Just Dreaming......

bout ......MY DREAM KITCHEN!

FROM houzz.com

THIS CLOSET IS PERFECT FOR ME! JUST THROW A BLOW UP BED IN HERE!

Our Girlies

Our little Wynter loves her baby sister River! I can't believe how fast newborns change....
Wynter must have decided that she was ready for her first cozy coupe ride!

Wagon Wheel Herb Garden

How cool is this idea? Right about now I am wishing I had my three wagon wheels that someone stole out of my yard years ago. I haven't priced them lately but I am guessing it's near the price of "ridiculous"! I know the photo is small....but you get the idea. I am doing this!

Fridge Organizer

I simply love this idea and sometimes....upon opening a fridge it can be scarey!

From Crate and Barrel.com

and find it here: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/food-containers-storage/fridge-soda-can-organizer/s310576

Pretzel Buttons

Are you even kidding me with these! So simple and sooooo cute! Who even knew they made square pretzels......have I been living under a rock?


What you'll need:
square pretzels
Hershey's Hugs (you can use Kisses, too, but I think the Hugs taste better and they definitely soften up better!)
plain M&Ms

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200°.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Place the pretzels on and top them with the hugs.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting).
Carefully place an M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the chocolate.
Allow to cool completely (a few minutes in the fridge works perfectly) and enjoy!

Valentine Cupcakes

I think these are just the most delicious looking cupcakes on the web and I am really craving one right about now............It's a darn good thing the market is not next door!

M&M Samoa Blondies

These blondies are so rich and brown sugar-y . . . and with the cute M&M's on top, you can't resist them. I don't think that they taste too much like a Samoa Cookie, but don't let that stop you from making them.

M&M Samoa BlondiesRecipe source: Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1
1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups mini M&M’sa few extra M&M’s

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).

Side Notes:*Use chocolate chips in place of M&M’s if you’d like.*For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes (I baked mine for about 27 minutes and I thought that they were perfect!).

Mint to Be..........

Valentine's Day Marshmellow Pops

How stinking cute are these?

First cut a small slit in the top of the marshmallows to allow you to insert your straw. If you skip this step you just might mash your marshmallows!



1. Insert the straws or popsicle sticks and put them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. They do not take long to freeze and by doing this, the marshmallow is adhered more securely to the straw.


2. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in the microwave on medium heat and stir every 30 seconds. White chocolate seems to burn a lot easier than regular chocolate so watch it closely! Add your food coloring if desired.


3. Next up is the fun part: decorating! Dip the frozen marshmallows in the white chocolate. You will want to tap the excess white chocolate off. The frozen marshmallow will make the chocolate harden quickly so don’t wait too long before dipping them into the sprinkles.




These would make lovely Valentine’s Day gifts or treats all wrapped up in clear plastic and a pretty ribbon!

Nana's Girl

My little Wynter Brooke got her Valentine's package from her Nana!

Sign This Petition!

As most of the world knows.......we here in the state of Utah and Washington state have suffered a tremendous loss. It really is just to overwhelming for many of us to even begin to process and it is still to difficult to talk about.

We can only try to move forward from today and it is our wish that we could have you sign a petition requiring that "supervised visitations to take place in neutral location".

Please.....Please sign this petition! The internet is such a strong tool on getting the information out there and I just can't resist helping out with this cause.

Please visit here to sign this petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/us-senators-congressman-require-supervised-visitations-to-take-place-in-neutral-location

Real Simple

I love this magazine! Yes.........I think this could be the same magazine that I lifted from the Dr.'s office last month ............(tee-hee)! I have just purchased my first issue and seriously, I really love it! There is tons of stuff for me in here..........great articles that actually interest me! Lots of cool recipes and other fun stuff. What is even cooler is that the pages feel different, like the paper has a really neat feel to it. If you get a chance... check one out!

I subscribe to only two other magazines and those are Family Tree (genealogy) and The Smithsonian........What an old crusty I am getting to be!!! A few years back I was occasionally buying "People" magazine and seriously, what was up with that? I do have to admit that when I travel I will pick up a copy every so often but now I will travel with my new issue of "Real Simple" on my trip this month.

Who Is Your Favorite Fictional Couple?

Yes, Yes.......I know! Crazy post for me but Valentine's Day is soon to be upon us!

