Monday, July 27, 2009
Anniversay
Can you believe it, Jason and I have been married 1 year. This past weekend was our anniversary. So we went and stayed at a local inn here in Logan. The inn has themed rooms and ours was called Rich's drive in. It was so much fun, the room was set up like a drive-in complete with an old Ford pickup that was converted into the bed. You get food with the room, treats, and breakfast. It was such a fun weekend getting to watch movies at the drive-in in bed. Pictures are below sorry they were small I got them from their website which is http://www.anniversaryinn.com/ if you want to look at some other cool rooms that they have. I will post the ones I tool later.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ikea Show room
So as you now know Jason and I are moving into a trailer. It has more space than our current apartment but it has less light. So Jason and I took a trip to Ikea in Draper (just south of Salt Lake) and got some lamps. Jason just loved the big hanging one so we had to get it. We also got a small side table so now our trailer will look like a cheap Ikea showroom. I liked the box light and the ball is a table lamp orb thing.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Pie Crust Recipe
Makes enough for 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9-inch pies
What you will need:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Directions
Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter, and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together and is not wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds.
Divide dough into two portions, and shape each into a disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.
What you will need:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Directions
Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter, and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together and is not wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds.
Divide dough into two portions, and shape each into a disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.
American apple pie with a twist
Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie
For The Pie filling:
4 pounds Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Directions for crust:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges flush with rim. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll remaining disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter ( I use a cookie cutter), cut out about 70 rounds, rerolling scraps if necessary. Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For Filling:
Peel and core apples. Thinly slice half the apples, and cut remaining apples into 1-inch pieces.
Toss together apples, lemon zest and juice, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Place filling in piecrust, mounding it in the center. Dot with butter. To make egg wash, whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Lightly brush edge of piecrust with egg wash.
Arrange dough rounds over filling, working in a spiral from the outside in to the center, overlapping them slightly. Lightly brush top of each round with egg wash as you work to help them adhere to one another.
Once the filling has been covered with rounds, lightly brush entire top of pie with egg wash.
Sprinkle top with sanding sugar. Refrigerate pie for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack to catch any juices. Place pie on middle rack, and bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour, 10 minutes more. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy
For The Pie filling:
4 pounds Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Directions for crust:
On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges flush with rim. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll remaining disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter ( I use a cookie cutter), cut out about 70 rounds, rerolling scraps if necessary. Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For Filling:
Peel and core apples. Thinly slice half the apples, and cut remaining apples into 1-inch pieces.
Toss together apples, lemon zest and juice, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Place filling in piecrust, mounding it in the center. Dot with butter. To make egg wash, whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Lightly brush edge of piecrust with egg wash.
Arrange dough rounds over filling, working in a spiral from the outside in to the center, overlapping them slightly. Lightly brush top of each round with egg wash as you work to help them adhere to one another.
Once the filling has been covered with rounds, lightly brush entire top of pie with egg wash.
Sprinkle top with sanding sugar. Refrigerate pie for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack to catch any juices. Place pie on middle rack, and bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour, 10 minutes more. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy
Vermont Spice Cake
What you will need for the Cake:
3 Cups all- purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking power
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, soffened
3 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Maple Frosting
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1.2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons maple flavoring
Orange peel teist, fresh mint, or chopped nuts for top
Preheat oven to 325 F Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (I don't have cake pans so I use cheese cake springform pans)
For Cake:
Combine:
Flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy. Then add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, evaporated milk, water and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden tooth pick (or fork) inserted into the center come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then remove them from pans and cool completely.
For Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and powder sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add maple flavoring and mix well. ( I would put in a little less butter because the frosting needs to be stiff or the cake will fall over)
To Assemble.
Cut each layer in half horizontally with long knife. Frost between layers and on top of cake, leave the sides un-frosted. Top with what you want.
You don't have to make it a 4 layer cake you can just frost the 2 layers from the cake pans and frost the whole cake.
Enjoy!!!
3 Cups all- purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking power
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, soffened
3 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Maple Frosting
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1.2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons maple flavoring
Orange peel teist, fresh mint, or chopped nuts for top
Preheat oven to 325 F Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (I don't have cake pans so I use cheese cake springform pans)
For Cake:
Combine:
Flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy. Then add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin, evaporated milk, water and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden tooth pick (or fork) inserted into the center come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then remove them from pans and cool completely.
For Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and powder sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add maple flavoring and mix well. ( I would put in a little less butter because the frosting needs to be stiff or the cake will fall over)
To Assemble.
