The Blazzard Family

2010-06-06T22:30:00.001-06:00

Today the girls and I headed over to Lowes to get some flowers for a hanging basket. We hadn't been in the garden center for 3 minutes when the girls spotted a Sesame Street seed display. The were oooohing and aaaawing over the elmo tomatoes, oscar green beans and big bird sunflowers when they turned the corner and there it was.... the Disney Princess Gardener display. Before I even knew what had happened they were wearing the aprons and hats, with the gardeners tote bags on their arms. They were stuffing all sorts of princess gardening tools in the totes and looking at me saying "Please Momma, PLEASE Momma?!?!" After a lot of begging and pleading (on my part), and got it narrowed down to just the aprons, hats and cultivators. I have to admit, though.... they looked pretty cute out there playing in the dirt. (you can see their "culitators" in the pockets of their aprons)

And a fun find this weekend. While we were working in the yard something moved around in the tree next to me and I looked up to see a Robin with a mouth full of worms. Seconds later the chorus of little chirps erupted. After a dash for the camera and trip up the ladder we discovered the little birds in a nest. The girls have been having so much fun watching our little baby birds.

Memorial Day BBQ

2010-06-01T09:36:00.000-06:00

For our Memorial Day BBQ's we always make homemade rootbeer. The girls were so intrigued by it this year. They thought the dry-ice mist was so neat and were convinced that because the rootbeer was smelling so good they would probably be able to taste it through the mist. They were pretty funny to watch. Ü

Walking the Logan River Trail

2010-06-01T09:32:00.000-06:00

We love to go on walks along the Logan River Trail. Hopefully soon it will get warm enough so that we don't have to bundle up before doing so.

First Impressions...

2010-05-19T23:13:00.000-06:00

My little nephew Brody made a great impression on the girls during their first introductions today. Long after we left their house Laila kept telling me "I luuuuuv Brody."

The Little Stinker

2010-05-18T12:11:00.001-06:00

Meet Brody

2010-05-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

My sister Robyn had a beautiful 6 pound 5 ounce baby boy on Tuesday, but today was the first day that I have been able to see him. My poor girls have been so sick this week that I didn't even dare visit him in case I had lingering germs on me. I have to tell you he is the most precious little thing and beyond content. He is dealing with a bit of jaundice, but hopefully he will be free and clear of his little "tanning bed" soon!

Happy Birthday Miss Shonee!!

2010-05-07T08:09:00.000-06:00

My adorable little niece turned 12 yesterday! We just love her SO much!

It's MAY?!?!?!?

2010-05-07T08:06:00.000-06:00

A week into the month of May you don't really expect to have snow storms. I'm sure these poor little birds were just as shocked as the rest of us!

(Pictures are taken through the window at my sister's house. I was NOT about to walk out in the snow.)

Lots To Celebrate

2010-05-04T21:43:00.000-06:00

On Sunday we had an early Mother's Day Celebration at the Blazzards and it was a great time. We were even treated to a long overdue proposal!!

PLEASE sign the petition!

2010-04-24T21:59:00.001-06:00

I don't know if any of you watched the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Show, but I was quite addicted to it, yet also disturbed. The food that the USDA has deemed as "appropriate" meals for our children to be consuming at school is absolutely absurd. (They consider french fries to be a vegetable, for crying out loud!) Please take just a minute to sign the petition on the left side bar of my blog (at the very top)... Something needs to be done about this!!

Family & Friends Are The Best!!

2010-04-24T18:35:00.000-06:00

Today our Dad's and neighbors came over to help us put in our new fence! ...well lets be completely honest, here. They helped Nate put in the fence while my Mom and I visited in the house, made lunch, and semi-watched the kids... (I kind of pawned them of on the neighbor girls most of the time. Ü) I can't believe how beautiful it looks! (and it better after how much it ended up costing!) It makes me want to spend SO much more time back there! And it doesn't hurt that it's about a foot taller than the last one, so it decreases my chances even more of catching crazy neighbor lady behind us as she hangs clothes outside with a button up shirt on, un-buttoned, and nothing underneath it except two sagging boobs swaying in the breeze.... Did I mention how much I am going to LOVE this new fence?!?!? Ü Now I just need to get those stumps out of there and figure out how I want to landscape in front of it. Maybe a couple of fruit trees.... hmmm.

Everybody working hard!

Taking a break to watch Laila be silly

Before

After

Being Pretty Takes Work!

2010-04-21T11:56:00.000-06:00

The girls had a little photo session with a local photographer last week, so we had to get ready for it by removing a little bit of a minor uni-brow. Ü A little bit of facial nair for sensitive skin and the girls were looking FABULOUS!!

When The Hubby's Away, There's No Time For Play!!

2010-04-21T11:52:00.001-06:00

Nate went out of town over the weekend, but that didn't keep the girls and me from getting A LOT done. We spent two days in the backyard working on projects. We got all of the stupid juniper bushes removed from the back of the yard, bought all the lumber to replace our back fence, and also put together boxes so that we can have a small vegetable garden this summer. We are women... HEAR US ROAR!!!!

Yeah! The bushes are GONE!!

Bushes in the driveway for the city to pick up...

Lumber for the fence

Garden Boxes

Serious Catch-Up Time...

2010-04-19T09:09:00.000-06:00

I've got lots to catch up on, so there will be several posts to scroll through. Sorry I am just barely getting Easter on here.....

Go Brecken, Go!!!

