It's beginning to look a lot like...

I always look forward to the days and weeks after Thanksgiving. The holiday spirit is in the air and there's always fun things to do and see. Marty and I decided to have a real Christmas tree this year. We were so excited to go to the lot the day after Thanksgiving and pick one out. Neither one of us has ever had a real tree before, and we felt it was appropriate to have a real tree for our first married Christmas. We felt like we were in a Christmas movie as we wandered around the little forest and found the perfect tree. Marty tied our pint-sized Fur to his car like a pro, and we drove home singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs.

We used these ornaments for our wedding decor, so it was fun to see them again and remember our day. I also used some of the trimmings to make a rustic door hanger. We loved the way our house smelled the next morning. Mmmmm! We might just get a real tree every year! 

Saturday night we went with the Hugies to Temple Square and Gateway. The lights at Temple Square will put anyone in a Christmas mood. Marty informed me that they start putting up the lights in August every year to be ready! Everything was so beautiful and we had a great time even though there were a zillion other people there. Before going to see the lights we grabbed dinner at the Gateway food court and wandered around the Old World Market that is set up at the Union building. We were a little disappointed with how few shops there were to choose from and their lack of Christmas atmosphere, but it was still fun to walk around and see beautiful things from all over the world. Overall another great night with great friends. 

This is my makeshift group photo since the others came out so blurry (So no, the temple doesn't really look that crooked, or that long).  

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we went over to the Abbott's house. All of 3 of Marty's siblings (+ Marty) + their spouses (4) + parents (2) + 2 kids + 3 dogs = one full house! We had a great time catching up and getting stuffed full of delicious Thanksgiving favorites. Everyone brought a different part of the Thanksgiving feast, I finally found the perfect dinner rolls to bring (Thank you pinterest). You can find the recipe HERE.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a crazy kitchen :] 

This was my first Thanksgiving without my family and I really found myself missing them. Our family tradition was to always go down to my grandma's house in St. George, but this year my parents and sister went without me. This year also felt a little off because my brother is on a mission. It's funny how holidays make us realize change more than other ordinary days. I guess I'm just a sucker for traditions. I am excited, however, to start new traditions in my new family. This was my first Thanksgiving actually spent with Marty, even though this is the third thanksgiving that we have been in each other's lives. Since meeting Marty 2 years ago (November 21, 2009) I have fallen even more in love with this time of year because I remember all over again all the magic that was in the air as we were falling in love. I remember the first Thanksgiving Marty was in my life, he was just some guy I met at a dance party and I was texting him during Thanksgiving dinner. I loved that Thanksgiving so much because I had a new cute guy in my life, and my family all came up and made Thanksgiving in my apartment at Utah State because I had to work the next day so I wouldn't be able to go to St. George. I felt so special and loved because everyone rearranged their plans for me. The second Thanksgiving with Marty, all I could think about was our wedding. My grandma made my wedding dress and I didn't get to see it until Thanksgiving. I was so nervous because our wedding was only a month a way and I couldn't believe I hadn't seen the dress yet! It seems kind of silly now( I have grown up a lot this year) But I can't help but feel a little nostalgic this time of year. 

I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the amazing people in my life. I am especially grateful for my husband, this year I have learned to love and trust another person more than myself. I am grateful for my family, all of them. I am grateful for my immediate family, my extended family, and now my family-in-law. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, I don't know where I would be in my life with out it. I am also grateful for the many great ward families that I've had a chance to be a part of. I am grateful for my friends, I have friends from so many stages of my life and I am grateful for the contribution each one of them has made to my life and for their good examples. I am grateful that Marty and I have both found employment in this down economy. I am just so grateful. I don't know how I could ever express all the things I am grateful for. I find new things everyday that I am grateful for. So Thank you to all of you. Thank you to all the people who have supported Marty and me every step of the way. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

In case you haven't noticed, the fast approaching holiday season has kicked my baking into high gear. I'm still in search of the perfect roll recipe for Thanksgiving. I can't believe I only have a week left for my quest for the perfect dinner roll!

 Lately Marty's been getting sick of the bread from the store and wanted some new sandwich bread so I made this bread last night and I think it turned out quite delicious. The other reason I was anxious to bake bread is that Marty and I used a gift card we had for Smith's the other night, and I finally got a set of bread pans! I was genuinely excited about it too..

I found the recipe HERE. 

It's funny what hidden talents marriage brings out in people... A year ago I would have laughed if someone told me I would become a baker. I'm surprised how much I really enjoy it, and I love when Marty enjoys one of my experiments. I can truly say I have found the joy of baking ;)

Also I would like to thank my young women's leaders from years past for teaching my how to be a cook/baker. I certainly did not get this skill/interest from my mom who is the queen of the microwave and drive up window ( however, my mom taught me many other valuable life lessons, thanks mom). 

French Bread

Okay this is the third and final recipe from the Lion House Lite cookbook. We were invited on short notice to have dinner with an awesome family in our ward on Sunday. I wanted to bring something yummy to share but I noticed we were out of milk and butter at the time. Luckily I found this french bread recipe that didn't require either of those ingredients. Although, I should warn you, this is high maintenance bread. If you don't have a lot of time and patience, you should skip this one for now. But come back to it on another day when you have less on your plate (however, kneading dough can be quite stress relieving).

French Bread
1/2 package (1 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115° F) divided
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cornmeal (yellow or white)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 mins. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup water. Beat until the mixture forms a soft dough (If necessary, add a little more water or flour to achieve desired consistency). on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough about 10 min, until smooth and elastic. Form dough into a ball. Spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough in it, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled. Punch dough down; cover and let rise again until doubled (about 45 min).

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal; set aside. Punch dough down and let it rest 5 mins on floured surace. Shape the dough into a loaf about 12 inches long, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 mins. With a sharp knife, slash dough diagonally at about 1-inch intervals.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a large shallow pan of hot water on the oven floor. Brush loaf with water and place (on baking sheet) on center rack of oven. Bake for about 30 mins, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

* Makes 1 loaf, about 15 slices.

Old- Fashion Corn Bread

Last night I made another Lion House Lite recipe, corn bread! We recommend eating it hot out of the oven with honey. Mmmmmm!

Old-Fashion Corn Bread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light margarine, melted
1 cup low fat milk
1 egg

Spray an 8'' square pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the melted margarine, milk, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 400°F for 18-20 mins or until bread springs back when touched in the middle. Serve hot. Makes 9 servings.

11:11AM on 11/11/11

That's right, it's finally here, the day and time of ultimate wishes! I've been thinking about what I would wish for, and you know what? All I could ever wish for is for things to continue in the direction they are going. Sorry if that sounds corny, but it's true. Life is good. So thank you 11/11/11 11:11, but I might actually pass this one up because I have more than I deserve already. I'm grateful to have a reason to reflect on just how blessed Marty and I are. We're celebrating our first anniversary next month, I'm going back to school in January, we have wonderful family and friends, and Marty finally has an opportunity to try out his own business. Yep, I just want things to keep moving forward on the path that we are already on.  They say wishes don't come true if you tell them to others, but a wish will remain just a wish until you write it down, and then that wish becomes a goal. So by writing or telling your wishes you actually make them more attainable. Food for thought. Happy wishing and happy Veteran's Day everyone!

{Via}

Lion House: Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Last night for my ward's Relief Society activity we had a service night, and of course that means there was a potluck feast to go with it. I signed up to bring rolls and I decided to try a new recipe from the Lion House Lite  cookbook I checked out of the library last week. I will definitely be making them again, I have to find the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving (I'm in charge of rolls so I don't want to disappoint). I got pretty good reviews and I promised to share the recipe so here it is ↓

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls: 
1 package (1 scant tablespoon) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115°F)
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons light margarine, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand for 5 mins. Beat in milk, egg, margarine, sugar, and salt. Add white and whole wheat flours and mix well. Scrape dough into center of bowl, forming a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Stir down the dough and spoon it into the muffin cup, filling about half full. Cover loosely and let rise about 30 mins. Bake at 400°F until light brown, 15-20 mins.

*Makes 12 rolls

Monopoly Deal

This weekend Marty and I discovered a better way to play Monopoly! Monopoly Deal is a faster-paced version of the classic board game. A round of Monopoly now takes 15-20 minutes instead of 3-5 hours.  The rules are slightly confusing at first, but after a couple of rounds you'll be hooked and playing like a pro.  I've been wanting to get this game for a while now, and we finally had an excuse to buy it this weekend because we had a game night with a couple in our ward. We also brought it over to Sunday dinner with the Abbott's last night and I think everyone had a good time. We highly recommend this game, it's only $5.24 at Walmart. Get it now! :)