Onions . . . mmm!

I guess I should apologize right now to Dallas, my neighbors, anyone on the street who has to be near my BREATH right now because I am just loving ONIONS lately.  MM mm, yeah.  I made this fresh guacamole (which included minced ONIONS) the other day to put on top of our chicken tacos w/ corn tortillas, and it is (WAS) basically to-die-for.  I sauteed some red & yellow peppers with ONION to add to the mix, and it was so yummy.  Can I just say that I LOVE ONIONS right now???

Here's a recipe for fresh guac that will make your family love you and you will love yourself for making it.  (Thanks, Amy, for the basic recipe.  The proportions are my own):

Fresh Guacamole

3 ripe, pitted avocados, mashed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8-1/4 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped

Heaping handful of chopped fresh cilantro

One fresh garden tomato, deseeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime

Lots of yummy kosher salt

Next, you've gotta try this recipe (thank you, Rebecca) for chicken tacos from Allrecipes.com.  It is DREAMY.  We love to use corn tortillas as-of-late, and Rebecca's advice for tortilla-prep has revolutionized our dinners!  Here's what she does:

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, and place six tortillas on the pan in a single layer.  (This is where I would jump in and add a sprinkling of kosher salt on each tortilla.)  Then broil in the oven on each side for about five minutes until crisp and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Also, be sure to serve with sauteed peppers & ONIONS, shredded monterey jack, fresh garden tomatoes, and shredded lettuce!

Thank you, and pardon my breath.

Latest Quotes

Raleigh's been pulling a lot of "crusty's" (as they say in Utahrd), or should I say "mean faces," since she started first grade.  It's becoming a bad habit for her, and we had a little chat about it the other day.  Madeline piped up, "Don't worry, Mom, it will wash away when she gets baptized."

Speaking of religious quotes, I was listening to the General Relief Society Broadcast when Sylvia Allred (who has a bit of an accent) began speaking.  Raleigh recognized the accent and asked, "Is she Dieter F. Uchtdorf's wife?"  

The Barking Bush

One of the things I enjoy about our little mountain community in the summertime is NOT one of the things I enjoy so much in the fall: the early-morning run.  

In the summertime the air is still a little cool in the mornings, the sun is already out at 6:00 am, and that blessed Utah smell that reminds me of my grandparents' homes when I came to visit as a child permeates the air.  In the fall the air is even more crisp (which I love- the crispier the better), but the sky is PITCH BLACK at 6:00 am.  And that is why I found myself BEAR HUGGING some stranger lady in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD  the other morning.

I like to exercise for the solitude; I'm not a social runner.  I love to be out in God's country and meditate and pray while I run.  And I like to run at MY pace and MY route, wherever that will take me, and for however long I want to go.  So that is why I was alone.  Very very alone.

I was running up the street in the extreme darkness (a little freaked out by the stories I've heard about cougars roaming the mountain roads) when I came upon what I thought was a bush right next to a fence.  Well, I realized it wasn't a bush when it started BARKING at me!  I swear it was holding so still, just waiting for me to come closer, so that it could scare me.  I SCREAMED and ran out into the middle of the road, murmuring a few Oh My GOSHes when a group of speed-walking ladies came to my rescue:

"Oh, are you okay, honey?"

"We didn't even see you."

"That'll sure get your heart rate going!"

And that is how I found myself BEAR HUGGING (and holding on tight) to some random stranger lady in the middle of the street.

P.S.- Don't worry.  I'll get a running partner.

So I Have This New Thing for Making Clips

They're my own design.  Any feedback?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Impromptu Camping Trip

This past summer, we came home on a Friday evening after a long day, and Raleigh remembered, "Isn't today the Ward Campout, Daddy?  You promised us you would take us!!"  So after quickly packing "guy style," and stopping at the store for some needed supplies (Teddy Grahams and OJ), they headed 15 minutes up the canyon to Mutual Dell and and had some bonding time.  They hung out with friends, "camped" in the van, (while I enjoyed the quiet at home with a sleeping baby girl), and they came home the next morning filthy dirty and worn out.  You can tell by the pictures that the Teddy Grahams were a big hit!

