The Fromagerie

Museum Cheater

2012-01-24T01:01:00.002-07:00

OK, so last week was a bit crazy, so I sort of cheated in my museum visit. I visited the Intel Museum of Me. It is a website that links to your Facebook profile and displays your friends, photos, and posts in a beautiful museum setting. It made me pretty darn special having an exhibit dedicated to my cyber-life. I highly recommend a visit to see how beautiful your life can be.

RDT Community Dance Theater Workshop

2012-01-09T16:17:00.002-07:00

This weekend my friend Betsy and I headed to Rose Wagner Theater (I love that place) to participate in a RDT's Community Dance Class open house. We danced for three hours with some amazing people, professional teachers, in a great space for only $10! It had been a long time since I moved those muscles, the extent of my dancing these days is my daily Just Dance 3 Just Sweat workout, so my skills at leaping, plies, and turning was sort of rusty. It was a lot of fun, and once I get more settled into a money-making scheme, I just might add regular class attendance to my list of activities. I wished I would have taken some photos of the day, but I was too busy lookin' a fool. My only physical souvenir was this disgusting foot. Dirty and blistered, it's been awhile since I've seen this situation.

Week Two, Museum Two: Utah Museum of Natural History

2012-01-09T16:07:00.003-07:00

I have been anticipating this visit for a long time now, and I'm so glad I finally got to go! Today was free museum day at the museum and I had promised the nephews that I would take them during the Christmas break, so we finally went today. Kath, Curtis, Noah, Lucy, and myself. The museum is beautiful from the outside, designed to blend in to the natural landscape.

And the inside is a wonder to behold. The exhibits were interactive and artistic. There was a clear path to follow that used ramps to wind you up three stories of fossils and specimens. Curtis was super excited to get in and see everything, running from place to place. Noah was grumpy on the way there, seemed like he was so over it, but once we got inside, he really loved it. Lucy was so cute as she discovered all sorts of new things, she was a little afraid to get near all of the dinosaurs and animals - they were just a little too real-life for her.
I think I'll need to go again when I am not more interested in seeing their reactions so I can really learn something, but it was a great time and fun to watch them discover all the wonders of the world!

Documenting the Documentarian

2012-01-05T22:29:00.002-07:00

My friend Wendy and I went to a Master Class tonight given by Frederick Wiseman, a documentary film maker that has been making films for over 40 years. He showed clips from some of his first films and discussed his choices and his observations. It was such an unique look into the mind of a master. And it was FREE thanks to the Utah Film Center!

2011 in Words

2012-01-03T17:21:00.003-07:00

efkaristo poly

sunset the dog

volcano

eat-pray-love

pope

palms

semaina-santa

toy-car

jamon-iberico

paella

gaudi

churros-con-chocolate

thyroid

hospital-birthday

sabbatical

santorini

ephesus

cruise

patmos

mykonos

athens

milano

cinque-terre

roma

liqurian

sevilla

granada

cordoba

alicante

barcelona

hospital

jimmered

missionary-daughter

no-mo-philo

sedona

wanderer

dual-tire-blowout

road-warrior

books-on-CD

podcasts

lock-out

parthenon

beaches-of-all-color

giollito

espana

processions

tapas

alahambra

books-n-roses

return-to-deseret

bangs

lawn-mower

kitteens

MCRD

vegasx3

snokes

craft-to-art

pettstead

3am-brainstorm

daybreak-adoptee

bearlake

PCH-2964-miles

auntapalooza

hipster-springs

hearst

bay-area

winchester

ghosts

yachats

portland

pittock

cousins

funicular

getty

lifeclass

lasagna

2:15 AM

series-marathons

harvester

unfamiliar-territory

job-hunter

harlidays

just dance 3

Week One, Museum One: Utah Museum of Fine Arts

2012-01-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

This has been on my list since it opened several years ago, and today I checked it off! I was driving by there last week with my sister and her kids and the following exchange occured:

Curtis (age 11): Hey I've been to that place on a field trip!
Me: Oh ya, was it cool?
Curtis: It had art in it, so....

So I guess it's beauty is in the beholder? The museum was smaller than I expected it to be, but it had a great collection and some fabulous exhibitions.

Here are some instagramed moments:

There was an exhibit of LeConte Stewart who did mostly rural Utah scenes. This was only part 1 of the exhibit, the other half is at the Church History Museum, which I'll have to go to in a couple weeks. I loved the rural main street scenes.

I always feel more at home in the Modern and Contemporary sections of art museums. I am drawn to bold shapes and images.

Titled: Breathless. it made me think that sometimes we have to choose to stop holding our breath, and just let in the air.

This work was by Xaviera Simmons and was like a trip around the world in phrases, I loved it. I need to come up with random phrases from my travels and figure a way to display them graphically.

New Year's Resolutions 2012

2012-01-03T17:04:00.002-07:00

I'm determined to make these happen this year. I thought I'd hold myself accountable if I blogged about them, this is also a great excuse to blog!

1. Visit Museums - while I'm still unemployed, do this once a week, once I have a job it will be once a month.
2. Be a more proactive friend - reach out to local and distant friends. I want to really be there for people, and also share fun different activities with them.
3. Eat clean - significantly reduce my processed and fast food intake. I always seem to set lofty health and fitness goals, but this one is much more about lifestyle changes. I have started a workout regimen also, but I am not going to set parameters to it just yet.

I'll be reporting on my museum visits, fun things with friends, and any great food discoveries made a long the way!

Happy 2012. I'm 36. I'm old. ugh.

The Answer

2011-10-11T19:34:00.001-06:00

Who knew that Pinterest could be an answer to prayer and the gloominess of the last post.

wandering

2011-10-05T17:51:00.000-06:00

So it's been six months of wandering, and now I am lost. I have loved these adventures and have learned so much about myself and my path, but now that I am ready to move on, I can't seem to get my bearings.
I guess it's because I was completely in control of the past six months, I answered to know person, and now my fate lies in all of those unreturned emails and phone calls.
So
I
wait....
directionless.

I want to stop the wandering, but nobody will hand me a map.

Adding a bit of "Me" to the Pettstead

2011-09-14T16:17:00.004-06:00

Living at my parents home without them has been such a blessing. Especially since my mom gave me permission to change it up a bit and add a little bit of my design flave to the space. I've done some projects over the last few months to add a little somethin'-somethin' the the house that I affectionately refer to as the Pettstead.

Project 1

I was inspired by a couple of images I saw on pinterest to create this little canvas. I have a stack of old road maps that I've been holding on to for several years that belonged to my grandmother. Finally I had the perfect project for this 1974 US road map. I cut the map into the heart shapes, decouped them on the canvas and then layered paint to create this color. I added it to a curation of my other treasures to create this little piano vignette

Also featured here is the purple gamine cow, Grandma B embroidery, Grandpa B roses, and Lake District prints

Project 2
This past week I have been working on an applique/embroidery project that I've been thinking about for a few months. I finally had the umpf to make it happen.

I had been thinking about cityscapes for a while now, and I wanted to use a lot of color and do some free-handed embroidery. I created a pattern for the buildings in powerpoint (of all places) and then rest was kind of happened organically and I just played with the scene, the techniques, and the placement as I went a long. I love the way it turned out. And here is the basement wall finished project -

Also featured here is a yarn covered A that I did and some art I've picked up in my travels.

I wish I was a better photographer, but I think you can get the idea.

earth moving

2011-09-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

When the season turned warm last Spring, I migrated North. I flew with the birds on a new adventure to find a purpose, a foundation, myself. I soared abroad to treasured corners whose beauty often reduced me to tears, I bonded with family and friends, I rediscovered a creative voice in many forms, and wandered the open road of the beautiful west coast.

I enjoyed my time so thoroughly that I didn't want it to ever end. I was really concerned that the drive to go back to work would be non-existent and I'd be in big trouble. Then, on Monday night, in Portland, I caught the bug.. the i-gots-to-get-my-butt-back-to-workin' bug. And thank goodness I did. I started updating my resume and networking some contacts. I don't know what the future holds, but I say "bring it on"! I saw this quote today and it said exactly what I was feeling...

This summer has probably been the most changing and shaping of my life. I think I've learned what I needed to learn from it. What I know now isn't what I set out to discover, and I'm not even sure how to put it in to words. Let's just say, I'm more Amy than ever before. And now...
I'm ready to move, not just move on, but...
Move forward.
Move toward.
Move upward.
Move inward.
Move.

midnight in paris

2011-08-31T23:17:00.001-06:00

there is something to be said about being by yourself in a movie theater in the afternoon in Portland. You come up with brilliant ideas like snapping polaroids with your iphone of the most beautiful city in the world as seen through Woody Allen's camera.

Since January...

2011-08-26T05:07:00.001-06:00

I've just imported a bunch of posts from a private blog I was keeping during my time of indecision. I decided, after some edits, to post them here to keep the chronology going. But to catch up since then:

As promised, I quit my job after receiving my 2010 bonus. For the past 6 months I've been living the sabbatical life of leisure.

In April, I went to Greece, Italy and Spain with some great friends:

In June I road tripped to Las Vegas and San Diego

In July I enjoyed a beautiful Utah summer

In August I played full-time Auntie for a week and am currently driving up the Pacific Coast Highway

So to sum up, we are caught up.

it's been a long journey since the last post

2011-01-26T04:52:00.002-07:00

Back in November, I felt so much peace, so much calmness about my decisions and my future.

I happily went to Belize, where I learned to truly relax, had adventures, passed out, threw up, spent some alone time with my friend Juan. It was a great time.

Immediately after Belize was Thanksgiving in Vegas, which was fabulous, I felt so on top of my game, so relaxed and ready to take on the last couple months of Mesa living.

On December 8th, I went to see my doctor because I had had a bit of a sinus ache, which I thought might be an infection, and to get some blood work done that was long over due. My fear of giving blood had kept me from completing some tests she had recommended sixteen months prior, and I wanted to take care of them before I had no insurance. After only being in the office for a couple of minutes, Dr. Cohen pointed out a large "goiter" growing at the base of left side of my neck. She said it was most likely a nodule growing on my thyroid and that I needed to have an ultrasound right away to find out what was going on. I went that afternoon for an ultrasound and then went back to Dr. Cohen the next monday to hear the results. Her prediction was true. A 5 cm nodule was growing on my thyroid and there was potential of it being cancerous.

After a couple of surgical visits, I decided to have a thyroidectomy over Christmas break. It was traumatic, for sure, but the results were a clean bill of health, a scar at the base of my neck, and thankfully - no cancer! I felt so blessed to have been prompted months before to not quit my job and stay on with my current job with great health benefits. Who knows what sort of predicament I could have been in if I had quit.
It's amazing how everything happens for a reason.

faith, hope, and charity

2010-11-01T23:42:00.001-06:00

How have i never understood these principles before? I was so blind to the importance and power of these actions when it comes to how I should be living my life. Moroni says it so beautifully in Ether chapter 12. If he want our weaknesses to become strengths (v.27) then we need faith, hope and charity which bring us to the Lord so that he can transform those weaknesses into strengths (v.28). I always thought that charity was only about serving others, but what I was blind from seeing was how doing this was a way to increase faith, be reminded of the great hope, and become strengthened in Christ.
President Uchtdorf says in his talk "The Infinite Power of Hope":

Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith, for without faith, there is no hope. In like manner faith comes of hope, for faith is “the substance of things hoped for.”

Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity.

The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity. The three qualities—faith, hope, and charity—working together, grounded on the truth and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works.

Being so self-involved, consumed, really for the past several years has not allowed me to see others. I am always looking at what others can do for me - the entertainment they might bring me, the people I might meet because of them, the fun times we could share together. I don't look at how they might need me. I think with my close friends and family I can be very giving, but it doesn't extend beyond the people I already love. I need to reach beyond that circle, plug in and look for opportunities to serve others. This service will help me to have hope. Hope for the eternal reward - which includes eternal marriage (whether in the life or the next), but without the charity and the hope, I cannot receive this reward. Waiting for someone to bring me this happiness will never happen. I must be forever serving and loving and hoping. This is what will bring me joy and satisfaction in the journey. Moping and self-pity will never pay off in the end.

How many time in my life have I uttered those words: faith, hope, and charity.

Now I finally see.

plug in!

2010-10-31T23:44:00.001-06:00

i had a great talk with my bishop tonight. a couple of points that I felt were especially important:
1. read in the topical guide under hope, pay particular attention to those who gave up hope and what happens to them.
2. when i move to Salt Lake, the most important thing is to plug in! I've been so socially unplugged for so many years, this will be imperative to making the transition once again. I know from experience that if I don't do it as soon as I move it will get easy to stay unplugged. This means I have the next few months to prepare myself for the plugging. Eating right, exercising, reading my scriptures, and maybe even some arizona social activities can prepare me for being confident and excited for this next adventure.
3. Don't look at others and think what they could do for me, but look for opportunities to serve others. Look for ways to life up others around me.

