Friday Favorites: Summer Break is My Favorite

I don't get a summer break anymore. I really should have been a teacher. Oh, well. I do love summer vacations! Jeff and I are actually going to try and go on a few this year. We already went to Chicago and I'm hoping we get a camping trip in. We shall see...

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Friday Favorites: Traveling is my favorite

I've always wanted to be a world traveler, however, I'm far from it. I think I have been more places since I've married Jeff then I have in my lifetime (One of the thinks I love about Jeff is his love to travel).

Reasons why traveling is my favorite!

• I love staying in hotels 

• I enjoy trying new foods 

Disneyland 2010 - 

I wish I had a better picture for "New Food" but I've realized I haven't taken many pictures of the food we've eaten.

• I love to collect things and that includes places :)

• I want to see historic or famous places

Paris, France 2011

• I adore my family and will go anywhere with them

Salem, Massachusetts 2011

• I just love seeing new places!

Bermuda 2010

Places I've Been:
Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, New Jersey, Main, New Hampshire, Road Island, Florida, Bermuda, London (England), and Paris (France). This is such a weak list! I can't wait to add more to it!

Jeff and I don't have a lot of travel plans this year but we are planning a trip to France next winter. It sounds like there may be some skiing involved and I'm not sure how I feel about it. However, I really enjoyed are short time in Paris and I'm looking forward to seeing the country side and the mountains. I'm still voting for Italy, but we will have to see if we have time.

Friday Favorites: BBQ's are my favorite.

I was going to label this "Summer BBQ's are my favorite," but them I remembered Jeff barbecued in the rain last fall with some of the Young Men in our ward. I think these kids would barbecue in the snow too.

Jeff bought a Weber barbecue the summer we started dating and I'm not sure how he lived before he got it. That boy loves to barbecue! He has made some good things over the past year and half and I can't wait to taste what he decided to barbecue next!

Favorite Things Jeff has made:

• Ribs - we have a great recipe for ribs and have made them several time (included our first christmas together), but they are the best when you throw them on the BBQ right before you eat them. It just gives them a nice smoky taste
• Salmon - To my dismay Jeff has only made this once. It was soooo good. I didn't think you could do fish on the barbecue, but apparently it really easy :)
• Sweet-Chilie Chicken - I actually think Brandy made this (One of Jeff's Young Men).
• Burgers - Of course burgers make the list! The Young Men have made some huge burgers while at our house. It's always a good time. (Pictures are from their first time making a plate size burger. They split this one (Brandy and Ethan), but later larger burgers were devoured solo!)

 I think most of our BBQ's are with the Young Men. :) It's amazing how much food they can down. We sure enjoy having them over at our house for burgers and some rather competitive rounds of Wii Sport.

Friday Favorites: Martha Stewart is my favorite!

Some of you know that I'm a big Martha Stewart fan! Here magazine is my Favorite....Her website is my favorite...and her products are my favorite...What can I say....She's my favorite!

In April Ashley invited me to attend a taping of the Martha Stewart show with her and her mother. I'm a huge Martha fan and of course said yes. It was so much fun. I really don't know why I haven't gone to a taping before. Martha taught us how to make some fun grilled cheese sandwiches.  I really hope I get to go to another taping when she starts her new show (If it's still in NYC)!

Friday Favorites: Baking cookies is my favorite

I guess I get my love for baking cookies from my dad. He use to make cookies every Sunday after church and now baking cookies is one of my favorite things! I just wish I had more time to bake or occasions to bake them for. Also, Jeff and I are trying to be more healthy so it's not good having cookies around the house. Sad, but baking is still my favorite.

Here are some of my favorite cookies to make (You will notice that most of them are Martha Stewart):

• Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies So, I like these, but Jeff isn't the hugest fan. However, Jeff loves the dough!
• Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing This is a favorite of mine! I could make these everyday for the rest of my life and be truly happy!
• Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies I've only made these once, but they were sooooo good. I will most definitely make them again. Jeff feels I need to work on the Peanut Butter filling. He said it was too sweet.
• Sugar Cookies Cutouts I LOVE these cookies. One of of Jeff's Young Men call them the "blue bunny" cookies. I made cute little light blue bunnies for my primary class two Easters ago and gave the left overs top the YM.

• Dad's Giant Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies! I don't have Dad's permission to share this one...sorry.
• BettyCrocker Peanut Butter Cookies: This is in one of my moms cookbooks at home. I have yet to find it's equal. Got a blue ribbon at the Clark County Fair with this cookie!

