Happy HOWL-A-Ween!

From our COVEN, to yours!

We'll be carving jack-o-lanterns, roasting pumpkin seeds, and haunting the neighborhood for treats tonight! Hope you find someplace to do the same, where it's safe, and FUN!

Syd Snapshot

Tuesday night was "free skate night" at the local rink....sponsered by the school (and the local orthodontist). Turns out, admission is free, but it ended up costing me $15 in arcade tokens and bouncy-house wristbands. Oh well, cheap entertainment for a full evening of watching my kids run, chase and smile A LOT!

JuneBug scooter'd for hours (and jumped in the bouncy-houses for a bit too) She was O-U-T as we pulled out of the parking lot, with a grin on her face...and slept a solid 12 hours before I had to wake her.

She was soooo proud of herself. I'm loving her independent little personality, she's a great little buddy!

Simply Satisfying

About a month ago, apples came into season....as in, they got pretty cheap-cheap.

A big red bowl of gala apples graced my table as a centerpiece atop my fall leaves runner. They were so sweet! They were SO pretty! I ended up not eating about half of them because I wanted to look at them longer.

Turns out I waited much too long. I picked one up one day to have a bite, and they had gone too soft to be a hand-held snack. I left them there a few more days. They were STILL pretty, and I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

One night as I was cleaning up after the kids were in bed, I remembered that my VERY WISE Mother had very recently tossed some apples, a cinnamon stick and a drizzle of honey into the crockpot overnight and ended up with applesauce rustica! Ta-da!

I had nothing to lose, really. So I hand-peeled those 7 apples that had gone too soft for the lovely peeler/corer/slicer (that I adore)....and used my Ikea sectioner/corer once they were naked.

Tossed them in the Crock-Pot, like so...

Added heat, LOW overnight, and woke up to ThIs..

It only made about 4 cups, but it was DESSERT for me, for almost a week! It's deelish warm or cold. Add a bit of whipped cream to the top and it's a crustless apple pie! Yum!

Fall Foliage

We ENTHUSIASTICALLY support Child Labor!

These guys raked, jumped in, and bagged 3 leaf bags worth of the crunchy stuff for $1 a-piece. 2 Hours of Productive Play-time!

When everybody wins, everybody's happy!

That cute little blonde is Savi's BFF, Rachel. :)

How I Feel

Have you ever had a day when you were THIS exhausted?
Yes, she fell on the concrete and scraped her chin and nose all up a week prior to this picture, it's healing...

I've felt like this the last week, with all the balls in the air, all of the loose ends I'm trying to tie up. It's not that I'm physically running so much, as I'm emotionally exhausted. The lists won't stop running circles in my head....even when I write them down. Too many variables still. And I've never done an interstate move, so all the unknowns are killing me.

I have been turning to reading a book to "escape" momentarily and that seems to help a little, but I am going to need some serious R&R after our moving adventures!!

I keep repeating my current mantra in my head to chill when I start to freak.... Necessary & Temporary!

I was thrilled to see that my Mom (who is also in the middle of a move) borrowed it and it's doing it's magic for her too.

Try Something New

Soooooometimes....I'm really happy in my comfort zone.

It's safe there, and uh, comfortable.

But the older I get, the more I realize that the amount of risk in any given proposition is directly tied to the amount of possible reward.

That being said..I REALLY never had any desire to try Sushi, EVER. It took some persistance on Chris' part. He really wanted me to try it..so a few years ago, I think right before I was pregnant with Sydney, I agreed to try it.

We went to some strip mall sushi joint....it came highly recommended...and it was Ohhh...Kaaaaayyy but I was not overly amazed.

Then I was pregnant, so I didn't even think about trying sushi again for a long time. Until, a Mikado opened up in Sandy. Chris was really fired up to try it out. So, we had a lunch date during Christmas Break last year.

This place was/is AMAZING! They use Crab in their California rolls, not Krab. Makes a big difference. I finally discovered why peeps tend to get so passionate about Sushi....it was YUM-O here!

