Where is the best Milk Shake in Northern Utah

With summer drawing to a close I have decided to run a little contest on this blog spot. I want your help. I am in search of the best milkshake in town. Let's say within a 20 mile radius of Ogden, Utah.

If you would like to be a part of this submit your selection, I will put all the entries into a drawing. If you are the lucky winner I will see that you get a gift certificate to your favorite spot!

I'll post the winner on this blogspot in let's say 10 days!

My choice is Jake's Over the Top.... easy choice for me since I was Jake's 3rd Grade Teacher!

Avocado - Tomato Melt

Avocado-Tomato Melt
4 English muffins, split
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 to 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thin
Coarse salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced thin
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh ground black pepper
Preheat broiler to high. Under the broiler, toast English muffin halves on a baking sheet until golden brown. Remove from oven.
Top each muffing half with sliced avocados and tomatoes; lightly salt the tomatoes. Sprinkle chopped basil over the tomatoes. Put a layer of mozzarella cheese over the basil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and top with black pepper.
Broil prepared muffin halves for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and enjoy

LA Dodgers ~ John made it!

John Meloan spent the summer of 2005 in our home while he played for the Ogden Raptors. Tuesday I got a call from John telling me that he would be playing in SLC for the Labor Day Weekend, since the LV 51's would be playing against the SLC Bees! How exciting for us since he will leave us tickets at will call for every game.

This afternoon I get another call from John, he said he had bad news for me! I said, "YOU MADE IT TO THE BIGS". That's not bad news that is great news. Although we won't be seeing John in Utah anytime soon, we are so happy that he is an official big league Dodger!

That is boy #5 that has lived in our home and has played in the MLB! How fun is that!

Grilled Tomato and Provolone Cheese Sandwich

Most people do not care if tomatoes are a fruit or a vegetable ---as long as they're juicy and delicious. They happen to be the most popular homegrown crop in the United States. I happen to have just 5 plants in my small garden and they are coming on strong! Tonight for dinner we had grilled tomato and provolone cheese sandwiches. Simple and Easy! Last night we had avacado and tomato sandwiches....wonder what tomorrow will bring.

My dad (pictured in his garden) has a great Fresh Summer Salsa recipe. I sure hope he doesn't mind that I'm sharing it with everyone who stops by to read this blog.

2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/4 cup parsely, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.


And by the way, tomatoes are a fruit!

Crochet Dress Corner Bookmarks

My talented mom made these beautiful crochet bookmarks for my bookclub friends. My daughter-in-law added the buttons...so you can remember which side of the page you're reading.

Now here is the trick (girlfriends)...when you let me know that you have seen this, I'll see that you have yours ASAP. If you can't figure out how to leave me a message here, I'm sure you have my phone number.

Brevin's in Kindergarten

Brevin with his teacher Mrs. Collard

We arrived 15 - 20 - 25 minutes early

so Brevin got to play on the playground

before school started this afternoon.

Walking through the doors takes COURAGE!

Romeo and his KONG

Here it is! Romeo with his kong. It was completely gone before I ever got this post ready to publish!

Romeo has a wonderful life. Why wouldn't he, he's the dog!

Bird Feeder

This is a very fun and easy "any time of the year" project. This is my first experience making this fun bird feeder. I’m going to make a couple more today when I see my grandkids.

Simply spread a thin layer of peanut butter around an empty toilet paper or paper towel holder and roll it around in bird seed. Press hard so that lots of bird seed coats the peanut butter. Slide the roll onto a branch of your chosen tree or lilac bush in my back yard. The roll will hopefully be enjoyed by our feathered friends.

DH (Al) thought that the Dog (Romeo) was being neglected so my next post will be Romeo with his KONG filled with peanut butter!

Let the School Year Begin!

If your life feels out of balance and you feel guilty that you're shortchanging family, fun, and your own health, you're not alone. As I begin a new school year I look forward to the challenges that each student must face. Today our school was without water or bathroom facilities for several hours, what a balancing act we had to do. The district provided port-a-potties (6) and 400 bottles of water... we have about 800 students on track! Wal-Mart came through with a pallet of water, which the students relished. As I drove home I thought are we ever prepared for lifes challenges?

So here are a few guidelines a dear friend of mine has shared with me about balancing your life:

1. Life assessment ~ life will feel balanced when you are relatively happy with the most important aspects of your life.

2. Values ~ No matter how busy you are, life feels in balance when you honor your values. Make a list of what is important to your life. Not what's nice, but what must be in your life for you to be happy.