2010-04-17T09:12:00.002-06:00

Today we headed out to Mendon to pick up our Bountiful Basket and found that Brecken was playing in a soccer game down at the church. The girls and I went to watch and it was so much fun. He is quite the little player.

Baby Animal Days

2010-04-10T08:49:00.000-06:00

Oba and Oji took us all to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Farm and we ALL had a blast. The girls had so much fun seeing all the baby animals and being able to pet them. There was also a little table set up with flavored bugs to eat, and Laila shocked us all by eating one of the "worms". She is one brave girl. Bear World even had 6 bear cubs there that were just ADORABLE! (there are LOTS of pictures to scroll through!)

Easter at the Blazzards

2010-04-04T08:26:00.000-06:00

Easter Sunday we went to my in-laws to celebrate and also for FHE. We made personal pizzas and it was a lot of fun. To keep with this years "tradition" we had yet another egg hunt in the basement due to weather, but the kids sure didn't seem to mind. They had a blast anyway.

Thanks Easter Bunny!

2010-04-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

The girls weren't quite sure what to think about the baskets full of goodies by their beds when they woke up this morning. It took them a minute, but once they fully woke up they were sure excited.

(can you believe that crazy hair, though?!?!? Ü)

Easter at the Skinners

2010-04-03T08:35:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we headed out to Mendon to take part in their city egg hunt, but it was cancelled due to.... SNOW!!! What a crazy weather year it has been.... That didn't stop us, though. We went back to Mom and Dad's house where they did a "basement egg hunt" for the kids, and it was just as fun.

Oh For A Chance To Win....!

2010-04-02T21:27:00.000-06:00

I have totally been drooling over this machine since Provcraft announced it. I've even been teasing Nate that he needs to put in some serious overtime so that he can buy me one. Ü Do you know what could be better, though? TO WIN ONE!!! The gals over at the DIY Dish are doing a giveaway, and I am trying my darndest to win it. If you are interested in the Cricut Cake, check out their site. (But if you win it, you should TOTALLY give it to me.)

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2010-04-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

A long time ago I saw a recipe in a Cooking Light magazine that I thought sounded so yummy. I completely forgot about it, though, until a few days ago when I was reading through a newsletter from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and this recipe was highlighted. She made it sound so yummy all over again, that I decided that I needed to give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did! I love coconut bread and I love banana bread... and to mix the two was just DIVINE!! The lime glaze on top adds just the right touch, too. And it sure doesn't hurt that it is a "light" recipe. If I remember right, Honeybunch says it ends up being 4 WW points a slice. Next time I am going to try some flax seed and whole wheat flour in it, and maybe mix the sugar with splenda. We shall see!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 cups of flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

3 T. dark rum (*see note below)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 T. coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 T. lime juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl.

In a larger bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add your eggs, one at a time. Once mixed well add the bananas, yogurt, rum (I didn't have rum so I tried amaretto... YUM!) and vanilla.

*I know many of you don't consume alcohol, so rum can be substituted with a fruit juice. Try apple or pineapple juice, and it will work just as well, with a slightly different flavor.

Add your flour mixture now, and beat JUST until it becomes moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

Spray a loaf pan well with cooking spray and pour your batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top with your remaining 1 T. coconut.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then remove to a wire rack.

Combine the powdered sugar and lime juice and drizzle over the loaf of bread while still warm. Cool completely!

April Fool's!

2010-04-01T14:32:00.001-06:00

Apparently God decided that he wanted to get in on the jokes today. After a couple of REALLY nice, warm spring days, He pulled a fast one on us all! He did his best to make us think Spring was here, and then BAM!!! Some April Fool's joke!!! (I'm NOT laughing)

Fun With Dye's

2010-04-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

Last night we dyed eggs with the girls and they had so much fun. We found a really cool set that you add sparkley swirls (or Princess Sparkles, as the girls called them) to the eggs. Nate was even able to skip out on some of the TONS of overtime that he has been having to put in, and the girls ALWAYS love when he is able to be home.

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

2010-03-29T15:16:00.001-06:00

I spent yesterday playing with different foods to dye some eggs. Since I was spending so much time on them, I wanted to be able to keep them, so I decided that I would blow them out first. I made it through 5 and thought I was going to DIE! That's when I googled and found Martha Stewart's technique for blowing out eggs. She is such a genious!! If you have a lot of eggs to blow out, I highly recommend that you do it this way. So much easier!!

For my dye's I used blueberries, spinach, beets, dried red chili's, red cabbage, carrots, and coffee. To create the dye I just boiled the food in water until the water became colored. Add about 2 T of vinegar per quart of dye.
It was really a lot of fun. The dye takes quite a while to adhere, so I wouldn't recommend doing this with small children. I think they might get bored and impatient. We are going to do some Paas dyeing with the girls on Wednesday. Ü

Two Mommies!!

2010-03-26T15:43:00.000-06:00

Ayva informed Nate and me at the dinner table that if she crosses her eyes, she gets TWO MOMMIES!!! We sure got a good chuckle out of it. And of course Laila wasn't going to let me just take a picture of Ayva... She needed her time in the spotlight, too. Ü

Jen and Adam's Special Day

2010-03-24T15:26:00.004-06:00

My good friend, Jen, and her husband had their marriage sealed at the Logan LDS Temple last weekend. Even though I was a nervous wreck when she asked me, I had the privelage of taking some pictures of them and their adorable family. Here are just a couple of my favorites....

My Little Models

2010-03-16T19:04:00.000-06:00

Today the girls put on a little "fashion show" for me in all their new birthday outfits. It was really funny. The last outfit is from their Aunt Shannon and Uncle Richard. The minute they put those dresses on they really had me rolling on the floor. They were twirling, singing, dancing... It was the cutest thing ever!!

