over the weekend

it started with one tiny flake. 

 a few more, here and there, sprinkling from the sky.

slowly, so slowly, fluttering from the clouds.

we kept peeking out the windows, fingers crossed for more. 

and then....

the clouds opened! they spilled over, painting our world white. 

and it just kept falling

and falling

and 

f

   a

      l

         l

            i

               n

                   g

lucky us.

I headed to the mountain on Friday to decompress after the week's papers! and tests! and lectures! and late nights! (my brain hurt.) The fresh air and fluffy snow was exactly what I needed.

I shared a lift with two guys who where visiting from Australia. They praised our mountains and snow and reminded me (in their thick Australian accents) how lucky I was to call this place home--"so spoiled you are here!" I remind myself of this every single day......we ARE so lucky. We never ever thought we'd call Utah home, but I'm so happy for the trails and mountains that make this place perfect for us.

We headed up with the whole crew on Saturday and braved the blizzard for the best ski day we've had all year. I think every single prayer for snow was answered, in just a few hours on this very mountain.

After our cold day we snuggled on the couch in jammies and cheered on Team USA in the Olympics.

(the fun had to come to an end for a lonnnnng night of math....best way to end the day.....right?)

It was perfect soup weather, and this is THE best soup to make when you are feeling exceptionally lazy and really don't want to cook. It only takes a few minutes of prep work--and it's always a family favorite around here.

Chicken Chile Verde Soup

-1 onion, diced

-3/4 cup roasted green chilies, diced (our awesome friends grew pounds and pounds and pounds of green chilies last year. Ali and I spent an evening late summer roasting and dicing. I pulled these from my freezer and they made me miss summer just a little bit...)

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2 chicken breasts

-4 cups prepared black beans

-4 cups chicken stock

-1 tsp cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1/2 tsp dried oregano

-1/4 tsp nutmeg

-pinch of red pepper flakes

-salt and pepper

-juice of one lime

In a large pot, saute onions, chilies, and a pinch of salt in olive oil for 5-6 minutes until tender. Add in red pepper flakes and garlic, and cook for a few more minutes. Remove pot from heat, and add onions, chilies, and garlic into a blender with 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend until smooth. 

Pour into pot and return to heat. Add in chicken breasts, remaining broth, beans, and spices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until chicken is done. (I like to simmer on low for a few hours--the flavors have time to mingle and the chicken will easily fall apart. Salt and pepper to taste and stir in the lime juice. 

Top with all your favorites--avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, cilantro, pepper jack cheese and an extra squeeze of lime.

enjoy!

blogged 1 year ago: lower the beet juice

blogged 2 years ago: homemade almond milk

blogged 3 years ago: individual chocolate pudding cakes

chistmasy weekend

oh what a weekend!

it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed.

and snowed.

we spent lots of time inside with blankets and Christmas movies.

chili and cookies.

we made our "Christmas List" of all the activities we want to do over the next few weeks.

we received a very special invitation that read:

"mom and dad you are invited to a Christmas dance party at 6:30."

It looked like this.

Do they get crazy this time of year?

Yes.

But I do too.

We decorated a tree! lights, ornaments, jingle and jangle and a gold star on top. 

Please look at the picture below closely. 

Do you see what I see?

Luna the cat. 

You know, our "outside cat."

yeah right. 

Look what she has done to me!

She has claimed her spot right under the tree.

Fingers crossed she doesn't tear it down....

And we OFFICIALLY kicked off the Christmas season with our first batch of snowballs. 

(I told you I'd be posting about snowballs again!)

Snowballs

I like to double....triple....quadruple this batch when I make it. 
They freeze well, and are perfect to pull out when you need to put together a quick plate of treats for a friend--just give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar when you load them up on the plate.

3/4 c butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS water
1/8tsp salt
1/3 c sugar
1 1/2 c flour
(this time I added a pinch of cinnamon, just for kicks)
1 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (I like pecans)
Powdered sugar, for dusting.

Cream butter, vanilla, water, sugar and salt. Add flour and mix well. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
 Form into 1” balls. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. 

Roll in powdered sugar while still a little bit warm.

Little bites of Christmas.

What Christmasy things did you do this weekend?

blogged 1 year ago: traditions

blogged 2 years ago: candy cane ice cream

weekend things

oh the weekend.....gone again. and it's dark now. so. so dark. 

