...relatives

Sue's favorite time of day with me is story time, even though it precedes her least favorite time of the day, bedtime. Sue has hundreds of books. It is almost embarrassing the collection sitting on her shelves. A lot of them are tattered from too much love or little baby brother teeth and slobber, but we still cherish their stories.

One book in particular is close to both of our hearts, and we read it tonight: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. Sue loves it because of the pictures and funny things the child says. I love it because it explains exactly how I feel living far away from family.

It talks about when "those relatives" came for an extended stay during the summer. It is full of hugging, laughing, eating, sleeping and an obvious close, tight relationship. It makes me tear up every time the relatives go home in the book, missing each other already and knowing it will be too long before they are together again.

This is a perfect book to give a mother who misses her kids and grandchildren or a daughter like me who misses her mom and daddy.

...new dishes

J and I have been married for almost 7 years and were still using the dishes that I bought before I started college. It was a hideous, cheap ($8) set from Walmart. I hated them. They were chipped and had these little black spots caused by cheap finish.

I have been looking to replace them for YEARS, but I have had internal struggles over what I wanted. I love the look of patterned, colorful plates, but I want the main focus to be on pretty food, not pretty plates. And, I have a weird thing about the food clashing with the plate. I once ate spaghetti with a beautiful orangy-deep red sauce on a purple-pink plate at a restaurant in Orem and I was kind of grossed out. So really...patterns and colors were out.


I found a lot of the white sets to be boring, or the non-boring sets had embossed patterns that weren't my style. But then, I found these gorgeous, oversized plates. They are simple without being boring. The bowls made my heart skip a beat. I love the size of the plates and the shape of the mugs. I fell deeply, DEEPLY in love. So, I bought two sets. (And, they are even more beautiful in person!)

They are currently being washed in the dishwasher, getting ready for our first dinner. I better make something pretty...

...happy father's day, dad

I still want to be just like you, Dad!

I have always been a Daddy's girl.

He knows everything. EVERYTHING. Scripture question? He is the scripture scholar. He'll be able to quote you the answer and give you the reference. Sick? He isn't a doctor, but he can always tell me what I have and how to fix it. The most trivial out of the blue question? He has the answer. (If you are on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, he'd be the one to call, but I wouldn't recommend playing trivial pursuit with the man...)
He is an animal lover. It's obsessive, really. I inherited the obsession. We are the type of people who let dogs lick our face and think it is cute. We would name kids after our pets.
He is loving, kind and good. He loves me through all my quirks and silliness.

My dad is my hero.

...today is a beautiful day

I hate writing posts without pictures, but I didn't take my camera with me today. It was too pretty to waste time documenting. My kids needed me today... more than I needed to catch up on design jobs.

So...we went on a walk.

Both kids sported oversized hats and sunglasses they confiscated from my closet. They were so proud of how they looked. My daughter turned to me and said, "Mom, why aren't people outside?? I want them to see how beautiful I look!" It made me laugh.

Boo sat in the stroller and E led the way on her bike. The weather cooperated marvelously and made us want to keep going. And we did. My 4-year-old rode her bike for 2 hours straight.

After arriving home, both kids rode their bikes on our driveway before they decided that they wanted to go on another walk. They held hands the whole way; running and talking to each other. It made me smile and remember what it was like to be little.

We stopped by a water drain and threw rocks in for 10 minutes and then laid on the grass watching the seagulls fly above us. My son, who is just learning to talk, kept turning to me and saying, "Wow! Look at that! Wow! Look at that!" Everything is amazing and new when you are 2!

Not a super exciting day, but one of my favorites. A day of exploring and enjoying each other's company. I need more days like today.

...props to my sister

My family loves food. As a memorial to my grandmother when she passed away, we published a cookbook of her fabulous recipes. It is just who we are. We are food lovers: both the cooking and the eating.

And, most of my family members are really good! Even the men! Adam, my brother, is an incredible roll maker. I make mean salads and quiches. My mom's cinnamon rolls are out-of-this-world. My dad's steaks are better than any steakhouse.

