Finished Kitchen Walls

So, days later, painting the kitchen walls are done. I think I like it. It turned out good, and exactly the way I pictured. Thats a good thing.

So me and Jade and his cousins went snowmobiling yesterday. Just a few pictures. Off the trail, cause the cousins wanted to go climb a hill.

Casey getting stuck trying to high mark, and Jade coming to the rescue, as Jared, Caseys little brother was way too busy climbing the hill to come help out.


It was a good day for the most part, but the cousins like to run the trails really fast, and even on the new sled, with the really, really, really good suspension, my body got really tired. We stopped at the Pines to eat lunch, they have really good food. Anways about 2 weeks ago they had the old ladies race up in Island Park, and all the establishments build some form of snow structure, and this is the one in front of the pines. It's slowly melting away.

All in all it's been a very eventful week, and promises to be an even more eventful next week, as hopefully the new floor will go in, and taxes will be sent off. Happy January people.

PAINT!

I have been procrastinating finishing my kitchen for almost a whole year. How bad is that?! Anyways, I was watching HGTV the other day, and got the bug. So I have finished texturing and patching, and the next step is of course, the paint. So off to the Wal-Mart for paint.
A little background: about 8 years ago, right after we bought the house, Jade and I went shopping for curtains. Sounds so mundane and easy, right? Not at all! I had the biggest anxiety attack in Fred Meyers.....they have to be the right curtains cuz they'll be in the house forever type of thing. There I was, poor me, sitting on a futon, crying about curtains. 8 years later though, I still LOVE those curtains. Well, I have learned from that experience, and paint, is just paint after all. I bought 3 little quarts, just to try out. I am going to try for that venetian type of thing, cuz I wanted my kitchen to be old world, and NOTHING, and I mean nothing else in my kitchen looks old world, sigh......I just have the first coat on, in a small area (just in case I hate it the most), and I hate it the most. It's just to dark, I think.

I haven't added any other colors yet, and I will do that later on, but I am sure I won't like it. Also, I still haven't bought my trim color either, as I wasn't hundred percent what color I actually wanted. I have to constantly tell myself that it's just paint! I bought the red you see on my wall, just cuz I liked the color, with no plans to do anything with it. Jade was off sledding, and I got bored and painted that whole big long wall. No planning, nothing, and I love it. The one good thing about this whole painting the kitchen thing is that, I hardly have any wall in there now. And whenever the backsplash gets put on there will be even less. Waawhoo!

We have received a bit more snow, and have gone on one or two snowmobile rides. Jade sees the neat stuff when he goes ridding , like these two bull moose. He actually had the time to pull the camera out and take pictures.

Potato-Bacon Torte

Melissa d' Arabian is/was the Next Food Network Star. I love the show. This was a recipe Jade wanted to try, and so we did. All around good recipe, just a little dry, which is why I would increase the cream.
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d' Arabian
Potato-Bacon Torte
Ingredients
4 strips bacon (I used more)
3 sprigs fresh thyme ( i used 1/4t. dried, and just put it into cream and left it)
2/3 cup heavy cream (would maybe use 1 cup next time)
2 Pie Crusts, recipe follows (very good crust)
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (swiss cheese is acceptable)
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water (I use the whole egg)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.

Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)

Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Pie Crust:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.

Parkers Penne Pasta

I made this friday from a recipe I got off the web...I didn't have some stuff so I substituted. Below is the recipe the way I made it. Oh my heck it was sooo good, poor ole Jade ate so much, made himself very, very uncomfortable. I served this with a Caesar salad, and made rosemary french bread. YUMMY!
SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons marsala wine 2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper


1 lb penne rigate, cooked
2 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup bacon chopped, and cooked
Preheat bbq grill to high
Prepare sauce by melting 3 tbls of butter over medium/low heat. Add
garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the
marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for
the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for
10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.
Cook pasta following directions on the package. You want the pasta tender, but
not mush (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside when it's done. Pound the thick
end of your chicken breast a bit to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken
with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 5 to 6
minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips. Toss pasta
in sauce, top with cooked chicken, cooked bacon, and a bit of parm. cheese.
NOTES: I add veggies to this dish, also the marsala cooking wine can be found in the vinegar section of your local store $2.99 for 12oz

A New Year

As we all are welcoming in a new year, we will be welcoming a new member, Durango, to our household. 2 new members really if you count his momma. Her name is Brittany and is attending BYU-I this semester, maybe the whole 4 years, we don't know. She couldn't keep him where she'll be living, and so we are keeping him. He arrives tomorrow afternoon. I'll be gone to work, but Jade will be here to welcome them in. I'm very excited. Here is a picture of Brittany and Durango.

So, today I start back at the lodge in Island Park. I am excited about it, I learned a lot working up there, and as I found out it wasn't the train wreck that working at The Horseshoe was. It actually runs smoothly.
Yesterday afternoon we went and saw Sherlock Holmes, aaahhhh! It was really good. The previews made it look tawdry, and I thought it was going to be filled with all kinds of innuendos, but it wasn't. I liked it very much, and will buy it when it comes out on dvd. Also Robert Downey Jr. played a very good Sherlock Holmes, I think, even though not british, pulled it off. Jude Law as Watson was really good too. I think the movie was well done, and hope they do another.

