Detour

This is the new/old home for my personal writing. Come and see me here...

http://kspinning.wordpress.com

K, thanks!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *My Secret Place*

Now that it's officially "Juicy Tidbit Tuesday", I guess I won't leave you hanging. (it's nothing that exciting, but I'm happy to finally share this with my friends and family)

Here's the thing: I started a private, anonymous blog way back last fall (before everyone started bugging me to start one) as a safe place to air my feelings, whine, vent. . . you know, all of that. Last year was not a great year for me, but I found that every time I wrote a post about something difficult I had gone through, I immediately felt better. The best part of this online "journal" was that it talked back. I have met some great people and found a wonderful online support system.

Now, this doesn't mean that I don't have great friends in the real world, but I didn't want anyone to have to worry or stress over me. (silly, I know) Sometimes it is easier to voice your stresses to a neutral third party-- one who doesn't know everything about you, someone who can give you some very non-biased feedback. Just in case anyone wanted to know why I didn't share this earlier.

Well, after a while, my year improved (and continues to) and that blog became more of a creative outlet for me instead of just a place to whine. I love to post my photography, I found that I actually LOVE writing, and I have even picked up some pretty cool tech-y skills!

I have over one hundred posts there now and have been keeping a daily running/video log of my daily runs (or lack of) and songs that correspond with my mood. Jake made some cds for our Oregon trip from this list and we ended up with 10 AWESOME mixes for our drive! Of course I'm very biased because I picked them.

As you can imagine, it was taking a lot of time to keep up three blogs in addition to all of my other daily duties, and I am now on a mission to simplify my life! I am going to keep maintaining my family blog for all of the usual updates and such, but instead of keeping up my "Yep There's More" page, I am going to combine some elements to my 'other' blog. I would love if you all came to see my little world here, but I do keep this fairly anonymous, so if you comment, please don't use our full names or references to our town etc...

I have had quite a few discussions with friends and family lately where I wished that I could have just sent them a copy of one of my 'Kspin' posts, and I realized that I wasn't really sharing all of myself with those I love and care about the most. Often times I have found posts by surfing through the blog world that I really needed to hear that day, and I'm hoping by sharing this maybe someone will hear something that resonates with them as well. At the very least, you will all see how crazy I really am and that's always fun too!

I hope you all enjoy it and aren't mad at me for keeping it secret for so long. I really want to keep it a place where all ideas and thoughts are welcome and respected, so if there is ever anything you would like to know more about or discuss, just email me or leave a comment.

Please keep in mind that this other blog is in a much more public forum, so if you comment, only include a link to you blog if you want a lot of visitors :)

Before I send you to my site, I want to thank all of you for the love and support you have all shown to me and my family. No small act of kindness goes unnoticed (even if you don't hear it from us) and we feel very blessed to have such strong connections with our friends and family.

Okay. Now you know my secret. I told you it wasn't a big deal, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway! If you have any questions about any of it don't hesitate to ask! Also, please remember, this was just something that I thought would forever be private, so please don't be offended by any of it. It's just my rants and ramblings...enjoy.

http://kspinning.wordpress.com

Another Juicy Tidbit

I know it's not Tuesday, but I do have a juicy tidbit coming up very soon. And no, it's not what you think! (really) Just come back in a few days and see...

The Countdown Begins...

I love this picture. It sums up summer vacation to me. Parades, barbecues and holidays spent with family and old friends. It's also one of my very favorite pictures of my girls with their cousin Paige. These three are the only girl cousins on my side of the family, so when we go to Utah they are almost inseparable.

The kids and I are getting ready to take our annual summer retreat from the heat and visit family in Utah. This year we are going to be gone for 6 weeks (sorry Jake), and I'm really looking forward to catching up with everyone there. It's a little overwhelming to know I will be gone so long. I'm not even sure how to pack for this trip. Can you say U-haul?

Jake will be coming up to spend a week in July, but other than that, he will be here in Arizona holding down the fort...or something. I'm feeling a little guilty about leaving him so long this summer, so help me out and take him some treats or something. I know that would make his day...

I won't have Internet access much, so I may have to have Jake update our blogs to share all of our summer adventures. I will check my email as often as I can to stay in the loop, so don't forget to keep me updated with your fun as well!

I hope everyone has a fun, safe, summer vacation. And if any of you are going to be in SL, be sure to let me know so we can get together! Bye everyone who is not in Utah! I'll miss you!!

Better Than Man Catcher Brownies! (really)

Because I love to bake, and it was Mother's Day, I decided to try this new recipe I found online while I was blog-stalking. They were SOOOO good that I had to post yet again another brownie recipe. Maddy was right today when they asked her in church what her mom's favorite treat was...brownies!

I also included this little introduction that Ann used in her blog because she describes them so well. I also omitted the espresso powder in mine and they still were awesome!



Bow To Me Brownies

Now, these are really incredible. Did you hear that? INCREDIBLE. I've really been wanting to find a great brownie recipe - but every time I'd ask Tony if he wanted brownies, he was all "nah, brownies are just blah, just kinda boring". Well, OKAY then. Like I was born yesterday and couldn't smell the stench of reverse psychology all over THAT statement. Or, he was just a man making a statement. In any case, I was up for the challenge - real or imagined. And I triumphed and it was glorious and Tony literally got down, bowed to me, and kissed my feet. Well, okay, I imagined that last part, but they were glorious - there were tiny molten pockets inside; they were a tad gooey, a tad fudgy, a tad crumbly, moist. Oh, how we loved them, people at work loved them - it was love, love, love! I don't know how I'll ever bake any other brownie.

