christytomlinson

Apron Instructions, sledding and family pictures...

So today we thought it would be fun to go sledding with my brother and his family.. since we have at least 4 or more feet of snow outside (and still counting)... but we only lasted about 5 minutes when we realized the snow was WAY too deep and too powdery, and FREEZING outside!   It was pretty funny when nearly all the kids got stuck in the snow trying to climb their way back up to the top. But they did! and they had alot of fun! We might have to try it again on another day, when the snow has packed a little and the wind isn't blowing so hard.. good times! LOL..

We took family pictures yesterday.... well let me rephrase that..on our way to church at 8:30 am in the morning, I noticed that all of my kids were wearing the sweaters that I had bought them for winter, Ben included. Allie had on a dress that somewhat matched, and so did I, so  I had this great idea that right AFTER church I would have my friend follow us home and take our family pictures outside in our back yard against the pine trees and snow.... but whenever we "plan" pictures, it never works out. SO i didn't tell my kids until on the way home from church.  We live just 2 blocks away, so basically when we got in the car to go home, I said "okay.. here's the deal, we are going home, but when we do, DON'T get out of the car, I am going to run into the house, and get my camera, and Kara is following us home and we are going to head straight to the  back to the backyard and take family pictures. EVERYONE is going to smile, because if YOU DO, I will let you open one of the presents under the tree that is for the entire family. But the means NO crying, no saying "it's freezing outside", I'm cold, the snow if too deep.. etc". I told them, I KNOW it is cold, I know it's freezing and the snow is too deep, so there is no sense in stating the obvious! AND you  all need to continuously smile for 60 seconds while Kara takes pictures,  so that the ONE time I know the Noah (our 3 year old) will be looking at the camera, so would will all of you. So let's do this!"   SO.. we did it!  We actually  had to drive our Excursion to get back to our back yard because the snow was so deep, but the kids were so good! They got out of the car, I put them into their spots, she snapped photos for 60 seconds straight (even when were were talking)  and they were done! LOL.. Now THAT IS MY kinda of taking pictures!! No planning, no big production.. just simple, catch them off guard, bribe your kids.. kinda of thing.. and you get a decent family picture!!.. so THANK YOU KARA for battling the cold.. and taking our pictures.. YOU ROCK!   The funny things is, the last time we took family pictures was 2 years ago, when we were on our way home from church, and had the same idea, and Kara's DAUGHTER was in the car with us and as a last minute thought, I asked her to take some pictures of us in the backyard (she was 10 at the time). Too funny, that's just the way we roll.

So merry Christmas from our family to yours..

oh! and before I go, I had several people ask me how to make the aprons I mentioned on my last entry.. I decided to add them to our Scarlet Lime Newsletter that went out today.. so here they are! Enjoy!

http://www.scarletlime.com/Pk%20Instructions/Aproninstructions.html

Have a wonderful Holiday!


Christy

Me in the kitchen... (yes i SAID KITCHEN).. :)

so.. as MANY of my friends and family know.. I don't really cook. I mean I do when it's required of me.. BUT I have to say, MOST of the things I make.. DON'T turn out! LOL.. Ask my husband, ask my kids..

Heck ask anyone! LOL.. My husband thinks it's because I am always in too much of a hurry and I don't read directions right, or I want to cook everything on high.. but you know what?  I don't think I ever learned growing up what temperature you are to cook things at.. I mean like eggs for example.. always on high? right?  meat.. always on high right?  Just didn't know that somethings need to cook at different temperatures in order for them to turn out better.. I also misread ingredients ALOT or just mISS ingredients alot and that is probably a result of my brain doing too many things at once (made brownies from the box once and forgot the eggs, made cupcakes last week for my kids.(again from the box) and thought it was weird it called for 1 1/4 cup of oil AND 1/2 cube of butter (even I know that THAT is alot of fat for one cake).. and realized only after I took it out and it fell apart.. that it was actually supposed to be 1 1/4 cup of WATER.. not OIL! LOL).. anyhow.. I just move to fast..