As you can see, Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes isn't anywhere near as good looking.

Merry Christmas

It's snowing on my blog, how cool is that! I just watched Julie&Julia....LOVED it. I watched Julia Childs on tv when I was young, along with Yan Can Cook! HAHAHA! That was when we just had basic cable. I didn't appreciate her when I was 12 years old, didn't think she was a very good cook. Oh my heck though, now, I have such a better understanding, and can appreciate her.
We are having a movie fest at our house tonight, that doesn't include any christmas movies. I know, I know! But we don't goto movies all that often, we wait for them to come on dvd...saves money, and you have the comfort of your own home. So tonight is movie night. We are, however, having what is sure to be a SCRUMPTIOUS dinner....which will be Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Baked Potatoes, Green Salad, Mixed veggies, and for desert we will be having Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream YUMMY, huh?! I have this recipe for a prime rib rub, but it is more like a crust if it's done right. Oh my, makes the prime rib very flavorful.....the very best thing about this dinner is the cost of the prime was only $3.88 a pound. How cooly cheap was that. I was able to buy more, 5 lbs. We'll only eat about 2 lbs, and can food savor the rest and have prime rib another time. Dinner for 2 for 3 days, at later dates of course. And if the prime is cooked about rare or just a tick under, then it can be warmed in the Au Jus to medium rare and be just like it was the first time. AAAHHHHH! I love FOOD! I will also be going to the DI to get myself a wide belt! Merry Christmas to all!

Sometimes when I goto the D.I. I get so lucky with what I find. Yesterday, I found my baby bundt pans. They are Nordic Ware, and to buy these pans new, they are $30+ bucks a piece. The best part, besides actually finding them at the TS is that they were only $4 each, and in super good condition. There was 2 of them. Here's what they look like.

I am planning on making cakes today for christmas presents.

No matter how old they get

I've decided this: No matter how old boys get, they should never be left unattended for one single moment. This is a before picture of the kitty, notice how pretty orange he is all over....bad picture I know

Now look at kitty after Jade has taken our clippers to him.....



So, I guess the cat just LOVED having his hair cut, purred the whole time, until it was time to do his belly, then he got a little on edge. Still the point remains.......boys should never be left unattended, no matter how old they get!

Back from Utah, and, it wasn't a complete disaster. Jade got moms bathroom all together just fine, without any problems at all. And it's lovely. I didn't take one dang picture while I was down there, I don't know whats wrong with me. It snowed 6 inches over night saturday, which caused a bit of a problem for more than one person, but the world around was just beautiful. I love fresh fallen snow, and how it blankets everything. I am very lucky to have Mercy Otis as my sister. She is the most amazing woman in the world. Again, no pictures, but she stitched me this awesome sampler for my friend, late the night before we were leaving to come home. Cindy loved it by the way, a gift from the heart. She told me to tell Mercy thank you very much. She also sewed me little santa hats for my santa ball decorations, and a cover for my christmas story book for a friend. Mercy is one of the busiest people I know, and she made time for me, and all my projects. I am so very grateful for her, and her family. Thank you to her and all she does! Sorry again, and again, and again about the car. We can make it right ya know.
Anyways after a trip to my moms, my christmas tree is complete. My other sister lives with my mom, and she gave me all her old crocheted decorations, my mom crocheted them, and their highly sought after, also I high-jacked decorations from my mom. Jade says the tree is now "cluttered", and he doesn't like it, can you believe that?

Anyways, I love it, and think it looks wonderful. These little snowmen figures have been a part of my christmas for a long time, and my mom gave them to me 2 years ago. I love them. My mom made them in Relief Society and Mercy embellished them on a break from her attending beauty school. So they are.........31 years old? They are in excellent shape, as you can see.

Family Christmas Party

It was the "Family" christmas Party in small town Utah tonight. It was so much fun. I love, love, love my nieces and nephews, and their prospective spouses and children. How very blessed I am! So there were some really fun games, and prizes. My favorite thing though, was the ornament exchange. HE HE! I had been at my nieces house and had seen what she was making...I know, I know, kinda like cheating, but as you can see, how could I pass it up. Whether everyone was kind and just let me keep it, or everyone was too scared to take it from me, I got to keep this handmade, and when I say handmade, I mean she made everything herself, little apron. It fits perfect, as I'm a cook, (and I like to cook). I think this my favorite ornament ever...even better than the ballerina I got when I was a young teenager. Kim, you're amazing and people really would spend some money on these, put a little shop on your blog and sell them! Merry Christmas my wonderful family and thank you for a new christmas memory.