It always takes me a while (like 4 months) to get used to this whole Daylight Savings thing. I am a solar powered person, and like my sunshine to last well into the evening. But other than that, this weekend was overflowing with good weekendy things......all things to be thankful for.

all photos from my phone

 

Friday evening I headed up the hill for a quick last minute run--up up up Charly and I went. The weather was perfect--high 50s with clear blue skies and warm fall sunshine. I sat on a rock at the top and let the sun soak into my skin until it dipped behind the mountain. I looked out over the valley that we now call home, and felt consumed with happiness. We have been in this valley for 8 months now, and they have been some of the happiest months my family has known. We have lived in Utah for 8 years, and I finally feel like we are somewhere we can call home. The mountains, the trails, the farmland, the cows(!), the friends, all of it. It fits us. Down down down through the quickly chilling air--through crunchy leaves, a cloud of my own frosty breath, and a thankful heart.

Saturday morning was a day for sleeping in, morning chores, and laughing at the chickens eat our jack-o-lanterns. Ali called in the afternoon and we loaded the kids up and headed for the snow. We hiked through the chill and fresh snow--the kids stopping along the way to eat fist fulls of the cold white powder. You know what the best smell is? Pine + snow. So good. We ended the evening with late night burgers, and I went home and made a couple of Summer's peanut butter cups......try them!

Oh--and on the way home from exploring on Saturday we found my dream house! An abandoned old farmhouse (abandoned....except for the ghosts we are SURE we saw peeking out the window at us). It had a barn to fill with animals and it was just perfect.....don't you think? I can dream, right? I always wonder about the stories these old homes carry and what made someone pack up and leave....

Sunday the snow came to US. We came out of church to big fluffy flakes falling down and hiding the mountains. We hunkered down inside with blankets and cocoa, and Sunday reading and naps while we waited for the storm to pass. I just came in from taking the chickens some scraps from dinner. I stood out in the cold--boots, hat, and giant coat and looked up at the stars. So many stars. I breathed in the frozen air as I gazed up, counting stars as I counted all I have to be thankful for.

What are YOU thankful for today?

blogged 1 year ago: Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

blogged 2 years ago: Whole Wheat English Muffins

weekend things

Now that school is back in, weekends mean soooooooo much more! 

We have to cram in as many good things as we can. 

First things first.

I forgot to tell you guys--my chickies have started to lay! I'm guessing the eggs are coming from Wilma and Fanny....and I think the teeny tiny one was Goldie's first. It has been so much fun checking (over and over) all day long to see if there is a tiny adorable gift for us. 

Swiss Days! 

Our little valley celebrates it's Swiss heritage each year, and I helped out with the Swiss Children's Chorus (kind of funny, since I don't sing OR dance).

 The kids sang their little hearts out and got to ride in the parade. 

Swiss looks good on them.

Our sunsets these past few weeks have been incredible. Starting around 6 o'clock we like to guess what colors the sky is going to turn. Saturday night we sat on a hill and watched the sun sink. 

Homeschooling last spring made me realize there are so many teaching opportunities throughout the day. My kids don't have to be officially "homeschooled" for me to attempt to cram knowledge into their growing brains. So we talked about the sunset. The mountains. The clouds. They drew the earth and colored the sky as we watched the big show. 

I watched them work, and listened, and felt so lucky to call them mine.

*******

And then we ate some pizza. 

Pizza is so easy to make in the summer--there is an abundance of ingredients just begging to be thrown on top. 

Prosciutto and Blackberry Pizza

inspired by one of my favorites at Pizzeria Limone

Your favorite crust topped with:

-olive oil

-mozzarella

-prosciutto

-red onion

-pine nuts

-fresh black berries

-fresh grated parmesan cheese 

Margherita Pizza with Goat Cheese

Your favorite crust topped with

-a simple tomato sauce (like THIS  easy one)

-mozzarella cheese

-your favorite kind of cherry tomatoes, halved (I like to use little ones because they are so sweet)

-pine nuts

-basil

-goat cheese

Lately I have been loving Whole Foods whole grain pizza dough. I always keep some in the freezer so I can pull it out for a quick dinner. I cook it on the grill just a few minutes, then put the toppings on, and then cook it a few minutes more until the cheese is nice and melty. 

