OUR BEST BITES

Lets be honest I used to be a TERRIBLE cook! This was always frustrating to me since my Grandma Carolyn, Mom, and sisters have a natural gift with creating masterpieces in the kitchen. But then one day my sisters introduced me to the blog Our Best Bites which has tons of amazing recipes which are literally idiot proof which is what I needed! I instantly fell in love and wanted their cookbook that had just come out, and of course Laura being the amazing sister that she is bought it for me for Christmas! Now Sky thinks I am a FABULOUS cook! Boy have I got him fooled! The best part about the cookbook is each recipe has a beautiful picture to go along with it! This has been amazing because Sky and I just go through and look at the pictures and pick out what we want to eat that week and then I make our grocery list just based on what the recipes call for. Because let me tell you coming up with meal ideas is REALLY hard! Also cooking for two is REALLY hard and I've found if I cut the recipes in half then they make enough for Sky and I to eat a lot for dinner and then there are enough left overs to feed me for lunch the next day! So here are the recipes I've tried with pg numbers and with my own pics to go along! Also a couple times I would be so hungry I would forget to take a pic before we ate, sorry! Also most of the recipes call for garlic and onion, two things Sky and I do not like, so I always omit them and everything still tastes perfect! Sky hasn't disliked a single thing I have made yet which is saying something since he is a super picky eater!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI pg. 102


GREEK COUSCOUS pg. 79


CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS pg. 104
PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICHES pg. 127
FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES pg. 134

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS pg. 216


CHEDDAR BROCCOLI SOUP WITH POTATOES pg. 95


BACON WRAPPED TERIYAKI CHICKEN SKEWERS pg. 117 and COCONUT RICE pg. 203


XOXO

Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years Eve 2011

So I just realized in my last post I mentioned how I got my hair done on my Bday but didn't include a pic! So here is my new hair and also our Xmas card! Kind of funny I sent out our Xmas card to what felt like a million people but then ran out of cards for my Mom&Dad, Laura, Amy, Sje, and Janet&Mike but I figured they already know what we've been up to so I wouldn't worry about it. But then Sky told me that that thinking didn't make sense, so here is my Xmas card for them since they didn't get one!


Happy Holidays!

It’s been a busy year for Skyler and I. We bought our first brand new car, hit the two year mark for our marriage, and celebrated our birthdays by taking a trip home to Rockford. I worked as a massage therapist at Knead a Massage while trying to juggle school and being my wards Young Women President. Skyler worked countless hours as a lead teller for Wells Fargo while taking 18 credit hours, studying for and taking the LSAT, and applying to several law schools. On top of all that, he was attending numerous meetings and scheduling appointments for the Bishop as the Executive Secretary. But the most exciting news we have to share is that we both completed our college degrees! I graduated from Salt Lake Community College with my Associates of Science Business Degree. Skyler graduated from The University of Utah with his Bachelors of Arts. He got his Major in Psychology, Minor in Religious Studies, and Criminology Certificate. We miss you all! Hope you’re doing well! With love, Kim&Sky

So that was our card and for Christmas we spent Xmas Eve down in Spanish Fork with Grandma Pearson then hung out at Sje's then Sky and I drove home and did our tradition of watching how the Grinch Stole Christmas and opening one present which is always PJs that we wear that night as we sleep by our Christmas tree! Xmas day we went to Janet&Mike's ward since they were speaking in Sacrament then we just hung out and opened presents and ate good food and watched movies.


Thanksgiving was super fun too because my family came into town! Monday Mom arrived and we went to Red Mango and she stayed at our house. Tuesday Mom and I drove to Provo and got Jordan and went out to eat then picked up Wes, Dad, Laura, and Livy from the airport then Laura&Livy stayed at our house and Mom, Dad, Wes, and Jordan got a hotel. Wednesday we all ate at Bruges Waffles and Frites aka where Sky and I bring everyone that visits, watched movies, and Sky and I went to work while everyone including Amy, Mike, and the twins checked into the house that was rented for the weekend in Bountiful. Thursday we all played Football and enjoyed a delicious feast prepared by Amy and her slaves! =D Then we all went to a pie party with Mom's family. That night Jordan and Wesley helped me with my black Friday shopping aka punched anyone that got in the way of me getting that flat screen for $80, lets just say I got it! Friday was one of my most favorite days because I got to spend it with the twins, Amy, Mike, and Mom in Park City! We got food, went shopping, and rode the trolley up and down main street, it was really too much fun!




Saturday we had a party to celebrate the twins upcoming birthday! Brady said something that will NEVER be forgotten, Sky and I are still laughing about it to this day! Since Sky and I didn't have to work we spent the night at the house. Sunday we said goodbye to Amy, Mike, and the twins and went to church with Mom's family. Then Mom, Dad, and Wes flew home while we drove Jordan back to Provo with Laura&Livy. Laura&Livy got to stay with us an extra day which was the perfect way to end the trip. We contemplated kidnapping Livy many times!