1/2 lb. unsalted butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips for melt
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, unmelted
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3 extra large eggs
1 tbsp. + 1 heaping tsp. instant espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour for batter
1/8 c. flour for coating unmelted chocolate chips
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Alternatively, grease pan, then line pan with aluminum foil (leaving overhang), and grease aluminum foil; after baking and cooling, use foil overhang to lift bars out of pan for cutting.

Melt the butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Allow to cool slightly. Stir eggs, instant espresso powder, vanilla, and sugar. Add and stir in the chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and combine. Toss the chocolate chips with the 1/8th cup flour, making sure chips are coated. Add chips to the batter and combine until distributed evenly throughout batter. Pour batter into pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool, and cut into squares.

Miss This View

I really didn't think I would ever say that, but there are some great memories that come when you have good friends with you and nothing to do for hours except share and talk. . . oh yeah, and I guess run too!

Who's up for some good ol' Bush Highway???

Best. Spaghett. Ever.

I didn't forget my promise to all of you to share this great recipe from my visit to Utah.

This is SO yummy. Seriously. Don't be afraid of the chopping and stirring. Just get out a good book and read while you stir. That is my trick anyway! Let me know if any of you try it. It's a family favorite around here!

Spaghetti Bertucci (with love!)

• 1 cup oil
• 6 pods garlic chopped
• 3 onions chopped
• 2 bunches shallots (or green onion) chopped
• 2 bunches fresh parsley cut off stems and chop
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper seed
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs. salt
• 1 Tbs. pepper

Brown all above ingredients together stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency of dried spinach. (about one hour) Then add:

• 2 cans of tomato paste (or 12 ounces) and stir for 15 minutes. (this will give it a rich dark color)
• 3 16 oz. cans of tomatoes (48 oz.)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 24 oz of water (or 4 tomato paste cans of water)

Simmer 1 hour. Add cooked, chopped chicken breasts (2 or 3) and cooked meatballs about an hour before you serve. You can use pre-made meatballs, but these ones are best:

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup parmesean cheese
• 1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs

I don't make this recipe very often and I'm not sure why that is. It's a lot of prep, but it freezes well and it is SO worth the effort! This recipe should feed at least 15, so invite your favorite people over (you know, us) and enjoy! :)

My Utah Vacation(?)

I guess going out of town for a marathon can be called a vacation. I didn't take my kids, so I did have a little break from 'real' life! :)

I had been anticipating this trip for so many reasons and it really did work out better than I had expected. Between the worrying over how my training was going and the worry over the marathon getting rained or snowed out, I just needed to get it over with! I'm glad that I will not be training as intensely as before, but I don't have any injuries so there is no reason for me to take a break from running. I am very pleased about this. After my marathon 3 years ago, I couldn't run over 2 miles without my knees killing me and that lasted almost two months. This time is completely different. But I'll get into those details in a minute. First I'll give you a quick overview of other things non-marathon related.

I arrived in Salt Lake late Wednesday, and was able to spend most of Thursday with my parents. My dad and I rarely get a chance to hang out and I was very pleased that he was willing to tag along to pick up my race packet and didn't complain when I proceeded to drag him and my mother all over the city. I have always loved downtown SL and I was able to walk around and see all of the changes going on in the city. A lot of buildings are being remodeled or have been torn down. Some areas look like a war zone.

I used to work in a building that used to be right where I was standing to get this picture, that now no longer exists. Very strange. So was that last sentence, but that's okay. Benihana used to be hidden behind a big building, but now...

...it's not! We ate lunch in the basement of the Benihana building at a restaurant called The Blue Iguana. If you are ever in Salt Lake, and like Mexican food, you should go there. Seriously. It's really good and very filling! I could only eat one of my two ahi tuna tacos and they were tasty!

After lunch we wandered through the Temple grounds and I took many, many shots of all of the beautiful flower beds and trees that were in bloom. You would think that I had never experienced spring in Utah before, but I really couldn't help myself. The beauty was overwhelming. Here are just a few of my favorite shots:

I had to add one of the pansies. I love their little 'lion' faces!

Friday consisted mostly of Kris (sister) and I spending most of the day shopping for 2 baby gifts, 3 birthday presents and a new visor for my race. My family is so large that no matter when I visit there is at least one wedding, baby shower or birthday to attend. This visit I opted out of the baby shower for my niece, as it was scheduled to be the afternoon of marathon day, but Kris, my mom and I, all made this beautiful diaper cake to send to the party.

I was pleased with how it turned out. The star on top is a cute little baby rattle toy-thingy, and there is also a bib and a onesie tucked inside of the blankets with the diapers. These are really pretty easy to make and we got all of those cute brown and pink blankets and shoes from Target. (just fyi)

Friday night my whole family got together for dinner. We made something called "Spaghetti Bertucci". It involves a lot of chopping and about an hour of stirring, but it is SO worth it! I think it's a secret family recipe from my husband's grandma, but I'll post it anyways this week because I like all of you so much!

That's me "stuffing my fat gob" as Jake would say. Carb-loading before a big race is a must! I was just doing my duty. And very happily if I say so myself.

My cousin Angela (thanks Ang!) was nice enough to let me crash at her house that night and I was very thankful. Her house was only 10 minutes from the starting line, and the extra 40 minutes of sleep that I got that night was much appreciated!

