The Result

Remember my last post where I had a minor panic attack? Well here is the source in its finished form.

I'm talking about the shirt not the person. :o) I just turned this in today, it is (finally) out of my hands. Now, on to more fun projects! My last and final project in intermediate sewing is a darling little girl's dress. I bought some super cute fabric with big colorful flowers and polka dots on it. This project involves all techniques I have already learned so it should be much less stressful and I have 5 more class periods to get it finished!

In other news, we have 9 days of school left! I'm starting to have some seriously bittersweet feelings as I imagine myself being done with team and leaving the student life behind. I am SO ready but my years at BYU have been some of my best. I think it is good to feel this way, big changes ahead and our future is bright! But we will never forget our wonderful time at BYU.

As of late, Jer and I have still been trying to eat healthier and bountiful baskets in conjunction with my blendtec are really doing the trick. :o) Tonight I am trying my hand at some Chinese food :o/ we got a great cookbook for our wedding from Jer's neighbors called Eating Well on a Budget. It is awesome. I'm making a recipe out of it called Szechuan Tofu and Green Bean Stir Fry. (we've cut way back on the meat and I have pretty much eliminated red meat for the most part) I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I'm so excited for General Conference. I remember as a little girl hearing people say that and wondering, "What the heck?" (Haha although I did like watching church in my jammies.) But nowadays, I can truly say I am SO excited! I love General Conference and the spiritual nourishment and boost it gives me. Another post soon and happy Wednesday!

Panic! In the Sewing Lab.

You know that song called Panic! At the Disco by Fall Out Boy? Well that is my theme song this week. Our team has managed to sandwich two weekends away for shows between a prep week for medals exams, concert ticket sales, regular homework, work, competition for my studio kids (which I will miss) and a major teaching day for my elementary teaching class (which I will miss) and last but CERTAINLY not least the due date for my ridiculously difficult sewing project: the man's tailored shirt.

Did I reach panic mode on Monday? Yes.

Did I have a mini meltdown in my mind today? Yes.

Did I spend 8 hours in the lab today and NOT finish my shirt? Absolutely.

But guess what? Only 15 days of school before I GRADUATE! And THAT is what keeps me going. :o) I can do this!!!

A Jazzy Week

So I figured since Jer has been so wonderful to come and support me at all of my dance comps as of late and deal with all the rhinestones and glam, that it would only be fair for us to spend an evening doing something he loves. For FHE on Monday night, Jer and I went to dinner at Santa Monica Pizza in Lehi and then to the Jazz vs. Pistons game at the Energy Solutions Arena.

We started out in kinda nosebleed seats. But at half time Jer showed me the ways scoping out open seats in the lower bowl and quickly and quietly taking them. :o) We were literally 10 rows from the court. It was an awesome 2nd half. I'm kind of a baby about "rebellious" stuff like that so after my heart stopped pounding it was great. :o)

 It was really fun to do something different than the norm and get out for a date. 

Yesterday I tried a new recipe from a good old cookbook and it was delicious! It even used several ingredients from my Bountiful Basket! 

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

(I halved this recipe and we still had leftovers. It makes a ton!)

8 oz Linguine Fini (or regular linguine) (I used whole wheat linguine)
4 C shredded greens: any combo of napa cabbage, romaine lettuce or even spinach
2 C thinly sliced purple cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2 medium cucumber, halved and sliced
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
3 C diced grilled chicken
honey roasted peanuts (about 1/2 cup)

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing (save some time and make this part ahead!)

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Add a spoonful of salt and then add your pasta. While pasta is cooking, start chopping those veggies.

You can really use any mix of veggies you want. I have a thing with rainbows, so whenever I make this type of salad I pick the vegetables purely based on color so I can have something in every shade of the rainbow.

You can play around with the leafy greens. I like to use both napa cabbage and romaine lettuce. If you're eating this right away lettuce works great, and spinach is even good in there. However, if you're taking it to a picnic, or serving it on a buffet or anything like that where it will sit a while, I recommend going heavy on the cabbage because it will stay nice and crunchy for ya.

As soon as your pasta is done drain it and run some cold water over it until it's cool. If you're not going to use it right away, add a drizzle of the salad dressing and stir to coat. This will prevent the noodles from getting all clumpy. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

When you're ready to assemble the salad, place noodles, veggies, and chicken in a large bowl.

Pour the Thai Peanut Dressing over everything, stirring as you go until you have enough to coat. I use it all!

