the post that was more than a week in the making.

you know when something big happens in your life, and it has really affected you?  you know how you have to sit on it, think about it, let it percolate a bit, just so you can get everything out of it that you possibly can?  well, I have had one of those experiences.

one of the leaders from my youth passed away a couple of weeks ago.

she was a miracle.

she had been diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma eight years ago.  the doctors didn’t give her much time.  but she fought.  it was a most excellent fight.

numbers upon number of surgeries, countless hours spent either enduring chemo or radiation, and the even more countless hours of pain and sickness, and she was not one to complain.

everytime there was a new development in her health, she would post something she was thankful for on facebook.  her positivity was amazing.

right after the new year, she was rushed to the hospital, and was told then that she didn’t have much time left.  but I believe that she was ready.

she is such an example to me.  as I reflect back on the parts of her life that have directly affected me, I am thankful for what she taught me.

theresa was called to be young women’s president when I was 16 (funny fact, she was the age that I am now when she was called..).  I was the bishop’s daughter, their family had just moved into the ward from out of state, and I didn’t know her well.  add to these factors that the previous presidency had been in for nearly the previous 4 years, and i had grown to love them dearly .  it was a hard change.

now I am not using that as an excuse for my behavior (more to come on that), it’s just that being a teenager is hard enough, add to that changes (which I am not good at dealing with), and you can get a not too chipper kid.

that being said, I was a brat.

I never said anything purposely hurtful to her, I was not mean-spirited, I was just unhappy, not excited about this change, not excited about someone I basically knew nothing about.  I didn’t treat her with the respect she deserved.

but she didn’t treat me any differently.

she still cared about me, was so incredibly friendly to me, treated me with much more respect than I was sure I deserved.  things improved little by little over time, teaching me these little lessons all the while, little lessons that I didn’t realize were just that until I was more mature.  but the biggest lesson she taught me, personally, came that summer.

I used to be the most homesick kid you ever met.  I couldn’t even go two doors down for a sleep-over with my best friend without getting homesick.  there were times I was able to tough it out and stay the night, then there were those other times I would call my parents and they would come walk me home at 10:30 at night.  it didn’t get any better as I got older.  (I blame my family for making me love them so much, blame my mom for making home such a wonderful place to be.) 

this particular summer, I was called to be a youth leader for an all girls church camp (remember “laurel legacy” anyone?).  it meant a week away from my family, my home, my room, and my friends, to stay in a tent with five other girls, none of whom I knew outside of this experience.  there would be girls coming from my ward and stake later in the week, but I wouldn’t be staying with them.  I would get to see them, but when it came to the bulk of my time, I was with these other girls who attended different stakes, different schools.  I grew incredibly homesick.

I spent most of my time those first three days praying, crying, reading my scriptures, and praying more.  out of desperation, I wrote my mom a letter.  it was quite miserable.  looking back on it, it was a pretty silly idea, because, how was I going to get it to my mom?  it wasn’t like there was mail service there.  while I would like to say that it helped, it really didn’t.

the day came when all the girls from the wards and stakes arrived, and with it, their leaders.  MY leaders.

I saw theresa’s face.  I ran to her, and she opened her arms and hugged me while I cried on her shoulder.  she didn’t let go, she didn’t push me away, she just held onto me.  I think she even cried a little herself.  she reassured me that I would be fine.  I remember her telling me that things would get so busy after that that I wouldn’t even have time to be homesick.  she even waited while I ran back to my tent to get that letter for my mom.  she would deliver it.

as I look back, realizing what a brat I was,  I think of how undeserving I was of her grace.  would I have treated someone who wasn’t so kind to me that way? 

I have thought of that often.  while my inner thoughts might not match up to my outward actions, I am hoping that they will match up, that I can have truly loving, kind, and charitable thoughts about everyone, regardless of how they have treated me in the past.

I am so grateful that she treated me better than I deserved.

I am thankful to know that where she is, there is no more pain and illness for her.  I am thankful for the knowledge I have that she will be whole, with her family for eternity.  I am so thankful for her Christlike example, that will undoubtedly stay with me for the rest of my life.

fluffy waffles

when I made these for dinner the other night (yes, breakfast is one of our favorite things to have for dinner), I asked the girls to tell me if these were “so fluffy they were going to die!!”

