Season's Greetings From The Millers

Very eventful month with parties, dinners with friends, co-workers, and family! Earlier this month i had a baking party with some of my gal pals- and then wes and I went to another friends annual christmas party- in which the white elephant exchange took about 3 hours (not really, but it was very extended).. the most popular items stolen were a nordstrom's gift card, cafe rio card, and victoria's secret underwear. that same night i attended an ugly sweater party - and it is the best i've been too! the sweaters were outstandingly hideous.

Wes and I are lucky to work for places that really spoil us for Christmas. We are just blessed and fortunate all together that we have great jobs.

First work Christmas party: E Trade @ Noah's

The main dishes were pretty average, but they had an amazing cheese platter. The Millers love love love cheese. There was also a fun casino area and ice skating up top.
My Favorite-Dancing! they  had dancing- i am not opposed to this going forward. The most funnest and goofiest time you can have with your spouse is on the dance floor.

I admit, the dress i wore may have been a little "brave", but i felt good knowing that it fit! It was borrowed from a gal who's seriously a size 2. She actually had me try on a few of her dresses- it was so fun to put on some fun and flirty dresses that i never would have taken a second look at.

Second work Christmas party: Utah Business

My boss was outstandingly generous to take us to Ruths Chris Steak house this year! if you have never been there, seriously ah-mazing.
we both got a huge rib eye steak. the steaks come out on a hot 500 degree plate- it keeps every bite, down to the last, hot. the sweet potato casserole was very good as well- i had a say in what was on the menu, and found out that the creamed spinach side wasn't a hit, although i love spinach- next year i will do double carb sides.
the finale- DESSERT- i really have to scream out loud at how delicious the creme brulee and the chocolate sin cake were. just out the window screaming.

This dress makes me look frumpy in the picture..it really looks better in person, but i love the fact that me and Wes match :)

Christmas Day

We started Christmas morning at my Mom's

her kids pitched in and got her a food deyhdrator. She is always drying her produce from her garden in the summer time..but a very old fashioned and probably not the safest way: on a rack covered with a cheesecloth on her deck. So this ought to help her manage that better. she loves drying peppers, fruits and flowers.

We ended our morning with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Jordisons with a full on breakfast that included waffles, ham, sausage, cakes, hashbrowns and chow mein (my  mom's contribution) and then exchanging presents ( always the funnest part!).

my gifts from Wes were a new coat and boots. And family members gave us various gift cards and other clothing items. I have an issue giving Wes his presents early- he got an xbox game, a subscription to xbox live, jazz tickets, a lovely star wars shirt and a beard trimmer. 

More importantly- this Christmas has been memorable as it is my first with my husband, and my new extended family.

a gift from my mother in law

Christmas Baking and Yummy Salted Caramel

This year  i decided to try something different with my friends for christmas. I had the ladies come over for a baking and christmas wrapping get together. Being this is the first time, i have done this- hiccups during the event would naturally happen.

I didn't gather all the supplies until the night of . My only option close to work was Target.
the shopping part wasn't the hard part..it was the waiting in line and traffic coming home. so note to self...prepare ahead.

on the menu

Salted Caramel Sauce ( click for recipe)

I had never made caramel sauce prior to this..and so i thought i'd try to double the batch so i can get more done. The trick is to watch the pot- because that sugar can burn within seconds...please reference picture

this was the funniest chain of events! the recipe tells you it will take about 20-30 minutes before it turns colors so Heather and I just left the kitchen to chat...and then- we smelled something...and then..all we saw was smoke coming out of the kitchen! Heather hurried and picked up the pot and screaming at me "get something for me to put the pot on!" when i finally got outside the entire house and breezeway was filled with smoke! and a funny glare came my way from the neighbor- haha

we finally figured it out...don't double the batch and watch the dang pot!

Also on the Menu....

Eggnog Pound Cake

In my last minute preparation, i could not find the pound cake mix at target, so i bought a butter cake mix...later on i found a pound cake mix. Making this recipe with both mixes now, they are both equally delicious and moist..got so many comments on both. this cake is over the top with the caramel sauce drizzled on top!

