DTV

Since the switch to DTV, we've had to rely on alternate broadcast options. Our new TV set broadcasts in amazingly life-like clarity. Unfortunately, we only get the music channel. Luckily the broadcaster is pretty cute.

"I'm Stuck"

While I was feeding Clayton this morning I sent Clarissa in her room to take off her nightgown so I could give her a bath. She came wandering into Clayton's room saying she was stuck. I'm surprised she even made it in his room without bumping into everything.

Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day, Quinn and I were going to make a nice dinner together, but since we have two kids and also wanted to go to our Stake's Gold and Green Ball, we wouldn't have eaten until 10 or later. So we decided to pick up Chinese take out and watch a movie, and just have a nice relaxing evening at home. As you can tell, we got a ton of food, I let Quinn do the ordering, and he wanted to try a bunch of things. The menu:

Eggrolls
Dumplings/Potstickers
Hot and Sour Soup
House Fried Rice
Chicken Chou Mein
General Tso's Chicken
Orange Chicken

Now, that's a lot of food, espcially since we tried a new place that was recommended to us and we really didn't like it. The fried rice had shrimp in it and smelled and tasted really fishy, we thought it was pretty disgusting, so we threw that out. That was the worst, everything else was about par, nothing was really great. I think we are going to stick to our favorite Chinese takeout place from now on, First Wok. Unless someone else highly recommends something else to us.

Even though the food wasn't great, we ended the meal with some delicious Fanny May chocolates that we gave to each other. Quinn felt bad that dinner didn't turn out, but it wasn't his fault that the food wasn't good. I really enjoyed spending time with my Valentine, and that's all that mattered to me. I love you Quinn.

Clarissa's Black Eye

Clarissa had a friend over to play last week and got this nice shiner.

They went upstairs to play for a second and then I heard Clarissa crying. Later I noticed this nice bruise. I don't know exactly what happened, but from what I gathered from two 2 year olds, was that Clarissa tried to take away a toy that her friend was playing with, and he wanted to keep it, so he was defending himself.

(this picture was taken today, it's interesting to see the changes in the bruise as it is healing)

Maybe this will teach Clarissa to share her toys and not steal them when someone else is playing with them.

Clarissa Explains It All

Now that Clarissa is talking a ton more, I wish I kept better track of the funny things that she says. So, I thought I would post about one, because I thought it was cute. Here are just a few different pictures of her, she is so much fun, and keeps our life exciting.



Recently we have been teaching Clarissa different relationships and the proper use of titles such as brother, sister, father, mother, husband, wife, etc. She is starting to understand some, but still needs a lot of work. Sometimes she thinks she is also a brother, or that Clayton is her son.

The other day she accidentally bumped into me and said "sorry wife". I guess I still need to work on that one, and make sure she knows I'm not her wife.

(a picture of Clarissa wearing her "necklace")

The other cute thing that she does, which I love, is that she will tell you sorry if it is you that did something wrong like accidentally bumping into her or something like that. What a sweetie!

Baked Alaska

My friend, Jackie, had a challenge on her blog to make a food that you fear to make. There are several foods that I fear to make. I said that I feared making things that use a weird ingredient, takes way too much time to make, or makes too big of a mess. That rules out a lot. I still do cook some things that fit into those categories, but especially with a new baby, I find myself just cooking what is familiar to me.


For at least 10 years I have seen a recipe in one of my cookbooks for a Baked Alaska, and I have always wanted to make it. This recipe just had several steps to it, plus I had never had a Baked Alaska before so I had no clue what to expect, so I always avoided it. This challenge was good for me to try something new, I need to do things like this more often.

As I was making it, I realized one thing that I really hate making because I have always failed at it before, but this time I actually succeeded. And that is to make a custard type filling that uses eggs in it that you have to cook over the stove over low heat, otherwise it cooks the egg. I have tried cooking several things like this before and always ended up with chunks of eggs in it, which isn't too appetizing in a dessert or frosting.

This dessert seemed like it was pretty much just an ice cream pie on it with a meringue topping, but it did have a yummy lime filling in it. The tricky part is browing the meringue without melting the ice cream. I was a whimp when it came to that step, so I should have browned the meringue a little more, but it was still good. I was very surprised that when I cut into it, it didn't seem to have melted at all.


Baked Alaska

Coconut Crumb Crust:
1 1/2 c coconut bar cookie crumbs*
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine crumbs and butter. Press mixture evenly and firmly against bottom and sides of 9 inch pie plate, building up slightly around rim. Chill.

* (I used graham crackers because I served it to a friend that doesn't like coconut and I thought it turned out good.)


Lime Filling:
6 T (3/4 stick) butter
1/3 c lime juice
1 t grated lime peel
1 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
2 pints vanilla ice cream

In a small saucepan melt butter. Add lime peel and juice, salt and sugar. Beat eggs and egg yolks slightly; add to lime mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Cover and chill.

Spread 1 pint ice cream in crust; freeze. Top with half of the filling; freeze. Repeat with remaing pint of ice cream and remaining filling.


Meringue:
3 egg whites
6 T sugar

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Mound onto pie, completely covering filling and sealing the crust. Place pie on wooden board, and bake 3-4 minutes at 425 degrees, or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

**Success of this tricky dessert is more certain if you follow a few tips. The ice cream layers must be frozen very hard. Completely seal the ice cream with meringue, because the air in the meringue acts as an insulator from the heat. Baking the dessert on a wooden board will also insulate the ice cream. Serve it immediately after it's out of the oven, as athe excitement of Bkaed Alaska is cutting thhrough the meringue and finding cool ice cream.

Balloons

This is a little video of Clarissa at the Daddy Daughter Dance that I thought was cute. Unfortunately our camera doesn't have sound. She loved the balloons.

DDD

On Friday, I got to go on a very special date. Clarissa was kind enough to accompany me to the city Daddy-Daughter Dance. We began our evening by dining at Steak and Shake. Clarissa got the mac and cheese and I got the bacon cheese burger. I guess I should have used the opportunity to teach Clarissa a cardinal dating rule--"don't order something that might be embarrasing to eat". She ended up spilling her mac and cheese all down her front.



We then proceeded to the city recreation center for a very festive dance. Like any good dance, there was punch and cake. We did some dancing and some hanging out at the refreshment table. We also got to make a crete paper flower. Clarissa had a great time dancing (she was really just jumping and running around, but she has better moves than I). Here you can see her doing the limbo.

It was a wonderful evening and so fun to spend it with my special girl. During one of the slow songs, Clarissa just put her head on my shoulder. It made me think how grown up she is getting and that unfortunatlely, it won't always be me she's dancing with. If we could only keep them young. The evening was complete with a balloon drop at the end.

Clarissa loved playing with the balloons. We got our picture taken underneath this balloon arch by the photographer, but I don't have a copy of the picture to post. I took this one of Clarissa though. We both had a really great time.

French Onion Soup

Last night I made french onion soup, and since it isn't a very filling soup, I also made chicken salad sandwiches. I was really pleased with this meal, it was super easy and I thought it was also very delicious. I got my recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook for the soup. If you want the recipe let me know. Anyone that knows me well is probably wondering why I like this soup since it is full of onions. I hate the texture of onions, so I won't eat them, I just like the flavor. So for this soup, I add the onions because Quinn eats them, but I just like the broth and the bread with the melted cheese on top.

Clue Cookies

Today Clarissa and I decided to make more cookies. I was in the mood for a really easy, yet delicious treat. I got this recipe years ago from my Grandma and they have been have family favorite ever since. My grandma called them "clue cookies". I'm not sure why that's the name of them, but that's what I usually call them to people that know what I'm talking about, otherwise, they are known as "cornflake cookies". I had a roommate in college that called them "tropical optionals" and that name is even more puzzling to me. If anyone has a better name, let me know and you will win a prize.



The Recipe:

1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
8 cups cornflakes

Put cornflakes in a large mixing bowl. Bring sugar and Karo syrup to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour mixture over cornflakes and stir until coated. Spread out on wax paper covered cookie sheet and allow to cool. I usually half the recipe for our family.

As we were making these today, once again Clarissa said we were making them for her friends. So I asked her which friends she wanted to take them to. "Cow friends" was her answer two different times. I'm not sure who these friends are, so, if it happens to be you, let me know and we will gladly deliver them to you. (You have to live within a 10 mile radius of our house, unless you are willing to pay for the travel expenses).