Just the advice I needed this week.

decision made.

2010-10-08T10:33:00.001-06:00

So I am staying. I am living in the land of the desert sun until February. This is the right decision, I feel good about it. Maybe it's just that it's been 80 degrees for the past three days or that greed is suddenly my middle name, but regardless, that is my decision.
Reasons why it's a good idea (perhaps I'm convincing myself all over again):

A very un-wintery winter
More saving of the monies honies
Staying and saving means the potential of more time off
Reaching that summer goal of losing 20 more LBs
Some good project management experience with two big projects at work
A bit more time to figure out what I will do with all that free time. (My friend told me I need to stop trying to structure my time off by making a list of how I will fill my time. Her point was, if it's too structured I won't take advantage of all the time to think and just be. I don't know how that exactly works. I'll add that to the list that I'm not making.)
Perhaps become a cyclist. Seems like a good way to enjoy the flat land and good weather.
Lots of breaks between now and February: Belize. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Grand Canyon. Mission Farewell. President's Day. Done. So fast, so quick, it will go by like *that*. (Note the countdown clock at the bottom of the blog....it's just around the riverbend and beyond the shore!)

It's a good thing. Now that this decision is out of the way, I can moveon.org.

Let the desert winter begin!

a day marked by indecision

2010-10-06T10:37:00.001-06:00

9:00 AM - I'm just going to leave as planned. Leave on October 15th. I am just going to do it.

11:30 AM - October 15th is only in 10 days, I feel like I should stay until the end of October, at least.

12:30 PM - If I wait until the end of October I have to hurry and get home and settled before I leave for Belize on November 12th, so why don't I just wait until after Belize, which is Thanksgiving.

5:30 PM - If I am going to stay until Thanksgiving, I might as well stay until mid-December

5:45 PM - If I am already staying until December, why not stay until mid-February so I can get my bonus. February is just no that far away. With all the trip and holiday excursions during the next five months, I can make it through. It will be over before I know it.

8:00 PM - February is so very far away. Can I do it?

10:30 PM - I don't have to decide today. Let's leave that for tomorrow.

everything will be just fine...right?

2010-10-04T17:39:00.001-06:00

3. Save enough money so I could quit my current career, and take six months off to find myself.

Doesn't this sound like the ultimate reward for good behavior? I thought so. It would be the perfect mini self-finding trip. I would not go too crazy, but just crazy enough to figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up OR just to get the bug out of my system and regroup, and discover my cradle-worthy things. Little did I know that this would be the most difficult reward to accept.

I really had no problem with the saving of the money. It didn't happen as quickly as I planned, but I've successfully reached that goal (minus the money I just paid out for a greek isles cruise - which is part of the $20k budget). The saving of the monies became a little game I would play with myself. Every morning I would come into work, check mint.com and see where I stood - what money I spent, where my monthly budget was over and adjust accordingly. I set up automatic transfers so that twice a month money would be added to the pot. I was making it happen.

Finally, with the sum in sight, I made an job exit plan. I was ready to quit. So, 10 days ago, I told my boss that I was outta there. Luckily, my friends prepared me for the potential of them wanting me to stay more than the standard 2 weeks. When that plea was extended, I was armed with my list of demands. I didn't over do it, the two things I asked for seemed pretty reasonable to me. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to stay a little longer. Why was I leaving Arizona in October, just when the weather was getting tolerable? Why not spend the winter in beautiful desert weather and then retire North in the spring? Do as the snowbirds do. BTW: somehow I only just now came to realize; if I leave, I will no longer have that money. I will have less and less because that will be money I spend and there will be no pay check to replace it. I like having that money. It's like a big greenback hug, so warm and inviting and safe. But no job means no more new monies honeys! The daily game with mint.com will just not be as exciting as it was before. Bummer.

I was ready to stay. But when the answer came back to me on Thursday that my demands would not be granted, I was at a loss. I counter-offered with a lesser demand - a couple of extra weeks of paid vacation that would go toward already planned excursions, and then I would leave mid February, after our 2010 bonuses were issued. I felt ok about this, thinking it would not be a problem.

BUT THEN: Friday morning, I came to work feeling like it could go either way. I am not sure what set me off, but all of the sudden, as I went about my morning routine of email checking, I could not. stop. crying. Sobbing. After a couple of bathroom visits and failed attempt at stiffling the sniffles I decided I had no choice but to blow the joint for the day. So I sent my team an "i'm not feeling well" email and hastily departed. I drove around the rest of the afternoon, finding solace at the Wendy's drive thru and a quick splurgy purchase at Kohls.

So what does this all mean? I really don't know. Do I take it as a sign that coming to work every day for the next five months will be just as emotional? Because if it is, I'm no good to the company and no good to my soul. Like I said: crossroads.

Luckily, this weekend was full of spiritual enlightenment, so I was able to find peace and solace in the words of the Lord's annointed.

So coming to work this morning, I felt at peace. No decision as to what I should do, just at peace. Even when I got an email saying that my secondary demands of extra vacation time were again, not granted, I stayed at peace.

a couple of tender mercies found me through my reader feed:

this image:

and this quote:

"Another year is fast approaching. Go be that starving artist you’re afraid to be. Open up that journal and get poetic finally. Volunteer. Suck it up and travel. You were not born here to work and pay taxes. You were put here to be part of a vast organism to explore and create. Stop putting it off. The world has much more to offer than what’s on 15 televisions at TGI Fridays. Take pictures. Scare people. Shake up the scene. Be the change you want to see in the world." ~ Jason Mraz

and still....peace.

I know that I am the only one that can decide my future - a feeling that is freeing but also confining. I know that whatever I decide will be ok and I may or may not regret it. That's what a leap of faith is all about, the not knowing.

But what leap am I destined to take? That remains the question.

for the love of all that is creamy and melty

2010-10-03T01:27:00.001-06:00

1. I would learn more about a thing that I loved, hoping that it could turn into some sort of career for me.

So as my blog might suggest, I have a mild obsession with cheese. i don't really know how it started, but somehow I decided this was my thing. I've always wanted to have a thing, a niche, a hook to make me unique, and this was going to be it. Eventually i decided that I was tired of having "just a job" and wanted to follow my passions in life. And since cheese was my thing, it must be my passion, right?

So after a trip to Denver in May, I decided to dedicate my summer to the study of la fromage. I bought books, I signed up for a cheese of the month club, I registered for a cheese making class, I thought up some good pairing and recipe ideas, and I started to blog. At the end of the summer, if I felt like this was, truly, my passion, I would contact some cheese companies, show them my blog reviews, and see if I could get an internship for a couple months so I could get real world experience.

I can't say that I accomplished all I planned to do, but I did eat a lot of cheese, learn more about varieties and the chemistry of cheese, though there's not much blogging to show for it. I guess I sort of lost steam. Working the 9-5 and then coming home to an environment over which I had no control was not necessarily conducive to experimentation or creative thought. So, the pairings, recipes, and blogging just didn't happen. But I sure did enjoy eating all that cheese.

Even though I wasn't doing my homework, I was still determined to accomplish my goal of following my passion. When I was home in July, my cousin hooked me up with a couple of contacts, and in a windy rollercoaster of events I ended up with a job offer with a small cheese company.

I didn't deserve it. I hadn't put in the work for it, but there it was anyway. I felt overwhelmed, it all happened so fast, almost too fast. Much to my surprise and disappointment, I did not accept the job. Why not? Seems like a perfect ending to the story, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't up to me. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. And I know from experience that when the Lord says "don't do it", I shouldn't do it. So I didn't.

Luckily, the company hasn't given up on me that easily. My relationship with them is still positive and hopefully, if cheese truly is my passion or at least something I cherish, I will be able to reach out to them again.

So what does all this mean? I don't know how I feel about it at this point, but what I do know is that when the summer ended, I was glad that i didn't have to worry about it any more. The cheese of the month club ended so I didn't have to feel guilty that I wasn't doing my required blogging for the week. I do love cheese, that will always be true, so I worry that working in the industry will just become another job, another widget to manage, and that's not what I want it to become.

I guess success is still TBD, but with an endless summer, I guess that's ok.

avoiding the spirals

2010-10-02T21:51:00.002-06:00

I needed a forum for myself to just write. the other blog has been neglected for a while because of the limits i decided to place upon it, especially upon finding out the reach that i never knew it had.

you see; i'm at a crossroads in my life. one that i wanted, one that i've been planning for months now and now that it's here and it's not all it's cracked up to be, i am wondering why i decided that crossing these roads would solve it all.

at the beginning of this summer, I prepared myself for the black spiral of depression that the Arizona heat slapped me with the previous year. I was determined to beat it in 2010. no spirals, thank you. So i did what I do. I made a plan, and when I say plan, I took it on as a full blown project, just as I've been trained to do. The result: a Gannt chart so impressive the PMBOK would be proud. (that's project manager speak, no need to explain).

The idea was three fold:

I would learn more about a thing that I loved, hoping that it could turn into some sort of career for me.
Lose 20 pounds
Save enough money so I could quit my current career, and take six months off to find myself

I thought this would be enough to keep me busy and out of the 120 degree heat and hopefully avoid the black spirals swirling around me.

so that was the plan. it's result? meh.... i guess it wasn't completely unsuccessful.

for your cheesification: boschetto al tartufo

2010-06-13T22:00:00.005-06:00

Several weeks ago my friend Amy and I went to dinner at La Bocca Pizzeria and had a lovely time catching up and splitting the cheese plate. One of the cheeses was so woodsy and mossy, but neither of us could identify the exact flavor. I couldn't get the cheese out of my head, so a couple weeks later I emailed La Bocca and described the cheese and they unveiled the mysterious cheese as....... Boschetto al Tartufo! An Italian sheep's milk cheese with bits of wonderful white truffles mixed into it's semi soft texture.

I was even more excited to receive a hunk of this deliciousness in the mail this week from Murray's Cheese Shop along with some other of their month's selections (more on those later!). I giggled aloud when I cut the first slice of my very own boschetto al tartufo. It melted in my mouth! So rich and creamy.

When it comes to pairings or recipes using this cheese, I could easily recommend sitting on the porch with a nice spring breeze, a good friend and eating the entire round of cheese all by itself, but in an effort to be a little less gluttonous, here are some recommendations.I did a little taste test with some of my go-to favorite cheese accoutrement:

While red grapes are a solid choice for most earthy cheeses, I found their tartness to be off putting when combined with the woodsy truffle. Surprisingly, the dried apricots were a perfect pair! The sweetness and mild tartness of the apricots are an formidable match to the rich flavors of the cheese. I highly recommend! The white grapes were ok, but please avoid the cherries - it was a bad, bad decision.

For a more savory pairing, I give you.....

...a fresh tomato! Yum!

I also thought this would be a great cheese on hearty bread for a grilled cheese sandwich, but finding myself without bread, I improvised and got this -

I grilled some tomatoes, melted the cheese on top of the tomato and caramelized some red onions and drizzled some olive oil. Great as a salad or would make a FAB grilled cheese!

Please, find it, eat it, and enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Ricotta Salata

2010-06-13T18:43:00.008-06:00

Patience - it truly is a virtue. how true this is in cheesemaking. I finally got to test my ricotta salata after long week of waiting! And it turned out great! I was a proud cheese mama!

Ricotta Salata isn't really a cheese you eat by itself, it's meant to be a garnish on salads or pasta dishes. So I got right to work creating the best pasta dish to highlight this salty, creamy little friend.

Just combine a stalk of broccoli, juice from one lime (plus some zest), a tablespoon of light sour cream, and some fresh mint leaves, tossed with some pasta and topped with ricotta salata ~ freshly made from your kitchen, is preferred ;) for a great summer dish!

BON APPETIT!!!

Petta Made Some Feta!

2010-06-07T11:36:00.010-06:00

This past saturday I took a great cheesemaking class at the local sur la table. It was taught by Mary Karlin who is working on a home cheesemaking cook book, Making Home-Crafted Artisan Cheese, due out next year. She was a great instructor and is very knowledgeable about the process and techniques of home cheesemaking. We made four different cheeses: a 90 minute mozzarella, manchego, ricotta salata, and feta. (here's the manchego still in it's infantile state - just beginning to mold and press)

I learned how cheese can come together with only a few simple ingredients (good milk, salt and enzymes) and proper materials (good pots, molds, cheesecloth, etc). Once you have everything you need, it's all one big science experiment! I still have the feta, manchego, and ricotta curing in the refrigerator at home, but I sampled the mozzarella last night. Mary gave everyone some extra curd to take home and try their hands at pulling it into mozzarella, which is actually making it into the balls you see below. The act of pulling consists of melting the curd down over hot water and pulling it, like an old fashioned taffy pull. This gives it the stringy texture that we see in string cheese. Once it's sufficiently pulled, you make it into a ball and throw it into ice water to help set it's shape. It's fun to do, and would be great for a summer party or cheese club get together.

