How do I know?

Here's how I know I have the coolest husband ever:

He bought me "George Washington's Rules of Civility" for Christmas!

Now, for some of you, that might rank down there right along blenders, and socks, and vacuum cleaners.

But for me?  Coolest gift ever.

Which probably makes me a nerd.

Oh well.

:)

Side note: I found Kate thumbing through it . . . maybe she thinks I'm not teaching her fast enough?

Just Call Me Lucy

You may think that looks like Lucy, but it's actually me.  No, really.  I made chocolates.  No, I didn't go to the store, buy some, and say that I made them, I actually did it!  That's my big surprise, and it's one of the reasons I've been a little MIA.

I have to admit, making chocolates has been a life-long dream for me . . . my grandma used to make them when I was young, but she got to the point where it wasn't a physical possibility for her to continue, so I never got the chance to learn from her.  So when I found out that Dave's aunt makes chocolates every year . . . to be honest, that's what sealed the deal for me (just kidding, honey - love you!).

So out of the goodness of her heart wonderful, wonderful Rachelle decided to set aside some time to not only teach me how to make chocolates, but help me.  Did I mention she has 5 kids all under the age of 12?  She's seriously superwoman.  And she makes hundreds, no closer to thousands, of them every year to give away to neighbors and take to family parties and such - and she doesn't even make excuses like December is really busy or my kids don't take naps any more.  She just does it.  Superwoman I tell ya.

Let me tell you about this adventure - not quite over yet, but I was honestly too proud to wait and tell you.

The kind I made is chocolate maple - the fondant is maple, and then it's dipped in chocolate.  Really good chocolate, but we'll get to that part.

First, you bring all the ingredients (lots of good stuff like whipping cream and sugar and such) to a boil until it reaches a certain temperature.

Before you take it off the heat, you have to test it multiples times for the "soft ball" state.  I don't really know what I'm talking about, I'm just using impressive terms so you will be impressed.  Are you impressed?  You should be.

Like so.  

Once it's reached that phase, you pour it out into a large glass pan.

Like so.

Then you let it cool completely - usually in the fridge, or outside if it's cold.

 The next part makes me tired just thinking about it.  It's called "turning" the fondant, and I dare any man who thinks he has legitimate arm muscle to try it.  Basically you just keep the fondant moving - kind of like stirring - but you have to keep it all at the center of the pan.  Keep in mind - it's still soft, so it runs, but it's just hard enough to make your arm ache.  Once your arm has started aching, you have to do it for another 20 minutes.  Rachelle makes 4-5 batches of this stuff every year (plus all the other kinds of candy/chocolate) - are you starting to see why I call her superwoman?

When you're done, it reaches the "hard ball" state -

Like so.  At this point, you add the flavoring.

By this time, you're tuckered out.  You call it a day and hold off on the dipping once you've given your arm all sorts of recovery treatments.

Now we get to the REALLY good part.

CHOCOLATE.

And when I say chocolate, I mean chocolate.  We're not messing around here.

Yes, that is TEN POUNDS of gourmet chocolate.  And yes, it is taking up the entire cutting board.

When I saw that 10 lb. block, my life seriously flashed before my eyes.  And you know what I learned?  That one of those is maybe a tenth of all the chocolate I've consumed in my life.  Probably less than a tenth.  I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.  No, it's good.

So then you melt that chocolate, roll the maple fondant into small balls, and dip it into the extremely delicious chocolate.  The worst part is you do it with your fingers, and they get all chocolatey, and every time you stop you have to lick them off (and then wash them, of course!).

This is what the finished product looks like:

Voila, delicious chocolates!  Handmade!  By me!

(Actually, the two above were probably Rachelle's - they look way too beautiful to be mine)

Thus far, I'm really enjoying my chocolate making experience.  I only have two disappointments.  

1) Rachelle did not slap me and slather my face in chocolate.

 

Sad, because I really would have enjoyed that.

