I'll Stick With The Girls

The boys are off to a week of high adventure camp with the young men in our ward. Their week includes: sleeping in tents, repelling of cliffs, riding bikes for miles and miles in the heat, hiking to a cave that might be filled with bats, wake boarding in the freezing cold water of Flaming Gorge and floating down the Green River over category three rapids. Sounds great - if you are a boy.

My Dad didn't have any sons so he tried to make us do some boy stuff - which didn't fly at all. The worst was when he took us down the Snake river and he didn't put enough air in the raft. After the raft sat in the cold water for a few minutes, it got soft and when we hit the first rapid, it folded in half and we were all dumped into the freezing water. My mom made my Dad tie a rope across the middle of the raft so my cousins, my twin sister and I would have something to hold onto as we went over the rapids. This ended up being a bad idea because when the raft flipped, my cousin Kristy, who was probably seven or eight at the time, got caught on the rope and almost drowned. Thank goodness my brother-in-law, Rob, swam underneath and chewed through the rope so she could go free.

I think I will stick to girls camp where we did crafts, danced, sang and had a hot shower at the end of the day!

I received an interesting email from my Mom saying if you eat 4T. of fresh pureed asparagus in the morning and 4T. in the evening, it will help fight off cancer. It came from an article titled, "Asparagus For Cancer," printed in the Cancer News Journal, December 1979. It is pretty convincing, but I don't really like asparagus. My husband loves to soak a few stalks in water and then grill it on the barbecue, but I haven't ever found a way to eat it that I liked, until I found this recipe. In a few weeks, we can stop along the side of the road where the canal runs and pick wild fresh asparagus. I guess I had better learn to like it!

Asparagus and Sausage Risotto

In a pan, heat 1T. olive oil and then add one 16oz. package of sausage, 1 chopped onion and 1/2C. fresh mushrooms. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until the sausage is lightly browned. Add in 2T. butter and 1C. Arborio Rice. Stir constantly for two minutes then add 1/2C. chicken broth - when it is absorbed by the rice, add another 1/2C. - continue doing this until you have added 4C. chicken broth. Stir in 1/2C. white cooking wine. Remove from the heat and stir in 2C. sliced fresh asparagus that has been cooked crisp-tender and 1/3C. parsley. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Motorcycle Mania

The boys have spent a lot of time motorcycling this weekend. Even Ken rode for several hours.

I always worry when they are riding because I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt. Brayden was the only one who had a few mishaps. He tipped over twice and has major scrapes on both arms. One of the times, he was just parked in the driveway and dropped a Gatorade bottle. When he leaned over to pick it up, the bike fell over on top of him. Thank goodness he didn't end up with any broken bones though.

My oldest son broke his arm in two places riding his motorcycle last September and had to have surgery to put his arm back together. He now has two metal rods holding the bones in place and has major scars on both sides of his arm. A couple of days ago, he was going to do some welding on a set of metal apartment stairs for his Dad and some how shocked himself on those two metal rods in his arm. He is now a human lightening rod!

Alex is an amazing boy. I can hardly believe he is going to be a senior next year. He is such a great worker and can do pretty much anything his Dad needs him to do. Plus he is so dang cute! On Monday night, we were in Park City walking to the movie theater to go see Toy Story 3 as a family and there were several cute girls sitting at a table eating ice cream. They all looked at him and he just smiled - I happened to see it and said, "Should I tell them you are going to see Toy Story 3?" He just laughed. Thank goodness he is shy and not too interested in having a girl friend right now. His theory is girls just take your money, break your heart and waste your time. Good Boy! When he is twenty one I will encourage him to start dating, but until then, I'd rather he stick with his buddies riding motorcycles.

A couple of years ago, he came home with this recipe for Gooey Chex mix from a cooking class at school which has become one of our family favorites.

Gooey Chex Mix

Combine 1 1/2C. Golden Graham's cereal, 1 1/4C. Rice Chex Cereal and 1/4C. shredded coconut in a bowl. In a pan, combine 1/4C. sugar, 3T. butter and 1/4C. Karo syrup over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and keep it there for about two minutes. Pour the syrup over the cereal mixture and stir to coat. Let cool before eating.