I Can't Believe That They Are 3!!!

2010-03-15T23:03:00.003-06:00

It's amazing how fast the time can fly by! It seems like just yesterday I was lying in the ultrasound room overwhelmed and crying after being told that I was carrying twins. Though it has been even more difficult than I could have imagined, it has also been more wonderful and fun than could ever be expected. I had so much fun planning this fairy princess themed party and fully put to use my blog stalking abilites. A lot of my inspiration came from The Hostess With The Mostess blog, (one of my absolute FAV'S!!) and then little ideas here and there. I went with the colors hot pink and lime green, and tried to use it everywhere I could... from the juice boxes down to mint and strawberry ice creams. Laila and Ayva really had a good time, and that was all that I could ask for!

Happy Birthday Talan!!

2010-02-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

It has taken me awhile, but I am finally getting some pictures from my nephew Talan's birthday up. Ayva has been dealing with a bulging eardrum, so she has been pretty needy this week and I haven't been able to get anything done.

We had a great time at the party. Robyn really out-did herself. The theme was Blue's Clues and she made a super fun cake. Talan got a huge slide/climbing toy that all of the kids had a blast on and I'm sure he will enjoy for a long time. Here are just some random pictures from the day.

Cauliflower-Potato Mash

2010-02-19T13:35:00.032-07:00

I love finding ways to sneak a little more nutrition into my family's diets but have it still taste great and for them to think that they are just eating rich, yummy food. This has become one of my new favorite dishes. I NEVER make mashed potatoes. Most "good" recipes have so much butter and cream I just don't feel like it's worth the extra calories. This recipe, on the other hand, cuts down on the carbs, adds in some fiber and tastes so good you don't realize that it's healthy. It's so much healthier than regular mashed potatoes you could even pour on a little bit of gravy and not feel as guilty.

Cauliflower-Potato Mash

1 large head of cauliflower

3 russet potatoes

1/2 stick of butter or margarine

salt

white pepper

Remove the core of the cauliflower and cut the florets into chunks. Add to a saucepan with the butter and 1 tsp of salt. Cover and braise at medium heat until tender, stirring every few minutes to coat. (will take about 15 minutes). Remove the lid, raise the temperature, and reduce any water that might be in the pan.

In another saucepan add peeled and cut potatoes to water and boil until tender.

Add some white pepper and more salt (if desired) to the cauliflower. Mash with a potato masher until the consistency you desire. Add the potatoes and mash them into the cauliflower.

So yummy, and I bet your family won't notice the cauliflower unless you tell them!

Make-It-Up Bruschetta

2010-02-18T13:23:00.003-07:00

If you are a cook that needs exact measurements... I'm sorry. This recipe is not for you. I just made it up as I went along, so I have NO idea how much of everything I put in. It's pretty simple, though, so just do what sounds good. I had found a multigrain baguette at the grocery that looked super yummy and had a ripe tomato at home so I decided that we needed to have some bruschetta with our pasta for dinner. It was a bake at home baguette, so I followed the directions for that. In a bowl I put chopped, seeded tomatoes, some salt, pepper, parsley, minced garlic, olive oil and red onion. Slice the baguette into about 3/4" slices and place on a cookie sheet. Smear with store bought pesto sauce, top with your tomato mixutre, and then put a little bit of shredded mozerella on top. Place under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese and toast the baguette. SO very easy and tasty!!

Wheat-Flax-Bran-Berry Cookies

2010-02-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

Well if that's not a mouthful, then I don't know what is!! The original recipe was just a chocolate chip cookie recipe from All-Bran, but I adapted it to make it a little healthier. I think they turned out pretty good. Give them a try! I think you'll like them.

Wheat-Flax-Bran-Berry Cookies

3 1/2 cup white wheat flour

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 ground flax seed

2 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup All-Bran Original

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2 (5 oz) packages of dried mixed berries

OR a 12 ounce pkg semi sweet choc. chips.

Stir together flour, soda and salt and flax seed. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Mix in hot water. Add Kellogg's All-Bran cereal, flour mixture, nuts and berries/chips, mixing until combined. Drop onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (keep in mind that the flax seed will make them brown a little more than a basic choc. chip cookie). Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container.

Bath Buddies

2010-02-17T13:23:00.001-07:00

I don't let the girls take bubble baths very often, but they have been so sick the last couple days I decided to treat them to one last night. It's amazing how much a few bubbles can lift your spirits when you feel like poo.

Valentine Eating

2010-02-16T16:06:00.002-07:00

I had every intention of getting this posted before now, but the girls have been pretty sick the last couple days and this was the first chance I had to get the pictures off of my camera. We started the day off with a heart themed breakfast and the girls thought it was pretty fun. (Realistically V-Day is really about the little kids anyway, isn't it?) Later in the evening I made a nice dinner and we all sat together at a candlelit table. The girls are going through a "naked" stage, so of course they were at the table in nothing but their underwear. At one point Nate looked at me and over the screaming, singing and "look at my boobies!!" said "romantic dinners are not quite what they used to be... are they?" We both got a good laugh and tried to tune out the noise and enjoyed our dinner....

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Ayva

Nate and Laila

Dinner

Garlic-Rosemary Pork Loin

Roasted Red Potatoes

Garlic Balsamic Asparagus

Chocolate Pots de Creme

recipe from all you magazine:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put 8 (6 ounce) ramekins into a large roasting pan without them touching.