2) I did not work on a chocolate wrapping assembly line in which I was forced to shove large quantities of chocolate in my mouth, in my hat, and down my shirt in order to keep up.

But I did sneak a few when Rachelle went and picked up her kids' carpool. :)

P.S. You are welcome to come over and watch I Love Lucy reruns with me.  Just bring some chocolate.

Just for you:

Holy Jolla

Yes, that's pronounced "hoya" - don't worry, I made the same mistake.  I don't get Spanish pronunciation.  But let's skip ahead to the point.  Dave and I went on our date night to La Jolla Groves.





Sorry about all the blank space, I was holding down the "enter" button while I was daydreaming/drooling about this amazing restaurant.  What more can I say?  You MUST try it.  End of discussion.

By way of intro, La Jolla Groves is located in the Riverwoods in Provo.  It's only been open for a few months.  Everything they make is made from fresh, organic, locally-grown produce.

I had heard positive things about this place from several people, so Dave and I decided to see for ourselves.  And let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed.  We called ahead to put our names on the list (there was a 10-20 minute wait time for walk-ins).  Side note, don't you hate places that don't let you make reservations?  I do.

We were greeted by a very friendly hostess, and then escorted to a lovely table.  Here was our view:

Yes, those are lemon trees overhead.  They looked so good I wanted to pick one off and eat it.  If they weren't fake.  And if the lemons were apples.  But I loved the atmosphere!  The ambiance was really cool, and despite the fact that the restaurant was crowded and busy, Dave and I felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Now, don't get me started on the food.  Everything was an A+.  We started off with the Tomato Mozzarella Caprese - it's an Italian dish that I tried in Italy, and have loved ever since.  Beautiful and tasty!

Dave ordered the crepes, and seriously, they were a 10 out of 10.  And I'm not an easy critic - I can't remember the last time I had a 10 out of 10.

I ordered the salmon which came in a cilantro butter - divine!  I gave my own meal a 9.5 out of 10.  If you love salmon, you have to try it.

And finally, we couldn't leave without dessert.  Not when everything else had been so good.  And not when they had something called "Chocolate Mousse Cake" on the menu.  I admit, right here the picture doesn't look that good.  There's an explanation.  It looked so good, and was so good that I didn't even get to take a picture before my hand picked up my spoon and started feeding me.

For any of you who have had any sort of a chocolate lava cake before, this one tops them all.  And trust me, I know.  If there is a chocolate lava cake out there, I've pretty much tried it.  I seriously have been dreaming about this dessert ever since.

Other: they had delicious rolls with lots of different flavors, the service was great, and our food actually came really fast!

Prices: this is a little on the pricier side.  Appetizers range from $6-8, entrees from $10-15, and desserts from $5-7.  But oh so worth it!

Be sure to give this place a try.  It was so good, I was even willing to go online and review it, so everyone can partake of the goodness :)

I'm a Fan

Dave and I are huge "Office" fans, and tonight we watched the episode where Jim confesses his love to Pam for the first time.  So adorable.  I think Jim and Pam might be the best TV love story there is.  So for all you "Office" fans, I just wanted to share this adorable video.  And the song is perfect.

The embed code had been deleted, but here is the link:  Jim and Pam

My German Chocolate Night Out, aka, The Gestapo is out of Town

Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong, I love my husband very much.  And I love having him home with me.  But . . . if he has to be gone, I might as well enjoy my night out, eh?

Okay, so maybe "night out" isn't a very appropriate description.  When your husband is out of town, and your daughter goes to bed at 6:30 pm, you're pretty much facing a "night in," but hey, let's not get technical.

I hate it when Dave travels, I honestly do.  And I've got 4 months of living without my husband to justify that hate.  However, if he is gone, you'd better believe that I'm going to make the most of it.  Let's start with a simple fact, and I apologize if I digress: Dave hates it when I make treats.  I know, I know, my talent of making the most scrumptiously unhealthy desserts you can imagine has gone to waste.  Just to clarify, he does like the desserts that I make.  He just doesn't like that he likes them.  Mostly because of what they do can do to the waistline.  He hates it when I make treats, he hates it when I buy goodies, or candy, or anything else that might be hanging out at the top of the food pyramid.  Namely, all of the stuff I live for.  Problem.

