Go-To Meals

You know those meals that you know the recipe by heart and its the meal you make when you don't know what to have for dinner. Everyone in your family likes it and it takes no time at all to make this meal. This is my current go-to dinner. I got it from a Real Simple magazine.

Cheese Ravioli Deliciousness (can you tell I don't know the title)

-Feeds 4 but it is so good, it will probably only feed 2-3

Some cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)

2 T olive oil

1 crisp apple like braeburn or fuji (not red delicious, there is nothing delicious about this apple)cut into matchsticks

1/4 c walnut pieces

1/2-1 c. flat leaf parsley

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook the ravioli according to package directions. Drain and put into a bowl. Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a pan and throw in the walnuts, cook them until fragrant and add the apple matchsticks. Cook until the apple softens a little and add the parsley for about a minute. Pour mixture over the ravioli, garnish with parmesan cheese, and some cracked pepper and eat. It is so delicious.

Worst Fitness Week Ever

In our normal lives, Steve and I have a very regimented life with work, parenting, and exercise. However, that all was thrown off balance this week. Steve needed to go in to work Monday night and I wanted to get started on making pickles so we skipped our workouts on Monday and went about our lives. Little did we know, life was about to get a little crazy.

Having not slept Sunday night (my mind was to excited about the peaches we had just canned), I was exhausted and fell to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Steve had been complaining about his upset stomach before I went to bed, but I pointed him to the tums and went to bed. At 1:00 am, Steve taps me and says "Kelly, I think I need to go to the hospital, my stomach really hurts and its getting worse." Now of course, my first thought was that he was being silly, but it isn't like Steve to do this so I followed him downstairs where he was on the internet trying to figure out what hospital he needed to go to. Luckily, facebook also let's us know who is up and on facebook so we called one of our facebook friends to hang out with a sleeping baby as we went to the emergency room.

Surprisingly, the emergency room was not crowded at all and Steve was called back within a few minutes. I fell asleep in the waiting room and was then called to come back to Steve. While we waiting for tests on his blood, we watched a fascinating PBS documentary on apples, followed by tulips, and then marijuana. It was late.

Finally, the doctor came in to tell us his blood was normal and they needed to run more tests which included a cat scan. The doctor said it would take several hours to get that and the tests from that so I went home to catch a few hours of sleep and relieve our dear, sweet night baby sitter.

At 7:45 am (Miles blissfully slept in), the phone rang. It was Steve. He has called to tell me he is being admitted to the hospital. The cat scan shows a gall stone and the doctors believe his gall bladder is infected. They are going to operate. "Don't worry", he tells me. "Go back to sleep". I can tell you right now that you cannot sleep after hearing news like that.

As is usually the case, I had a big presentation I needed to give at work that I had to prepare so I got up and got Miles up and we went to work/school. I had been at school for one hour when my phone rang again. It was Steve. He tells me his surgery is at 3:00 pm. Please come to the hospital. Again, another dear friend was there to help me. I dropped off Miles car seat to her and called the daycare to let them know who was picking Miles up. My friend picked Miles up and took him to our house and made sure he was fed and cared for while Steve and I were at the hospital. Meanwhile, two more friends of ours headed over to the hospital to give Steve a blessing of health.

I stayed with Steve until it came time for his surgery. Then another friend came to my aid and sat with me while Steve was in surgery so that I didn't have to be alone. Well, long story short, Steve's surgery went fine. They found a shone 1/2" in diameter and took out his gall bladder. I stayed at the hospital until Steve came back to his room and then went home to relieve my friends from their babysitting and to put my little boy to bed. I then called another friend to come sit with a sleeping Miles because Steve wanted me at the hospital. When I got there, he was tired and I was tired and we both spoke incoherent sentences. I left Steve at the hospital and went home for a good night's rest. I knew there would be recovery time but everything was going to be okay and I was going to start exercising again the next day.

Unfortunately, due to all the stress and lack of sleep, I got a terrible head cold. Now here it is on Friday night. Steve is doing more every day, but he is still in pain and can't go out for very long. My cold is on the mend (thanks to another friend who came by after work on Thursday and picked Miles up so I could go to bed), and I know that even though I don't have family nearby, I have dear friends willing to drop their lives and come pick me up when I fall down and I have a Heavenly Father who cares about me and my family enough to put these people in my life when I need them most.

Peaches in Hibiscus Syrup

I recently purchased a book called Urban Pantry. My friend Christa and I decided to make one of the recipes in the book called peaches in Hibiscus Syrup. Below are our adventures.


Here we are in the process. Peaches in the foreground are being peeled and put into a lemon water bath so as not to discolor. I am at the stove filling jars with peaches that I have just cooked in a hibiscus simple syrup.

Here is Christa showing the fruits of our labor. In the right hand is a bottle of peaches. In the left, we also canned the hibiscus syrup. Yummers!

Here is a close up of the peaches. The hibiscus syrup was pink which adds a beautiful hue to the peaches in the jars.

Christa and I with the finished product.

Oh, and Steve helped out by making labels for our beautiful jars

Kids are cuter covered in food

As the title says, kids are so funny learning how to feed themselves. Here, Miles is figuring out spagetti and pudding.


Miles found the spagetti noodles as fun to play with as they were to eat

There's always room for play time

Chocolate is serioius business

Summer Sewing

Some of you may remember my sewing escapade from last summer. Like last year, I got really hot and decided I had no summer clothes so I needed to make myself a summer something to wear. Last year, I made myself a shift dress. However, upon finishing the dress, I put it on only to discover I had created a beautiful muu muu. Yes, I still have the dress because the fabric is still pretty, but I haven't worn the dress.

This year, I decided to make Amy Butler's Barcelona A-line skirt. It turned out much better this year and I will wear this dress. Below are a few highlights.


Here is the fabric I finally decided on. It's fun, fresh and makes me think happy summer memories.

I don't think I have ever put in a zipper without help. Here is a picture of my hidden zipper. I bet you can't see it.

Amy Butler is not about quick and easy. Hence the lining.

Ta Da! The finished product. Don't I look so cute and fresh in my new skirt?

Awesome Hotel in Portland

Over the 4th of July weekend, we went to Portland, Oregon. We stayed at a place called The Inn at Northrup Station. When I first walked in to the room, I thought it seemed a little ridiculous with all the crazy colors, but it really grew on me and I ended up loving the bright happy colors. I highly recommend this place. By the way, they had huge jars of salt water taffy in the lobby.

The bed has an orange coverlet, purple pillows, and is sitting against a green wall.

The kitchen wasn't kitchy, but the lights above the stove were, and of course, that wall is purple.

Here is a fun foot rest

The bright pink sofa, with green buttons for tufting. Notice also the coffee table

This is a terrible picture. It's hard to take pictures of carpet, but I just loved it.

Here's a close-up picture in the bathroom. That's right, a phone in the bathroom and a nightlight with the logo of the Inn

Here are the toiletries. I was enamoured that everything had the logo.

I'm not kidding, even the toilet paper was wrapped.

Here is the entire bathroom, with bright pink walls.

Marathon Madness

Ever since Steve ran his first marathon, he has had marathon madness. In April, he ran the Salt Lake City Marathon and then, less than a month later, he ran the Windermere Marathon in Spokane, Washington. Here are the family's adventures in Spokane.


Our friend suggested these mini donuts. They were delicious.

Since Steve was off running, Miles and I found a park to play in. Miles is wearing a romper made by Grandma Phyllis

Riding the elephant

As it turns out, the best part about the park for a boy is the dirt.

And finally, Steve comes running in to the finish line feeling the best he has ever felt in a marathon and improving his time by about 7 minutes.