2. Put chocolate in a heat proof bowl. In a pan over medium heat, warm cream, milk and 1/4 cup sugar, whisking often, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is just simmering. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour over chocolate. Let stand 3 minutes to melt chocolate; whisk until smooth.

3. In a second bowl, whisk remaining sugar and egg yolks until well combined and pale yellow. Whisking yolk mixture vigorously, slowly pour in about 1 cup chocolate mixture. Pour in remaining chocolate mixture, whisking well. Strain mixutre through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup.

4. Pour mixture from measuring cup evenly into ramekins. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Carefully transfer pan to oven and bake until custards are just set (they will jiggle slightly in center), 25 to 35 minutes. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until cold, at least 1 hour. Serve topped with dollops of whipped cream, if desired.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Produce A Plenty!!

2010-02-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

I REALLY don't know why I put this off for so long. I have considered participating in Bountiful Baskets for probably over a year now, but I just kept forgetting about it. Luckily Nikki reminded me a couple weeks ago and I hurried and got all signed up. I have just been amazed at the wonderful produce we have been getting for just $15 a basket. If you live in Utah, Arizona, Idaho or Washington... you should definately look into it and see if there is a drop off in your area. Todays basket had a pineapple, a pound of strawberries, a big bag of spinach, a bunch of bananas, 3 pummelos, 9 apples, 6 ears of corn, 3 tomatoes, 2 butternut squash, several sweet potatoes (or yams. To be honest I don't know the difference), 2 cucumbers and a honeydew melon. ALL for $15!!! Crazy!

Valentine Decor

2010-02-12T14:38:00.001-07:00

There are not very many store bought Valentine's Day decorations that are not "cheesy" to me, so I love when I find ideas that I would put in my home. As an avid blog addict, I am constantly finding wonderful ideas, but I just fell in LOVE with this idea from TaterTots and Jello. If you have never looked at her blog, you should totally check it out. She is amazing!!

The frames are just from the dollar store with some CTMH paper. (remove the glass and use it for a different project. E6000 is then used to glue floral marbles onto the paper. Super easy, super cute!!

This next project is one of my FAV'S!! I made one for my table and then one for the top of the piano. I once saw someone use salt and pepper shakers as bud vases, (sorry, I don't know who....) and really liked the idea. The white dishes are some serving dishes that I already had and I just placed the shakers down the center. I poured red, pink and white M&M's into the dish and bought red and pink carnations for the shakers. Isn't it cute?!?!?

I Just LOVE When Kitchen Disasters Become Tasty Treats

2010-02-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have been having a lot of fun this week making little treats for Valentine's Day. I was anxious to try Jeanne Benedict's Pink Pecan Fudge and got all my ingredients together. I made it all up, it looked super yummy, but it NEVER set up enough to retain it's shape when cut. I was bummed because I had doubled the recipe in hopes to give some out as gifts and I did not want to throw it in the trash. I started to think that it had a thick frosting consistency, and decided that it would be wonderful on a chocolate cupcake. (Luckily I had omitted the pecans due to Nate's allergies). I was super lazy and just used a boxed cake mix, and added some cherry chocolate chips to it. Now I'm kind of glad this didn't work out, because the cupcakes turned out so good. I'm hoping that I can continue to make "bad" fudge, because it makes WONDERFUL frosting!!

Pink Pecan "Fudge"

1 1/2 c. pink Candy Melts

1/2 c. butter

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. evaporated milk

a pinch of salt

1 cup chopped pecans

place candy melts and butter in a bowl.

place sugar, milk and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Over medium heat bring to a boil for 10 mintues, stirring occassionally. Pour over candy melts and butter. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes and then on high speed for 5 minutes. Stir in pecans and pour into a buttered 8" square pan Chill until set.... OR if you are doing frosting, leave the pecans out and just leave in the bowl to cool!

Valentine Treats

2010-02-10T22:29:00.004-07:00

The girls were driving me insane, so I decided to find something to keep them busy... and what better way than with treats! I have seen similar treats to these several times, and thought it would be fun to make them for Valentine's Day. You just take a pretzel twist and put it on a parchment covered cookie sheet. We then placed Rolos, (which wonderfully took the girls a LOOOOONG time to unwrap) on the pretzel. Pop the cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 minutes. When they came out I pressed red, pink and white M&M's into the soft chocolate. When they are cooled and the chocolate hardens, it is a RIDICULOUSLY yummy treat. The salty, chewy, chocolatey goodness will amaze you.

(I have two posts today, so be sure to scroll down)

The girls really did have a good time. They are just sulking because I wouldn't let

them eat these treats until I took a picture.

Super Bowl Sunday

2010-02-10T22:15:00.001-07:00

A little late posting this, but we had a great time on Super Bowl Sunday. Overall we didn't have a specific team we were rooting for, so the girls supported both. We ate TONS of great food, (of course... it was a Skinner gathering) and enjoyed really good company.

idea for cupcake liners came from Jeanne Benedict

We Can Do It Ourselves!!!

2010-02-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

This morning the girls told me that they were ready to get dressed. I was busy at the moment, so I said that I would help them in just a minute. "I do it!" was the reply I received, so I continued with what I was doing. A little while later they walked into the living room "ready" for the day. At least they coordinated with each other, right?

Bowling with Daddy

2010-01-31T23:00:00.001-07:00

Nate enjoys bowling so much and luckily the girls, (unlike myself) seem to enjoy it too. I did, however, have a great time watching them bowl!!

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!