Here are some I would love to try and make sometime:

• Mini Black-and-White Cookies I love me a Black-and-White cookie!
• Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies These just look cool!
• Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles You really can't go wrong with a Snickerdoodle
• Chewy Gooey Flourless Chocolate Chookie I really need to find a good Chocolate Cookie recipe. I've yet to find one. Maybe this will be the one!

Friday Favorites: Broadway Shows are my Favorite!

As many of you know I'm obsessed with Broadway and used to post little reviews on this blog. I just love going to see all the shows nominated for Tony's. My Broadway show intake has decreased drastically since getting married (which is ok by me since I love Jeff), so I have to choose wisely which shows I want to see. I have now seen three shows in 2012.

War Horse: Jeff and I went to see War Horse as a Valentines day treat. I'd heard great things about the show and Jeff and I had been talking for some time about seeing it.

The show was okay. I LOVED the puppets and how they used them to tell the story, but I didn't really care for it. The story was kind of slow in parts and seemed to drag on. It had a long running time and I think they could have cut out a few things. I know they needed to set up the story, but I thought they could have done it a little more quickly.

However, I'm really glad that I went to see it (seriously, the puppets were breathtaking). If anything go and see it for the puppets.

Newsies: I've always been a big Newsies fan and couldn't wait to see the show. Sarah and I bought tickets the day the box office opened, because we wanted the best seats in the house (luckily we bought them early because they raised the price of our tickets by $100 a few weeks later...phew).

We both LOVED it. The dancing was amazing and there was a great energy in the theater. I've heard that some people don't like the new songs, but I'm going to disagree. I thought they worked well with the story and were needed for a Broadway Musical.

They replaced Jacks quiet, awkward love interest in the movie with a fun quirky reporter (also replacing Bryan Denton - Bill Pullman's character). While I didn't really care for the vocal talent of the actress they chose, I really liked the idea of the character. Really improved the love story.

Jack did a really nice job. I don't know if it's Tony worthy, but I'm glad he got the nomination.

I just hope that it's still open when my family comes in September, because I would really like to see it again with them. I just know they will love it.

Once the Musical: Sarah and I wanted to celebrate our five year anniversary in the city with  dinner and a show...the best way possible! We decided to go see Once the Musical since it had the most Tony nominations, despite not knowing anything about it (I actually prefer it that way...makes everything more of a surprise)

How was it? The music is wonderful. The acting was superb. I really enjoyed the female lead (not at first, but she totally few on me). The show all in all was pleasantly simple. However, it wasn't my favorite. It wasn't my "type" of musical (I love the shows with the big song and dance numbers...like Newsies). I really appreciate the show and understand the the Tony nominations, but I probably would never go to see the show again or take family or friends.

What's next? Well, I'm hoping to get in to see Nice Work If You Can Get It and Evita this summer. I will let you know how that goes.

Friday Favorites: Pizza is my favorite!

I've always loved pizza! I don't care what's on it or if it's hot or cold....I will eat it. It's just so good.

While we were staying at Jon and Anne's, Jon made homemade pizza. I couldn't believe how easy and delicious it was! Yeah, it does take time to get the crust perfect (Jon has been making pizza for years), but I think it's totally worth investing my time in perfecting my own crust and making homemade pizza instead of ordering it.

I'm still working on it, but once I get the recipe the way I want it I will share. The above picture is one of my first attempts at it. It was good, but I have to get the baking process down. The center isn't cooking right. I hear it's best to make it on a pizza stone, but I need to figure that out. Cause you need the pizza stone to heat up first and then put the pizza on it and that just seems complicated. If anyone has any tips please let me know.

Friday Favorites: Christmas Movies and Songs

Friday Favorites are back for at least two weeks. January is going to be another busy month, so I'm not sure how many Friday Favorites I will be able to complete.

I love Christmas! It's one of my favorite times of year. I especially love the music and the movies. Here are a few of my favorites.

My favorite Christmas songs:
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Santa Baby
Ave Maria
Little Saint Nick
Do You Hear What I Hear
Little Drummer Boy
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
The First Noel
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Breath Of Heaven (Mary’s Song)
Where Are You Christmas
O Holy Night
Ave Maria

Favorite Christmas Movies (in no particular order)

Friday Favorites: Fall Favorites!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The colors are beautiful and the weather is perfects (most of the time). I especially love all the fall treats. Here are a few treats that I look forward to all year round (most of these you can eat any season, but for some reason they taste better in the fall).