A gardener friend of mine gave me a freshly picked cucumber yesterday, so I put it to good use, making a fresh cucumber and freshly pulled mozzarella neopolitan. This is one of my favorite summer treats. A couple summers ago when I was living in Salt Lake, I would pick up some fresh mozzarella and head over to mom and dad's for dinner. We would pair cucumbers, tomatoes and basil from their garden with the mozzarella, top it with some olive oil, basalmic vinegar and salt and pepper and eat until we were stuffed to the gills! Such a great summer treat!

Last night I improvised with what I had, and the results were still delicious. I could live off this little combination!

Stay tuned for more results from the class!

Throw a little bleu in your summer side dish!

2010-06-03T13:11:00.002-06:00

Cheese makes everything better, doesn't it? Following this inspiration, last night as I was sautéing peas for my dinner I threw in some crumbled gorgonzola and let it melt down. The result: delicious.

(photo taken w my iPhone before eating the leftovers for lunch- thus the paper plate)

Recipe for Bleu Peas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bag frozen peas
1/4 cup of golden raisins (trust me, it offsets some of the tang of the blue)
1/4 cup of crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in medium skillet on med/high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until shallot is translucent. Add in bag of peas, salt and pepper to taste, combine and turn heat to medium. Cover skillet to allow frozen peas to thaw. After about two minutes add raisins and cheese combine, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes so the cheese can soften and raisins can slightly rehydrate. Serve right away. (shown above w/ orange roughy w Dijon crust and sliced tomatoes.)

Also could be pureed (without golden raisins), spread on crostini and topped with the raisins.

Bon appetit!

happy long weekend!

2010-02-15T21:39:00.005-07:00

i love the fact that my winter long weekends have been full of friendly visits from the North Country. That is one of the benefits of living in the desert. This weekend was a beautiful 75 degrees! And it was full of wonderful things. Annzy came to visit. We did a lot of eating, a little movie watching, shopping, friend visiting, and even threw in a great bike ride.

dinner friday night was Postino's for bruschetta and cheese:

and ended w/ an awkward self portrait:

the rest of the weekend was tons of fun, but we have no photos to show for it, we just got wrapped up in the good times, but don't worry, I did pick up a little somethin' to remind me of the good time -a 1960's telephone chair! Have you ever seen anything more perfect? I haven't. I just had to have it! Some day, when I move out of the big house, I'll have the perfect place for it, but for now its holding up the end of the bed.
thanks Ann for a great weekend and for being my valen-friend-tine!

dam it.

2010-02-12T13:12:00.004-07:00

last friday i drove to vegas to see Isabelle play Annie in her little theater troupe performance. she did an amazing job! what a little star!! on the drive up, i hung out with this contraption...

while sitting in the dam traffic (hoover dam, that is). I always feel like I'm going back in time when I drive through the hoover dam because of all the art deco features, so staring at the back of this guy for an hour made me feel like I was in some sort of groovy time warp. But soon, all the dam fun will be over, when this bad boy is complete...

I can't wait to drive over that thing - it's so super high!

awkwardness for birbigs!

2010-02-12T10:34:00.006-07:00

so one of my 2010 goals is to do more stuff. i love to go to shows, the theater, museums, etc. but often find myself tired on the weekends and end up with the traditional dinner and movie with friends. not that a dinner and movie night is ever a bad thing, but it's good to switch it up a bit now and then.

two weeks ago, mike birbiglia, one of my favorite story tellers from TAL and the moth, came to tempe improv and i really wanted to go. i sent out a mass text to phx friends, and included an ex-boyfriend in the list. well, guess who was the only one to respond in the affirmative? yep, the ex. awkward. so i give you the awkward text convo:

X: i would go

me: (after waiting over night to respond, hoping others would join in the fun) so looks like nobody really wants to go the show tomorrow night but you and me. do you still want to go?

X: i love comedy, i'll go if it is not weird

me: if the comedy is not weird or I am not weird? ha ha ( i ask this based on a previous disaster date w/ him when i took him to the live broadcast of TAL and he just didn't get it. it was the beginning of the end)

X: not you, us. lol

so at this point, we both have made it an incredibly weird and awkward experience by acknowledging the potential weirdness (which is totally appropriate since the essence of Mike Birbiglia comedy is based on his innate awkwardness). I ask a couple coworkers how to resolve the situation, but no real solutions are offered up. I really want to go to the show, and comedy is not really something you do alone (unlike movies, museums, and even the occasional restaurant that are competely appropriate solo activities in my book).

So my choices are: go, with the awkward ex or not go and think of some excuse why I can't go at all.

THEN, out of the blue, my knight in shiny armour comes to my rescue. I get an email from my cousin that he's coming into town this weekend and wanted to hang out. WAHOO!! I'm saved! I totally can convince the cousins to come with me. so I text a response:

me: hey - my cousin just emailed that he is coming into town tomorrow and wants to play. looks like i am out for the show. dangit. sorry to be wishy washy

X: no worries.

so I did indeed convince the cousins to come with me, and after suffering through a couple terrible opening acts, birbigs was great.

and it was weird... the comedy, me, and the cousins. but in a good way.

if you’ll be the peanut butter, i’ll be the jelly

2010-02-08T14:07:00.004-07:00

I saw this on my etsy feed today and I was immediately attracted to it. at first I thought, “yummmm peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich on white bread, that sounds delightful”. which is crazy because I never had this American classic growing up as a kid. even now, I detest wonder bread and grape jelly, but combined with peanut butter it sounds sooo delicious.

my second thought went to the fact that I’m a sucker for cute romantic, concepting like this. I mean the thought of wearing half a sandwich while your sweetheart was wearing the other half… I mean – come on, i challenge you think of something more sweet!

then I realized, what if these little necklaces are a sad metaphor for my life? craving the perfect combination for the simplest of pleasures, but not even possessing the ingredients to satisfy that craving! I can’t even put together a dag nab love sandwich.

seems I have some work to do.

running in air

2010-02-04T09:44:00.001-07:00

you know how you have those friends that you love, but don’t talk to on a regular basis and then when something interesting or funny happens that you know they would appreciate you hesitate to call because you will have to have the whole six month catch up convo before you can just relay that one tiny antidote? well, i’m not going to attempt that catch up convo….

the other day at the gym, I was all pumped up to have a fantastically successful run on the treadmill. I put in my headphones, ready for chubby jones to take me through week 6 run 2 of the couch to 5k program. I walked to the open treadmill next to a really cute guy that might later become impressed with my amazing running skills (“wow, that girl really runs well for her seemingly out-of-shape appearance”).
I carefully stepped on to the back of the treadmill and then …… promptly FLEW off the back, flying in the air all slow motion like, barely catching myself before I tumbled to the disgusting gym floor. the treadmill was ON, running, at about 6.8. I recovered and stepped on to the sides of the treadmill (I guess this is what normal people do), turned it off, and glanced over at the cute guy next to me. of course, THIS, is when he chooses is to talk to me, any other day it wouldn’t have happened. “are you ok?” he says. “yes” is all I could reply with an awkward giggle. he went back to his running. I tried to regain my confidence during my five minute walking warm-up, but just as I started my slow jog, he completed his run, and was on his way.

and yes, he turned off his treadmill like a good citizen.

and no, my run was not successful (ankle pain has come back to bite me).

making geneology hip

2009-10-03T14:12:00.002-06:00

I am SO excited for this! It seems like just what we need in the world today; to be reminded of twho we are and where we come from.

Alternative content

i'm old

2009-06-22T14:50:00.004-06:00

Two separate experiences on Saturday night made me realize that no longer am I a wild, rambunctious youth. I am now the ornery old adult that is merely a victim of youthful indiscretion.

Saturday night at about 10:30, my roommate comes into the house to tell me that my car has been egged! EGGED! (Yes, I do recognize the irony that once again, I’ve been the victim of a bird-related crime – maybe I need to stop eating poultry, maybe then their kind will leave me in peace!) I walked out to see that the front, one side, and the back of my new car had egg yolks and whites dripping down it and quickly drying in the 90 degree heat (yes, even at 10:30 at night). And to add insult to injury, the back of the car proudly displayed two maxi pads stuck to it! Nice, eh?
I went through several emotions all at once – furious, worried, violated, hurt, confused – but then I got out the bucket of soapy water and Kim and I went to work slowly washing away the eggy goo. The more we washed, the more emotions I felt... why me? Nobody in this neighborhood even knows me? Why my car when there was another car parked right next to mine that survived without a splat? Did they mistake my car for a similar model that lives across the street? All of these questions culminated in one barbaric yawp:

“DAMN KIDS!!”

I may have repeated this several times throughout the night.
It was then I realized that it has happened. I’m old. I’m the old spinsty that lives in the corner house that nobody knows and some how becomes the victim of summer night pranksters. I used to be the kid doing the pranks, when did the switch happen?

After all the goo was removed, I went to work on the pads. Those were the worst of all. The adhesive was really strong! Stronger than I could have imagined or ever thought necessary. I texted a friend who happens to be an expert in car care (yes, I know a guy) and he suggested WD40 could do the trick. Not wanting to wait for the sun to bake in any permanent damage, Kim and I took off to Walmart for some supplies.

Now, Walmart at midnight is an interesting place. I am not a frequent Walmart shopper, but I think I could handle it at midnight. The crazies come out – the good crazies. It’s like a people-watchers paradise! People buy the strangest things at midnight at Walmart. Like the guy behind me in line who had six tiny cans of Vienna sausages (do they only come in tiny cans??), a bag of chips, and a tub of night crawlers. As we waited in line I teased him about his purchases and he instructed me on his Vienna sausage/worm fish bait strategies (the sausages are like appetizers, the worms are the main course). We shared a laugh together and as Kim and I were walking away from check-out, he says to us “All I know is that I hope I look as good as you two do at midnight when I am your age!” I turned to him in shock, “Our age!?!” Our age? He looked to be in his mid-twenties, I’m not that much older than him. You say something like that to somebody in their fifties or sixties, not their thirties!! He quickly realized his misstep and yelled to his as we walked away in shock - “but, I’m only 16!!” Ok, I guess I’m twice his age so it’s acceptable. But still. I’m old.
We went home, removed the adhesive residue, and then I drowned my depression in some stilton with apricots.

…now if only I can find those vandalizing kids and wag my finger at them.

i might have to read this

2009-06-16T09:34:00.001-06:00

don't judge me.

baby girl

2009-06-16T01:09:00.003-06:00

Miss Sasha was born this week. Isn't she precious? I just want to snuggle with her and smell her babyness! Congratulations to Dave, Marina, and Katya for the latest member of their little clan!

what a sweetheart.

Tourists in Our Own City

2009-06-11T21:33:00.010-06:00

Last month, Renee and I took a trip to Washington, DC to visit friends, visit the city where we used to live, and most importantly, meet our newest pseudo-nephew, Tristan James Cook. It was so much fun to reconnect with people and have a couple days off from life.dan, renee, me, andria, baby tristan sharing brunch at Eastern Market, an old time favorite of yuppies and mormons alike!dinner at Faccia Luna with the old 3092 crew: BDB, TLiu, KMags

being reminded of the many joys of the toyota tercel with KRees. Oh, KRees how we love you!

Cuddling with little TJ

Many thanks to the McCooks for hosting us! It was so much fun to hang out with you all! Loves and Hugs!!

Welcome to Phoenix, Mr. Obama

2009-06-11T21:05:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine who works at ASU was given a ticket to this year's historic commencement, but in fear of the potential for endless hours of heat, crowds, and waiting, she decided to give the ticket to me! I was more than happy to take the ticket, i never turn down a moment to be a part of history. The day ended up being hot and long, but not too bad. I got into the stadium early and ended up siting in the shade, reading my book, and people watching all afternoon.
I was finally able to share space with Our President. It was delightful and worth the wait!

things i want to do this summer...