anyhow.. I was at my mom's house for Thanksgiving dinner and it was our job (I say "our" but really Ben's job) to cook most of the meal. He volunteered and so he did dutch over turkey, yams, stuffing, fried a turkey, we made pies, and we did mashed potatoes.. and that is where I come in. He finally got me talked into helping and gave me the simple task of making banana cream pie.. which I thought would be easy, until I tried to put all the ingredients in an unbaked pie shell and my husband was looking me.. like... are you kidding me?? I was like what?? and he said.. you have to cook the PIE crust FIRST!  I DIDN"T KNOW??? LOL.. so we got that all squared away.. but then we needed another pie, so I looked up a recipe on my FAVORITE cook book ever.. the Presto Ward Cookbook.. I gave my entire family it one year for Christmas.. and even ben's family.. and everyone loves it. It has the best recipes.. mostly farmers from our small town from where we use to live.. and I mean the best! So there was a chees pie recipe.. and my mom had all the ingredients, so I decided to make it.. well I got out here sunbeam STAND mixer (note.. I DO not own or have ever owned a stand mixer.. because what was the point ? I don't cook!).. and I was IN LOVE!!! I mean.. I couldn't believe how nice it mixed the cream cheese with the whip topping.. (which by the way.. even though I misread the directions and added 4 times too much cream cheese.. it turned out WONDERFUL so we now make it with that much cream chees! LOL.. sometimes my mixups actually make it better.. okay.. only this one time LOL !)..  AND THEN! I decided to get really creative and use it to MASH the potatoes! I was in heaven!  I was thinking.. this is why I haven't cooked in the past.. I mean except out of a box! because I was donig everything by hand! and a STAND mixer was like.. GOLD!!!.. so when I set my mind to something I just go for it.. and i got on this kick after thanksgiving to get a stand mixer.. I LOVED my mom's.. but she and all my sisters informed me.. it wasn't really a good one.. and that to do bread or heavy stuff I would need a kitchenaid (BREAD?? are you kidding me? LOL.. i would NEVER make bread in my life.. that is what a breadmaker is for! LOL)..so I started doing some research online and decided i really didn't want a kitchenaid.. TO heavy and too bulky and it's NOT user friendly for short people.  I mean the gears to run it are on one side and the gear to lift the arm up and down is on the other.. for short people like me.. it's not the easy to reach over to the other side to get the levers.. so I need a SHORT person friendly mixer.. (which by the way is another reason its hard for short people to cook, we don't get the "leverage" like most people do when say.. using a can opener.. or mixing stuff in a pan.. etc.. because the counters are so high.. we don't get much leverage to use our muscles to do those things! LOL)..so THEN  Ben's sister, Jenni told me about the Bosh mixers and said I would probably LOVE those.. light weight.. can sit on the coutner all the time, and is great for short people! LOL (though she has a kitchenaid and is tall)..so I did more research and after countless hours.. I bought a bosch (for myself for Christmas). We bought the mixerthat goes with it to and the food processor (though I was thinking.. would I ever use it??).. and then as we were getting ready to leave the store.. the lady kept telling me to come back and she would teach me how to make bread. I laughed and said.. oh I don't cook.. this is just for mashing potatoes and making cookies.. but thanks anyways.. and then she mentioned that it was SO easy..(I remember my mom making bread growing up.. and I remember it NOT being easy.. the whole yeast thing.. the kneeding, the rising .. all that stuff.. just crazy).. and she was talking to  my husband and i heard her say.. you just put all the stuff in the mixer with the bread kneeder on, walk away, let it kneed for 10 minutes, then come back, plop it in the pans and let it rise and you are good to go!

I literally turned around and put my  hand up and said.. STOP.. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY???  All I have to do is put the stuff in the mixer.. walk away.. come back and then I have dough?  well heck.. I CAN DO THAT!

