Wight Family

Monday, October 27, 2008

Read This!!

I've been following NieNie's journey ever since Colleen taught a lesson in Relief Society about, golly, I can't remember what it was about... enduring, or smiling, or, OH!, it was touching other's hearts!!! I like most to read cjane's blog... Nienie's sister. And yesterday, she posted just a tiny amount. And I'm so glad that she linked this article, as it told the WHOLE story, the good, the sad, the happy! I crave details, even the graphic ones. They don't bother me, but give me more to palate, to taste, to touch. I don't think that makes me a bad person. I may come off as a gory person to some, but I really need to know. Without the details a picture isn't in focus for me.

I am also very excited that Courtney (Cjane) is an author!! Yippeee!!! I have yet another person to look up to on my journey. Speaking of, I need to get back on that. I've been trying to convince Mike to pay for an online writing course from Winghill Writing School. I requested a brochure of information and I'm impressed. I don't want to be a world-wide best seller, by any means, but I'd like to put my creativity and my brain to good use!! And if I can get paid for it, all the better!

Later today, when I go back downstairs, I'll post pics from Elise's birthday party last night. I should have taken pics of the friend party we did, but I believe it is hard to get pics in a movie theater!

laters

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Rachel Ray Today

Oh, I am totally enamored with Rachel Ray's hair, and her cooking! Her new shorter haircut looks a lot like mine, but she does her hair, or has it done... I just get up and pull up a pony! So after watching her make a FABULOUS recipe of guacamole with this super star basketball player, I decided I have to keep guac or at least seven layer dip close by. It is a huge favorite of MINE and I think Mike likes it too. I also discovered at the Halloween party that our local grocery store has the BESTEST fresh salsa I've ever tasted (no offense to my Uncles Russ, Alan, or Craig who also make very good fresh salsa). I am rushing off to the grocery store to buy some, AND the fixins for another bean dip, AND I've got some mexican dish up my sleeve for dinner. I'm still on light-duty, and I'm still in some pain when I move my legs at all, but I can't sit home and watch Rachel Ray do dinner better than me! HA! I had the hair first, didn't I? But I know she's got me on the cooking skills!!!

So I'm off to stroll SLOWLY around the grocery store and hopefully I'll find what I need there without too much bother.

Enjoy!

You have to see this blog. Beware though, it is funny, AND mostly true!

Thanks Kelly for the awesome party AND for posting the pics. I have not been able to get Mike to dress up for Halloween EVER and I completely enjoyed having him with me all decked out! Thanks for capturing it forever in the blogosphere!!

I just can't tell you how exciting that is!! Wahoo!!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Italian Style Grilled Chicken

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

tomatoes

fresh basil

italian blend cheese

Kraft Sun Dried tomato salad dressing.

Trim fat from chicken breast, fillet breast or pound flat for grilling. Marinate chicken breast for a min of 4 hours (I did 1 1/2 and it was still good.)

Grill chicken on both sides. Before removing from grill, place chopped basil and sliced tomato on chicken. Cover with grated cheese. Serve when cheese is melted.

This was really tasty and pretty easy to fix too. And Mike ate it, except the tomato!!

Another Better Homes and Gardens Recipe!!

Pumpkin Sandwich Cake

Pumpkin Sandwich Cake

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 oz cream cheese softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 recipe of Chocolate Cream Icing

preheat oven to 375 degrees. grease bottoms and sides of 2 8x1 1/2 inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper. flour pans lightly. mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

in second bowl beat eggs, sugar with electric beater on med high speed for 5 minutes until thick. beat in pumpkin. add flour mixture and beat just until combined. spread in cake pans and bake 16 to 18 minutes. Until center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes, remove from pans and continue to cool.

for filling in a chilled bowl beat whipping cream until until soft peaks appear. set aside and beat cream cheese until softened and beat in powdered sugar. fold in whipped cream.

assemble cake, put one layer on plate, spread the cream filling, add second layer, then frost with icing. sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over cake (I put mine in the cake mix) Chill one hour before serving. store cake loosely covered in fridge.