2009-05-07T14:04:00.001-06:00

finish unpacking my treasures
organize my “craft room” in the storage closet
start easy sewing projects ( pj shorts, skirt, softies)
build a terrarium
paint something
discover some medium to communicate my short story. (I had a Stephanie Meyer moment, had a crazy dream and wrote it down.)
discover local artisan cheeses (they are here, just not as easy to find as in SLC)
pimp my work cubicle: a baby cactus (whose name will be Pedro Sanchez), photos, artwork, some cute desk accessories, etc.

notice that none of these things involve being out of doors. now that our air conditioning is working in the big house, i’m ready for the summer hibernation!

the omlet eglu

2009-05-06T14:31:00.004-06:00

urban farming has become hip. and with a chicken coop like this, i'm ready to join the movement.

do you think my chickens would fry and eggs would scramble under the desert sun?

unwelcomed guest

2009-05-04T14:57:00.002-06:00

As previously mentioned, birds and I don’t have a good track record. Which is ironic, because for a little while I was obsessed with all things decorated with birds. They are so much cuter when their image is embroidered or cast in ceramic, but in real life, they are ugly filthy creatures.

So recently the ruthless Arizona sun has been beating down my door and living on the second floor of the big house hasn’t helped. Our air conditioner is on the fritz and as we know heat rises. So I have been sweltering in my hybrid bedroom/sauna for a couple of weeks. Lucky for me, my room has a balcony, so each night, I’ve been sleeping with the doors open, letting the cool-ish night air soothe my overheated body.
Last week, as I sat on the toilet, pondering the day ahead, listening to the morning birds sing their happy (and annoying) tunes I thought to myself – looking out the wide open double French doors.. (yes, I was sitting on the toilet with the doors open, but I’m on the second floor with adequate tree coverage so it isn’t as risky as it sounds), man with all that open space a bird could really just fly in here and then what would I do. Not a moment later, I hear the noise that confirmed my prediction.

flap, flap, flap…. flap, flap, flap….

I knew in a flash what had happened and staring down through the bathroom and into my room I saw this grayish brown blur. Now in all honesty, I was not yet wearing my contacts nor glasses so I couldn’t make out the exact shape of the intruder, but it was perched on my bed, on my pillow and I was NOT happy. I silently pleaded for the little guy to fly out, imaging the drama that would ensue if I had to go tete a tete with the feathered beast. But just as I worked up the strength to confront it he flitted away, without a care in the world.

phew… well almost. I was still unsure if he safely made it out the door or if he remained in the room, ready to attack. I slowly walked out of the bathroom, a towel covering my face (so my eyes wouldn’t get clawed out my eyeballs, of course) and surveyed the room. Nothing. The bird got the flap out of there. close call. the last thing I needed was a bird in residence.

I hate birds.

so all in all this is a pretty lame post, lots of build up, but no pay off, but I wanted to post and this was the most extreme of experiences I’ve had of late. hello again.

des six

2009-02-23T19:04:00.004-07:00

I got tagged. This is how it works: go to the pictures folder on your computer, go to the sixth file, go to the sixth picture, post it, then tag 6 people.

This was taken in the bathroom stall of the American Girl store in Chicago. It's a place for your doll to "hang" while you use the facilities. It's inside the stall, right next to the toilet, which is sort of creepy. actually, it's really creepy.

I tag: kathleen, suzanne, marina, lori and renee. (that is if they ever blog again or check this blog which seems to have become near obsolete)

Love List

2009-01-17T20:22:00.013-07:00

Since I know you've all been asking yourselves, "What can I do in 2009 to become more like the Salt Lake Gamine", I've put together a list of things I love, so that I might inspire you all to love them too, so, in the words of Maria Vontrapp, here are a few of my favorite things:
I've read this off and on, story by story for the past year or so. These truly are the New Kings of Nonfiction. I was particularly moved by Power Steer by Michael Pollan, and further solidified my efforts to support free range and grass fed meats and cheeses. You can read the story here too.

I've been counting calories since the new year and Lance Armstrong has made it super cyber easy! It's super convenient, and has a ever expanding library of restaurant and grocery brand food nutritional information ready for the taking!

A modern girl's twist on the commemorative plate! love everything from Paloma's Nest
so I decided to purchase this Obama quote plate to celebrate the upcoming inauguration.

Mint.com is the coolest tool ever, and I'm obsessed. One place on the Internets to see all your finances - checking, savings, credit cards, loans, 401k, IRA, etc. Make a budget, check your balances. It's amazing, and totally secure. Thanks Renee for getting me hooked!

My lovely new car is bluetooth enabled, which is so so wonderful. I love to look like the crazy person talking to myself as I drive down the street. It's such a freeing feeling (get it? free-ing... hands freeing... get it?)

The Ginger Snap cookies from Trader Joes. They are so gingery and lovely and addicting. I highly recommend.

The Cooking Loft on the food network. Alex G. is so in love with food and she's hilarious. Plus she makes yummy and unexpected dishes. Love her!

Hope you enjoy as much as I do!!

Is it wrong for me to feel this way?

2009-01-16T11:54:00.004-07:00

I know I am a Salt Lake Gamine and all, and my heart does belong to that lovely deseret, but I couldn't help feeling overjoyed to live in the lovely desert of Arizona today when I saw this:

I might regret this post in June when it's 120 degrees outside, but for now. It feels SO good!

Happy Wintering!

Lost in Austen

2009-01-14T23:43:00.002-07:00

If you haven't seen it, you need to find it. It's been playing on Ovation, and all four parts will be replayed this weekend, so set your VCR or DVR or grab some popcorn and watch it. It's great and totally self-indulgent. Love it!

These Past Few Weeks

2009-01-11T20:49:00.005-07:00

Most of my time home at christmas can be summed up like this...

family members came and went, but one constant stayed the same... we love playing around that kitchen table.

But there was also this... and now, I'm back to this..

I would have more to say... but some people aren't sending photos like they promised...

Thanks all for a great break. My soul is renewed, I feel ready to tackle 2009 head on!

YES WE DID!!

2008-11-04T20:47:00.006-07:00

NOT too good to be true!

History was made tonight, but now comes the fun part. Though he is young and has less Washington experience than some, I think he is humble, teachable and intelligent. I think he is thoughtful and deliberate and will support the initiatives that will benefit this country and the world. He IS the change we WILL believe in!

Pray for President-Elect Obama, no matter your political affiliation. He is no longer a Democratic Nominee, he is our country's future leader.

Here's to the next 8 years!

Halloweeny

2008-11-03T22:08:00.005-07:00

I went to San Diego for the weekend to hang out with all the Petts for Halloween. I got there too late for trick or treating, but Katya kept her costume on long enough for me to see her. What a cutie!!
I felt rejuvenated after spending some time with Mat and Dave, Marina and Katya. Katya is SO cute and I was glad that she recognized me, even if she does loves Mat more :).

Once again, I was suckered into dressing up! Mat took me out on the town on Halloween and we had a great time with his friends. We were dressed like we were from the 50s (kind of lame, but my idea of a costume is one I can put together from my own closet).

Thanks for the great weekend San Diego Kids!!!

New City, Old Friends

2008-11-03T21:59:00.005-07:00

I was excited to find that my move to Phoenix hasn't left me friendless. My first night alone here, I drove around the area to get my bearings, find a grocery store and of course, a Target. As I was driving, I was contemplating my move and what part it might play in my life journey. I got lost in this little neighborhood in Mesa, and as I turned the corner I saw this...

The Mesa Temple. It was a confirmation to me that I am in the right place, and that temple is always a place to go to find companionship and feel of the love God has for me.

My old mission companion, Kim, lives here and we've been able to reconnect and have had a lot of fun. A couple of weeks ago, Kim invited me to attend an event at Macy's with her to see Clinton Kelly, from my favorite show "What Not To Wear". It was fun to see his cuteness in person and get some great style tips. He also had models with great fall fashions (though I'm not sure I'll ever have to wear those warm fashions in this hot hot place.

Kim and I have had a great time catching up and getting to know each other as "civilians".

Another welcome surprise was running into my old short-time roommie from D.C., Sara. I was so glad to see a familiar face as I walked into church! It's always hard to start a new ward, her presence and friendship will make it a much smoother transition.

Yay Friends!

Arrival!

2008-10-25T01:47:00.008-06:00

Sorry for the delay, I've been waiting to take some photos of the casa during the daylight so you can get the idea. Some of you have heard the harrowing tale of our arrival here into town.
Annzy was gracious enough to accompany me on my trip south. We had a good drive. Ann read to me for most of the trip from Persuading Annie, which was the BBC book for the month and was an entertaining outloud roadtrip read. I was happy to be driving my new car, since after packing "just the essentials" we were full to the brim with no extra room to speak of. We were quite the site as we pulled up to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, valeting my life possessions with all the other gambling fools. We ate great food in Vegas and were happy to have a good nights rest. The next morning we took off towards the Hoover Dam, it was cool to drive across the dam, I dont think I've ever done that before. They are building a bridge that goes high above the current road, so it is almost complete, so next time might not be so adventurous. The road from Vegas to Phoenix seemed long, deserted and hilly. I was disappointed to find this true since I had imagined many a road trip to Vegas for weekends, but now the thought of it isn't so enticing. (I promptly bought a ticket to Vegas for Thanksgiving - not going to risk that deserted road!) When we finally arrived in Phoenix, after a stop off for lunch in Flagstaff, we pulled into Mesa with my directions to my new dwelling.
I had explicit directions to my new home, it was the corner of two streets. Enter the back yard, go to the second set of french doors, we will hide a key for you there. I knew my mission, and I chose to accept it. So Ann and I pulled up to the house, jimmied open the back gate and walked into the backyard. By this time it was dark outside, so we crept into the backyard with only my cell phone light to guide us. As we walked in, I noticed there were lights on in the house and Ann said "There are people in the house". My first intinct was that my roommate and her family might be there. I walked up to the window, and a teenage boy was doing dishes at the kitchen sink. I knocked on the window, he looked up smiled, and then went back to washing dishes. UH - Hello! I'm a stranger in your backyard - aren't you a little bit curious what I am doing here??? It was hilarious. His mother finally looked up, and of course, I got the expected reaction - SHOCK! We met at the back door at what point I said "Hi, I'm Amy...." look of non-recongnition "Amy Pett?" still no reaction... "is this the Jackson house" and then finally - "oh, no, you want the house across the street!" WOOPS! Good thing it was only 6:30 and not midnight. I was a bit embarrassed, but Ann was thoroughly amused. We got back in the car, drove into the driveway across the street (on the OTHER corner of the same two streets) and successfully found the key and let ourselves in to my new PAD! Hilarious!! What and entrance, huh? :)

My good friend Amy E. from my last job hooked me up to stay at the home of her aunt and uncle in Mesa. Her aunt and uncle are on a mission in California, but her other aunt, Laura, is staying in their home during the week, running the preschool that is above their garage. Also living there for the first couple weeks I was here was the grandparents of one of the son-in-laws was also staying here. I think Mat said it best when he said "sounds like you are a bunch on squatters". Yep, that pretty much sums it up! All of my "roommates" are very nice people and the house is big enough that everyone can be in their corners and nobody is bothered.

This is the grrrande entrance into the home and up at the top right corner is my suite:

I have a great set up, bedroom with bathroom, my own thermostat (currently set to 75 degrees), internet, small TV thanks to Aunt Carolee, and my privacy :) I grateful for the place to stay while I wait for my condo to find its new owner. Who knew pimping out your dwelling would be so difficult. Darn Recession! I am feeling a bit more settled in!

A special shoutout to my Annzy! Thanks for making the trip with me and being a constant beacon of strength and nurturing, even when I broke down at the airport! I love you! Thank you!!

conte partiro

2008-10-06T23:09:00.012-06:00

So I have arrived in the Valley of the Sun, but before I got there, I had to say goodbye to some good people who I will miss very much. (In order of goodbyes)
A couple of weeks ago I attended my last BBC. This photo was from December, and we've changed a bit since then, but you get the idea. I was sad to say goodbye to these girls. What a surprising eclectic group of smart, opinionated women. Meeting with them was a definite highlight of each month. Don't worry girls, I plan to keep up to date on the books, Ann read me the entire book of Persuading Annie on our trip down, very entertaining!! I bid farewell to my time with the cookies and the yogurt. I can't say I will miss the job too much, but I will miss the people. I had such a blast with this group. I don't know if a group of coworkers will ever compare.The girls, Lori, Kelly, and Ann, gave me a great send off at Chili's on one of my last nights of Utahness. Lori and Kelly hooked me up with great road trip mixes and momentos to take with me. LoLo posted the hideous but hilarious photos of our shenanigans. Thanks girls for being my buddies through it all the pass couple of years, your friendships were really a lifeline to my sanity!! I'll miss you all!

And then of course, my family. I am going to miss them most of all! I hate that Lucy won't remember all the great bonding time we spent together the first 10 months of her life. I don't know when Curtis and Noah will notice I'm really really gone. probably when summer rolls around and the "hotel" pool is permanently closed to their use. I'll miss my Kath, just hanging out with her made for some fun and memorable times. And I don't know who will take care of me now that the Muel doesn't live down the street. And most of all, mom and dad. I LOVED being close to them, I think living away from them in D.C. made me appreciate them even more. I loved talking to them about real things and not just parent things. I LOVE YOU BOTH!! (Sorry no photos, I was too emotional too click the pics!) My time in Utah was a very reflective time, and even after being here only a week I can see reasons why I needed to be in Utah. Funny how you can't see the blessings of an experience until after it's over.

