Bread

One of my goals for 2009 is to "perfect the art of bread making." Why you may ask? Well, why not? Homemade bread is delicious.

Saturday I began my journey to accomplishing this goal. I found a recipe, which came highly recommended by fellow online viewers. It didn't look too hard to make and it didn't have a lot of ingredients. When I see a recipe that has a lot of ingredients I tend to be turned off. Anyways, that is besides the point.

My first experience was somewhat successful. It had good flavor. I should have cooked it a little bit longer because the middle was still a little doughy. I also had a few issues with the dough raising. Basically it didn't raise. But alas I continued along with the process of cooking it.

I feel very good about this goal. Hopefully by the end of the year I will BE a bread making machine! Speaking of bread making machines...I don't want one. I feel like it would be the easy way out and that is lame. No offense to those who have one though...

I'm excited to try it again! I'm going to continue to use the same recipe. If you guys have any good tips when let me know!

Funny story. I made the bread and put it on the counter. Susi came to pick me up for some quality time while the boys were snowmobiling. I cut a slice for each of us and then covered them up. I had 2 loaves when we left. Well the boys came home and had a slice a few hours later. Susi and I arrived back at our house a few hours after the boys got there. I went into the kitchen and noticed there was only one loaf. I asked Daren if they ate the other loaf, to which he replied, "There was only one loaf when we got here." What the?! I looked at Bear and he immediately went into his "please have mercy on me" pose. He ate an ENTIRE loaf of bread while we were gone! I even pushed it back on the counter so he couldn't get to it. I'm thinking about changing his name to Piggy. Or Oinky.

Jazz Game!

Daren's birthday week has officially ended...It's sad. BUT! It did end GREAT!

Saturday we headed down to Salt Lake for the Jazz game. On our way down we stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Layton for lunch. We both haven't been there in FOREVER! It was SO DELICIOUS! After lunch we looked around in the little shop area and found some GEMS!

Including...
How ideal are these?!

First, we have Razzles. First it's a candy, then it's gum! I LOVE Razzles!

Then I found these Tootsie Pop Drops. I LOVE anything that involves a Tootsie Roll. I especially love Tootsie Pops. But when I eat them I always DROOL everywhere. I don't know why, but I do. There were ideal! Same great flavors, less drool.

We also found this REALLY cute Christmas tree. Even though Christmas is over, I had to buy it. It was $6! I can't wait to put it up....next year!

After lunch we headed to Salt Lake. Before we went to my parents house we stopped at the mall. My brother gave me a gift card to Macy's for Christmas and I've been DYING to spend it. Plus they were having a HUGE sale so I was pretty pumped. Guess what I bought?! NOTHING! UGH! I couldn't find anything that was worthy. The gift card is still burning a hole in my wallet...

We did manage to get our free pound of chocolate from See's. Thanks to my uncle! We made some excellent choices, including 2 Key Lime Truffles. SO AMAZING! Don't worry we haven't eaten the entire box...yet!

When we got to my parents house we had some cake, in honor of the birthday boy, and Daren opened up his birthday present from my family. He got a new tie and an awesome fleece jacket to wear to church. Thanks mom and dad!

We took TRAX down to the ESA. TRAX is so ideal if you are going downtown. It wasn't very busy and we made great timing. After getting a hot dog for Daren, a pretzel for me, and a coke to share, we found our seats and waited for the game to start. We had pretty good seats and GREAT seat neighbors. Last time we went to a game we had the MOST ANNOYING high school guys sitting behind us. They were SCREAMING the entire time. Not cheering, SCREAMING! It made it SO hard to enjoy the game. I'm getting annoyed just thinking about it.

ANYWAYS! This time it was GREAT! And the Jazz won...by like 20! WOOT!





It was a great day! Happy birthday love!

P.S. Check out the newest addition to our house. I got a deal on it! It was $40, I paid $13.60! WOOT! I love a good deal!

Please ignore the ugly wallpaper...

Happy Birthday Daren!

Yesterday Daren turned the big 2.9.!

I LOVE birthdays! And Daren took such good care of me on my birthday I wanted to do the same in return!

I got up early and made him some orange rolls and we had breakfast together. LUCKILY my little man was sick (not lucky for him...it actually really sucks that he is sick) so I got a TON of things done during the day. I would have NEVER been able to get everything done if I had to work a full day. ANYWHO! I took Daren and James to lunch. James and Susi feed my husband lunch everyday so I returned the favor. We had LaBeau's, Daren's choice of course! After lunch I came home and did some cleaning, baking, and sewing. I was quite the domestic wife! I just wanted everything to be PERFECT!

