Feb 28 2016

It's been a week!  Well, here are some highlights (and in the case of the first picture, lowlights) of the past couple weeks.

My "I forgot to get the mail" outfit

Sleep talk:  The most entertaining things I yelled in my sleep this week. 

•  Apparently, I yelled twice in the same night, "Keep the change the filthy animal" followed by entertained laughter.
• "Two creamy quarts" in an angry tone.

In case anyone missed it, Katy came to Provo a couple weeks ago.  Thanks for the fun, Katy!

Katy's Ice cream trip to the creamery

Valentines for all!

The last time I felt like this was after Jr. Miss!

Our FHE activity a couple of weeks ago consisted of shaving cream pictionary.  I'm lucky I didn't get too much into it.

Our ward played broom hockey down at 7 peaks last Friday.  It was super fun!  I love getting physical once in a while.

Stake Conference: Most of you probably know because of the mass texting that was going on during the Gonzaga game, but I wasn't able to go due to stake conference -- although I did watch the first half before sprinting over.  It was so great.  I was able to sing in the choir today, and I felt so light and happy afterwards.  The top four highlights for me:

1. If you have any character trait that you want to fix, read the Book of Mormon and apply its doctrines.
2. Quit beating yourself up after making mistakes daily.  Become as a little child and just move forward with constant repentence.
3. As long as we are being good girls and good boys (and we all know what we need to do), and face the future with faith and happiness, everything will always work out.
4. When I'm stressed, it is usually about myself.  I need to find more opportunities to get outside myself

There were other things I got as well, but those are some highlights.  I love the gospel, and I'm so grateful for repentance.  We can be a completely clean and different person everyday; its just our choice.

Maddy and I were soaking up the warm wall sun after the conference

This afternoon, we had a competitive game of BOM football.  It was a battle, but I pulled out the win with 24-22.  At least one of the cougars got a win this weekend :)

Oh no, I'm on the ten yard line...

I guess I'll take a 30.

Number one!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week.  I'm excited to watch Drew's kids tomorrow night, and Adam's kids on Saturday afternoon for a museum run.  I hope to talk to the rest of you in California, New Mexico, and New Orleans.

Recipe: My roommates wanted cinnamon rolls this morning for a conference treat.  Well, that was too much work, so I made this cinnamon bread instead.  It turned about pretty dang good.

Cinnamon Roll Bread

Prep Time: 10mn

Cook Time: 50mn

Total Time: 1hr

BREAD INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg - room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk - I used 1%
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream

SWIRL INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons water

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat our oven to 350 degrees and prepare a bread pan (about 9x5 inches) by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or lightly greasing it with butter.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. 
3. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, vanilla extract and yogurt or sour cream.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. You can use a large wooden spoon for this if you wish, no mixer is required.
5. In a small bowl combine swirl ingredients together - 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 tablespoons water. Use a tablespoon to drop spoonfuls of this mixture over the bread, then use a knife to make swirl designs to incorporate the cinnamon mixture into the bread.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
7. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, make the glaze ingredients by combining 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk.
9. Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to continue cooling completely.
10. When the bread has completely cooled, pour the glaze over the top and serve.
11. Enjoy!

22 Feb 2016

I don't have much time today, but I wanted to put a couple of highlights:

1) Just from doing family history yesterday for a couple hours, followed by not being able to sleep past 2am and doing more, I have found --

39

                                                                -- names of people who need their temple work done!  It's so fun, guys!  If you ever have spare time and you feel like doing some service, that is such an awesome way!  It is so addicting though, because it's like detective work trying to figure things out.  If you need help or tips, call me, and I would be happy to help you find some names!

2) This Saturday, I was able to babysit Drew and Cassie's kids while they went to a temple session.  It worked out for Adam's family to come as well.  The kids had so much fun together, and were not put out by the cold in the least bit!

I don't know how kids spin without becoming nauseous... 

... but it made me laugh doing the spinning :)

Private Dieter loves the swings.  Maybe he'll go into the air-force one day with that hair, just like another Dieter I know.

Conrad of course had to climb the tree.  Instead of where's waldo, where's Jaxon?

3)  One last thing that I wanted to show.  I love my interiors design class.  My teacher is very knowledgeable and all about function and class.  He is always telling us that the idea of a completely open kitchen is impracticable since kitchens would need to be completely spotless all the time -- meaning they would need to be rarely used.  Here is a picture of a great "open yet private" kitchen that I love!  What do you think?

Great site lines, very open, yet not too open, and I love the Grandma Smith desk on the left of the sitting room!

