Tropical Chicken with grilled sweet potatoes

This is my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes!

I found this ww recipe in my cookbook, I think I printed it but never ended up making it for some reason.

In a bowl wisk together

6 Tbsp lime juice, 3 Tbsp fresh minced ginger root, 6 Tbsp apricot preserves, 6 Tbsp soy sauce. (I used lemon juice, ground ginger, and s/f blackberry preserves... because that's what I had in the cupboard... and it turned out purple, but oh so yummy).

Grill (I broiled in the oven) 2 large sweet potatoes scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds; brushed with marinade until tender (about 4-5 min on each side).

Marinade 1 lb. chicken breast in sauce 1 hour-up to 24hours in the fridge and grill (I just brushed over chicken and cooked on the stove, still really good... but marinating would be better).

Serve with brown rice - I have been trying out new kinds of brown and whole grain rice (I just get a 1/2 to 1 cup in the bulk at Winco until I am sure it is something I will like)... basmati is one of my new favorites. It's been fun to change it up a little, and they all have different flavors and textures.

Banana Bread...

I love banana bread, but when I make it at my house my boys only eat a piece and then I end up eating the rest to keep it from going to waste.

Amber shared some on our ride up to camp last week, and I fell in love with this recipe and decided to try it on my boys.

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I made a loaf yesterday and it was gone before 10am this morning. I think the streusel topping makes it extra yummy.

Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle streusel topping over batter.

3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (mine was fine slicing still warm with a bread knife, I can't imagine this recipe making it overnight in my house).

He's back...

Jacob made it home from Helaman Camp... with not one picture on his camera. He said it was way to spiritual and not enough time to take pictures. They were up early and going strong until lights out.

And all his stuff made it back too... I just thought we were caught up on laundry! NOT!

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I am excited for Sunday, he was asked to share how his testimony was strengthened at camp.

Your mess or mine....

I have been pretty busy this week while Jacob has been at Helaman Camp... busy has been good; but it is so quiet around here without him, I couldn't help but miss him... terribly!!!

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But I knew I wouldn't miss his messes he makes all over the house. I am constantly finding his shoes piled up by the door, and golf tees and just random stuff all the time, I just thought he was the one making the house a mess all the time. Until I took a look around today and realized the house was a disaster and he has been gone all week, and Jim has been at work all day, Darn... all the messiness this week had to be me. I just hate it when that happens.

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So as I was dusting the book shelf...

Behind every thing...

I kept finding dog toys....

Inside every bowl... more toys.

When we play with this little girl, the only way to get her to stop is to hide the toy when your done. It is annoying at the moment... but when I looked down and she was looking up at me with those big ol' eyes... it was just so darn cute.

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I can't wait for Jacob to get home... I haven't washed a golf tee all week; and I miss him.

Pre girls camp...

Today we got to head up to the girls camp site in the mountains and scout out things to make sure our plans and our facility were all gelling and there would be no surprises or last minute changes at camp.

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It was fun to see our High Council rep with his wife, and NOT wearing a suit for a change. We laughed and shared stories with each other on the ride up.

Checked out some important things for our planning.

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There is another stake there this week, but the girls were on their hikes... so camp was pretty quiet (with the few exceptional leaders found exhausted in their tents that didn't have to go on the hike; and the cooks whipping up lunch for the hungry hikers when they returned).

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Before we left camp to return home, they were tending to a leader who had broken her leg on the hike and they had to go pick her up from the trail on a 4-wheeler... yikes! I will have to admit that sent bad vibes all up and down my spine!!! I really could have gone all month without knowing that, I am already nervous about the hikes, it is pretty steep terrain, and I am biting my fingernails about getting in good shape as NOT to be one of their victims to test the girls and ensure they learned all their first aid certification prior to camp. I totally don't want to be the live "recessa Annie" doll they talk about for years and years to come at camp this year.

I really don't want that to be my legacy.

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Other than that, it was a fun trip and they were very nice to us allowing us to peak around their camp and sharing their fun camp stories and experiences they were having all week so far.

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I am really excited, and can't wait to have my own fun, NON LEG BREAKING experiences at camp in July.

A good time was had by all!

Taylor Road Show...

It hit me last night that our dog is actually named for the "Taylor Guitar"... maybe I knew it, but I had forgotten. My husband took me out for a date night... at the local music shop... I wonder how many guitar window shopping dates have I been on with him over the past 18 years?

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A couple of months back the local music store guru began to prep my strong silent mysterious man for an upcoming Taylor Road Show... they were getting in some custom, one of a kind guitars for the show and since he owns a couple of Taylors and loves them, they wanted to make sure he was going to be there for this big night.

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One night we stopped in to visit them, and they gave him a sneak peak on one of the guitars going to be in the road show... it is a solid body, made from a walnut burl, from a tree that was bought from a family in Northern California, custom made by Bob Taylor himself. When they pulled it out of the case, I actually cried. Yes, real tears... I have never seen anything so perfect for my husband EVER. It was just HIM!! This piece of wood is magnificient, and it looked just like something he would make. Of course he doesn't really need another guitar, but it would be cool for the collection! Even I would agree on that.

