Domestic-ness

For Christmas this year I got this beauty:

I've been wanting one for years. Nick went in with my Mom and got it for me and I'm in L.O.V.E I have been in the kitchen non-stop (too bad I'm not barefoot and pregnant). 

My first attempt (EVER) at baking bread, my Mom's been baking bread for years but I was never interested in learning how (just eating it-d'oh!) After a few phone calls to my Mom during the process, I was happy (and so was Nick) with the end result, nothing like fresh warm bread with butter/honey or homemade jam- YUMMY!  (Wheat Bread Recipe)

Yesterday was my sister's birthday and I made her RED VELVET CUPCAKES with cream cheese frosting

I've tried homemade cupcakes before but they've never turned out quite right, I don't know if I've been over mixing (using a hand mixer-bah!) or if it's because we live at a high altitude. Either way these cupcakes turned out so moist and delicious (Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe)  I melted some red chocolate in a piping bag and made little hearts (because I heart her!) 

Happy Birthday Chrissy!

One last thing:

ONLY 3 WEEKS til my HALF MARATHON!!

Good thing I have something to train for right now with all this baking going on.  Ran 9 miles yesterday and the temp was in the 40s....in December....and I loved every minute of it :)

Oh So Sweet

I remember growing up and walking in from the cold to a warm kitchen full of delicious treats and baked goods. It's no secret my family loves to cook/bake; my grandma did it, my mom does it, I even have a sister in culinary school.  On Christmas Eve/Eve/Eve I spent the day at my Mom's house baking Christmas goodies. Spending the day with my Mom and sisters in the kitchen, dancing to Christmas music and laughing- now it feels like Christmas.

We made gingerbread cookies (they're soft and chewy not hard/crunchy like traditional cookies), we made chocolate dipped pretzels, white chocolate popcorn, candied nuts, homemade caramel and fudge. We made Oreo balls (mint and regular) in white chocolate, we took peanut butter cookies and made balls dipped in milk chocolate- YUMMY! I should have taken a picture of the kitchen table covered in sweets.
Nick came over after work and decorated a few cookies:

Yes, that is a basket-bell, a football, the star from Mario, a devil and a jack-o-lantern tree and a gingerbread man wearing......not much- HAHA!
OH! and I just recently discovered PINTEREST -HOLLA!  Now I know what everyone is talking about. I spent an entire morning looking at DIY crafts, recipes, home decor......  I'm even playing with the idea of starting a cooking/baking blog and I've been totally inspired to get my craft on :) 

Endure to the End

That phrase can mean a lot of different things to different people. It might mean endure to the end of the semester, my long run, my trials...... In 2 Nephi 31:20 we're told "...Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
I had the opportunity to visit teach an amazing woman; Sister Edna {L} lived in our ward and was 93 years young!  She was full of life and love and I was so blessed to be her visiting teacher.  In Sept Edna had heart attack and requested that no intervention be done and she was made DNR.  She was not scared of death and joyfully looked forward to being reunited with her husband. She peacefully passed away surrounded by her family.  
Flash forward to this past Sunday when we had tithing settlement.  Our Bishop shared with us that 2 weeks after Sister {L}'s death he received this in the mail:

 Even when though she was in the hospital dying, she still had her daughter mail her tithing. A true example of an individual Enduring to the End