2010-01-27T16:29:00.002-07:00

For Christmas Jackie made me a whole bunch of fancy cupcake liners that were just totally awesome. I loved the idea, but was slightly bummed by the fact that one day they will all be gone. After a quick internet search I found that Quickutz had a die cut to make your own liners with just a few cranks of a handle. Of course I had to order it immediately... Well, it CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!!! I am just so excited I can hardly stand it!!!

Diet Down The Drain

2010-01-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

All of my posts lately have been food related. I hope if there is anyone actually reading my blog you don't mind. (I know Kim's reading because she's the only one who comments!!!! and occasionally my mom)

This weekend I made a bread that is definately going to be the downfall of my diet. It was so incredibly yummy it's not right! The first time I heard about this bread was from Lisa Clawson. It is an artisan type of bread that is ridiculously easy to make and even yummier to eat. The first loaf I made I used white whole wheat flour and I thought it was really good.... That is until I tried the wonderfully healthy white flour one. It was to DIE for! Next time I'll try doing half all purpose and half wheat and see how that turns out.

Easy & Yummy Artisan Bread

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp yeast

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c. water (it doesn't need to be hot or cold)

Then be creative! Add in whatever you think sounds good. Do savory loaves, do sweet loaves. I made one mixing in habanero cheddar cheese and the other one had whole cloves of garlic and parmesan cheese. Lisa recommends dried cranberries, raisins, cinnamon, any cheese, garlic, herbs, spices, lemon zest.... She says that Montreal Steak Seasoning is great, too.

Combine everything in a large bowl and stir until just blended. Don't over mix it. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it aside for 12-24 hours. (You definately need to plan in advance when you want to have this for dinner).

After the lengthy wait, preheat your oven to 450* and place your dutch oven in while it's heating. (You can use a fancy enameled one or just your regular camping one) Have it in the oven for at least 20 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Without kneading it, just turn the dough onto itself to form a ball. Let it rest for another 20 minutes.

Take your hot dutch oven and place the ball of dough inside. (don't grease or butter it) Cut an X in the top of the dough ball with a sharp knife. Put the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes. The crust will be nice and brown and sound kind of hollow when you tap it. SO yummy!

Habanero Cheddar Loaf made with white whole wheat flour

Parmesan and Whole Garlic Loaf

Smoothie Goodness

2010-01-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I made a super yummy smoothie that just about anyone would enjoy. If you have normal kids, they would even enjoy it and not realize how many nutrients you were sneaking into their diets. Unfortunately for me, though, my children are abnormal. They won't eat smoothies of any kind... not even a Jamba Juice. I can rarely get them to drink regular juice. So anyway, if you are trying to eat a little healthier or just wanting to sneak healthyness into your childrens lives, give this a try. I think you'll love it. Sorry there are no pictures to post. It was so yummy I drank it all before I even thought about it. Ü

Popeye Smoothie

6-8 oz any flavored yogurt (I used nonfat plain)

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit (I used blueberries this time)

1/2 of a fresh or frozen banana

1 cup of packed spinach

I also added some ground flax seed, but that is totally optional.

Throw it all in a blender and blend away. Depending on the fruit you use, the spinach will give it a green hue. Most kids would probably think that's cool, but if yours is not one of them, just use darker colored fruits. Mine was purple this morning with the blueberries. (I use frozen bananas and fruit. That way it is slushy without having to add ice, plus it tends to be cheaper and more convenient.)

Health tip: I always keep nonfat plain yogurt in the house. When I am making a recipe that calls for mayo or miracle whip, I use half yogurt and half LOW fat mayo or miracle. Example: if it calls for 1 cup of mayo I use 1/2 cup of low fat mayo and 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt. It is healthier that way, plus you have more flavor than if you just use nonfat mayo. (not to mention that most NONfat products up their sodium or sugars to try and replace some of the lost flavor) If you try this or the smoothie, let me know what you think!

An Oldie But A Goodie!

2010-01-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

There is something about this snowy weather that just makes me want to cook and bake... Today I decided that Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies sounded great, and it makes it even better that the recipe is a "healthier" version of the average pumpkin cookie. Plus it doesn't hurt that this incredibly EASY cookie tastes really great. If you haven't tried this version, I HIGHLY recommend it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 boxes of spice cake MIX (just the mix, don't add the other ingredients to it)

1 (29oz) can of pumpkin

1 bag of chocolate chips (I like the dark ones)

Mix everything well in a large bowl. Spoon onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375* for 9-12 minutes.

Makes about 70 cookies

Today I did half dark and half white chocolate chips! Yummy!

(if you want to do a smaller batch, just use one cake mix, one (15oz) can of pumpkin and 1/2 a bag of chips)

Carribean Chicken

2010-01-18T10:17:00.002-07:00

I made a really yummy dinner the other night, and thought that I'd share the recipe with you. I saw it on a local news show. It was WAY easy and got two thumbs up from Nate. If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Carribean Chicken

1 T olive oil

4 chicken breasts cut bit sized

1 cup garden or chunky salsa

1/4 cup marmalade

1 T brown sugar

2 T fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp allspice

Heat oil on medium high. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink (around 7-8 minutes). In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Add it to the chicken and mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over rice and garnish with lime and orange wedges if desired.

