Wednesday Winners

This week I have really been trying to use my Bountiful Basket items in my cooking. I have chosen 3 recipes that Jer and I both really loved this week:

Main Dish:
Curried Cauliflower Soup

Curried Cauliflower Soup

adapted from Martha Stewart Every Day Food

Ingredients:

2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped butter
1 onion, sliced 1 inch thick (note, I prefer to remove as much onion before purreeing, so I like to slice them really thick)
2 teaspoons (or more) curry powder
4 cups water
2 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out, and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, cauliflower, water, and broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 4 cups cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. Put remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth. At this point I also chose to remove the onions. (You can keep them in if you like, it's just a texture thing to me.) Stir puree into broth in pan, and reheat if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with reserved florets and parsley.

What we liked:
-We love pureed soups but this one was nice because there were a few whole veggies mixed into the puree which broke up the texture quite nicely.
-Super healthy and light
-Meatless
-Had a nice kick to it

Bread:
Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread {makes 2 loaves}
Recipe by Our Best Bites 2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips
optional: zest from one orange
Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8″ disposable pan to give away and a larger 9″ one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8″ pans or slightly less full 9″. Do one of each like I did!

What we liked:
-This bread was soooooo tasty and moist!
-I did one loaf with chocolate chips and one without and I thought the chocolate chips made the difference, but Jer liked it better without.
-A great way to  use zucchini besides just eating it plain.
-Our Best Bites is my absolute favorite cookbook right now so I trust anything in that book.

Smoothie:
Oatmeal Smoothie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 cup ice
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (I added some frozen strawberries as well.)
• 1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt (I used fat free greek yogurt)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon honey (I used agave)
• 1 cup coconut water (or other liquid, such as juice)(I used unsweetened coconut milk)

Directions

1. Place ice and raspberries in the bottom of blender, and all other ingredients on top. Whir until completely smooth. Serve.

 What we liked:
-We're all about texture here in the Pendleton home and we loved that the oatmeal in this smoothie gave it a little more body than the average smoothie.
-It was a great template for a smoothie you can change and adapt to what you have in your freezer.
-Great meal replacement and something that sounds good after you have had a hard workout. (Jer has been running a lot and often doesn't feel like eating anything but a smoothie or juice usually sounds good, it is the same for me after a long dance practice.)

Hope you get a chance to try these fun recipes sometime this week!

I have been sewing away these days so hopefully I can get some pictures up soon of my latest projects.

Menu

First of all, I have to share this deal with you since my friend Amy was so kind to share it with me.

EVERYTHING AT HAPARI SWIMWEAR IS 50% OFF UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT!!! Even the on sale items. Click here to shop. All you do is enter SUMMER50 in the coupon code slot once you check out. So the sale won't show up till you enter that and then recalculate your total.

Bottom line. I paid $14.50 for a top AND a bottom. This was just too good to pass up. And they are modest!!! Best thing ever. 

Here's to cute suits! Let's just hope we don't all buy the same one. haha (The one pictured is not the one I bought although I do think it is pretty cute.)

So I have been having some serious fun crafting lately if you haven't been able to tell. And I made a craft that literally cost me $3 yesterday.

How's that for crafting on a budget?

Check it, it's as easy as this:
1. Go to the dollar store and buy a large frame, whiteboard pens, and letter stickers.
2. Get a piece of scrapbook paper. Either one you have or go buy it for like 50 cents at the craft store.
3. Cut the paper to fit your frame and use the letter stickers to label your menu board. (I put my stickers on the actual paper NOT the glass.
4. Plan away! You use the whiteboard pens on the glass and they erase right off!

I generally plan our meals ahead of time and always have tons of little lists laying around so I really wanted something I could have out and easy to look at.

It isn't HUGE so it fits perfectly in our little apartment.

It is cute and adds a fun little accent to my kitchen.

Best part? $3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday Winners PLUS!

Since I was gone at a comp in Palm Desert last weekend, I didn't get to try as many recipes as usual. But don't fret, this post will be worth your while. If anyone was wondering, Caleb and I did really well at the Desert Classic. We took first! And we even got to do a solo dance at the beginning. I think all of Caleb's dreams came true that night. haha

Here we are after the awards. Something awesome that they do these days is actually stream the comp live on the internet. They have the videos on there now if you are ever interested in watching. The site is paradigmdigital.tv.

