End of Summer

Hey Melissa!

Well, I'm now in Utah for school. It's been a great summer though! Here's one of the highlights:

My good friend Linnea had them and they just needed to be made into cookies.
So here's us making them:

And our 3 little frosting helpers: Rachel, Melissa, and Melissa's friend Amanda

Now for some finished projects!

 I love the look of the mint chocolate chips for eyes :)

 This one is getting kicked in the head by the purple one.

Didn't they turn out great! We made a lot though, we were frosting for hours and definitely were not hungry for dinner afterwards.

So I got here Wednesday night and so far I'm the only roommate moved in and living here. One has been in and out, dropping off stuff but spending the day with her family and no one else has shown up yet. So I've been unpacking and reading. More reading than unpacking, I really don't like unpacking. I read  one of my favorites from when I was younger, Poison by Chris Wooding. Now I'm about halfway through with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It's a lot of fun to relax and read something easy.

- Jessica

Turtles and Japan and Potterness!

Hey Jessica!

So it's been a little while so I'll have a lot to say.

On June 26th my turtles turned two! I know! They're so old! So for your watching pleasure I took a little thirty second video of them. Of course at that moment they decided not to be spazzes so they're just swimming around. I swear, they were totally being crazy two seconds before I took the video!

They are the best pets ever! I love them so much! And of course they complete my turtle collection:)

I was gone for a whole five days for girls' camp. The theme was the scripture, so Arise and Shine or Get up and Glow. Every cabin was a different nation. I was a counselor with my friend Kirsten. Our cabin was Japan. Everyday we dressed up. We wore kimonos, were Mario and Luigi, ninjas, and I was pikachu and she was my trainer. It was a ton of fun. In our cabin we even had a short table and cushions so we could sit cross-legged on the floor. It was so cool! The crafts were amazing. There was a photo booth one day. This is the picture we took: 

I made a frame for it too. I also made two rings, a lantern and a book made from a paper bag. And we can't forget how spiritual it was! We had a lantern walk where we went to multiple stations and they each had a thing they had to read. We weren't allowed to talk either so all you could hear was nature and the clink of electric candles in the lanterns. It was amazing to look and to just see a bunch of yellow/orange lights moving in one direction. Then there was the musical program that had music and narrations. There was also the candle circle that was really cool as well. And the testimony meeting to close off the week was really sincere and touching.

I've joined Pottermore. And I've been nerding out ever since I did. I was sorted into Gryffindor and I have a fir wand with a unicorn core that's 10 3/4 inches long. It's almost too much for me to handle. I definitely dreamed about it last night. All the new information you find out on it is great! McGonagall was always a favorite but now even more so! I can't wait until I can go through the second book too!

Besides those things I've been playing Pokemon and sitting around, fairly bored. I really need things to do. Or maybe I just need to at least sit outside for a bit. I have been indexing though! The youth are having a competition against the bishopric to see who can index more this month. So far I've done 241 names! I'm getting better too.

Anyway, that's all for now!

Melissa  

Sewing, sewing, sewing.....

Hey Melissa!

I've got lots to tell you about today. First of all, I had my first job interview a few weeks ago! It was at a movie theater and I was soooo nervous. It went well, but it was a group interview and everyone else had much better answers than me. I didn't get the job, but it's ok, because I found a job as a nanny for the summer! It's for two kids, a 10 year old boy and a 8 year old girl. Its turning out to be lots of fun. The kids love me and we do lots of fun stuff together. I taught the girl how to make friendship bracelets, and we've made cookies together as well. Today we played an hour or so of hide and seek. Lots of fun!

However, I had a few weeks before my job started, so I had a ton of free time and very few friends back from college to spend it with. So I've been crafting it up! I sewed an apron and a dress and am almost done with a skirt. The patterns for the apron and dress I found online (I love blogs!) Both were a lot of work, and I learned some new skills - lining with bias tape, installing an invisible zipper- but I think it was totally worth it! They both turned out super cute and I love them! Here's some pics:

The skirt somehow turned out way too small for me, I have no idea how! But it should fit our sister, Rachel. I just need to get her to try it on so I can hem it!

I've also been cooking a bit. We made some chicken pot pie cupcakes! They were delicious as you know. Sorry, I didn't take pictures, but they looked pretty much like the ones on the website I got it from, I just kinda overfilled them, so they spilled out a bit.

So that's everything really! I'll try to post more often, but I'm not promising anything :)

-Jessica

You're home!

Hey Jessica,

So I feel weird writing to you because you are home. But here it goes . . .

Yesterday I took the AP Econ Macro and Micro tests. I was at the testing center ALL day. Except for the five minute dash to Burgerville for milkshakes in between tests. It kinda sucked. And it was really sunny all day too! I was only outside in the thirty minutes between tests. It was sad. Afterwards I went to my friends house and ate a ton of ice cream. Then I vegetated on the couch for like two and a half hours. I was kinda brain dead. I don't think I may ever recover! I also think I know too much econ for any one person how isn't an economist. However I think it would be more correct to say that I think I know too much econ. I probably don't actually know anything. Well maybe the basic supply and demand curves. And that's basically it.