(more “despicable me”, I can’t help myself.)

they were indeed pretty fluffy.  I was told many times over the line that I wanted to hear.

waffles

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup cooking oil

2 egg whites

in one bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  make a well in the center and set aside.

in another bowl, beat egg yolks slightly.  stir in milk and oil.  add wet mixture to the dry mixture all at once.  stir until just moistened.

in a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up).  gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  make sure to leave some lumps of the beaten egg white.  do not overmix!!

bake in your waffle iron per manufacture’s instructions.

we like to set out just about everything to put on top of our waffles.  syrup, butter, jam, powdered sugar…

they are pretty fluffy!

payday bars

of all places, a funeral luncheon was where I discovered these.  I am thinking of presenting another “rule” to add to the church handbook, that when someone brings something to a funeral luncheon, or another church gathering, they need to bring copies of the recipe as well.
so when I came home, I hunted them down.
I have made them twice already, so I am more than qualified to tell you some of the tweaks and tips to make you love these as well.
here’s where I found the recipe.
PAYDAY CANDY BAR COOKIES
1 yellow cake mix
1/3 c. butter
1 egg
3 c. miniature marshmallows
2/3 c. white corn syrup
1 package (12 oz.) peanut butter chips
1/4 c. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. salted peanuts
2 c. Rice Krispies (I left these out.)
Mix cake mix, egg, and 1/3 cup of butter (room temperature). Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 18 minutes (watch it closely after the 12 minute mark), or until golden brown around the edges. Spread marshmallows over the top and return to oven for three to five minutes until melted. Cool completely. (I popped them into the freezer while I made the topping.)
In heavy saucepan, mix peanut butter chips, syrup, butter and vanilla; heat and stir until smooth. Add peanuts and Rice Krispies (or leave them out). Spread over marshmallows. Cool and cut.
I learned to freeze these for just a few minutes, long enough to get that marshmallow layer solid.  when you pour on your hot mixture over the top, if those marshmallows aren’t settled enough, they will melt when they come in contact with the topping and then you will only have marshmallow on the outer edges.  but merrill likes it that way because he “doesn’t like marshmallows”?  issues with that boy…
after I top them, I pop them into the fridge to let the topping firm up, and then cut them and let them come to room temperature before eating them.  cutting them while they are cold, helps the knife go through easier and your lines are pretty.  (cut the ones in the picture too soon, I was obviously too excited.)
I also tried adding another egg to the cake part to see if we liked it more cakey, but we all seemed to prefer it less cakey.
it is definitely a keeper of a recipe!

texas roadhouse rolls (copycat)

thanks to a friend, I pinned this recipe a while back, very excited to try it out.  but it just wouldn’t be right to have them unless they were paired with pulled pork, and well, we have really cut back on the meat intake in this house, so it was going to be a while.

and then I finally got to it!

so I don’t have a picture of my own to pair with this recipe, because the first time I made them they kinda got eaten fast.

the second time I made them (I made them again when we had leftovers because that recipe for pulled pork makes a lot!!!), I let them raise while I was out shoveling, and that took longer than I thought, so they rose, and then they fell, and they were delicious, but not cute.

so, no pics.

but here is the pin.

here is the link.

and here is her pic:

Texas Roadhouse Rolls - Copycat Recipe

adapted from: Good Stuff Maynard

(Printable Recipe)

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 tablespoons of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 cup sugar 

2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)

2 whole eggs

2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.  Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter.  Beat thoroughly.  Let stand until light and foamy.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  

Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.  Serve with Cinnamon Honey Butter.  

*Jenn's Notes: I shaped my rolls by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then I folded the rectangle in half, making it about 1-inch thick. I used  my rolling pin and rolled over the dough, ever so gently, just to seal the two halves together.  I then used a dough scraper and cut the rolls into squares and placed those on my greased baking sheet.  I cut the recipe in half and I got exactly 12 big rolls and baked them for 16-17 minutes.  In order to get the 5-6 dozen rolls like the recipe states, you would have to make really small rolls.   

*Mindy’s notes:  I found the first time that I made them, I used too much flour.  I prefer a softer roll, so the second time I used about 6 1/2 cups of flour instead of the 7 1/2 I used the first time.  it was a stickier dough, but the rolls were softer.

kickin’ it.