She Had a Birthday!

Kensington had a birthday last month, and this is the card that Raleigh thoughtfully gave to her little sis.  Can you translate it?  It says: "You are special.  With love.  Wishes come true.  Love, Raleigh."  Melts your heart!

Choobers Chokes a Cat- MEOW!

To the tune of I'm a Little Teapot (sorry, that's the kind of kiddie music that gets stuck in my head . . .)

I'm a Little Choobers, short and cute!

I have a really big front tooth.

I like this kitty quite a lot.

I put him in a tight headlock.

This is SO funny. Just kidding, it's not.

R.I.P....

Our poor little computer died. That's why we haven't posted in a while. And that's why you don't see any pictures on this post. We have to somehow retrieve them off of the dead computer.

I just came upon the most hilarious blog; I have to recommend it to all of you: seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com. It's a satire about a Mormon Mom Blogger and it is a crack up! Check it out if you have the time. I know I sound like her half the time (the made-up character posing as a blogger), so I can tell you right now that I can laugh at myself. Leave a comment if you see it and love it!

Hopefully our computer woes will end soon and I can post some pictures of Choobers gigantic new teeth coming in. She will look like a little pumpkin head right in time for fall . . .

OH. MY. GARSH.

 

Goodbye, July!

 

Okay, so we all know that I really need to update our blog. And I will. Just not right now. First I have to catch up a little on life. Actually, that's what I've been doing: a lot more living and enjoying a fun summer with family and friends! Tonight Raleigh lost her first tooth, so we are hoping the tooth fairy comes. (She didn't forget about asking about that in her prayers tonight.) Speaking of Raleigh, did you know that when she gets really mad and wants to cuss, she says, "FITNESS!" She was doing that the other day when she was mad about something. Watch out!

Feeling the Love at Joanna's Wedding

When Madeline Helps Around the House

Dino Chicken Nuggets beautifully arranged and ready to pop in the oven and a wrench stuck to the bed until Daddy comes home!

Dallas Has a Birthday

Dallas called it "the best birthday he's ever had." Really, it was a blast. No, really, we blasted tons of balloon rockets into the sky (and a couple neighbors' yards.) We ate cheesecake- the best homemade recipe you'll ever taste (but only if you include Dionne's secret step.) We also jumped off the swings in the backyard together, and we even got Great Grandma Matthews to jump, too. The night was chilly and windy, and we were all very hyper and crazy and LOUD. And Dallas had a great birthday!!

A Pirate-Themed Field Day

There's Nothing Like a Little Yoga on a Saturday Morning . . .

The Elementary School Carnival

Last week the school had a big PTA fundraising carnival, and it was one of the first very hot days of the year. (Very hot, meaning we broke an uncomfortable sweat.) We went with our friends, Rebecca, Jensen, and Noah. (The husbands were working.) The kids had a good time "fishing" for prizes (twice), getting balloon creations, getting their faces painted and nails stickered, eating snow cones, and riding on this crazy tractor-deal. Madeline is in this yellow tin can creation, and Raleigh is in the first red car. The driver went so fast that Noah fell down inside of his tin can right when it started! He was zooming all over the place- (which made me wish I had joined them.) It was the first thing the kids did when we got there, and probably the most fun. Let's just say that all the kids were crying that night when we put them to sleep because they were just plain worn out from having too much fun!

What a hat!!

Kensington had too much fun and too much sun.

Watching the cloggers and eating snow cones and getting a little grouchy.

The Beautiful View from Our Yard

Memorial Day here is so cool. These tiny little pictures don't begin to portray how beautiful it was today- even in the rain! We walked over to the top of the hill this morning in the rain to pay tribute to the Veterans and enjoy a pancake breakfast in one of the city buildings. Just good small town celebration.