So, there, that's the sappiest I think I've ever been here at the fromagerie, but I think it was warranted.

Good bye UTAH! Hello the Crazy AZ!! (more to come about roadtrips and breaking and entering...)

So You Think You Can Dance LIVE!

2008-09-24T09:17:00.011-06:00

Last night Mom, Dad, Kath, and I went to see the top 13 So You Think You Can Dance Dancers (it's usually just top 10, but they have alternates and we are so glad local boy Thayne was there!) in Concert at the E Center. It was a fabulous show, equal to last year's performance in San Diego (do I sound like an obsessed fan?).

proof we were at some sort of event... we couldn't seem to get a photo w/ the sign!

All of the performances were fabulous, they did all the favorites from the show. It was fun to have three local kids up on the stage, the crowd went wild for Gev, Chelsea, and Thayne! For me, Gev totally stole the show, I don't know if it was because the crowd loved him so much, but he performed great and was the most entertaining during the introductions. The format of the show is that the dancers will introduce the next number and they have some joke or story the tell about the upcoming number. The jokes were much more funny than last year's attempt.

They did dances from around the world and the "emcees" came out in the traditional dress of whatever country's dance was next. Gev came out every time, and deciding that women got the better costume, he came out in a traditional Russian dress and then announced Twitch and Joshua's Russian Dance in RUSSIAN - I wish, wish, wish, I would have recorded it for my Russian friends, but totally missed it. But it was awesome! Below is a picture of his next costume - introducing the Viennese Waltz...

It was all together an awesome show and I screamed like a teenage girl through the entire thing (I screamed extra loud for you, Marina!) Here is a clip from the finale number, which was the same as last years! They all looked so cute!

List Therapy

2008-09-23T16:12:00.007-06:00

I started getting sad today about leaving Salt Lake City. I knew it would happen, I am not surprised that it is, but the emotions kicked in today. So, I decided to make a list of all things I will miss about SLC, hopefully that will get it all out of my system.

1. Winter - there are many things that I won't miss about the winter (driving, sloshing, coldness) but I will miss the newly fallen snow, snowball fights, the way the mountains look, the crisp air, scarves (i really love scarves).

2. My family - it's been fun being near the Preslars and the Parents the last couple of years. I love watching the kids grow and spend time with them. I will miss seeing them on a regular basis.

3. My friends - I have great friends. Friends that don't mind driving 20 miles just to hang out with me and have dinner, go to a movie, have fhe.. whatever.

4. My work friends. I've seriously had such a kick of a time with these people. I laugh almost everyday at whatever shenanigans might be going on in the office. I can't imagine my new office supplying me with such craziness. Whether it is potty jokes, pranks, email chains, lunches at porcupine or that thai place, or endless teasing, I have enjoyed every bit of it.

5. The city. I love this city. I love that is small yet hip at the same time. I love the Broadway: the theater, the boutiques, etc. I love trax. I love the Library. I love the Farmers Market. I love 400 South which supplies my dinner on most nights.

6. My condo. I don't miss it yet because right now we are in a fight because it's not yet sold. But when I do successfully sell it (channelling the universe, using the secret), I will miss it. A lot.

I guess the list could go on forever and I'm getting to sad to think about it anymore. I love you Salt Lake City! You will always hold my heart.

I went to the Oprah Show and all I got was this brand new car...

2008-09-21T21:32:00.006-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago, I was one of the priveleged few to grace the presence of her Winfreyness as an audience member for the Oprah Show. The show that I attended will air on September 30th. Now I don't want to give too much away, but two weeks later I drove out of a local dealership with this... a BRAND NEW CAR!!! A 2008 Nissan Rogue is now all mine. I got a car! but not everybody got a new car. It wasn't that kind of Oprah. I bought the car myself. It had nothing to do with Oprah. But I was very excited to be a part of both!

The Big Move

2008-09-04T20:45:00.003-06:00

For those of you who know me well you know I love quaint downtown areas, and large metropolitan cities, green lush trees, turtlenecks, and hot chocolate. You may also know that I am not a fan of heat, non-layered outfits, suburban sprawl, and the desert. For these reasons you may all be surprised to hear that I am planning a little adventure to the great hot sprawling metropolis of Phoenix, AZ.
I have a great job opportunity that I can't pass up, for this reason I embrace The Valley of the Sun and I prepare for the big move in October.
However, I need some help....
1. Since I've named this blog after my current city - do I need to change the name? I am a Salt Lake girl no matter where I roam, but any thoughts?
2. Anybody know of any Phoenix lifestyle blogs that will plug me in to the city?
3. Anybody know anyone interested in purchasing a hip downtown Salt Lake City condo?

I am sad to move on, to leave my family, my friends and my city. I am also excited for the next chapter of my life - where ever it takes me and whatever it brings!

Life Lessons at the Iceburg

2008-08-28T13:01:00.005-06:00

So last night some of my family went to the classic spot, Iceburg for underpriced, overportioned, delicious ice cream shakes to celebrate the arrival of one Mat Pett into our blessed city.

It was fun to hang out with everyone and enjoy a last evening of summer.. oh Utah summer evenings... sigh... how i love them! As you can tell by the size of the cup, one "mini" shake is enough for three people to share, so when Curtis was denied his choice (oreo shake), he ended up looking like this...His body is blurred because he did not want his picture taking while he was pouting up a storm... poor picked on kid :(. So after he pouted the entire time we were enjoying our treats, refusing to even try any of the other delectible flavors I gave in. Why? Because I am the aunt and I don't have to "teach him a lesson" and let's be honest, I was tired of listening to the whining. So I went up to get my kid's cup that came with my kids meal dinner (yep, I had a corn dog kid's meal - I was hungry, ok?) and I asked the cute kid in the Iceburg if he could put some crushed oreos on top. He happily obliged and two seconds after I gave it to Curtis, he looked like this -

- like the happiest kid on earth.

So what did we learn from this - 1. Whining works 2. I'm a sucker.

When Patriotism Looks like this...

2008-08-27T09:40:00.004-06:00

...all I have to say is God Bless America!

I miss them already.

Cancelled TV Series Recommendation

2008-08-25T09:30:00.004-06:00

Maybe some of you remember this short lived TV show that was on Fox in 2004, but I had no recollection of it. I rented the three disc - series because I was IMDBing Lee Pace, the cutie from Pushing Daisies. He plays a supporting role in it. I highly recommend renting it and spending your weekend watching the entire series. I love how the show is stylized (not the fashion style, that part is majorly lacking), the crazy characters, the opening credits song (bobbing a long in a barrell - who doesn't love that!), the fact that it takes place in Niagra Falls - one of the worlds kitchiest places, and the overall dry humor. When you start watching it, you might be turned off but after a while, you will start to love that little deformed talking wax lion, I promise. And if you don't, the men in it will make up for it. Give it a shot! You might not regret it!

Hi. I'm back. It's been awhile.

2008-08-25T09:21:00.002-06:00

You missed me, didn't you? Or have you all 10 of you given up on me completely? Here are the reasons for my absence:
1. My life is boring
2. Friends and family that I do stuff with beat me to the blog, so my summer activities are pretty much well documented in cyberspace.
3. The Olympics
4. Internal Dilemmas
5. A nasty summer cold
6. Sudoku
7. One Tree Hill reruns
8. A new cubicle at work

So there you go. I'm back.

True Bedtime Stories

2008-06-30T11:52:00.003-06:00

So, this weekend I had the nephews for a sleep over. As we bedded down for the night they asked me the question I've been waiting my whole life to hear... "Tell us a story about you when you were a kid.." You see, growing up, I relished the bedtime stories that my dad would tell us about growing up on the farm (i.e.getting stuck at the top of the grainery at age 3). I've often thought how great it would be to tell my own stories to wide eyed kids all tucked in to bed awaiting an adventure. But this weekend, when the opportunity finally presented itself, I couldn't think of one.good.story. Not one. And even now, two days later, I still rack my brain trying to find one good story of danger, triumph, or rebellion. Did I have a totally lame childhood or can I not remember any stories? So, those of you who knew me as a child, can you recommend a yarn that I can spin? (WARNING TO SIBLINGS: this does not include cases of mistaken ancestry or the throwing of toxic liquids) If you didn't know me as a child, maybe you can post your favorite story from your childhood that I could potentially steal for my own...

Please help!

The Game

2008-06-14T16:57:00.002-06:00

I stole this from Renee's post and thought it looked fun, so here we go:
Want to play? Here's how:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

photo credits:1. amy and her new bike, 2. "I, Piórko, like Cheese!", 3. No Known Restrictions: Coal miner's son at Granger Homesteads, Iowa by John Vachon, 1940 (LOC), 4. RGB - Barcelona, 5. Ryan Gossling, 6. ❄❄❄ LifE-SiZe LeMOnAdE ❄❄❄, 7. Street sellers, 8. summers garden, 9. Mom in a Convertible, May, 1953, 10. Walking in the rain 1_2499, 11. Last day in Paris, 12. Untitled

Reality Show Marathon Victim

2008-05-19T09:38:00.005-06:00

So as some of you may know, certain cable channels have this tendancy to show a whole season's worth of a reality show all in one weekend. And, as some of you know, these marathon's have a tendancy to suck you into their time warp vortex and imprison you until the bitter bitter end. (Some of you may remember the New Years Day 2004 that was sacrificed to a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy marathon). So I am warning you, if you ever come across one of these marathons on a Saturday morning while eating breakfast, and start to get intrigued... you must resist. If you don't you will lose hours, nay, days to reality television!

I fell victim to one such marathon this weekend, Saturday morning I turned on mtv and there it was... an entire weekend full of last year's season of So You Think You Can Dance! I was immediately sucked in and couldn't move from the couch. The episodes seem to flow together sans commercial interruption. If this blog post was a sit-com you would now see a pair of clock hands fast forward about six hours. Yep, I admit it, I spent the whole day watching TV and eating left over chinese take out. I would have never escaped the grasps of the television if it weren't for the miracle that is the DVR. The marathon went until 11:00 pm Saturday night and then picked up mid-morning on Sunday, so I set the DVR to record the rest of it. So last night, I finished up the season (fast forwarding through a lot of it), and though I had once again sacrificed many hours to the TV gods, I felt it was much more productive this time around.

And the one huge benefit of all this.... Re-watching all of the great and forgotten moments of last year's competition got me totally pumped for SYTYCD to start up again this week! Wahoo!
One of my favorites that I forgot about, I love the look on Lauren's face the entire time...

Officially Paranoid

2008-05-14T23:41:00.006-06:00

So yesterday, I walked into my building to see this sign...

...What floor do I live on, you ask? You got it, the threat-vulnerable first floor. So let me just run you through the series of events that took place in my home last night:

Check the sliding glass door, lock secured.
Maybe I should get a wooden dowel to secure the sliding glass door.
Lock front door.
Sit on couch, watch TV with one eye, look out the window with the other.
Check to make sure home owners insurance is still activated
Lay down in bed
Maybe I should leave a light on in the living room so it looks like somebody is awake?
Get out of bed, turn on lamp in living room, swing by closet pick up the hammer.
Place hammer on bedside table
Lay back down in bed
The light is too bright in the living room.
Get out of bed, close bedroom door (I hate sleeping w/ my door closed)
Lay back down in bed
Reach over to nightstand, grab phone and put it on the pillow next to me.
I wonder if the lamp in the living room is just illuminating the entire room showing off all the goods that those punk kids could steal... Maybe I should turn on the kitchen light so there is light present, but not too much.
Get out of bed and switch lighting plan
Close bedroom door
Lay back down in bed
What would I do if somebody broke in to my condo?
Call 911
Call a man. (I know, this makes me sound like a weak female, but that's what I would want)
Call Sam - wait, Sam would be at work and Kath couldn't leave the kids.
Call Dad - it would take awhile but Dad would come.
What if Dad couldn't come?
I'd have to call Mr. A or Mr. B (names with held) and Mr. A would really be no good, so I would have to call Mr. B and I would be SO embarrassed and he would come, but there is potential for major teasing for a long time to come. I don't want to have to call Mr. B.
I'm glad there is a big light post right outside of my house and that my window has a good street visibility so it would be highly unlikely that anyone would brake into my house.
Reasonable Justification of Safety is reached.
Fall asleep.
Sleep soundly, wake early and get to work early.

