Saturday, August 30, 2014

Don't Tell Pintrest

My ward Relief Society held our annual salad social and clothing exchange last week.The invitation said to bring a salad, or a favorite side dish to share, along with the recipe.

 I had been planning on making something awesome to take, but cooking dinner for the sister missionaries the night before and attending back-to-school meetings all that day scuttled my plans for bringing a fantastic culinary concoction.

I briefly considered showing up without an edible offering or not showing up at all, but then a lunch-time conversation with my pals Val and Kim inspired me to think outside the box.

So here is my recipe for one of my favorite school-day side dishes.

Step One: Go to Little Caesar's and pick up three bags of Crazy Bread.

Step Two: Find a foil pan, preferably the variety of foil pan universally associated with church pot lucks.

Step Three: Put the three cups of sauce in the middle of the pan, then fill in the space around the cups with crazy bread.


Step Four: Eat any pieces of Crazy Bread that don't fit into the pan.

Step Five: Cover the pan with foil and transport to the location of the Salad Social. Then just stand back and watch as they are devoured by kind, carb-craving Relief Society sisters.

The folks at Pintrest might not be impressed with this particular recipe (in fact, they might attack me with sharp little pins for even suggesting it), but I think it's a keeper.
Bon Appetit!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

This summer, I got to hang out with the family. Or more specifically...

I got to spend time with my K-Rae and the Monchichi.

I quilted a blankey for the the Kristie-Mouse.

There was a June sleepover with the girls...

... and a July sleepover with the little folks.

Bentley caught another hat at the rodeo.

Max got into a staring contest with a rabbit at the fair.

Jonah and Alpha moved into my guest room and read until 11:45 p.m.

Ruby bonded with Shadow.

And Milo discovered the sweet smell of rural Idaho.

It is a good thing school is starting. I could really use some rest!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

They, the Builders of Our Fair Booth: Another Chapter from the Book of Mindy

This year's fair theme is "Country Pride County Wide," and unless the judges' integrity has been compromised, I think there is a blue ribbon in our future. Thanks Heidi and Tim!
1. And now behold, when the spring had sprung in Cowtown, yeah, even when its rural scent had reached its bovine pinnacle, even then did the stake Relief Society presidency begin to discuss the fair booth.

2. And they did say one to another, “Let us go out into the wards and the branches of the stake where we might seek amongst the sisters, even amongst the most crafty and creative of sisters, one who could design for us a winning fair booth.”
1   3.  And so the sisters of the stake Relief Society did go out into the wards and branches of the stake, where they did seek a creatively crafty genius sister who might design a fair booth that could deliver unto them a blue ribbon.

2   4. For behold, they hath sought after blue ribbons all the days of their presidency.
1   5. But after days of searching, the stake sisters had still not found a sister to design the fair booth.

2   6. For all of the creatively crafty genius sisters had also seen and smelled the signs of spring in Cowtown. And they did take these signs and smells into their hearts and did realize that the time of the assigning of the designing of the fair booth was at hand.

3   7. And knowing these things, the creatively crafty genius sisters of the stake did hide themselves from the stake Relief Society presidency.

4   8. Yeah, when the crafty sisters did see the stake sisters approach, some did suddenly remember important dentist appointments and did flee with great haste.

5   9. And other sisters did find places within the ward and branch buildings to hide themselves; some diving behind couches while others sought refuge in the sticky and smelly domain of the nursery classes. 


1  10. But despite the great amounts of running and hiding their presence did inspire, the stake leaders did continue to search and to ponder and to pray to find a sister who might be persuaded or bribed or compelled to design a fair booth.


1  11.  In that same stake, in the ward named Eleven, there dwelt a sister called Heidi who was known throughout the land as one of the most creatively crafty genius sisters in the stake, yeah, even in the whole valley.

2  12. And Sister Heidi, having been recently released as a ward Relief Society president, was weary, yeah, even so weary that when the stake sisters did appear unto her, she was unable to outrun them.