I knew that a storm was coming in, but at 6am it was already 60 degrees and I was very pleasantly surprised. I had packed a beanie, a fleece jacket and gloves just in case, but the only thing I ended up wearing were the gloves. Those and my long sleeved shirt were both ditched well before mile 5. It was warm and sunny but I struggled running head on into the wind. Luckily for me there is a lot of downhill in the first 12 miles and I think that helped me keep going. I really don't like to run in the wind, but I was determined to ignore it and keep my mind occupied with good things.

My father-in-law met up with me at the half-way point on his bike. It was so great to have someone there to encourage me and make sure that I was well fueled and hydrated. He met up with me every few miles after that and would call my family here in AZ to update them on my progress. It was right about this time when I felt a big blister on my right foot. I was bummed, but there is not much you can do about it in the middle of the race. It must have been all of that downhill!

The halfway point is also blocks away from my old neighborhood, so I had lots of familiar sights to keep my mind off of the foot pain. I was still feeling pretty strong and kept thinking how happy I was that I had my iPod shuffle. I can't believe that I ran a marathon without any music before! I couldn't have done it now. A couple of times during the race I would turn it off if there was a band, or if another runner wanted to chat for a minute, but my lungs were having a hard enough time with the altitude change, so I saved my breath and didn't talk too much.

By the time I got to mile 20 I really had to push myself to not stop and walk. I had to keep thinking "only ___ more miles, you do that easily every day Karolee". That seemed to work until mile 24 when my legs were really starting to feel they were no longer in my control. They were only moving because that's all they had been doing for 4 hours.

(This is my cheesy pic to my family and friends!) :)

I remember my last marathon when I hit a wall at the 20 mile mark and pretty much walked most of the last 6.2 miles. My knees were swollen and stopping to stretch them only made me go slower. The last few miles this race is where I could feel that my training had indeed helped me. I don't think that anyone can go over 20 miles and not feel some amount of pain or fatigue, but this time I felt better when I kept moving (though it was hard to), and the only pain I felt was in my lower back and foot. I'm not sure if that was from leaning into the wind or not sleeping great, but my legs actually felt pretty good.

At the 25 mile mark was when I decided that I would NOT be running another marathon this summer with my friends. One every couple years is probably enough! My mom and father-in-law both ran/biked with me for the last half mile and I was grateful that they were giving me something to think about besides how much I wanted to stop! Kris, Long and her kids, my dad and Grandma O. were all near the end cheering me on. It was so nice to have family there to celebrate with me!

As I was running down the cobblestone street to the finish I was all smiles even if the clock showed ten minutes later than what I had hoped for. I had accomplished what I had set out to do many months ago, and was finally able to see how my hard work payed off. I know I will think back to this trip and race for a long time to come, and have nothing but happy thoughts. And of course a really cool medal too!

The End.

Best Part Of The Marathon

I was very happy to be finished running after 4 hours, 35 minutes and 25 seconds! And especially when I had this waiting for me at the finish line. Nice.

I have more details to share soon, but I thought I would at least let you all know that I did in fact run and I didn't even die which is always a plus. Thanks to everyone that has trained with me over the last. . .well. . .forever, and thanks for all the kind words and support I have received from family and friends during my endless training. It means a lot to me and I thought of you all on Saturday.

All I have to say now is Yay! I'm DONE!!!

What Flower Are You?

I totally stole this off of Kim's blog. I've been a big slacker with blogging lately, with my in-laws in town and the Salt Lake marathon coming up next week. Life here is a little crazy. Good thing that we heart crazy here!

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Oh great! Kim had a little mischief, but it's my middle name? I don't know how accurate this is! Maybe you should all try it out and let me know.

Fun Food Friday *Smoothies*

It's now Saturday evening and I am writing Friday's post. Do you see a pattern here? ...story of my life!

Now that it is already really hot here in Arizona, I have started making one of my family's favorite snacks. Smoothies! This is the time of year when my blender doesn't get put away, it just sits on the counter to make our refreshing (and healthy) goodies.


Fruit Smoothies

• 1 to 2 cups low fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 cups frozen fruit (or fresh, just add some ice to help thicken smoothie)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Blend and serve. I usually use any left overs to make popsicles that my kids absolutely love. Play around with the ingredients to fit your tastes. I am trying to think of a good way to add some veggies to these so that they can be even more healthy for us. Of course I sometimes use ice cream instead of the yogurt when I am craving sweets. It's all about balance, right?

Enjoy!

Happy Thought Thursday *Parables & Great People*

I know it's really late on Friday, but I have to share my happy thought from yesterday.

My morning started out not so hot, and honestly I probably wouldn't have gone to Enrichment night if I didn't have a part in the short play that was going to be shown. I'm so glad that I had been asked to take part because there were so many things said that I really needed to hear.

I'm not going to go into detail about the night, but I just want to thank Stacia, Stacy, Sis. Gillespie and everyone else who helped put this night together. I hope you know how much your hard work is appreciated and I truly enjoyed that great experience.

I am also grateful for all of the women in our ward who I have gotten to know over the last two years and the ones I continue to meet. I learn so much from each of you and I love joining you in all of our church/nonchurch adventures!

Oh, and whoever made the strawberry shortcake....YUM! :)

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *School Lunches*

Ok, it's been a while so I'll share a good one with you all. Mom, you may not appreciate this one, so I apologize in advance...

