Bowling

So I've been going to the Young Single Adult ward, it was hard at first because I didn't know anyone, that's really hard for me because I'm a shy person.  So it was really hard for me at first but the people in this ward are amazing and they are very welcoming.  It's been great though, I started going to the ward FHE and institute, game night and temple trips.  I am finally starting to make friends and I'm getting more and more comfortable around all of them...okay I'm still shy around some of the guys.  I think that will be a life long challenge, me and guys don't always mix, I just never can think of the right thing to say, oh well, I'm working on it.

For FHE one week we did Bowling with a twist (our Fhe mom loves adding twists to things, she even did speed dating with a twist - but that's a different story)  So bowlig with a twist intales you closing your eyes then picking out one to two skittles then whatever color your skittle is who have to bowl the ball like that. It was fun, but some of the things we had to do were really hard, needless to say our scores weren't very good, but it was fun making a full of ourselves and just enjoying our time.

Here are a list of the different things we had to do:

- Hop on one leg

- skip down the asile then bowl

- link arms with another person

- use your opposite hand

- backwards granny style.

It was a hoot watching everyone and it was always fun watching people debate who to ask to link arms with, it's like they didn't want to ask but in the end you had to ask for help with that one.  All in all a great FHE.  Here are some pictures from the acivity.

 

Chocolate Cherry Heart Cookies

I made these way back in February for Valentine's day, they are delicious and so cute.  It's like a chocolate sugar cookie with cherry flavored frosting, it doesn't get much better. ;)

1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 c. AP flour
1/2 c. cocoa
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 c.  butter, softened
2+ confectioners' sugar
3+ Tlb.  maraschino cherry juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in milk, egg add vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut out with a floured heart shaped cookie cutters.  Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. (then while the other cookies are cooking you can roll out the other half.)
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until firm. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar and enough cherry juice to achieve spreading consistency (it may take more juice to get the right flavor as well, just keep adding it slowly until you get the flavor you desire.) Then add powdered sugar until you have the right spreading consistency.

Enjoy!!

kind of stinky but delicious

Polynesian Meatballs

~66 meatballs (Italian or plan)                     2 Tlb. soy sauce
1 - 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits                    2 Tlb. Lemon Juice
2 Tlb. Cornstarch                                           1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cups cider vinegar                                

Cook the meatballs, per the package directions.
Drain pineapple, reserve juice; set aside the juice adding enough water to it to equal 1 cup.
In bowl; combine cornstarch, pineapple juice mix, vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar.  Combine until smooth.  Add to skillet.  Bring to boil; stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add cooked meatballs, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add pineapple tidbits and heat through.
Serve over rice, enjoy!!

Above is a picture of the kind of soy sauce we use and the pineapples waiting to be added.
Here's the rice cooking, oh yummy rice.

You can't really see them but those are the meatballs cooking in the sweet and sour sauce

The finished product.  Meatballs, pineapple and rice.  A great dinner and it doesn't take too long to cook either.

Close up of the meatballs and sauce.

       This is one of my mom's favorite recipes, she always wants me to make them, they are great the first day and just as tasty the next day.  You can add more or less pineapple or meatballs if you like it to be more saucy.

      Another is to saute up some green bell peppers and onion to add a little more color to this recipe.  If you like those, my brother won't eat them so we don't add them.

Enjoy yet another of my favorite recipes.

More to come!!

Baking

So with all this time I have had on my hands I have found that I enjoy baking...WAIT!! I already knew that ;)
   I still love baking and I keep finding new things to bake and try the latest conquest is Banana Cookies - Thank you Natalie.  They are delicious, so I am going to share this delicious recipe with you and then from now on I am going to share any other good recipe that I have tried with you.

Banana Cookies

1 cup Butter                                         1 tsp. Vanilla

1 cup Sugar                                          4 cups Flour

2 Eggs                                                   2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 cups Buttermilk                             1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda                               nuts - optional

1 cup Mashed banana

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk.  Add and beat in milk, banana, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Drop on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 min.

Frosting (option 1): Melt 1/2 cup butter in sauce pan and add 1 cup brown sugar and boil 2 min.  Stir constantly.  Add 1/4 cup milk, stir until it boils again.  Remove from heat.  Cool, then add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.  Spread on warm cookies.

Frosting (option 2): 

1/4 cup butter (softened),  3-4 cups powdered sugar,  2-3 Tlb milk and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Mix and spread on warm cookies

Frosting (option 3): 

The finished product.  Yummy!!  

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them. 

Catch up...

So if you actually read this blog you know that I have been sadly lacking in updates.  So here is a quick update in my life:

    I finished and passed my student teaching in Utah.  I had a great time and I enjoyed meeting and teaching my students.  They were seriously the nicest students I could have asked for, I mean there were some students I could have lived without, but they helped me grow to be a better teacher and taught me what to be prepared for in the future.  My cooperative teachers were wonderful and provided some great experiences for me, as well as some great material for my future.  The sad thing is I don't know if I want to teach for the rest of my life, I love the interaction between me and the students but I'm not sure I enjoyed the actual teaching part, mainly because I hate having to grade papers and come up with papers and activities for the students to do.  I loved doing hands-on work but most students think it is stupid but they did it anyways.  I don't know, I will keep thinking.
Here is my diploma - I am officially graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho.  Yeah me!!!

  

    I moved back to Alaska to be with my family after I was done student teaching.  My family moved to Alaska last January, so my dad could be close to his family and my mom would have more help taking care of my dad as well.  My sister and her husband (Tabs and Jake) were up here for Thanksgiving but then they had to head back for work.  It was great to see them again.
    December should have been a good month but it was kind of depressing.  My Dad passed away on December 11th.  It was the saddest day in my life (thus far).  We had a week to plan the funeral and to get my sister up here so she could be here for the funeral.  We had so many people offer to help and to give us assistance, we wouldn't have been able to do it without all the help and my dad's sister and mother.  I was glad though because he is finally in a better place, where he can finally talk and walk again.
   The one good thing was a week before he passed away I was able to give him his Christmas present early.  I spent two days sewing him a blanket with his 'symbol' on it.  His symbol stands for "Mighty Mudgeman"  He has been using that symbol for as long as I can remember and it's something that I love about him.  So I made it into a blanket that he could use to keep himself warm and then we used it as a cover on his coffin.  Now the blanket resides on my bed.  It's very comfy and warm.

  It's been two months and we are all doing good, surviving and planning our lives.  We have planned a family vacation in March, we are looking forward that break.  I'm still trying to figure out I want to do with my life...  It's up in the air.  Any ideas for me???