Chocolate Cream Icing

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate pieces.

heat whipping cream just to boiling and pour over chocolate pieces let sit for 5 min. stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool 15 min ice cake (top and sides).

Found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Book Reviews

Ok, so in order to write better, I will be continuing to read more and I'll be making one change to what I do when I read, I'll also be reviewing the books I read. I am hoping that this will help with my current writer's block. I'm really not in the "mood" to write, but I'm not in the mood for much of anything. Strange how that happens!! So I'll start this tomorrow. hahah!

I've read lots of books lately. I'll summarize them, and leave my thoughts about them, I have no idea if anyone will be looking at this post or not.....

Master, by Toni Sorenson: Oh my what a wonderful book. I loved this one. It was full of details (though I wanted more), description of landscape, miracles and the life of Christ with the feel of a novel. You could see the life of the Savior and the apostles and the time of the Romans. It was well written and I couldn't put it down. Better at the scriptures at keeping my attention, but full of the same stories.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini: Khaled has a unique way of sucking me into the world he created. His words are descriptive and hypnotic. I could not put this book down AGAIN. This actually is the second time I read this book. First read through I read it in about two days total. I sat down with it right after work on day two and read through until 4 am. I even had work the next day. EXCELLENT read. Second time around I spent more time "chewing" instead of "swallowing it whole". Again, a wonderful, masterful read. I love how he ends his books. It is like a sugar or adrenaline let down though. You get so high and so excited and then you crash. The emotional wrap up is like after crying your eyes out for an hour and then rehashing it, but you can't cry, it is nearly emotionless.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini: Again, another marvelous novel!! I had a hard time putting this one down at times too. I get so caught up in his characters and their lives and emotions and the mystery of the middle eastern culture. Maybe at times I feel like I could relate to the women because I sometimes want to cover all up and walk around like a ghost, no one can tell my emotions if they can barely see my eyes. But, hey, having a bad day every once in a while is no reason to take up wearing burkhas!!! Again, another great book. I will read this one again, and I'd recommend it to friends.

Almost Sisters: The Company of Good Women, Nancy Anderson, Lael Littke, & Carroll Hofeling Morris:
Of all the books most recently read by me, this one boosted my heart and boyied up my spirits! I did not devour this book, I savored every moment with these dear women. The language is smooth, the story is catching, and the characters build as the pages turn. Deenie, Erin and Juneau are just like "us". They are very human and their flaws show to us and to each other. Their journey is continued in two more books. The cliff hangar ending of book one sent me immediately to purchase book 1 and 2 (I borrowed this copy from a friend) for me and for a friend! Don't wait to buy these books as a set, you'll hear Deenie's words of wisdom in your ears when you go to sleep and want to put them on your walls. You'll see Erin and her quirky beauty in your friends and want to tell them all about her! You'll see Juneau when you see your little girls and wonder about how they will turn out.

I Lost My Love in Baghdad: A Modern War Story, Michael Hastings
I just finished this book not ten minutes ago. It is so fresh in my mind. The language is harsh. Lots of F-bombs. If you can handle reading those, or get through them it is a great story. It is a love story; it is a biography; it is a documentary. I enjoyed this book, the end is really intense. The beginning was fast paced as well. In the middle I had to put it down for a couple weeks. If you are having "drama" of your own, don't read this yet. Get the drama over with and then pick this one up. I enjoy war books, histories, details, the nitty-gritty of all that. Hastings is a powerful writer, a gutsy guy, and an apprehensive lover (but how many guys aren't?). I felt like I was in Iraq. Dirty, hot and very very tired. His accounts are well written, quoted and placed. He risked his life so we could have this account, the accounts from his embeds, his news articles. And he lost his love, his only love, in a dangerous place that we are for some reason involved in. Stunning. Factual. The title says it all really. I Lost My Love in Baghdad: A Modern War Story.

