Blue Moon....?

       The beach made for a perfect viewing of the blue moon tonight. The sky was crystal clear and the moon was huge and full. It was so bright white that it truly did give off a blue hue around it that reflected back towards the moon, as if to make it look like it was sort of blue in color.
       A blue moon can refer to either the third full moon in a season with four full moons, or the second full moon in a month, which is what is happening today. A great send off to Neil Armstrong, who truly was "Once in a blue moon guy" to be the first man to walk on the moon. Today is the private service and funeral for Armstrong, who passed away last Saturday in Ohio.

Why I Scrapbook.... SC#1

Tonight, I signed up for 24 free scrapbook classes at scrapbook.com, just to see what they were all about and to use them as a jump start for me to get back into the swing of scraping again. The first lesson was all about why we scrap and how to get started and it got we thinking about all the scrapbook pages that I have put together over the past 35 years. I also started thinking about all the genealogy and family history stories and information that I have collected over the past 35 years.
        After a very successful catering /wedding job this weekend, I feel very blessed to know that the long lasting elements of these events are the way we preserve the dates and activities of these events. I started thinking about where I would be today, had it not been for a very courageous man, many many years ago, finishing, sealing up and preserving the history of his people.
       One of my favorite stories in the "Book of Mormon", is the story of Moroni, "a righteous and skilled military commander, who became so angry with Amalickiah's dissention and wicked influence that he rent his coat and wrote upon it, In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children. With these words, he rallied his people to defend their families and their freedom, chasing the armies of Amalickiah away in the process". I also love the council and promises he gives to all of us in the last chapter (Moroni 10).
       I am totally convinced that a big part of myself and my heritage, is what it is today, because of great men and women in my life that have been willing to write, keep records and preserve the stories of my ancestors. This reason and many others are why I continue to scrapbook today... :)

Davis Wedding

Centerpieces

Yummy.... Cakes!

We had a very wonderful and successful evening. It was our first official catering event here in Myrtle Beach and it went off without a flaw. We made all the food for the buffett, we provided the dividing wall and extra touches. The beautiful flowers were put together by  "Flowers on Broadway".
We were so excited and very pleased with the turnout and the outcome. Thank you to the Davis Family for giving us this opportunity to shine!

Groom's Parents

Chicken Salad filled Cream Puffs

Close up!

The Happy Couple!

Peach Wedding Punch

Room before Flowers

Great time had by all....

End of evening wrap up... Words of wisdom from the Pro! :)

Bucket List?

Okay, How many of you actually have a bucket list?

 I have to laugh when we talk about bucket lists... It reminds me of a couple of my favorite cartoon characters, Rocky & Bullwinkle. All Bullwinkle ever wanted to do was have Rocky "Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat". If life could only be that simple...

I don't have a bucket list (per say), but there are a few things in my life I have always dreamed of doing, someday, before I die. Some of those things I have already enjoyed and have checked off my mental list and others are still in the back of my mind. Some things on my list are at this point will never be accomplished, because several years ago, I discovered the true meaning on FREE AGENCY and the element of surprise, when it comes to other people (KIDS) involved in your personal space. Yes, some of my boys have not helped to accomplish a few things on my list... Am I mad? NO! disappointed? maybe a little... but I am very proud of my boys and their accomplishments.

So to truly define a bucket list... Urban Dictionary states:  "A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die. The term comes from the saying 'kick the bucket'".  I loved the movie and have thought about my list several times since then. My life has been full of many unexpected surprises from the very beginning and I feel like I have been very blessed through out the years.

Today, I decided that I would maybe try and put together my bucket list... (keep in mind some of these things have already been accomplished.

1. Learn how to swim in deep water


2. Compete as a barrel racer


3. Work in the medical field


4. Graduate from College


5. Get Married in the Temple


6. Have a Family


7. Buy a Home


8. Own my own catering business


          9. Trace all my family lines back to Adam


10. Become a certified chef


11. Have my own Restaurant


12. Visit New York City


13. See Plymouth Rock


14. Live at the beach


15. Go on a Cruise


          16. Publish my own book


          17. See the Swiss Alps


18. See a real mummy


         19. Tour the Ancient Mayan Temples


         20. Go to Greece


         21. Run a Marathon


         22. Drive a rally fast car on the track (like NASCAR)


23. Have good friends


         24. See my Kids married


         25. Go on a mission for the church


So... does that mean that because I am almost done with my list that I am almost dead?

"Wheels of Destruction" Date Night

         Date night this week was a big surprise for me... Nate, a friend of ours, is a member of the Drifting Team out a the Myrtle Beach Speedway. And he had invited us to watch him perform as part of the "Wheels of Destruction" show that they have on Wednesday nights out at the speedway. We had so much fun... Drifting, Monster Truck, Freestyle Auto tricks, Motorcycle Air jumping and tricks, and I think Marty's favorite part was the School Bus races.

"Tuesday's with Dorie"... Popovers

I am so excited to get back into the swing of things with the "Tuesday's with Dorie" Group. I have been out of the loop since the group changed books and website formats. I seem to have got lost in the shuffle, but I am so glad to be back... I have missed cooking and chatting with everyone.  So to Celebrate, I think that it was only fitting that I "POPOVER" to the new way of doing things.... :)

My family loves popovers and I remember watching my mother make them a few times. I remember getting a new stove when I was younger and this new stove had a light in the oven, I remember sitting very patiently waiting and watching for the Pops to popover. We had to set quiet, gentle and very still.... lol, hard to do for small ones, but it was always a big hit when they started to flip.