Jennifer is painting some pretty cool stuff. If you haven't seen her oil painting blog you should check it out. She's pretty amazing!

Ya, this is weird, you know everything that has happened to me since you wrote. So I'm just going to leave it like this. Except . . . BROWNIE RECIPE!

You know I love brownies . . . well I fixed up a recipe I found in my cookbook and made it awesome! So here it is!

Cocoa Brownies with Mini Chocolate Chips
(I don't have a picture because Mom sent them off to Jennifer for her birthday before I had time to take a picture.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 + cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 8-inch square pan with foil by turning the empty pan upside down then covering the bottom of the pan with foil, shiny side out, then removing the foil. Place the foil in the inside of the pan.Grease foil.
3. In bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
4. In 3-quart saucepan (or microwave), melt butter over low heat.
5. Remove saucepan from heat; with spatula, stir in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, vanilla, and oil until well blended.
6. Stir in flour mixture.
7. Spread batter in prepared pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips.
8. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from center comes out almost clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on wire rack, about two hours.
9. When cool, lift foil, with brownie, out of pan. Peel foil away from sides. Cut brownies into 4 stripes, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares.

So ya. Those are some of the best brownies you will ever have. Even if you don't put on the chocolate chips.

See ya!
Melissa

Guess What?

Hey Melissa!

Being home now is a very different experience then before. First of all, even though it is summer I am intent on getting things done! I am not going to spend 4 months sitting around watching tv. I am trying hard to get a job, but it seems like no one will even look at me because I have no work experience. I haven't even babysat consistently because I was so busy with band and winter percussion. But maybe I'm being impatient. I've only been home for like a week or so. Also, I'm am going to take organ lessons, read lots and lots, and try out tons of new recipes so I won't end up always eating the same things in college.

Guess what? Today is Kevin's one-year-on-a-mission-day! He has been serving in Londrina Brazil for one year today! I am so proud of him and the work he is doing. I love reading his e-mails home every week. Mom has been putting them in a blog. You can read them here. I sent a snail-mail letter to him a few days ago. I wanted to send him a paper crane, so I made a red one and named him Eduardo. Unfortunately, the letter came back. Apparently the post office doesn't like sending paper cranes in normal envelopes. So sad... So I took Eduardo out, updated the letter and re-sent it! I hope he actually writes me back this time! (He's only written me back once, but that's ok, he's super busy)

Funny story... Today Mom is going to a relief society party and is bringing a cake, so I helped her make a cookie monster cake. The funny thing is that for Kevin's first birthday, Mom also made a cookie monster cake. (And it's his one-year-on-a-mission-day. Funny coincidence, right?) So Mom made the cake and the frosting and somehow I ended up frosting it all with her guidance. It looks so cute!

More fun stuff: Mom's birthday was a few weeks ago!! Happy Birthday Mom! Her favorite cake is carrot cake, so I made her favorite recipe of it. We've eaten this recipe many times before, but this was the first time I made it. And guess what? I'm going to share it with you! I don't understand how, but the picture seems to have gotten lost. I'll put it up when I find it!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup coconut (optional)
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil 3 8 in pans. Set out butter and cream cheese to soften (for frosting). Put pineapple in strainer to drain.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add oil and mix well with whisk.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat in flour mixture into first bowl until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour batter into oiled pans. Bake for 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted in center of cake. Cool slightly and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 1lb. box powdered sugar
3tsp vanilla

Mix together till smooth. Frost between layers and on top. Try toasted coconut for decoration.

So much fun food! I love it!

--Jessica

Turtle Cupcakes!

Hey Jessica!

My friend's birthday was on Tuesday so me and my other friend, K, made her cupcakes. But not just any cupcakes. Cupcakes decorated and placed so that they look like a turtle. Why a turtle? Because my friend loves turtles! I gave her a turtle that kind of looked like this turtle. It was white with colored polka dots.She collects them like I do. However her collection is not as big as mine. But it's still impressive. And everything in her collection is nice too. She even has a turtle pillow pet. So cute! I think I would like multiple turtle pillow pets. One of the normal ones, the peewee ones, and then the keychain ones. That way they can stack like actual turtles!

I tried to play Mario Kart Wii left handed yesterday. I didn't think it would be that hard, but it was! I have drifting all timed out and perfect right handedly but when I switch it my fingers didn't know what to do! I kept on using items instead of drifting. And when I did drift I went off in the wrong direction! Not like that doesn't happen normally, but it happened more when I played left handed. I don't think I'll do that again. Maybe when I get so good that I beat everyone without really trying. Like Inigo Montoya. He's so awesome.

Dude. I think I have the right formula for the perfect guy. Are you ready for this? Well here it is:

Westley + Johnny Lingo + (insert favorite prince charming here) = Perfection in guy form (or as close as you can get)

I know. Awesome right? Well if you find that guy, and he has a brother, let me know:)

Melissa