Soo.. guess what the first thing I made with my mixer was.. NOT mashed potatoes, NOT cookies.. I MADE BREAD!! FROM SCRATCH! I even found some packages of yeast that Ben's sister had left in my cupboard.. Not only did I make ONE loaf of bread.. i actually made 8!!  My first loaf didn't turn out quite as nice as I had expected.. we keep our flour in the fridge because we hardly ever use it and so it doesn't go bad (too funny because most people can go through flour fast enough to not worry about putting in the refrigerator)..and I just thought ben kept in there because you were supposed too.. I didn't know until after I made the first loaf of bread that he only kept in there because I never used it! LOL.. anyhow.. needless to say, my cold flour killed my yeast and my bread didn't rise.. I almost gave up and said I would never try it again.. but Ben rescued my bread.. added some more yeast.. and then we baked it. I also realized after I made it that it was actually supposed to be 2 loaves, NOT one.. so it came out EXTRA Tall! LOL.. but  then I decided I wasn't going to let my first loaf get the best of me.. so I  found a different recipe online.. one that said (fail proof)..and this time, used Room temperature flour.. and realized BEFORE it was too late that the recipe I was doing actually made 4 loaves of bread.. and they ALL TURNED OUT!! so then I made more! LOL.. then the NEXT  day.. I made sour cream sugar cookies.. (FROM SCRATCH! I have never made sugar cookies from scratch before.. we just always buy the pre-made dough ones.. or ben makes them).. then this week I made 4 more loaves of bread, banana bread, and are you sitting down... TODAY.. I made Cinnamon ROLLS!!!!!!!!  seriously.. ALL BY MYSELF! All of this since LAST Sunday ( I got the Bosch last saturday night..  a week or so ago)..  .. I know my family is dying right now.. because they know me.. and know that it is NOT possible! LOL.. but I did it! and they turned out so delicious.. I didn't realize they made so many.. so I took plates to all my neighbor's, friends and family.. (we can't eat 50 cinnamon rolls).. so that is my story! LOL.. Ben.. being the dork he is.. took pictures of me making bread and cookies last sunday.. he said he better get it on film.. because it might never happen again! LOL..  I AM OFFICIALLY A REAL BAKER!!.. I have also realized to just READ THE DIRECTIONS SLOWLY.... and like 4 or 5 times.. because sometimes my brain works to fast.. like today..in the rolls, I almost added 2 CUPS of sugar instead of 2 TBS.. good thing I caught that! LOL..

So I just had to share that with you! LOL.. I am going to try a NEW bread recipe that my friend Sherelleshared with me today.. actually I got the recipe for the cinnamon rolls of her website.. and actually 4 of the five meals i am doing this week are ALL from her website.. she has amazing recipes for crockpot meals.. and I have learned I am that kind of a gal, if I can stick it all in one pot.. walk away and come back 8 hours later with a good meal.. I am ALL over it (none of this cooking the meat first, then boiling the potatoes, then making a sauce.. etc)..I LOVE the crockpot idea.. it's kinda like the whole bread thing.. just so simple! 

But now I have realized I need to get a couple of Aprons.. because I might be able to bake now.. but I certainly can't do it without making a HUGE mess.. mostly all over myself. I actually MADE an apron (yes.. I know.. I sew sometimes too).. (i am wearing it the first picture)  we had a Super Saturday craft thing I was in charge of last month and one the projects we did was an apron you make out of two kitchen hand towels and ribbon. (love it because the edges are already finished because you use handtowels.. so it's my kind of apron!)  My friend showed me how easy they were, so i made up a couple of samples for people to sign up.  Anyhow.. I ended up cutting the ribbon off one side of the apron because we ran out of the stuff at the all day thing and someone else really wanted that ribbon for her apron.. so i just got off one of my side strings off the sample one I made.. but now it doesn't stay on very well. So I need to fix it.. But I realized I also need to get a full sized one.. because most of the flour, etc ends up on the top part of me.. so I spent alot of my night last night, looking on Etsy for a cute apron.. found some CUTE ones.. but they were like 30 bucks! and I am cheap! LOL.. so I might have to have Ben's mom make me some.. I found a really cute apron book.. and I might find some cute fabric and ask her if she will make me one :).  My Dear friend Jenn Jacobs actually made me one, last year.. SO stinking cute.. and.. after 3 months of it just hanging from my office door, I let one of my good friends daughter's use it for her cooking class at school (her and my oldest son braden are both in it together)..  this year because she couldn't find a cute the store.. and mine was just sitting her..  (she is like my second daughter)..she is going to give it back at the end of the year.. but I can't wait that long! LOL..  So until then, I need to find something to replace it.. so.. I will keep looking! Or I will break down and try and make an apron this week as well.. it's Christmas.. why not??

