Tag and Twins

Getting those conference wiggles out with a sweaty game of tag.

twins!
Thanks for the picture, Leslie.
We love the Beatles (or blue guys, as Oliver now calls them), too!

Recipe of the Week

Southwestern Pasta Bake

1 pound penne rigate (ridged penne) or cavatappi (ridged corkscrew)
2 tablespoons oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water and cook pasta until slightly undercooked-- a little chewy in the center.

While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and jalepenos and continue to cook for 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking with the onions, make the cheddar sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 to 2 mintes over moderate heat, then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro, and parsley with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper and remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot, add the contents of the chicken skillet and all of the cheddar sauce, and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and place under the broiler until lightly brown.

4 servings


This recipe is from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats book. Since I never watch the food network, I feel like I have missed out on the Rachael Ray phenomenon. I know some of you have issues with her perkiness and use of words like yumm-o (ahem, Laura and Leslie), but put your personal feelings aside and make this pasta dish for dinner. It is delicious!

When I made it, I only seasoned the chicken (I used breast tenderloins instead) with salt, pepper, and a little chili powder. I also left out the jalepenos. It still worked!

Also, I have to tell Jenny, my sister-in-law's sister-in-law, that the recipe she posted in her July archives for sweet pork burritos was delicious! Check it out.

Socks

This is Oliver. He likes to wear pink socks.
This is one battle that I am choosing not to fight.

No Pockets

No pockets. No problem.

Hurry Up!

A few years ago, my aunt said something to me that I think about every day. Her children are well into their teens, and she was reminiscing about the days when her kids were young. She told me that looking back, she realized that she was constantly telling them to hurry up. Now she wonders what the hurry was. Little kids are as slow as molasses most of the time. It can be frustrating, especially if you are trying to go somewhere and they are dawdling instead of putting on their shoes like you have asked them to about a million times. But I am rarely in an actual, real hurry. So why do I let myself get frustrated? I don't want to look back and feel like I was always rushing my kids. They deserve a patient mom who lets them dawdle. Because isn't that what being a kid is all about? It's not about being hurried out the door and hurried into their car seats and hurried . . . where, to the grocery store? Can't the grocery store wait for a few minutes? So what's the rush?

18 and Counting

The amount of mosquito bites on Mabel's body are nearing astronomic proportions. So tonight in her prayers she asked Heavenly Father to make her "not so tasty for the bugs." That, and a little bug repellent should hopefully clear up the situation.

Sisters

I was just reviewing the visiting teaching message for this month, as I am going visiting teaching tomorrow morning. This is my favorite part:

"Every time we watch over one another, godlike qualities of love, patience, kindness, generosity, and spiritual commitment fill the souls of those we visit and enlarge our souls as well. In the process, we honor our covenants. I see legions of faithful sisters around the world going forward on the Lord's errands, performing simple yet significant service"

Bonnie D. Parkin, Relief Society general president

I love how Sister Parkin says "simple yet significant service." Visiting teaching is a simple thing, but I have felt its significance many times in my life. I don't think I appreciated visiting teaching until I was a lonely new mother in Provo. Since then, I have begun to see it as a nice excuse to make new friends. I used to think of it as a kind of forced friendship (which I hated as a single girl living with 10 roommates), but in the last few years I have realized that sometimes a forced friendship is an okay thing. My current visiting teaching partner is a mother of 9 (she is pregnant with #10) who somehow manages to remain calm and serene in the midst of her hectic home life. I teach a woman who is lucky enough to have just given birth to her third, and a woman whose children are grown. I love these women. They are strong, righteous examples. I can't imagine moving to a new area, as I have recently done, and not having the instant friendships that come with visiting teaching. Today I am grateful for this inspired program.

Now, have you all done your visiting teaching yet this month?

Fall

The weatherman actually uttered the words "Fall is here" last night in reference to our forcasted temperatures. I don't necessarily think the low-mid 90's qualifies as fall weather, but I will take it. There was even a slight 70 degree chill in the air this morning. I feel so invigorated!

Scripture Power

When we moved to Arizona, our new primary gave Mabel her very own personalized Book of Mormon and a bag to carry it in. She was thrilled. But I was surprised when it took my pink-obsessed daughter almost 8 months to decide that she didn't want to carry a black scripture bag. So this week we made a pink one. She graciously donated her old bag to Oliver, who has always been jealous of it, anyway. So here they are enjoying a little serious scripture study in their poojies before church this morning.