Throughout my school years, my mom insisted on making 'cold' lunches for us. At one time my older sisters were able to have school (hot) lunch, but that ended after my mom joined my sister at school for lunch one day. Apparently that was the day that the cooks had run out of taco meat for crisp tacos and substituted it with a hot dog. I know, gross. Ever since then my mom made our lunch.

I'm not going to go into detail about the sorts of 'lunches' that my mom made because A) she'll be really mad, and B) I would need about 5 pages to talk about them. However, I will say that it was always a surprise/scare when I would open my lunch bag. (use your imagination)

By jr. high I was pretty savvy with the whole scary lunch thing. My sister and I would salvage the apple that my mom always added, and we would buy a Coke for ourselves with the change that we looted from my dad's underwear drawer. Sometimes we would have enough money for a doughnut as well. We were so healthy weren't we? This was our daily routine during our entire first quarter of school.

When parent-teacher conference time rolled around at the end of that quarter I was feeling pretty good about my performance at school. I wasn't concerned at all about my parents meeting with all of my teachers. What I should have been concerned about was the customary "locker check" that happens at each conference. (little did I know)

Apparently, when my parents opened my lovely locker they found that someone had stuffed an entire quarter's worth of sack lunches inside. I can only imagine how awful that smell was, and I am surprised that it didn't seem to bother me opening that door every single day! I know that I could have thrown the lunches away in the trash, but then I might have been spotted carrying something that didn't quite resemble real food. (oh the vanity!)

My parents were furious and I got quite the talking to. My mom 'punished' me by forcing me to make my own lunch everyday. This was one punishment that I was very happy to receive!

The End.

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday?

I really wanted to do a Tidbit Tuesday, but I'm tired and I don't think my brain is working...

Patrick is doing really great and almost 100% done with the chickenpox, and now I'm just catching up on all of the things that I have let go for the last week. I promise that I'll update soon! I think I'll start adding some pictures to my recipes too!

Stay tuned!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *Nasty Boys*

All through elementary I was quite the shy one. I know, hard to believe isn't it. But I didn't like to draw a lot of attention to myself in the classroom. However, when it came to performing or 'showing off'', I was all over it.

As long as I had a legitimate reason to be on a stage, I was there. From 3rd grade until 6th grade the same 4 friends and I would dance in the school talent show. We would choreograph the dance, make our own costumes and everything. Of course we thought we were the coolest group in school too. (we were so lame it isn't even funny)

I believe it was my 4th grade year that the five of us started getting ready for the annual LakeRidge Elementary talent show. We were going to wear black leotards (how 80's), with hot pick belts and hair bows made out of netting. (scratchy!) We had picked our song and took turns practicing at each other's homes.

While we were at my friend Barbara's practicing one night we had her bring her mom and dad in the room so we could get an audience and some feedback. I honestly think that we had a 'single' of our song on a record! How's that for old-school?

Anyway, Barbara's mom and dad were sitting on the couch all smiley until about 30 seconds into the song when the lyrics started. Barbara's mom got this horrified look on her face and pulled the record off the player. We all just stopped dancing and stared at her. We didn't have any idea why she would be so upset. She called my mom as well as everyone else's and drilled them about what we had chosen to dance to.

Of course all of the other moms said they had no idea about our poor judgment and agreed that there was no way that we would be dancing to that song. We had been practicing for weeks and all of us girls were pretty bent out of shape. Poor Barbara had to hear us all complain how it was all her mom's fault for spoiling our dance! That only lasted for a day or two until we decided that Phil Collins' Sussudio would work just fine with our moves.

Honestly, at 10 years old we had no idea that dancing to Nasty Boys would be a big deal. Just goes to show you how clueless kids can be! I remember singing along to lots of songs and then years later singing along and thinking "that is a really disgusting song". Just think back to 80's 'glam metal'....need I say more?

Even though I am glad that our moms stopped us from looking like trailer trash in front of our peers, to this day I still don't like the song Sussudio. Janet Jackson was so much cooler.....

The end.

Fun Food Friday *Japanese Cabbage Salad*

I'm trying to be less of a carb-adict, so we made these yummy salads for dinner last night.

Just fyi, the Crooked Carrot has cabbage right now and it is so good, not bitter at all and the heads are HUGE!

My sister Kris and I used to make this for dinner at least once a week in the summer because it is refreshing, yet filling. That sounded really dumb, but you get the idea. Ok, on with the recipe.

For the salad:

• 1/2 large head of cabbage (chopped)
• 2 green onions (chopped)
• 1-2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
• 2 pkgs. of Ramen noodles uncooked and broken into bits (or rice noodles)
• 3 Tbs. almond slices (toasted)
• 3 Tbs. sesamie seeds (toasted)

Toss all together then add this dressing:

Dressing

• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 2 Tbs. salad oil
• 1 tsp. pepper (the girls wished that I used a little less)
• dash of salt
• dash of sesamie oil (I didn't have this and it was still good)

Toss with dressing and serve.

I had forgotten how good this was until I had it again last night. I think Jake had 3? 4 bowls? It's that yummy! Give it a try!

Happy Thought Thursday *Sisterly Love*

I get so discouraged when I hear my girls argue with each other and I worry that the sibling rivalry is already starting. Usually they get along, but they rarely show real affection to each other...until Tuesday.

While I was upstairs doing laundry, Miranda was playing on the computer and Maddy was having some craft time. After about an hour, Maddy called me down and told me to close my eyes as she led me by the hand into the living room. She did the same thing to Miranda and sat her right by me.