Have a great week, everyone.  Remember to call with family history help, or if you just want to chat :)

First week of February 2016

Hey guys, I'm a little late, but I'm doing a class post today -- don't worry, I'm a TA so its not that bad that I'm multitasking.

This week has been super BUSY!  The highlight was definitely going to Cassie's Pinterest party on Thursday.  She had so many crafts, great food, and fun people.  I made a valentines jar and three felt hair bows.  I really enjoyed talking to Cassie, Becky Madsen, and Ester Atridge.  Thanks Cassie!

Here is one with me wearing the bow.  CUTE!

My weekend was pretty full as well.  I went to the temple on Friday night, and then Saturday, a couple of us went to the basketball game.  What a sad day!  BYU ripped my heart out when they lost.

Sunday morning I woke up to a messy house, so i cleaned it up nice and put out some valentine decorations that mom sent me in the mail.  Thanks mom!

I walked to church yesterday, and saw that someone put some clothes on the little girl statue -- I guess she looked cold.

 Mom and Dad randomly showed up in my sacrament meeting.  It was great to see them there.  I know where I get my lack of whispering skills -- I could hear everything they were saying and they were sitting in the row behind me.

Mom was there to shoot pics of me while playing in Relief Society.  I felt famous.

My roommate recently got an early morning custodial job at the Library.  This morning i woke up at 3:50 and mixed up some whole wheat, oat, raspberry muffins.  She saw the oven light on, so came out to see what was going on, and snapped some pics.

She and our friend, Jacob, were pretty excited to eat them -- as of 9:30 am, they were all eaten.

I've been SOOOOOOO Busy setting up out canned valentines fundraiser.  The parents were able to get up close and see the process yesterday after church... I forgot to take pics!  anyways, Here is an article from the daily universe about the project.  It comes out in print tomorrow!  Have an awesome week, guys!

Food science club offers valentines-in-a-can

By Alyssa Nielsen on February 6, 2016.

Erin Hiatt, one of the club fundraising co-chairs of the Food Science Club, shows off a canned valentine. Canned Valentines have been a BYU Valentine’s day staple for years. (Ari Davis)

BYU’s Food Science Club is offering students an alternative valentine gift: a can.

Valentine shoppers can stop by the Eyring Science Center and purchase “canned valentines” as a gift for a significant other.

How it works: Customers buy empty cans, they fill the cans with gifts, candy or notes, and volunteers from the Food Science Club seal the cans. Customers then personalize their cans at a decorating station, and finally the cans are ready to give to loved ones.

Deb Hutchins, the club fundraising co-chair, said the process is simple and only takes five minutes, but people appreciate the gifts. She gave three or four cans last year and said the recipients loved them.

“They just thought it was super neat,” Hutchins said. “They were like, ‘I didn’t know you get to open it with a can opener.'”

The cans come in three different sizes, allowing for many sorts of gifts. One year, the volunteers watched as someone placed an engagement ring in a can.

Cameron Bardsley, president of the club, said his family took advantage of the fun last Valentine’s season.

“My dad last year gave my mom an iPhone 6 in one of those cans,” Bardsley said.

Cans cost $1, $3 or $5, depending on size. Buyers may also purchase candy and chocolate at the fundraiser or bring their own valentine gifts to lock away in the can. The Food Science Club provides decorating materials, but buyers are also welcome to decorate the cans on their own.

The club will host the fundraiser Monday, Feb. 8 through Friday, Feb. 12, in room S115 of the Eyring Science Center. The club will be open for business Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The cans from the Food Science Club can be decorated with club-provided materials or with personal decorating materials. (Natalie Stoker)

Bardsley said the club sold over 300 cans in recent years, and the club expects to sell even more this year.

Erin Hiatt, the other club fundraising co-chair, explained the club has provided the canned valentines for decades. They do it because it’s fun and seasonal, but it also helps teach people about food science and the food science major. Part of food science is canning, so the canned valentines are a great way to familiarize outsiders with food processing.

“It’s a way to make people aware what food science is because everyone thinks its nutrition or, like, eating healthy, and we’re not. We’re a separate entity,” Hiatt said.

Food science is an applied science, Bardsley explained. It includes manufacturing and processing food, and food science majors study chemistry, microbiology, physics and more. It’s a great major for pre-professionals and sets students up for good careers that will be there until people stop eating, according to Bardsley.

“If you look in your kitchens, if you look in your cupboards — food doesn’t grow on trees that way,” Hutchins said. “There’s a whole process and a lot of business that goes behind it and a lot of knowledge.”

- See more at: http://universe.byu.edu/2016/02/06/food-science-club-offers-valentines-in-a-can/#sthash.A6Ds7N8R.dpuf