As of late...

Jer and I have had a very busy past couple weeks and are so excited for Thanksgiving break in Santa Barbara! Here is a little update of what we have been up to:

 My Tiny Tots had a little performance at Provo Towne Center Mall a couple weeks ago. They are improving so much! AND sometimes they actually listen to me, which is progress. :o) Here they are dancing to "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

 This is one of my jobs as a teacher for 3-5 year olds. I sit in front of them and do the moves in case they forget. Another thing I learned from the studio director which has worked wonders is having felt stars with each of their names on it as place-holders for dances.

 Last weekend were the Dancesport Championships which meant Jer and I both pretty much lived in the WSC the entire weekend. In addition to competing in my own events, I was there to watch and video my students compete in their event (which included Jer :o)) We ended up with 4 spankin new trophies that are looking nice and tacky up on top of our TV at the present. Above is my hair for my Saturday competition done by my good friend Becky. Pretty awesome.

 We snagged a place in the Amateur Ballroom final and placed first in Pre-Championship Ballroom. In the photo we are dancing Amateur Smooth which we placed 3rd in.

 

Below, is a photo of Jer competing up to the Silver-level waltz (I attempted to post the video but it wouldn't load :o( ), he and his partner made it three rounds which is awesome for competing up! In his class competition (bronze quickstep) Jer placed third! He did such a great job! I'm such a proud teacher considering there are at least a hundred couples competing in that event. Third out of 100? Not too shabby.  

 Here we are at Katie's concert for Wasatch Chorale, we had a lot of fun that week spending time with my Dad, seeing our Grandma and going to this wonderful concert. So, there you have it, a little update on our lives. I've been resisting posting more recipes because I don't want to look like I'm copying Julie and Julia but maybe I'll post some sweet Thanksgiving winners this next week. :o)

This Recipe Just Screams my Dad's Name!

Here's another Cooking Light Recipe that is quick and fairly easy. I'm loving all these awesome, healthy recipes! This took me a little over 30 mins to make mostly because I hadn't thawed the chicken beforehand so I cheated and thawed it in the microwave first. The sauce is full of flavor and so light! Which I love because I normally don't love eating pasta because it feels so heavy after you eat it. The reason I say this reminds me of my dad is because he loves a good lemon sauce with linguine, or really, any type of pasta, he often makes creations of his own at home which are always really delicious.

Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine

Ingredients

• 6  ounces  uncooked linguine (I used whole wheat)
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 3  tablespoons  butter, divided
• 3  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1  leek, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, leek, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 4 minutes. Add broth and juice; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add pasta to leek mixture; toss well to combine. Serve chicken over pasta mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

Halloween

We had a very busy but fun October! Here are some of the things we did: Above, is a photo of our pumpkins we carved, Jer printed some outlines from the internet. Carved pumpkins and make caramel apples with out good friends the Bready's from our ward.

 For Halloween, I dressed up as a doctor and Jer was a patient. :o) We had a fun couples party at my parent's condo clubhouse. We played lots of fun games and ate Halloween treats.

 October also brought Mollie and Elliot's sweet baby twins Grant and Paige. This is Katie holding Paige, I don't have the pictures of Grant :o(

Jer's family has a tradition of having "Halloween stew" each year and eating it out of these pumpkin shaped bread bowls from great harvest. We had the Bready's and the Mantell's over for Stew.
In addition to these fun Activities our schedules have been full with bridal showers (I have 5 friends getting married in December!) school, and work. Jer and I love married life more and more each day and we are getting really excited to go to California for Thanksgiving, it will be a much needed and welcomed break. An updated post to come with photos from the Tiny Tots' most recent performance. :o)

Wonderful Fall Recipe

I have always liked finding awesome recipes on people's blogs and totally appreciate it when people share the ones that they especially liked so I have decided to do this as well. Jer got me the October Cooking Light magazine a few weeks ago and I have just had a ball tagging all the new recipes I want to try. I have only tried a few so far but the one I made today for dinner has been my favorite!

Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice
Why I love this: It has a really great nutty flavor which reminds me of fall, its light and healthy but filling and it only took me 20 minutes!