She told us to open our eyes and this is what we found:

Grape juice, tortilla chips, marshmallows and these really cute cards:

Apparently this is hot chocolate, and the top where it says "beep" is someone blowing a noise-maker. So sweet! I read Miranda her card and she sat there just beaming. She gave Maddy a big hug and for once Maddy didn't cringe away like she has been for the last 6 months!

I love the way she hooked the shapes onto my card. Very nice touch. What a creative girl she is becoming!

She also wrote the same message inside all of our cards:

Thanks Maddy. We all think you are the best too!

Fun Food Friday *Dorothy's Coleslaw*

The weather is perfect for barbeques (well here in AZ at least), so throw something on the grill and try out this yummy coleslaw recipe that I got from my lovely mother-in-law Dorothy.

Dorothy's Coleslaw

• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 Tbs. cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs. mayo
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 med cabbage
• 2-3 carrots shredded

Mix in food processor or blender and refridgerate for an hour or so before serving.

Enjoy!

Sole Sistas!

I know I have been a slacker with updating, but in my defense I have this big race this weekend! After that my life will be slightly less hectic!

This is a song that Jake is working on for our 'Sole Sistas' Ragnar team. Hopefully he will be able to do some vocals on this as well. I'm so pleased with this! Who else gets a theme song for a race?! We're spoiled!

I promise lots of pictures after the race! Wish us luck!

Thanks Jake. You rock!!

Fun Food Friday *Fish Tacos*

It's not Friday anymore. Where in the world does the time go?

I'm still going to do a recipe even if it is Monday. This is a great one to serve with Jake's Peach-Mango Salsa from last Friday's post. Don't let the name freak you out. I use Mahi, Ahi tuna or swordfish. These are all very mild fish, and if you are still leary, I guess you could use chicken.

Ok, the fish part is super easy so I'm not really going to go in depth. Get enough fish to feed your crowd, then use Lawrey's 30 Minute Mesquite Lime marinade (found at Albertson's) on the fish, marinate for 30 minutes (obviously) and then just grill it.

To serve them you will want to have small corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, cheese, salsa (best with Jake's), and maybe black beans and rice. Then you top with this Jalapeno sauce that I'm about to give you the recipe for. Ready? Here you go:

Jalapeno Sauce

• 1 & 3/4 cup mayo (I use light)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 fresh jalapeno
• 2 Tb. white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup dried cilantro (I prefer fresh)
• salt to taste
• juice of one lime (opt.)

Blend in a blender and you're done!

Now if anyone tries these please let me know. I know there a lot of seafood haters out there! A few of you have tried these so tell everyone else how good they are!

Enjoy!

Happy Thought Thursday *New Look*

Instead of writing a post for today, I gave my page a makeover! Doesn't a makeover usually make you happy?! Me too! I hope you all like it.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *Issues With Shoes*

I'm almost ashamed to admit that this next 'tidbit' I'm about to share with you was not a one-time event. Just keep this in mind...

When we lived in Utah I worked part-time for my dad (the local butcher) at a grocery store and would also help him out in his garage during hunting season. (He has a cool little set up at his home garage for those of you who don't know him!) I worked for him on and off after I had Miranda, and I could dictate my own schedule which was really nice.

We lived about 25 minutes from the store and my parent's house, so on the days that he needed me to help him in the garage, I would go straight to their house from work.

During the holidays my dad needed me to work longer than my usual 4 hour shift. (dang!) There were a few weeks where it almost felt like I had a real job and schedule. I wasn't used to working that much and I felt like I was rushing around to get things done at home and at the store.

Tuesday was 'deli day' at the store, and I would stand in the aisle all day stocking meats, cheeses and all sorts of goodies. That's about the only time that I would have any interaction with customers. I was usually in the back of the store wrapping meat or doing other boring things. (no offense Dad!)

One Tuesday I worked almost a full eight hours stocking the shelves and building displays. I saw quite a few of my parent's friends and neighbors, and stopped to visit with them from time to time. (very small town) After work that day I followed my dad home to help work in the garage. I ate dinner with my parents and my dad's employee (also named Jake), and then we headed out into the garage for another 4 or 5 hours of work.

After a couple of hours out there, I had a break in the action so I boosted myself up on the counter to rest for a minute. As I was sitting there chatting with the guys, I happened to look down at my shoes and realized something. . .I had on two completely different tennis shoes.

I just busted up laughing! The shoes didn't even look alike! My dad and Jake made fun of me as well, but I had worked with them all day and they didn't notice either! And no, this was not the first or even second time that this had happened to me. But it was the last. . . so far!



The End.

Fun Food Friday *Jake's Peach Mango Salsa*

Jake made up this recipe a year or two after we got married. It quickly became a family favorite! It's fresh, healthy, and has just the right balance of sweet, savory, and spice. It's wonderful with just tortilla chips and is absolutely incredible as a topping for grilled Ahi tacos (another recipe for another Fun Food Friday . . . .)

• 5 Medium Ripe Tomatoes, diced
• 2 Fresh Mangoes, peeled and diced
• 1 Can Peaches in Light Syrup, diced
• 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
• 1/2 Bunch Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 Fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 4 oz. Can Diced Jalepenos
• 1 Serrano Pepper, diced and seeded (!)
• 1/4 cup Yellow Wax Banana Peppers, drained and diced
• 2 Limes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Dice tomatoes, mangoes, and peaches then place in a colander to drain. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained tomatoes, mangoes, peaches with the rest of thje chopped/diced ingredients. Fold together with a large spatula taking care not to over-mix (to avoid unwanted 'mushiness'). Add peppers and fold. Slice two limes in half and squeeze over ingredents and fold again. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least two hours before serving. The longer you let it sit, the more rich and complex the flavor will be.