Some of the girls dipped oreos in chocolate ( i even messed up the melting ) while we were waiting for everthing to cool. This took longer than i thought but after it was cool we wrapped  them all up in various boxes, cellophane, and ribbon. everyone got to take home a goody, or three :)

Thanks to these sweet girls we were able to have a fun time! love them all!

Junior League...paying it back and paying it forward

For the past 4 months I have been involved in the Junior League as  a provisional and last night i finally went active!  the experience i had as a provisional alone was life changing and eye opening, but now that i am active, i can really feel i am making a difference.

If you don't know what the Junior League is- It is a national organization that is made up of women volunteers, divided into committees in which assist different parts of the community, especially women and children. 

My first project i was involved in was Birthday parties for those housed at the YWCA. SO FUN! and so rewarding to see a celebration that these women and children could have not otherwise have had if not for the YWCA taking them into a safe place.  Second assignment i had was getting food to feed the volunteers for a meeting. I was able to get Pei Wei to donate a generous amount of food for us, and it was so appreciated. You probably think we don't need food donations as a group..but when we have to meet every monday right after work to discuss projects- its gets overwhelming and donated food helps us get through it :). Last project was our fundraiser and coatdrive. I was able to bring in about 20 or so coats from my work and 6 friends came to the fundraiser as well. The fundraiser and coat drive were very successful- we raised over $1600 in sales and over 100 coats, plus hats, scarves and gloves.

It did get a little dramatic at times, to the point i questioned if i really wanted to join. you know, when you get a group of confident, opnionated women together- it tends to get ugly at times. However, i am glad i stuck through it and received endless encouragement to do so.

My involvement with Junior League will be Kids in the Kitchen-
Kids in the Kitchen is an AJLI initiative designed to help our communities address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition. With the help of program sponsor, Cartoon Network, and celebrity spokespersons, the program has made over 450 million media impressions to date.
The Junior League of Salt Lake City has developed a five-part curriculum that our volunteers take to local schools. Children in grades 3-5 are given instruction on making healthier lifestyle choices through activities such as :  "What's On Your Plate?", "Portion Size & Reading Food Labels", "Exercise, Activity & The Food You Eat" and "Make Your Own Menu". Over 250 children are served annually."

Im so very excited to be doing this...paying it back and paying it forward to those that have helped my family when we arrived into the United States, such as Ken and Fran Fish- our sponsors, and to those who continue to affect me everyday.

The placement I received this night at the holiday party- and  I had to scan the holiday party card with my name..for some reason i giggled when i saw my last name hyphenated.

My fun friends from the Junior League

Wait...Christmas is near?

Is anyone else in the same boat? As in, I can't believe its December! Months have been flying by!

The downfall of this is that I turn 31 this month, and Wes will laugh and laugh, cause he is still only 30.

But it really isn't a downfall, I am actually okay- wait...wait.....i'm only 9 years away from turning 40... FRACK! (instantaneous sulking and fetal position movement)


I feel like my life is running away from me... like this little guy- i'm shakin my booty as i go.

Yes, this actually resides in our home.

Broke out the Sewing Machine

This weekend i had an itching to break out the sewing machine and see if i still had a knack for it. Went to the hobby lobby and bought bandanas- 99 cents each and some cheap ribbon. Made me an Apron!

I need to work on my lines, and probably learn what the rest of the machine does-haha. None the less, can't wait to do more sewing!

Banana Cranberry Muffins with Flax

Continuing my adventure of new healthy food substitutes, I discovered coconut flour. I read a handful of blogs on how to bake with it and when to use it. Coconut flour is not considered a starch or a grain, helpful when making gluten free goods, or if you are watching those items in your diet any ways. I caved in and finally bought some- that little bag was $10! Good thing whole wheat flour was on sale in the bulk aisle for .69 lb so that I could mix the two. In this recipe I used an organic banana, and fresh cranberries. Also in my discovery for sugar substitutes ( Sweet'n'Low is my BFF) I bought Agave Nectar- light of course. In place of sugar, that is what I used, plus the bananas add its own sweetness, so the muffins came out really good, not overly sweet, but Naturally sweet ;).