 Many say that popovers are just the Americanized version of  "Yorkshire pudding", but for us at the Pantry, we love ours served with butter and warm maple syrup or filled with fresh blueberries and cream...

Next Eight Weeks,,,

My next personal eight week session of biggest loser started today... My run this morning was great, but I need to come up with a goal for the finish line.

Starting totals:

Weight ----- 225 
Arm ---- 15 inches
Wrist ---- 7 inches
Chest ---- 44 inches
Waist --- 40 inches
Hips --- 50 inches
Thigh ---- 27 inches
Ankle ---- 10 inches



With Brady's Wedding coming up at the end of October and my over whelming desire for some new clothes, I think this round may turn out to be a little more successful than the last one.

Tribute to Julia...

       One of my biggest cooking heroes, next to my mother and my grandmother, is Julia Child. She would have been 100 today.  She is recognized for bringing fine and fancy French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I have spent many hours pouring over her recipes, trying, tasting and tweaking to fit the needs and likes of my family. I love to watch her in the kitchen, her programs always made it look so simple.

   The two main things I learned from Julia was... 1. Never underestimate the power of a good sharp knife and 2. if at first you don't like the way it tastes, try again!. Which was the case with my "Beef Bourguignon". We are not a wine drinking family, so many substitutions were made and tried before I just finally came up with a very tasty version. I have tried many of her awesome recipes over the years and many of them are still the ones I fall back on if I need a good dish for a party. One of my favorite quotes from her is very simple, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”  I cannot begin to tell you the number of times we have tried a recipe and like it, but after making a few unpredictable changes we ended up loving the dish even more.


        Another Quote I often use, especially as I have focused on my weight loss and biggest loser challenges, “The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.”  I have learned alot and hope to continue to do so. She has helped to bring meaning and passion into something that I love so dearly and that is "the art of making people smile through my food!" So HATS of to Juila! You will always be with me at my table... :).

High On The Mountain Top...

"High on the Mountain Top a banner is unfurled," a line from one of my favorite hymns. The banner it refers to is the gospel of Jesus Christ and we have the opportunity as missionaries to share that gospel. Our lesson in Relief Society was all about "Advancing the work of the lord", Chapter 15 in our George Albert Smith Manuals. So, whether in the tops of the mountains or the bottom of the sea, I know that I am a "Child of God" and he loves me!

And I am very thankful for his hand in my life everyday... The picture below is of  Circleville Mountain, where I spend  time as a kid. I was recently asked if I ever miss the mountains and yes, I do, once in awhile. I miss my family too... But my vacation on the beach, is for me. I love living out in the missionary field. 

Still got my Touch!

Cream Puffs... the world's most temperamental pastry next to meringue and divinity candy! But I made then today and they turned out perfect. :) I haven't attempted them here in South Carolina yet, because of all the humidity. But I was sweetly surprised and the chicken salad filling was to die for... I wish all of you could have been here to try them.

You can find the recipes to both the cram puffs and the Chicken Salad Filling on my Food Blog at...

THE PANTRY LIFE

Beacon from Afar...

Today is National Lighthouse Day, it seems so fitting here at the beach that it would be rainy and foggy. Makes me stop and think about all the lives that have been saved by the beacon from afar... Much the same as the testimony I have of my Heavenly Father and the light from afar that he send my way everyday.

Journaling on...

     You know... after I posted yesterday I got thinking about some of the reasons why I actually started this blog, because I have two other blogs that service my crafty/food needs and then the family/genealogy blog that I post stuff on, so I really didn't need another blog to mess with. But I wanted a blog to keep track of my biggest loser/marathon adventures on, probably more or less, so that my kids could understand why I was being "SO STUPID" just in case it really did kill me.
       The big race came and went and I didn't end up running, feeling like I let everyone down, I didn't post anything for awhile. Then in April, I felt the heavy urge to share my "Afternoon Tea" story and a couple of days later another strong urge to post and then another and so on.   
       Now I have discovered, after reading back over some of my posts, that this blog has become more of a journal for me. Which, by the way, has not been one of my stronger lots in life. So, I have decided that I am going to keep this blog going... Some days my post may not make a lot of sense and some days they will probably seem like ramblings, but the truth of the matter is that everything I post it true and from my heart. And mostly for my kids, since they all like to read and they don't like my "Long Stories (Lectures)". They, and all of you, are welcome to read any of my posts at your leisure.

Where has the summer gone?

I can't believe that it is August 1st already. Where has the summer gone? Today I feel like a giant blob!! I have eaten so much bad food energies since I have returned from Utah. And I know my weight is starting to creep back up there. So, I think it is time to pull out the tape and do a little preventive measuring....

Where am I today?

Arm ---- 15 inches
Wrist ---- 7 inches
Chest ---- 44 inches
Waist --- 40 inches
Hips --- 50 inches
Thigh ---- 27 inches
Ankle ---- 10 inches


WOW... some very interesting data. I am down more in some areas than I thought and not so much in others. In fact my chest area has gone up 4 inches, while my waist has went down 6. I am excited because over all, I have went from a 1XL/XL to a solid Large and my pants have went from 20/22 to a comfortable 16/18. (this data is compared to where I started three years ago, same time)

<<<<<< YEAH ME >>>>>>