My Valentine

I'm pretty much the luckiest girl in the world, because I have Chad as my valentine. What a stud.

He wooed me in Idaho...

...and then in Utah.

Then he asked me to marry him.

I said yes.

But he didn't stop there. He woos me all the time. With his devilish good looks I have no choice but to swoon at his presence. Whether that be when he's holding a gun...

...or mountain biking in the wilderness of Utah...

... or holding me close.

He's my favorite valentine. And he always will be.

Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup

Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup:

2 cans chicken broth
1 can water
whole container of pre-cut butternut squash from Costco
1-2 zucchini (I love zucchini so I put in 2)
carrots, chopped (about a handful of baby carrots)
1 onionThrow everything into a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

Then add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and stick everything in the blender. Pour the blended ingredients back into the pot and add:

1/2 cup milk
2-4 Tbsp cream
1/4 cup brown sugar

Stir and enjoy!

Yum.

Freezer Meal Activity

Saturday morning, we had an awesome Enrichment activity put on by the wonderful Shawna Daley. We put together freezer meals: 4 different dinner options, a side, and a dessert. I, myself ordered 2 Chinese Chicken meals, a Italian Stuffed Meatloaf, and 2 Tofu-stuffed Pasta Shells. Some of the other meals offered at the activity were Ginger Green Beans, Steak Fajitas, and Chocolate Blizzard Cookies. I can't wait til we get to try some of our meals next week!

Our wonderful Relief Society President Meghan putting together the Tofu-Ricotta mixture.

Fajita-making.

This is a crystal punch bowl FULL of chocolate blizzard cookie dough, yum. Funny thing is, this is only half of the dough. We made a lot of cookie dough.

Assorted Cheeses

After a long and seemingly unbearable hiatus, the BYU Creamery is now back in business which means that assorted cheeses have entered our lives once again. During my freshman year, Jacie and I were frequent patrons of the creamery and all of the delicious goods that we could buy with our dining plus cards. In that time, the bag of assorted cheeses became one of our most common purchases and a staple in our roommate bonding experiences. When Chad moved to Provo, he too began to enjoy all of the simple pleasures contained within this simple bag of goodness.

Much to our dismay, the creamery was torn down a year or so ago and the cheeses were no longer a part of our lives. Every once in a while, a thought would cross my mind of the delicious cheeses and the happy memories associated with them.

Just a few weeks ago, I learned the the BYU Creamery is now up and running again in almost the same location. Chad and I couldn't contain our excitement and later that day we made a trip up to the creamery to see if the cheeses were back with the new building. Like a shining ray of sun, when we walked into the new store, the cheeses were there inside the dairy case like the smiling face of an old friend. We bought the last 2 bags and ate them while reminiscing about dating and falling in love. It was a good day.

Moral of the Story: Assorted Cheeses from the BYU creamery are one of the best things BYU has to offer. You should try them sometime.

Wednesday Night Dinner

Wednesday=clinical which basically means that I come home feeling like my brain exploded. Twelve hours of clinical will do that to you. All I want when I come home is something delicious to eat without too much work. French Bread and Sausage Bean Stew were the answer. I loved both these recipes and would highly recommend them.

Homemade French Bread

2 1/2 c. very warm water
2 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
5-6 c. flour

In a large bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar with a whisk until mostly dissolved. Let it sit for 4 minutes until frothy. Add salt, oil and 3 c. of flour and mix well. Add the additional 2 c. flour and mix. Cover and let rise. After 10 minutes, stir down. Repeat 3 more times--every ten minutes.
Knead a few times on a floured surface--do not over knead. Roll out into a square and roll up.
Pinch the ends down and lay on a flat baking stone or pan. Rise about 20-30 minutes (I usually don't have time for this step and its fine) and bake at 400 degrees until golden. This recipe makes 2 large loaves or a few smaller ones. I either make a couple or a few and give one or two away or save half of the dough for the next night.

Sausage and Bean Stew

Sausage and Bean Stew

adapted from A Dash of Sass

1 tablespoon
1 and 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage (I used hot)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini/pinto/whatever you like beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto)
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed, diced, or stewed tomatoes (I used diced)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large saucepan or high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

2. Add the green bell peppers and the onion. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and quickly saute, about another minute; continue stirring to avoid burning the garlic.

3. Remove the sausage casing and tear sausage into small pieces with the wooden spoon in the pan as you add it to the pepper and onion mixture. Cook until browned and crumbled, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Add in the tomatoes, beans, then the spices. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly warmed and thickened. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, with crusty bread, or just on its own! Serves 2 generously.

Camera fun...

I love my new camera... it's amazing and awesome and I love it. I'm trying to come up with a good name for it, so if you have any ideas, let me know. A couple of weeks ago I had driven up to my Grandpa's house and decided to drive up to the Y parking lot. Of course the sky was gorgeous and I had to take a few shots. Here are a couple of my attempts at playing with my new camera!

NICU

Last week for clinical I had the experience to spend 12 hours in the NICU at UVRMC in Provo. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I still cannot believe how amazing it is that our society has the technology and the capability to keep these tiny, fragile babies alive and growing. The nurse I was assigned to work with was so incredibly compassionate with all of these babies and their families and even let me join in on some of the care. Changing tiny diapers, hanging medications, repositioning, helping with transfers, assessment, listening to their lungs and hearts.... I was awestruck. I really think that I could see myself working in a NICU someday. I love it when I love being at clinical and 12 hours doesn't really feel like any time at all. Nursing school rocks.