Since then we've gone about 3-4 times, and instead of just going along for the ride, I really enjoy it! See? It pays to try something new every once in a while...just like I tell my kids, "How do you KNOW you don't like it, if you won't even try it?"

This is our spread from last Friday night. That red sushi with the globs of orange on top? Tuna. So buttery, melts in your mouth! The little orange balls? Flying fish eggs, they snap.crackle.pop in your mouth...it's like a mini-party in there. And if you decide to take the plunge and give it a try, make sure you add a slice of fresh ginger to your California Roll, deeeeee-lish! And the Miso Soup is a great starter!

Peee Essssss......No octopus right out of the gate....trust me...it tastes like a rubber sink stopper that's been at the bottom of the ocean for like 20 years. Ewwww...

Mine for Another Month

For the last 7 years, this has been MY mountain. It is the symbol of HOME. I see it everytime I leave. I see it when I return.

A month from today I will see it that way for the last time.

Bittersweet.

P.S. Maybe I'll have to blow up that first picture and frame it in my new home, you know, just to ease things along...it'll feel like home, long before it really feels like home.

A Grand Adventure

Anyone who spends any time with Chris, knows that he has an adventurous spirit. He is always up for a physical challenge, especially when it involves nature.

He has wanted to hike the Grand Canyon since he was a boy. He finally had the opportunity to go with a group who annually hikes rim to rim. And he jumped all over it.
The group started out at 6am, on a 25 mile hike. Straight down, across, straight up. Most hikers tackle this in a 3 day trip.

Who knew there were waterfalls in the Grand Canyon? If I remember correctly, he said this was about 6 miles in.

Crossing the river....bottom of the canyon.

The sign says not to try to hike in and out in the same day, as it could be dangerous to your health. He laughs at this sign...maybe not literally, but he did just as it advises not to.

This is the last leg up the South Rim....switchbacks...this deer just hopped onto the trail to check things out and he happened to snap a picture at the right time. :)

And here is the group! He was invited along with some business associates who are obviously like-minded. Some of these guys have hiked this 20 times. Amazing!

Chris had quite an experience...it was cool to speak with him by phone as he finished 1st in his group, in just over 10 HOURS! He was so high on adrenaline, and I could tell it was such an emotional experience for him to conquer that canyon! I know he will always remember it, and possibly return for another hike one day.

We are proud of our super-expeditioner!

Chimi Love

More than half of my lifetime ago, I worked as a waitress at a fabulous Mexican place called El Pollo Asado, owned by my BFF's Dad. I was only 14-15 years old. He also employed me at his Frozen Yogurt shop. It was a fun experience to work with my BFF and her big sister, who was another one of my constant friends during highschool. I learned how to make "fried" ice cream, had cole slaw fights in the walk-in fridge and learned the art of the perfect chimichanga.

I developed a deep love for those deep-fried morsels of goodness. In fact, my brother joked that my thighs began to resemble those chimichangas I loved so much. How could a teenage girl resist such goodness for dinner, when I had my 50% employee discount and needed to eat anyway (on a waitress' wage?!??) ?

So eventually, I figured out, I couldn't go on eating those on a regular basis, but my love for them has never abated.

Joyous was the day, shortly after moving to Sandy, that I was gifted with the Relief Society Cook-Off Cookbook for the year 2002. Contained in this book was an OVEN FRIED Chimichanga recipe, compliments of my dear neighbor Becky.

My friends, this is SO GOOD. Crispy with melty cheese inside, and dare I say, as satisfying as the deep-fried variety!

You have to try it!!

Oven Fried Chimichangas

• 2/3 C. Picante Sauce (I've also used Mango Salsa with excellent results)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 C. chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 1/2 C. chopped cooked chicken (I use rotisserie)
• 1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 6 flour tortillas
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Mix picante sauce/salsa, cumin, oregano, chicken, cheese, cilantro and onions. Place about 1/2 C. chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Fold opposite sides over dilling. Roll up from bottom and place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with butter. bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until golden. Garnish with additional cheese and green onion. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Spanish rice and/or black beans are excellent sides for this dish!