Dressing:

1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 t kosher salt*
2-3 t sriracha chili sauce* (I just used a few drops of hot sauce)
2-4 T water*

*The need for salt may differ depending on the brand of PB you use. Taste first and then add.
*I use 3 t Sriaracha, but you may want more or less depending on your preference of heat levels. Again, taste first and then add.
*Lastly, the addition of the water is purely for consistency which again, depends on the PB brand you use. Add water until you get the consistency you want, or leave it out completely.

Place everything in a blender and mix until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

Jer and I are off to Mesquite this weekend for a show but I'm going to be making a gluten free dinner for my sister on Sunday so I'll keep you posted! For all you G.F.'ers out there, they have G.F. bread at Great Harvest these days! Check it out!

The Calm...Sort Of

Well the saying is "The calm before the storm" but I'm feeling a bit of a calm after the storm. You know, after all the debris has settled and you're just sitting there reviewing the crazed mess that follows.

I'm pleased to announce that Dancesport U.S. Nationals are over and Caleb and I took 4th place (not the best, not the worst) so we are 4th in the nation for Amateur American Smooth. My dress was finally finished the day before our event and it turned out beautifully. I teach 184 (ballroom) and 185 (latin) and the first place couples for both events were my students! My little couple I coach privately also made many finals and performed very well. I was (and still am) very proud of them. Yesterday I spent about 5 hours cleaning our apartment which had been neglected for a while considering our schedules as of late and as I sit on the couch while my hubby does the dishes after a very delicious Sunday dinner, I'm pretty content.

For more details from this past weekend please visit my sister's blog: www.mshouston.blogspot.com, she gave a full run-down and even posted pictures. My parents came into town for the week which was such a blessing and SO fun!

We are headed straight into ticket sales and preparation for two more weekend shows as well as our big end of year concert in the Marriott Center on April 6th and 7th in the Marriott center. My responsibilities for that start tomorrow. That's why this is just a "sort of" calm. :o)

We got a beautiful bountiful basket yesterday, a lot of which I used in our meal today. We had our neighbors and good friends the Carnell's over for dinner and per Jer's request, I made white lasagna.




 This is from a cookbook called Sandra Lee Semi Homemade: Slow Cooker Recipes
*I LOVE this cookbook a. because it is semi-homemade (aka easy) and b. because it has some of the best crockpot recipes.

Ever made lasagna in a crock pot!? You have to try this.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it has ground turkey in it. The spinach and pesto aren't too shabby either :o).

Potted Lasagna

1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach

1 lb uncooked ground turkey

1 jar (10-oz) pesto sauce

1 cup frozen chopped onion (I used fresh)

1 large egg

1 container (15-oz) ricotta cheese (I used low fat cottage cheese because I'm not a lover of ricotta)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking spray

2 jars (16-oz each) four-cheese Alfredo pasta sauce

1 box (9-oz) no-boil lasagna sheets (Barilla is best)

1 pkg (16-oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Place spinach in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cover and microwave on high setting for 6-8 minutes.  Drain.  Let stand until cool enough to handle; squeeze out excess liquid.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and stir turkey until browned, breaking up clumps.  Drain off fat.  Stir in pesto sauce and onion, set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg with a fork.  Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and spinach until combined; set aside.

Coat a 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  Spoon 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce into slow cooker.  Top with a  layer of lasagna noodles, breaking them to fit.  Add 1/3 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, spreading to edges.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the turkey mixture over the ricotta cheese mixture.  Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.  Top with 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce.  Repeat layers twice more.  End with noodles and remaining pasta sauce.  Cover and refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours or until noodles are tender.

Turn off slow cooker.  Sprinkle reserved mozzarella cheese on top of lasagna mixture.  Cover; let stand for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

It made enough for 8 people so we have a lot of leftovers. I also tried a new way of cooking asparagus (got it in this week's Bountiful Basket) which I LOVE and may convert to.

 All I did was saute it in some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), shallots (or green onion in my case) and garlic. I added some fresh ground pepper and sea salt, turned them to coat and cooked covered until the spears were tender. I actually cut mine at an angle and cut them in half so they would be easier to handle. It took about 8 mins for them to be the perfect consistency. 

We also had Lehi Roller Mills rolls (courtesy of my dear mom's generosity) and a beautiful green salad (thanks to Bountiful Baskets). 

And for the best part of the meal: Courtney made a delicious apple pie, homemade crust and all and we made apple pie shakes in our Blendtec. Just like Sammy's only better!

 Please excuse my photography skills. 

Well, there you have it. A couple recipes, a few updates. Until next time!

Oh, and P.S. if you like Chile Rellenos, check out this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chili-rellenos-casserole/