well sorry for the long post.. but I knew my family and friends would enjoy hearing about my adventures.. actually I posted it mainly because I knew they wouldn't believe it! LOL..  Love you all!

 

 

  

 

 

 

South Africa, Jet leg and Strep throat (twice??))

First off.. I am so sorry it's taken me so long to post about South Africa.. What an amazing, spiritual experience I had with my husband, and one of my closest friends, Melody Ross and her hubby mark! We had the best hosts EVER.. Retha and Zander.. seriously.. it couldn't have been any better!  The event we taught at was amazing.. the women we met there were awesome and awesome to support such a great event for Breast Cancer! We spent the first few days in Joberg (as the locals call it).. getting ready for the event and then teaching. The Canon ladies were SO much FUN! I had a great time getting to know all of them too! My only regret is that the first load of pictures I took, which included the event and our first day on our trip to the Safari.. for some reason aren't showing up on my CAMERA!! EKK!  So my super duper husband is going to see if he can find those for me.. I hope so!

After the event we took a road trip up North to HazyView, where we stayed for 5 days, and experience the real feel for South Africa!  A wonderful Safari in Kruger Park, The Elephant Sanctuary, roadside shopping, eating with bats.. you name it. we DID it! LOL.. and it was all in Mel and Chris "style".  ANd that was perfect because any one that knows Mel and I, it seems like something always goes a bit off, when we are around.. and LUCKILY Retha and Zander were just as laid back as we were.. so they didn't complain about all the little quirks we had and situations we got ourselves into! LOL.. it was fun.  So we went on the Safari To Kruger Park.. it's a National Park, that is about half the size of Idaho.. it reminded me so much of our mountains here.. but more green.. and we were told that because it was such a huge "reserve" we would most likely NOT see the "big five" in the day that we planned to stay there. The big five are the Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Lion, and Buffalo. NOT ONLY Did we see the BIG five.. but we also saw a CHEETA and WILD DOGS! which are two VERY rare things to see in the park. We saw all of this by 1:00 pm in the afternoon! I couldn't believe it!  We saw cubs with their mom, we saw a giraffe that had just given birth.. which by the way.. I LOVE giraffes.. TO ME they are the most beautiful animal ever.. we so so many of those.. and zebras, hyena's, baboons that were mating (don't ask).. and much more. We were SO Blessed.. SO blessed!  We kept pinching ourselves and telling each other how amazingly blessed we were to see all of that in one day.  There are people who live their whole lives there and don't see that in one summer!  It was crazy.. we took LOADS of pictures, and had a great time. We also went to an Elephant Sanctuary.. and was able to interact and ride the elephants.. we also did alot OF SHOPPING.. oh my gosh.. the beautiful things the South Africa people create. are AMAZING! Jewelry, scarves, carvings, bowls, you name it.. we brought home 3 full suitcases full of treasures. We also got to go the the Temple the last day of our Trip. We did a session at the Joberg Temple and it was such a spiritual session. I cried through most of it.  We cried when we had to leave.. it was just too WONDERFUL! We also visited a baby house.. a friend of Mel's that she met through her blog, that worked at a house for orphaned babies.. so we spent our last day there, visiting it. holding the babies and took a few fun things for them as well. That made my cry too..  We knew we would miss the people and the land. SO gorgeous there.. so green and lush!

