Happy 24th Birthday "S"!

I remember so clearly the day "S" was born; it was undoubtedly one of the happiest days of my life. Since we had almost 4 years together before "R" was born, we had what I think was some great mommy-"S" time. Almost every day, we would do something fun - go to the park, meet friends for a playdate, go to the museum, feed the ducks, or one of our all-time favorites take a picnic lunch and eat it on the grass at the Torrance Airport while we watched the planes fly over us and land on the runway (that is, until we got busted and they told us we couldn't do it anymore)!
Here are 24 things that I love about him:
24. He used to get everybody all stirred up and then say, "Family, family. What is wrong with us? Let's have some love at home!"
23. He and "R" played tram-ball almost everyday and nearly every day "R" would come in crying because "S" had cheated so he could win.
22. He NEVER made his bed when he lived at home...I think he got better on his mission (but I might be kidding myself)
21. He used to love watching The O.C.
20. He had this blue pair of shorts that I HATED because they used to sag and when he left to go on his mission, he left them in the car and I ended up keeping them because them reminded me so much of him.
19. He has always had a knack for making people feel comfortable
18. He read every "Goosebumps" book he could find.
17. He isn't a picky eater - except he doesn't love spaghetti
16. He has an amazing work ethic - in school and work
15. Even when I'm irritated, he can make me laugh
14. He LOVES to tease his sisters
13. He has scared himself watching scarey movies
12. He and his Dad can talk for hours
11. He is the best big brother there is
10. For many years he thought he was going to marry Kelly Clarkson
9. When he loves what we're having for dinner, he always says "Oh y-e-a-h!"
8. I love how he calls home for no particular reason
7. He is extraordinarily loyal
6. He loves is family and adores his new wife!!
5. We have a lot of "injury" stories and most of them involve him
4. Since he was a "first child" he wore a lot of really goofy Halloween costumes and never complained about them
3. He is very, very kind
2. He can look at his best friends, make eye contact and nod his head and they completely understand each other
1. He was the perfect way to begin our family
Happy 24th Birthday, "S"! You are as wonderful as they come and we love you to pieces.

Open House Pictures...More To Follow

The Fairy Tale Wedding

Well, I have been so excited to finally write about the wedding!! What an incredible week - I was so fortunate to be able to go up to to Utah a few days early and spend time with "S" and "E". I was there when "E" went through the temple for the first time - what an honor to be there. "S" and I spent some time together that I will always remember and treasure before the rest of the family arrived. And then the actual day arrived....
It was a glorious April Saturday - the sun was shining almost as brightly as "S" and "E" and they both looked amazing. We were joined by so many wonderful family members and even a number of close friends who came all the way from California. "P" and "B" kept their emotions pretty well in check until they saw "S" at the temple all ready to go up and get married - and then they cried like the little girls they are. It was a sweet moment. I have to admit that I thought so much about "R" that day; I know he was with us in spirit and although we missed him a ton (and he would have LOVED the entire day), he is exactly where he needs to be. The sealing was just beautiful and I will always remember the feeling I had during it.
Afterwards, we had pictures outside of the temple and then headed over to El Rancho Grande for a fun luncheon and then it was off to the reception in Lehi.
"E"'s family did such a beautiful job putting the reception together - it was lovely. The food was great and everybody loved the dancing! It was the perfect way to end the day.
"S" and "E" headed off on a honeymoon in Las Vegas and then came down to California for an Open House a week later. We were so happy that they could come spend some time with us!
The Open House turned out exactly as I hoped. I'm so grateful for amazing friends who so willingly stepped in and helped out. Also, a huge shout-out to my sweetheart who hung lights, secured deck railing, planted flowers and everything in between - he, "P" and "B" were terrific.
In short, it was definitely a fairy tale week...and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.

More Ramblings.....

