Beautiful Sunset

Taken from the curb of our street about a month ago. 
I don't think Utah can get any prettier!

Schluckauf

Did you know that's the word for hiccup in German? We learned that from our Austrian friends whom we had the pleasure of having over for dinner last night. The topic of hiccups came up when our son Benjamin got them, so we all continued to talk about them by sharing wives tales on how to cure them. Our friends shared that you're suppose to think of 5 men who you know who are bald, and supposedly the concentration it takes for you to do that makes your hiccups stop. I've heard of holding your breath, and Bart shared the one about someone scaring you....any others that any of you would like to share? 

One word that we all had in common last night is Gesundheit when someone sneezed! Since it's common to use a German word for sneezing, why not hiccups?

Kettle Potato Chips- Week 5

This week was a big disappointment. Good thing I tried the New York Cheddar flavor out on my own before sharing them with the masses over the holiday weekend because this flavor did NOT live up to my cheesy expectations. With all Kettle chips my mouth is usually watering before I even get the first one in, but unfortunately this flavor just doesn't have that full pow like all the others and the chips are sadly a bit airer in texture. After I got home I did notice that the kind I picked up just says: NEW YORK CHEDDAR instead of the NEW YORK CHEDDAR WITH HERBS like the one on the website, so maybe they've already received complaints on this one needing a little something more. So, sorry for not having access to the current flavor, but now at least you know NOT to buy the plain cheddar kind without the herbs. So, with all that said, this flavor gets a pathetic....4. Sorry, hate to do it to ya Kettle, and I really never thought I would, but now what I really think of your cheddar chips are out there and everybody knows. Good thing you added in those herbs...I may have to give that flavor a try some time.

New York Cheddar with Herbs

bold GROWN-UP cheese

When cheese grows up where does it go? The big city, of course. Sophisticated, bold, confident and brazen. Comfortable in the penthouse or the subway, this chip is going places. Sometimes we think we’ve gone just a little crazy over this chip thing, but big city flavor’ll do that. 

Next weeks flavor: Spicy Thai

TOMS

Good thing my trendy cousin from Portland came to town, because she told me all about these really popular shoes called....TOMS. I know that I'd heard about this brand a couple of years ago, but thought they only did mens shoes. Turns out they do womens and childrens shoes now too, and even donate a pair of shoes to a child a need with every purchase you make! I picked up this pair in the color Ash at a hip new SLC store on 9th & 9th called FRESH. 

I love the stretchy canvas and how soft and flexible the rubber sole is....it's like your walking on air! I'm a flats kinda girl and you know what they say about if the shoe fits....Buy um'!

What's your color?

My lovely sister Jenna was kind enough to take me shopping at one of my FAVORITE stores.......
Paper Source. 


We had a grand time talking about the new prints and colored envelopes, and by the end of our trip I think the sales clerk even knew my name....did I mention I was only shopping with my sister over the phone?

          I somehow decided on this pretty pretty set of lake blue polka-dotted stationery, but to my surprise, my sister also picked out a beautiful array of other envelopes, cards and such for me, along with this clever color chart created by Paper Source called....COLORSCOPE!  

I've always been interested in the meaning behind certain colors, and this chart does the perfect job of sharing more about what your favorite color can reveal about you....my problem has always been: how does one possibly pick just one favorite? What color(s) are you?

Kettle Potato Chips- Week 4

Well, I think we may just have a winner folks! What?! I know what you're all thinking, I still have 10 more flavors to go! I am in LOVE with this flavor though. It's sweet, flavorful, and doesn't leave your hands messy. Kettle's description of this flavor is right on with it making you feel right at home, and who doesn't secretly wish to find comfort in an indulgent bag of potato chips? To me, that's what makes the calories extra worth it! 

savory, satisfying GOODNESS

There are certain foods that just simply belong together, and make you feel right at home. That's how we felt when we combined the savory flavor of sweet onions, gently simmered in butter and a pinch of garlic, with the salty, golden crunch of our select potatoes. It offers up a whole new meaning to comfort food. Grab a bowl and make yourself comfortable. 

I therefore give this flavor a....10! So, if you love the crisp and sweet taste of onions (especially in the summer), then this flavor is for you! 


Next weeks flavor...New York Cheddar With Herbs

The BEST soup EVER!!!!

I came across this recipe from a site that I found listed on my friend Annie's blog (thanks Annie!). I have NEVER made soup before (always seemed fine to me to just buy and eat the canned stuff!) but the word CREAMY in the title of this recipe caught my attention and after reading through the instructions, I thought, hey- that actually sounds REALLY easy!


I have since tried this recipe, and LOVE it. I truly is the BEST soup EVER and will make you feel very gourmet after you make it. It is so good that my husband wanted to bottle it up and sell it to people! I told him that we can't do that because it's someone else's recipe, but I think he liked the thought of me just whipping up this scrumptious meal from scratch. :) Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup

MAY 21, 2010

This recipe is very flexible. You can use just about any vegetables that you have.  I like to use a combination of root vegetables.

