Merry Christmas!

This year I only mailed Christmas cards to family members but I thought some of my friends would like seeing it too. You can read my letter and see the card below:

Merry Christmas!

This year has passed so quickly! During the year I enjoyed a road trip to Boise to see the musical Wicked, the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU, a day trip to Sanpete county, a weekend trip to St George, the Stadium of Fire, Mary Poppins the musical at the Capitol Theatre, volunteering at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and so much more! I also loved my vacation to Niagara Falls and Palmyra, New York with mom and dad in the fall. The biggest adventure of the year though was my Mediterranean cruise in November where I toured Rome, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt. I went with two of my friends and we had a lot of fun!

I also spent most of the year doing a different kind of travel, commuting to Salt Lake a few days a week for my job with the Utah State Health Department. I’m happy we finally hired someone to help me so now I work at the office closer to home full time. I’m grateful for a good job.

This year I had a big change when I sold my condo and moved in with mom and dad. I’ve also had to deal with some health problems this year but life is good. I feel so blessed! I enjoy my new calling as an organist at the Timpanogos Temple too. It’s a great way to relax and get away from the stress of life even if it is for only a few hours a month.

Have a Merry Christmas
and
a Happy New Year!

Rachel
December 2011

Peppermint Bark

I decided to try making new Christmas candy this year. I love peppermint bark so I decided to try making it. The first attempt tasted yummy but I think the second attempt tastes good and looks great!

It was so easy to make! Crush 6 or 8 candy canes (I put them it a ziplock and hit them with a meat tenderizer mallet, it worked great!) Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Melt some milk or dark chocolate and spread it thinly on the pan. Put it in the freezer to set while you melt some white chocolate. Stir most of the candy canes in the white chocolate and spread over your other chocolate as the second layer of yumminess. Sprinkle the rest of your candy canes over the top and press in slightly so it sticks (this also makes it look nicer).

My lucky coworkers get to sample this tomorrow!

It's a great day to be alive because...

Closing for my condo is tonight and I get to sign the papers then hand over the keys. I couldn't be happier that this is finally coming to an end!

Chuck starts tonight (Yay for Nerds!)

I will be in Italy in less than a week

It's Friday afternoon...the weekend is almost here

It's a beautiful sunny fall day outside

Today is National Chocolate day

There is a BYU football game tonight and I hope they win!

It’s time for Halloween parties

There are so many good things happening right now, sure I have my challenges too but today I feel so blessed! The Travis Tritt song keeps going through my head too, you might know it:

And it's a goofy thing but I just gotta say
Hey, I'm doing alright
Yeah I think I'll make me some homemade soup
Feelin' pretty good and that's the truth
It's neither drink nor drug induced
No, I'm just doin' alright
And it's a great day to be alive
I know the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

Looking Back...

September kind of zipped past me and tonight is my last chance to write a post for September. It feels like I've been learning to live again this last month. I changed back to a regular 8 hour day, 5 days/week after working 10 hours 4 days/week during the last 3 years. It's been more of an adjustment that I thought it would be. I like the shorter work days but I sure miss my long weekends!

This month I've been thinking a lot about the trip I took last September and that I never took the time to blog about it. I enjoyed going to Kirtland, Ohio and then Nauvoo, Illinois with my parents. We saw several church history sites for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was an amazing trip!
Here are a few pictures:

The Newel K Whitney home at the LDS Kirtland visitors center
(notice the fall colors starting to show)

A stop sign in Amish country

Fairport Harbor
The John Johnson farm house
The Kirtland Temple
Mom and Dad in Chapin forest
The Family Living Center in NauvooJonathan Browning home and gun shop
Dad admiring all the tools in the post office
With Chuck and Charlie...they gave us a good carriage ride through Nauvoo
Morley Settlement marker in Tioga
What a great name! :)
The view of the Mississippi River at the end of the Trail of Hope
Going for a ride in a covered wagon
Carthage Jail
And my favorite, the Nauvoo Temple
I took way too many pictures to post them all here but this gives you an idea of all the amazing places we saw. Next week we're going on part 2 of this trip, we're headed to Palmyra, New York. We wanted to do it all last year but decided it was too much for us to do in one vacation. This time I have a Nook with Wi-Fi access so I won't wait a year to blog about it.

