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!

World War II??

Last night Jer and I were talking before we went to sleep and all the sudden I heard him say, "why did you just ask me that?" I said, "ask you what?" he replied, "You asked me if I was involved in World War II!"

We had a pretty good laugh about that last night as I realized that I had drifted off to sleep and must have been subconsciously thinking about WWII??? Who knows! We have laughed about it several times today and look forward to many more funny experiences like that through our married life.

This week was really fun, I got to spend some time with my mom at education week. We fought through long lines and even attended a class beforehand to make sure we got into "Chef Brad's" class. He got us all fired up to buy grain mills and start making our own bread. I liked his emphasis on the way food really has a way of bringing people together as families and friends.
"Life, its all about food."
-Chef Brad

Let's Jump Right In!

I decided to go right ahead and kick off our blog right by writing a post about our fun, fun, fun weekend we just had! After work and rehearsal were over for the day on Friday it was time to go play! Jer got us tickets for the Jack Johnson concert way back in April and we have been so excited for it all summer. The concert happened to fall on our one month mark of being married so that was pretty fun to celebrate although we didn't plan it that way ;o). There was no re-entry to the show so we were forced to buy dinner there at the concert. 12437634085676 dollars later we had our dinner from Bajio and a $700 soda. I guess that was just all part of the fun. Here are some pics!
Next item on the list of fun activites was a bridal shower for Katie's roomate Kate which I helped with the food for. The reason I was so excited for this was I made my first attempt at making "cute" cupcakes. They turned out pretty well and the recipes I used for the actual cake were pretty much to die for. The shower was so cute. It was a garden tea party. Katie and her roommate Melissa did a great job!
Next fun fling! Jer planned a surprise date for Saturday afternoon/evening for me. He 'tricked' me into cleaning the house with him and then he blind-folded me and put me in the car. We drove all the way to the canyon and when he took my blindfold off, I realized there were two of our new friends, Eric and Courtney from our ward sitting in the back of the car! Good thing I didn't say anything embarrassing! Our other friends Carly and Chase met up with us and we 'hiked' (although it was really kind of just a walk) up to bridal veil falls and stood in the mist for a bit. We then went to Eric's parents house to swim and have a BBQ. After that, we went back to our place in Orem and played Nertz with all of us plus Callista and Ben for about two hours and then went to Karate Kid at the dollar theater! It was such a fun day! We got to spend time with all of our friends and do lots of fun and inexpensive things.

Mountains Majesty

Bride's Veil

Nice form Jer! (This did end up in a belly-flop)

Launching Carly!

Launching me!


Eric's sweet flip
Our favorite Chase attempt

A video of launching fun in the pool!

Woo Hoo for this weekend!