Willard's 1st

We celebrated my nephew Will's 1st birthday sunday. Its a fun tradition in my family that we make the 1st birthday a big-to-do, the party is theme oriented and the b-day child gets their own little cake to dive in to while we all cheer them on. Some of my nephews were a little shy and barely touched their cakes but little Willy did not disappoint.

First he was a little timid.....

but after that first fist full of pure sugar he dove right in.

The theme of the party was "The Hungry Caterpillar" a book by Eric Carl. Karin thought it appropriate since this little tike loves to eat, especially fruit.

My sister Kate, Jenny, and I made several flavors of cupcakes for the adults. I got this great cookbook which we got a couple recipes from. 



I have a favorite cake flavor that I discovered in the Cake Doctor which I adapted for cupcakes. Its an orange dreamsicle cake and I developed an orange buttercream/cream cheese frosting we put on top. As the hungry caterpillar turned into a butterfly in the end of the book we decorated these cakes with Mandarin orange butterflies. 

We also made pineapple upside-down cupcakes, surprisingly easy to make and pretty impressive to display. We set out the cupcakes around a pineapple that we had cut a hole in the middle as to resemble the illustrations in the book of all the fruit that the caterpillar ate through.

We then made cup-o-dirt cupcakes for the older kids. Chocolate cakes filled with chocolate pudding topped off with chocolate frosting, cookie crumbs, and earthworms.

The chocolate pudding filling was a great hit, I got the recipe from one of my cooking classes at thanksgiving point.

Cream Filling

-1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 

-1/2 cup powdered sugar

-1/2 cup milk 

-1/4 cup sour cream

Beat until stiff peaks form, cut a small hole in the corner of a heavy ziplock bag, place a large gaged cake decorating tip in the hole. Fill the bag with the cream filling mixture. Insert cake tip into the top of the cupcake as far as you can, squeeze hard while pulling up out of the cupcake. This was the best way we found to fill the cupcake. 

Will is an adorable and happy boy. I had a blast watching him play and snapping shots here and there. Here are some of the favorites that I got.

A Concert Amidst The Elements

So we ventured out to the Death Cab for Cutie concert at Thanksgiving Point. It had been raining all day like it has been everyday lately (geeze!!!!) and we were worried about braving the elements when all we wanted to do was have some fun. But we pulled out the goulashes, coats, and camping chairs and then drove down the street. It was for sure bitter cold and moist (worst feeling in the world) and we had to wait a couple more hours because of a delay. But finally the sun came out to warm us with its rays for a few sweet moments before the return of the ominous clouds ("the nothing")... and then the concert began. A couple of what we thought were 12 year olds stepped out and began totally rockn' their guitars on stage, it turned out to be Tegan and Sara the opening band, of whom I am a big fan. Coolest twins ever. Then came DC4C. Always great to hear. Overall the music was awesome but by the end I was convinced that I had sacrificed a toe or two to frostbite. 

Kitch and Piecers.... always a great concert buddies.

Me want really bad!

Repetition by the Black Ghosts

I fell in love with this song (and the video I have to admit) but I want this song for myself so I can have dance parties with it whenever I want. Does anybody know where I can get/buy it? itunes and amazon are a bust.

Biking Spree

Reece and I just got mountain bikes and we are so excited. We got a couple of trail books and set a goal to go on one big ride a week and eventually check off all the trails listed. Our first ride was 30 miles round trip from the SLC airport to Saltair. Kitch came along and left us in her dust, guess those cycling classes at 24 hour fitness really do work. Ill have to start taking some cycling classes of my own so I can keep up with you girl. The trail was very flat, paved, and deserty, yet fun. We had great weather sunny and cool. We had some fun shooting pics on the salt flats that surround Saltair. 

Do you see me?...

yay for the onion dome motifs!

We passed this old trolly, I made everyone pull off for a photo op. It was just too amazing.


The next day I went on another 30 miler with my dad and Kitch. (Kitch = my baby sis Kate).

Reece was in too much pain from the sun burns he got from the ride the day before, so Ill have to take him back to bike this trail cause it was a blast.

The trail started at Utah Lake State Park and followed the provo river all the way up to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon a couple miles past Bridal Vail Falls. The experience was completely different from the ride the day before. The trail was always surrounded by lush vegetation and the river was a constant water element that provided a consistent cool breeze. The path was fun in how it wound across bridges and through multiple tunnels. Here are some pics of us at Bridal Vail Falls. Kitch with the Master (dad) he is totally pro and deserves La Yellow Jersey. Then Kitch and I. 

Girls Dinner

My sisters Jenny and Kate, and I had a girls dinner while our boys were out. Kate and I cooked two recipes we got from a cooking class that we took at Thanksgiving Point (the classes are total gems).

 

Italian Ziti

1 lb. sausage

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 red pepper sliced

1 large can fire roasted tomatoes, diced

1 cup tomato sauce

3 Tbsp. basil

2 tsp. oregano

2 handfuls of chopped spinach (good way to sneak greens past picky eaters)

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup parmesan

15 oz. ricotta (or you can use cottage cheese)

12 oz. ziti pasta

Saute onion and sausage in pan with olive oil. Add garlic (be careful garlic can burn easily) add the pepper, tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and spinach. Then mix in the cheeses. Spray a gratin dish and pour ziti mixture in. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 min.