***
If you want to read more about the sites I mentioned here and why they're important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you can click the following links:
Kirtland, Ohio
Nauvoo, Illinois
Palmyra, New York

Finding comfort and strength

I read this quote today and it was comforting as well
as a good reminder. I decided to share it here:

"If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost today, you may take it as evidence that the Atonement is working in your life. For that reason and many others, you would do well to put yourself in places and in tasks that invite the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost works both ways: the Holy Ghost only dwells in a clean temple, and the reception of the Holy Ghost cleanses us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. You can pray with faith to know what to do to be cleansed and thus qualified for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the service of the Lord. And with that companionship you will be strengthened against temptation and empowered to detect deception."
Elder Henry B. Eyring

If you would like to, you can read the entire talk here.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

So this is my new toy:

It's a Nook Color ereader and I love it! It's also the reason I rarely turn on my desktop computer anymore. I've discovered the wonderfully convenient world of wireless! However, there are some things (like blogging) that are still easier with a real keyboard which is why I turned on my computer today. All of my intended blog posts are starting to pile up!

(So you might see other combined posts like this in the near future)

I've grown up in Utah County and I've never ventured up Rock Canyon. A few weeks ago I decided to go hiking and see it for myself. It was such a beautiful morning!
Here are a few pictures of what I saw:

And here's proof I was there!I'll post the rest of my pictures on facebook if you want to see more :)

Lighten Up!

I've been a little overwhelmed and stressed lately (thanks to various stuff in my life). This last Sunday at church one of the lessons was about not taking things so seriously. The analogy was given that if you hold a pebble up to your eye it looks HUGE and it's all you can see. If you throw that same pebble on the ground you get a better perspective and realize how small it actually is. So maybe I need to get some new perspective on life and throw some pebbles around, haha :) At the end of the lesson the teacher passed out a song and she had us sing it together (she didn't say where she'd gotten it so I can't post the source here). It's silly and guaranteed to make you smile! Give it a try if you feel overwhelmed, discouraged, if you just want to laugh, or if your vision is blocked by a "pebble." It's sung to the tune of If you're happy and you know it (click the link to hear the music):

Lighten Up
When life's got you overrun
Then lighten up.
Think of all the good you've done
And lighten up.
If your job is just half done and
Your battle's just half won,
Pat yourself on half your back
And lighten up.

If you're feeling loaded down
Then lighten up.
Shrug your shoulders, sing a song
And lighten up.
With a friend or two beside you,
And the Savior's love to guide you,
Let some sunshine back inside you--
Lighten Up!

Beautiful sight!

Today I've been thinking about Temples. I've been driving to Salt Lake more for work but I love that I can see 5 temples during my commute! Temples provide wonderful blessings and peace for those worthy to go inside. Seeing them helps remind me of the covenants and promises I've made with my Heavenly Father. If you want to learn more about temples click here. This is what I get to see on my drive to Salt Lake. In the morning the first temple I see is the Timpanogos Temple:
(I found this picture online)
As I come around the point of the mountain I see the
Jordan River Temple
(Also an online picture)

Followed by the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I took this picture of the Oquirrh Mountain temple last week when I spent a Saturday afternoon there.

When I get far enough north I can see the Salt Lake Temple in the downtown area. I took this picture a few years ago when I was visiting Temple Square with my family.

Driving home in the evening I enjoy seeing the Draper Temple.

