Fireside.

Today we had a fireside at Brother Woolf's house and it was for all the youth in our ward. Bishop McDonald came also. Brother Woolf spoke about hunters or "mountain men" and how, way back in the day, they fur trapped. They would trap the animals, take the fur, and eat the meat. He talked about the various traps. Snares, cages, holes, etc. Then he brought out a fox trap. He took a pencil and put it in the fox trap, and the pencil completely broke in half. It could've even taken off a finger. He said that there are "traps" that are just as deadly out in the world like drugs, immorality, the wrong crowd of friends, violence, bad movies, and so much more! And then he took a sponge, and on one side he drew a happy face and on the other side he drew a sad face. The sponge was so happy at first, just hopping around, but then his friends started tempting him to have just one cigarette. Then to just see one rated R movie. The sponge moved further and further to the trap, and eventually fell in. The trap got a hold of it. But we talked about repentance and the people who are there to always help pry you out of your mess. He talked about how Satan always disguises his traps like hunters used camouflage with their traps. He said that we needed to wriggle ourselves out before "the mountain man" a.k.a Satan could come and get us. I really thought that it was a good lesson. Also, yesterday I bought a calendar and the movie How to Train Your Dragon! I was more excited about the calendar. I'm such a nerd. Who gets excited about calendars? This gal! Organization makes me happy. That's pretty much all I have for you today!

Recipes, recipes, recipes. =)

Crispy Baked Breakfast Taquitos *these are great to make ahead of time and freeze. You can make a bunch and just pull them out for breakfast!*

Ingredients:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
12 large eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 C grated pepper-jack cheese
1/4 C chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/4 C sliced green onions
16 6" flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Spray with cooking spray or lightly brush oil and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into large mixing bowl. Whisk in 1/2 sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When skillet is hot, add egg mixture to the pan. Using a rubber spatula, gently scrape the bottom of pan and fold eggs over to scramble. Remove from heat when slightly undercooked. Add cheese, roasted peppers, green onions, and gently fold to combine.

Warm tortillas in a microwave to ease rolling process. Working with a few tortillas at one time, place a scant 1/4 C egg mixture into the middle of each one and roll into a cylinder. Place rolled tortillas on prepared baking sheet, seam-side down, so they are not touching each other. When all tortillas are rolled and filled, lightly spray tops with cooking spray, or lightly brush olive oil. bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and crisp.

Strawberry Banana Trifle

Ingredients:

5 oz instant vanilla pudding

3 c cold milk

9" angel food cake (cut in chunks)

4 bananas (sliced)

16 oz fresh strawberries (sliced or cut big)

12 oz whipped topping (thawed)

Mix instant pudding and milk. In trifle, layer half of each: cake chunks, pudding, bananas, strawberries, and whipped topping. Repeat layers. Serve fresh!

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 T. olive oil

1 Small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4-5 C. of tomatoes 

1 t. tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. Cream 

2-3 T. flour

Sliced mushrooms

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Saute chicken in olive oil until light brown. (I like to pound the chicken to make sure they are nice and tender) Remove from pan. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Put chicken back in pan and add tomatoes and tarragon. Cover and simmer 30 minutes to an hour. Add mushrooms the last 15 minutes. Lastly, add cream and flour. Whisk until well blended and thickened. Serve over rice.

Hope you enjoy! 

P.S. - here are some more names I like:

Karson

Annie

Lucy

Max 

So much to do!

High school will keep you preoccupied. No doubt. I just can't wait for my sophomore year, though. I can be more organized and whatnot. This year, they didn't even send out a school supplies list, so I pretty much had to guess everything by myself. I have a butt load of English homework to do. I have to write a sonnet (one that is actually decent because I have to share it in front of the class), and work on memorizing my lines for Romeo and Juliet. Next weekend I have to go over to my partner's house to make a video for the project. I wonder how well that will work out, seeing how my mom hates having to find people's houses, and today the van just broke down again. I don't know what's going on with that thing! I keep telling my mom (and I've been telling her from the beginning), that you just need a brand new car. This van that we have was built in 1990, for crying out loud. It's past its prime! It's done! But with the transmission acting all weird, I don't know if anyone would actually take it. All I know is that it is in the shop and my mom is talking to someone on the phone in my room, which is not a good sign because that means it's something that she doesn't want us to hear. Like how poor we are, how we have no money, how are we going to make the house payment, etc. It feels like theres a lot of weight on my shoulders right now. But then I always remember the scripture, "And this too shall pass." So, I guess I wait. At least I finished my biology and math homework and that's two less things I have to do. Man, I just wish I was more organized. No sense in getting new binders and stuff though since it's the end of the school year. Oh well. When we were walking to the bus stop this morning, Adam totally put snow all over Ryan's backpack! Talk about mean. I helped get it off his backpack, but you could tell he was a little mad/embarrassed. Now he knows how I feel all the time! I guess I'll write back to you later. I'm actually on the search for some art projects. Tralalala......

Rainy Days

The past couple of days have been filled with rain. I want spring to get here, minus the rain! I hate cold rain! I hate it when it's cold and then it rains cold rain! But I love it in the summer when it gets too hot and it rains cold rain. That feels amazing. I'm tired of watching raindrops on my bus window. I want the sunshine to stop HIDING! The past couple days have been alright. Accept for today in seminary we were talking about which temple we would want to be married in and without thinking I accidentally said the Italy temple. I was so embarrassed because there is no Italian temple yet! Grr! I have yet to get my English paper finished. And I need to look at scripture masteries. I guess I'll finish math in study hall tomorrow and my spanish homework on the bus. I want sophomore year to be here! And I want the rain to stop! Please, please, pretty, pretty, pretty please!

Blanket Project is a go!

I've been wanting to make a blanket for quite some time now. I'm love making tie blankets. I guess you could call it an obsession. But, I think the only reason I like making them is because it involves no sewing machine, whatsoever! So, today I went to Joann's with my mom and picked out some really cute fabric. The only thing is that my fabric isn't exactly fabric that you use for a tie blanket, so I'm actually going to dig out the old sewing machine that's been hibernating in our cabinet for quite some years now. Yes, yes. Feel free to applaud. I'm going to go start pinning it together and when it's all finished I'll take pictures and post them on here! If i still have fingers left....

Cute names that I like...as of now....

• Bethany (girl)
• Austin (boy)
• Luke (boy)
• Beckham (boy)
• Alyse (girl)
• Paige (girl)
• Logan (boy)
• Olivia (girl)

One of my favorite quotes of all time.

Give me a young woman who loves home and family, who reads and ponders the scriptures daily, who has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me a young woman who faithfully attends her Church meetings, who is a seminary graduate, who has earned her Young Womanhood Recognition award and wears it with pride! Give me a young woman who is virtuous and who has maintained her personal purity, who will not settle for less than a temple marriage, and I will give you a young woman who will perform miracles for the Lord now and throughout eternity. - President Ezra Taft Benson