Cut each layer in half horizontally with long knife. Frost between layers and on top of cake, leave the sides un-frosted. Top with what you want.
You don't have to make it a 4 layer cake you can just frost the 2 layers from the cake pans and frost the whole cake.
Enjoy!!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
If you are looking for inspiration
If you get home and have no idea what to cook here are some ideas,
*go to Kraft.com they have an extensive network of recipies all you need to so it type in food that you have such as chicken or rice and it will bring up recipies that you can use them in.
*Check out www.theorganizedchef.blogspot.com this is a blog from a girl in my ward. She knows and plans what she is going to make a month in advance. After she has made something she posts the recipe and a photo of it on her blog.
*Call your friends and ask them what they are making for dinner. Sometimes it is just hard to get an idea which prevents us from making anything. Don't be afraid to call your mom.
*go to Kraft.com they have an extensive network of recipies all you need to so it type in food that you have such as chicken or rice and it will bring up recipies that you can use them in.
*Check out www.theorganizedchef.blogspot.com this is a blog from a girl in my ward. She knows and plans what she is going to make a month in advance. After she has made something she posts the recipe and a photo of it on her blog.
*Call your friends and ask them what they are making for dinner. Sometimes it is just hard to get an idea which prevents us from making anything. Don't be afraid to call your mom.
1st crock pot recipe Angel Chicken
Angel Chicken
You Will need:
*8oz cream cheese
*Italian dressing
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*Boneless Skinless Chicken (I use chicken brest but you can use tenders and they cook faster)
*a liquid of some kind, water, milk, Grape Juice. (I use grape juice)
*noodles to put it on hence angel hair
Put the
Chicken (I do 2 brests) can of soup, 1/2 cup liquid, 1/2 cup italian dressing, and 1/2 of the cream cheese into the crockpot.
Cook it high for 1 &1/2 hours
Cook on low for 3 hours
or if the chicken is frozen you can cook it on high for 3 hours or on low for 6
You can put it in before you leave for class in the morning and have dinner when you come home.
Cook the noodles then spoon the sauce and the chicken onto the noodles and Enjoy.
You Will need:
*8oz cream cheese
*Italian dressing
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*Boneless Skinless Chicken (I use chicken brest but you can use tenders and they cook faster)
*a liquid of some kind, water, milk, Grape Juice. (I use grape juice)
*noodles to put it on hence angel hair
Put the
Chicken (I do 2 brests) can of soup, 1/2 cup liquid, 1/2 cup italian dressing, and 1/2 of the cream cheese into the crockpot.
Cook it high for 1 &1/2 hours
Cook on low for 3 hours
or if the chicken is frozen you can cook it on high for 3 hours or on low for 6
You can put it in before you leave for class in the morning and have dinner when you come home.
Cook the noodles then spoon the sauce and the chicken onto the noodles and Enjoy.
Freshman in the fall
For all of my cousins that are starting school in the fall and are worried about not knowing what or how to cook I have one kitchen item that will save your life. Crockpot. Ask your parents for one and if your parents are the ones reading this buy your kids one. I know that Joe has the upper hand because he has been away from home, but with a hecktic school schedule and homework you won't have time to cook or let alone eat. (That is why you need to hit up aunt Lori's house for dinner every once in a while besides I'm sure Lindsay will be lonely) So I will try to find recipies that you will like and use that are easy. Also a nice kitchen item is a small grill. Like the hamilton ones that you can grill chicken and they will save you time as well.
Dinner from Olive Garden
Have you ever wanted to make something from your favorite resturant? I have and one of mine is The Olive Garden. Did you know that if you get onto the Olive Garden's website you can look up recipes? Well you can just go to www.olivegarden.com/recipes some of the recipes even have how to cooking segments videos with them. Find one you like and try it.
What's For Dinner?
So as many of you commented to me at the memorial day get together I don't post on my blog enough. To be honest I didn't know anyone checked my blog (that is why you should leave comments). Well I have consolidated 2 blogs to one so I can update on my family and what I am cooking at the same time. I will be posting my food things on the blog so if anyone needs some food ideas hopefully I will keep it updated enough so you can find something you want to make for dinner or a dessert. Enjoy!
