More Pictures for Grandma

Here are a few more pictures of the girls (a one dog!) for the grandparents. We took these before we left for St. Louis.

Father's Day Weekend

We had a fun weekend-- Father's Day and Madison's last weekend without braces. They go on Monday!

Friday night we christened the new grill and grilled some chicken marinated in a mesquite marinade with lime. I did not get a picture because it was done so fast! While it was grilling I put together the salad to go with it! YUM! The girls gave Jared their Father's Day gifts a little early- the original Star Wars trilogy on dvd. We did a little Old Navy shopping and then to Coldstone (thanks to my neighbor who gave us a $25 gift card!!) Then we felt the need to walk that off, so we walked around the university before heading home.

Saturday we got a few chores done before driving to St. Louis with the girls. Once in St. Louis we stopped by Union Station for a bite to eat first and then went on over to the Scott Trade Center for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square concert. We were so lucky with our seats! Madison and I sat together on a side (but close) seats and Gabrielle, Jared and an investigator from our ward had floor seats. I only took one picture while they were entering. I did not want to be one of those rude people who take flash pictures all through a concert. This is the first time any of us had seen them in person and it was really fantastic. People talk about how they are as one sound and it is true! It was fun to watch Mack Wilburg, the director. The concert also included announcer Lloyd Newell from their weekly broadcast Music and the Spoken Word. We also enjoyed the talented musicians that make up the orchestra. The highlight (for me) was soloist Alex Boye´singing songs in the section "Songs of Faith and Hope". The program was so rich and diverse. It was definitely worth the drive there and back!

Sunday in Primary our family was the "spotlight" family. We told a little about ourselves and then the girls played two songs on their flutes. It was so quiet in there when they were playing it was amazing! After church Sunday we spent a relaxing Sunday afternoon watching some golf and doing some more grilling! We grilled a Hawaiian pork tenderloin and potatoes. Our other neighbor came over with some ribs as well. And we had the banana pudding squares for dessert. We love you Jared! You are the best! We hope you had a great weekend! Here are a few pictures!

Father's Day Dessert

I made these for Father's Day. I made them Saturday before we left for St. Louis so they could be all chilled and ready to go for Sunday, but we ended up sampling them before that. Jared wanted something with not a lot of calories, but still tasty. These only have 120 calories per serving (about a 2 inch square). It was funny that Jared got out a tape measure to cut them and make sure he was staying on track with the calories. This is a great summer dessert for those who like banana cream pie.

Banana Pudding Squares

35 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
3 bananas, sliced
2 pkg. (1 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
3 cups cold fat-free milk
1/2 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, grated

COMBINE crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate.

MIX cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spread over crust. Top with bananas.

BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min.; spread over bananas. Top with remaining COOL WHIP and chocolate. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Old Navy Coupons

So I found out something really cool. I am probably way behind on this and everyone already knows this, but I had never seen it before. Gabrielle wanted a flag hat from Old Navy for the Fourth of July so Friday I went on the their website and they had this game you could play to make your own coupon. I got a 15% off your entire purchase one. You have to play some sort of game, this time it was just clicking around to see where they were hiding. They only have so many of each coupon. There was one that was $50 off a $75 purchase! They load the coupons on their website on Thursday nights. New ones each week or so! When we got there all the men's stuff was 50% off as well, so Jared got some incredible deals on exercise clothes and stuff. Madison got some jean shorts on clearance, Gabrielle got her hat and some sunglasses and everyone went home happy! Yeah!

Boy Meets Grill

We got a new grill and here is Jared with all the parts. Sorry, I did not get an after photo, but it is now standing ready to grill. I have many desires for this addition to the deck. I hope for a cooler kitchen and lower utility bills (from not having to turn on the oven every night this summer). I hope for help with dinner. I hope for more family togetherness and even some fun entertaining. I hope to try lots of fun new grilling recipes, too. Most of all, I hope it gets cleaned! This is just a basic cheap-o model, (something my brother would probably buy his 10 year old son as a toy) but hopefully it will rise to the challenge of fulfilling all my grilling fantasies.

Chicken Burgers

I make turkey burgers all the time, but I had never made a chicken burger and really wanted to try it. So I finally tracked down some ground chicken and made this recipe that was on the back of the package. I made them as mini burgers (making 8) and served them on little Sara Lee sandwich rolls. They were so good! Great for summer time!

Smart Chicken Burgers

1 lb. Ground Smart Chicken ®
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 dash pepper
1 dash salt
Flour for coating

Dampen hands for easier handling. Divide chicken into four equal balls and press into four equal patties. Lightly dust patties with flour and season to taste with salt and pepper (I used garlic salt, too). Heat olive oil in 10-12 inch skillet. Cook patties on medium to high heat until patties are cooked through. (165° internal temp). Place patties on toasted buns and dress to your preference.

National Fudge Day

Did you know that June 16th is National Fudge Day? I found that out and since my electric skillet was already out, I made a batch with Gabrielle after dinner. We use a recipe from a dear friend of ours. Gabrielle even calls it "Brother Dalene Fudge". Jared usually makes the fudge in our family, but I think we did all right. He did help us testing to see if it had gotten to the right stage (soft ball). It is a pretty exact science! Here is the recipe. It is a little vague, but I will put it down as it is written.




Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups sugar
3 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 inch of a cube of butter (or the size of an egg)
1/8 tsp salt

Add the ingredients into an electric skillet. Mix together with temperature at 360°. Bring to a boil. Do not stir while it is coming to a boil. Test a spoonful in cold water. When it has reached the soft ball stage turn off the heat, add 1 Tablespoon of vanilla and 1 cup creamy peanut butter. Stir until stiff. Pour into a buttered 8 x 12 pan. Leave enough in the skillet for the kids and dad to scrap out. Refrigerate until cool.

See what I mean? A funny recipe, but so yummy. AND it is great for sharing with your friends and neighbors. Happy National Fudge Day! If you google "National Food Holidays" you will find a whole list for these types of days throughout the year. It is fun to see what is on or around your birthday.