Mabel

1. Something I do well - "cheer up Oliver"
2. Something I'd like to improve on - "walk on my hands and do handstands"
3. My favorite food - "doughnuts and chocolate chip cookies"
4. Three words that best describe me - "That I'm cute. . . I don't know what else."
5. My happiest moment - "when you (mom) are hugging me"
6. The most important thing in my life now - "breakfast"
7. My favorite movie - "American Tail" (currently on pause while I ask these questions)
8. My favorite book - "Let me go see what books we have to be my favorite. . . Grandma, Where are You?"
9. My favorite thing - "Oliver. . . and sea shells"
10. Instead of going to school, I wish I could - "play with ribbons and dress up"
11. My favorite place to go - "the fun pizza place" (Peter Piper Pizza)
12. My favorite thing to draw - "Sleeping Beauty and the three good fairies"
13. Something I want for Christmas - "a Nutcracker Barbie"
14. My favorite color is - "pink!"
15. At recess, I like to play - "on the green slide"
16. When it's raining, I like to - "take my umbrella outside and look at the rain"
17. My favorite animal is - "horses."

The Word of the Day

Oliver seems to be adding at least a word a day to his vocabulary.

Today's word: Odette, as in the Barbie from the Barbie Swan Lake movie.

The curse of the older sister lives on.

In other news, do you like his new birthday bike?
The temperature has finally dipped into the mid-90's, which I now consider to be pleasant bike riding and park-going weather. Strange, a year ago, temperatures in the mid-90's would have killed me.

I love Arizona.

My So-Called Life

Nothing is going on. There is nothing new to report.
This is my boring life.

Which reminds me of the title of one of the greatest tv shows of all time:
My So-Called Life.

I think you had to be a 15 year old girl when it aired to appreciate it's brilliance.

It's Back

Enoch brought our doormat back today.
And he stayed to play.

My Map

My parents love to travel, as evidenced by my dad's latest blog post, and by the map above. It is a map of all of the countries I have visited with them. It looks a lot like Leslie's. I would love to see Jooj's. Her's would be hard to beat, not that this is a contest. (You can make your own map here.)

We have been to some pretty amazing places! A few of my favorites have been Jerusalem on the eve of the millennium, the Pyramids in Egypt (I totally overcame my fears and went inside!), the island of Capri (like South Coast Plaza, but outdoors, and surrounded by the most beautiful ocean views), Sweden (Stockholm is amazing, not to mention the abundance of Volvos on the road), and of course the countryside of England (I don't think I could be my mother's daughter and not love England).

These trips changed my life. Like Leslie said, they broadened our horizons and made us aware of how small the world was at a very young age. I remember thinking about all of the lives that were being led all over the world, and being amazed that somehow Heavenly Father was aware of everyone. It made my problems seem so insignificant. There is nothing like travel to put your own life into perspective. I am so grateful that my parents have taken us all over the world. There are so many places that I want to share with Mike and our kids.

Even though I love traveling, the best part of it for me, has always been coming home. There is no place like America, and no place better than my own home.

Something is Missing

Our doormat has disappeared.

I know the culprits: Enoch and Matt, both aged 4.

They regularly roam our neighborhood barefoot and have lately been calling or stopping by our house to see if Mabel can play. I guess when I took too long answering their knock, I left them with time for mischief. I finally made it to the door to see them giggling and hefting our heavy doormat down the street. I don't think I want Mabel playing with those trouble makers, anway. The problem is, I am not quite sure how to get it back. Slow drive-bys of their houses have not turned up the doormat. I think I am going to have to break down and ask their moms.

My Boy

looking very much like a court as a newborn in irvine

cruising the mediterranean in style

digging into his cake with a spoon at nana's house

Today Oliver turns two. I can't imagine our little family without his sunny personality. He is tender, loving, and gives the best tight hugs. He misses Mabel (or E-bowl, as he calls her) terribly while she is at preschool, but steals her car seat while she is away. He is nice to everyone, is almost always in a good mood, sleeps soundly at night, and very rarely causes a problem. Even as a newborn he was mellow. He is always up for fun, and kindly goes along with whatever Mabel wants to do. I love my little guy. I just can't believe he is already two!

Swimming in the Trees

I'm glad I don't live here.

At least they have air conditioning.