Fondue

I gave myself an electric fondue pot for Christmas. It has been so much fun! Evan is an enthusiast so he is the one who has been making the fondue for us. We've tried a yummy swiss and velveeta cheese fondue

and chocolates a few times.


Of course, we love chocolate the most.

I know you don't have to have a fondue pot to make fondue so I recommend fondue to everyone - special pot or not. It is very easy and very very fun.

The Velveeta recipe is from Nancy -
2/3 large velveeta brick
1 lb grated swiss
1 1/2 cups cream
2 tbsp flour (to coat grated swiss)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pepper, garlic powder to taste
We halved this recipe and there was plenty for four of us

Chocolate Fondue
2 tbsp butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Do you have a favorite fondue recipe?

If Ye are Prepared...

Our Relief Society has decided to focus on preparedness this year. I always need reminders and helps with this. I'm not good at keeping up so I am happy for the extra help. We had our first meeting last Tuesday. Our teacher started the night off by showing us a cute, old, old cartoon. It's an Aesop's fable with a twist. Some good lessons for us all. Disney's Silly Symphonies The Grasshopper and the Ants.

First task - get communication cards, forms updated. We had a chance to do some of this that night - I wrote down phone numbers for emergency contacts, info for drs offices and insurance. We were challenged to get our family involved by discussing emergency contact plans. We will do this for family night tonight.

What are you doing to keep up with preparedness?

Christmas '09 Revisted

What are the chances you'd ever see any of these guys in such a get up? 1 in 4. Who's the one? This was taken in Tremonton, just after Thanksgiving. Was it a sign of things to come in the new year? We'll have to wait and see.

It's funny to me that most of these pictures look very much like last years Christmas pictures except that Eric is sitting where Ryan was sitting last year. But, never the less, I still want to share the day.


The day always starts with looking through stockings.



Evan's favorite gift - a self winding skeleton watch - it goes perfect in his watch winder. He bought the winder earlier in the year for a skeleton watch that he didn't realize wouldn't wind in the winder - he had to wind it by hand. He'd put that watch in the winder anyway and it would spin around like it was on special display. So funny. Unfortunately, that watch sprung a spring - too much winding!


Who?


A package from Mexico.


Just proof the mom was there.


Hey! Nacho Libre!


Chivas soccer team jersey.


The Dancing Dogs of Colima. I've looked to find out what the deal is about the dancing dogs and I find reference to them but not what they're about - but now I know about Colima's Pot Belly Dogs and I really didn't need to know about them ;-/


A fancy knife with a giant arrowhead shaped thing for a blade.


Dominoes anyone?


Time for breakfast at the Jensen's.









You'll notice there are a few pictures with people on the phone - they're talking to Steven!






Back home catching up on Facebook and Claire coloring in her color book made especially for her by Evan - he gave her color markers as well. Evan won the markers at a Hardester family Christmas scavenger hunt earlier in the month and Claire wanted them so he said they would be her Christmas gift and she said only if she gets a coloring book too. So there you go.


We invited Della Rae Schader to have Christmas dinner with us. Greg and Evan are her home teachers. After dinner she presented us with this quilt she'd made in honor of Bishop Hardester and his sons who have been her home teachers. She is also my visiting teacher. The tree in the center is the tree of life.


Claire and Evan performed an impromptu piano recital for Della Rae. It is very rare for Evan to play the piano for anyone. They both played very well, and we loved their musical offerings.


Rock band Beatles was a favorite game over the holiday break. Sadly, we ended up with another kind of break...

Who could this be? 2

Just in case some of you other nieces and nephews were feeling left out that I hadn't posted any pictures of you in your younger days - not to fear - the pictures are here...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Once upon a time, say the year 1985,

- this boy -


- asked out this girl -


- They did all kinds of things toghether -


- Then one day, in the Fall, the boy asked the girl if she'd like to go up to Logan Canyon. The leaves had turned and he knew a perfect spot to enjoy the colors; Tony Grove. The girl thought it was a great idea and wanted the boy's grandmother to come along. The girl knew the grandma would love the drive. But the boy discouraged it saying things that made the girl think nothing of it. The boy and the girl walked around the grove. It was beautiful. And they sat down on a fallen tree. The boy asked the girl to marry him. The girl said yes.-



- The boy and girl picked out an engagement ring -


-They got married -


- And every once in awhile they visited Tony Grove -





- Then, many years later, the girl's brother and sister-in-law moved to China and before they moved back to the United States, told the girl that they would really like to give the girl and boy something nice, something they could get for them in China - a painted picture of whatever the girl and boy wanted. The girl and boy decided they would love to have a painted picture of Tony Grove. And so, now they do -


Ed and Mary, thank you so much for the painting. It turned out great. We love it. It will always be precious to us, not only because of what the picture is but because you had it made for us.

uhhhhh

What to blog about? It is a little after 9pm and my plan for a post today got away from me because I had a busy morning, then was making dinner for missionaries that were coming at 5pm (which they did and it was great) and then I zoned on it and then when I thought about it my kids were using the computer. So here I am - my first chance back and I don't want to stay up late late to get my original plan posted. Tomorrow.

I have the book Eat this Not That in front of me. We gave it to Greg for his birthday. Claire is the one who really wanted it and I wouldn't buy it for her but she suggested it be a gift for her dad and I was fine with that.

Have you heard of the book?

We have been watching the author on several talk show segments the past year and find it fascinating but gross. It might help us. Except I see that the Egg McMuffin is a best choice for a breakfast sandwich. I hadn't planned on eating one but now I want one. I do love them. And Greg showed me a Black Angus slick with coupons for good deals and right there in big colorful print is one of those appetizer trays that will kill you. We've decided we can eat it but promise ourselves we'll walk on the treadmill afterward. So - that's progress.

YUCK!

I was bringing the kids home from school. We come to our corner and a FedEx truck is sort of blocking our driveway. Deliveries are very common - the bishop gets boxes all of the time. OK - so I'm kind of waiting but also inching my way to pull in and we notice the FedEx guy getting a drink from our fountain! Our algae growing fountain! And as I continue to pull in he starts to run to his truck but he's making this "EW" face a the same time - looking at us. I'm making the same face back at him. We were so grossed out that he did that!

Here's a picture of our lovely fountain.

Who could this be?

I know - it is hard to tell but I scanned it anyway. Many of my pictures are fading away!



This is from left to right Liz (with short hair) Becky in the back ground and Julie on the right. This is the back of Greg's truck. Greg and I went up to visit you in W. Yellowstone. Must have been the Spring of '85.