Thus came Dave's pronouncement: "If I find it, I'm throwing it away."  So let it be written, so let it be done.  Except for one little detail - the "if."  If he doesn't find it . . . well, I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.  I've become an exceptionally good "hider" - even given the very small square footage of our apartment.  Maybe it comes with the name.  For example . . . one of the best places I've ever come up with for my treat stash was in my closet.  In a bag, on a hanger, hidden amongst my countless shirts and skirts.  Brilliant, if I do say so myself.  But by the time Dave reads this, I will have moved it to another equally brilliant hiding place.

Now you see it.

Now you don't.

Pretty much, he's like the Gestapo (evil German police) and I'm a German citizen, trying to hide and protect the good things in this world.  Like peanut butter m&ms, and brownies.

So, what was my point again?  Oh yeah.  Dave's gone.  That means I can let the treats out of the bag, if you know what I mean.  I made German Chocolate cupcakes with my sister.  Mmmm, mmmm, good.  I'll have to post the recipe soon.  

Love 'em - you can see why.

I thought the "Give Thanks" sign in the background was quite appropriate, given what I was about to partake of.

I sat down to eat my delicious cupcake while watching two episodes of one of my all-time favorite tv shows - Law and Order.  It's too bad Dave doesn't get home until Friday . . .

The Earring Chronicles

Well, first I have to show you this:

My earring collection.  One of the first things I'd grab if our apartment caught fire, after Kate and my scriptures, that is.  What can I say?  I love them.  I'm exactly what the scriptures are talking about in Isaiah 3:

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

  19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

  20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

  21 The rings, and nose jewels,

  22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

  23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

Of course I like ornaments of the legs, the wimples, and let's not forget the crisping pins, but mostly the earrings.  I collect them wherever I go.  I have some from Italy, Mexico, Peru, and many places in the United States.  I'm not sure how many pairs I own, but I definitely have to go through them from time to time, to make sure they'll all fit in my jewelry box (a very painful process - I'd compare it to having to get rid of a child).  If you look closely at the picture, you'll notice most the slots have two pairs.  It's like a crowded prison in there.

If I were lying down on a sofa and you were my shrink, you might ask me where my love of earring comes from.  I can answer in one word: deprivation. Yep.  That's how deprived I was growing up.  If you want to read about parents who deny their kids food and water, education, a social life, or cable, you're reading on the wrong blog.  My parents deprived me of earrings.  Namely, pierced earrings. 

I'm sure my parents had their reasons, but the rule in our house was that you couldn't get your ears pierced until you turned 18.  What did this do to my desire for earrings?  Made me want them much more, naturally.  And not just simple studs, I wanted the dangly kind, as my mom called them.  Now don't get me wrong, as long as I didn't get my ears pierced, they didn't really care.  I wore the clip-on kind to dances sometimes, but ouch - the pain they inflicted will not be forgotten anytime soon. 

After many years of pleading and begging (my parents unwavering firmness on the matter was NOT due to my lack of trying), I finally resigned myself to an earringless adolescence.  Fast forward to right after my freshman year of college.  I had just turned 19.  All of the sudden a light went on.  I had missed my big moment!  I had turned 18 (and now 19) and hadn't immediately gotten my ears pierced.  It was almost as bad as if I had turned 17 and forgotten to get my drivers license.  I got my ears pierced the next day.

As my college roommates can testify, I loved my earrings.  They were carefully and lovingly left all around the apartment, in all sorts of random spots.  I have a fond memory of a night before the cleaning check where one roommate tactfully suggested we go on an "earring treasure hunt."  I believe the number we found was in the double digits. 