TMT Update

2010-01-17T08:30:00.002-07:00

It has been a week that I have been doing the TMT workouts and I eagerly reclaimed my scale from Nate last night. As I got on the scale this morning I was encouraged by the 2 pound weight loss that I achieved this week, but the thing that really motivated me, though, was when I did my measurements! I gained 1/4" on my left bicep, (wahoo!) and then I lost 3/4" from the narrowest part of my waist, 1/2" from my hips, and 1/4" from each thigh. Not too bad for one week, huh?!?!? The only thing that could have made it better was to lose inches from the WIDEST part of my waist. Ü

Makeover Complete

2010-01-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

I think that I am done changing my blog up. I would love to know what you think... What

do you like, what do you hate.... Be honest and let me know! Thanks!

Redecorating

2010-01-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Please bear with my while I am redecorating my blog. I will try and make up my mind quickly.

Brilliant!!!

2010-01-16T17:19:00.004-07:00

Yes, that is correct. I am considering myself "brilliant" today!! I had what I consider to be a brilliant idea and I accomplished my project today. I LOVE to bake, especially cupcakes, and have quite the assortment of "sprinkles" that have all been thrown into a box. I was constantly have to dig through it to find the one that I was looking for. Today I created a wall hanging with little tin canisters on magnets that will hold all of my cupcake embellishments! I am also going to add some vinyl lettering along the bottom that says "indulge". I am way excited and just had to share!!

New Workout

2010-01-13T08:59:00.003-07:00

I started a new workout program this week that I am really excited about. I have set a goal to lose 8 pounds, but I'm not sure how realistic that will be. ;) It will put me weighing less than I ever have in my adult life... but it's going to be fun to try non-the-less. I have been doing it for 3 days now, but do to the fact that I had Nate hide my scale from me I don't have any "hard" facts on how it's going... I just know that I feel really good. I get my scale back on Sunday, so I will let you know how the week went at that point. If you are interested in learning more about the program it is the 10 Minute Trainer by Tony Horton.

Fun With Cousins

2009-12-27T21:55:00.004-07:00

A few days after Christmas we got together with Nate's extended family for a Holiday party. I was excited to get a picture of the girls with their 3 sets of twin cousins, but unfortunately one set was home sick... So here they are with 2 of the other sets. I also caught Ayva and her cousin Jameson walking around holding hands. Isn't it the cutest thing?

What SPOILED Little Girls!

2009-12-25T21:50:00.004-07:00

Christmas morning was SO fun at our house... and the girls made out like bandits!! They have no idea just how spoiled they are. They were so excited to walk into the living room and see the new kitchen and desks that Santa had left for them. I am already looking forward to next Christmas! Ü

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T21:36:00.003-07:00

Each Christmas Eve we give the girls an ornament that represents something that happend during the year and they open it and place it on the tree. When they are older and on their own they will have atleast 18 of their very own ornaments to take and put on their trees. This year Nate and I found little Kokeshi Doll ornaments for them to represent the great time they had with their Oba while Mommy and Daddy were in Okinawa. After opening ornaments we went out to my parents for food and fun. We had A LOT of both!! Here are the girls and their cousins (minus a few) in their Christmas Eve jammies.

Blazzard Christmas Party

2009-12-20T21:25:00.002-07:00

We had a great time celebrating Christmas with Nate's side of the family. We ate amazingly yummy food, had a cake decorating contest, listened to the Christmas Story while a few people acted it out and got spoiled rotten with presents. What a great day!! Richard and Shannon's "pizza" cake

Gary, Marie and Melanie's "lady in tub" cake

our "Santa's Train" cake

Josh and April's family's "snowman" cake

Message from Santa

2009-12-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

The girls were SO excited to receive this special message from Santa today. It was so nice of him to take time out of his busy schedule just for them.
message from Santa

First Time In The Snow This Year

2009-12-13T21:19:00.002-07:00

This is the first time the girls were able to go out and play in the snow this year, and I had one heck of a time getting them back in the house. They just LOVE being outdoors no matter what the weather...

November Family Home Evening

2009-11-26T21:10:00.002-07:00

Our November Family Home Evening was hosted by Gary and Marie and we had a great time. After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, (which I amazingly have NO pictures of) we got together for a message and activities. Here are a few of the pictures I DID get....

Trip to Okinawa

2009-11-16T21:43:00.003-07:00

I love blogging, but it's not very convenient when you have LOTS of photos to post. I have been debating over and over on how to post all of our fun Okinawa pictures... I figured the best way is to just link you over to them on Facebook. Enjoy!

First grouping of photos

Second grouping of photos

Catching Up

2009-11-02T12:04:00.003-07:00

I figure I've got a lot of catching up to do before we go to Okinawa, so that I can post all of our fun adventures there. Make sure you scroll down, because I will be adding a lot....

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T12:06:00.001-06:00

We had a great time on Halloween. We spent the day at my parents where my Mom made some awesome Turkey Chili and homemade Maple Bars. YUM! Luckily we still have little kids who don't know that you can hike all over hell and back to get candy, so we just hit the local Trunk-or-Treat. The girls had a blast and thought that it was completely awesome that people were just giving away candy!

First Hair Cuts

2009-10-23T12:28:00.001-06:00

The girls had their very first haircuts, and it didn't go extremely well. The whole time Laila was getting hers cut, she was just glaring at poor Sue in the mirror while Ayva sat on my lap screaming at the top of her lungs "NO CUTS!! NO CUTS!! NO CUTS!!" When it was her turn she wouldn't even sit in the chair and I had to hold her. Hopefully next time won't be as bad...

Carving Pumpkins

2009-10-19T12:48:00.002-06:00

Nate was really excited to carve pumpkins with the girls and they had a great time. They weren't really excited about touching the goo with their hands, though... They just wanted to use the spoons.