(Yep, this one is courtesy of google too)

I love to see so many temples. I know it's a fulfillment of the prophesy that Temples with dot the earth. Salt Lake is the only place in the world where you can see 3 temples at the same time (Draper, Oquirrh Mountain, and Jordan River). It gets even better knowing that if I drive a little farther north I could see the Bountiful Temple or if I go a little farther south at night I'd see the Provo Temple. I feel blessed to live close to so many temples!

Baked Red Kale Chips

A few weeks ago I sampled some kale chips at a church activity and I was pleasantly surprised. They are a healthy, crunchy, and salty snack. It's a great substitute for chips. I decided to try making them today. It was so easy and they turned out great!
All you need to make them is
1 bunch of kale (I used red kale), olive oil, and seasoned salt.

(Red Kale)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems with a knife or kitchen shears then tear into bite size pieces. Wash and then thoroughly dry kale using a salad spinner. Spread out on baking sheet then drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt.

(Before baking)

Bake until it's crispy and the edges start to turn brown,

it takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

(After baking)
The picture makes it look more brown
than it is, it's actually still pretty green.
Ready to sample the yumminess!
You can store these in a ziplock bag for a few days, if they last that long! If you are looking for a healthy, crunchy snack you should give these a try. You might discover that you love kale chips too!

Blast from the Past

Great blog post ideas just keep piling up in my head. I decided I need to start writing some of them down. When I was recovering from my recent hand surgery (more than a month ago) I watched some old video tapes to see what was on them. Wow, they brought back a flood of memories! I found recordings of Dr Quinn, Touched by an Angel, ER, MASH, Ghost Whisperer, SLC 2002 Olympics, the Cosby Show, American Idol, and so much more! One that I actually sat and watched was the American Idol season 4 finale when Carrie Underwood won. Remember this from 2005? I love Carrie's music and I think she is an incredible singer.

I saw a comic strip this week that fits with this post. It's from Pickles which is one I love because it never fails to make me laugh.

I think I'm getting old enough to say "back in the day" when some of my favorite songs from my childhood are now played on the "oldies" station. So I'll just say it was sure fun to watch the old tapes and remember some of the great TV shows I used to love watching back in the day. It also made me remember being so excited when my family finally got our own VCR! We didn't have to rent one to watch a movie anymore and I remember loving that I could record TV shows to watch them later. So many memories! Now if I miss a show I have hulu...so simple, I like that.

Because He Lives!

I love Easter! I especially love singing beautiful songs about my Savior. I know my Savior lives and it makes me happy to share that with other people. One of the songs we performed as a ward choir today really touched me. I have loved learning it. It's called Because He Lives by Sally DeFord. The lyrics are beautiful and so powerful! I decided to share them here. I've included the lyrics below but you can also click here to listen to the song.

Because He lives,
because He rose in mighty triumph from the grave

I put my trust in Him, and seek to follow Him in faith
Because He lives

Because He lives, I shall find strength to stand against the tempter's power
He is my refuge and defense in every troubled hour
Because He lives

Chorus:
Because He lives, I can bear whatever burden may be mine
I am encircled in the arms of love divine because He lives
Because He lives, He will banish every shadow of my pain
Every sorrow will be swallowed up in Him
For in His hand is healing for the weary soul
This I know because He lives

Because He lives my heart is filled with peace amid a world of fear
And through the blindness of the night, in Him I rest secure
Because He lives

Because He lives there is no task so great that I cannot endure
I bear no heartache that His tender mercy cannot cure
Because He lives

(Repeat chorus)

Because He lives I will fear no darkness
Because He lives I will walk in light
Because He lives I will praise His kindness
Because He lives hope shines ever bright
Because He lives I will seek His righteousness
Because He lives I'll follow where He leads
Because He lives I shall conquer even death
And I shall live because He lives!

Because He lives I will rejoice in Christ and glorify His name
And with the willing voice of gratitude proclaim: My Savior lives!
Because He lives He will banish every shadow of my pain
Every sorrow will be swallowed up in Him
For in His hand is healing for the weary soul
This I know, because He lives!

Sally DeFord Music

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Yesterday I managed to make the perfect peanut butter cookie. I think pb cookies are usually dry but these were slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. They even looked pretty!

Since I was making the cookies for a dessert auction at church I wanted them to be extra yummy. So I turned to my friend 'Google' and found an easy recipe that actually turned out! I did make a few minor adjustments to the recipe and what I'm sharing here is how I made them. You can check out the original recipe online, just click this link.

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
24 unwrapped hershey kisses

Combine margarine, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Blend together very well. Add flour, baking soda and salt with mixer. Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to bake them. Roll into balls by hand (or use a cookie scooper), roll them in white sugar, and then place on cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Just a hint, cook them based on time not how they look. Don't over bake! When they come out of the oven take them off the pan to cool (I like to put them on a paper towel on the counter so the bottom stays flat). Gently push 1 hershey kiss into the middle of each cookie. Enjoy perfection!

Spring Creativity

Yesterday I had a burst of craftiness hit me...or as my friend told me, I was bitten by the "craft bug." This doesn't happen to me very often but I think this was inspired but the need to cover an ugly spot on my front door. Also because my neighbor hung a cute wreath on her door a few weeks ago and I see it every day. So after a little googling for ideas and a trip to Roberts craft store this is the end result...

At the store they had some similar wreaths on sale for $40! I spent just over $7 for supplies and it took me less than 10 minutes to put it together. Now I'm ready for spring and for potential buyers. Yep, you read that right...I put my home up for sale this week.

See, doesn't that make it more inviting to look at? Much better than just a plain, white door. At least I think so.

Tomorrow Comes

It's been a great weekend so far! The last few months have been difficult for me and this weekend I finally found some answers as well as comfort. I enjoyed attending Stake Conference last night and again today. The main speakers for the conference were Elder David S. Baxter and his wife Dianne. Click here to read a biography page about them. Their biography actually mentions things they talked about this weekend. Here is one quote from Elder Baxter that I really liked:

“All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My life experience has taught me to know the blessings from the Savior’s Atonement. We can be refreshed, cleansed, lifted up.
We can be healed.”

I know that is true. When I got home from conference last night I turned on the TV to watch the Les Mis 25th Anniversary Concert. The music of Les Mis is so powerful! The final phrase of the last song they sang last night says 'tomorrow comes.' There is a literal meaning in that, the sun will rise tomorrow. However, there is also a figurative meaning. 'Tomorrow comes' when we find peace and hope that can come to us through the power of the atonement as we face the trials and difficulties of life.

To DYE for!

One of my skirts that I like to wear was showing some wear. It was starting to look more gray than black. So this week I had the brilliant idea that I should dye it. I've never dyed clothes before but it was actually pretty easy. Finding the dye turned out to be the hardest part! I tried a few different stores before finding what I needed in the craft section at Walmart.

Here is the before picture
(notice the bleach stain in the upper left corner of the skirt)

Yesterday in the middle of the process...

and the end result!
(the spots are from my camera, they aren't on the skirt)

Can't you see the drastic change in color? Haha, actually I know it's not much darker but it did make it look black again. Here's a closer look...see, it's a nice shade of black!

The best part is the color covered the bleach stain. So I'd say it was a successful project.
It's almost like having a 'new' skirt for $2.47 (price of the dye packet).

Calling all Chocoholics!

I'm a chocoholic and I know I'm not alone in the world! For Valentine's Day this year I wanted to make something fun for a party I was invited to. I read an article in Parade magazine (you can read it here) and decided to give it a try. I'm glad the article described the cake as a "brown, sunken-in, not-very-appetizing thing" so I wasn't surprised when I took my beautiful cake out of the oven and it fell. Apparently that's what it's supposed to do. It was easy and so yummy! I've never seen a cake be devoured so quickly so I decided to share the recipe:

Flourless Chocolate Cake
7 oz really good (45–50% cocoa) semisweet chocolate
(I just used semisweet chocolate chips)
3/4 cup butter (NOT margarine)
1 cup sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir together half the sugar and four yolks; add to melted chocolate concoction.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites; slowly add remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold mixture into chocolate. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.

3. Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

The end result:

Bread Making

In January I decided that I wanted to learn how to make bread by hand. I've made rolls before with the help of a mixer and I decided it couldn't be that much different. I did learn how to knead bread dough when I was kid. I remember making bread with my dad. The kneading turned into just playing with the dough sometimes.
Fun memories!

I started with white bread because I've heard that's easier to make.

It turned out really yummy!
See for yourself...doesn't that look good?

Round two didn't go so well. Flat, brown bread anyone? It fell when I started to bake it. The bread still tasted ok though and I did eat it. It made good, skinny sandwiches. Haha!

Round three went much better. This is wheat bread (even though it looks really pale, I think it was just my camera flash).

I plan to keep trying because this is all part of my goal to eat more natural, whole grain foods this year. Bread making is an art and it's also a skill I want to improve. So I might make other posts about this throughout the year as I try new recipes and variations.

Remembering the Lord's Love

I wrote this post for something else but then I decided to share some of it here. A few weeks ago in Sunday school we talked about the fall of Adam and Eve (the perspective shared by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I believe their decision was an essential part of God's plan. Their choice in the garden gave us the opportunity to come to earth. However, a consequence of the fall is that we live in a fallen world. Life will be hard every day, you know "by the sweat of your brow..." meaning that we have to work!

"As descendants of Adam and Eve, we inherit a fallen condition during mortality...We are also placed in a state of opposition, in which we are tested by the difficulties of life and the temptations of the adversary."
Here is the link if you want to read more

I've been thinking a lot about the fall since that discussion. Take a look at the gospel principle book and notice the significance of the order of the chapters. It starts with the basics about God and Jesus Christ (our foundation) leading up to the creation and the fall (see chapter 6). The next several chapters discuss things that help us overcome the fall and find peace in this fallen world: the Holy Ghost, prayer, prophets, scriptures, the atonement, priesthood, and more.

Anyway, I'm trying really hard to focus on my blessings more and to look for the good instead of focusing on all the things that are hard for me right now. Life is full of challenges and we do have to work but we have to remember God loves us and He hasn't left us alone. I know we can find peace even in a fallen world. One last quote to think about:

"Life often feels like a great pile of obligations, frustrations, and disappointments. But the Lord is there, always the same, His arms still outstretched. When we feel overwhelmed, we have to remember the peace He has spoken to us on previous occasions. His peace brings comfort and strength; the world cannot give that to us."
Kathleen Hughes, Remembering the Lord's Love

Window with a View

I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I love the view I have from my desk at work! One entire side of the room is windows and it looks out onto a field with Timpanogos in the background. That alone is beautiful! However, what I saw today was simply breathtaking. I don't know if my description will do it justice but I'll give it a go.

The last several days I've noticed large flocks of geese in the field. Last week I watched a flock land in a spectacular spiral pattern reminiscent of a tornado. It was amazing to watch! I actually stopped to watch even though it was only about 10 degrees outside...brrr! I had never seen anything like it as they landed 2 or 3 at a time and the others kept circling while they waited.

Today there was another large flock of geese that looked like they were sleeping. They were nestled together in a way that made the field look black instead of the snow covered white it actually is. As I was looking at them I saw about 4 deer bound out of the brush and run right through the flock. The geese started honking and flew up into the sky all at once. I'm talking hundreds of birds here! I watched them circle in the air several times as they formed into "flying v's" and then took off. Like I said, it was breathtaking!

Here is a fuzzy picture (sorry, my phone doesn't zoom very well) of a small group that returned and settled in again.

They were still there when I left work about an hour after I took this picture. Anyway, I wanted to share the moment with you. Ok, maybe it's mostly for me so I'll remember it because I don't think I'll ever see anything like it again. I'm sad I didn't catch it on video.