Spurs At A Funeral?

I think it's safe to say the summer weather is officially here! (It's about time!)

Yesterday, my youngest and I spent several hours collecting the extra hay that didn't get baled and we were roasting - happily - in the warm weather. We have two little farm trucks with dump beds and we had a lot of fun racing to see who could fill up the back of the beds the fasted. Ken resorted to knocking the hay off of my pitch fork and even stabbed me once to try to beat me, but in the end I won. It couldn't be because he spent half the time just driving around honking at me instead of stopping and picking up the loose hay - but at least it got him out of the house and he was working on his driving skills without even knowing it!

Last night we were supposed to meet the horse trainer to go riding in the hills to work with our three year gelding, but right before that we had to go to a viewing for one of our neighbor's mother who had passed away. We threw on nice shirts and went to the viewing in our Levi's and boots - spurs and all. I was worried we would look out of place, but we fit right in! My mother and twin sister would be horrified because as they say, I must be conforming!

I have been craving this yummy chicken salad recipe that my friend Lynette gave me when we were in charge of a Relief Society homemaking luncheon once. It tastes great hot or cold - which is perfect for this hot weather!

Lynette's Chicken Salad

Cook 1 package of chicken flavored Vermicelli Rice-A-Roni and set aside. Boil four chicken breasts, shred and save the broth. Add the chicken to the rice then add: 1 can sliced olives, 2 chopped tomatoes, two stalks of celery - sliced and one can of water chestnuts - sliced. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4C. chicken broth, with 3/4C. mayonnaise. Stir this into the rice mixture.

You Have To Have Bad To Appreciate The Good

When I looked out the window this morning there are bales and bales of round hay out in my field from the first cutting. The guy who maintains our fields stayed up all night bailing. It sure is a pretty sight! Plus, it means the sprinklers will be back on soon so I can hear their mesmerizing click.

When I was helping to move one the wheel lines so the hay could be cut, we were walking through alfalfa that was as high as my waist. That's when I noticed a wonderful treat, lady bugs everywhere! The cute little ladies love to eat the aphids in the fields. It is said that if a lady bug lands on you, you can make a wish and it will come true. I kept trying to coax one to land on me so I could get a wish, but it didn't happen.

I also found another critter in the fields - mosquito's! Lot's and lot's of them! Okay, I know you have to have the bad so you can appreciate the good, but what good are mosquito's really? Other than they feed the birds that have perched in my eaves and are pooping everywhere or the bats that like to terrorize me at Lake Powell. I struggling to see how these pesky critters are good! Last night for mutual, we went to a field to play kick ball and by the end of the night, everyone was covered with scratchy bumps! It was hilarious to see everyone swatting and hitting themselves.

This morning about 1:15AM we got a call from Darren's Dad telling us that his brother had to be rushed to the hospital after he vomited and then aspirated after going through a drug rehab center in Michigan. This is another one of the, "you have to experience the bad to know the good situations." We just pray he will be okay.

Todd is a unique guy. He loves to be alone, and has two wolves in his back yard. But he has a heart of gold and would do anything to help anyone.

A couple of years ago he came to my house and I had made some of his Mom's hardtack candy - which he loves. He asked me how to make it, so I gave him a large gallon size Karo syrup and the other ingredients along with the recipe so he could go home and make it. That was when we lived in Salt Lake, by the time he drove three hours to Vernal, he had drank almost the whole gallon of Karo syrup. Wow! Now that's a sugar rush!

Here is the recipe for that Hardtack Candy which my family loves.

Combine 1/3C. sugar and 2C. corn syrup in a pan and bring to the hard crack stage
(300*). Then stir in a few drops of food coloring and some flavoring oil to it. Immediately pour onto a greased cookie sheet and mark with a sharp knife into squares as it cools.
My family loves the red cinnamon candy the best!