But, probably the best cook of us all is my little sister, Sarah. She is gourmet. She knows all the lingo. She is a cook better than many professional chefs. It comes naturally to her and she has been fabulous since she was 10-years-old. She would be happy in a home with cookbooks as the only reading material and The Food Network as the only TV channel. She lives, breaths and dreams food. And, lucky for the rest of us...she has decided to start a food blog!! I can't wait to try out some of her recipes!

Check her out at Redhead Recipes!

...gourmet mac n' cheese

Huh? You think you prefer the blue box to homemade mac n' cheese? You need to try again. Just one more time. This recipe will knock your socks off...and only make you gain 10 pounds. (But sometimes we need to splurge on calories, right?)

GOURMET MAC N' CHEESE
4 tbsp butter
3 slices good white bread
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper
6 oz. shredded SHARP white cheddar (splurge here and get a good quality cheese...it makes the dish.)
4 oz. gruyère cheese
1/2 lb elbow macaroni

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 8x8 cake pan or casserole dish of a similar size.
2. Remove crust from bread. Tear into small 1/4 inch pieces. Pour 1 tbsp melted butter over bread crumbs and set aside.
3. Melt 3 tbsp butter in pan and add flour. Cook for a couple minutes, whisking. Add milk, whisking. Continue whisking until sauce becomes thick. Remove from heat. Add salt, nutmeg and pepper and cheeses. Whisk until melted and combined and set aside.
4. Cook pasta. Rinse. Add to cheese sauce.
5. Pour into prepared dish. Add breadcrumbs to the top.
6. Bake 30 minutes.

...my baby is two!

My baby boy turned two yesterday and I am in shock. It seems like yesterday that he had his first birthday. This year seems to have passed without me noticing and it makes me sad! He is an absolute joy. Always smiling and happy. Always trying to make everyone laugh. He is a hilarious, outgoing, loving and cuddly boy. (I love that my baby boy cuddles with me everyday...what a lucky mom I am!)

Anyway...we had a blast yesterday. Little C ruled the roost...much to his older sister's dismay. I asked him what he wanted for his dinner and he said, "NOODLES!" (Noodles = Mac n' Cheese. Gourmet Mac n' Cheese, that is. I'll post the recipe tomorrow. You blue-box lovers will never look back.)

Emma suggested white cupcakes with blue frosting for her brother. (Sorry, mom. I know that blue food is gross and shouldn't be eaten, but I didn't have a choice.) We decided to make the BEST.CUPCAKES.EVER! Coconut Cupcakes. Serious heaven. (I say that about all the food I post...but that is cause I only share my favorites with you!) All of you cake-mix users really should give made-from-scratch cake a try. It is not that much harder, but 10,000x's tastier.

See how thick and decadent the batter looks! It is hard not to gobble it up before baking. Mmm....

COCONUT CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
4 egg whites
1/3 cup sweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper cupcake thingies.
2. Beat butter and 1 cup of sugar for about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and milk gradually. Beat until combined. Try not to eat. Resist. (K...fine...taste it. It is soooo yummy!)
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy then add 1/8 cup of sugar. Beat until it has stiff and glossy peaks. (Don't overbeat.) Fold 1/3 of the egg mixture gently into butter-flour mixture. Gently fold in the rest of the egg mixture then stir in the coconut.
4. Fill each cup 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes.
5. Top with a yummy frosting.

*yields about 18 cupcakes. Or, if you eat the batter like my family does, 12.

I made a cream cheese/powdered sugar/butter/vanilla frosting, but I didn't have enough powdered sugar, so it was a little thin. (Thin icing=lifeless decorating, but c'est la vie!) Honestly, I thought the cream cheese frosting was too overpowering. These cupcakes don't even NEED frosting because they are so good, so I highly recommend a normal buttercream or vanilla frosting recipe to allow the cupcakes to be the main flavor.