I have several couples that come to mind here.........Fictional of course (hence the title of my post).

I am not a big believer in relationships........and yes, I can say this cause "It's my blog and I can write what I want". Wowza...........

When Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, fall in love in their youth, they forge a bond that time and separation cannot break. Even as decades pass, Florentino holds out hope that Fermina's husband will die and that she will express her true feelings for him. When they finally get together in their old age, their connection is still as powerful as it was more than 50 years earlier.

Of course, no one can ever forget Mr. Darcy, from Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. He's a pompous jerk but it truly is one of my most favorite love stories of all times! My favorite line of the entire movie from Mr. Darcy is when he finally comes for his Elizabeth:


"If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings had changed, I will have to tell you, you have bewitched me body and soul and I love...I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

And then there is our delicious vampire Edward and his one true love Bella, for whom he has waited for....for hundreds of years! Another wowza here..........

Dish Rack Holder

I think this is a super cute idea and I love the red color!

Orange Chicken

This past weekend my daughter Ivy made this delicious orange chicken and it was super yummy! We give it a "two thumbs up"..............

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2″ cubes

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup plus

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons green onion

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS:Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
Pour oil (or melt butter and pour) in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.
After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.
Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

If you want to print out the recipe you can go here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/07/fabulous-orange-chicken.html

Christmas in February

I simply love it that the grandkidos wanted Chritstmas bedtime stories this past weekend and for all three nights! It's such a magical and happy time. ......... who wouldn't!

L.O.V.E.

" Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new."

So Fruity.......

I think this is just too cute and delicious........My granbabies will love this!

That's Just Great

The moral of the story is: Be careful what you wish for.....

There is to much snow for me to travel north this morning and it is just going to get worse throughout the day! I guess this "nana" will have to wait until tomorrow to hug them granbabies! :(

WHERE IS WINTER

Please, Oh Pleeze..........Punxsutawney Phil give us 6 more weeks of winter! You see, all of your friends here in Zion have not seen winter and for this "zion girl" it is her favorite time of the year! So...............tomorrow, just do your thing! pretty pleeze.............

Vacation Hint #3

Where in the heck is this "zion girl" going? Hmmm....is that the ocean?

But which one?

What? Huh? When?

Did I tell you that? When did I say that?

When did you tell me that?

Seriously! It has been 3 weeks today since I have started taking the Ginkgo Biloba and I am here to tell you.........I can tell the difference! It is definitely worth taking. I do a crossword puzzle daily and I can do them now in nearly half the time as before!

Most Importantly, on Saturday I remembered to go by my favorite yogurt place and indulge myself! BEST DAY EVER........................

Today has been just one of those special days! Thank you my father in heaven for my many many many blessings! How can one girl have so much happiness and joy.... AMEN.........

I ♥ YOU

I am so excited to make these with them adorable granbabies this coming weekend!

For the directions go here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/01/chocolate-dipped-krispie-treats-heart-shaped.html

Faith And Courage

"We move on with no regrets to our destiny, held by the hands of the Father. We share His love and He leads us through all these days..."

Outdoor Pallet Table

Who knew there were so many things that you could do with wood pallets! This is the coolest table and all because of the "pinterest" website. That's all I need.......another website to get hooked on!

Go here for this project: http://www.joyeverafter.com/blog/2011/7/13/outdoor-pallet-table-diy.html

And then for other pallet projects follow this link: http://blog.builddirect.com/do-it-yourself-projects-using-pallets/

The Aircraft Flying Over Me As I Blog!

B-1 Lancer

E-3 Sentry

F-15 Eagle

F-16 Fighting Falcon

KC-135 Stratotanker

The Mystery Is Solved

AND SERIOUSLY........HOW COOL IS THIS!!!!

ST. GEORGE – Washington County residents have been experiencing loud booms and shaking homes since Monday and wondered what was happening – the U.S. Air Force has the answer.
Capt. Jessica Martin, a public relations officer for Nellis Air Force Base, confirmed that the base was taking part in Red Flag, a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies.

Red Flag began on Monday, Jan. 23, and will continue to Feb. 3. Until then, southern Utah residents may continue to experience incidents involving loud disturbances, and in some cases, shaken homes.