Note: The measurements for jalepenos and other peppers are approximate. The ingredients as listed above make the equivalent of a medium salsa. For you 'Captain Caliente' types who like to feel the burn, add as much fuego as you want. But be warned: the salsa is ALWAYS spicier after it chills for a couple of hours! If you're unsure how spicy you want it, wait until the ingredients have had time to get to know each other before you add more. If you're like my Mom who thinks black pepper has 'a little too much kick', you may want to forgoe the peppers altogether. (Jake is usually sweet enough to make a separate little batch just for her!) Happy snacking!
Ole!

Happy Thought Thursday *On Friday*

I thought about not doing a happy thought yesterday because someone did this to my car:




Needless to say I was not at all pleased, but surprisingly, I wasn't that mad either. Jake and I filled out the police report and all of that and then I just cleaned it up. I was mostly upset because I had some fun Valentine's Day things that I wanted to do, but instead ended up cleaning out my car. . .and driveway. What a mess!

However, I still was able to throw together a dinner consisting of homemade pizza, yummy salad from The Crooked Carrot and a Valentine's Day cheesecake! (if you haven't had the salad from CC, you need to!) Mmmmm!

Yes, that is ranch dressing on my plate to dip my pizza in. Don't you know that is a food group in our family!? :)

I am so pleased with my little impromptu heart design I did on the cheesecake! Sometimes I can be a little creative. Check it out! I just used a cookie cutter. Pretty easy. This is the pre-cooking picture, but it looked exactly the same after baking!

After dinner Patrick went to sleep and the rest of us played Old Maid. Disney Princess Old Maid that is! Everything is better with princesses on it! We had a great time and all laughed when someone got the Old Maid. The girls have not learned the whole 'poker face' thing yet so it was easy to figure out who got it! All in all, it was a great day.

And yes, the van is fixed now!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *Dancing Queen*

I love to dance! Actually, I have to dance!

When I'm in the car, at home or even in the grocery store, if I hear a song that I like or something with a great beat, I have to dance! I have been like that as long as I can remember. I especially loved to dance in front of an audience when I was really young.

My sister and I used to go dancing twice a week. Every week in the summer. Wednesdays and Saturdays were our nights to get our groove on! If you are familiar with Salt Lake, The Bay was our danceclub of choice.

Now, the thing about The Bay was that it was an 18 and older club, and I was only 16. Being that my sister Keri loved dancing as much as I did, and the fact that she didn't particularly love driving, she was nice enough to sneak me in if I drove to the club.

We had it all figured out. She would go and get in line with her driver's license, and I would wait for about 15 or 20 people to go in, then I would use her college i.d. to get myself in. I would feel really bad about this, but they didn't serve alcohol there, so I didn't see the big deal. In fact, when I did turn 18 we were bored with The Bay and decided to start sneaking into the 21 and older clubs. (yet again, another blog post!)

After we would get in, it was non-stop dancing for hours! No wonder we were in such great shape back then. We would tell each other that we would stop on the next dull song, but that never seemed to happen, and we would rarely leave the dance floor. We met a lot of cool people and a lot of losers, but overall it was great innocent fun. (I swear!)

Jake is also a dancing freak! He even took breakdancing lessons when he was little. Like 8 or something. When he and I were dating we went to his cousins wedding in Denver. At the reception they had a dj, and Jake and I danced the entire time. I'm sure we were very entertaining. SO much fun! No wonder we get along so well.

What I really miss is hip-hop classes. Yes, I did say hip-hop. In my last neighborhood, my friend Debbie and I would go to the 'rec' to dance. It was so great. The best part was that I wasn't the oldest! I was really worried that it would be full of cute little high school girls showing everyone up, but there were even people my moms age there!

I have very few dance songs on my iPod. It is too tempting to want to dance instead of run. I have to be very selective. I have also found a bellydancing workout on fitTv called Shimmy. Yay, a workout with more dancing!

Nowdays I have to resort to dancing around the house with my kids. I think they all have the dancing bug as well, especially Patrick. He sure likes that Justin Timberlake! Yes. . . I'm so proud!





The End.

No Ask Me Monday?

Have you noticed that I am skipping the 'ask me Monday' post? That's because I am not getting any questions! (hint) So, if there is something you want to know....well, you know what to do. :)

Fun Food Friday *Cafe Rio Salads*

In Utah it's called Cafe Rio, here I believe it is Costa Vida, either way they have really yummy salads! This is the recipe for the pork, but you can use chicken as well. I have seen quite a few versions of this recipe, but this one worked well for me!


Pork

• 4-5lb. pork roast chicken breasts
• 1 can green chilis
• 1 small bottle of salsa (or 1 can red enchilada sauce)
• 1 can of Coke (diet or any caffineated beverage of your choice)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic mined

Put pork and garlic in crock pot and add water until it reaches half way up the roast. Cook on high for 3 hours or until you can pull the meat apart easily. At that point, drain the water and add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook for 2 more hours or until the meat reaces the appropriate temperature. I don't always add a full cup of sugar if I add salsa instead of the enchilada sauce. I also usually use diet coke and it is still plenty sweet!