3. Passion ~What do you love to do? What activities so capture your attention and energy that you lose track of time while doing them? Make a list of these activities and divide your list into groups based on the level of passion you feel while involved in them.

4. Eat Healthy ~Food is the key to life. It is the source of good health and energy. Eating healthy foods can benefit all of us. If you haven't tried our "Abundance" give me a call, I think it can make a difference in your life.

5. Walk ~Take a walk with your child on a nature trail. My grandkids are lucky enough to have a grandpa who owns a couple of horses, what a fun way to get some balance in your life.

6. Say no ~Many people find it hard to say no, so they end up taking on tasks that interfere with the important aspects of their lives and then they feel resentful and guilty. Learn to say no politely and firmly, simply indicating "I'm so sorry, I can't take that on just now and give it the attention and energy it deserves. Thank you for thinking of me."

7. Be Prepared ~ The Boy Scout Motto ~ you have to be prepared at any moment to face difficulties by knowing what to do and how to do it. Then you will know your life is in balance.

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 small watermelons
1 pound fresh pineapple chunks
1 pound seedless grapes
2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 bananas, cut into bite-size pieces

DIRECTIONS
Cut each watermelon in half lengthwise. Hollow out the insides using a melon baller, reserving rind for later use. Drain pineapple, and discard juice. Cut apples in half, remove cores, and cut into bite size pieces. Peel banana, and slice in to bite size pieces. Rinse grapes under cold running water, and pat dry.
In a bowl, toss together the watermelon balls, pineapple, apple, banana chunks, and grapes. Divide fruit salad among the 4 reserved watermelon "bowls," and serve.

A tried and true recipe, that is great for the summer!

BC My Sister's Keeper

Given the topic of this book, I knew it was going to be a difficult read for me.
If you are under the age of 18, do you own the rights of your body? Imagine that all your life you have been subjected to medical procedures to help save your older sister's life. Imagine that you come to realize that the only reason your parents decided to have you was to help save your sister's life. At what point do you say, "Enough"? At what point do you decide that your body is yours to protect, even if it means the possible death of your sister? At what point should a parent stop helping one child, in order to help the other? Even when the book is a challenge book club is always wonderful. It was so fun to be with all of you until the wee hours of the morning, and of course, I love Park City. The drive home was a breeze - not much traffic on the I-15 at 2:00 in the morning. Here are the crazy pictures from the evening.


Lisa playing in the puddle!

Nina said that this was the best meal we have had all year! Nancy said....hmmm do you remember the dinner that I served YOU! We have so much fun.~~~~~~

The Park Regency is our home away from home!

August 17, 2007 Dinner on the patio ~~with Rain!

The Lord is My Light

"Lord, help me not to fear, for You are with me; I need not be dismayed, for You are my God. You will strengthen me and help me; You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Thanks for the picture again, Jason!

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

I am so grateful that my friend Nina invited me to The Deer Valley Music Festival. Our evening was truly a memorable experience. The life and energy in the mountain takes your breathe away it is so gorgeous. Not to mention the fabulous music that filled the air was beyond compare and many weeks late I will still be listening to the music because I now have it playing on my computer.

Talk about talented, the pianist Katia Skanavi, gave an elegant, even majestic performance. Honestly, I have never heard anyone play the piano with that much energy and grace. How many hours a day must she have practiced as a young girl, one can only imagine!

Mango

A comfort food. Mangos really can make you feel better! Beyond being delicious and rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mangos contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid and can be held partially responsible for that feeling of contentment you will experience during and after eating mango.

Our company Wholefood 2 U makes a delicious blend of Mango Abundance. You should give it a try ~~~ today!

Here is a recipe for Mango parfait that is very refreshing.

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Instructions:

Peel the mango and cut the ripe portion of the fruit into pieces. (The portion around the stone will be hard.) Put the mango in a blender or food processor with the yogurt. Blend until smooth.

Layer mango blend and chopped mango into a parfait glass.

Our friend Sean seems to be allergic to mango. After some research and study I have found that the mango is in the same family as poison ivy and contains urushiol, though much less than poison ivy. Some people get dermatitis from touching mango peel or sap. Persons showing an allergic reaction after handling a mango can usually enjoy the fruit if someone else first removes the skin. Does that sound like you Sean?