So, ya, maybe I'm paranoid, but at least I'm not too involved in my imagination that I can't get over it easily and move on. I hope by voicing all of this I haven't just jinxed myself into a broken-in apartment.

My Little Luce Coupe

2008-05-01T10:38:00.002-06:00

She's getting SO chubbs - I love it!

Last night I was on Super Aunt duty at Kath's house. I didn't have to come over until 9:00 pm, so Trouble 1 and Trouble 2 were already snug in their bunks, dreaming of new bikes or pocket knifes or whatever little boys dream of! When I got there, Sam was trying to get out of the door to go to work and Little Goosy was not happy about it. I swooped her up and cuddled her a little bit and she calmed down. We hung out a while together, just cuddling and dancing around the front room (she doesn't like it when you sit down) and soon she gave in to her drooping eye lids and she fell fast asleep. I held her for another 15 minutes or so and then I figured it was time for the ultimate test... will she stay asleep as I put her in the crib. I crept into the bedroom, laid her down gently, and softly crept away. Silence. I stood in the kitchen, waited for the screams... nothing.. silence! I went back to the living room, listed for the screams...nothing...silence! She stayed asleep until Kath came home, and then I heard the wimper.. I quietly rushed in, put her binky back in her mouth, and she fell back asleep. I am gettin' good at this! I am the Super Aunt! I can't tell you how proud I was of actually getting that Little Pretty to sleep. I felt so victorious!

Relay for Life!

2008-04-11T10:19:00.002-06:00

My company is sponsoring a team to walk for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life this summer and we need your donations! Click Here to donate to my team!

Those of you who know me well know that I love my sleep so walking in the middle of the night will be quite a sacrifice for me, so I need your support. Any dollars you can donate would be awesome!

Thanks All!

Post-Magic Shoe Report

2008-04-11T10:12:00.002-06:00

I should have stuck with the plan. I know I should have, but at the last minute I decided to wear my Keen hiking sandals the first day of Disneyland and in return I recieved huge blisters on the backs of my feet and my ankle was not as properly supported as I thought it would be. I had miserable feet the entire trip. I'm sorry, I should have listened to you all... I've learned my lesson.
But besides the dumb foot pain, we had a fabulous fabulous magical time! Kathleen has done a great job summing up the high points.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a truly MAGICAL dreamy time!

(..BOUNTIFUL!!!..)

Momma's Got Three New Pairs of Shoes!

2008-03-14T11:02:00.008-06:00

Just thought I'd give you all an update on my little shoe quest. First, thanks to all of you who wisely advised me. I knew that if I put it out to the universe, I would get what i needed. Isn't that the "secret" to success? (ha, ha) I took in all of your comments and this is what I've come up with. I hope you all approve.

A great and cheap DSW purchase, found with the help of little Lo. I couldn't find the exact pair, but this is the style, but they are hot pink, tan, and chocolate, trust me, they are cute:

A Miss Kelly directed find on the shoe mecca that is Zappos. I actually bought three pairs of shoes from Zappos, and had them delivered to my office, because delivery to my home is a bit tricky. What I didn't anticipate is to have an entire team meeting that consisted of a shoe fashion show in my cubicle. Oh what I would give for an office with a door. How is a girl supposed to assess her online purchases without an enclosed space. But this was my choice (and the team's):

And that's not all! On a random Target trip the other night I came across these cuties, that I promise are much cuter in person, they aren't as shimery as they look here:

I know, you are all relieved, right? Sorry to cause you all those sleepless nights, but you can all rest your pretty little heads tonight, because I will be well outfitted for the Magic Kingdom.

Thanks Gurus!

Random Sensory Moment

2008-03-12T11:24:00.004-06:00

When I drive down I-15 after 11:00 pm and pass 3300 South, it always smells like fresh baked bread. In the concrete world of freeways, it's rare treasure when a enjoyable smell wafts through Roxie's air vents. The experience always makes the next twenty seven blocks of bumber car alley float on by.

Anyone know the origin of this lovely scent?

Fashion Crisis

2008-03-08T17:59:00.003-07:00

Fashion Gurus, I need your help in a desperate way! I'm heading to the Magic Kingdom in a couple of weeks and I have no idea what to wear. I can put a casual outfit together with the best of them, but when I have to stand on a still ailing ankle for 12 hours a day for 3 days, I'm at a loss. So what do I wear on my feet at disneyland without wearing my running shoes??? I've become completely obsessed to the point that I can't make a decision about it. Any suggestions would be incredibly appreciated.

HELP!

Wimpy Gimpy

2008-02-18T18:56:00.009-07:00

So last weekend I spent a very relaxing weekend in Portland with Miss Renee who vowed to take photos, but I don't think we ever did. It was a fabulous time and once again secured Portland in the top five cities on my list. I stuck around in Portland for a meeting on Monday and then flew directly to Sacramento and drove with my co workers to Modesto for a meeting the next day, that evening we were off to Las Vegas for a third meeting... and that was only Wednesday. If that wasn't enough, I decided to take a later flight on Wednesday night so I could hang out with Suz and the fam. After Taylor and I made his valentine's box (very manly, by the way) and I schooled him in the ways of dance moves, we walked out of the house to go pick up Isabelle from her dance class and as I was taking in the dry windy Vegas air, I missed this..

a simple front step.
And I got this....

yep, I sprained my ankle. A first for me that I hope not to revisit. But that's just the start of it.

So I ended up staying in Vegas overnight since the airport closed due to stong winds, which was great, because nobody can take care of a sprained ankle like Trainer Suz. I vow that I will never hurt myself again in a ridiculous way unless Suzanne is there to tend to my wounds. She wrapped and iced and doted. Exactly what I needed.
The next day when I woke up at 6:15 to get ready to catch my flight I couldn't put any pressure on my foot. No limp, no shuffle, nothing. So Danny put me in the car and took me to the airport, transported me to a WHEELCHAIR and wished me well. Yes ladies and gents, a wheelchair. I was so humiliated. Of course my flight was delayed so I had to sit in the chair for about two hours, completely vulnerable and self conscious. I was so glad when I was able to hobble on to the plane and then a mere 45 minutes later hobble off, back in the chair, and into the waiting crutches my dad brought to the airport for me. Yikes. What a week.

So guess what I've been doing all holiday weekend? Oh, just chillin' with my foot up watching the bruise colors change. It's been great. I'm glad I had this time off of my crazy month of traveling to recover. I just hope I'm back in form for next weekend's trip to Manhattan. Cross your fingers for me!

Oh Google Homepage, How I Love Thee!

2008-02-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

You greet me every morning with a dusty sunrise and stand by my side with your pastely city scape all through the hectic day, ready and willing to guide me through the vast world wide web. You teach me words and recipes. You inform me of current events, the latest flicks, weather, and the happenings of my blogging friends. You are my map, my compass, my home (page). Wherever I might be - at home, work, or on the road, everytime I log in, you are there. You house my pet fish and allow me to slighly Sudoku through the day. And when the sun sets, your city darkens and I remember how much I miss a real city and can't wait to get back to one some day.

Thanks for being my constant companion, Google Home Page. Thanks a lot.

Heightened Taste

2008-01-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

The Wisconsin Dairy Producers have put out a great cheese pairing guide for those with a "heightened", sophisticated dairy palate. Usually you see cheese paired with wine or beer only, but this gives very interesting food pairings like candied grapefruit and pralined bacon (YUM) that would really dress up your cheese course. I'm most excited to pair, my favorite, Gouda (because Gouda is Gooda) with the Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle. Recipes for prepared foods are included.

Bon Appetit!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Theater cast out of mall's rebirth
By Lesley Mitchell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/08/2008 11:49:39 PM MST

Developers spending millions to breathe new life into the aged Trolley Square shopping mall said Tuesday that first-run movie theaters won't be part of the mall's rebirth.
Two screens at the mall's Regency Theatres already have been closed, with the theater closing entirely on Feb. 1.
"It's always been the plan from day one," said Dawn Katter, Trolley property manager, though The Tribune could find no record of such a statement from the mall's owner, ScanlanKemperBard Cos., which purchased the center in late 2006.
Representatives of ScanlanKemperBard did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Katter said the theater's closure is the last part of the main mall area's redevelopment. Plans are to add more retail and restaurant space in the area the theater occupies.
Also still yet to be done will be the opening of additional skylights, adding a glass elevator in the mall's center court and working on seismic upgrades.
ScanlanKemperBard is partnering with developer Blake Hunt Ventures to overhaul the site, which was an old trolley complex in use until 1945.
Trolley Square became a shopping mall in the early 1970s, but over the years lost ground to newer malls such as The Gateway shopping center just a few miles away.
The mall is anchored by Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Banana Republic. Global apparel retailer American Apparel recently opened its first Utah location in the mall.

This is MY theater. It's a place I like to go to hide out. What will I do without it!

What I learned during Christmas Break

2007-12-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

1. Just because the name on the little white taggy flag says "Hot Cocoa" doesn't mean you should expect a brand spankin' new hershey kiss experience.

2. My parents are hilarious. Especially when dancing in elf costumes.

3. You shouldn't be expecting verbal gratitude from kids after they open your gift on Christmas morn, but if you wait and watch them enjoy it, that's where the gift giving pays off.

4. I love it when gifts surprise you and make you realize the gifter knows you better than you thought they did.

5. Putting canned soda in 14 degree weather makes it blow up.

6. My table is perfect for four person card playing.

7. My bed is very comfortable.

8. My house is very quiet.

9. My family is better than that family in Dan in Real Life, cuz their real.

Christmas Cheer

2007-12-21T14:02:00.003-07:00

If you are looking for a fun Christmasy thing to do this weekend, might I suggest 2 concerts by the Sterling Singers that would make a very festive addition.

Tonight - December 21st 7:30 pm, Libby Gardner Hall, School of Music Building, President's Circle, University of Utah

Sunday - December 23rd 5:30 pm, Assembly Hall at Temple Square.

I promise you will not be disappointed by the quality musicianship and the talented voices.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-21T14:02:00.001-07:00

They Make It Look So Easy

2007-12-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

So I love to peruse all the cute crafty and artsy blogs and often think - oh, I could do that! I always have these lofty goals of giving "A Very Crafty Christmas" type gifts, but they just never turn out the way I think they will. This year's experiment:
Home made marshmallows. What was I thinking??

Batch 1: Put 4 egg whites in instead of 2. big mistake

Batch 2: Followed the instructions V. closely, had to let it blend for about 15 minutes until it looked like it was ready. It made twice as much as the recipe said it would, two days later, they haven't solidified. It's still marshmallow creme - which isn't bad, but doesn't really work when you wanted to roll them in coconut or dip in chocolate.

Looks like it's going to be a "Very Target Christmas" once again.

Oh bother.

12th Day Before Christmas

2007-12-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tag, I'm It

2007-12-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

So in response to Joey's tag, I give you a list of stuff you never wanted to know about me:

Best thing you cooked last week... well, I didn't really cook last week, but I did make a goat cheese spread with chopped pecans and orange zest it was oh so good.

If money and time were no object, where would you go and with who... I would go to Australia with KMags, India, Turkey, and Spain with Renee, a Cruise with my Family, Africa with Andria, China with TLiu, and Italy with Mat.

When was the last time you cried? Monday night when I drove home from the hospital after meeting baby Lucy

Five things you were doing 10 years ago: Porting in Cannes with Soeur Oviatt, Singing Christmas Carols while riding my bike down into La Bocca, running from angry dogs, teaching English to a Vietnamese family whose children were named Billy and Tito, Drying out tights and Doc Martens from the winter rainstorms

Five things you were doing 5 years ago: Working at RAND, Living in the "cave" on Mt. Vernon, making tons of jewlery for friends christmas gifts, arguing with Annzy over the remote, Enjoying spontaneous Dance Dance USA parties with Kdubbs.

Five things you were doing 1 year ago: pulling my hair out over learning to sew aprons, deciding how to decorate my own house for Christmas for the first time, wondering if I'd get laid off in January, Looking forward to using my sick time for a Christmas vacation.

Seven of your favorite hobbies: laughing, card playing, decorating my home, traveling, decoupage, shopping, indy flicks, knitting, trying new locally owned restaurants. (ok that's nine)

Five favorite foods: umm... cheese (natch), artisan bread, sushi, green curry chicken, salsa (freshly made all the better)

Five places you've been: Beziers, France, Tomsk, Russia, Cumbria, England, Quito Equador, Malad, Idaho.