3  13. And when Heidi, in her post-president weariness, had been thusly cornered, did the stake sisters invite her to design a fair booth, even a fair booth of such awesomeness that it would kick the trash of the fair booths of the other stakes, albeit in a charitable way.


1  14. And upon receiving this invitation did Heidi exclaim, “Behold! Rememberst thou not that thou hast sought my help with the fair booth previously? Yeah, even in the first year of thy service in the stake didst thou seek me out and invite me to design thy first booth. But I could not, for in that same summer did I have surgery.”

2  15. And the sisters of the stake did remember that they had forgotten this thing.

  16. And Heidi continued, “Yeah, when thou didst ask me and I could not, I did know then that my escape would be but temporary. And for these many years I did know deep in my heart that someday thou wouldst return and the fair booth would be thrust upon me.”

  17. “And having carried this truth with me these many years, and not having the foresight to schedule another surgery for this summer,  I will design the fair booth of the stake.”
18.  And from that day did Heidi go forth and, with her construction-oriented husband Tim the Tool Man, did design a fair booth for the stake.

    19. And for weeks did Heidi and Tim cut and glue and paint, yeah so many cans of spray paint did Heidi wield that her hand did cramp and her fingers did freeze, and her brain grew fuzzy with fumes. 

    20.  And when the day appointed unto the setting up of the booth did arrive, the sisters of the stake Relief Society did meet Heidi and Tim at the fairgrounds. And at the fairgrounds did Heidi and Tim unveil the fruits of their great labors. 

    21. And as the sisters of the stake did gaze upon those great labors, they were struck speechless.

    22.  For behold, Heidi had built a railroad bridge, and a mountain, and a turn of the century Relief Society building.

    23. But this is not all.


    24. For Heidi and Tim had also build an airplane, AN AIRPLANE, that they did hang from the ceiling above the booth. AN AIRPLANE!

   25. And when the stake sisters did regain their powers of speech, they did prostrate themselves at the feet of Heidi, and also of her husband Tim, and they did thank them for their sharing of their time and their talents, and for the huge amounts of work they did do, and of fumes they did inhale.


   26. And the designers of the booths for the other stakes did look upon Heidi’s booth and despair. For they beheld the blinding awesomeness of Heidi’s booth and did know that their they had been beaten, albeit in a very charitable way. And they did marvel at the way that had been so thoroughly yet charitably defeated.  

   27. And when the construction of the booth was complete, when the mountain had been moved and the airplane had taken flight, then Heidi, a truly creative crafty genius, and her husband Tim the Tool Man, did leave the fair grounds.

   28.  And they did take their journey back to their home, were they did attempt to rest.


   29. For behold, they knew that they must get much rest if they were to have any hope of out running the stake leaders in the coming year.
30.  And just to be safe, both Heidi and Tim did decide to schedule surgeries for next summer.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Alton Loves Waffle Love

 This is my nephew Alton.


 Alton loves his family.


A whole lot. 

Especially his siblings.

Can you feel the love tonight?

 Alton also loves sitting in his pan... preferably sans pants, 

...and reading with his brothers.


 "Hey Joe-Bro! What are YOU reading? Wanna trade?"

Alton also loves waffles from Waffle Love.

Alton has good taste, 

 "Hi mom! Hmmmm...What'cha got there?"

"Waffles, eh? I should probably do a little quality control testing..."

"This piece right here looks a little suspicious." 


"I'm so glad Mommy trusts me with  forks and knives.
Nothing bad could possibly happen."

"Hmmmmm...."


"I appears these waffles are up to code, but I had better try another piece just to be sure.
Better safe than sorry."

"I should also probably check Grandma's water for her, seeing as how she is all elderly n'stuff."

"All clear Grams. You're good to go."

"Wow. Taking care of the old and infirm is hard work. 
I'd better have a little more waffle so as to keep up my strength,"

"That waffle was so good, I might wait two or three blocks before I start screaming about being strapped into the Torturous-Car-Seat-of-Monumental-Pain-and-Suffering." 

"Yep. My life is awesome."
Yes Alton, it is. 
It really is.