We also made a lemon pudding cake but it was so yummy it was gone before we could shoot any pics.

Lemon Pudding Cake

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (you can use powdered buttermilk, it keeps longer between use)

1 cup sugar, divided

4 large yolks

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 

1/2 lemon zest

1.2 cup all purpose flour

1/4  cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

pinch of salt

3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a square glass baking dish. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat till peaks are stiff but not dry. Remove whites and put in a separate dish. Then beat buttermilk, the other 1/2 cup of sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, flour, butter, and salt in a mixer until smooth. Fold buttermilk mixture into whites in parts. Pour batter into dish and set that dish into a larger baking dish and pour water into the larger dish until water comes up the side half of the way. Bake until top is evenly browned- about 45 min. Cool completely before serving. We served it layered with whipped cream and raspberry sorbet. YUMMMMMMY!

We also whipped up a fruit salad reminiscent of my mom. 

-Mix chopped fruit and berries

-Then grind your choice of mint leaves, cardamom, ginger, or lime, lemon, or orange zest with 1 tablespoon of sugar

-Mix in sugar mixture with fruit and put in fridge

-The sugar will pull out the juices from the berries and create a yummy flavorful syrup for your fruit salad.

It was definitely Nora approved.

We then watched the season finale of the Office. Which all I have to say is "Come On!".... so close. 

Mother Dear

Happy Mothers Day.

I love you mom. Look....I now look like you more than I ever have before. Brown hair and hazel eyes.

I love you Mums. Thanks for raising such an amazing boy.

A New Look

So today Reece and I went and got haircuts. As most of the female population I am constantly in search of the perfect hairstyle. I have tried short, long, blond, brown, no bangs, swoop bangs, curly, and straight. So I thought that I would try an option reminiscent of my childhood days.... ....bangs. So far I like them... but lets hope its not one of those styles that when I go to style it myself it all goes out the window. As far as Reece's cut goes..... I usually cut his hair ever since my sweet hairstylist roommate Sarah taught me how back when Reece and I we were dating. But recently I thought my skilz were diminishing in that department so I made Reece get a professional cut so I could be reminded of how to do it right. But after all was said and done we both agreed that we like how I cut it better. It boosted my spirits to see that I could style my sweeties hair better than a pro.(secretly I want to know how to cut a mini faux-hawk on him, I think he would look so hansome.....maybe someday....shhhh dont tell.)

New Versatile Furniture

Our new chairs arrived today from Pottery Barn thus completing our new living room furniture set. The chairs are upholstered in a brown and white ticking stripe which goes nicely with our distressed leather sofa. I wanted pieces that could look modern or classic depending on what accents I put around them. I love how it has all come together. We also got green velvet slip covers for the chairs because I couldn't resist having the choice to change the look of the room without having to buy new furniture. Some people might think that we were a little daring getting chairs without arms but we found that the armless look has a couple of functional pros. First, no arms means the chairs are smaller which is perfect as our living room which is really quite small. And second we like the different ways we can position them to create new forms of furniture. I like pushing them together to to create one cute little Settee. (see pictures of real settees PB sells with my own created settees below).

Madison Spring Spectacular

Last fall we just finished our landscaping in time for the first frost. I had been itching to start my own garden and it was then too late then to plant anything but bulbs, so I ran out and got as many bulbs as Reece would let me (which was an amazing amount...he is too sweet). I only had a few days to do all my planting before we left for Japan so I worked endlessly two days straight digging in our impossibly hard ground. I definitely took a mental note to progressively till in new soil every season so I wont have to develop such painful blisters every fall.... wow what hard work. Luckily we also had amazing little tikes on our street who saw me "playing" in the dirt and wanted to join. I hoped that passers-by didnt think I was exploiting child labor, I kept yelling "They WANT to do this, trust me!". I did fully enjoy getting to know our little next door neighbor Mia, what an awesome girl. If I grew younger I would aspire to be just like her, a beautiful little tomboy who wants to paint her room camouflage. After all that work, we all stepped back and figured that we had planted 300+ bulbs! 

When April came I got a little nervous ....not a single spout. But I was told to be patient as we have been having a very cold and snowy spring. And two weeks later.... It finally happened, color exploded all over my front yard. Im pretty sure I look out my front window just to gaze at my flowers at least 5 times a day. Watch out Thanksgiving point....."The Tulip Festival" has a new rival up the street. (yeah, I wish). But still.... Yay for flowers! Yay also for our little pear tree in our backyard, its the only thing blooming its little heart out back there amidst the brown. These are some pictures I took this evening: 

Asta la vesta, baby!

Im finally free from the bonds of derivatives, integrals, taylor polynomials, electron wells, orbitals, nebulas, chemical formulas and equations. I finished my finals in Calculus and Physical Science.... my lasts stinkin' GE's that I have put off taking. Calculus sure gave me a scare and worked me hard, but physical science was a breath of fresh air. I went in expecting a hard and laborious science class but got a fun and extremely fascinating experience instead. Its funny to realize that the two subjects that I love the most are art and science, I love creating as well as learning about the world around me. I guess thats why photography is such a perfect fit for me as it is a very scientific art, every time Im in the darkroom I feel like a scientist working on an experiment..... chemicals, beakers and all. Now the only thing between me and a cap and gown is an online meteorology class. Graduation is finally in sight, just four months away!!!!!