Family Home Evening

2009-10-11T12:38:00.001-06:00

Each month we do a Family Home Evening with the Blazzard family and we alternate who hosts it each month. We were excited to get October and did a Halloween Theme. It was so much fun and is always awesome to be able to get together with family. I didn't realize that I completely forgot to get a picture of our little family that night, but here is everyone else and some of the yummy food we ate.

Picking Pumpkins at the Patch

2009-10-05T12:19:00.002-06:00

A bunch of us went to Paradise Valley Orchard to pick out our pumpkins and we had a great time. The girls LOVE being able to pull a wagon through the patch and pick out their own.

Grandparents Day

2009-09-13T12:55:00.002-06:00

The girls were able to be both sets of their grandparents on Grandparents Day and we had nice visits with everyone!

Happy Birthday Nate!!

2009-09-11T13:08:00.001-06:00

Labor Day Camping

2009-09-06T12:58:00.003-06:00

We went camping over Labor Day weekend and the girls had a blast throwing rocks in the stream with their cousin Talan.

Camping in the Uintahs

2009-08-20T14:46:00.005-06:00

Last weekend we spent some time camping in the Uintahs with the entire Blazzard Family. We had a great time and got to witness some beautiful scenery and crazy weather.

Potty Training

2009-08-06T14:39:00.003-06:00

I know I have been absent for quite awhile, but I guess that's because we are enjoying our summer. Right now we are potty training and it is going AMAZINGLY well. We are on day 3 and the girls are sure making me proud. The ONLY accident that Laila has had since we started was a poop accident yesterday, but from what I understand that is the hardest thing to train kids on. Ayva is also doing really well. She has had a couple of pee accidents, but I think that they were mostly my fault. I got distracted and didn't remind her as often as I should have. You have NO idea, though, how nice it is to not be buying all these diapers anymore!!! Ü

Build-A-Bear

2009-06-11T20:00:00.003-06:00

While we were in Salt Lake we also took the girls to Build-A-Bear for the first time. At first they weren't sure what to think. We showed them all the bears and let them choose one. Once they chose, we handed them the unstuffed bear and they kept getting SO mad. It was actually kind of funny. Overall, though, they loved it. Their favorite part was giving the bears a bath.

Hogle Zoo

2009-06-11T14:46:00.005-06:00

Last weekend we took the girls to Salt Lake for a fun children's getaway. Our first stop was Hogle Zoo and their Auntie Mel joined us. We had SO much fun. There is NOTHING like experiencing something with a child. You see things so differently when they are around... things you would normally not even notice suddenly become the most fascinating things.

Popsicles and Sprinklers

2009-06-04T16:14:00.007-06:00

In the eyes of a 2 year old, there probably really isn't anything better than popsicles and sprinklers. My girls pretty much live for them both. In fact, there have been mornings when I broke down and agreed to let them have an Otter Pop breakfast... (some days we agree to ANYTHING just to have 15 mintues of silence...)

Logan River Trail

2009-06-02T22:36:00.005-06:00

We are so lucky here in Logan to have the beautiful Logan River Trail. We absolutely LOVE taking the jogging stroller down for a peaceful walk through the shady trees. The other day we went down there and had a great time.

It's SNOW CONE SEASON!!!!

2009-05-24T21:36:00.006-06:00

The other day Nate took the girls and me to Willow Park to see the animals and have a snow cone. We had a great time. After we finished our snow cones we let the girls dig in the sand at the volleyball pit. (They have been having so much fun digging up my flower gardens that we figured we would let them get it out of their systems in a place where mommy wouldn't end up screaming.)

Oswald Kids

2009-05-24T21:26:00.005-06:00

I have been having SO much fun with my new camera and got to take a bunch of pictures of my nieces and nephews. Here are a couple of each of them...

Playing around with PSE Actions

2009-05-15T15:03:00.005-06:00

I have been having SO much fun playing with some new CoffeeShop actions that I downloaded.

Before:
After:
Before:
After:

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2009-05-10T08:18:00.006-06:00

I just wanted to send out a special Happy Mother's Day to the two best Mom's in the world!

LOVING the sun!!!

2009-04-30T20:48:00.004-06:00

The girls have absolutely been loving the sun. It is so good to be able to take them outside during the day. I think that it helps all 3 of us stay sane. Ü

Amazing Blog Candy

2009-04-28T14:26:00.002-06:00

If you are the scrapbooking/stamping type, you will want to check out Passion For Crafts. She is giving away some AMAZING blog candy!!! (and if you win, remember that I am the one who told you about it. Ü)

Easter Sunday

2009-04-26T17:14:00.004-06:00

I know, I know.... Better late than never, though, right? Ü

The girls were so excited to find their Easter Baskets full of goodies in the morning.

Later in the day we went to the in-laws for a great BBQ and an egg hunt for the kids. It was a great day.

BEWARE!!! Dirty pictures enclosed

2009-04-24T08:18:00.006-06:00

I still have Easter Sunday pictures to post, and I will try and get to them later today, but I just had to share with you the wonderful experience we went through the other night. Nate was at his bowling league and it was 10:30 at night. The girls had been in their beds since 8:45, but had been giggling and talking ever since, and I was at my wits end. I jumped off the couch and went tearing into their room to lay down the law and was slapped in the face with the most horrible smell in the world! As I looked around the room I found that the girls had decided to finger paint their entire room with poo! It was on ALL of their bedding, their bed rails, Ellie (their stuffed elephants), on the floor, and the bed, on the changing table, in their hair, on their faces.... you name it, it was there!!! Luckily Nate showed up just in time to rescue the girls from the beating of a lifetime, and while he bathed them I scrubbed the entire bedroom. NOT a fun night! (and the pictures don't do it justice. Since their beds and floors are so dark, most of it doesn't show up...)