Congrats to KJ and her little Evie. I am an Aunt once again, it never gets old, can't wait to get down there and see/hold/kiss her! Anyways, when I gave my 2 weeks notice on friday, sunday, they just let me go. Said they didn't really need me. I would say thats a truism, but, now someone else is going to have to bake, along with working their scheduled shift, and thats hard to do them both at the same time. Also, I was the only person who cared if that place was clean or organized. Anyways, The Silver Horseshoe isn't going to stay open for very long. I'm very glad I left when I did, so I didn't fall when it does, cuz it will. How sad!
I am going back to work at the Anglers Lodge in Island Park. This year however, I won't be living up there. I am excited about being back up there. I will start sometime after Christmas.

Durango and his mamma

So way back when it seems, I replied to an ad on Craigslist for a young lady looking for a home for her dog, while she attended BYU-I. Her parents live in Washington and didn't want to keep her pit bull mix dog while she was at school. So come January, Durango will come to live with us. Not sure if this will be for 4 years or not. We are so very excited. Here is Durango with his mommy Brittany

Doesn't she kinda look like Bella from Twilight? And here is Durango all curled up in hims bed.

He looks like Abby, doesn't he, except his has short legs, and he's a bit more portly. Oh yeah, I gave my 2 weeks notice at work. Whew!

Simple Instructions

Okay, I'm not a very good teacher, usually someone ends up crying.....but.....here goes....I have a mac...so I opened up pages(same as microsoft word) and inserted a shape (which was the star), then made them 5", you can make them whatever size you want. Then printed them off.

I then cut the stars out.

Then I folded the stars in half along all 5 points.


Waalaa, you have a barn star.

Then I spray painted them. This way was WAY easier than Chars way, for me anyways.
The Merry Christmas ribbon was eay too. I bought glitter glue, and a spool of ribbon from the dollar store, then just used the glitter glue and wrote Merry Christmas on it, and cut a v in the ends.

I'm not the craftiest person in the world, so I always try to find the easiest way to do things.
The cat found the candy canes on the tree this morning, and commando raided them. It was the funniest thing ever. I tried to get pictures of him, but he was to fast. He did end up right in the middle of the tree, on his hind legs, stretched to his full height of almost 2 1/2 feet trying to climb the tree. Very funny!

Decorating

The other day ago, Jade and I made barn stars. After a few done on card stock, Jade decided that we should just use plain old paper. This idea to make barn stars came from the pickled pepper patch blog, and I just love the barn stars. Anyways, I had some neon green paper, and it's just a little heavier than plain old printer paper, so we made some. I took them out to the garage and spray painted them silver, and then we put them on our tree. Also my niece has this cool merry christmas ribbon on her tree, and I loved that as well, but in my trip to the big city, couldn't find one. So to the dollar store I went and made one my own self. I don't like it as much as hers, but it'll do. With some candy canes, and the few decorations that we had, our tree is complete, for now anyways.
I went into Roberts Crafts, and was assaulted with christmas cheer. I haven't been into a craft store in quite some time, and never at christmas I think. it was so fun, and everything christmas was 50% off. I didn't buy anything, but took lots of pictures.


I LOVED these, and want to make some for my own self, and maybe for presents. I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season so far. I LOVE this time of year!

Christmas Come early

So this morning I got a phone call from my SIL and she said she had an early christmas present for us. Wahoo, I love presents. So over she came with this little treasure. I am so excited to put him on my porch with the rest of my decorations. He is slightly scary, and was somewhat of a "puzzle" to put together, thats what Jade is for, but here he is all lit up and ready for my porch. I have wanted the light up deer to put on my lawn for years, so maybe this year, after christmas when they are on a deep discount I will buy some. I love this little frosty! Thank you very much Elk.....

I picked these little containers up off craigslist. The woman selling them had flour and sugar in them, which is exactly what I'm going to do with them. Not sure whether I will keep them upstairs, or take them to the basement. They will hold a little more than 25lbs, and they are 1o gallons. You can pick these little bad boys up at IKEA for $8.99, but we don't have an IKEA in Idaho, so I do consider myself lucky. Cindy and I am going to go try fishing in our friends pond today. It is froze over, and we'll have to break a hole in the ice. It will be an adventure to say the least, and hopefully there are fish in there still alive and hungry. If not, off to lunch we'll go.

Before and After

So, even though I'm not the one who vacuums, I was still soooooo tired of Bernice and all her hair. Jade was vacuuming everyday to get rid of the shedding/clumps of hair, ICK! We haven't let Bernices hair grow this long in like forever. So, because Jade doesn't like to shave the dog, I have to do it. The end result is a bare naked doggie, which we both prefer. Isn't she just the cutest?

Thanksgiving was fun at the shoe, and I didn't have to do anything. I did most of the dishes though, so Marsha didn't have to. She was beat after cooking dinner. There wasn't as many people as I thought there would be.
So, tradition says that the christmas tree MUST go up on thanksgiving night, and so, we put ours up. It is a fake one, and I love it, and obviously, so does the cat. Anna has been under it, since we put it up. 28 day til Christmas!