How was your weekend?

oh--and we also hiked! and ate pie! more of that coming soon.

on a sunday

-picking flowers-

-flowers on the table-

-tazo "refresh mint" + lemon +  hours in the sun-

-rolling out the dough-

-grillin-

-homemade blue cheese dressing-

-pesto + mozz + chicken + sundried tomatoes + artichoke hearts-

-dinner-

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

(all ingredients can be adjusted to your liking)

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup milk (more or less depending on how thick you want it)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4-1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 garlic clove, minced

dash of worcestershire
squeeze of lemon

pinch of salt

coarse cracked pepper (I like lots)

Mix all ingredients and serve over salad

Chicken Pesto Pizza

-whole wheat crust of your choice

-pesto

-fresh mozzarella 

-grilled chicken  (simply grilled with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper)

-sun dried tomatoes

-artichoke hearts

grill until melty and perfect. 

-sunday-

over the weekend

Such a good weekend!

My heart is so full after spending the springy-est Easter Sunday with my little family. 

The perfect end to our March (WHAT?! Where did March go?)

Friday. Pretty big day around here.....

We got.....The Chicks. Our girls.

We named them and gave them a home (uh, it's a box for now).

We'll be back to introduce the ladies tomorrow.....

We  played outside and colored eggs, and played outside some more.

Saturday I ran. And ran and ran. Charly and I found new trails, and explored the hills until they took us to the clouds. The sun was shining, the mud was starting to dry, and the trees were beginning to bud....perfect running.

Saturday afternoon we worked in the yard. 

Dirtied our hands and feet. Spent every hour of daylight outside.

Sunday we woke to birds singing (I swear it was a Disney tune) 

and headed to church in our Sunday best.

And of course this picture had to happen.

We feasted.

Roast Chicken (so I felt a little guilty roasting this bird with baby chickies living in my house.....)

The BEST potatoes ever (Martha's recipe)

Roasted Artichokes

Salad with grilled beets, blue cheese, and sugared pecans

Deviled Eggs

And for dessert......Lemon Cake!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ina Garten's recipe. The only thing I changed was using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and using a 9" round pan instead of a loaf pan

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided 

3 extra-large eggs 

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons) 

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze: 

1 cup confectioners' sugar 

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

 Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease a 9" cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. 

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the coconut oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside. 

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool. 

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the cake.

Enjoy!

How was your Easter Weekend?

how we weekend : january

Can you believe we just went through our last weekend in January?! I was lucky enough to be celebrating my birthday all weekend. Friday Robby took me to Cooper Onion (mmmmm). Saturday we spent some time downtown, ate Ruby Snap  until we burst, and stayed cozy all evening by the fire. Sunday we welcomed a blanket of fresh fluffy snow that washed away our dirty air and painted our world white. It really was a perfect, wintry weekend.

me and my customary tower-o-rubysnap for my birthday.

2012

2011

A few weeks ago I asked you to tag your weekend photos #howweweekend on instagram. I have loved taking a peek at so many different weekends around the globe. It was a month filled with snowy adventures and cozy comfort food. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the month of January....it was so hard to choose....

weekend photos brought to you by: 

@littlepenelopelane / @kylieturley

@darcyparker / @haygardi

@mylifeatplaytime / @skwebb

@amyrachel / @birchtreesandpinecones

@ziziadventures / @ericaleaphotos

@amsullivan / @alliefinch

@rachellewilliams / @haygardi

@alidachrista / @thelittleredhouse

@ziziadventures / @hancooper

@hancooper / @edendaygreer

@olyaya / @dearcaralou

@thelittleredhouse / @alidachrista

@lindseyjparry / @olyaya

Thanks so much to everyone who played along! I'm already excited to see what February weekends will bring. 

How was YOUR weekend?

over the weekend.....

our first desert trip of the year! zion national park

over the weekend we played and climbed and explored and filled our shoes with sand.
we soaked in the desert sun and breathed it's clean air.
we had a reallllly hard time leaving....it really is the best place to be. 

back with more soon!

over the weekend

the finishing touch

Oh what a weekend!

It was exactly how weekends should be. 

Let me paint a picture for you......

Friday we cleaned up the house and got ready for The Tree. 

We ate grilled cheese and went for ice cream (for them) and the BEST hot chocolate (for us) at Hatch's.

Side note: both Robby and I grew up cutting down our Christmas trees in real forests. There aren't a lot of places to do that here (if you are in Utah and do this PLEASE share your secrets:), so it KILLS me having to go "buy" a Christmas tree. 

But.

We have to have one, right?

So we wandered through "the forest" (ahem, the tree lot), trying our best (with no success) to avoid the creepy Santa, while we hunted for our tree.

THE tree that would fill our house with the lovely scent of pine and warm glow of lights.
And then, we found it, standing by itself and calling our name.

Saturday we slept in, and Charly and I hit the trail for a run.