To serve, sprinkle a little bit of cheese on a tortilla and warm up slightly. At Cafe Rio they put the tortilla in a pie tin. I think it is easier to eat this way. Put a scoop of the pork in the tortilla, as well as some black beans and steamed rice. Top with salad greens, avacado and tomatoes. And of course, don't forget the creamy salad dressing (see recipe below), and the crispy tortilla strips on top!



Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

• 1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (you can use light or fat free)
• 2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy.

Use a food processor or blender to mix! This makes quite a bit, and I love it on tacos or just to dip chips in as well!

There is a recipe for the cilantro-lime rice, but I just squeeze a lime over my finished salad Maybe next week I'll do the rice recipe to go with Jake's fresh Peach Mango Salsa! You don't want to miss this recipe! Find it here next Friday!

Happy Thought Thurday *Sleepy Sunday*

Last Sunday was so great!

Maddy and Miranda got up and made breakfast all by themselves. When Patrick woke up, Maddy got him out of his crib and fed him too. On the weekends, we only wake up when the kids come in and get us, so Jake and I were totally oblivious to all of this and got to sleep in until 9:30!!

When we did finally wake up and went downstairs, Maddy proudly showed us the breakfast that she had set out on the table, and told us that she had also changed Patrick. We were truly surprised! My little ones are growing up way too fast and this just reminded me even more of that!

I just had to take this picture of the 'spread' and Miranda looking so proud! I loved that they put the fruit in the tortilla warmer and had mixed the orange juice all by themselves!

This picture makes me smile so much that I just might start putting fruit in the tortilla warmer myself!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *Picky*

It's only 11:30 pm so technically it is still Tuesday!

This may embarrass Jake a little, but oh well, it's never stopped me before! :) Not really, I actually got his permission on this one. He thinks I will be more embarrassed by admitting this. Hmmm. We'll see.

Well, those who know me best, know that I am a little hyper. I have a hard time holding still, holding my toungue. . .you get the idea.

Nighttime is the only time that Jake and I really get a chance to talk without interruptions or distractions, so we will either sit on the couch or lie in bed and chat. The problem comes when I haven't wound down properly by either reading or doing yoga, and I get a little restless and fidgety.

If the lights are on and Jake is talking non-stop (which never happens), I have this horrible habit of searching his face for blackheads. I know. This is gross! I can't help myself! I don't even pick at my own face, but for some reason I can't concentrate on what he is saying if there is a pimple staring me down!

He obviously hates that I do this and I kind of do too but for some reason I still do it. This actually used to cause fights between us, so I have really tried to refrain. In fact, it has been at least 2 months. . . ok. . . 2 weeks? Really, I used to be much worse. The things my Jakey puts up with!!!!

The End.

Desert Running

Desert Run
Originally uploaded by karolee.fritz

I Know I Know!

It's only my second week of blogging and I'm already behind in my posts! Don't worry, I have some unscheduled time tomorrow that I can catch up! See you all then!

Fun Food Friday *Basil & Tomato Pasta*

This is a recipe that I have had since college. One of my housemates, Brooke would make this pasta for us. It smells SO good while it is cooking. It tastes like you really spent a lot of time, but it is a meal that I can whip up in 15 minutes flat!

Basil & Tomato Pasta

• 2 cans of Italian stewed tomatoes
• one whole garlic bulb (minced)
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• small bunch of fresh basil
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

• options (add cooked shrimp or chicken chunks for variety) shrimp is VERY good in this!

Saute garlic and olive oil in a frying pan until lighly browned. (only a few min.) Add stewed tomatoes and basil. Let simmer on med heat while you cook angel hair pasta. (cook pasta according to directions on pkg.) Add whipping cream to tomato mixture. Only cook long enough to heat whipping cream. Remove from heat. Drain pasta and toss with tomato sauce together. See.....easy!

Serve with some yummy crusty bread from the Olive Mill and you're set! Enjoy!

Thursday Happy Thoughts *Favorite Things*

I have this secret dream that someday I'll be in the audience at an Oprah taping, and of course it would be an "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode where she gives away all the cool loot.

While of course that would be totally amazing, I started to think of the things that have brougt joy to my life. There is too many to name, but I thought I would at least try to pick a few:

• Perfect weather and green grass. Ok, I know, the weather here is lovely, but finding a really nice patch of greeness on a perfect day is very rare. I love laying on my back, pointing out shapes in the clouds with my kids and running my fingers through the cool blades. I long to roll down a hill or run barefoot through a park.

• All the 'firsts' of motherhood. The first pregnancy where you can't stop thinking of the miracle that is forming inside of you. The first minutes with your new baby in your arms, and you really understand what love is. The first real smile. The first laugh. The first tooth, first word, first step....

• Desserts. You could proably talk me into doing anything you wanted with the promise of a warm, super fudgy brownie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Of course gourmet cheescake would be even better. Ya, I'm that easy.

• The little things. Your favorite song on your drive to work. A card or email from a friend that says exactly what you needed to hear that day. An entire day that the house stays clean. A nice neighbor taking the time to clear the snow off your driveway or sidewalk. A long walk with someone you love.

• Quality time with my family. It doesn't matter if we are on vacation, playing games, or watching movies. Just taking the time to relax and have fun together is great. One of my favorite childhood memories was helping my parents in the garden with the whole family. I had some of the best talks with my dad in that garden.

