French Fry Free February

I didn't really set any new resolutions for this year. It kind of sneaked up on me. But hey today starts a new month. So why not start something now. And what better way to commit yourself to something than to publicly declare your intentions. So here goes: I declare this month "French Fry Free February." If it continues into March and further that is even better. Lately my french fry intake is out of control. So I'm back on the band wagon! Check up on me to see how I'm doing, okay?

New Pepsi Logo Explained

Maybe you've noticed that Pepsi has changed their logo a bit. A friend of mine had shared the blog that this image came from. I thought it was pretty funny. Later that day we went to lunch and I could not help but notice the Pepsi logo versus the Diet Pepsi logo at the restaurant. It only confirmed what I had seen on this blog. Notice how much better Diet Pepsi's shirt fits? ;)

Funky Chicken

So yesterday I was in Costco doing a little shopping when I got a call from my mom. She was just checking in, wondering how I was doing and updating me on what she had been up to. She was telling me about going to physical therapy and then how she cooked a chicken. She continued with more details on the chicken, telling me that it had 3 legs, 3 breasts, and 4 thighs. My response was, "What? Where did you get a chicken like that? I'm pretty sure that you shouldn't be eating it!" :)

Favorite Things

If you have not discovered Emerald's Cocoa Roast Almonds, you are missing out! My sister (who likes to remain nameless on the Internet) introduced me to them. She was introduced to them at Sam's. I have now found them at Walmart and I have heard that you can buy them at Albertsons as well. They do not have any more calories than the regular roasted almonds but they are much tastier as long as you like chocolate. Try them and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Concert at Red Butte Gardens

I've been slipping in my blogging. :( So this event was actually a week ago from last Monday, July 13th.

My friend, Brad, texted me a few weeks ago and said that our friend Kimber had managed to buy a few tickets for Death Cab for Cutie at the Red Butte Gardens. The show had been sold out but apparently they found a few more available and they listed them online. Now I've seen Death Cab for Cutie twice prior to this. So I wasn't way excited about that even though I love the band. What intrigued me was attending a concert at Red Butte Gardens. So I said I was "in."

The night of the show, I met Brad at our usual park and ride spot. We then picked up Kimber in Draper. Of course we always have to get some food prior to a night of music. We stopped at the downtown Greek Souvlaki for a gyro. Yum!



We got the concert at the perfect time, just as Ra Ra Riot took the stage. I was unfamiliar with the band until a few days before the show. Normally I'm not too interested in the warm up groups but I was really digging what I had heard from them before the show and they did not disappoint in person. My only complaint was that their time on stage was too short.



Next up was Andrew Bird. I was familiar with some of his music. It's a little more eclectic. But he does some pretty amazing stuff live. He regularly would record a bit either of violin, guitar, or other sound and then loop it through out the song. He would add layer upon layer of different instruments or sounds to create the song. I'm sure my description doesn't do it justice. And man this guy can really whistle! I've never heard so much whistling from the artist on stage!



Last up was Death Cab for Cutie. Of course seeing them live once again only confirmed why I love their music. The temperature had started to cool and it was nice to be outside listening to great music in such a beautiful setting. If only my knees and feet could get past the pain of standing for four hours. I'm not as young as I used to be.

Happy Birthday to Me

I'm getting old or maybe I already am. I guess it's all up to your perspective. So this year I turned 41 last weekend. Earlier in the week I got a call from my friend, Anna. She informed me that she was going to throw a birthday party for me but there was a catch -- it had to be at my house. :) I told her that would be great. I'm not sure that I have had someone other than a family member ever offer to throw me a birthday party. It was incredibly nice of her. She did a ton of work as you can see. She also got a few other friend to help bring party food. It was a huge success. Thanks Anna! and everyone who helped out or attended.

We had plenty of deserts and a veggie tray to counter balance all the sweets. We played Nertz and Rock Band. Then we watched a movie, Taken.

I Want My Fritos®, and They Better Be Fresh!

Today for lunch my friend and coworker, Jason, wanted to head down to Barnes and Noble in Orem from our offices in Pleasant Grove. Since we were making the "big drive" to south Orem, we decided to eat at Sensuous Sandwiches, an old favorite of ours. We got there and they were doing some hopping business. We placed our orders: me an eight inch Tantalizer with everything and Jason a eight inch Stimulator. We then got our drink and found a seat with none other than our friend and former coworker Robert D. We sat and chatted a while until our names were called. We both then went and stood in line while they were ringing up one lady in front of us that was picking up a group order. Meanwhile they kept on calling out names of customers who's sandwiches were ready. They were getting quite the stack. Then we realized that the woman in front of us was checking the date on each of the bags of chips. She asked the girl at the register, "Don't you have any newer Fritos?" Jason and I just had to laugh. Are Fritos really ever fresh? And even if they are not fresh, don't you think the shelf-life is much longer than a sandwich stop could hold onto them? So next time you get your Fritos, make sure they are fresh!