New Years Eve was also awesome! We went and saw the lights at Hogle Zoo which was very romantic and we even got to see lots of animals out and about! Then we had our close friends over for a fondue party and we all counted down to midnight together!


XOXO

Actual Birthday 10/25/2011

Sky and I celebrated my actual birthday here in Salt Lake and it was a day totally devoted to all my favorite things!
Sky took me to breakfast at my favorite place to get breakfast - Corner Bakery where I ordered my favorite thing there, french toast and a baby bundt cake!



Then Sky took me to my favorite park in SLC - Sugarhouse Park! Where we fed the geese which I love and because they are so aggressive Sky would smack them on their bellies to get them to back off. However, he got a little to crazy when we started chasing after the birds and tried to kick one which resulted in him losing his shoe in the dirty lake and thus he was shoeless.



Then Sky went to work so I went over to Angela's and she made me my favorite dish that she makes for lunch - spinach/artichoke dip! We just hung out and she sent me on my way with treats which were chocolate which of course is my favorite! I drove straight to my hair appointment where I left a blonde with bangs! I then drove straight over to my in-laws for my party! Sje drove Jordan up from BYU and Sky got off work so everybody was there! Janet made my favorite funfetti cupcakes and we all enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner. Janet and Mike got me jeans, Sje got me VS lotion, Sky got me a bunch of VS clothes and perfume, Log Dog got me a shirt and scarf, but Lad and Belly got me the coolest gift of all..........





As you can see my favorite thing is owls! So the girls got me the big owl, Laura made me the purple owls, and Sky got me the white owl!
Then I went home and enjoyed all my treats from people!


I hate getting older but I sure do love having one day a year solely dedicated to celebrating me! =D

XOXO

Rockford Bday Trip 10/12/11 - 10/18/11

According to Amy I have no excuses why I'm behind on my blogging! So the next couple posts will hopefully catch me all up! So here I go... in 2011 instead of getting a gift from my parents for mine and Sky's birthday we chose to get a trip instead! This is the same thing I did last year for my birthday, except I took the trip in the summer, and I loved every minute of it! So here is a breakdown of the trip, it was literally action packed, I think we really wore Dad out! =D

Wednesday the 12th
-Fly from Salt Lake to Chicago
-Drive home from the airport with Dad
-Have a delicious salmon dinner prepared by Mom
-Hang out and relax

Thursday the 13th
-Wake up at 5 am to get ready
-Go to seminary with Mom where Sky helped teach the lesson
-Get home and have a breakfast experience with KAS! (while Sky and Mom napped lol)
-Lunch at Beef A Roo
-Cherry Valley Mall
-Snack at Chipotle
-Bday dinner at JMK Nippon




Friday the 14th
-Drive to Chicagoland!
-Take the food tour Mom and Dad took for their Christmas present from all the kids last year!
-Shedd Aquarium
-Drive back to Rockford
-Wesley Football Game
-RED MANGO! A first for both Sky and I!
-Watched Thor and Footloose












Saturday the 15th
-Drive to the airport
-Skyler's first ride in a helicopter! We flew all along Lake Michigan then through the skyscrapers of Chicago and then back! It was a PRICELESS experience, one I will never forget!
-Edward's Apple Orchard!
-Made Wesley's homecoming dates corsage - Mom and I are opening a business cause we rocked at making that corsage.... TEAMWORK Yeah!
-Went and took Wesley's homecoming pics
-Got free pizza, thanks to Jordan, for dinner
-Went to an AMAZING orchestra concert at the Coronado put on by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and 2 Broadway singers, this was my fav because I got to see Mr. Beert for the first time in 4 years and Sky finally got to meet him, it was so good to see him and catch up












Sunday the 16th
-Church
-Road trip to NAUVOO
-Carthage tour
-Picnic lunch/dinner on the banks of the Mississippi, Mom made it quite gourmet! lol
-Drive around Nauvoo and the temple and then home








Monday the 17th
-Sleep in and chill all day
-Thai Hut for lunch, my fav thai restaurant because the food is perfect and they have these booths where you sit on mats with your shoes off
-Take a walk around the neighborhood
-Sky and I snuck away for some alone time and a snack at our fav Beef A Roo! Yes this was the second time we ate there on this vacation but we can't help it there are no Beef a Roos in Utah!
-Mom made a delicious dinner and we just hung out



Tuesday the 18th
-Woke up early and Dad drove us to the airport
-Flew home (I should mention for some reason flying standby with Sky has been freakishly amazing, everytime we make our first flight we try for, get good seats, and get to sit next to each other, he is my good luck charm for sure! But the downside is he doesn't believe of my nightmare standby stories!)
-Drove straight from the Salt Lake Airport to the University of Utah so Sky could make it JUST in time for the big law school fair he needed to go to!
-Went home, unpacked, and took a much needed nap!

This trip was by far my most favorite trip Sky and I have taken together! It was absolutely perfect! It was really the first time Dad and Sky got to spend real quality time together and the first time in a while for Dad and I as well. We were so grateful he took the whole week off to be with us and for everything Mom did! We look forward to many more vacations with Mom and Dad!

XOXO