Camping

This weekend, we went camping in the Uintahs. This is a picture of Washington Lake, which is where we stayed. I kayaked to the middle of the lake early in the morning while the water was still glassy, and got a pretty good shot. I was listening to Bach's Cello Suite 1 on my ipod, which made this particular moment much more dramatic. Gotta love Johann.

Here's a picture of the kids hanging out by the campfire. Dylan is a big fan of Luke's headlight.

I happened to have my camera with me (he he) when Luke and Dylan decided to head down to the lake to take the kayak for a spin. They were on their way to the little island you can see in the top left hand corner of the water. The kids are convinced there is buried treasure there. We have a gold fishing lure that Isabelle is positive was once a pirate's earring.

Me and the kids hanging out in the tent. It's probably best you can't see Izzy's feet. They were black. Not just kind of dirty. Black.

This is my attempt at a dramatic photo while we hiked to some other lakes in the area.

Izzy and Dylan taking a break at Crystal Lake.

Dylan conquering the forest.

Isabelle and I had to prove that we could make it out to the little island, as well. She is sitting next to the tower that the pirates built.

On our way home, we stopped at Provo River Falls. It's a shame I didn't get a photo of the biker lady throwing back a Budweiser at 10am, but I didn't think the big men in leather surrounding her would think it was a nice thing to do. So I didn't. But the waterfall made for a great second choice. Beautiful, isn't it?

After we left the falls, we stopped in Kamas at a little diner called Dick's to get a shake. Luke said Grandpa Kemp used to take him there when he was young, so we couldn't pass it up. What a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.

The Wing Coop

If you like wings, this is a must. Luke and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday by going out for dinner. Nothing fancy, which works well for us. I can't think of anything better. Anyway, this place has fifteen different sauces you can choose from to have your wings tossed in. I chose Honey Habenero, and Luke opted for the Black Diamond. So good. Dylan had chicken tenders, and Isabelle had chicken and cornbread. It was the best cornbread I've ever had. The service was incredible. I mean way beyond incredible. We felt like family. Also, they have sandwiches, salads, wraps--everything. This place is awesome, so click here to check it out. What are you waiting for? Go right now!

Dinner Club

So, the dinner club I am in meets on the last Thursday of each month. We have too much fun; it's something I really look forward to. This month was no exception. The theme was "Restaurant Favorites". We started with shrimp from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Spinach Artichoke Dip from CPK. Jamie made the shrimp, and I made the dip. Yum. For our main course, Amy made Chicken Madeira from the Cheesecake Factory and Sarah made salad from The Olive Garden. Again, yum. I am posting a picture of my dinner plate (I know I'm not Ansel Adams, but I thought it was so pretty!). Then, to top off the evening, Liz made cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries on top. Yum!

In addition to awesome food, I get to spend the evening with great friends. It's nice to have a night to laugh, chat about what's on TV, and just catch up on life. Who knows? Maybe Jamie is right--maybe ten years from now we'll still be meeting once a month on Thursday nights. Maybe I'll be talking about who Isabelle is going to the prom with, and Amy and Sarah will be telling us where their oldest kids are applying to go to college. Maybe Liz and Jamie will have 5 or 6 kids each, and we'll have new things to laugh about. There will be new TV shows to talk about, and new reasons to rally around each other for support. I am so happy to have such incredible women as friends.

By the time we had eaten enough for at least a small army and gone through 2 liters of Diet Coke, Ava had fallen asleep in the front room under the chair. Too darn cute for words. Good thing I had my camera!

Here's the recipe for the Spinach Artichoke Dip from California Pizza Kitchen. It's the real deal, and consider yourself warned--it makes a lot!

CPK Spinach Artichoke Dip
A vast majority of CPK employees list this dip as their own and their customers' favorite appetizer. If you like, try serving it with wedges of fresh-baked focaccia in place of the tortilla chips.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
· 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
· 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferable homemade)
· 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
· 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
· 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 3/4 cup sour cream
· 12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
· 6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
· 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
· 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
· Blue and white corn tortilla chips
1. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.
2. Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Prepare to be impressed...

I am so lucky to have a great husband who encourages me to try new things. He has taught me to snowboard, hiked Angel's Landing with me (I am terrified of heights), and recently convinced me that I am smart enough to use a pressure cooker. So, do not be impressed by the fact that I canned. Be impressed that I didn't blow the roof off of our house. I almost had a heart attack several times during the process, but I ended up with 8 pints of beets (all from our garden), and all of the jars sealed. Plus, I had an excuse to get my cute colander from Sur la Table in a picture!

Happy birthday, Savannah!

We hope you had a fun birthday on Saturday, and we hope your teeth come in soon! Angel, I read somewhere to put a bottle of water in the freezer, then give it to your baby to chew on and play with. Hopefully it will ease her pain. Also, can you believe that when Kyrie turned one, you had another baby fifteen days later? Can you imagine having another baby in two weeks? Yikes! What is it they say? Take time to stop and smell the roses--and what beautiful roses they are! Happy first birthday, Savannah--we love you!

It's a Small World

Today I went to Jayne's house and ate Maddox chicken. So good. Luke called to see how my afternoon was, and I told him that it was perfect. And it's true. Sitting in Jayne's lovely home having a great conversation about anything and everything. Add to that a Dr. Pepper with hospital ice and a divine piece of chocolate, and I don't know if it gets much better. (Luke was shooting videos for the upcoming basketball season with some friends. This will be important in a minute.) So, this chocolate wasn't just divine--it was incredible! A little square of caramel with coconut covered in milk chocolate with an almond on top. It was fabulous. Jayne and her husband got the little pieces of heaven at Hatch's Family Chocolates downtown (thanks for sharing, Jayne!). Anyway, she told me about the owner, Steve, and his wife. She said they are a darling couple. I have to say I would like to try the ice cream bars that they dip in dark or milk chocolate. Can you imagine? So, on my way home, I called Luke to tell him that since he works within a reasonable distance from Hatch's, maybe he could stop and get some chocolates one day on his way home. Just an idea. And then he told me that his friend, Steve, who he had been shooting videos with all day, owns the chocolate shop. Jayne's Steve and Luke's Steve are the same Steve? Wow. It's a small world, isn't it? Well, long story short, this is my gigantic shout out for Hatch's Family Chocolates. If you are in the neighborhood (390 E 4th Ave), or if you simply appreciate a good piece of candy, go indulge yourself. You won't be sorry!

Bummer