Cranberry Salsa

For our family Christmas get-together last Sunday I brought a the previous mentioned veggie tray but I also I wanted to share this amazing cranberry salsa that my friend, Molly, brought to a friends dinner a few weeks ago. Fortunately another friend, Marc, had got the recipe and posted it on his blog. So you can tell that this salsa was a hit!

When I brought it to the family event, I thought "Oh this is a lot. What will I do with all the leftovers?" I shouldn't have been concerned with that. It was all gone before the evening was over. So if you were there and want the recipe or you just want to try something new, here it is:

Cranberry Salsa with Cream Cheese

• 1 bag cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro
• 1 med. jalapeño - seeds and veins removed
• 1 lemon
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 blocks of cream cheese at room temperature

Remove soft and rotten cranberries from batch and wash. Chop cranberries, onion, cilantro and jalapeño to medium fine in food processor. Mix in sweetener, cumin salt and juice of the lemon. Cover and let macerate in fridge for 2 - 4 hours to let flavor build and the cranberries to soften. It will sweeten as it stands in the fridge.

Serve at room temperature poured over the top of the blocks of cream cheese with whole grain crackers.

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

A few weeks ago a friend from my ward had a bunch of us over for dinner. I didn't want to show up empty-handed so I asked what I could bring. She left the door open for whatever I wanted to bring. I got to thinking and remembered a great hot dip that my sister had brought to a few family gatherings. So I called her up for the recipe. Thanks, Tam! And now I'm going to post it here. Not only for you but also so that I will know where to find it when I need it next. ;)

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 12oz can of Quartered Artichoke Hearts (not marinated)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 cups Mozzarella & Parmesan Shredded Cheese (I used the Italian mix)
• 1 small can of Chopped Green Chilies

Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degree. Smash each artichoke heart. Mix the mayonnaise, cheese, and artichokes together. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with non-stick spray. put mixture in the pan. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Service with crackers. Yum!

Banana Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of bread
• 1 large banana
• 2 tablespoons Miracle Whip

Directions:

• Smooth Miracle Whip over one side of each piece of bread.
• Slice banana and place on Miracle Whip side of one of the pieces of bread.
• Place second piece of bread on top of the sliced banana (Miracle Whip side down.)

Yesterday I made myself one of these great sandwiches and I thought I should share my secret recipe once and for all. The tanginess of the Miracle Whip works great with the sweetness of the banana. Try it out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

I'm not entirely sure where this sandwich idea came from. I have heard of other people eating banana and peanut butter but never banana and Miracle Whip. My first memory of this great concoction comes from one of our family vacations to visit family in Virginia. We (6 kids and my parents) would all pile in the old brown station wagon and head out for the several days it would take to drive to the east coast. I remember my sisters in the back seat taking sandwich orders. I just remember ordering a banana and Miracle Whip sandwich. They obliged and I've been eating them ever since.

My First Fresh Fig

I was over at my parent's house last night following our weekly family eating out dinner. My mom had just purchased a load of fruit from Costco and she had a large tray of figs that she wanted to share. First she tried to get my brother to take one but since he didn't know where figs rate on the carbohydrates scale, he said he'd pass. Next she asked if I wanted one. I kind of turned my nose up because I had never had a fresh fig and wasn't anxious to try it. (Of course, I've had and enjoyed many a fig newton.) My brother (who wouldn't try one) then urged me on to try it. I caved in and tried one. The peeling was a lot more tender then I expected. I bit into it and chewed a bit. It reminded me a little bit of a kiwi because it was a similar color and seemed to have a bunch of small seeds in it. It was alright. I wasn't loving it but it was okay. I examined the center the fruit a little closer and thought it looked like a bunch of bugs in the middle. My mom reassured me that it was just really ripe. But then I showed her closer view what I thought to be a bug. She agreed that it was a bug and told me to put in the garbage. But then wanted me to try a different one. Since I had already eaten a bug, I thought it couldn't get worse. But this time I sliced it open rather than just taking a big bite. No bugs this time! The funny thing is when it was all over I actually liked the taste the one with bugs more. Should I be concerned? :)