*All the cupcakes in the picture above were decorated with love by my sweet 4-year-old.

C didn't seem to think the frosting was lacking, however. That is all he ate.

...puking, scatterbrained and happy

I am nauseated.

I have heartburn.

I can't smell, look at or eat food.

I am scatterbrained.

I am tired.

I am happy.

I have an announcement!

Yes, it is true! Baby Craner #3 is on it's way!

I was going to wait to announce at 3 months, but my body isn't letting it be a secret this time. (I am already showing, dang it. I didn't show with the last pregnancy until 4-5 months, but I think my body knows what it is doing now and there is no hiding it.)

We are so excited!!

...rain, rain go away

We have been having unusually cold and rainy weather here in Utah. I have been tempted to turn on the heat, but I knew my husband would think I was crazy, so I have been wearing a coat around the house instead. (Okay, fine. It seriously isn't THAT cold, but I am a wimp. It has been in the 60's, but I am only comfortable in 78 degrees or higher.)

Yesterday, I decided that I needed some chili. I wanted a warming meal! I love my chili recipe, but even more than that...I love my cornbread recipe that accompanies it. A friend of mine gave it to me 8 years ago in college and I have adored it ever since. (My 4-year-old non-eater even loves this. She calls it Corn Cake.)

Enjoy!!

Delicious Cornbread
1 c. flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/3 c. vegetable oil

You know the drill with quick breads. Dry ingredients first, then mix in the wet. DON'T overmix...it turns into a paste like any of the quick breads out there. Lumps are okay.

I like using a 9" pie pan, but if you prefer square cornbread slices...use an 8x8 pan. It all works. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy!

...the joys of having a daughter

Little Sue did my hair today. And made me go grocery shopping AND on a walk like this. I really did go in public looking like this just to prove that I SHOULD be on the beauty panel. I mean...who WOULDN'T think this crazy woman walking around with her hair done like this was beautiful??

Thank you, my little girl, for making me put my pride aside for the day!

...beauty tips

Marta asked me to participate in a beauty panel during the month of June. (I told my husband about being asked to participate in a beauty panel and we both got a good laugh out of that. Especially after my last confessions post... But hey! I might have a good tip here and there.)

Anyway, the other participants are TRUE beauties and it is a great read! Check back every week this month as we answer Marta's questions.

...svelte soubrette

I love shopping locally on etsy. There are so many incredible things made right in my neck of the woods. I found a fun shop today that sells the most unique necklaces...for a great price! I love the book and key necklace, but the I have and idea necklace is fun as well!

...awkward family photos

Need a good laugh?? Check out Awkward Family Photos. Seriously hilarious stuff.

I think I could submit quite a few of our old family photos from my awkward stage...

...spark

Last night, my husband and I were invited by Spark to have dinner! We were so excited to go on a date...it's been a while since we had one to a nice restaurant.

Spark has an amazing, non-Utah atmosphere. It is surprising to find such a gorgeously modern and sleek restaurant in little-old Provo. Refreshing, actually.

And...speaking of refreshing, check out all the drinks we are drinking below: (Totally unflattering picture of me and CUTE picture of my hot husband taken by my beautiful friend, Kami.)
They are all non-alcoholic and AMAZING. Spark is known for their non-alcoholic bar...and it is well worth a trip to this fabulous restaurant lounge.
Pictured above is the Shirley Temple (our favorite!) and the Strawberry Lemonade. We also tried the Mango Mojito and Kiwi Martini, which were both fabulous!

This lovely dish was my FAVORITE of the night. It could possibly be one of my favorite desserts ever...and I have been craving another one all day. It is a Vanilla Panna Cotta with Kiwi Pearls. Serious Heaven. HEAVEN!
If you live nearby and would like to try Spark , here is your chance!! Here is a $25 Voucher to be used next week. Get a babysitter ASAP!! It is SOOOO worth the trip! Print it. Email it to friends. Seriously.