Crafts + Classes

This week I spent most of my time trying not to go crazy from boredom. I STILL have yet to hear back about training for the job I got at the beginning of the month, + so far I haven't had any luck with anywhere else in terms of job hunting. I'm trying not to get discouraged, but it is VERY discouraging at the moment!

The "adventure" that Jake + I had this week involved our bathroom plumbing. Our shower has been having issues for the past week or so, + we submitted a maintenance form to our management but hadn't heard anything back. So on Tuesday Jake went over to their office to ask them about it, + they insisted that we hadn't filled out a form, because they have "an organized system" to make sure nothing gets lost. Jake asked them to humor him + just check their logs, which they did...+ discovered our request. Organized, HA! The maintenance worker for our complex came by + snaked the drain, but that was all he did, so Jake + I had to figure the rest out on our own. We don't own any drain de-clogging stuff, + neither of us really had any ideas ourselves, so where did I turn? Pinterest, of course! I found several people who had all used the same DIY mixture of baking soda + vinegar, followed by a boiling pot of hot water. It seemed kinda nuts, but we gave it a shot anyways. + it worked! Since baking soda reacts with vinegar to make a "volcano-ish" explosion, it was cool doing that in the bathtub drain + watching it fizzle. So it was a science experiment + drain declogger all in one!

This week, I tried to stay busy by doing some more scrapbooking, + learning new techniques for page layouts. I even learned how to hand make some scrapbooking "accessories," since we don't have the extra money to buy them but I sure have the time to make them! I've also been doing some sewing + other craft-related things, so I've definitely been developing my crafting talents this week, if nothing else productive has come of the past few days.

On Friday morning, I had an appointment with an academic advisor to plan out my next semester. Based on what she could tell from my records, it looks like BYU-I has finally received my transcripts from Moorpark, but we won't know for sure until we can get ahold of the Records Office + have them check. Based on what the academic advisor told me I have another 3-4 semesters here, before my semester of student teaching. I'm hoping to shorten that by taking classes over the summer semester, but we'll see how things go.

This Week's Spiritual Thought

The past few weeks Jake + I have been reading in Alma, + I'm really finding a lot of verses that I love. This week my favorite would have to be Alma 36:27--"And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me." While this verse is Alma bearing his testimony of what happened to him + how God has strengthened + supported him, I definitely feel that this verse is something we can all apply to our own lives, because God has saved us in more ways than we can imagine or comprehend, + he will still deliver us now.

BBQ Chicken Roll-Ups

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

BBQ Chicken Roll-Ups

This is a recipe that I originally found on the Pillsbury website, but took and modified so it was a little bit cheaper and less messy!

YOU NEED:
1 batch prepared Bisquick biscuits
Frozen fully cooked chicken breast strips (like Tyson Grilled + Ready)
Cheddar cheese, you decide the amount
BBQ sauce for dipping

Preheat your oven to 375 F and prepare the biscuits according to the Bisquick packaging. Take each biscuit and roll it flat with a rolling pin or with your hands, and fill with one piece of chicken (or several very small ones) and cheddar cheese. Roll up like a burrito, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of biscuits, and bake 14-16 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve with BBQ sauce for dipping.

November + December Scrapbooking Pages

I was finally able to develop photos from November + December, so I got to work scrapbooking them! I realized that I've never really shared my scrapbooks with anyone besides Jake or occasionally my parents, so I thought I'd start sharing the pages here for anyone interested.

Puppies + Migraines

This week was full of fun little surprises, as it seems every week here in Rexburg is. There's never a dull day with Jake around!

On Tuesday Jake was off work early, so he suggested we go over to the animal shelter here in Rexburg. We headed over + played with two dogs--a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix named Sybil, + a chocolate lab named Cocoa. They were both so cute and happy to have someone petting them. When we left, both dogs were crying + barking as we walked away, which just about broke my heart! 

On Wednesday, Jake came home from work feeling really sick--he had a migraine, + felt like he also had the flu on top of that. So while he was trying to rest up + at least get over the migraine if not the rest of his symptoms, what happens? The battery in our fire alarm dies, + it starts going off full blast! What a way to cure a headache!

Jake was still feeling really sick for the rest of the week, so he got someone to cover his shift on Friday and stayed home resting. On Saturday he had to work again, but only for a few hours. That afternoon I babysat for a family in our ward that has two kids; a little 2 year old girl + a boy who's not quite a year old. The little girl was an angel the entire time, but the little boy screamed + cried for two hours straight because his parents left while he was down for a nap, so when he woke up there was a stranger in his house and no mommy in sight, poor little guy! Once Jake got off of work he came over and helped me, + then we went home for the evening. That night I started feeling pretty sick, so we both stayed home from church today + rested.

