10 Tips from my Kitchen

I love to cook! I enjoy making some thing delicious, and I specially enjoy eating it!

Brent says that the color Red means confidence. Before he explained this too me I had chosen Red as my kitchen color. I have a red kitchen aid, red silverware, red plates and bowls, etc. I wanted my kitchen to be a fiesta. I love when a kitchen is the gathering point of a home! 

I have considered culinary school. I have 3 years experience in a bakery. and I cake decorate from home and in a bakery. 

I wanted to share with you some tips about my kitchen. Now that I have been in practice in own kitchen for a while now.

First: of all we don't have a dish washer. 

Its not fun doing dishes. I am so good at dirtying them though. 

I cannot focus or find clean things if the dishes are not done. 

Brent and I take turns doing the dishes. He may actually do them more often then I do because he is so good at them haha. 

So don't let them pile up too much. We try to do them first thing after dinner, but most of the time after dinner we like to talk and relax so we do them first thing in the morning. 

Second: Making up your own recipes is really not that hard after you have been practicing recipes. 

I love just seeing what is in the fridge and putting together a vegetable soup or a warm pasta with sauce. Take the ingredients you think would go good together and just make it! 

You don't have to rely on a recipe all the time! 

Third: After practicing with recipes I have learned that its really not that hard to make home made of anything! 

I try my best to make up things that we could buy in a box or mix at the store. 

This saves money! and it also is a whole lot better for you! 

In boxes and ready to eat food at the store they use a lot of preservatives. Chemicals that we really shouldn't be taking in a whole ton, but we do. 

I completely understand though that life happens and making every bread, and every ingredient all the time takes a lot of time. While I am going to school and working full time I don't home make everything I want to be. I try though. 

Fourth: I wish that from the start that I had started making a list of things that I have made. 

Specially of the things that I just kind of made up.

Now we remember that one time I made this super yummy thing and I have no clue how to make it again. I try sometimes and come up with something whole new. 

So make a list of things you make. and then make a list of the things you loved and things  you would never make again.

I have a photo album I have written down all of my favorite recipes and family recipes. I have divided it into sections and put taps on the side so that I can easily find them. 

Fifth: I know that we all drool over the things we see on pinterest! I have hundreds of foods pinned to my board! 

Now what you need to do is start making them! 

I delete the things that I tried and didn't like. and I save the ones that I did to another board so that they can be an easily find when I want to make them again. 

Also when their is a recipe that you love and know you would be making many times write it down and add it to your recipe book! 

Sixth: you can substitute so many ingredients for other things. Like if you don't have eggs you can substitute them! 

On those Sundays and you realize you forgot to buy something look up what else you could use! 

Seventh: Make yourself aware of cooking talk! If you don't know what "cutting in shortening" is make sure you find out! 

Eight: Cooking does not have to be a chore! If you make it fun then it is so very much rewarding when you sit down to something scrumptious to eat! Bake something that you have been craving! or bake or cook something your spouse has been craving! 

Ninth: The crock pot can be your best friend! Specially if you are busy like we are! I will put food into the crock pot and get home from work or church and dinner is ready to be served! Stick what you want into or their are hundreds of recipes! 

Tenth: Brent works nights and the first semester he did this it was so hard for me to want to cook for myself. I kept eating ready to eat things and junk. 

This time around I made a plan and shared it with Brent.
I wanted us to eat good. I have a menu made up for the month and we go grocery shopping every month for everything we will need to make the menu. I cook most every night now and Brent gets to enjoy it the next day for his dinner. He packs it with him and it saves us a ton of money just by having a plan! 

Summer 2014

Holy cow where did summer go?! We start school at Weber state again Monday and I honestly might accidentally miss class because it hasn't sunk in yet that I am going bright and early...

This summer was great though! 

We were able to start it out by celebrating our 1st anniversary and take a cruise to Key West and Cozumel! 

We had an absolute blast! 

