trick-or-treat.

Happy Halloween!

We took Truman, our basketball {with skeleton pajama's underneath}, around to a few parties we were invited too.  He crashed tonight when we got home!

When I asked Gregg at the beginning of the month what Truman should be for Halloween he said without missing a beat, a basketball {Truman is obsessed with balls}.  I made a couple of runs to the craft store to buy supplies - had a few deliberations with Gregg on how to make the costume - some support from friends and finally, it came together.  I think it turned out okay.  Looks like a basketball to me and Truman loved it - he kept hugging himself and saying "basketball"  {I was so worried I would get it made and then he would not wear it}. 

We hope you had a fun and safe Halloween.

friday flashbacks.

Gregg, Tara and Baby Krista Simons

I think Gregg is Truman's age in this photo {about 19 months}

I am guessing this was taken fall 1979

I don't think Truman looks at all like Gregg did at 19 months -
but Truman looks like a mini Gregg now.

book club.

Last weekend I hosted book club.  We read "Picking Cotton" by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino.  It was Tara's birthday so we had a salad bar, fresh made rosemary bread {recipe here} and TWO desserts

{I told her I would make whatever she wanted}!  The recipes are posted below this post.

I really like this book.  It is a true story about a man who is wrongfully convicted of a crime in the 1980's and later set free in the 2000's because of DNA testing.  The story is written by both the victim of the crime and the falsely accused man.  It causes you to really think about their different positions in the whole ordeal and about our justice system.  

I will give the book four and a half stars our of five.

Next we are reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.

{next book club isn't until December and I have a little vacation planned between now and then...I need a few books to read, any suggestions}?

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1 cup unsalted butter

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

5 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 inch spring form pan and dust with cocoa powder.  In a medium saucepan, heat butter with ¼ cup of the heavy cream over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth; remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder; whisk in the chocolate mixture.  Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 1 hour.  Run a knife around the edge of the cake before unmolding.

Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with the crème fraiche and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form.  Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar and seve with the whipped cream.

Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake.

Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake

3 cups ground gingersnap cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

3  8-ounce bars cream cheese at room temperature

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup cherry preserves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the ground ginger snaps and butter.  Using a straight sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the side of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in ½ cup of the sour cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes (I ended up baking mine well over an hour.  Bake until slightly brown and top starts to crack).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the remaining 1 ½ cups of sour cream, ¼ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Spread over the hot cheesecake and bake until set, 3 to 5 minutes (again, I ended up baking mine an additional 20 minutes).  Let cool in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before unmolding.

Spread the preserves over the cheesecake before serving.

today.

We woke up to this...already?!

Today I was going to plant the 140 tulip and daffodil bulbs that my mom bought me...  I hope it warms up later this week or I am going to really be regretting it in the spring.

I am going to have my sisters two youngest kids all week, Enoch and Jean.  She just moved into her new house in Herriman last weekend {from Arizona} and this weekend she was in the hospital with kidney stones - she is back home but has still not passed them and is in a lot of pain.  There is not much they can do for her because she is pregnant {due 10 days before me}.  It was a crazy day with a 3 year old and two 18-month olds {Jean and Truman are 3 weeks apart}.  I am happy to help even though I am exhausted tonight!  I am just glad my sister lives in Utah now and we are close enough to help.

Truman is always doing this yoga pose {seen here} - tonight Jean joined in!

Baby Simons Number 2

Poor guy - no privacy.  Remember Trumans ultrasound...here and here.

Due March 17

Everything seems to be fine.

PS - If anyone is needing an ultrasound in the Northern Utah area I went to the best place - very nice office, great ultra sound tech, radiologist and 1/4 the cost of the Hospital.  Let me know.

18 months.

Truman had his 18- month check up with Dr. Haderlie today.
He's all smiles even after getting shots.  When the nurse gave him his shots he looked at her and said "owie"


22 pounds 31 inches tall

Lasagna.

Simple Lasagna

Tami Fife

1 pound ground beef

2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

15 ounces Ricotta cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg

26 ounce spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat.

Mix 1 ¼ cups of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, ¼ cups parmesan cheese, the parsley and egg until well blended, set aside.