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-11T22:55:00.004-06:00

We spent Saturday in Mendon doing the town's egg hunt and also an hunt that Oji and Oba put on at there house. It was a lot of fun. We had YUMMY dutch oven cooking and GREAT company!

Dyeing Eggs

2009-04-11T22:50:00.002-06:00

We had a lot of fun dyeing Easter Eggs with the girls. They kept saying how "pretty" the eggs were.

Ayva & Her New Hat

2009-03-18T22:21:00.004-06:00

I finished Ayva's hat a few days ago and she FINALLY let me take some pictures of her in it. (Once I figured out that she wouldn't wear it in the house, but was more than happy to have it on outside it was a piece of cake Ü) Now onto Laila's. Since I started making them about spring time I made them big so that they will for sure be able to wear them next year.

St Patricks Day

2009-03-18T08:58:00.003-06:00

We hope you all had a GREAT St. Patrick's Day! We sure did! Ü

Laila and Ayva turned 2

2009-03-15T21:43:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was the girls 2nd birthday and they had a GREAT day. They woke up in the morning to birthday cinnamon rolls, so you know the day started out good. Ü

Later in the day we had a bunch of family come over to celebrate and the girls got spoiled ROTTEN! Thank you so much everyone for all the wonderful gifts and the great company!

Nice Weather For A Second

2009-03-09T20:13:00.003-06:00

We had nice weather that lasted long enough for the girls to take their bikes outside for their first ride. They had a great time. (and now today we have had over a foot of snow and it's still coming!!)

Shannon's Bridal Shower

2009-03-09T20:04:00.005-06:00

I've been slacking on my blog because I have had so many different projects going... A couple weeks ago we had a bridal shower for Shannon. (She is marrying Nate's brother Richard.) We had a great time and had a pretty good turnout. Here are a couple pictures from the shower:

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

2009-02-26T22:20:00.003-07:00

I have tried to get the girls to sing Popcorn Popping for many of you, but of course they never perform when we want them to. Today I was able to get Laila on camera. Ayva wouldn't be a part of it, but she usually does shy away from the video camera. Usually Laila is a little more dramatic with her hand motions, but I think you'll get the idea.... I truly am sorry that you have to suffer through my singing... Ü

Big Girls!

2009-02-26T22:01:00.005-07:00

Well, this morning I walked into the girls room to find Laila perched on top of the railings of her crib. I begrudgingly decided that it was time to move to toddler beds before someone ended up getting hurt. The girls were concerned as I began to tear their cribs apart, but once they realized what I was doing they got really excited. In fact, they played on their beds most of the day, excited to be able to get in and out themselves.

Tonight as I put them to bed I was ready for a night of chaos... having to constantly put them back in their beds. 5 minutes after being put to bed, Ayva opened the bedroom door as Nate was coming out of the restroom. She babbled something to him, and as he bent down to get her she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He helped her back to bed and a miracle happened. NEITHER of them got up again! I just hope that tomorrow goes as smoothly.... Cross your fingers for us!

Just For Kim

2009-02-21T18:32:00.005-07:00

I told Kim that I would let her know how these Pumpkin Caramel Cinnamon Rolls turned out, since she can't get pumpkin or brown sugar over there in Qatar. I'll do one better for ya, Kim. I'll let you see pictures of the process. Ü

.....Just cut and put into the pan....

....raised and ready to bake......

.....All Done!......

To be completely honest, they were good, but not as good as I was hoping. I wish the pumpkin flavor was stronger, but with only 1/2 a cup in the recipe, I shouldn't have been surprised...

Love To Knit!!!

2009-02-21T11:36:00.004-07:00

I am totally loving my new found hobby of knitting. I wanted to make Nate a new hat and found this great pattern on Ravelry, one of my FAVORITE sites. I pretty much finished it during an episode of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Nate wasn't about to model it for me so that I could take pictures, so Laila graciously stepped in. Ü It looks better on his head, since it stretches out more, but you gotta admit that Laila still looks pretty cute in it....

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2009-02-14T12:02:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to wish you all a great day!

Richards Long Awaited Arrival

2009-02-08T19:35:00.004-07:00

Today we drove down to Salt Lake to meet Richard after his deployment to Kuwait. Everyone was SO anxious to see him, but no one more so than Shannon. I think she almost knocked him over when she ran into his arms. Ü I took TONS of pics, but was able to narrow them down to about 30.... What can I say. I ♥ to take pictures...

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-02T18:28:00.003-07:00

We had a great time at my parents house for the super bowl. There was TONS of food, a good game to watch, and lots of great conversation. We also celebrated Tyson's 16 birthday.

2009-01-21T21:20:00.003-07:00

Want to know why you should be glad that you didn't marry into the family that I did? Nate's cousin Andy and his wife had twin boys in 2006, we had twin girls in 2007, Nate's cousin Dustin and his wife are due with twins in July, and Nate's cousin Tyler and his wife are due with twins in.... July!!! Did I mention that Dustin and Tyler are brothers? Now aren't you glad you married into the family that you did....? Ü♥

What a great day!!

2009-01-20T11:00:00.003-07:00

I feel so proud to be able to witness history being made today. What a great day to be an American!!! I truly feel blessed to be able to raise my girls in a world that is FINALLY moving in the right direction.

Happy Inauguration Day!!!

2009-01-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

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