Lots of funny stories between getting times mixed up and trying to do stuff at 4am and we thought it was 7.. to accidentally dinning and ditching... um yup we did not mean to do that. We were so use to not paying on the cruise lol. Don't worry Brent called them back! 

Oh and that one time I got ran off the freeway in Miami by a semi! 

Lots of fun right! hah We really enjoyed it so much! It was kind of to make up for our honeymoon that did not go according to plan. 

However, now we are addicted! We plan to take a trip every anniversary!

Traveling is a priority to me I love it! 

Any who, we made it to the Manti pageant this year. We camped at the park and in the morning we went to the temple to do a session and had an amazing experience! Brents first time.

I learned how to make cherry pie with a great friend! Cherries from Rainys garden she let me have!

We celebrated the 4th of July at my parents house! 

We went camping with my parents to Smith Morehouse our favorite camping spot!
And Brent caught his first fish!  

I introduced Brent to the best thing ever! I crave them speaking of which I need to go get one here soon....

Rainy invited me to a concert with her! I got to spend some time with her a couple times this summer!!

We went to Cyris homecoming together in Idaho just the other weekend it was great! 

My Nanny and Papa got to hitch a ride here to Utah to spend the 24th of July with us! I love them so much and miss them and love when I get to see them! 

I spent a lot of time with family with summer! I wouldn't ask for anything less! 

Brent and I got to volunteer at the temple open house for the new Ogden temple! We are so excited for the dedication here in two weeks! What joy it will be to have it open so soon! 

It has been a pretty rainy summer so I think that means a warm winter right? It wasn't too hot at all very much just the way I like it! 

I know snow will be here sooner then we realize! 

And best part of September being Andrew, Brent's brother comes home from his mission after he has extended! We are so excited!

Ready or not here comes Fall! 

Go Walk!

I have planterfischities. It sucks! It is where the tendon in my feet are tearing. If I don't wear and use the right support for my feet I can hardly walk.

Sundays are a killer because I have to wear church shoes... Thank goodness I don't wear heels anyways. 

I'm posting about it to tell you about my shoes. They are the skecher Go Walks and I love them! 

I use to hate wearing tennis shoes. I didn't like the way they looked. I still would rather wear stylish shoes but I would rather be able to walk. These are amazing! I feel like I am walking on a cloud. 

I also have very flat feet and walk on the insides of my feet. 

Lately I have been putting arches into my shoes. I recommend the mediarch kind found at big 5! 

Now I can see the correction in my feet! I've been walking like that since I can remember. 

However, it's not a quick fix. It is taking me time to were I can actually wear flats one day a week to church. 

I also use ginger doterra oil on the bottoms of my feet everyday. And try to exercise the muscle. Heat in the morning and ice at night. 

Anyone else have this? What do you do? 

Check out our budget plan!

Before Brent and I got married we discussed money and finances a lot. We wanted to be prepared and have a plan. We didn't want it to be a terrible thing for us.
I came up with an idea (Brent even claims it was mine) that the money that we would be making the current month would be for the budget for the next month. Then we wouldn't be living pay check to pay check or even month to month. The bills that we have to pay this current month we already have the money for from last month.

Brent loves to budget and figure out our finances. We have a Google share document so that we both can log into it and see our budget. Also we update it to show what we have spent in our budget through out the month so we can track our spending. In the document we can make new ones so that we can save the budget every month to look back through the year at our expenses. 
I admit that its not fun for me like it is for Brent, so I don't pay as much attention to it as I should. But it is so great that we can both be on the same page about it all.

We share bank accounts even the month before we were married we joined our accounts. This shows our trust and our commitment to being one together. For other people this doesn't work. I am glad that we found what works for us from the start.

In our budget we have categories and from last months pay how much we can use in each.

1. Starting with tithing. We take that out the minute we get our pay checks and set it aside. Not even usable because we agree we won't spend that no matter what.

2. Our Rent. Nice to have a set amount every month and our utilities included. If they were not we use to guess how much knowing it was a give and take.