1 bag (3.5 oz.) boil-in-bag brown rice (I just used a mixture of brown and white minute rice and it turned out great)
2 T butter, divided
1 pound chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets)
3/4 t salt, divided
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c refrigerated apple cider
1 t Dijon mustard

1/4 c chopped pecans
Parsley (if desired)
1. Cook rice according to package directions in a small saucepan, omitting salt and fat; drain
2. While rice cooks, melt 1 tsp butter in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Add cider and mustard to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2-3 minutes or until syrupy. Add chicken to pan, turning to coat. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. Melt remaining 5 teaspoons butter in saucepan over medium-high heat; cook for 2 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Lower heat to medium; add pecans, and cook for 1 minute or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat. Serve rice with chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Well I couldn't quite figure out how to rearrange my pictures but that's ok! I'm so happy that fall is finally here! I've been waiting and waiting, and yesterday as I was buying some Halloween candy, the rain storm came just in time. There is now the telltale bite of cold in the air and I'm breaking out all my delicious-smelling candles. I feel like I can now enjoy the football games even if our team isn't doing the best. :o/ The photo above is from a fun date we went on with Sally and Bryan right before school started. After a BBQ in Alpine, we went to this delicious snow cone shack where you could get ice-cream and cream in your snow cone! So good.

"Jerrmy." That's a new one!

I've truly been enjoying having my own little space to decorate! Its been kind of a challenge to stay within a budget and also use my creative instincts (sometimes I wonder if I was born with any of those) This is my little kitchen table arrangement. All purchased at Smith's grocery store.

Sorry the pictures are so out of order, but this was part of our FHE activity last night. I was seriously so excited about it for days. I found the cutest thing called, "You've just been BOO'd!" (Courtney, Eric already revealed that you know it was us so I figured I can post this on our blog :o)) But we put little treat bags together including homemade jam that Jer's mom Dianna and I made this weekend and doorbell ditched some of our friends. The idea is that if you get BOO'd you have to BOO two more people and put your paper up on your door so people know you've already been hit! We had a ball doing this.
My mom gave me a magazine with tons of cute Halloween decorating ideas, here's one I loved and did while it was still September. :o)
This is my coffee table decoration :o)
Jer and I went to Kaysville this past weekend to spend some time with his family and watch conference. We had such a blast! After the morning session on Sat. we headed to Layton to watch Cam play in his football game. He did such a good job and is so fast! His team won of course. That evening while Jer and Bryon were at the priesthood session, Carly Thornock came over and Dianna led us in a rigorous jam sesh! We made SIX batches of jam. Peach, strawberry, and a peach/strawberry mix. It was so fun to spend some time with just the girls (plus Cam, who was such a good helper.) The next morning we had yummy waffles with our fresh jam and fruit on top! Conference is always great and I learn so much from it.
I'm going to try and post more regularly. My next project is to get some wedding pictures posted. I think i'm a little intimidated by the thought of doing that but I'm sure I will buckle down and do it soon! Stay tuned!

100% for 100 days

"Spirituality--our true aim--is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one's faculties unfolding and truth expanding the soul is one of life's sublimest exerpiences. Would that all might so live as to experience that ecstasy!"

-President David O. McKay

Our stake is doing a wonderful thing called 100% for 100 days. We started on September 17th so that the 100th day is on Christmas. The idea is that this activity is our gift to Christ. We have daily, weekly and monthly goals to reach 100% in.

Daily:
Individual and family prayer
Individual and family scripture study
Acts of love and compassion to spouse

Weekly:
Date with spouse
Family home evening
Sabbath observance at ward of record
Magnify your calling

Monthly:
Fast and pay tithes and offerings
Temple attendance
Home and visiting teaching

It has been such a blessing in our lives, even in just these couple of weeks, for us to schedule a time each day to do our scripture study and prayers each day. It helps us to remember to put the Lord first and do those things that hold our lives together like glue. We both look forward to General Conference this weekend hear from the Lord's servants.

One Crazy Week!

These, my friends are "tiny tots." Ages 3-5, love to wear pink tights and tutus and can't get rid of the wiggles! Today was my first day teaching the tiny tots. I had 9 students in my class and am expecting 15 by next week! Can you imagine? 15 three-year-olds? Well, I have to say that I really did have a blast teaching them today. It was so fun to see the beginnings of a love for movement and dance and although they aren't able to do much yet, its so exciting to know that I can be so influential in their learning process and an eventual love for dance! I definitely dug down into my bag of tricks remembering what tactics my ballet teachers used that worked for me.
Jer is already working so hard in his Chinese classes as he is continuing to work on his Chinese major and business minor. He is still working at the MTC and has also just been promoted to an assistant manager with Solartek, the business he was working with this summer! We are taking a Pearl of Great Price class that we are excited for, although we can already tell it will be a challenge. And Jer surprised me yesterday by letting me know that he was enrolled in my bronze ballroom class! How fun to be teaching my husband's dance class!

We also recently found out that Jer will be a technician for the ballroom dance company this year and will have the awesome opportunity to go to Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore with us in the Spring!

All in all, the first few days of school have proved to be pretty busy which projects the way the rest of the semester will be but we know it will be so much fun!