Dain meat, return to skillet.  Stir in spaghetti sauce.  Pour water into empty sauce jar; cover and shake well.  Add to skillet; stir until well blended.  Adding water to the sauce helps cook traditional noodles during baking, so you don’t have to cook them beforehand.  This save you 15-20 minutes or prep time.

Spread one cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of 13-9 inch baking dish; top with a layer of 3 uncooked lasagna noodles.  Noodles will expand to fit the dish during baking.

Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of the meat sauce over noodles.  Repeat layers two more times.  Top with remaining 3 noodles and the remaining meat sauce.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 ¼ cups mozzarella cheese and remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese.  Cover tightly with greased foil.  Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking 15 minutes or until heated through.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to serve.

* A few changes I (Camille) made to this recipe.  You can use 1 pound ground Turkey instead of ground beef  for a healthier option.  I find that I need to use more spices when I cook with ground Turkey.  Also, I like to add some sausage (like Jimmy Dean) to my lasagna for more spice/taste.


One last thing, I made the lasagna in two smaller glass pans and froze one (thanks Tami for the idea).

vote.

Truman needs your vote.

I was at GAP getting Truman some fall/winter clothes last week when the check out lady asked if I would be interested in entering Truman in there casting call.  Sure, why not?!

Click  here and enter #306105 {in the top right hand side of the page} to vote for Truman.

friday flashbacks.

Tiffany, Camille, Anthony

Dallin, Nathan Quinn

July 1990

decorations.

I put together these simple classy Halloween decorations yesterday.

I will be offering the black jeweled pumpkin in my card class this month.

halloween dinner.

We had some friends and family over for a Halloween dinner tonight.  The menu included mummy soup with witch fingers, deviled egg eyeballs, mummy sausage rolls, frozen eyeball grapes, Dracula blood juice with spiders in it, spider cupcakes and lots of candy.

After dinner we had a Halloween FHE.  We talked about doing "treats" {nice things} for our family members instead of doing "tricks" {mean things}.

This is the best I could do for a picture of the skeletons.

eating spider cupcakes out side.

friday flashbacks.

Dallin Quinn | October 1990

{click here to see Dallin now}

Chicken Taco's

I made this for dinner the other night - it was easy and had really good flavor.  Enjoy.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Filling

Tiffany Hopkinson

2-4 chicken breasts

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can green chilies

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Toppings:

Taco shells, corn or flour tortilla

Salsa

Sour Cream

Lettuce

Cheese

Tomatoes

Place chicken (can be frozen) in slow cooker.  In a bowl combine chili powder, Worcestershire, garlic, onion, green chilies and tomatoes.  Spread over the chicken in the crock pot.  Bake covered on high for 4 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.

Shred chicken before serving.  I like to do it an hour before serving and return it to the pot to cook (if there is still a lot of juice in the crock pot then cook it without the lid for a while).  Serve with toppings.

sunday morning.

Sunday morning - before conference - Truman and Dad playing.

hugs

{!}

Conference Cinnamon Rolls.

Conference Cinnamon Rolls

Tiffany Hopkinson and Camille Simons

2 ½ cups warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

6+ cups flour

1 package cream cheese for frosting

Mix warm water, yeast, sugar and 2 cups flour to make a slurry first.  Let is sit while you melt the butter and gather remaining ingredients.

Add baking powder, salt, eggs, and slightly cooled butter to the slurry.  You can add the butter after you add 2 more cups of flour to help cool it.

Add remaining flour to get the dough consistency you want.  Let it sit and rise in the bowl for 15-30 minutes.

Roll into a rectangle so dough is ¼ - ½ inch thick.  Spread with 1 soft cube of butter.  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.  Sprinkle with brown or white sugar last.

Roll up and cut 1 ½ - 2 inch thick rolls.

Please in a deep glass baking dish (9X13) so rolls are about ½ inch apart.  Let rise another 15-30 minutes.  Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla and just enough powdered sugar to make it taste sweet. 

Carmel Pecan Frosting

2/3 cups brown sugar

¼ cups butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

Pecans, chopped

Heat over medium heat.  Drizzle over hot cinnamon rolls.

friday flashbacks.

Nathan Quinn | 1990 | 5 year old

Don't you love his face!