Our favorite recipes this week are all kind of dessert-y but who doesn't like dessert. Let's not kid ourselves here.
First up: Coconut Milk Ice Cream
*I got this recipe from my friend and neighbor Katie and we made it together this week. Sooooo delicious especially with fresh fruit on top.

Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk (not light)
Silk coconut milk (to equal 3 cups)
3/4 c. Sugar (I tried it again with only 1/2 c and it was plenty sweet.)
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla

Put the can of coconut milk in a pyrex measuring bowl and add the silk until it reaches 3 cups. Add everything else in and then stick it in your ice cream maker following the instructions for your particular maker. I have an ice-cream maker attachment for my Kitchenaid so I poured the batter into the bowl while it was on stir and let it mix for about 18 minutes or so. You could eat it right away or let it harden a little more in the freezer.
What I like:
-Dairy free
-Less than 90 calories/serving (1/2 cup serving)
-Quick and easy!

Next: Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie
*This is a recipe I have kind of made up through adapting a couple other recipes I have had in the past. I have literally been addicted to this smoothie lately. I use it as a lunch replacement.

Throw all of these into a blender: (Blendtec and Vitamix work best)
-1 banana
-1 cup silk coconut milk, unsweetened
-handful of spinach
-4-5 frozen strawberries
-1 T Peanut Butter
-1 T agave or other natural sweetener (could omit this)
-1 T unsweetened cocoa
Ice! I love my smoothies very icy so I add about 4 or 5 cubes
What I like:
-This tastes so yummy especially with the frozen strawberries.
-It is only about 250 calories for the whole smoothie and I will often split it.
-It is sweet but still green!

Lastly: Eclair Cake

*This was a regular dessert my roomate Lauren would make all the time in the 4 years I lived with her. It was definitely a go-to and it tastes just like an eclair!

Make the night before!

Ingredients:
2 large packages vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 12 oz cool whip
graham crackers
Ingredients for the chocolate frosting on the Hershey's cocoa box

Directions:
Whisk the puddings with the milk until thickened. Stir in cool whip. Line a 9x13 with graham crackers. Spread half the pudding mixture on top. Another graham layer. The rest of the pudding. Graham crackers, and then the chocolate frosting. Store in the fridge over night so the graham crackers can soften and enjoy! So good!
What I like:
-EASY
-FAST
-Makes a lot and is a crowd pleaser. This is a great summer dessert because it requires no baking whatsoever.

Now for the PLUS part of my post. A tutorial. Some of you may have seen this wreath that I made this week:

I need to be honest with myself and realize that craft things don't sell very well in Utah because everyone just wants to make it themselves. So I figured I'd save you the hassle of trying to find the tutorial and give you the link. I got the tutorial here.

I made some slight modifications to mine since I was asked to make it a year-round wreath rather than a Christmas wreath, and to make it for a larger door. This wreath is about 20 inches in diameter. It took quite a bit of time and several trips to the craft store to make sure I had everything but it was a really fun project. I love the antique look and the idea of using sheet music. It adds a whole new dimension to the wreath.

Hope you are having a great week! Only two more days until the weekend!

Wednseday Winners

Hey Everybody! This week has been full of great recipes. It was really hard for Jer and I to pick our favorites, but we have narrowed it down to four.

I've decided instead of typing out the whole recipe I will just post the link to the recipe and then you can find it yourself!

Numero Uno on our list:
Artisan Bread

Click here for the recipe.
* I made this in a large, round white Corningware casserole dish. I misplaced my lids so I just used foil and it worked great. 
*I only tried the original recipe this time around but I'm planning to do a cheddar version and a cinnamon-sugar version.
What I liked:
-Only 4 ingredients and all things I had on hand.
-So EASY and delicious. 

Next Up:
Avocado Chicken Salad

Click here for the recipe.
What I Liked:
-Perfect for summer, no cooking!
-I used canned chicken from Costco, it was literally so easy because I had everything I needed at the ready.
-I used less than a tablespoon of mayo (probably could have done without it) because I used a lot of avocado which made it creamy.
-We ate it on top of our homemade artisan bread. YUM!