Big Shots

I counted the days I have been home since school started and was amazed that out of the past twenty five days, I have only been home six days! What a whirlwind, but then summer always is! I feel like I come home, unpack, do the laundry and then pack it all up again to leave.

Monday night, we drove to Park City and stayed at the cabin so we could get up early and be in Salt Lake yesterday. As usual, it was a day filled with running the necessary errands: Costco, the spa where I keep my purses and trying to see the loved ones I miss so much. One of the big reasons I had to go to Salt Lake was so Brayden and I could get our required shots to go to Kenya. I put it off as long as I could and with only a month until we leave, we were running out of time!

There are six things required to go to Africa: Tetnus, Typhoid, Measles, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A & B and Polio. Brayden lucked out and only had to have one shot, while I got three! (He thought that was hilarious.) Luckily the typhoid we can take orally or I would have really been hating life!

I really don't like shots, but then who does? When I signed up to go to Africa, I had no idea I was going to have to pay for $500 worth of shots or I might have changed my mind! I keep telling myself that it will be worth it so I can help the people who live in the Koins area have a better life. Kennedy held my hand while the nice nurse stabbed me and I just closed my eyes and thought of my happy place - laying on a beach in the warm sun listening to the waves crash.

While I was in Salt Lake I got to eat lunch with my wonderful Mom and she gave me this recipe for Poppy Seed Dressing - yum! Getting to see her is like getting a shot of love, knowing someone in this world loves me no matter what!

Poppy Seed Dressing

Put the following ingredients into a blender:
2/3C. vinegar, 1 1/4C. sugar, 1C. oil(olive or canola), 2T. salt, 2T. mustard, 1 green onion chopped and 1T. poppy seeds. Blend well and chill.

Going Batty!

Dar and I went to Powell on Tuesday night to celebrate our anniversary and then his mom and the kids came on Thursday night along with his cousin Greg and his family. Greg lives in Houston and it has been eight or nine years since we have seen him. It was a busy weekend, but fun. I think I need a vacation from my vacation though!

One of the nights we were down there, we started talking about the bats that fly around all over the place at night. I was telling Greg about the night my family was staying on Darren's Dad's houseboat eighteen years ago and a bat flew inside the houseboat and caused all kinds of havoc. Darren commented on how he liked the bats because without them, the bugs would be horrible.

That night, I got up to go to the bathroom and thought I saw something, but I figured it was just because we had been talking about bats so I climbed into bed. A few minutes later I saw and felt something flying towards my hair. I yelled, "There's a bat!" Darren sat up and turned the light on but didn't see anything. He told me it was just the wind from the window above my head and I was freaking myself out. When I heard something a few minutes later,I made him get up to check. So with his flashlight he looked around and sure enough he saw a bat! See it wasn't my imagination! So he army crawled to the front of the boat with his flashlight so he could open the front door to send it out. To his surprise, there wasn't just one bat, but there were THREE inside the houseboat. He said one was even hanging from the ceiling glaring at him with it's little beady eyes! He wanted me to come and help him get them out. NOT ON YOUR LIFE! Instead, I just covered my head with a pillow and waited for the bat party to end. I get the chills just thinking about it!

Greg's wife, Susie, turned 50 while we were down there and so we had a party complete with chocolate cake and helium balloons. Darren's mom brought the balloons in the car loaded with five kids and across the lake to Warm Creek in a ski boat without an enclosed cabin to put them in. I'm sure anyone who saw us leaving the dock with the balloons was thinking we were crazy for trying! Only half of the balloons actually made it to the houseboat, but it's the thought that counts!

I made my dill dip for Susie on her birthday and she insisted that I post it so she could have the recipe. I think I have already posted it once, but I will do it again for Susie's sake!

Dill Dip

Combine equal amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise. Add a bunch of dill weed and Bon Appetite seasoning along with a little onion salt.

This is great as a dip for veggies, chips, bread or on a steak, baked potato or chicken.

When we got home last night we celebrated Father's day and had steaks and these yummy potatoes that I just threw together.