So we got home and then Jet lag hit.. and BOY did it hit! I have never felt so emotional, physically and oh who knows.. but SICK in my life! For at least a week.. if not more! Body aches.. sleeping all the time.. but unable to sleep at night. feeling so overwhelmed.. wow.. and just this week.. when things felt like I was getting back on track.. I came down with a heavy Flu and strep! and I can't seem to shake it. I don't know if my immune system is down from traveling.. but i have had the sweats and the chills for 2 days straight.. going from hot to cold.. and sleeping constantly. It's our busiest time of the month for Scarlet Lime too.. and so that hasn't helped.. Right now my throat feels like it will just explode and I have been on antibiotics for almost 2 days now.  When I arrived in South AFrica.. I had a very sore throat and went to see a Doctor there and found out I had a minor strep infection.. but ALSO a viral infection in my throat.. so I wonder if it just kinda "went' away for a bit and then came back like a lion! (no pun intended! LOL... i say lol but really I am just laughing at myself because it's so late and i am beginning to write like a dork)..

So.. that is where I am at.. sick.. tired.. and so ready to feel good. Luckily we decided to decorate our house for Christmas BEFORE we had thanksgiving.. and so my house is full of Christmas trees, lights, lights, and more lights! and garland everywhere.. inside and out of my house!!!  LOL.. My rule is.. that once the decorations are up.. we get to listen to christmas songs until christmas. So everyday I get to listen to my "itunes" mix of christmas songs.. (not on my ipod of course. because I don't HAVE one (hint hint to ben for a good idea for a christmas present)..but on my computer with itunes. But none the less, it's cheerful, to have the music, the holiday decorations up, despite being sick!   And because it's our "busy time" at Scarlet Lime.. my house is also filled with TUBS filled with kits, waiting to be shipped out..starting monday.. so my house if feeling kinda crowded right now, but luckily I have spent most of the last two days in bed.. what a great husband I have.. that I can do that.  Ben spent the entire day canning APPLEsauce.. and it smells SOO good in our house. What a guy.. i wouldn't even know where to begin to do that.. and he does it all. I DID however make  individual cakes for my kids last week.. (now that is a funny store my old friends at CHatterbox would enjoy! LOL).. so I will tell that one another time.. I have pictures and EVERYTHING!@ LOL..

but that is all for now.. I am feeling SOo like I need to go back to bed.. i don't work on sundays and that only gives me one more full day to get all the orders entered for Scarlet Lime, so kits can start to ship out monday.. (now is the time I wish ben Knew how to do that).. but I just wanted to share my  wonderful South Africa experience.. it was amazing.. it was so good to be with Mel again.. We haven't seen each other in a year or so, and it was good to reconnect. To see her in such a good place. She doesn't realize how extremely talented she is.. and I can't wait to see what she does next! Thanks to Retha and Zander as well (and JOYCE! and their kids).. for a WONDERFUL TIME!! it was.. AMAZING!

here are jsut a few pictures from South Africa.. I have more on ben's camera.. but haven't had time to download them.. plus I am missing about 200 of them from the first 3 days.. AHH!! by the way.. this post is way to long to go back and read and edit.. so forgive me for the bad typos and anything else.. i claim being sick.. and so HOT right now.. that it doesn't matter (and HOT meaning.. feverish hot.. not "hot hot" because if you saw me.. you would be frightened.. just ask my SIL, she called me Medusa (is that how you spell it) because my hair is so.. and I look like.. well you know.. I AM SICK! LOL..

well better go..

p.s.  thanks to Jayla for the homemade soup, Kara for being so worried about me and for Tammy for the seriously sweet basket of sickness goodies (including hot chocolate.. my FAVORITE!).. love you guys!