All the way home I'll be warm

You may have heard about the gigantic blizzard of doom that was to wreak havoc across Utah on November 23rd. Well, it sure did hit Logan. The wind a howlin' and the snow was a swirlin' for a solid four hours. We hunkered down, turned up the heater, ate some yummy dinner, wrapped up in a blanket and watched Home Alone.

Then ... after the snow stopped ... we ventured out to enjoy the magical beauty of this winter wonderland.

Our first view from the front door.
(Notice the edge sticking out into the doorway -- this blizzard was crazy!)

This is where we live.

As happy as a little boy on Christmas!

Cozy little cottage.

Frisbee in the snow = super fun.

The sweet and very aerodynamic (looking) Saturn.

Let it snow! Let it Snow! Let it snow!

A Reason to Celebrate

On Saturday (November 6th) we broke out the 1 and 0 candles for another milestone celebration: 10 weeks of wedded bliss. And we needed something to put the candles into, so I whipped up a batch of my new favorite breakfast/dessert/mid-day snack.

Here's the recipe for the deliciousness:

Apple Lemon Oat Muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups unsifted flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (about 1 medium) finely chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Lemon Icing

Preheat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, beat egg; stir in milk, oil then lemon juice. Add oats; mix well. In a separate bowl sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to oat mixture with apples and nuts. Mix only until moistened (batter will be thick). Spoon batter into greased or paper baking cup-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Spoon Lemon Icing over muffins. Remove from pan.

Lemon Icing: Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon melted butter. (Makes about 1/4 cup.)

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That night we continued the celebration by cheering on RSL in the second half of their first round playoff game. Unfortunately it was the end of the road for Real Salt Lake, but we enjoyed the evening and the atmosphere anyway. (Minus the beer-soaked purse and inhaled confetti compliments of the folks sitting right behind us.)

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

Tonight it's Tortilla Soup ... though it probably could be called Enchilada Soup because that's what it tastes like. Pure heaven. Try it yourself!

Camilla's Tortilla Soup
(with a couple minor additions/alterations by Kim and her mom, Peggy)

3 cans chicken broth (or ~4 cups H2O + 2 chicken bouillon cubes if that's what you have, like me)
2 cans cream o' chicken soup
1 med. onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large pepper, chopped (we prefer red bell pepper, but green works, too)
3-4 chicken breasts (we had tenders, and 4 of those is plenty)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2-3/4 cup uncooked rice
pepper, garlic powder and cumin, to taste

Boil the chicken. Remove from water and shred. Saute onion, pepper and celery (and season with a couple shakes of garlic powder) till barely crisp. Mix broth and soup in a large pan. Heat till boiling. Add onions, peppers, celery, chicken, rice and salsa. Add pepper and cumin to taste. Simmer until rice is cooked (or until your dishy husband gets home from class ... whichever comes last ;). Serve with avocado slices, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a handful of crushed tortilla chips. But it's even really awesome all by itself. Dig in!