Carmel Apples:
I love love love Carmel Apples. They are so amazing. I need to find a good place in NYC that makes them. Anyone have any suggestions?Pumpkin Cookies:
I honesty love most things that have pumpkin in them, but pumpkin cookies will always hold a special place in my heart. The cookies below are the ones Ashley and Jen made last week and I'm kind of obsessed with them. They are so good! You can get the recipe here. Spice Steamer:
I look forwards to Starbucks Pumpkin Spice steamers all year round. Once fall starts, this is my drink of choice. Starbucks also does a Gingerbread steamer that is amazing. I love steamer season!Donuts:
Oh, how I love donuts. They are even better when consumed with a Pumpkin Spice steamer. It's the perfect combination and a great treat for a cold fall night.

Friday Favorites: Cereal

I love cereal! I can eat if for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (and sometimes I do!) These are my favorites.

Side Note: The next two months are going to be very very busy for me and I'm thinking I won't be able to spend much time blogging. I will try to get the Utah and other Friday Favorites posts done before I go on my little hiatus. Don't worry....I will be back in December to fill you in on my little adventures.

Special K: I love ALL Special K. You just can't go wrong. I've found myself buying the Chocolatey Delight kind as of late. It's just so good!

Frosted Mini-Wheats: I'm sad to admit that this is a new discovery for me. I bought them for a friend that came to visit and now I'm kind of addicted. Who knew Frosted Mini-Wheats could be soooo good. Cinnamon Streusel is my current favorite, but I love them all!

Cocoa Pebbles: Pebbles remind me of BYU. This was the cereal of choice for that part of my life. I think it's because my parents never really fed us sugary cereals, so once I was buying my own I had to get the chocolaty kind!

Honey Nut Cheerios: Classic! I will always love these.

Apple Jacks: I actually just tried these for the first time a couple weeks ago (they were on sale). I actually really like them. They are not very filling, so you have to eat several bowls, but I'm down with that!

Friday Favorites: Movie Quotes

I love movies (it's a family thing), but what I love more than anything is a perfectly placed movie quote in everyday conversation. It's a truly magical moment. My sister and I are pretty good at carrying on a conversation and half of it being movie quotes. It's just so fun.

Here are some of my favorite movie quotes. This is not a complete list. I'm sure five seconds after posting this email I will think of others. Don't worry. I will update this list as they come to me.

• (Rocky) Paulie: [talking about Adrian] You like her?
  Rocky: Sure, I like her.
  Paulie: What's the attraction?
  Rocky: I dunno... she fills gaps.
  Paulie: What's 'gaps'?
  Rocky: I dunno, she's got gaps, I got gaps, together we fill gaps.
• (Rocky) Rocky: Ah come on, Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.
• (Peter Pan) Lost Boy (Bear): I think I had a mother once.
  Lost Boy (Racoon): What was she like?
  Lost Boy (Bear): I forget.
  Lost Boy (Fox): I had a white rat.
  Lost Boy (Bear): That's no mother! (Don't ask why this is a favorite of mine)

• ("Pride and Prejudice") Mr. Darcy: She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.
• ("Pride and Prejudice") Mr. Darcy: In vain have I struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
• ("Pride and Prejudice") Elizabeth Bennet: Lady Catherine, in marrying your nephew, I should not consider my self as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter. So far we are equal.
• (Much Ado About Nothing) Benedick: I would my horse had the speed of your tongue.
• (Much Ado About Nothing) Beatrice: I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.
• (Much Ado About Nothing) Beatrice: O God, that I were a man. I would eat his heart in the market-place.
• (An Ideal Husband) Lord Arthur Goring: To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
• (An Ideal Husband) Lord Arthur Goring: I am glad you have called. I am going to give you some advice.
  Laura: Oh pray, don't. One should never give a woman something that she can't wear in the evening.

This list goes on and on, but my battery is about to die so I have to stop there. Don't worry I will finish.

Friday Favorites: Snacks...yummm

I love snacks! I actually go through phases with my snacks. I will eat the same snack for months and then get board and move to the next one. I guess I'm on a snack cycle (I actually do the same thing with meals. Yes, I'm not very creative)

Apples and Peanut Butter:

This is my favorite snack of all time. I could eat this all day every day.

Kettle Corn:

My current obsession! I can eat bags of this stuff and I do.

Strawberries:

Strawberries are my favorite fruit. I just slice some up and put a little sugar on it. It's the best. I really should eat this more.

Celery and Peanut Butter:

The only way I can eat celery is with peanut butter. I will eat almost anything if it has peanut butter on it.

Graham Crackers and Whipped Cream Sandwich:

My dad used to make these all the time (usually with chocolate graham crackers). I actually haven't made these in a long time. I need to change that.Chips and Salsa:

This is actually a meal for me. I eat this after work several times a week. I'm addicted.