Five Favorite Memories: going to the pier to watch for Dad to come home on the ship, coming home from my mission and seeing everyone I love waiting for me, visiting York England - the first time, walking the streets of Paris by myself, Eastern Market - all the time

Barely Buzzed

2007-11-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

I went on a cheese run to Caputo's last night. I finally tasted Beehive Cheese's Barely Buzzed cheese, which took 1st place at The American Cheese Society. It's kindof fun to see a local cheesemaker getting national recognition. I hadn't tasted it before because it seemed like such a strange combination. The rind is rubbed with coffee beans and lavendar which seeps into the cheese to give it such an interesting nutty flavor. The flavor changes from the moment it enters your mouth, which each chew, and the after taste is most delightful (which isn't always the case with cheese). It was delicious and I now understand why it was an award winner.

(Disclaimer: I only had a little sample and it was near the center out of major seepage range, so I feel like I'm still ok with the WoW, no worries.)

Dancing in the Diego

2007-11-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

So a couple weeks ago I traveled to San Diego to visit my brothers' families and spend a nice weekend with them my sis Suzanne joined too (leaving Kathleen feeling left out sitting at home being huge and preggers - just remember Kath, you got to go to Hawaii on the military plane and sleep on the Navy ship - nobody else got to do those fun things). We hung out Saturday and Sunday, went to the swap meet (bust) and shopping, went to lunch with the working boys on Monday and it was a lot of fun. And then. On Monday night. We witnessed a dancing extravaganza! We went to the So You Think You Can Dance concert! I know, you are all jealous, huh. Stupid us, we all neglected to bring cameras into the show, so I have no footage, but it was fabulous. Suzanne and I had a Benji Shwimmer sighting on the way into the arena, and later Mat and Dave saw him in the men's room (where David gave him the "hey" head bob when they walked by each other - such boys). They had the top 14 dancers there and did all the besties from the 2007 season. Marina and I screamed through the whole concert, it was like high school again. Neil was definately the highlight of the night - what a cutie.
Here is a clip someone posted on you tube of my fave of the night:

Thanks Marina and David for hosting your sisters and thanks Mat for organizing the show!

It was such a great night!

She's Here!

2007-11-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

After a long time waiting, Lucy Ann Preslar arrived last night at 11:39 pm, making her nana's favorite birthday present! She weighed in 7.8 lbs and 21" long and is quite the cutie! More photos to come, but here is the one I took with my camera. Welcome to the world Lucy Girl!

Is Bad Fashion a Sign of Sickness?

2007-11-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

As I got dressed this morning all I wanted was to be comfortable and warm. I'm feeling a bit blucky today and am determined to NOT GET SICK. So as I sit here at work I realize that I am wearing bronze mary janes, pink and purple argile socks, blue jeans, an aubergine long sleeve T, a heather grey cardy, and an off-white pashmina. Quite the schizophrenic outfit. Obviously, fashion was not priority #1 this morning.

Cheese Glorious Cheese!

2007-11-09T17:39:00.001-07:00

Annzy forwarded this Time Magazine Photo of the Week to me "because you love it" and it's true. I love the cheese. I can't help myself.

The Gargoyle Girls

2007-11-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Will wonders never cease! I can't believe Sara found me in cyberspace! What a small world! Sara and I met on a Ricks Study Abroad trip back in 1997 where we traveled Western Europe in bus called Bovo, driven by a guy named Louie. Boy, those were the best of times. In honor of this Gargoyle Girl cyber-reunion, I decided to post a couple lovely photos from those days. (Please excuse the scanned in quality of the photos)
The reason we called ourselves the Gargoyle Girls... we liked to make faces at the camera.

Day in Paris that Sara and I spent together...

Shopping at the Prisi, Prisi, Prisinic! (We thought these shades were so ridiculous, who knew that one day, I wouldn't be able to live without mine!)
View from Centre Georges Pompidou. This was a highlight for me. I always dreamed of going to this museum, and I was finally there.

Good times. This trip seriously did change my life. I worked hard to get there, taking a semester off of school to come home and work a crappy job so I could afford to go, getting to experience different cultures, deciding that I was strong enough to go on a mission, meeting great friends. It was all such a blessing.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T11:43:00.000-06:00

After a night of getting into a car accident last night, this was all I could pull together. And yes - this all came from my current wardrobe. I took 4th place in the costume contest at work with this bad boy... I think me doing the runningman during the costume presentation kind of sealed the deal for 4th place. (And yes, I know the runningman is not from the same era as a truly outrageous 80's punk girl, but it was the only dance move I could think of - it is my go to move, ya know!)

Prisoner In My Own Home

2007-10-25T14:28:00.000-06:00

So yesterday when I was leaving for work the garage door to our community parking garage was stuck open half way. My clicker was useless against it’s half-openedness, so I got out of the car and started pushing buttons. As I hunted for a solution, I had visions of being stuck in the garage, unable to rescue Roxie (the car) from the clutches of the evil parking demons. I located a reset button on the side of the motor and it opened right up. I was relieved! When I returned to my domicile later that evening, the garage door opened faster than I could say “Ah La Peanut Butter Sandwiches!”. Once again, all was right in the world.
This morning, I rushed down to my car thinking that today might be the lucky day that I actually get to work on time. As I entered the garage, about 6 of my parking mates were standing in the middle of the garage fuming. The maintenance dude, Al, was doing his darndest to get the door open, but even the manual crank was stuck. All the sudden feeling claustrophobic, I took a couple of deep breaths and started to strategize. Maybe if we all ran at the door full force we could break it off it’s rails… maybe if we took everyone’s car jacks and slowly inched them up simultaneously… maybe that woman in the big truck could just ram down the door… WE WILL ESCAPE! I finally decided that the most logical option was to wait for Al to work his magic.
I went upstairs and emailed my work team to let them know I was a prisoner in my own home and to please bake me a cake and hide a shiv in it so I could defend myself against the other inmates. 45 minutes later, I went back down to check it out, and Al had done it! The door was open! I scurried into the car and drove off in a flurry. Ah...Sweet Release.
You know, I never appreciated the outside world until I was deprived of it. It makes you grateful for the little things in life.

No time for photo, must eat cheese

2007-10-23T16:32:00.000-06:00

So I went up to Portland this weekend to hang out with Renee. I fell in love with that city, but more on that later.
One of the highlights of the trip was going to the Elephant Deli in the Pearl District. We went for lunch, but oh, we got so much more! The Elephant Deli is this great little market place that is crammed full of people, good food, and most importantly – a GREAT cheese counter. As we walked in, the first thing I spotted was the beautiful array of cheeses. The Cheesemonger, Andrew, was delightful, and a man after my own heart – a true fromagafile. While I perused the assortment, I noticed a couple of varieties of cheese from Parma, Idaho – my dad’s home town! I was very excited when Andrew told me that he knew the owners of Rollingstone Chevre and that they were reputable Cheesemakers. I’ve always loved the idea of cheese being unique to its farm and its region, just like wine, and when something comes from a sentimental location, like Parma, I have to partake of the experience. I chose the Orange Zest Pecan Wheel Chevre, and I was not disappointed. YUM.
Renee and I bought lunch at the sandwich counter to enjoy there but took home with us a lovely Butternut Squash Soup, a round of sour dough bread, and my chevre. All of which made a lovely lunch on Sunday. We couldn’t stop eating the cheese. It was SO good. I took the rest of it with me on the plane, and before Sunday was over, the cheese was gone. It was a lot of cheese, but oh it was so delightful. Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo to capture the event, but we had more important things to do…
Oh, Cheese, Glorious Cheese! For now, I am merely an admirer, but one day, perhaps, I’ll be a kick-butt cheesemonger (like Andrew) in an amazing delicatessen in Portland, and maybe I’ll get to wear a white coat and tell people all about how I love the cheese…. Sigh… maybe one day.

World's Best Ad

2007-10-08T15:54:00.000-06:00

I might be hanging this up at my desk and on my mirror at home.

Recent Self Discoveries

2007-10-02T11:47:00.000-06:00

I've recently discovered things about me that for some reason I've decided to share publicly:

1. It wasn't until last year that I started really checking my blind spot when I changed lanes on the freeway. I was always afraid that as I checked my car would swerve and I would cause a major accident. This actually happened to me the first time I attempted to check it when I was 16, I accidentally moved the steering wheel as I looked behind and ended up running over a curb and popping a tire. Yes, it took me 14 years to get over it and now I've finally mastered the art.

2. I hate watching people sing on TV. I love live music and I love listening to music, but I do not enjoy watching people croon to a camera. I didn't realize this until I recently found myself fast forwarding or changing the channel through the musical guest on SNL or Letterman.

3. I don't like cleaning my house alone. I love having someone there to talk to me or for me to talk to, basically I need to be entertained. The person doesn't need to help me clean, they can just sit there and look cute. I used to make my roommate TLiu sit on my bed or sometimes on the floor of my closet while I organized. She was always very entertaining. (thanks Renee for reminding me of this one)

OK, I can't share the rest. These are the only confessions suitable for public distribution.

Forced Free Speech

2007-10-01T13:32:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I walked out to my car and I found that I had a new addition to my bumper....

I didn't even have to guess who left me this little present. The guys at work always tease me about being a democrat, but I'm proud of my political affiliation. Not that I'm anti-Mitt, I am just not pro-Mitt. Don't worry, I've given them both sufficient guilt trips that I don't think it will happen again. In gratitude of their generosity, they might just become official supporters of Obama '08. It's pretty tough to get off a campaign email list once you get on it... ha ha ha.

**The best part about this is that my car was so dirty that they actually had to wipe down the bumper to get the sticker to stick. HA!

The Fair

2007-09-27T17:05:00.000-06:00

State Fair

I don't ever remember going to the state fair, I remember going to some sort of fair at Murray Park when I was a kid – maybe it was a County Fair or something. Then there was always West Fest – the annual West Valley City festival. I always loved West Fest, except for the year that Brandy and I had to carry the "Best Band" banner in front of the bagpipers. Oh, the headache!

So when Betsy mentioned she wanted to go to the State Fair, I was a bit hesitant to consent. My mood suddenly shifted as we drove up to the fairgrounds and I saw the lights and action of the Utah State Fair. I basically RAN into the park I was so excited. I wanted to get tickets and ride the death-trap rides, smell the award winning sheep aroma, eat a deep fried whatever, win an uber-sized stuffed animal, and soak in all the glamour of the event. I have to say, for the most part, the fair did not disappoint. Betsy and I bought some tickets, road The Zipper (where I really thought I was going to die) and the Magic Carpet, won a stuffed yellow chicken (Betsy - yes, you won it. you did not pay $4 for it - not everyone can hit balloons with a dart.), checked out the livestock (My fave - Big Red the 1100 lbs bull - Yowza!), and had a funnel cake.

We were content with our fair experience until I saw the Cyclops...

...and I HAD to ride it. We got in line and we were about five from the back when they called for "two riders" so Betsy and I jumped to the front of the line. We scampered up to the circle of doom to take our place with the other idiot riders. The ride was full, but two singles, so Betsy went one way and I went the other. When I got to my seat I realized that the whole ride was at an angle and that my seat was at the highest point of the circle, so the seat was about bra-strap height to me which meant I had to jump to get into the seat. Not a problem, right? Yes, a problem. Why? Because of this pesky thing...

...Now, I don't know the technical term for this part of the seat, but I like to refer to it as the Crotch Catcher. The clever engineers made this part of the seat to prevent people from slipping out to their bloody death while submitting themselves to the amusing torture that is the Cyclops.
So when I realized that not only would I have to jump up into my seat but also OVER the Crotch Catcher, I knew I was doomed. Now mind you, every person on the ride was safely sitting in their seats watching me as I attempted to catapult myself into the "safety" seat. I kept jumping up and bumping my head on the shoulder support. The guy sitting next to me in his tacky leather biker jacket kept yelling at me "just jump, just jump!". The carny was no help either. She suggested that I enter the seat face forward, knee first. So I tried it, but once I got up there I couldn't turn around, so I dismounted for another try. She then said "lean your head WAY back and push off with your arms and scoot your butt up" and VOILA, success, I conquered the Cyclops! As I sat myself comfortably in the seat, feeling triumphant, I realized that all the passengers had been watching me and were now cheering exuberantly. CHEERING! I was COMPLETELY embarrassed!
Oh, but the fun doesn't end there.
So we were on the ride and I was so traumatized by the entrance to the ride that I was HATING the actual "amusement" part. I wanted to puke or cry or something. But I didn't, I soldiered through it. When the ride was ending and we twirled down to our exit positions, I realized that we all ended up in the same spots, which meant I was going to have to get out of this thing the same was that I came into it.

Painfully.

I remembered the carny's instructions and kept my head back and pushed off with my arms and hurled my body forward. The first half of me cleared the Crotch Catcher and then THUMP......my behind crashed squarely atop the Catcher. I swear I lost my ability to see, hear, or speak for 10 seconds as I attempted to recover from this excruciating butt blow. I cannot describe the amount of pain that suddenly leaped up my back side. I really thought I'd never regain usage of this vital body part. (sorry, mom, I know that's gross, but I have to speak the truth).

