The Lovely Bones

I will start off by saying I am not much of a reader. I don't have the motivation or concentration to read, it just takes too long and I prefer to watch the movie. However, one of the books I was encouraged to read a couple years ago, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, has become one of my favorites. It's about a young girl named Susie Salmon who is raped and murdered at the beginning of the book and narrates the story from heaven while she is trying to lead those she loves to the man who killed her. Go figure that the book I read is now becoming a movie! It's being released on December 11 and has a great cast! Susie is being played by a very talented Irish actress, Saoirse Ronan, who was also in Atonement. Other actors include Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci. Coming from someone who doesn't normally take the time to pick up a book, I really enjoyed this one. I read it a couple years ago and it has still stuck with me. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it...or you can just wait for the movie :P!

French Onion Goodness...er...Soup

I found this recipe for French Onion Soup and it is AMAZING! It takes a while to make because it stays in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours, but it's an easy recipe and well worth the extra time :). If you want to see pictures of what the onions are supposed to look like here's the link:

http://www.cookography.com/2008/the-best-french-onion-soup-ever

The Best French Onion Soup

From: Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6
Notes:
For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.

Ingredients:
Soup

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
• 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Make sure you get Yellow)
• Table salt
• 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (They recommend Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth )
• 2 cups beef broth (They recommend Pacific Beef Broth)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme , tied with kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground black pepper

Cheese Croutons

• 1 small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

Directions:
For the soup:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Generously spray the inside of a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pot and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
3. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
4. Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until the sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the broths, 2 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
6. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

For the croutons:

1. While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To serve:

1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Going Green...Kind of :)

I'm definitely not a fanatic or the crazy lady that buys only used clothes and flushes the toilet once a day, but the past year or so I've really tried to make a conscious effort to take better care of the world around me. Thomas and I purchased a Hybrid car to battle against the enormous fuel cost, but our family grew and now we have a 7 seater SUV (it is the most fuel efficient in its' class :P). I also take all of our plastic grocery bags and aluminum cans in to be recycled. Did you know every plastic bag and aluminum can is turned into another bag or can? My most recent project is a compost pile! Yes, it is gross but there is something about it that makes me look forward to cleaning out the rotten produce in our refrigerator :). We have nothing but clay in the ground here, and the compost pile is making some VERY dark, soft dirt that will save us lots of money! Next summer I think I'm going to do a fruit and vegetable garden. What are some small things you are doing? I'd love to know!

No More 'Stache

There is nothing more un-feminine or embarrassing to talk about then the she-stache (well maybe there are a few things). I'm too shy (and stingy) to get it waxed in the salon, so I've tried many home remedies including bleaching, waxing, all the creams, and even shaving in emergencies; but I've finally found one that works really well! It's Nair Precision Face and Upper Lip Kit.

It's super easy to use and doesn't smell as bad as other products I've tried. You just put on the cream, let it set for 5 minutes, wash it off, and apply the moisturizer. It gets all the little hairs off and doesn't leave any red irritation marks. I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants an easy, do-it-yourself way to remedy the dreaded lip hair.

Bachelorette Re-cap and New Predictions

Okay, so I almost called it. Jessi didn't make it as far as I originally predicted, but his brother was weird and would've scared me off too. Kiptyn is still there and, alas, Ed is back!! So I'm going to keep my original prediction with Kiptyn in the final along with Ed. I'm actually predicting Ed is going to be the last one standing.

I am still finding it hard to understand why Wes is still around. She is definitely blinded to who he really is (or the show is making him stay for ratings...?).

I like Reid too, but I don't see him with Jillian.

I'm excited for the Spain episodes coming up. That's somewhere I would love to go someday! I'm also curious to see who has the "problem" and I'm HOPING that it's Wes. That would be the ultimate payback :P.

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend I was able to help lead worship for my friend Ashley's wedding. Friday night was the rehearsal followed by a YUMMY dinner at Foster Park. The food was made by one of the groom's friends who is a chef in Las Vegas....need I say more. It was so good, in fact, that random people in the park thought it was okay to come grab a plate and sit down...classy. After the dinner the girls went to a nice restaurant called Baker Street for some fancy desserts and fun times.