Bear and I went to pick up Daren from work but first we stopped at the store and got some balloons. I tied the balloons to Bear's collar and it was HILARIOUS! Man I'm funny. Bear went running into the shop with balloons. I don't think Bear was a fan but I sure was!


When we got home I told Daren to sit down in the living room while I cooked dinner. I made him Hot Dog Pie...He found the recipe online a few weeks ago and has been wanting to make it. I had to touch raw meat, ketchup, and mustard for this. Sick. By the time I was done it looked SO gross! Jeremy put it best, he said it looks like man food. Needless to say I didn't eat it but Daren, Jeremy, and James all LOVED it! Barf.

After dinner Daren's family came over for ice cream and cake! It was SO fun!




It was so funny to watch Bear when we were eating cake. Since it was just his birthday he thought the cake was for him. He was so confused as to why nobody was giving him any cake!

We ate and opened presents! Daren got some movies, a gift card to Border's, some cash, new earphones for his IPOD, and Jazz tickets!


His birthday week is not over yet though! Tonight we are going out to dinner and the week will end with a Jazz game! WOOT!

I love Daren SO SO much! He is seriously the BEST husband and is always putting me first...even during his birthday week! He is SO supportive in everything I do...including going shopping! He works so incredibly hard to support me and the puppy and he does a GREAT job! I love you baby!! I hope you had an AMAZING birthday!

Happy Birthday Puppy!

Yesterday was Bear's birthday...well we don't really know for sure but we figured he was born at the beginning of the year so we picked January 2nd as his birthday!

Bear and I spent the day getting the house ready for his party. We cleaned up a little and took down the tree, which was a CHORE! It was actually really fun. Daren told me he would do it when he got home from work but I got impatient and did it. I'm glad I did because it took WAY LONGER than I thought it would! Our house is finally put back together and I like it, but it does look a little bare. OH WELL!

Later than night we had some family come out to celebrate. I think Bear knew something was going on and he was starting to get excited. We had cake and then he "opened" some presents. Since Bear got so much stuff for Christmas Daren and I only gave him half of our stuff SO we just gave him the rest for his birthday. Pretty convenient if you ask me...plus he doesn't know the difference. I also made him a cake...yes a real human cake. I only made an 8" cake but he DOWNED IT! Seriously! In like 2 minutes, for reals. I didn't really except anything less from our dog though! I think if we were to let him eat ALL day then he would.

He was pretty tired by the end of night...but he was happy!

I can't believe he is already a year old! My baby is growing up so fast! I know it may seem like he is a big pain, but I really do love him so much! He brings SO much joy and happiness into mine and Daren's life. It just breaks my heart to think that if we didn't let him into our home then he wouldn't even be on earth today. He's such a good dog and SO friendly. He thinks that everyone that comes over to our house is there to see him and all he wants to do is play. Plus, he's really smart. He's so in tune with Daren and I. It's amazing to watch his behavior when we are sad or fighting. He's knows when something is wrong and comforts us in different ways. I know it may sound crazy but it is true. I just love my little puppy!

Sitting in front of some of his presents, including his HUGE bed. I actually bought that bed the day after Thanksgiving for SUPER cheap. It's just been sitting up in Anne Frank's room since then. Also this picture turned out amazing! I told him to sit in front of his presents and look at me and HE DID! That NEVER happens!


He kept getting toy after off of the chair because he wanted to play with it. After about 3 times of him getting it down and us putting it back, we just let him have it. It was an "early" birthday present to him.


Playing with dad before the party started


Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and puppy cookies for the '1'


Singing Happy Birthday to him. He was REALLY excited to eat the cake.





Ready...set...GO! He LOVED it! I was kind of worried he wouldn't like carrot cake but then I thought, "WAIT! It's Bear! He'll eat ANYTHING!"


Baby K loved it too!


Playing with his new toy on his new bed! I think he really likes it too. But that doesn't mean he'll actually on it. Why sleep on that when you can sleep in mom and dad's bed?!


He was so tired by the end of the night. He had a big day!


I left all the decorations up because Daren's birthday is on TUESDAY! And I am SO excited! I love birthdays!

Spoons

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HAPPY NEW YEARS!