3. Insurance. Our car, and renters insurance. Which has always been the same for us. We can plan on what we are going to set aside in this category.

4.Auto fuel and maintenance. We try and plan how much for fuel and what maintenance we are going to need. We all know that can't always be planned though so if their is ever a surprise repair we take it from savings. The oil changes and what we can plan for is what is here along with what we think we will pay for fuel estimating from previous months. Right now we have $230.00 in this category.

5.Groceries. This we have estimated that its about $100 per person to feed for a month. We have $200 here each month for the two of us. I try to be the best at this and have a meal plan for the month and we shop according to that. and what ever else savings I can get.

6.Gifts. This varies depending on the time of year of course we try to put more here during the holidays. Our birthdays are near the holidays too. but we try to put a little here each month even if its in the middle of summer just in case because Brent knows I like to spend on others sometimes.

7. Clothing. If it was up to Brent he wouldn't put anything in this category. But I like cloths too much. Sometimes I spend the money here and sometimes I don't. I try not to but once in a while I buy something. What we don't spend goes to savings.

8.Phone. this is a set amount we pay each month great to plan for.

9.Dental and Medical. We put a little here each month to save for when we will be in the need of this which we have been here and there.

10. Dating and Entertainment. This is where we like to over spend and we try so hard not to. Dating sometimes can suddenly be a $100 here and there if you are not careful. Lately we have been trying to plan out our dates and what we do for fun so that we are not spending a lot.

11. Micellaneous. Some times we need money for things we don't know what category they fall into so we have this just in case. If we don't use it te extra goes into savings. 

12. We also have one called Debt to help us keep and stay out of it! 

13.  Church category is for anything we need for church. Materials, garments, fhe activities ect. And our fast offerings. This is never too big though. 

The last category is we give each of us an allowance. About $25 per month. We try not to spend it all also. This is for us to spend however we want. If Brent forgets to pack dinner he uses this or if I am wanting something to do crafts with I take it from this. 


After the categories we have a money market account. We decide on depending how much money we have left over we will set some aside in this account. We use this for travel and camping. Something that we both love and want to make a priority in our lives. It takes money to travel so we have planned and prepared for it this way. (also my idea lol)
Its great! When we went on our 1st anniversary cruise and trip we had all the money already set aside and ready for the fun!

Of course we also have our savings account. We put every last penny we did not use in our categories to set a side here. This we use if we have to make a big purchase usually and in case of emergencies. We also have our money market if their is ever an emergency. So far with this money we have bought a car, paid off schooling, and saving for Brents surgery this December things like that.

This is what works for us! Let us know if you like this idea and what works for you! 

The Family Book.

I came up with the idea to have a "family book"

I used a composition book. I painted it and decorated it. In it we will keep family dates, records, family history, about each person, goals, motto, mission statement, letter to future kids, places we have lived, places we have gone on family trips to, what we believe and what is important to our family. 

I am way too excited about this! 

We are still working on the family mission statement and some pages.
When we are finished I will post them here.

I Am A Mormon!!

No I will not shove my beliefs down your throat.
Yes I love each and every one of you! Just as God does!
No I am not perfect!
Yes in God one day I can become perfect.
No I do not drink, smoke, drink coffee, or shop on Sunday.
Yes I do sin differently then you.
No I do not judge, I love!
Yes life is hard we all make mistakes!
Yes I try my best to follow all of Gods commandments.
and Yes I sometimes fail.
No I do not give up,
I will endure to the end!
and Yes I would love if every one was able to find this happiness that I have found in the mormon church.
For I want you to be happy.

