Reipes

So, I loved to cook and bake before I left for Japan. Then I got to Japan and realized that they use the metric system and didn't have ANYTHING box mixed or anything I really needed to bake or cook anything American... Go figure. So it took me a while to learn to cook, but I finally got around the Japanese kitchen after a few months and enjoyed cooking again. I fly back to America after 18 months and forget how to cook again... Oi. Not to mention I didn't know any of the correct English terms for any vegetables or other cooking items anymore.... "Oh! It's a bellpepper!!! That's what you call it!"

Well, I'm married now and I've had to learn how to cook pretty fast again because heaven help us, I don't think I could eat pizza, ramen, hamburger helper and macaroni and cheese for the rest of my life.... Not to mention the boy almost set the place on fire by not watching a pot of boiling water and butter.... Bless his heart....

I've been searching EVERYWHERE I can for recipes. The majority coming from Pintrest. I did find a website/blog that I have taken quite a liking to! Not only does she make delicious and amazingly easy desserts, but dinners, appetizers, lunch and breakfasts!! They're all super easy to read and even printable unlike a lot of the websites I end up at after following Pintrest around....

I wish I had more of an elaborate way to display her website other than the URL, but I am not as keen on the ways of HTML as my husband... I just wish to share her amazing talent with everyone:

 http://www.chef-in-training.com/

Thank you Chef-In-Training. You have saved me from kitchen disaster.

Not to mention this weeks post was all about apples... I can't tell you how many apples I have from our Bishop's house to somehow get rid of before they rot. Oi.

Rain

Now normally, I am not a fan of the rain. I don't like this whole.... partially getting wet thing. I either wanna be in a pool or dry as a bone, but not this in between madness that ruins my hair and make up unexpectedly. I like to know when it is going to rain, so then I don't plan on wearing anything white either. That could be hazardous to everyone.

So, I woke up this morning to rain, I knew it was going to be a rainy day and upon looking at my iPhone it's supposed to be a rainy 2 days. Being this is the desert, I knew that the rain would probably be on and off and nothing really alarming like it does back home where it will rain for like.... 4 months straight. Okay maybe that is exaggerating, but it does rain a LOT. Also when it rains it is humid and sticky and muggy afterwards.  Which, despite the majority of the population, I love humidity. (Lotion? What's that?)

Anywhoz, I went to see Bryan at school today for lunch and it started to rain. Big. Fat. Drops. Everyone of course, started to run for cover and towards the buildings, but Bryan and I were quite content slowly walking to where he needed to go next. It was nice to walk in the rain. It reminded me of old times and Oshkosh when we splashed around the in puddles while everyone was huddled in the buildings. Psh. It's just water. It'll dry. It was nice to feel the storm breeze coming through. Though it's not hot and humid, it's still nice to have rain like that. It's been raining like such on and off all day after lunch. I think this is the longest it's rained ever out here! (another dramatic exaggeration) We enjoyed ourselves.

Temples

Sorry I haven't written in a while, things have been busy with traveling down to Salt Lake City to visit some friends, go hiking and explore the Salt Lake Comic Convention. As we drove home, I've tried to think about something pleasant to write about this place because I really was having a hard time wanting to come back. I really dreaded going to work and getting my schedule, getting involved in my church calling again and having Boy start school and shaving his goatee. I was not coming back to a happy place in my opinion. Not to mention, Boy and I are both a little sick with the "con funk" from being around so many people. Bleh.

Going back to work, I had a typical day. By the time I got home I didn't want to do anything except sit and nap. However, I had written on the calendar that we were going to go to the temple that night. Ugh. How easy would it be for me to tell Boy, "We're both sick and don't feel well, not to mention I don't have time to shower and I smell like Nacho's, let's just stay home." I thought about it all night as I was getting ready, but I held my tongue and we went.

I almost forgot what to do, it had been so long since I have been to the temple. It was my first time doing a session at the temple in this area, the temple had been closed due to cleaning and we haven't gotten around to going because of our vacation. Still thinking I smelled of Nacho's, by the end of the session, I am glad we went. It was so relaxing and nice to be able to sit and forget everything outside the temple for moment and remember the big picture. The latest update they have done to the session was really interesting too. There were changes they made that helped me understand things a lot better. It was calm and peaceful as we dwelt in the house of the Lord and as we left, Boy and I both felt better not only spiritually and mentally, but our throats were a lot less sore. (Might have been the cinnamon peppermint we ate too...hehehe)

We went out to ice cream after at The Cocoa Bean, which might be my new favorite place, and Boy had commented at least twice that I looked so happy. I was. I am! Because I know that I can have a family that will be together forever. I know that I am loved and I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life. You can't find joy like this anywhere else in the world.

Flowers

So yesterday was a little hard. I was sore from my first day (the day before yesterday) of a heavy strength workout, tired, seemed like I made everyone unhappy at work, etc. So I'm up late playing phone games until like 1am... which I haven't done since high school... So, I slept in today, but I eventually got up because someone had texted and called me and forced myself to start my workout again. (No pain, no gain right?!) As I'm working out, Boy gets out of bed (before 9:00!! MIRACLE!) And he rushes out the door saying he forgot something in the laundry room. I just kinda think to myself... oooookay.... and keep working out. For helpers, we live right behind the laundry facilities... he was gone for a while. He eventually came back about 15 minutes later saying "I FOUND IT! 2 for 2 months." handing me two wild flowers.

I love flowers... Silly I know, but these are especially my favorite. He went out to the nearby field and picked them, but I don't care. They're cute and it made my day because he's never bought me flowers (besides last time I got roses from a boy, they went to target practice with my archery friends).

I really wish I could grow things. I'm not very good at it, but I'm trying. I try all the time. The only thing I've been able to successfully grow are black tulips, which I have never personally seen... Mom has only sent me pictures. lol Either way, I hope that I can grow something this next spring/summer. I better start now! Right? Or do I wait until the dead of winter? Oi....

Anime

I love anime.

Even before I went to Japan, I've loved reading and watching Anime. It lets me escape the world and my imagination and artistic mind just go. I love the art style and the stories that go along with them. I just recently watched an anime that I had been meaning to see, but completely forgot about. Boy brought it up on Netflix and though it was kinda creepy/spooky and the art was very different, I truly enjoyed this story. It's apparently based off of a true Irish folk tale which made it all the better. Always wanted to go to Ireland for their faerie tales.

There's a particular character whom I loved in this story, Aisling (almost sounds like they're saying Ashley in the movie). Either way, she's a faerie. A true faerie of the forest. Last of her kind. I absolutely loved the way she is portrayed in the movie. Mischievous, fun, a forest dweller, mysterious and cute. She doesn't have wings, but she doesn't have to. All in all, I fell in love with her. And you'll just have to watch to find out why.

Here's the movie to the trailer of the movie. The art is so different and fantastic! I love the Celtic knots and the way that they depict things so close, but then as soon as the character goes behind a tree, they are far away. Just so clever. Comparable to the great anime artist Miyazaki? I think so.