Father's Day Potatoes

Slice six potatoes thinly and lay in a casserole dish. Melt 1/2 stick of butter and pour over the top of them. Add some Jamaican Me Crazy Seasoning and a bunch of shredded cheese. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes then put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes. These taste great with the dill dip too!

Twenty Amazing Years

Tomorrow, I am going to celebrate my twentieth wedding anniversary with my husband. Amazing how fast time flies! It seems like yesterday I was just graduating from the University of Utah and then a week later going through the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed to my wonderful husband.

He is an amazing man. Whenever someone needs help, he is there. A lot of his employees are the people who just need a second chance in life or someone to give them a break. Not only is he caring, he is mister adventure. He always has to be moving. Whether it is four wheeling in Moab, sky diving, scuba diving, snowmobiling, river rafting or flying to Mexico, he is always on the go. I can hardly keep up with him!

Somehow his travels always turn into an adventure - but then it wouldn't be fun if you didn't have some problem to have to work through. It just makes it more of a challenge (according to him.)

Darren served his mission in Dallas, Texas and came home with this great chili recipe. It has become a family tradition to make this yummy stuff every Halloween. The best part is how easy it is!

Darren's Texas Chili

Brown one pound of hamburger. Add 1/2C. chopped onions, and 2 cloves of garlic. Stir then let simmer for 5 minutes. Add: 2 - 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce and one can of water. Add one 8 ounce can of tomato paste and one can of water plus 1t. cumin. Simmer for 2 hours or more. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. One hour before it is done, add 3T. chili powder. Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

Tastes great on baked potatoes as well!

Prayer Pretzels

I took a three hour nap yesterday and then slept for twelve hours last night. Amazing how tired you can get after girls camp! Good thing the boys are gone so I am not neglecting them!

Tomorrow I have to teach a lesson on prayer. I found this great story about how pretzels came about that goes along with prayer.

A very creative Monk decided to make use of the pieces of dough that were left over from baking bread. He formed them into thin strips and then folded them into a looped twist to represent the folded arms of children in prayer. He gave them to the children as they learned how to pray and they started to call them "Pretiola" which is Latin for "little reward". Later it became known as a pretzel throughout the world. The secret of making good pretzels is not only in the baking but also in the shaping. We are like pretzels. We are made from the best ingredients, by the best hands available - the hands of our Father in Heaven. Sometimes there are broken pretzels in a bag that have lost their shape. We can lose our shape too when we don't pray always to keep our communication open with our Heavenly Father. The simple shape of the pretzel, arms folded in prayer, reminds us to pray each day. Our "Pretiola" or little rewards are the blessings we receive every day. So every time you see a pretzel, remember to pray often.

I found this recipe for soft pretzels like they sell at the mall and I am going to attempt to make them as a treat for the girls tomorrow.

Buttery Pretzels

Place the following ingredient into the pan of a bread machine:

1 (1/4oz.) package of dry active yeast, 1T. sugar, 3C. flour, 1C. water, 1/2t. salt and 2T. oil.
Select the white bread setting.
After it goes through the cycle, remove the dough and put onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal parts and then divide those parts into three pieces. Roll each piece into an 18 inch rope. Shape the rope into a circle, overlapping about 4 inches from each end.
Take one end in each hand and twist at the point where the dough overlaps.
Carefully lift the ends across to the opposite edge of the circle. Tuck the ends under the edge to make a pretzel shape; moisten and press the ends to seal.
Place on an greased cookie sheet. Let rise, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
In a 3 quart saucepan, combine 2 quarts of water and 1/3C. baking soda; bring to a boil. Lower 1 or 2 pretzels into the water and simmer for 10 seconds on each side.
Lift from the water with a slotted spoon. Return to the cookie sheet and let dry briefly. Brush with 1 egg white that has been slightly beaten.
Sprinkle with course salt or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Bake in a preheated over at 450* for 8 minutes or until browned.