While the thunderous sounds and shaking created by exercise will cease in less than two weeks, Capt. Martin added that Red Flag is held up to four times a year.

The exercise is hosted north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range – the U.S. Air Force’s premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Nellis and the NTTR are the home of a “peacetime battlefield,” providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together, survive together and win together.

The 414th Combat Training Squadron is responsible for executing Red Flag and the exercise is just one of a series of advanced training programs administered at Nellis and on the NTTR by organizations assigned to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center.

Throughout the Red Flag exercise, more than 90 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day, around noon and again around 6 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide-variety of combat missions.

The exercise will include units from Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, Louisiana, Utah, California, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Massachusetts and Oklahoma flying aircraft including the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, E-3 Sentry, B-1 Lancer, and KC-135 Stratotanker.

In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Saudi Royal Air Force and the Republic of Korea will participate with their nations’ F-15 aircraft.
For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at (702) 652-2750 or go to http://www.nellis.af.mil/redflag-nellis/. \

Night Rumblings Continue

Well....the night rumblings and window shakings continue. It's always around 9PM and now there are folks feeling and hearing this in Washington County and Iron County. It was so bad last night that my windows shook and now we are hearing "jets" so...........being the Sherlock Holmes that I am, I have done some investigating and with the help of locals and of course my friends on FB this is our logic.

Not far from us here in Zion is a place called Smith's Mesa or Monkey Mesa (the name monkey mesa is another story and includes monkeys riding on jet seats and being shot off of rockets). It is just outside the city limits of Virgin, Utah. Any moment now I expect the feds at my door....just kidding! This info is public knowledge and all over the internet. During my days as a home health nurse I had a patient that also divulged alot of information in his great stories when he was employed there! *******still waiting for the feds to come knocking! ha ha ha ha.

Back to our theory! There appears to be some sort of night training going on! Smith's Mesa is located between Hill Force Base and Nellis!.....Hmmm....you do the math!

The photo above is the airstrip or testing strip. I'm pretty sure this is the rocket testing strip. I have been up here years ago and this place is pretty secure with fencing and an electric eye at the gate and a HUGE sign that says you are being watched per the USAF......I love it!

This link really is the best that I have found that talks about the mesa and the history! Enjoy it.
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/UT/Airfields_UT_SW.htm

FAMILY

For details on the how 2's visit here: http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-to-do-with-old-windows.html. I love the blogging world! It is so much fun to share all these super cute ideas.

Sleepless in Zion.....

Well, it has been two nights in a row now that we have had loud rumbling noises here in the Canyon.

YES, for me it is very scary and I remain sleepless! It has to be rock slides... as in the past weekend we had nearly 48 hours worth of moisture! I plan to do some hiking this weekend and will investigate. At first I felt like I was only one of two locals who heard and felt it but it continued last night and now others are commenting.

We had a terrible earthquake back in 91 or 92 and I will try to hike up to the center of it ....this weekend as it is only about 2 miles from me.

Nothing like an adventure for this "zion girl"!

Button Button...........

How cute is this idea! This would be adorable in any childs room!

Supplies needed:- Printer- Scissors- Cardstock- Pen or Pencil- Adhesive- Paper Piercer- Buttons and Brads, Frame without glass or shadowbox.

To create your monogram, begin by cutting cardstock large enough to fit in your frame. Next, you will need to print out a letter. Keep in mind that you want thick lines in order to fill them up with buttons and brads. Then cut out your letter and place in the center of your cardstock, tracing the lines onto the paper.
Start placing your large buttons and/or brads onto the cardstock, keeping them as lined up with the edges as possible. Since we’re using rounded Elements, you won’t be able to fill the corners, but we will fill them in with smaller brads and buttons later. Use the AC tape runner to put a little adhesive on the back, I wouldn’t use a liquid adhesive because you may need to rearrange some things as you go.

Once you’ve filled up a large portion of your monogram, it’s time to start doing the filler. For this, use smaller buttons and different size brads. Begin with the smaller buttons, then it’s time to start with your brads. You can use all different sizes of these, you just need a small spot to poke it through, and then it can overlap with the buttons which adds a lot more dimension. Pop them through with your hands, there’s not really enough space to use a hole punch, but a paper piercer would work fine as well.
Once you’ve covered your letter with Elements, place it in a frame.