Kitchen Creations & Crafts

While most of the time I'm busy with the daily "to do" tasks...  Sometimes I get to be a little crafty or cook-y.  (Yum, cookies! Wish I had some!)  There's probably a better word for someone spending time in the kitchen - culinary artist - except I'm just a beginner, so anyway, enough rambling already!
For David's graduation I made him chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting per his request.  And so I tested out my newly acquired frosting tip skills.  I think I did pretty good w/out the best frosting possible.  It was fun doing these, even at 1am before graduation day.

And then on Mother's Day  it was decided each child would make part of the dinner for the 18 family members at the Clark's.  Well, I didn't even have pots/pans big enough to fit food for 18!  But it worked out.  I was in charge of two meals (and never had made them before may I say) - Potato Salad & Lime Cilantro Rice (Cafe Rio knock off).  And they turned out GREAT, at least they were mostly eaten, I think I made too much, and I liked it, so that's a start. :)

Here's me with the potato salad.  I actually had to boil the potatoes in two pots, and then let them sit in the fridge for several hours before they would cool down.  I had my cousin Steph's recipe and tips so I think that helped with the "success".  Peeling all those potatoes, cutting up the veggies, eggs, etc - it all sounds like a piece of cake on paper, but it sure did take 1/2 a day at least!  Next time, I'm making enough for only 2.

And then for the Lime Cilantro Rice - I had 2 pots and 1 rice cooker for all that rice!  David was a big help in both of these when he was around, which was definitely great.  What would I do without him?  Okay, getting side tracked again.  Below are some pictures during the rice process and then the final product.  It called for all these limes, but I would have even added more, me and citrus, yum!

David frying the rice above....

And lastly, I'm not sure how, but I still had some creative crafty desire and although I was going to make a wreath for ME first, below is the wreath given to my mom-in-law.  I guess I practiced on this one and the one for me will be even better maybe?  David helped pick out the flowers and colors and I think it looks very summery and nice to have their address on it, although if anyone does this, the numbers are on with hot glue and with all the varied sticks, its hard to keep it on because it's not level.  I'll post our wreath as soon as I finish it too.

And I didn't get a picture, but Saturday night we (my sis-in-law and me) made brownie cookies from pinterest which was very good too - along with a nice BBQ dinner of veggie kabobs and steak, hamburgers, etc.  More culinary creations from the 4 of us :)

He Did It!!

I'm so proud......

My David is a college graduate as of May 4th 2012!!!  Really, how cool!?!?!?  And just as a side, he's been in school for years, and the whole time we dated and married, so I'm just saying, finally I get my D to myself!  (not totally true but so much better)

David, you've put so much time, work, effort, and really did as much as you can to get graduated this May.  I've watched you and you really have done all you could and I'm very proud of you.  I'm happy you are done and you don't have to put up with stupid teachers or classes that don't care about you anymore.  If done again I know you'd switch majors and do things differently, but good job and persevering and sticking through the very tough situations the Biology department at U of U has.  (Note to anyone at the U, yes we are saying don't ever major in Biology).

CONGRATULATIONS!  Take a break, relax and enjoy doing "nothing" for as long as you need.  Although I know you aren't the type to sit still very long, which is just fine with me.  I'm excited for our summer together (even if there's still some studying and dental school application preparation, everything is going to be so much better without full-time school).  I love you babe!

Below are some pictures from the main event at the U of U campus.  First, at 9am he and I went to the university presentation.  He walked in with his graduating class and then they presented some awards and officially declared everyone a graduate.  (We had fun texting back and forth as some of the speakers were snoozers hehe).  Then we walked over to Kingsberry Hall in the Presidents Circle for the 11:30 Science Department graduation.  We had some good support there including his parents, a few siblings (Amber, Josh, Jon & Annie and kids) and his grandma, as well as my mom came from AZ to be here.  And then me of course :)  And he walked across the stage and they were lucky to get his name right (not that David Stephen Clark is hard right?)

That's him above shaking his dean's hand... so hard to see, i know!

Afterwards, we put on a Graduation party at our home Friday afternoon at 4:30pm.  I had fun planning and decorating and making the food....  Wish there were 3 of me so I could have done more cutesy desserts or decor, but we did what we could with what we had.  And if we had an entertaining type home, wow, the things I could do.  But we had lots of people stop by to congratulate David and celebrate with us - neighbors, his family, my UT family, and a few close friends.  Thanks everyone for coming!  (And thanks for the help Mom & Steph! Only one minor incident -  losing some keys as well as not getting the balloons up where I wanted, but oh well)

I know... the D got ruined - but I am getting my baking and decorating skills down for sure!  It was fun testing out my cupcake decor tips and such...

Congrats Baby!

Grandma's House

My grandma moved into a nursing home, memory unit care center, last April 2011.  A year later, she's doing great, but as such, her sons have decided to sell her home.  Its been a bit strange and sad for me as she's still alive and yet we have gone through all of her personal items and then also just finished a estate sale, and her home will soon be up for sale.

We were able to go through and find items of rememberance and that was the best part for me.  My grandma made SO MANY ceramics.  Seriously, 100 boxes full in her garage and then a couple bedrooms and shelf units full.  So I was able to bring some home (finally just repackaged this week!) including: Santas, a winter house collection, halloween haunted sets, some easter decor, and some odds and ends, including her microwave (yay, ours was on the way out).  Honestly it was really hard leaving her home for the last time before the sale because I just want to remember it how it was.  I know it's just a home, but to me there are so many memories there.  The most prevelant being my many visits to see Grandma over the summers by myself or from college at BYU, etc.  We've been buds and loved chatting about whatever was on our minds.  We also made ceramice together during those summers, watched her garden all the time, flew to AZ together every holiday, etc etc.  I think I'd like to claim "closest granddaughter" title :)  Especially as I realized that the other grandkids just weren't close by or something but it was really just her sons who went through all of her belonings with us.  I guess I'm just more sentimental or something.

And the good thing, I can still go chat with Grandma Ginny anytime.  She's not all here, doesn't know who I am, but she does have her spunk and is actually happy in her new place.  So, it makes for a good visit to grab a coke down the hall or chat about whatever she's been doing (over and over).  Fact: I really haven't dealt with death in my family or friends too much yet.  I have such a hard time just saying goodbye to someone leaving the state, etc, I know when someone actually leaves this life, it will impact me a lot.  There will be a hole where they were.  I don't like thinking about that stuff at all.  I do know there's a better place that we'll all be going and they'll be waiting for us to join them - but the day to day will be different and it will be a growing experience I'm sure.  Not looking forward to it, just saying.

Here are some pictures taken before the estate sale.  (I do have to ask my future self to try not and let this happen when its my turn to leave this life... I hope as I get older that I just continue to get rid of more and more and if there's keepsakes I can pass them on to my kids or grandkids while I'm still alive, making it less difficult to get rid of all the nick-nacks.  David told me this and I thought it was a good suggestion.)  We had to stop by the house during the sale and man that wasn't fun.  I didn't even go inside because it just bothered me to have random and "odd" (for real) people coming in and poking around.  It just seemed like a violation to her life and hobbies and all that she made for herself.  I know people have to do it, and they had to do it because what else can you do with those items when no one wants them?  But, it was hard to watch for me.

Anyway, here's Grandma's house :)

Her street and driving this is what we'd see.

My favorite kitchen and green chairs that as kids we'd always stick our fingers into the backs.

The room I usually stayed in (above)

And these are only a few of the Santas and ceramics, didn't want to go crazy with all the pictures we took, but I have a CD full....