Now for a yummy snack:
Mango Chia Pudding

   
For the recipe, click here.
*I got this recipe from Jer's uncle's wife Kellie, she said she will triple the recipe because she loves it so much. I made a single batch yesterday and found out she's right!
*One negative side- there is a grower's shortage on chia seeds right now so they are a little more pricey.
What I Liked:
-Yummy AND healthy. I love that combo. No guilt.
-The texture of the chia seeds takes on a tapioca-esque feel as you refrigerate the pudding.
-Chia seeds are high in omega 3 and are very good for you. 
-EASY 

Last but definitely not least: Dessert!
Oreo cupcakes!

For the recipe, click here.

 *I halfed this recipe and I mixed the oreo crumbs into the frosting. The frosting turned out very runny (followed the directions exactly) so I would omit the heavy cream and maybe even add a little powdered sugar.

What I Liked:
-The oreo half on the bottom made a yummy crust on the bottom and was aesthetically pleasing.
-These were very tasty and relatively easy. Would have been even easier if I had just bought frosting from the store. 
-A fun spin on just a plain old Oreo. Jer loves Oreos so this was his top favorite recipe for the week.

Try these recipes. They are so good and mostly easy! 

Pendletons: Partying Since 2010

This Friday (Friday the 13th, dun dun dun!) will be our 2 year wedding anniversary! Everyone always says, "It has gone by so fast!" And it a way, it has. And in other ways it feels like we have been married forever.

The reason I am writing this post now, is that I will be out of town in Palm Desert, CA on our actual anniversary for a dance comp so we celebrated this past weekend.

We have started a tradition of going to Cheesecake Factory each year for our anniversary. (2 times now and going strong! haha)

Our favorite dish is the chicken and biscuits which is the highest calorie entree on the menu. :o) We shared it, but still. Haha.

We also saw Brave that night and got popcorn (my fave!). We loved Brave and would totally recommend it, it was really fun. 

We agreed to no gifts this year but of course Jer totally surprised me and got me and I gift and I felt totally lame. But seriously, aren't my new Toms TDF? I had NO clue he was getting them for me and I was thrilled! He's such a sweetie. As you can see, I got a few of Jer's favorites. Dr. Pepper, Rips, and I made him some Oreo cupcakes from Pinterest (He LOVES Oreos.)

The next day we joined our friends The Chris and Alisons for some 7 Peaks fun. WE LOVE OUR PASS OF ALL PASSES! :o)

We got to meet their beautiful dog Jet and see their new home they just bought. We love them and don't get to see them often enough!

As many of you know, marriage and adult-life are not the easiest of endeavors. There are many bumps in the road and many, many more to come. One of the things I have become the most grateful for during those hard times is my sweet and adoring spouse. He is such a support to me and I know that together, with help from the Lord, we can do anything!

Here are 5 reasons why I love my hubby (along with a few humorous photos from the past year of marriage, because let's face it, we have had a LOT of fun together):

1. Let's just state the obvious right now. He's hilarious. He can always make a situation better with his witty sense of humor and love for life and making people laugh. (He's got a pretty contagious laugh himself.) Picture: Last night on our cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

2. He is supportive. Jer has supported me through all the of the things that have been important to me, even when they haven't always been easy and have required a sacrifice on his part. A great example are the 3 years I spent on the BYU BDC with hours and hours and $$ and $$ of lessons, performances, dresses, tours, etc. He has been there every step of the way, and even participated as a tech for 2 years running the spotlights. Here we are dancing together, not only does he support me, but he is willing to join in. We have taken several dance classes together and LOVE dancing. Picture: Dancing to live swing music at a vintage car show in Lake Tahoe.

3. He is going to be a great daddy someday. Aside from the fact that Jer just has that "X-factor" that makes children love him. Jer's love for both of our families and his desire to be a good father show me his dedication to the family we will one day have together. Picture: Christmas morning at the Houston's.

4. He is humble. Even when times get hard, Jer is patient, loving and forgiving. He always tries to see the good in other people before passing judgements and is able and willing to admit when he has made a mistake. He is also very quick to forgive when he has been wronged. Picture: BYU footaball game!!

 5. He loves me unconditionally. Jer always shows a desire to make me happy and puts our family needs before his own. Even at times when I can be selfish or forget the big picture, Jer loves me despite it all. Picture: My first time water skiing in Lake Tahoe.

 

And here are a few more photos from highlights of our second year of marriage.

Newport with the Bartons.