We got lights on the house, decked the halls a little here and there, and made a batch of snowballs. 

We ate potato and broccoli soup with toasty bread. 

And then.......

The Tree.

We wrapped it with lights from bottom to top. 

We dangled ornaments from branches--

glass balls, old Santas, and souvenirs from travels over the years.

Each, a memory.

We wrapped it with a garland that sparkles, and topped it with a star. 

Our Tree.

We snuggled up and laughed at Elf together, and then went to bed with sweet dreams.

Sunday I giggled at my littles as they sat next to me in church and sang "Away in a Manger" LOUDER than I have ever heard it sung before.

We feasted on slow cooked chicken, salad with goat cheese, cauliflower, bacon, and pine nuts, and warm cornbread muffins with honey.

We listened to our prophet speak about Christmas, and ended the day with our hearts and bellies full (and boxes of Christmasy stuff alllllll over the house).

Cornbread Muffins

(recipe adapted from Martha. 

I switched out the flour for whole wheat and the sugar for maple syrup)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, plus more for pan 

1 1/2 cups cornmeal 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup buttermilk 

3 large eggs 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin tin. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Transfer batter to pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 12-15 minutes. 

Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes, before serving with butter and honey. 

Enjoy!

How was your weekend?

weekend senses

And just like that, our weekend is gone. But we filled it with as many wonderful things as we could.....

Halloweening: Friday was the kids' Halloween party at school (WHY was it on Friday, and not Halloween? I have no idea) When your second grader asks if YOU are going to dress up when you come in to help at the party, you'd better find something awesome to dress up like. Princess Leia took about 5 minutes. It's just a giant piece of fleece with a slit cut in the middle for my giant buns to fit through, and tied with a rope. Huge hit with all the kiddos, and the warmest coziest thing you will ever wear. I might have to sneak it into my everyday wardrobe.

leia in the school bathroom....

Seeing: The biggest brightest fullest moon. Blinding us through closed eyes at night.
My little werewolf is pretty excited.

Drinking: Hot chocolate with cinnamon, out of a reindeer mug of course.

Listening: counting down the days (until November 1) so I can turn on the Christmas music.

Running: In two different seasons. Saturday's run was amazing--I was giddy as I drove to the trail early that morning. It was chilly, brisk......it was COLD. 38°! I used to hate running in the cold and would go weeks....months(!) without running. And then I learned how to dress right and running in cold temps feels great. I ran through fall, and then winter, and then fall again.....and then slipped and slid my way down through more winter. I loved it. The smell of the dead leaves in the frozen air was my favorite.

Yoga-ing: I am loving anything twisty lately. I think twisting is my favorite. Rotated Triagle. Yes please.

Anticipating: I'm heading to San Diego soon to meet my sissies-in-law for a little girls trip. What should we do? Where should we eat? Teach me San Diego friends.

Watching: Nightmare Before Christmas with the Littles. Edward Scissorhands when they go to bed.

Eating: Creamy Veggie Lasagna

Creamy Veggie Lasagna 

inspired by THIS recipe from Midwest Living. I added more veggies and fresh herbs.

12 lasagna noodles* (I use whole wheat no-cook noodles. If you use the kind of noodles you need to pre-cook, cook them and then follow the rest of these instructions:)

1-15 ounce carton ricotta cheese 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS chopped fresh thyme

2 TBS chopped fresh oregano

3 TBS chopped fresh basil

1 15oz can of artichoke hearts

2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach

1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (4 oz.) 

1 egg

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half or light cream

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)

large handful of sundried tomatoes (learn how to make your own HERE)

large handful pine nuts 

Preheat oven according to instructions on lasagna noodle package (375° for me)

In large bowl, stir in ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, basil, chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, the egg, and salt and pepper to taste. 

For sauce, in a small bowl combine broth and flour. In the large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook and stir until garlic is tender but not brown. Stir in flour mixture and half-and-half. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining parmesan cheese and oregano and thyme. 

To assemble, spread a small amount of sauce over the bottom of an ungreased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Layer four of the noodles in the dish. Spread with more sauce, half of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, more sauce, and then the remainder of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, remaining sauce and top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pine nuts.  

Bake, covered for 35 to 40 minutes, and then uncovered for 10 minutes until lasagna is bubbling and edges are brown. (*check the kind of no-cook noodles you are using, cooking time may be a bit different)

Enjoy!

How was your weekend? 

Feel free to play along with "senses" in the comments

ps. stay SAFE east coast friends!!! so scary......I feel almost guilty that it's 70° here. ...