So we went over for a preview before the show.

There were some beautiful guitars.


And there it was in the back... the walnut burl solid body... so sweet, and I got tears again. Mostly because I have never felt like my husband needed a guitar before, and when I finally connect with one, and think he just has to have it... there is no way I can even justify buying it for him. So sad.

We learned some neat things about different kinds of exotic wood and all about the Taylor guitars.. it was a pretty cool show. Even for someone like me who doesn't play.

We had heard word of a surprise for a local kid who is a musician we know. Jacob played baseball with him for a few years. He is a year older, but his Dad coached one year, and they are a very nice family. He was drooling over this one guitar before the show...

And towards the end of the show, they pulled him out of the audience to come up and demo the same guitar.

As he jammed in front of the crowd, the guy from Taylor asks him how it feels... and he just grins.... then they tell him, well I hope you really like it because it's yours!

Happy Graduation!

I think his Dad was about to explode with joy! His parents were so cute... they had picked out this guitar for him weeks in advance. The kid had never seen it before. And of all the guitars in the show... this was the one he picked up and was drooling over before the show started. What cool parents.

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Jim was pretty jealous... but we were so happy for this kid. He is really a great kid, very humble and works hard. He totally deserves this sweet guitar.

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It made for a really happy date night out. Even though it was all about Jim! He has been working so hard lately, so I guess I can give in to a guitar night out once in a while. I am really proud of him for enduring the night and not trying to talk me into buying one for him.

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Something kind of cute though... on the way home, he did look over at me and say "I know that walnut burl wasn't very practical, but if I would have REALLY wanted it, you love me you would have said yes, right?"

He is so adorable, I love him!!

Lavendar...

My Mom bought me this lavender plant when she was here visiting last year.

I thought it had died over the winter, it looked terrible and a dusty shade of green... but apparently that is how it was supposed to look, because it has been growing like crazy since spring. And so far this is one of my plants that the dogs are nibbling on.

I think it might be just about to bloom, I am so excited!

Helaman Camp...

I have been on a little bit of a roller coaster the past couple of days. The teenager left for a week at Helaman Camp today. Yesterday early in the day my thoughts were... "why are they not leaving until Noon on Monday" (I really wanted him gone early in the morning, I needed him gone... asap! I was definitely ready for camp to begin).

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Sunday afternoon, as we wrote parents letters to be delivered during their week at camp. Reflecting once again on this amazing kid and all the blessings he has brought into my life. I was beginning to feel like a week at camp would be a long time to have him gone, missing him already. Then all morning, I was torn, not wanting him to leave, but so excited for all he would experience this week. And really hoping he will share it with me when he gets home.

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Finally he was gone... I thought I was ready for the week ahead, but when I got home from dropping him off... I was lost. Not sure what to do first, or next. In a downward spiral, I called a friend who's last son at home was also gone for the week to camp; hoping she would inspire me to greater heights.

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She had turned me onto a "couch potato to 5k" program designed to help me learn to run intervals and build up to running a 5k. She asked if I had done my program this morning... of course I was in a funk and had only walked by my running shoes... avoiding the issue. So we went and did our run together, she is on week 5, and I was just moving up to week 3. So it was hard to get out and do it. But it totally helped me look at things from a new light, we would take turns running our own program and on the walks we just walked back to each other. It poured down rain on us, we got drenched. But I felt so much better, that I did something and moved. She makes me laugh and is so fun and kind and always looks at things with a positive twist. I love being around her.

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So a downward spiral dodged and a new me, ready for a week without my teenager comes out of the ashes! I am so grateful for good friends and time alone to ponder and reflect without the daily responsibilities of my teenager. I will take some "me" time this week, and cherish the moments.

Happy Anniversary...

Saturday, while the teenager was busy working. laying a brick patio for a neighbor... we snuck off to have dinner together alone for our anniversary. Not that we don't love him, he just gets to go everywhere with us... and we were due for a night out alone.17 years! Wow, it seems like a really long time to say we have been married. It was fun to reminisce... of course most of our memories include the teenager. We even talked about some of the feelings and times we shared when he was first born. I shed some tears digging up feelings I hadn't thought about for a really really long time. I felt so inadequate as a new mother. My strong silent mysterious man always knew he wanted and loved childred, but that came much slower for me. I was so unsure and fearful. The first time I was alone with him in the hospital, I cried, so afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of him. My strong silent mysterious man really was my rock then, he was sure and certain and so confident in every way about having this baby in our lives. It was just so convincing, I knew it had to be right too. I eventually figured it out and I think we have done okay with the kid so far!

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It was fun to go to dinner, I laugh because I think I am finally in the classification of "frugal"... I would only go to the restaurant where I had a coupon for buy one, get one free dinner. Oh no! Good greif... I am, I am frugal!