This Week's Spiritual Thought

This week Jake + I were reading in Alma, + one night we read Chapter 29 verses 4+5. There Alma talks about how if we have a righteous desire, God will grant it to us. This made me think of this time last year, when Jake + I were beginning to talk about marriage + trying to decide if we could make it work that year. We were both praying a lot to receive an answer + when we did, we prayed for the strength + help we knew we would need to make it happen. Marriage was our righteous desire, + God granted it to us :)

Meal Planning

Some friends have been asking how I stay organized enough to plan out meals for Jake and I that have variety + taste awesome, so I thought I'd share my method for meal planning with you all! 

I've been working on the way I plan meals for the past few months, + I think I've finally got a method that really works for me. Jake or I are at the grocery store only about once a week (sometimes two if we run out of milk or something) so it saves us gas + time from making multiple trips a week just to put together one meal.

I try to stay about a month ahead with our meals, planning when I have time, even if it's only a few minutes. This way, I never fall behind + we don't go through periods of time where we're eating the same thing every night for a week because I was too busy to plan. Again, this works for us, but it might not work for someone else.

Every night of the week has a different "theme": crockpot, soup or sandwich, meat/international, pasta, casserole, + lunch prep. I don't cook every night since there's only two of us + even when doing a half batch of a recipe we usually have leftovers, so we don't have every "theme" every week, but at least it keeps me from picking all chicken recipes for every day of the week that I cook! 

Once I pick a recipe + assign it to a date, I'll create a little sticky tab with the date written on it + stick it to that page in my cookbook. This makes the recipe easy to find once that date rolls around, + also helps me when planning the following month, because I know that I should avoid using all the same recipes over again, which I can see from looking at the sticky tabs.

Hydrating + Embroidery

This week was another great one here in Rexburg! It was the first full week of 2015, which I'm still having trouble remembering--several of my journal entries have 2014 scribbled over!

One of my goals for 2015 has been to drink more water. It sounds weird, I know, but I'm one of those people who could go an entire day without drinking anything if I were busy enough. So I calculated how much water I should drink daily based on my weight, + I've been working really hard to try to get to that amount by the time Jake + I head to bed. I've found that it's really been helping me to fall asleep faster, along with helping keep my skin clear + helping with my level of energy. I'm excited to see what other little improvements or changes I notice as time goes on!

This week I've also been honing my embroidery skills + I'll admit, I've become slightly obsessed. So if anyone wants anything embroidered, please let me know!!

I was expecting to start my new job this past weekend, but things got shifted + I'll be starting this coming week. I'm excited to be working again + doing something productive with my time, but nervous about learning a new type of work! I know it will all work out in the end, though.

On Saturday Jake + I had our Date Night...but inside, + during the afternoon haha. We made chicken nuggets + french fries from scratch, + spread out a blanket on the living room floor for a picnic. It was a lot of fun!

This Week's Spiritual Thought

For the past few months, I've been reading Psalms during the passing of the sacrament. Today I came across Psalms 78:38+39 + really loved it. It struck me that God knows that we're human + make mistakes, but He will NEVER give up on us!

Crockpot Pesto Ravioli

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Crockpot Pesto Ravioli

24 oz. jar pasta sauce
25 oz. frozen ravioli
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, pesto, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce on bottom of crockpot. Place 1/2 of the frozen ravioli on top of the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on the ravioli. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers again. Spread rest of sauce over the top and cook on low for 3 hours. Remove lid and add sprinkle of 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, then replace lid and cook an additional 30 minutes. 

THE VERDICT: This recipe was amazing!! The only thing I'd change is that next time, I'm going to try to find a meat-filled ravioli instead of a cheese-filled, since it was just a tad bit TOO cheesy. It made a nice amount of leftovers; not too many but not a pitiful amount either, so it would probably feed a family of 5-6 very nicely.

Ringing in the New Year

Last Sunday we got SO MUCH SNOW here in Rexburg, it was insane. Overnight we got almost a foot, plus the huge amount we'd had over Christmas Eve + Christmas day. As you can see in the picture, I could practically go swimming in it!

On Tuesday I applied online to one of the McDonald's here in Rexburg. It was a really difficult thing for me to do, because I REALLY don't want to work in food services again but I also know that we need the money, + I need something productive to do on a regular basis while I'm on my break from school. I had to really be humble + overcome the pride that I have towards work. Later that day I got an email from one of the Craigslist jobs I had applied to, wanting me to come in for a group interview either on Saturday or next Monday. I think the timing on that email was really funny, having just applied to McDonald's. I guess God was rewarding me for swallowing my pride! + I ended up getting the job! My position is "survey interviewer," so basically I'll be sitting on the phone all day making calls to people + asking them questions about services they have received or might be interested in receiving. It's not the most exciting thing in the world + it's only part time, but I'm just grateful that I have a job!

On New Years' Eve, I spent the day cleaning the house + working on some home decor stuff while Jake was at work. Once he got home, Jake + I had dinner + watched "The Sword in the Stone", my favorite Disney movie. + Jake had never seen it before! He thought it was "ok"...pretty lame review if you ask me! Then Jake made beignets with our deep fryer. I think this will be our New Year's Eve tradition, at least for the next few years. It was really fun!

Happy 2015!!