1 lb carrots, peeled and cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cubed
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3  cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup fresh parsley


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Stir the vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning together. Spread vegetables out on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. It is good to turn them once with a spatula for even browning.

When the vegetable are done roasting, spoon them and all their juices into your blender, turn it on to a 5 and pour in the vegetable broth and you blend. Add the parsley and blend until the soup is creamy, but still has some texture.

Finally.

After close to 4 months of asking around, researching online, and searching in stores I FINALLY found bottled (by the jug) fluorinated water at....Walgreens! The brand is called Nursery and you can read more about their products here.


The reason why my husband and I were on a such a hunt for fluorinated water is because the water here in Logan does NOT have it added to our public supply and at our son's 6 mon. visit, our pediatrician prescribed a full medicine dropper of it to give to our son daily. We tried it for a few days but dreaded it because it smelled, and gave our gave our son a bad, bad diaper rash, so we called it quits. After talking to some dentists, we were told it would be fine to topically apply kids toothpaste to his teeth and that it would be just fine if we waited until 18 mon. to try a fluoride-only prescription. 


We also heard it was possible to buy bottled fluorinated water, but couldn't find it (we checked every local grocery store) until my surprise last weekend at the Walgreens for only $1.49 per gallon. SCORE! We are ecstatic to find this brand and hope it helps any of you who like the idea of offering digestible fluoride in a friendlier way. If so, here's the list of other retailers that carry it:

Albertson's

Babies “R” Us

CVS

Kmart

Rite Aid

Safeway

Target

Toys “R” Us

Walgreens

Walmart

p.s. They say the rule of thumb as to how much fluoride a baby should have is 0.06 milligrams of fluoride per kilogram of body weight, (which is when they're about 13 lbs.) but as always, check with your doctor before administering.

Kettle Potato Chips ~ Week 3

Sorry I didn't get this post done before the big BBQ'ing weekend with Father's Day and all, but I hope every one enjoyed their time with Dad(s).


Last summer is actually when I tried the Backyard BBQ flavor for the first time, and boy is it a mouthful of intensity! This flavor is like a meal in and of itself, which means I'm usually good after one handful. This flavor therefore earns itself a 9!

Backyard Barbeque®

where the livin’ is EASY

Everyone loves the flavor of Backyard Barbeque® – smoky, spicy, tangy and sweet. But, it's the sublime feeling of a classic summertime barbeque that we really love. Good friends, cold drinks, tasty grub. Those long, slow evenings whiling away the time like there's no tomorrow. These Backyard Barbeque® beauties are all that, and a bag of chips. Seriously. Sit back and savor summer's sweet embrace.

This week's flavor...Sweet Onion

Creative Toys

With Benjamin turning 9 months, I thought it was a good time to update our living room his toy chest with some new toys. I did some research on Amazon.com and found these 2 (International Playthings Flash Beat Drum and Playskool Busy Poppin' Pals) with really good reviews, and I thought they seemed fun, so off they hopped to my shopping cart. During the week time it took for them to be shipped, we both were getting a bit antsy, so I got creative and came up with this home-made toy, and guess which toy he likes best? The one that cost $0! See below for details...

Magical Scarf Toy

Necessary Materials:

• At least 3 scarves
• An empty container of oatmeal or square Kleenex box
• Scissors

Now here's the how to:

First, find an empty container of oatmeal (as shown above), or square shaped Kleenex box. Then tie your scarves together to create one continuous strip.

Then place the scarves inside and pull out the end of one side through the top opening. (If using the oatmeal container, you have to cut a hole out) 

To play the game of Magical scarves, just dangle part of the scarf in front of your curious little one. They should happily grab ahold and enjoy pulling and pulling until all of the scarves come out (like they do with Kleenex's). You can also play with the scarves across the room by zig zagging them on the carpet, tug-o-war, or by holding the filled container of scarves high above their head and have them reach and climb for the scarves like a giant beanstalk!


So, listen to what your mother said about finding double use for everyday household goods as toys. After all, who doesn't have a kid who is thrilled at the sight of a spatula, measuring cups, or Tupperware?  


Oh, and as a side note, the other purchased toys are great and he has enjoyed playing with them too. I like how the Playskool Poppin' Pals teaches him cause and effect, and he loves the surprise when they pop up! The drum is also fun since he LOVES to bang on things. I got it because the reviews said the music/sounds aren't annoying. So true! The tunes have a Caribbean feel and are very tolerable and fun. But, like I said, nothing gives him a smile like his Magical Scarf Toy! 


Any home-made toys/games that your child really enjoys? 
I'd love to hear about 'um!