Banana Cranberry Muffins with Flax

1/4 C Coconut flour
1/4 C Whole wheat flour
2 TB melted butter
1 Small banana mashed, or half a large one
3 TB Light agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C fresh cranberries
1 tsp Ground flaxseeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 Large eggs

There was no science into mixing this, i just dumped it all in and mixed until combined. Scoop into a greased mini muffin tin and bake at 355 for 9-10 minutes, until a knife comes out clean when you poke it in the middle. The recipe produced about 16-18 muffins

I made an impromptu cream cheese frosting with vanilla, orange zest and sweetener, which just added a nice little sweet touch to the muffins.

I calculated the nutritional info as best I could and came out with this:
1 serving= 3 muffins without cream cheese frosting
Calories 191, 9g fat, 6g protein, 4g fiber

Wes really liked them, and in my book- if they are husband approved - they are worth making.

New Lashes!

My sister in law Larissa- owner of Hair Today salon and spa in Holladay does amazing eyelash extensions! I love my new set! If you need a referral, let me know.

Homemade Buttercup Squash Soup

My mom grew these squash in her garden, i admit that i had to google under images to see what their names were. I adapted the soup from a butternut squash recipe.

Roasting it and then scooping it out was easier than i thought. I yielded 4 cups of squash. I added 4 cups of chicken broth and pureed the mixture in batches in the blender until it was smooth. I addes some spices since i was out of fresh produce- dried celery flakes, a spoonful of prepared pesto, garlic salt, parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Simmered for about 20 minutes and done!

The result was creamy soup topped with pumpkin seeds and green onions.

I made Wes a grilled chicken pesto cheese sandwich with his soup so he had something to dunk.

Low Fat, High Protein Cake, in the Microwave- Experiment

I read a blog of some girl who is perma Atkins concept. and she made brownies out of protein powder...so i did the same thing,,but i made a single brownie- chocolate of course

heaping tablespoon of protein powder of your choice( i have been using MLO Super High Protein Powder)

1 1/2 TBS of cocoa powder

1 Sweetener Packet

Dash of Vanilla Extract

1 tsp of margarine

1 egg white

about 2 TB of water- just til mix comes together

Cook it in the Microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute ( I went a full minute and it smelled a little burned- next time i will do 45 seconds)

The whole thing is only 100 calories, 13 grams of protein, 4grams fat and 5 grams carbs

Now the picture might look a little unpleasant, it might remind you of something...ha-ha...but it was good and moist to me...next time i might add some light sour cream, or a little more butter to make it a bit more moist.  My PMS chocolate craving was fixed guilt free.

Halloween & Other Updates.

Its mid November!  I took out my favorite turkey!

HALLOWEEN

this was my inspiration for our costume this year

But instead of paying $50, i paid $15 and made ours out of felt, a cake box and scrapbook paper

the whole thing is too hilarious! here is the rest of the gang

 

At Work we had Pee-Wee Herman, Rachel Maddow, Banana Man and Me

THE BEARD IS GONE

lets see the progression ...

I am beyond elated! the final pic will come soon! ( we are doing christmas pictures- hold please)

OTHER STUFF THAT FLIPPED MY BURGER

Yes I am still obsessed with cauliflower, and i've learned to make cauliflower cakes! like potato cakes, and a good substitute for hash browns. SO GOOD!

IKEA stuff made my bakers rack even more functional: I bought the hanging wire, the one that has the red towel on it, in the desks area- and than the 'S' hooks are just amazing, like hanging bananas and kitchen tools-cheap- it was 1.45 for 5 of them!



I finally finished cleaning up the spare bedroom, and got Wes' man cave decor up

The man loves educating on sports...i snuck this photo of him while he was so focused on this explanation of a read option to me. He literally rewound the TV and paused it to this particular play to explain to me a READ OPTION play. he then proceeded to push play so i could see this football technique in motion. Seriously, right?





Great Cooking..

I went to the farmers market last weekend and bought these baby eggplants.I asked the lady how i should cook them and she said to slice them up and saute them with garlic...well, dagnabbit, thats the way to cook them! SOOOO tender and delicious!