Fast forward now to present day.  I still love earrings.  I also love not having my earlobe ripped apart.  That's right, I'm a mom now.  And I can only guess that Kate has inherited an equal if not greater love for earrings than I possess, if her frequent desire to rip off my earrings are an accurate indicator (the one difference being that she likes to eat them and I like to wear them).  And here lies the dilemma: do I stop wearing earrings?  My one great love (besides Dave and Kate, of course)!?  This seems unbearable.  For heaven's sake, I mean, I buy my outfits around my earrings!  I'm not ready to let them collect dust bunnies in an old jewelry box!  They need love, they need attention, and they need to be worn. So?  Any ideas?  What's an earring-loving mother to do?

Here are a few close-up pictures of my earring collection:

 Considering my quote of the day, this post seems quite ironic.

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow, Dave and I will have been married for two whole years!  Pretty hard to believe how fast the time has gone.  Dave, I just wanted to say how much I love you and how blessed I feel to have married you.  And thank you for the beautiful daughter you have given me.  XOXOX

Here's a little wedding day clip for a trip down memory lane: David & Heidi

Fall is in the air, and in my house

I love fall.  By far my favorite season.  I love the colors, I love the food, I love the trees, I love the temperatures.  And fall is one thing I've never really decorated for.  I mean, I have for Halloween, but not for fall or Thanksgiving (unless you count the little decorative sign I stole from my mom's house last year).  So I decided to celebrate my favorite time of the year by falling it up in our apartment.  I didn't do a lot, but hey, the little things add up. 

I decorated a few candles, and displayed them on our desk/hutch:

Box of fall flowers with a candle:

And finally, a jar of cinnamon sticks with a little ribbon:

Nothing big.  But I love it.

Cinni Minis

Okay, so the other night I had some leftover dough from the Pillsbury seamless dough sheets I had used for dinner.  And what sounded good?  Cinnamon rolls.  So I decided to experiment a little, even though I had never made cinnamon rolls before (unless helping my mom when I was 6-years-old counts).  It is such an EASY and delicious dessert!  I totally recommend trying it out for yourself.

What you'll need:

1 Pillsbury Seamless Dough Sheet
1 tbsp. butter (melted)
Cinnamon
Sugar

Frosting:

1 tbsp. butter (melted)
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar

First things first - preheat your oven to 350.  Then, get out your dough sheet and unroll it.  Take your 1 tbsp. melted butter and spread evenly over the dough.  Next, spread some sugar and cinnamon over the dough, as evenly as possible.  Be as liberal or conservative as you want.  Finally, roll it up.  Like so.

Okay, this next part sounds weird, but hey, it worked for me.  You need some type of string (don't just cut the rolls, you'll smoosh them!).  I didn't have any string lying around, but I had some floss, so that is what I used.  Put the string around a small section of the roll, then tighten it until it cuts the roll off.  Does that make sense?  Lay them out on your baking sheet. They'll look like this:

Finally, pop them in  the oven.  I let them cook about 10 minutes, but my oven tends to run a little hot, so you can adjust accordingly.  While they are baking, I make the frosting.  Combine the melted butter, milk, and vanilla.  Then add the powdered sugar - I never measure it, I just mix more and more in until I like the consistency. 

Here's the finished product:

So good!  Enjoy them with a glass of milk.  Best thing about them is that since they're "mini," you can have more than one without feeling guilty (or at least not very)!

Variation: Okay, there's no way around this . . . I might as well just admit that I have been making and eating these a lot recently.  Here's a fun thing I tried the other night.  Instead of rolling the dough the long way, I rolled it the short way so they were thicker.  Then, instead of making individual rolls, I actually just baked it as one big roll.  When I got it out of the oven, I drizzled it with frosting.  The idea was to be sort of like chocolate roll, except cinnamon roll.  You know?  Anyway, I wish I would have taken a picture, because it looked pretty cool.  But I think you get the idea.  And besides, taste is really all that counts ;)