Ok, so it has been a very long time since I have blogged ... About anything!  I do have passions, decorating, drawing, painting, cooking, gardening but my 2 amazing daughters Arianne and Genevieve have been on my mind of late.  We are currently living in Grand Rapids Minnesota,  the coldest place on earth... I don't know why they depict hell as a place of fire and brimstone... I think he'll is a lot like northern Minnesota where it is so cold that 1 minute outside could give you frostbite and one deep breath in will make you wish you had stayed under the covers.  Anyway, my oldest Arianne graduates from high school in May! And the little one will begin kindergarten next year, although much younger (obviously) she is working so very hard at emulating her sisters snarky attitude :) I suppose I get what I deserve.  My parents claim amnesia and what a pain in the butt I was but I know I was (and everyone else knows it too).  People tell me boys Are easier but I will never have one and I do have a little brother, I remember him working at receiving the prize for most annoying boy who ever lived.  So I know that's not a real prize but I mostly like to give him a hard time.  My brother sister and I get along very well :), our parents were amazing example of love, kindness generosity and forgiveness.  My brother went on a mission to Boston my sister married a return missionary... And me, well I'm single and raising 2 girls. My journey wasn't always easy I admit some one of the choices I made have made me take longer paths.  But I was focused and so was Jessica she moved out there and the next year I followed, I had a very special feeling that I nrrf to be there.  After 2 years working my bit off at the olive garden the managers approached me and wanted me to go to Florida for management training. The next day I signed up at salt lake community college, of course I kept the same hours at the Olive Garden training,loads of paper work (which I admit to love do). I worked hard and after 2 years I gtaduated sumakunlsude (highest honors with a GPA of 3.86

I went on to the university of Utah akk geared up to get my degree in anthropology .... I had taken all the math /science /history / art at SLCC, I was prepared!  I worked went to school to make up for not having a quantity of time to spend with Arianne I spent quality time with her.  I had just finished my second year of Arabic when my dad gave me council that I should switch to business.  At the time I thought he was right.  Before the traumatic move from anthropology to business I had been having weird things happening I would just get so fatigued like I had just hit a wall.  Numbness in my legs, feet

This poem reminds me how important we are

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it was scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
"A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two?
"Two dollars,and who'll make it three?"
"Three dollars, once, three dollars, twice;
Going for three..." But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said:"What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?"
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice;
And going and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changes its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the master's hand."And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;
A game--and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.
Myra B. Welch

keeping busy...

So...I haven't been on here in forever, that would be because I started a new blog with my mother and sister called www.creativerefurbishing.blogspot.com, it has been keeping me so busy...I get to be creative and get to learn lots of new stuff (about computers :))...Check us out!

sweet hummus

at my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party my sister in law brought a great dip, she said it was cookie dough dip...hmmmm then after I tried it, she told me it was hummus!!  It was amazing!  she make with chickpeas, chocolate and butterscotch chips, sugar and peanut butter.  My mom was not a believer that beans could be a dessert, so I did some experimenting. My mom does not like peanut butter so I thought I would try to make the dip to taste like her brownies, I used:
1 can Great Northern beans (wash them really well)
1 1/3 cup Nutella
1/2 cup syrup (I think I might use another low calorie sweetener next time)
1/2 bag chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond
Put all ingredients in a food processer and mix until smooth.
I kept tasting mine, and adjusted accordingly.  Its all a matter of your own taste. 
These measurements are not exact since I experiment with cooking (aka don't like to measure).  I used 1/4 cup peanut butter and 2 cup nutella, but next time I won't use peanut butter at all.  I think any sweetener would work, even sugar. 
I served the dip with sliced apples and grahmn crackers (sister in laws idea).

Thanks alanna for the incredible idea.  This is a great way to get more protein into my 18 month old! 

idea to redo old furniture in a cheap way!

I was at the eye doctor with my 14 year old and I saw a great idea on how to refinish furniture in a fun way!  I am going to do it today and tommorrow, I will post pictures and how to, you can use wrapping paper and mod pod and spray acrilic!  I am going to refinish my old dresser (21 year old dresser).  I can't wait to try it!I will post more when it's all done!

Cafe rio pork salad... Yummy!

http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2009/02/shredded-sweet-pork-salad-2

So yummy!!!

Check this out