Finally Jumping In

I have been a bit neglectful of my scripture reading over the years and have really wanted to read the Book of Mormon again. But I procrastinate starting, just like many other things in my life, and it's taken my list to get me going. But I have finally started on #1. And I want some kind of accountability, while being low-key about it. So, I added a bit on the bottom of my sidebar, where I will list a scripture from my recent reading. If anyone is interested in my progress, just watch the scripture, which I hope to update every few days. I might be a bit slow, but I am going for steady, and plan to finish by my birthday next year. Wish me luck!

Setting an Example

Today, in the midst of my Saturday cleaning session, I took a break and headed to my church building - to do more cleaning. In my church, instead of hiring people to clean our buildings, we rely on the members volunteering and taking turns vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trashes, and mopping floors. Today was my family's chance to show the Lord how thankful we are for a beautiful building to hold our worship services. And when I say my family, I mean me -while my good husband watched our angel children.


But there was another family assigned to work this Saturday too, and it happened to be the bishop's family. The bishop is the head of each congregation. I just wanted to post today about how pleased I was to watch this good family - a father, a mother, and five children - work together at this assignment. They were even pleasant to each other. Amazing. A bishop has many roles to play, and this one involved wearing his BYU t-shirt & sweats and wielding a mop. All in the name of serving the Lord and our fellow man. It's a small thing, but it made me happy.

Not so Disposable

When we lived in Florida, the best part was meeting Jane. And of course the beach & Disneyworld. The worst part was that our sink didn't have a garbage disposal. The lack of dishwasher I lived with, but I hated not being able to put anything down the sink, having to always be so careful not to clog the pipes. We suggested one to our landlord & even offered to put it in ourselves. Afterall, I'm handy like that. I installed a new garbage disposal in our home in Arizona.

And a couple weeks ago it was looking like I needed to install another disposal. It had been getting a little more sluggish. Then one day, it just stopped. There was power - it was humming away. But no spinning. And it's not exactly like you can stick your hand down there to check things out. Please don't do that.

And so I took it off. The garbage disposal, that is. It's easier than you might think. A few things first though. Unplug the disposal, turn off the water running to the sink, and unhook the pipes running into and out of the disposal. I left the flexible pipe running to the dishwasher because I didn't ever pull my disposal all the way out. Here's a picture.

Then I looked inside & this is what I saw. Yes, that's macaroni. And peaches. We have little boys here. And then there's the 12 tons of gross, unidentifiable goop! And I want to say that I cleaned it all out & disinfected it - but remember, there's no water & at that point the hole in the bottom of my sink lead straight down to the cabinet. So let's pretend.


Also at this point I realize that the rusty bottom of the disposal is supposed to spin & mine obviously doesn't. Also, if you squint really hard you can see the writing on the garbage disposal reads "3 year warranty," and you guessed it - I put it in just over three years ago. So I was bemoaning the cost of a new one, and checking prices online, when I had the bright idea to check for repair help online too. The internet is my friend!

Here's what I found on About.com. They listed common problems, like the disposal not turning on at all, and no movement, while making a humming sound. Bingo. Then they told me how to fix it. And provided a handy diagram so that when they talk about the "flywheel" I can associate that with the rusty bottom of my disposal. And although I had no idea where the special wrench that came with my disposal was, I used a paint stir stick until I got it unstuck. And it didn't cost me anything, thanks to About.com. And my well-rounded woman-ness.

Birthday Cake!

For my husband's birthday in September, I let him choose a cake recipe, that I would then turn into a masterpiece, suitable for framing and eating. I did this once before, his first birthday after we were married, seven years ago. It was time for another. Aaron often accuses me of spending too much time on blogs, but he is known to subscribe to a few (hundred) in his own Google Reader. He shared a recipe with me from Gourmet Mom on the Go.


And I dutifully made the Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake and decorated it to perfection. Well, as best I could since despite asking for cake-decorating lessons the last four Christmases, they have yet to materialize. The recipe was actually quite easy, being based on a cake mix and all. And the peanut butter frosting was easy too, as well as being one of the best frostings I have ever tasted. She lists her own decorating instructions for this cake, which I am leaving out in case you just want to eat this absolutely scrumptious cake without spending an hour decorating it, like I did. I have since been subscribing to Gourmet Mom on the Go & she has tons of delicious recipes and lots of great food ideas & tips for younger kids. (like mine) Please go visit her blog.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 (3 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding
2 C. sour cream
5 eggs
1 C. melted butter
1 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chocolate chips (I recommend ghirardelli)

In a large bowl, beat first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mixture will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into three greased 9” pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. (Keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake). Cool completely. I actually like to pop them in the freezer for easy assembling.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6-8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 2 lb.)

Directions:
Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.
Add peanut butter, milk and vanilla.
Gradually add 6 c. sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add more sugar (or milk) as needed until icing is desired consistency (should be firm enough to hold a shape but still smooth)
Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

For other yummy recipes, visit the Recipe Box Swap at i have to say.

Craving Scottish Cashmere

Regardless of what the calendar says, today was the first day of fall in Mesa, Arizona. We do have the most beautiful, temperate winters, but our summer lasts from March to October. And we generally skip fall & spring completely. My whole family donned long sleeves this morning, and only some of us changed them later in the day. It was a good sign.


I am often jealous as I read the blogs of those in different climates and see photos of the awe-inspiring changing leaves. But really I wish I lived somewhere I could dress in these cozy clothes and cover myself in layers. Yes, I know the baby outfit wouldn't fit me, but I do have a sweet 9 month old boy who would stay nice and warm wearing this outfit. In Scotland.

If you live somewhere with an actual fall and winter weather below 40 degrees, check out Brora Scottish Cashmere.