We made a light dinner with sauted salmon and grape tomatoes, a strawberry spinach with feta salad and our baby eggplant

I also made a  Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza (Pinterest)

But I made two- One with a pilsbury pizza crust and the second with a Cauliflower Crust pizza, again from pinterest:)

 
 

 Roasted Garlic! This is the best way to have garlic I'm certain of this

Wes' Pizza turned out looking delicious as well, i brushed the crust with a garlicky olive oil to give it some flavor.

Pumpkin Carving and Pinning

We did  pumpkin carving on Saturday, cheapest date night ever!! Pumpkins are so cheap to buy!

First of all- lets just admire Wes' beard shall we......

He says he's aiming for the Brian Wilson look....google SF Giants Pitcher

I didn't get too creative, but i am damn proud of my carving skills!! The entire pumpkin is a little narcissistic of me, i know :)

and Wes was all about the Angry Birds!- its looks neat lit up inside- of course i didn't get a picture of it though..

Roasted my first ever batch of pumpkin seeds too- tossed them in olive oil, added a few dashes of Worshcheserereretire sauce , mixed in salt and chili powder..they were very very tasty

More ideas i got off Pinterest ( and yes i believe I am addicted. i am a pinning whore)

I am in love with cauliflower lateley, because of going no carb for my maintenance phase of HCG, i have to get creative with my food. Did you know you can rice cauliflower? it is delicious. I grated some florets with a regular cheese grater, put a couple tablespoons of water in it, covered it with saran wrap and zapped it in the microwave for 3 minutes. When it was cooked, i fluffed it with a fork and voila!! the texture is like rice! its sweeter than rice, of course- but its nice to have that 'carb' with your meats. 

 
My next move this week is Cauliflower Crust Pizza with roasted garlic and chicken pesto and roasted balsamic cauliflower....

Also, a recipe I got of pinterest was barbecued pulled pork- i made it for Wes.

2 lb Pork Shoulder, one can of Dr Pepper- slow cook for about 4 hours or until pork easily shreds. Drain liquid, shred pork and pour in one 16 oz bottle of barbecue sauce- I used Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy. Stir in well and then i kept it on warm until ready to serve. Wes tasted it and said he had a mouth orgasm.

Obsessions...

I just got done with my last drops of HCG. I've lost a total of 16 pounds!! 10 of that I gained right after the wedding! UGH! I had a total of 33 days on the drops. I was losing my mind the last week and a half. However, it works. The things i ate the most were apples, cabbage and chicken. and then i got totally addicted to cauliflower. I LOVE cabbage though...its so good, in a soup, or just boiled. And then i learned to add apples to my meals...Chicken and Apples, Cabbage and Apples- it was just heaven to me! I also learned to get creative with spices. Below are some of my favorite HCG meals and spices i used a TON!

Put this on just about everything

 

It is true, its great on everything!

 

 

I drank a lot of tea on HCG, Passion Tea was my favorite, iced and a couple packets of sweetener!

PINTEREST-ing....


Okay, I have been serioiusly obsessed with Pinterest! I've gotten so many great ideas, recipes, and some good laughs. I literally spend hours on it after work, probably because i have no energy to do anything else being on HCG. But i am glad they have an app, then I can pinterest while im at the gym! HA HA HA...no, im really serious.

An easy artichoke dip i made for Wes, recipe off of pinterest.

treat idea, also from pinterest

I copied this off my iphone, off the pinterest app...this is my future child...mini-moo!

and lastly, this was snapped off of pinterest as well...finger characters were popular pins for a while, but i thought this one really looked like me and wes...haha

OH Wait....THE BEARD OF ALL BEARDS

to tie the finger characters to Wes...this has been his project the last month and a half 

We have some funny moments together...Wes loves to watch ESPN and he cries when there are specials about little kids....AWWW. He is such a sensitive soul...but i had to share this iphone text...I really am the handy one around the house.

A while ago we went to Panda and look at this fortune...what are the odds?!

and lastly i just wanted to share some of my mother-in-law's recipes, I snapped a couple of her recipe cards i found in her kitchen one night haha