Fresco Tomato and Basil Bisque

I got this recipe from a coworker and it's delicious! I love creamy tomato soups but have never made one fresh before. I highly recommend this recipe, obviously.

1/4 c butter
1 T salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 1/2 c chopped onions
2 c milk or cream (I used fat free half-and-half)
2-3 cloves of garlic minced/pressed
1 pinch red pepper flakes
4 c trimmed and cut tomatoes (or 2 cans of diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 T sugar
3 T uncooked rice
2 c water or chicken broth (I used broth)
1/4-1/2 c fresh chopped basil

In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute the onions. Add the garlic and the red pepper, saute for one minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, rice, and water/broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add basil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Puree this whole mixture in a blender or food processor (unless your machines are huge, I suggest doing this half at a time to save yourself the explosion and kitchen cleaning I may have gone through). Return blended soup to the saucepan. Add warm milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2-3 minutes and serve with toasted bread and parmesan cheese, veggie sandwiches, or eat it by itself! It serves probably 6-8, we had a lot left over.

Yoga

P.E. is the bain of my teaching week, I am bad at it and it is awful for me and the kids.  This week P.E. was wonderful.  I bought an app for my student's ipod touches called Pocket Yoga and let them play with it during P.E.  It was just one of the cutest things to watch them all, they have few inhibitions and if it's on their ipods they love it.  I felt like it was good enough for P.E. when some of my "tough" little athletic boys were saying it was hard.  I think we'll be doing some more yoga for P.E. this year.

Skiing, Quilting, and Reading

Over Human Rights Day, Stephen and I went up to Logan for the ole' annual Champlin family cross country ski.  We've had better snow in the past and it's always sad that Spencer isn't with us (mission) but it was fun nonetheless.

Then a couple of weeks later, Stephen came home with passes to the Park City resort from work and we got to spend the most BEAUTIFUL Saturday imaginable on the slopes.  After several years hiatus from downhill skiing I was quite pleased that I could keep up with Stephen and it was fun and not painful.  Stephen took this picture with the not-so-great camera phone but I thought it was kind of cool.

I've also started a new project that I am in love with...

Anywhere you see carpet in the middle will be gray and then I'll have some boarders and it'll be beautiful!  I will post pictures in the coming years when I finish it.  I got this far and haven't touched it because I'm reading the Hunger Games series and I am so roped into them.  I am just starting the third book so the end is in sight!

Mormon Housewife Blogs

Stephen came across this article written by a "young, feminist atheist who can't bake a cupcake" and loves reading mormon mother's blogs.  It's a really funny article.  If you feel so inclined...enjoy!

Click here to read the article (and don't ask why my links are no longer showing up as another color, of course I have no idea).

Jazz Fans... Be Impressed

Last week Stephen moved his office to Huntsman Corp.  On his first day of work there weren't many people around because of the holidays so he got offered Jazz tickets in the Huntsman Corp box, sweet right?  We got there and they had an awesome dinner for us and the first half of the game was great.  At the end of half-time one of the Huntsman guys there came up to us and asked if we wanted to take their FRONT ROW SEATS that they switch off, for the third quarter!  So begrudgingly, we accepted.  It was really rough.

Sadly, we'd met up straight from work and didn't have anything but the ole' camera phone but take a look none the less.

Just Trying...

I am so bad at blogger! I try not to change things on my blog because if I do I end up feeling like an 80-year-old trying to send an email. I have come to grips with the fact that my blog will probably never look as fancy as many of my incredibly talented friends but I can still try. I was supposed to grade papers tonight but instead I revamped the ole' blog. I am proud to say that I kept my cool and I am content with the finished product, simple as it may be.  We'll see how long I can stay satisfied.

Happy Holidays

It's been so wonderful to have time off work and be with both of our families!  I am very sad to see the holidays go.  Here are a few of my highlights....

We took this family picture just after talking to my brother in Argentina, it was so great!

My mom, sister, and I took a sewing class and made these stockings.  I thought mine and Stephen's turned out great (thanks to all of the help I received).

Stephen got me a sewing machine and table for Christmas!  I was very excited and I have already started my first project, pictures to come.

Las Vegas

Stephen and I spent Thanksgiving in Vegas with my mom's family.  It was wonderful, not as warm as it usually is but a step up from Salt Lake.  We had a great time being with family and not working, thank goodness for holidays.

All of the girls, we just can't go without some group shots.

(Kamie is a trooper, she stepped in dog poop with her bare feet right before this pic was taken and despite her red eyes still managed a beautiful smile)

Stephen and I still haven't quite made it to the adult table but at least the company is aging along with us.

Amazing

It was amazing, just amazing. Stephen and I went to Harry Potter 7 last night with some friends and I was like a kid on Christmas.  I highly recommend it!

  

Ingrid Michaelson

When Stephen and I started dating I planned the most fun day for us during which we rode 50 miles round-trip on a tandem cruiser to swim in a reservoir and have a picnic.  It was in August and it was hot.  I had be training for a marathon and Stephen had been working in an office (not in shape).  Even though he was hating every minute of that activity he still put up with it and told me that he had a good time because we were newly dating and he liked me.  I'm glad that he still likes me and will still put up with some of my less logical ideas, like...

We went to the Ingrid Michaelson concert this week.  Round about the time we had been in line for two hours and it started snowing and I remembered that Stephen and I now work full time and can't just sleep in when we stay out late and are tired, I was wondering if this had been a good idea.  Luckily the concert did eventually start and Ingrid was so good!  We decided it was worth it but we probably wouldn't be going to too many more weeknight concerts from now on.





Stephen and I with my sister Ashley and her husband Zac. This was in line...before the snow.

Here is one of her music videos, she sang this song and (along with every song) it was excellent: