...and I'm gunna win that blue ribbon...

Utah State Fair time.
Ben calls me last monday and says that he has just learned that there is still time to enter some goodies to be judged in the state fair. He has from Monday night to Wednesday at noon. The next couple of nights were a trial and error.... but here are the successes...
A beautiful rising white bread loaf...
Excellent motion capture in the Kitchen Aid ... whipping up the chocolate marshmallows
Finished results.....ready to be entered..
So Ben leaves school a little early to get down to the fair by Noon.

The next 24 hours are brutal.
I wake up Thursday morning at 8am and Ben is laying there on his back.... "someone knows the results".....
He'd been awake the last 2 hours.... like a kid at christmas morning. I drug my feet getting ready "...so don't you think we should swing by the store before we go to the fair?"
Poor Ben. :)

We rush back to the arts and crafts building ....aaaaannnnnddddd.....

4th place with Marshmallows - which was kinda a bummer....but still!
and 2nd place!! Excellent bread :)

He's already practicing what to make for next year.

Correction

I need to clarify a statement made in my previous post.

In reference to the slice-able bread. Ben had been successfully making bread for many years and was a success on his FIRST try at slice-able sandwich bread. Very buttery. Very good.

.... I just want the world to know how awesome he is!

I used to be pretty good at keeping an updated blog. Over the last month I've taken pictures thinking - this is a great thing to 'blog' about.
However, now it's become one whole pile of random stuff I'm going to 'blog' about.

First is the Bear Lake Trip. It was cold for August! I don't mind the cold. Long story short - we had to drive back one car short ... which included stuffing a lot of our gear + one passenger into Jake's top-less four runner. The back seat ride with the wind blowing in your hair wouldn't be a big deal .... if it hadn't been cold and rainy.
Dad took the job and we triple wrapped him in a tarp. What a trooper...
My youngest brother got his mission call last month! He also is currently working at the Temple Grounds down town. The same week he was to get his mission call - he was weeding and look what was smiling up at him. ONLY on temple square are the flowers this happy :)

Got to meet with "Little Sister" Jordan last week. We visited the aquarium in sandy and then went to McGraths fish house. Looked at fish...then ate fish! Here she is petting a sting ray.
*Sigh* Through out history those with brilliance also have a dash of crazy. Ben received one of those cards that you have to call in every night to see whether or not you have to show up for jury duty. Well.... last night BEN FORGOT TO CALL. This morning- I was looking through my purse and found the 'jury card', called in, and sure enough ---- he had been summoned for jury duty. Right on the card it says that if you don't show up you'll spend *up to* 30 days in jail and a $1000 fine.
What.
I had a panic attack and tried to get a hold of ben - but he doesn't have reception in his classes. So I called the college of pharmacy to PULL THAT MAN OUT OF CLASS!!! Kind of a scary moment, but turns out the courts aren't eager to throw you in jail. He showed up almost 4 hours late.... and they said it was okay. No fine. No jail. We just have to do the whole 'call in' thing again next week. So, take your jury duty seriously......
August marked Ben's 3rd year at Pharmacy school! For my birthday, my sister in law, Shelby, gave me this monster cup cake holder. It's crazy. But cool.
All summer we've been trying to grow stuff out of buckets on our front porch. Never really worked out. It MAY have something to do with the fact that I couldn't remember to water them.... but there's no proof.
So, I pretty much let them die - but they are still one the porch.
The other day I was opening the screen door wide for Reg - and noticed this mellon coming off the dead bucket plant!!! NO WAY!!! Look how cute and little it is! Smelled good. Looked good. ... didn't taste so good....
Next year - I'll water 'em.
Clean the carpets with w/the Rug doctor every other month. Dogs hate it. Grounded to the couch with all the other living room junk.
SUCCESS!!! Slice-able homemade sandwich bread! Ben's been working on this for years! The one had a huge bubble... but still was fantastic. Now... we just need to adjust the recipe to include wheat and to be able to go in the bread machine. :)
Finally. My favorite power ranger - the one I had a crush on in Jr high - is now an Ultimate fighter. I can't decide if it's a step up or down.
I love you Tommy.

How to:

How to Roll out Pie Crust when you forget the wax paper and the rolling pin.

This last weekend - Ben and I went with his parents up to a cabin of a friend- near Kamas...sorta. But it was a really cool place! On the outside had all the necessary 'cabin features': surrounded by woods, humming bird nest + babies!, river running through the back yard, a fire pit, and just chilly enough for a hoodie. The inside had all the comforts you don't find in the woods: hot tub, full kitchen, very comfortable beds, massage chair, and satellite tv. Excellent combination. :)

Ben brought up the stuffs to make a peach pie.
Except for the wax paper and the rolling pin!