Three Tickets to Peoria: The Company of Good Women, Nancy Anderson, Lael Littke, & Carroll Hofeling Morris:
Like my above review, another charming book! I started this one on Monday morning and I finished by Wednesday morning. I love these ladies. They write with such reality. So plain. Erin and Cory's plight in this book really surprised me, but it turned out well. Just as I thought it should, every detail. I personally find the authors' work inspiring as a future writer myself. I am also inspired by the character's spiritual strength and real-ness. Deenie continues to amaze me, and yet not surprise me as she is the definition of a Utah Mormon Super-Mom, right down to the depression and the sense of loss. I love how in this second book each woman again has another trial, but so does Gabby! In the first book, she was everyone's idol with no flaws. This one we see it all. We feel it all and we wonder many things that should, hopefully, be answered in book 3, Surprise Packages which is due out anytime now! You can pre-order online at deseretbook.com or anywhere you buy good books! (I personally shop online at amazon for books that aren't going to be read more than one or two times, if at all possible.) Good luck to any of you COB's!!

My Gratitude Box

I was thinking the other day, while we were up in the wilderness, that I have so much that I'm grateful for, and I need to write that down somewhere.... Hmmmm.. blog that!! So here we go.

In no particular order:
Brand new SOCKS, I really do love them. They aren't stretched out, they smell AND look good.
My new hat. Camo with ARMY in pink. Cute.
That I live in Eden. It is always beautiful here. Really, come visit. You will find something that you think is beautiful any day of the week!
Elise. She always makes me laugh. Ok, sometimes, she makes me feel so much like a MOM, but the rest of the time she's great fun.
A wood burning fireplace. It really is cozy and it beats the furnace with heating. Strange, but true!
That I can sing. I might not do it well enough to make big bucks, but I'm good enough I like to hear me!
Elise lets me sing to her every night before bed. I am so grateful that she loves me that much. No one else asks for a bedtime song and that is OUR quiet personal time EVERY night.
My husband. Not only do I have one that is taking care of me, but he likes to and WANTS to. We get to be together forever and we both want that to be a happy thing. And I'm grateful that he is letting me just sit here and type.
For my testimony. Jesus loves me, and you too. He suffered for my sins, he knows what it's like to have a cold and to want children; he knows what it's like to BE ME. He died and resurrected so I could too, and so will my family, and we'll be together forever. He restored the true gospel to the earth again through Joseph Smith, a boy with a big WHY, and trust and faith that he really could get an answer if he asked.
That I had time to wash laundry, that I have a washer and dryer that work, and soap and water to put in the machine!! Cause washing it outside in this weather would not get done!

January 31, 2008-
I'm greatful that I have a car, and a husband that drove me to SLC today to the viewing of my dear prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. His passing on Sunday shook me. I guess in my childish and selfish mind that I truly thought he'd live forever! Or at least to 125. I was, just as many other people have expressed, immediately impressed after my initial shock that he is with his dear Marjorie, and that is just where he needs to be. At peace, with his loved ones.
And microwaves, cause Mike just got home, and I've done NOTHING for dinner as of right now. How about Mac'n'Cheese???

Elise's Guess Game

Ballet Guess Game.
I changed the rule. Now no yab yapping yapping yapping. And NO asking somebody else the law, and especially don't ask me to show my own self and No Cheats! Just let me do the rest of the magic.
SO, lets start with how many pets I have.
Next I want you to guess how many pets I have counting 2 horses, 2 chickens, 1 dog, actually I don't have any chickens. I do have 2 ducks and 13 little quails and 14 chicks and have you guessed yet??
Hurry up?
Stick around on Ballet Guess Game, we'll be back after these eleven messages!

Next time on Ballet Guess Game will be right back on Taco Bell at Tuesdays, weekdays and Fridays. Oh, and especially Wednesdays. See you next time!!!!

Publishing Updates

You never knew it did you? I love to write. Really. And I'm so serious about it I have a personal list of books to WRITE.

So, in my endeavor to write better and be a published author of a book before I turn 30 (that is in less than 2 years) I have started to write book reviews. This month I submitted, albeit at the request and suggestion of a good friend of mine, a book review of a book I just love. And I'm in the local newspaper!!

Ogden Valley Newspaper July 15th issue. Go ahead, I accept praise all day! ;) Love you all for checking in on me and routing for me! ~Vicki