As I slipped off the Catcher I caught up with Betsy who looked at my apologetically for my embarrassing feat of seat entrance. She had no idea that the pain I was experiencing now deeply outweighed the embarrassment that seemed centuries old.

When I regained the ability to speak, I recounted the entire experience, but it was too soon to laugh about it. I just wanted to get out of that evil place.

Fifteen minutes later, as I sat comfortable down into the passenger seat of Betsy's car, I was able to agree with Betsy that the Utah State Fair lived up to it's hype, except for maybe the last ten minutes.

I've since physically recovered from the event but the emotional trauma might be with me for a long, long, time.

I'm always one step ahead of her

2007-09-25T14:05:00.000-06:00

I love to get reading recommendations from friends and family, but I also love the sometimes random surprises of books I hunt down myself. But lately Oprah is ruining my fun. The last three books that I've discovered all by myself have become Oprah book club books shortly there after. I hate that! I am not a sheep that only reads what Oprah tells me to read, she just happens to want to read the books that I discover. I guess she has good taste. So just so you know, I had Middlesex on my books-to-read list months ago, way before Oprah stole it.

Tem-PUR-a

2007-09-21T13:15:00.000-06:00

My brother Mat showed this to me a couple of weeks ago and I can't get it out of my head because it was SO hilarious. I thought it was high time I share with y'all

Happy Birthday Katya!

2007-09-13T17:03:00.000-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday Katya! You are the cutest 1 year old I know!

Short Term Memory Loss

2007-09-07T08:52:00.000-06:00

So on the drive down to Vegas on Friday afternoon I discovered a quarter sized hole in the inner thigh area of my jeans. Shoot. I love these jeans. Today, on the drive into work I discovered a quarter sized hole in the inner thigh area of my jeans. Same jeans. In my haste, and my desire for a comfortable outfit, I grabbed the same holed jeans and now I am at work and everyone is going to get a peek at my upper inner thigh. Good thing I am wearing my “long” underwear ;)

(upper thigh self-photography is not my strong suit. It's a weird angle, ok!)

The Pett Pett Petts and Brother Mat

2007-08-30T21:52:00.000-06:00

So this past weekend I headed down to San Diego to see the bros. It was so great to see Dave, Marina, and Katya in their new digs in SD. We had a great time had some karazy California sushi (I was instructed to order nothing traditional, everything deep fried or strangley sauced - I wasn't disappointed!), chilled at the beach (I taught Marina the pending-wave-crashing dance), ate In and Out (i had a double double in the spirit of the MFFB boys), and had all sorts of fun. Dave stayed home with Katya Saturday night so Marina and I could go out shopping and to a movie. It wasn't until Sunday that we met up with Mat at church where he conquered the role of #1 uncle during Sacrament Meeting. Dave and Marina had to give talks, so they left their most precious cargo in our some what capable hands. Since Katya and Mat are tight, I let him be in charge. I'll tell ya, I never understood the whole cheerios in church thing, but after Sunday, it makes all sorts of sense, they are like magic mini silence-inducing donuts. It was like a Christmas Miracle in August. The rest of Sunday was great, we all hung out, Marina made a great dinner, we played a little Guitar Hero at Mat's (I big time stunk at the GH, except on Message in a Bottle - probably because it's the same set of chords over, and over, and over!), went back for brownies and CARDS (what's a Pett get together without some cards - Mayja!) Monday the girls chilled out and went to meet Dave for lunch and do a little shopping downtown. Dave has a great office and it was fun to see him as a "career man". Our little doodlebug is growing up!

Here's Katya:

She wouldn't smile for any photos, but you can still see how incredibly cute she is. She is such a good baby. It took her a day or two for her to warm up to me, but once she did we had some good bonding time. She makes the funniest sounds - you can just tell she has so much to say. My favorite is a "ducka ducka ducka" sound that reminds me of Dr. Evil's macarena. I have a feeling we will be the best of friends!

It was a great time! Thanks SD Pett kids, I love y'all!

(4Q*25star=peach fresca on the rocks).

Sno Disappointing

2007-08-30T21:35:00.000-06:00

So Vanessa planned a snoke break at work today at 2:00, but the day was dragging so at 1:00 she rallied the troops and we gathered our change and drove with anticipation down to the Dan's parking lot for some shaved ice. But much to our dismay - the shack was CLOSED! GRR! Does this signify the end of summer? How depressing. Just because all the teeny bopper sno shack workers had to return to school, doesn't mean we should be deprived a much needed snoke! We told Vanessa to drive on to the next shack, and as we pulled up we realized - again - disappointment - CLOS-ED. We were all so bummed. We drove home in a stunned silence.
I was so depressed that when we got back to the office, Amy, Brittney, and I resorted to the 3rd floor ICEE machine. Banana and Pina Colada mix with some crushed ice, ghetto slurpee, but it sort of did the trick.

Where did the summer go? Dang it.

Broken Down from Breakin’ it Down

2007-08-20T13:44:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago Betsy and I were discussing desires to learn the art of breakdancing. I was tasked with searching out opportunities in the Salt Lake Valley for two grown women to be instructed in this highly respected artform. I looked a little, but to no avail. Then, a couple of weeks later we had a silent auction at work to raise money for a co-worker who had cancer and one of the items was 2 breakdancing lessons, taught by our receptionist’s husband – who is a professional break dancing instructor. What are the chances? It could only be fate. So I bid on that bad boy until I took home the prize!
So, after much delay, we finally had our first lesson on Saturday. The couple days leading up to Saturday, I started getting really nervous. What if I get injured? What if I look like a total idiot? And most importantly - What am I supposed to wear?
So we show up to lessons and Bobby, our instructor, couldn’t be nicer. He was great, and very talented. We start out with an easy Top Rock step, which seemed easy enough to me and I was feeling pretty confident. Why? Because we were standing on two feet! It looks like this (You can learn too!)....

Then we got down into a downward facing dog pose to do the Six Step (very basic, no biggie) and Bobby did this…

Looked kinda easy. But it wasn’t. Betsy was doing much better than me. I blame it on my short arms, but I think the better reason is that I am out of shape, but in my head it’s all about my short arms. At this point, I'm already sweating up a storm. This was hard. More difficult than I thought it would be for me.
We then progressed to the CC, which I couldn’t find a good clip of except this guy – which is hilarious…

After mastering (well, atleast understanding) these moves we went on to practice hand stands. I don’t think I’ve done a real hand stand in about 15 years. I do them in the pool, but it really doesn’t compare. The worst part about the hand stand is that it’s scary. I was scared to death to even try. I’m a scaredy cat. Betsy on the other hand was a master hand stander. She attributes her amazing arm strength to being on crutches for 8 months during college (because of this she was given the breaker name of “Crutches” – which I think rocks).
All in all, it was really fun, I found muscles that I haven't used in a long time, if ever, and though I felt quite ridiculous and a bit embarrassed, I’m not giving up. I WILL one day be a B-girl. We have one more lesson to go and I’ll be practicing my hand stands until then… atleast once my body heals from being broken down from the breakdancing.

Kickin' it Old School at the Subway

2007-08-14T13:22:00.000-06:00

When I was in college I ate a lot of Subway sandwiches. I was obsessed with getting my subway stamps (remember the old school stamps that you had to lick?) so I could get a free sandwich. When it was time to redeem my subway card, I would always get the most expensive item on the menu - The Seafood Sensation. To me, this was a fancy meal, a huge splurge from my normal turkey on wheat. Well, as you can imagine, I kind of O.D.ed on Subway after four years of it being a staple, so I don't eat it very often anymore. I don't even own a subway card (shame on me)!!! But today, on my way back from the bank, I stopped at Subway and glanced up at the menu and there it was in all it's immitation crab glory - The Seafood Sensation (cue angels singing- AHHHH!). So I ordered it. Now, I don't know if my taste buds have become more refined or if the seafood is now less sensational, but it didn't live up to my sensory memory of it. It might be because I was entirely too concious of the fact it is drenched in mayo, which I LOVE, but am trying to cut back on as to avoid artery blockage. Or perhaps I was worried that like me, all Subway go-ers had given up on the seafood and that the goey mayo-ey mess had been sitting there too long (not that the taste or texture was off - just my paranoia kicking in). Even if I had guilted my senses into not fully enjoying the revisit of this old favorite, I still pretty much dug it, but I think next time I'll go back to my turkey on wheat.

My Neighborhood Grocery Store

2007-08-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

So I've been thinking about how much I love Harmons Grocery Store lately. I know this seems like a strange topic to occupy a large amount of pondering, but I really love grocery stores and Harmon's is my favorite. I grew up with a Smiths and a Harmons equidistant from my house, but we always chose Harmons. We were a Harmons family.
When I was going to college full time and working full time, I didn't have much free time or time alone (wow, that's a lot of "time"s). I found that wandering the aisles of Harmons was a respite from the rest of my daily stress. I grew to love that Brickyard Harmons...
When I moved to D.C., sure- I missed my family and friends, but what I longed for was grocery shopping at Harmons. Whenever I would come home to visit, I would volunteer to go to Harmons (not only to visit my good ole neighbor Harmons, but also because if Dad gave you cash to pay for the goods, if there was change left over, he'd let you keep it - atleast that's how I justified pocketing the rest).
Since moving downtown, I have yet to find my grocery store groove. I sometimes go to the Target after work because I do love all things Archer Farms, but it isn't always convenient. When I am at home, it makes most sense to go to Smiths, but I hate Smiths. I just don't like the vibe of that place.
So this week, I went back to my roots. Friday after work, I went to Harmons Brickyard. Now, I've already established that I loved this place before, but returning to it 5 years later.... I am blown away. My Harmons has had a makeover! She is so beautiful, she is everything I always loved and now has all the things I never thought I needed, but now will never be able to live without. The mini-carts, the produce and pre-packed bulk food (oximoronic, yes but oh so wonderful), the new artisnal baked goods and improved deli and the CHEESE! Oh yes, the cheese section is a dream come true! It's a beautiful display with such a good variety of local and high-end cheeses. They even have their own cheese expert, Martin. He's awesome. He recommended some good cheeses and I was pleasantly surprised by his competance and expertise.

I am impressed Harmons, I applaud your ability to modernize, concentrate on local and organic foods, invest in your employees, and make me fall in love all over again. If I was a boy grocery store I would want to marry Harmons.

Malad

2007-07-28T18:33:00.000-06:00

"Where the hell is Malad?" you ask? Well, it's where Idaho begins and where three Evans girls grew up and eventually became wives and mothers. To celebrate these women, all of their descendants reunite annually to eat, visit, and become reacquainted. Growing up, this was an event that we all looked forward to with anticipation. As I get older, the whole adventure has kind of lost it's charm. However, there are a couple of great things that I still love about the Malad Reunion.

1. The Pett Brothers Breakfast: These are my favorite men in the world, my dad and his brothers, and their annual cookout breakfast is something we all look forward to at the reunion.

2. The pregnancies: There are always several pregnant cousins at the reunion. Pictured here are Cristol and Kathleen (my sister), only two of the many.

3. Uncle Gerrold's Salsa: this isn't Uncle Gerrold, this is Cousin Josh (aka pootsie) partaking of the most delicious salsa ever made. For the past couple of years Uncle Gerrold has brought his fresh salsa; made with fresh fruits and vegetables straight from his California garden. SO GOOD! Uncle Gerrold wasn't at reunion this year, which concerned me, until I saw his son Spencer come in with a huge jar of the famous salsa! He brought it with him from California with his dad's regards. Thanks Uncle Gerrold! This stuff always goes fast so, we had to do a covert op to convince Spencer to give some up "in the name of pregnancy" to feed the Kathleen and Cristol (and Spencer Pett, Leslie,and me) YUM!

4. The Kids: We used to be the kids, now the kids are having kids, and even some of those kids are having kids. But it never fails, there are always TONS of kids at the reunion! The park has a great playground, a creek that is always very low and safe, great climbing trees, and lots and lots of places to run and play. This is why I loved it as a kid, and this is why kids love it now. Parents love it too since they can let their kids go be wild, knowing that there is always someone close enough to rescue them if they find any danger.

Noah climbing everyone's favorite tree

Curtis and cousins playing in the creek

5. The "visiting". I notice that what my parents call "visiting" is what my generation calls "hanging out". I love just hanging out with these people. They are great. This year the Pett clan just gathered their chairs in a circle and chatted. It was fabulous. Here is a badly shadowed shot of Uncle Stan, but notice Uncle Welton in the background...completely asleep (which is also an annual tradition).

I love these people. I love seeing them. I love the Malad reunion!