Real Super Heroes

I just had the most amazing week at girls camp, but I'm glad to be home. The sad part is my family is in Moab so I won't get to see them until tomorrow.

This last week I realized I am surrounded by amazing heroes. Every single adult leader that went to camp with me went the extra mile to make it an amazing week for everyone. I have so much respect for these giants that surround me!

Bishop Jones was absolutely amazing on the trip and deserves a gold medal. We never ate anything in a bag, we felt like we were on a cruise with a five course meal at every sitting he cooked- everything was primo (even the Hero sandwiches were top notch!) Fettuccine Alfredo the first night, biscuits and gravy for breakfast, steaks last night, even homemade ice cream one night. I think everyone gained ten pounds! The best part was how much fun he had playing with the girls. Kick the can one night, table tennis over the tops of the cabin, learning the camp dances (go to my face book page and watch the video of him dancing - it is hilarious!)and almost getting us kicked off the lake because he was bound and determined to have a water fight. It was an amazing week that the girls will never forget! We had several girls in the group who have horrible situations at home and he and his cute wife (who was the camp director,)made this week so amazing for them. Hopefully they can see that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel if they will just make the right decisions in their lives.

This afternoon when I stopped by to gather up my stuff out of the pile of things on his front lawn, a car stopped and then drove by really slowly while we were talking. They thought he was having a yard sale - what a great idea! Let's sell all the girls stuff to pay for camp!

Ashley Laris is one of my new heroes. She was right there with him playing with the girls (I don't know where she gets her energy)and had treats galore for them along with squirt guns, a batman clock, even a door bell for their cabin. I had so much fun riding to Heber Valley and all of the girls on the bus. She is absolutely amazing! While we were at camp, she told me about this great marshmallow cream honey butter recipe that I can't wait to try because my family LOVES marshmallow cream.

In a bowl combine:
One jar of marshmallow cream, one stick of butter softened and a bunch of honey (however much that is,) until it is well combined and then don't think about the calories!

Girls Camp - Here We Come!

Yesterday, we went to Salt Lake for some business and to have Kennedy retake his shooting test to get his hunter safety license. The good news is he passed! Amazing what a little practice will do.

As we were driving on the back roads to go to Salt Lake, (for some reason my husband likes to drive that way better even though it takes longer,) he looked at the gas gauge and said, "Wow! I forgot we needed to get gas." I said, "You are kidding me!" He jokingly said, "Why didn't you tell me?" "Because you are driving and it is your truck!" I answered. Dejavu or what? Luckily we were just outside of Roosevelt so we could stop and get gas there and..... a nice cold coke!

It's off to girls camp tomorrow at the Heber Valley Camp. I am exhausted from trying to get everything ready to go, but I am excited it is finally here. We have one leader for every two girls going - which tells you the leaders think it is as much fun to go as the girls! Plus, the family gets to see how much their wonderful mom really does while I'm gone and they appreciate me more when I come home!

I dread the not sleeping part and the hiking but everything else is a lot of fun. I am smuggling a small refrigerator to keep the cokes cold. I know it was on the girls list to not take any caffeinated drinks, but does that include the leaders? I think it is better to not ask and then beg for forgiveness later.

A couple of years ago when I went to girls camp, Kennedy didn't want me to leave. As I was about to back out of the garage, he came running out crying so I hurried and locked the door so we wouldn't have to drag him out of the car. He hoped on the running board and grabbed the car and yelled, "Hurry mom, Go! Here comes Dad!" He seriously thought I was going to drive and take him with me while he was hanging off of my car. Hopefully this year things will go a little smoother when I leave!

Bishop Jones, who ownes the Golden Corral in town, is going to go as our cook so I know we are going to eat good! Without fail though, I bet we get to eat omelette's in a bag and taco's in a bag. These are the camping staples it seems.

Omelette's in a bag:

Crack one egg in a sandwich sized Ziploc baggie that has your name written on the front (so you won't get it mixed up with anyone elses), add cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, ham and whatever other toppings you like. Seal up the baggie then drop into a large pot of boiling water. Gently push down with a spoon until the egg looks like it is cooked to the desired consistency.