I have had a lot on my mind.. and I had my mind made up I would not say anything for I didn't want to say the wrong thing and offend any one.
I just need to get it out and off my chest though.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been in the news a lot lately for its views on same sex marriage and the women in the priesthood.
No matter any ones choices I do not love any one less!
However, my choices might not be the same choices.
What I believe is right may not be the same.
I am not positive how it will all work out in Heaven, I do have faith that God loves us all and wants the best for us!
The Church I belong to is ran by Jesus Christ and God himself. They give us commandments to follow because that is what is best for us to be able to be happiest and able to get through our trials.
Not to limit us and make anything harder.
I will follow the Prophet of the church and I will follow God.
I have faith in love and peace.
I feel the most love and peace on Sundays taking the sacrament, on a Saturday at the temple, serving Gods children, and in the lords work.
That is what makes me feel safe, comforted, loved, and serenity.
I know that I feel the Holy Spirit in my heart and soul.
Tears of joy are poof of that.
Hymns sooth me and sing out my testimony.
For I love the Savior with all my heart and want to become Christ like!

Yes I am a Mormon, a Latter Day Saint of the Church of Jesus Christ.
and Yes I believe it with all my heart!

I hate when the church is attacked and when the members lash back out. Breaks my heart. For we just really need love in the world and lots of it.

(I know this probably was my random thought of testimony but I needed it off my chest)

I love you!!

If you want to learn about the true teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints please got to www.lds.org

Our Year Together

This year we have...

States we set foot in:

Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and accidentally Wyoming once.

Restaurants we loved:

Italian Village, Rickenbockers, Olive Garden, Roosters, Rodizio, Spaghetti Factory, and more.

Movies we saw in theater:

The Book Thief, Thor the Dark World, Monsters University, Saving Mr. Banks, Despicable Me 2,

Things we did and happened:

Honey mooned to the Grand canyon, went to sisters graduation, went on our first camping trip to Bear Lake, went camping on whim at Smith and Morehouse, had a disastrous time at our first place, Peanut passed away, went to the Brazilian festival, went to Park City, went ice skating at the galivian center, went to Lava Hot Springs, went to NASCAR in Las Vegas, went to see Nanny and Papa, went to the Olympic trials at Deer Valley, spent the Holidays with all our families, got new jobs, passed more classes at Weber State, I spent our first Christmas sick, we moved into a new home, called as ward missionaries, cooked up lots of new dinners, sang in the ward choir, taught temple prep, made new friends, Brent crashed my car, I got a new car, and so much more!

5/30/2013-2014

 To Celebrate our One Year we went on a Cruise from Miami, Florida to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico! 

It was Brents first Cruise and we enjoyed ourselves a lot! 

We got to see the Southern most point of the US in Key West! What a super cool place we will for sure be going back there!

In Cozumel we got to see Mayan ruins that was super neat to hear the stories of them! We saw the poverty there and experienced how Mexico is. 

On the ship we of course had to eat a lot of food and try new things! We danced a lot! We love dancing! We met new friends! We went to the activities and shows! 

We Laughed and had a really good time! 

Back in Miami we got to stay a couple more nights so first off we went to the Everglades and saw lots of gators that was so neat! We took a speed boat tour as the gators swam next to us! Best of all there was turtles too! Brent got to hold a baby alligator! This was the day of our anniversary.

When we got back we went to rent a car and we got a cute black VW bug! That was fun to drive around and Brent let me drive in the Miami traffic and the heat was playing... it was crazy! 

We went and spent most of the time in South Beach. The ocean was sooo warm! 

I love to fly and travel and see all that I can in the short time I am at a place too much fun! 

For the first anniversary you are suppose to give paper as the gift. So Brent got me a book by my favorite author The Four Doors by Richard Paul Evans and I gave him Following Christ the 2nd book in one that he had been reading and enjoying. 

We brought a piece of our wedding cake with us on the plane to eat a little on our anniversary so we ate it and it was good! Banana mmmm! 

This Trip was only our first for many anniversary trips to come!! 

For the next year to come our goals are:

Brent and I to work our way more into our Degrees and finish two more semesters. To meet Brents brother when he comes home from his mission. Many temple trips. And most importantly enjoy each others love for that always is growing and I couldn't l've some one more! He is my best friend and marrying him was the best things I have ever done!