Not to worry. His brilliance kicked in.

The 'cold' coke bottle had a surprisingly positive effect on keeping the dough cold (which is important in rolling it out... don't want the butter to melt.)
It turned out to be the best pie crust he ever made!
Ben's pies always taste and LOOK good :)
We need to let Elton Brown about this new cooking trick!

Guatemala!!

So my youngest brother got his mission call today! He's going to Guatemala!
It's going to be a very exciting mission for him and I really feel that he's going to love love love it. I am also glad that he opening his call feeling a strong spiritual conformation.

Tonight as I look at pictures of the people and the landscape - I'm kinda jealous!
Beautiful place with deep history. He doesn't leave until the first of December - so I'm sure there will be many more 'Guatemalan posts'.
"That kids sucks" (kim and jake joke.)

Guatemala is the home of the Mayan heritage! Won't it be cool to check out these ruins on a P-day?
Small town life will probably be the most memorable.
As Ben says - love the food. Where ever you go - love the food. This looks like pots of Salsa.
I'm excited for you Jake!

Quick Mike update - He has been transferred to 'Indiana, Pennsylvania' . Spitting distance from his last area. We haven't heard from his since his transfer - and were all WAY bummed out that we couldn't get him on the phone for Jake's mission call opening.
... Mike had this dream of buying a hippy van and driving out to pick up Jake from his mission. Not sure you can drive to Central America....

Dear Carrie - future knitter.

You're christmas request is so easy! It's just a big square!
You can learn to knit!

I love to knit because it's travel size (depending on what you are working on, of course) but you can take it any type of waiting room, meeting, changing the oil, waiting for hair cut, or just a quiet activity but you remain productive. I also love that it is almost a mindless craft. That you can watch tv or a movie and knit away.



If you are new to knits - I would suggest getting a set of needles you LOVE in size 6. I use 6's the very most and wanna love those needles. I would suggest wood or bamboo vs metal. Your yarn can slide right off a metal needle.
A good thing to learn first - is the square wash cloth.

You'll want cotton for that project.


Next! Yeah for Youtube - why re-invent the wheel when it's already on youtube.

You'll want to cast on:
This video is good - can't see what's she's doing very well -but the instructions are written out. It's the easiest way I've see it done.
This video is how I do it - but it's tough to see on video.

You'll want to cast on 25.

As the 2nd video says..... don't pull yarn too tight on the needle. Keep it loosy goosy.
Tight yarn will stress you out.

Then you knit!

This video does another good job of showing cast on .... but then shows you how to continue. ...

Hold your work in the left hand and 'knit' it on the right hand. When you're finished with the row (like it shows in the video) switch the needles to the work (already knitted part) is in the left hand and your knit again to the right.
Over and
over and
over and
over and
over and...... sigh.... And you'll see a little square forming. :)
REMEMBER to keep the stitches loosy goosy.... not flopping around.... but not ultra tight on your needle.

Ta Da! The Garter stitch.
You're first blogger knitting lesson.

--- from these standards I'm ULTRA patriotic. :)

Success

I need to send out to the universe of bloggers my little success.
For the last 7 months I have been a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. My 'little sister' is a darling and typical 15 year old girl. She has plenty to talk about and lots of things she wants to do.
I do have to say that it wasn't the easiest start. We had trouble planning which days I could come, and what to do..... but she is a great sport, helps with activity ideas, and is excited about whatever we are doing.
For 7 months I drop her off back to her house and she'd walk directly down stairs to her room. Like I wasn't even there! Never said thanks, or bye, or see ya.... just - gone.
I was left standing there like --- ooookay.

BUT!
Last week! It came!
We didn't even do anything special. We spent the 2 hours making pasta for dinner and playing rock band at my house. I drove her home and walked her inside - she walked into the next room - just like before - but as I was leaving from the kitchen she yelled BYE KIM!!

YYEEEAAAHHH!!
Success! I know it seems so small it's lame. But it's huge -let me tell you.

Now a small pitch for this. I work for this organization - and we NEED volunteers. I know it sound intimidating and time consuming - it's not. You only need to do 2 activities a month and a couple ours each time.
YOU CAN NOT TELL ME that you DO NOT have 2 hours every other week that is not just laying around. Seriously. That COULD be used for bowling, or movies, or rock band, or baking, or frisbee.... with kid! It really is fun and it really is worth it.
It takes a community to raise a child. :) What could you possibly loose???
Check out THIS and THIS video for inspiration

And the bbbsu website for detailed information.
(we take couples matches too!)


Little Sister!!