all else he will be remembered as a devoted husband and father who loved the Lord and did his best to serve those around him. He lived a life of selfless service and optimism for a brighter day. Throughout his life and even when suffering from difficult medical issues, Art would share his life’s motto: “It’s my best day yet!”

Puff Pastry

On Sunday I tried my hand at puff pastry. Puff pastry is very flaky and has many layers of pie crust that basically puff up. It's supposed to be very delicate and buttery. But it is not easy to achieve this! You have to combine a dough package with a butter package by folding the dough around the butter. Then, you roll it out and refold it in thirds. Chill for an hour and then repeat the whole process 5 more times! I, of course, did NOT have this kind of time. So, I did chilled for 10 minutes in the freezer between each turn. The crust was very delicious and flaky, but I need to be sure and give it the right amount of time between each turn if I want it to be puffy. I topped the pastry with fresh peaches and sanding sugar. All in all, it was a good project. I'm excited to try making it again! (When I have more time to devote to the layers.)

Grand Teton Relay!

I have always wanted to do a relay race, and finally my opportunity came! A friend in my ward posted on Facebook that her team needed an extra person. I responded quickly enough and was recruited! I am so glad I did it! The relay started in Ashton, ID and finished in Jackson Hole, WY. 184 miles total. I loved the camaraderie of racing with a team and the energy of running for 33 hours straight! Here are some pictures from the adventure.

My first leg. 5.7 miles, hot weather, uphill. Can you tell I'm loving it?

Transferring the snap bracelet baton to Jenny!

Getting pumped up for my 2 am leg! The glowstick trident saved me from bear attacks.

Pooped after running all day and all night and not sleeping!

Show me your tetons!

More Pie Please!

I love Sunday dinner parties, and I love finishing them off with a great pie! The past 2 week's creations! Some of these pictures were taken from my phone camera, hence the poor quality.

Rob and I are very happy after we eat pie!

Nectarine and Raspberry tart. Anna and Spencer are enjoying it in the background!

Another slab pie. Peach and blackberry.

Plum and raspberry crumble tart. This one was so popular, I didn't have time to get a picture of the whole thing!

I hope that you have all been inspired to bake more pies and tarts! If you want recipes or ideas, let me know!

10 Times a Triathlete

This weekend I did my 10th Tri! The Spudman Olympic Triathlon in Burley, ID. They all have had different courses and distances. But, they are always hard, always rewarding and I'm always lucky to have the support of my friends with me! A few pics of the Spudman, and then past races, just for nostalgia.

Oh yeah, I made some more pies

Peach and Raspberry slab pie. SO GOOD! I dislike peaches greatly, but I loved them in this and I loved the crust to filling ratio.

I can't find my pictures of the other two pies I made, so these are roughly what they looked like. Strawberry galette with basil whipped cream. The pie was good, the cream was NOT.

Cherry and almond galette, which I also did not enjoy. The nutmeg flavor was too strong for me.

While I was in Washington, I made a Rainier cherry pie with my Dad and blueberry peach pie with fresh fruit from the local stands. Delicious. Pictures to come.

Also, a little pie tidbit shared with me by my friend Dawn who owns an amazing bakery!

"10,000 years ago galettes were made of a grain covered (roughly ground oats, wheat or barley) honey (comb). As techniques for grinding grains into flours developed, this nutritious and portable treat evolved... until they transformed it to the pies we know today."