Piano Recital

I am so proud of my talented children. It takes a lot of practice to achieve what they have. Just because Alan and I have always said, "Piano is non-negotiable," does not mean they couldn't have tried to make it difficult for us. Thank you Austin, Kellie, and Alexa for making some aspects of parenting easy.

Blessing #1

With my parents going on a mission and most of my children not liking change, our family decided to look for the blessings we will receive while my parents are serving in the field and while we are serving in their home.

Blessing:
Austin has been bullied in our ward; this boy is bigger, stronger, and admits that he enjoys being mean. Instead of letting the bully chase him out of church Austin has worked with our good Bishop to come up with alternate ways to attend all three hours of church without being near this bully by attending other classes. This is all well and good except he doesn’t get to be with his age group or be able to relax and enjoy the spirit when the boy is around.

Moving is giving Austin the opportunity to go to church with kids his age, learn age appropriate lessons, and gives him a chance to relax and feel the spirit. This is a huge blessing for all of us and I am thankful for the opportunity to stay in Springville and have a safer environment for my son.

Preparing for the Second Coming

Super Nachos

My family thinks I am obsessed with cooking shows, competitions, and recipes . . . I am! (The first step is admitting it, right?) I love super easy, but really yummy recipes. The following recipe is from Rachael Ray and it seems like a lot of steps, but it really isn't that hard. I will insert my steps that make it even easier.

Super Nachos
2 bags corn tortilla chips (pick your favorite)

Pico de Gallo Salsa
(This is really good homemade, but store bought isn't bad and it saves time)
4 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, for medium to hot heat level
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, cilantro leaves, finely chopped -- substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking
Salt

Beef and Beans Topping
(I always double the meat and beans because it is so good it goes fast)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level (I do one tsp. for flavor, not for heat)
1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

Additional toppings to choose from, optional:
Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped black olives
Diced pimento
Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
Hot pepper sauces
Directions

Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside for flavors to marry.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Lex Makes Me Laugh

Alexa: I tricked ya, Dad.
Alan: Nope, ya didn’t.
Alexa: (walking away) Yeah, I did—just accept it.

Called to Serve

Alan, Cynthia, Austin, Kellie, and Alexa have been called to serve in the David and Rebecca Cook house for 23 months. (oh, and Dave and Becky were called to serve in the Eastern Europe area for their mission.)

Musical House

Each of our children only asked for one gift for Christmas. Austin wanted a laptop, Kellie wanted a full size guitar, and Alexa wanted a drum set.

We found a guitar for Kellie, to which Austin said, “Wow, this is nice, I am a little jealous.” Not that he would ask for one, or had any expectation of getting a guitar; he just realized that Kellie had asked for an awesome gift. Grandma Cook found a great deal on a better guitar and bought if for Austin; we quickly exchanged Kellie’s for the better guitar. The guitars are just different enough that they can tell whose is whose. Kel has been a very good teacher for Austin and enjoys learning and teaching herself songs.

When Alexa asked for drums, I (Cynthia) told her they were expensive and loud (I get frequent migraines). I asked if she wanted anything else instead, and she said, “Whatever I get will be fine.” We went drum shopping while I had a migraine, the salesman showed us the electric drums where the drummer would have to wear headphones and I was sold.

It is wonderful to hear guitars, the piano, the occasional violin, and even the tapping of the drums.

Note: with a combined effort Austin did get a netbook for school.