(as per usual, click on image for full list of credits.)

this kit is absolutely charming I tell you!  we have a budding little soccer player on our hands, and lots (tons!!) of pictures of her playing, or laughing on the field while others are playing, and lots of pictures of her running hard.  this kit is without a doubt what I needed to motivate me to scrap these cute pics.

it is on sale today. :)

as for the rest of what goes on around here, lots of knitting and crocheting, peyton thinking she can crochet (putting a couple of hooks in a polly pocket dress and moving them around), and it’s quite cute.

and finally, snow!!  (like snow that should hopefully stay, not get rained away, or melt.)

and with that snow: cocoa.

and more baking on top of it all.  seriously.

church isn't just on sunday at our house.

while peyton might prefer to not stay in her primary class on sunday, it doesn't mean that she doesn't love church.

i have heard her many times, while playing house, bless the food with her babies or say a bedtime prayer.  she has played church with them as well.

after a mistake was made one sunday on the sacrament prayer, she asked me why they had to say two prayers on the water.  i explained that the sacrament is an ordinance and that there can be no mistakes in the prayer.  she seemed to accept that.  at dinner that night, she volunteered to say the blessing on the food.  well, she made a mistake, and then started her prayer all over again!

"i made a mistake!  i had to start all over."

then there was today.

we were getting ready to go over to the school to be the mystery reader for lynn's class, and needed to get shoes on peyton, so we went into her closet.  there were her little people, all lined up in rows, one up front, sitting on a trike, just a little higher than the rest.

"i made a church for my little people mommy!"

yes, she did.

oh how i wish i had gotten a picture of that..

this whole post might be because my kids watch “despicable me” too much.

this is peyton:

she is almost 4, loves her purse (doesn’t like hannah montana though), eats just about everything (but oranges have been a favorite lately), and is my favorite sidekick.

part of her duties as sidekick include making me laugh.

(like just now, she informed me that her panties are hanging out of her skirt.)

this child, as well as my other two, love the movie “despicable me”.  I can’t blame them.  I find it pretty darn funny myself.  I am not sure if I love it enough to want to watch it everyday though.

there is just one certain part of this movie that has seemed to have stuck in the brain of my little nearly four year old.

imagine, the minion.

“whaaat?”

go, see for yourself. 

now pair it with this sweet face:

and here’s a story to put the two together for your enjoyment:

sunday has changed in our home.  we have moved from the 1-4pm church to the 9am-12pm block.  it’s still taking a little getting used to, but for the most part, we are loving it.  sundays have also changed in the fact that peyton is no longer in nursery.  she is a sunbeam!  (she is also the only one of my girls who would not allow me to take a picture of her after her first sunday as a sunbeam with her new ctr ring.  stinker.)  her first sunday in class, no big deal.  she rather enjoyed it.  I was rather relieved.

the second sunday, I was gearing her all up for another fun sunday as a sunbeam (!!!).  we got there, and despite another kid, crying incessantly, she went to class without hesitation.

now, merrill and I teach the oldest two classes in primary.  during peyton’s class time, we are in music and sharing time, during our class time, she is in music and sharing time.  so just as we make the transition to go to class, right when we are going to have the opening prayer, there is a knock at the door.  it was the primary secretary and peyton’s teacher.

and there was peyton.  big tears on her cheeks.  her teacher explained that she thought peyton wasn’t feeling well, she stood the whole class time and didn’t want to sit down.  she didn’t cry for a while, but at the end of class, she started to cry and said she wanted me.

so I took her into class with us, but when she started to get too comfortable in there (read: she was being a distraction) I had merrill take her out to see if she wanted to go into singing time.

(come to find out she didn’t like that either.)

well, after sacrament meeting, when we were going home, I decided to ask peyton what happened in class to make her so sad.

“well..  I was just trying to play with all of my friends, but they didn’t want to play, so I was like ‘whaaat?’ and then I was sad.  and I didn’t want to sit down, and so I started to cry.  and my teacher was like ‘whaaat?’ and she asked me why I was sad and I just couldn’t talk.  so I said I wanted my mom.  and well, then she took me to you.”

that girl…

other funny things she has said lately:

sunday night when she wouldn’t go to bed she told merrill:

“when I am grown up, I am going to stay up all night, and I am going to be tan.”

she also told him that she was going to change her name, but he couldn’t remember what name she said.

she also likes to bust in on conversations by saying, “what?  are you guys eating chicken nuggets over there?”

I love that I get to spend all day with her, and merrill, that does not give you permission to say anything about when she starts school, in the very, far, distant future, and leaves me all by  my lonesome.  her position of sidekick might just have to be filled if you say anything that makes me cry.

and well, I kinda sorta got my picture of my new little sunbeam in a round-about kind of way after all.