Taco in a bag:

Brown hamburger, add this to the individual sized package of Doritos along with shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and onions. Roll the top down, shake and then eat right out of the bag with a fork.

Consider yourself warned!

I love to be home and to wake up to the sound of the sprinklers clicking, the neighbors roosters crowing and the cows mooing but I am still dreaming of waking up at Lake Powell with the sound of the waves crashing from the early morning water skiers who go out for the golden water before everyone else hits the lake and ruins it.

A couple of years ago, we took our friends, the Rices, with us on the house boat in the middle of the summer. They live in Canada, so the 115 degree weather was a big shock to them, but they were willing to endure it because their kids hadn't ever swam in a warm lake before. Their kids were only used to swimming the Waterton Lake where their cabin is and it is a very cooooold glacier lake.

We taught Shauna how to wake board while they were at Powell. So her husband, Mike, got out the camera to take pictures of her starting behind the house boat. Two things happened while she sat in the water that day: my oldest son, Alex, didn't yell "fore!" before he threw the ski rope to her and her husband yelled for her to look at him so he could snap a picture. She never saw what was coming! Now Alex isn't an athlete, but that day he had the aim of a pro and hit her square on the nose and broke it. Immediately she had blood everywhere and we got her out of the water onto the couch with an ice pack. Her baby was only a few months old, so she sat trying to nurse him while she held her head back with an icepack sitting on her nose. The even funnier part was she had two black eyes and a swollen nose to go to her family reunion the next day where they were going to take family pictures with the whole family. She definitely will never forget that day!

While we were on that trip, Shauna made us this easy taco salad.

Saute 1T. butter and one onion chopped, then add and brown 1 pound of ground beef. Add 1 package of taco seasoning. In a large bowl, shred a head of lettuce, (I like to use scissors to cut the lettuce into strips,) one avocado, diced, and some chopped cilantro.
Open and drain the following then add to the lettuce:
A half can of kidney beans, half of a can of black beans, half of a can of corn. Add two diced tomatoes and 1C. grated cheese. Add the meat and crumbled tortilla chips.
Serve hot or cold with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Consider yourself warned: It's always an adventure with the Christenson's!

Finally the Sun!

Back to the wind. ARRRRGGGGHHH! Lake Powell was so nice - mostly because there wasn't any wind! It was a nice break though. Lot's of warm sun, a little bit of sun burn, wake boarding, surfing, watching movies and even a few smoores last night.

The boys had a blast with their friends. Kennedy did great on this trip. He was sand surfing, playing out on the beach and we even got him out on the tube without a fight. The only melt down he had was in the parking lot when he wanted to drive home instead of fly. What???? I couldn't believe he would rather drive for nine hours than fly for two and a little change. I realized later that he remembered we had an appointment with the therapist this afternoon and if he rode in the car, he would have missed it. He is so much smarter than anyone gives him credit for! Once we got him into the plane he was fine. It was the poor dog, Kodiac who had a hard time on the flight. He usually never has this happen, but he got sick and threw up on me after we experienced a little turbulence. Thank goodness we were almost to Vernal!

While we were at Powell, we stuck to easy things to eat like sandwiches and cereal. I did break down one morning and made breakfast. One of my kids favorites is a McMuffin of sorts. Our friend Lisa Labrum made it for us one time when they went to Powell with us. After Ken tasted it, he hummed the McDonalds theme tune. "Ba-ba,ba,ba,baaa.... I'm lovin' it!" We were all rolling - he has impeccable timing with his little one liners.

Lisa's McMuffins

Toast English muffins and lightly butter.
Cook an egg how you prefer - my boys like them sunny side up, but I just can't do the runny stuff. Put the egg on top of the muffin. Add a slice of American cheese and some bacon or a slice of sausage.

When we got home, RayLynn McCormick brought us dinner so I wouldn't have to cook tonight. She brought her yummy tortilla soup - as soon as I get the recipe I will post it because it is sooooo.... good!