It's easy for me to get caught up worrying if my kids have all they want or need, and wonder if we are all missing out on the 'cool loot' that is available. I need to keep this list close and try to remember that it's our experiences that will always be with us when all of the other things are gone.

Though, come to think of it, a new NikonD80 would be so cool!

Juicy Tidbit Tuesday *B Button*

Well, you can probably guess from the title what my little secret is. Now remember, because you come here to visit my blog, you get to see a little more about the crazy things I have done. And maybe some things I continue to do!

The spring after I graduated from high school, I thought it would be a great idea to get my belly button pierced. I had wanted to do this for a long time, and thought because I was in college I could do whatever I wanted. Yes, I was a tad rebellious back then. Of course I'm not anything like this anymore!

I had taken my best friend Mary to get her's done in Las Vegas by some creepy old guy at this 'beauty salon' that also did permanant makeup and whatnot. I would've gotten mine pierced at the same time, but I was poor that weekend so I just went along for the ride. Mary was a little woozy on the way home, so I drove her car back to Cedar City and got my first speeding ticket. (but that's a totally different post) I still don't think my parents know about that!

After seeing that Mary didn't get some gross infection in the following weeks I got up the courage to do mine too. Back then you had to go to a tatoo parlor to have it done. I'm sure you could walk into Target or anywhere now, but this was a long time ago when this was a new thing. Yes, I'm kind of old.

I went to State Street, found the 'nicest' looking tatoo parlor and held my breath. I don't remember much except that the tech. used some sort of nitrogen spray to numb my stomach and then grabbed this HUGE curved needle and. . .OUCH! Done. It must have been really long ago because I swore my sister was with me but I just talked to her and she said it wasn't her. I think she is trying to claim ignorance on this one. Come one Keri, mom and dad weren't that mad!

I don't really know why I got it done. I never showed it off because I didn't want my parents to find out (they found out 2 years later), and I kind of forgot about it until I was pregnant with Maddy. It didn't look so cute showing through my shirts when my belly started to really stick out, so I decided to take it out, and then I just never put it back. Now you know.

The End.

Ask Me Monday *Snowflakes*

My mother-in-law asked me how to make these, so I guess that can count for my "Ask Me" day. Try them out and let me know what you think!

The librarian at Maddy's school taught us how to make these cool snowflakes, and they are actually quite simple. I've added photos to help with the construction because I don't think I would be able to explain the process properly.

1) Ok, first start with 6 squares of paper, all the same size. Then fold each one into a triangle, and fold again, making a smaller triangle like this:



2) Next, make four cuts along the longest end of the triangle, taking care not to cut the fold. Do this to all 6 triangles:



3) Now, unfold the triangle, and it should look like this:



4) Take the very middle piece of paper and roll the ends together and tape.



5) Do the same thing with the next 'ring' but fold it BACKWARD. The next one is FORWARD again, and you alternate until it looks like this:



6)Now do that to all of the 6 pieces and then you will attach the SIDES of 3 papers you have rolled. Like this:



7) Take the ends of the three now hooked together and staple all three together at the bottom .



8)Repeat step 4 and 5 with the remaining pieces, and then staple the two sides together in the middle and. . . you're done!



These are so easy to make and you could easily add some 'bling' with glitter, or use sparkly paper. Maddy and Miranda both love to make snowflakes and these ones don't require picking up millions of paper scraps when you're done!

Fun Food Friday

These are brownies that I only make when I really want to impress someone, or on special occasions. You'll see why when you look at the ingredients! I am a brownie lover, so when I find a good recipe I hold onto it. I found this one in the newspaper a couple of months ago.

These turn out pretty dense and rich, which in my opinion, is what a good brownie should be. I love the crusty edges and corners, and I usually save those for myself! I deleted the nutrition information because if you saw it you would not make these! But once in a while it just doesn't matter! So enjoy!


Man-Catcher Brownies
Makes twenty-four 2 1/4 -by-2-inch brownies

This recipe is a result of Leigh Lambert's many experiments to create the perfect brownie: thick, moist and chocolaty. These are for purists who like nothing but brownie in their brownie, but chocolate chips or toasted chopped walnuts could be added.

*12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter
*2 cups cocoa powder, sifted (natural or Dutch process)
*6 eggs
*2 cups sugar
*2 cups packed light brown sugar
*2 tablespoons vanilla extract
*2 cups flour
*1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking oil spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the sugars and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Add the cooled butter-chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and salt until just combined; do not overmix. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, making sure the corners are filled. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a crust forms on the surface and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool completely before cutting the brownies.

What you might find here. . .

Because I am so organized, um well trying to be more organized, I thought I would have some sort of schedule to my blog. I am going to try and have a weekly line up that will go something like this:

*Ask Me Mondays - I'm hoping you can all help me out with this one. You can email, call or whatever, with any questions you can think of. I'll try to make my answers as honest and interesting as I can. Anything goes! I'll pick one question a week!

*Juicy Tidbit Tuesdays - I'll share something about me (or maybe someone else), that you may not know, and won't hear anywhere but here! :)

*Happy Thought Thursday - I get plenty of negative news from TV, newspaper, etc., so I thought I would share more positive stories and thoughts. If you hear something that makes you feel good about life or is uplifting, share it, I'll post it here.

*Fun Food Friday - I'll post a different recipe every Friday. If there is something I have made that you like, let me know and I'll put it on the blog! Tomorrow's will be "Man Catcher Brownies". YUMMMMM!

Ok, this should keep me on track! The rest will just be randomness! Thanks for reading!