Ashley had to do a number of "tasks" for prizes. She had to go up to an older married woman and ask for marriage advice, invite a stranger to her wedding, propose to someone, run around the restaurant outside screaming, "I'm getting married!!", and a few other funny and humiliating tasks :).

The wedding on Saturday was awesome! It was so clear that they were supposed to be together, and that God was the center of everything that was going on...just beautiful! I feel so blessed to have been a part of it, and to be reminded about the excitement that comes with being a newly wed.

Perfect Cup o' Java

Ever since having kids I have become a fan of coffee; almost to the point of being a coffee snob. I started out on Folgers and Maxwell House like most people, but didn't realize what else was out there. I've tried countless brands (Dunkin Donuts, Eight o' Clock, grocery store brands...) but have found some favorites; Whole Bean Starbucks House Blend and Whole Bean Starbucks Sumatra. I love the flavor of both!
Thomas bought me a really nice coffee maker for Christmas that grinds the beans every time you make a pot of coffee. I love this because every pot tastes fresh and delicious.

I also add some sweetener and Coffee Mate Creme Brulee creamer....mmmmm!

Makes for a perfect start to the day! If anyone else some favorite coffee suggestions, let me know!

Working Out Made Fun!

After 8 months I figured it's time to buckle down and get rid of this lingering baby weight. My husband bought me Wii Fit for my birthday (at my request...or else that could've been taken the wrong way!). I admit I don't use it as much as I should, but it's actually a great workout if done frequently. My favorites include the 30 minute free walk (I can watch Food Network while working out!), running the Island Lap (running in place for 12 minutes), and the 10 minute Hula Hoop workout! The Hula Hoop workout is probably the funniest and most unique workout of all of them. You stand on the Wii Board and move your hips like you're spinning hula hoops. The avatar of yourself on the screen mimics your moves and tallies up the spins for you. At the end it gives you the number of spins and then compares it to your past attempts, so you can compete with yourself. It has definitely helped tone my stomach a little bit (I haven't been using it that long), and I've lost 4 pounds so far! If you are looking for a fun way to work out and own a Wii, I HIGHLY suggest this "game"!

New Seasons of the Bachelorette and Jon & Kate Plus 8

Now that all my prime time favorites are over for the summer I've started watching the Bachelorette and the new season of Jon and Kate Plus 8. The whole idea of the Bachelor and Bachelorette shows seems wrong on so many levels, but I can't stop watching! There are a couple guys that I think will make it to the end, and a couple I can't believe are still there!

Jessi and Kiptyn are my two favorites. I'm calling now that one of them will be the one left standing in the end. However, get Juan and Wes out of there now! Why are they still there?? Wes is clearly there to promote his music career, and Juan is a super-phony weirdo who owns a business with his mom and wants Jillian to join it. Yeah, that'd be smooth sailing I'm sure!

I also watched the season premier of Jon and Kate Plus 8. Did anyone else shed a tear when Alexis asked her Dad not to leave anymore? I hear so many people starting rumors and saying terrible things about these people. While I don't agree with some of the things they do, who am I to judge? I think it's terribly sad and I hope they can work out there differences and stay together. Can you imagine the child support check??! I guess we'll see what happens.

Pat a Cake, Pat a Cake, Bakers Man...

Ever since my first Easy Bake Oven when I was 6 or 7 years old I've had a love for baking, but recently I've gotten really into it! I'm trying to learn about cake making, different icings and frostings, fondant, cupcakes....the list goes on. I recently made some YUMMY shortbread cookies flooded with royal icing. They were delicious and since my husband doesn't like baked things very much I ate them all myself (I think Abby ate 3 :P). I got the recipe for cookies and the icing from www.joyofbaking.com. I got the instructions for how to flood a cookie with icing from www.cakejournal.com. Both websites are great and full of creative ideas!

Shortbreads:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

I'm Entering the Blogging World

Well blogging world, here I am. I have been inspired by one of my old friends to have a place to share my random thoughts, ideas, recipes, and anything else that pops into my head with those who will read. Thanks, Megan! Now I just have to figure out this web site and figure out how to delete my previous 2 attempts at blogging...