Well, we're down to less than 2 weeks until the "BIG DAY". In my world, this is equivalent to the wedding of Charles and Diana and I'm so excited!
"P", "B", Grace and I put together the floral part of the centerpieces this week - the colors are absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to put the entire tablescape together. Pam made a "test" cookies and creme cake; "J" did "E"'s hair for her bridal photos - everybody has been so very, very helpful and kind. We are blessed!
I have to admit that with spring break and being a little under the weather, I haven't tried a new recipe, so I decided to post one that we made this week that is definitely a family favorite: turkey burgers.
Okay, stop right there - before you say, "oh gross" and click out of my blog forever let me just tell you that there was a time when I had the exact same sentiments. I didn't even like the Costco prepackaged turkey burgers and to be honest, I'm a little surprised that I ever went out on a limb and made these. But I did and they are a definite family favorite. In fact, if you've got people in your family who are "turkey burger skeptics" I wouldn't even tell them this is turkey. Give it a try! I really don't think you'll be disappointed.

Spicy Grilled Turkey Burger with Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients

Turkey burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (white meat, dark meat, or a mixture)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of hot chile sauce such as Tabasco sauce (amount depends on how spicy you like your foods), or Tabasco Chipotle sauce
2 green onions, minced, white and green parts
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
Sweet pickle slices
1 tomato, cored and sliced


Coleslaw
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup loosely packed arugula, watercress, or just another cup of shredded cabbage
10 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
1 Prepare your grill (either charcoal or gas) for direct high heat. Or right before cooking, heat a griddle or large cast iron frying pan on the stovetop.

2 Combine the turkey, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, chives, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, basil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and work the mixture with your hands to just mix. Do not over mix or the burgers will be tough. Form the mixture into 4 1-inch thick patties.
3 Season both sides of the patties w
ith salt and pepper. Grill them for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature of the patties reach 170°F on a meat thermometer. Turkey burgers should be cooked through, not rare. Toward the end of the cooking, put the buns on the grill to toast for about a minute. Remove the burgers from the grill to a platter, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

4 Assemble the coleslaw. Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Add to the cabbage, arugula, and basil in a larger bowl right before serving.

5 Assemble the burgers by placing each burger on a bottom bun, and stacking a tomato slice, some pickles, and a bit of coleslaw on top, and then topping with the top bun.

Makes 4 large burgers. Sometimes I make the coleslaw and sometimes I don't. They work with or without! Enjoy....

Ode To My Dryer

Today is your last day in my house....
For many years you were wonderful and dependable and I knew I could always go to you for warmth and comfort.
But then something happened - you began to rebel. Maybe you entered "appliance teen years".
You completely quit drying, you scorched many a piece of clothing (I still owe "S" a new white shirt) and wrinkled everything!
I put up with it until I could take it no more, so now I say "farewell".
I have high hopes that your replacement will be low-maintenance, high-yield and warm and snuggy like you used to be.
Thanks for all the good years. Hasta la vista, baby!!

My Cooking Dilema....

Okay, so this week I made two things that were both big hits - my dilema was which one to post! I decided to post the easiest one first(although if you know the way I cook, nothing is really very difficult) and save the second in case one week everything I make turns out gross. The receipe is meant as an appetizer and I made it one night when I knew dinner was going to be late. We ate it ALL and ended up counting it as dinner since we were good and full when we finished. Here's my recipe for the week:

Black and White Bean Dip
1 can of black beans-drained
1 can of white beans-drained
1 can of shoepeg corn-drained..okay I didn't have shoepeg corn and I had never even heard of it, so I just used regular corn and it was fine
1 7oz can of Herdez salsa verde
2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
4-6 chopped roma tomatoes
garlic salt to taste
Avocado-optional

Preheat oven to 400. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips---YUM!!

Spring Break In LA....

Tuesday we grabbed our dear friend, Grace, for a girl's day in LA at the Fashion District. When you have Grace along, everything is more fun and boy, can that girl bargain! We should all be bowing down to her, because she can get somebody to go "low, low, low" and all the time have the sweetest smile on her face.
We started in the Flower District and hit the gold mine for wedding flowers. I hope it looks as amazing in real life as it does in my head!
We headed for the Fashion District (aka "girl's heaven") where "P" and "B" found purses, dresses, shirts and makeup galore. Grace and I didn't do too badly either! It was even more fun than it sounds! When "S" and "E" make their way down this direction in May, it would be a fun way to spend a day.
What a great way to start spring break!!