A big surprise for Jason
During the Month of May Jason left me to go help his brother roof his home in Michigan. Well as you can imagine while Jason was gone and after the fun Memorial Day weekend I was all by myself and bored. So what do most wives do when their husbands leave? They go and buy something so they don’t feel so lonely and to surprise their husbands when they get home. Usually this item is a dress or maybe a good book well my purchase was a mobile home. Yep that’s right I got a house. Except I didn’t buy it, it was free. Think of how surprised Jason was when he got home ;) a couple that had lived in our ward moved out and didn’t want the hassle with selling their mobile home that is located in the USU trailer court. So they handed over the title for free. It is almost 300sq ft bigger than our current apartment and it is half the price of what we are currently paying. It has 2 rooms and washer and dryer hookups. We also have a storage shed and a small lawn with flower beds. Although it sounds better there are some down sides. The school is tearing the trailer court down in 2 years so we will have to find someway to get rid of out new home. And there was a reason that it was free. Let’s just say it wasn’t the cleanest trailer. These photos are the ones that I took with jason's little digital camera that was dying so I didn't use a flash and it was dark But I will post better ones in a bit.
Blackened Rhubarb and an apartment up in Smoke
So something happened to Jason and I that people wish to never happen to them in their life times. Ann and Abe came over and brought a rhubarb crisp. (That is not it we like ann and her rhubarb crisp) It looked great but we were leaving for a while and so we put it in the oven set on warm. When we came back about an hour and 1/2 later our fire alarm was going off and our apartment looked like it was on fire. We currently have no one living around us so no one could hear the alarm. We opened windows and clouds of smoke billowed out. What had happened was our oven dial is broken (little to our surprise, the oven really doesn't work well) so when you turn the temperature up past broil is turns past the empty space on the dial to warm. So the oven said it was on warm but really it had been on Broil for over and hour and a half. We got the smoke out with the help of a fan and some cookie sheets used to wave smoke out the windows. We sprayed everything with fabreze. And now our apartment has the faint sent of burnt toast.
Summer Hair Cuts
So it is summer and having long hair in hot weather is not my idea of fun. So to remedy this mom brought Lindsay to Logan and we all took a trip to see Michelle. (My aunt who owns a wonderful salon in Clearfield Utah) She cut my long hair that hadn't been cut since before my wedding and made me look (and Lindsay) like decent again. I love my new hair cut thanks Michelle. Here is a link to her website if you want to check it out. http://culturessalon.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 29, 2009
X-Country Skiing
So Jason and I discovered our favorite winter activity for the weekends. Logan has a X-country club that grooms trails around Tony's grove. We went one weekend and I was hooked we even ended up buying new skis. The trails were great and the area was beautiful. Here are some pictures below. The last one was taken by the tree across the trail, so it is a bit washed out.
Salt lake in winter
After we took Eljay to the MTC, Jason and I decided to walk around temple square. It was nice to see all of the lights. We ended up compairing Jason's nose to that of his many times great uncle's, and taking pictures by the reflection pool.
Trip to grandma's with packing peanuts
We took a trip up to Rexburg with Ann, Abe and Taggart and when we got there Mom had received a package. Well there happened to be big box of packing peanuts as a result and we thought that Taggart might like to play with them but he started to cry when Ann put him in the box. We had to show him that the packing peanuts weren't going to hurt him and once he realized that he had a ball.
pancakes and marriage
So when 2 people get married it takes time adjusting to how each other does things. For example when I grew up we made German pancakes on a cookie sheet. Jason's family makes them in cake pans. So I figured we could try it the Andrus way. Here were the results.
Owl our pet bug
Our Apartment surprisingly doesn't have very many bugs in it but we have noticed the ones that it does attract are usually harmless, like this lady bug. This lady bug lived in our bathroom for about 2 days hardly moving at all except when the bathroom was dark so we named him owl. We thought he was pretty cool because he was a lady bug with no spots. Jason documented our pet lady bug until he climbed onto my lotion bottle and we put him outside.
Weston Pumpkin Blow
The Day after Halloween is an exciting one in Weston Idaho. There is a tradition that happens in Weston that has been going on for the past 16 years and that is to gather all of the old Jack-o-lanterns, put them in a pile in a field, and blow them up with dynamite. Naturally this seems like the thing to do with your old jack-o-lanterns so Jason and I traveled to Weston the day after Halloween to take part in this event. I don't think I have every seen food disappear so fast. Here is a link on YouTube so you can watch for yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEBtsExmNt4
Yellow Bee
Every once in a while when we have free time and the weather is nice Jason breaks out the Yellow Bee. The Yellow Bee is a plane that Jason discovered at Harbor Freight in Pocatello. He bought one and since his discovery of the plane, several Andrus family members have enjoyed buying flying toys of their own. These were taken on a Sunday afternoon at the Hyperfield on USU campus.
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