Northern CA tour. Fall '11.

Knee surgery, eye surgery.

 Lots of weddings (Mr. and Mrs. Jones!)

LOTS of fun with friends. Cruisin' in Mexico.

Graduating, April 2012.

Disneyland/CA Adventure.

Nauvoo Tour 2012.

I love you hubby! Here's to an eternity of partying!

I'm Proud to be an American!

Yesterday was the 4th of July and we were able to go and spend a couple days with Jer's family! The 4th in Kaysville is a big deal, let me tell you! Our day was packed with fun activites.

We started our day bright and early with a 5K! My first, to be exact. If any of you know me, you know I absolutely hate to run and don't do it if I don't have to. When Jer's mom told us the family was planning on participating I decided that I needed to just get over my running hatred and give it a try.
And guess what?

 I finished! (Thanks to Di for the great pics!)

Jer was so wonderful and supportive the whole way, he ran with me at my pace the whole time and kept giving me words of encouragement. My goal was to run the whole thing without walking and to run it in under 33 minutes. Our time was 32:54 and I didn't walk once. I was very proud of myself and grateful for my sweet hubby. The rest of the fam was there at the finish line cheering us on as we came in. Dianna won first place in her age group and Tay got 4th in hers! Go Di and Tay!

Next up was the parade.

Here are Jer, Di and Bry with the parade in the background. Look at all those people! I don't think I've ever seen that many people at a parade before. It was really fun to see all the floats and watch people run for the candy and goodies they were throwing out. The girls and I stood in the shade for a while under someone's tent because it was 95 degrees outside yowzas!

After the parade we walked through the carnival they have and grabbed some yummy tacos for lunch.

In the evening we had a family picnic in the Barton's backyard with lots of the family.

 Jer with sweet Grandma Barton. (Check out those desserts!) Did I mention the food was TDF?

 Jer and I after DEFINITELY over-eating. :o)

 Playing ping pong with the cousins.

Jer with almost all of the cousins on the Woodland side. Just missing Curt's kiddos.

The heat had subsided a lot by the time we had our picnic so it was beautiful out and so relaxing to sit and enjoy everyone's company for a couple hours.

I'm kicking myself for not trying to get a picture at the fireworks show, but we did go to see the fireworks later that night.

It's times like these that Jer and I remember how grateful we are for our families and the great relationships we have with them. Not everyone is so fortunate and we know what we've got is a really good thing! :o)

Happy 4th everybody and thank goodness for the rain today! Let's hope it will help get those fires under control!

Some More S'Mores?

Jer and I have had a great week. Which led us to a brilliant recipe we created together. I will finish the post with our recipe. (Let's face it, I'm sure many people have made up this recipe before but we like to tell ourselves it is original.)

 Eric in one of his sketches.

Wow, awesome photo. But this week we got together with Sam and Stephen (friends of Jer's from growing up) and fiance and girlfriend for dinner and Eric's (another growing up friend) comedy show, Laughing Matters. It was so funny and way fun to get together with this group.

 Over the weekend Bennett and I had our first real camping trip together! Ok, so I've been camping before in a tent and stuff for girls camp but not really much else besides that. And it wasn't actually just Bennett and I, haha it was the Duffins and the Pendletons!

 Bennett helping uncle Jer Bear set up the tent. This kid was so excited out in the great outdoor with all the dirt, bugs and animals. He's a true boy that's for sure. Sally and Bry got lots better pics so hopefully we can steal some of those soon.

We always have so much fun with the Duffins. We got to the camp site and had dinner and s'mores. They wouldn't let us have a camp fire because of all the fires as of late but we still had fun and used a propane stove Sally brought. The next day Sally made a yummy breakfast and we went fishing! Well, the boys did. :o) The final consensus? I had fun camping.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is our creation. Conjured up because of our recent delicious s'mores while camping and the amazing Blendtec.

Here's how we made it:
2 1/2-3 c ice cream depending on how thick you like your shakes
5 graham cracker squares (2 would be like how many you would use in a normal s'more)
3 jumbo marshmallows
6 squares of Hershey's chocolate
tiny splash of milk

Blend it up and enjoy!
*One thing to consider, after we made it we thought it might have been even better if we blended just the ice cream and milk and then crushed up the toppings and just stirred them in after. It is up to you depending on how chunky you like your shakes.