Our week in pictures.
Lily turned into a Hillbilly.
Mind you, aside from the pain she was experiencing, all I could think when I saw her was, "She has portraits this week!"
I went ahead and did the portraits with the photographer(s) because it is, what it is. Deadlines are fast approaching. Christmas cards.
We'll always remember this as the year when Lily resembled a Hillbilly. Poor thing. Dentist appointment is scheduled for the Monday after Thanksgiving.
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| Today's prognosis: All is healing well. |
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Wednesday, after my cycle camp class, Lily and I went on a walk through the town of Holladay. Holladay is a quaint little town right between the gym and our home. It has some really cute shops that I have been wanting to peruse for the past few months, so I finally did just that! Window shopped. ...And maybe a little more than that. At least I didn't BUY the window...
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| We went on a mommy-daughter date for fro-yo. |
During our "perusing", we took a break at the local yogurt shop. It ended up being the most DIVINE tasting yogurt. That, or we were both starving.
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| I had maybe 3 bites, and then she confiscated it for good. **************** 
My sweet momma in the hospital.
My mom had knee surgery on Thursday. Lily and I went to go visit her at the hospital. I had to cut my mom's head out of the photo or she would have cut me out of the will.
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Later that day, Lily and my friend Tonia's little girl, Clementine, had their portraits taken with Santa.
How cute is Santa for getting on all fours to get the children to warm up to him first?
I blurred out the children, because they're not mine and this isn't a blog about them.
Oh, and Santa took a break from portraits and came over and had lunch with me and Tonia. Why I didn't get a picture of Santa eating lunch with us, I'll never know? If I had, I would have written a whole post about my date with Santa. I would have cut Tonia out of it completely. (wink.)
In the course of the conversation Tonia asked Santa, "Soooo, is your mustache really that curly?" Santa replied, "No, my wife curls it with a curling iron and she also curls my beard under so that it's all nice and neat." It was. I loved that moment and only wished that more people would have been around to witness our funny conversation with Santa.
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Friday, Lily got her portraits done again (sans, Santa. Complete coincidence that they were scheduled within the same week). Oh, and I got my hair "did." (I went darker. I miss lighter. I didn't recognize myself in the mirror this morning. I'll learn to enjoy it.) Since my sitter was laid up in a hospital bed, I had to take Lily with me. I hate taking Lily to the salon, because it is my time to fall asleep while my stylist works her magic.
Lily was her usual self, a peach! Even though my appointment was at the same time as her nap time, she wanted nothing to do with it. There was too much hustle and bustle in the salon for her to miss a thing! And she didn't...
Lily entertaining me while I'm under the dryer.
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Today, Martin was out skinning in the back country around Alta and Snowbird with some friends. Skinning is basically skis with velcro on the bottom. They help the skier climb up a mountain with more ease rather than regular skis. Who would want to do that? Bleh.
Martin needed a ride home, so Lily and I went up to Alta ski resort and waited for Martin to come off the mountain.
Being up in the canyon, I was reminded of how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful state. I wish I would have gone up earlier and partaken in such lovely snow. It was a perfect day.
Lily and I shared some hot chocolate while we waited for Martin to show up at the lodge.
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Where we waited, and waited and waited.
Finally, we just started taking pictures.
Finally, we just started taking pictures.
How come Hot Chocolate at a ski lodge tastes
10 times better than when I make it?
Bonus. I ran into an old friend while waiting for Martin to get down from wherever he was. I love seeing old friends.
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8). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to mixture.
9). Add 1/2 teaspoon zest from one orange (optional) or more to taste. I didn't have an orange today when I was making this dish, so I just left this step out of the recipe. It's still just as delicious.
Preparation:
Puncture then bake whole sweet potatoes in their skin in a 350-degree oven until tender, approximately 45-50 minutes (or longer if the sweet potatoes are especially large).
When done, peel and put potatoes in a bowl, add butter, brown sugar, pineapples, cinnamon and nutmeg mixture and mash with electric mixer or potato masher. Add salt and orange zest. Blend well.
Crust:
Bonus. I ran into an old friend while waiting for Martin to get down from wherever he was. I love seeing old friends.
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BEST.RECIPE.EVER.ALERT!
Now for what you have been waiting for, even though you didn't know you were. Let's talk Thanksgiving. Aside from Christmas, Thanksgiving ranks right up there for being my favorite holiday. I love everything about it. It's the precursor to a month of fun and activities and LOTS of food. Who couldn't agree more?
I thought as an early present, I would post my favorite (and my family's favorite) Thanksgiving side dish. See's Candies Scotch Kisses and Sweet Potatoes (or you can substitute it with Yams. Both work for this recipe.)
If you want to blow the socks off your guests, or say you've been asked to bring a side dish, bring this! It is the one everyone will talk about for months. I promise.
(Serves 10)
Preparation:
50 minutes to cook Sweet Potatoes in their skins
10 minutes to prepare ingredients
5 minutes to prepare crust
10 minutes for crust to bake
20-25 minutes to bake the entire dish with all ingredients
Ingredients:
16 See’s Scotch Kisses
3-4 large sweet potatoes (approximately 4 cups mashed)
1/2 stick of butter at room temperature
1/2-3/4 cups brown sugar (sometimes I add more.)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Crushed Pineapple
Pinch of Salt
1). Prepare your sweet potatoes by poking them with baking nail or just cut slits all around the potato. Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
2). Once the potatoes are cooked, remove skin and mash with potato masher or puree 3 of the 4 potatoes.
3). With remaining sweet potato, cut up into small chunks.
4). Add chunks into mashed sweet potatoes (I like a little texture, that is why I add the chunks. If you like them all mashed, then by all means, do it!)
5). Cut half of the stick of butter into small slices and mix with brown sugar, then add to sweet potatoes.
6). Add 1 (16 oz) or 3/4 cup of crushed pineapples (with juice) to mixture. Mix well. (I buy dole crushed pineapples in the can.)
7). Add 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg and mix into butter/brown sugar/crushed pineapple/pureed sweet potatoes mixture and mix well.
8). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to mixture.
9). Add 1/2 teaspoon zest from one orange (optional) or more to taste. I didn't have an orange today when I was making this dish, so I just left this step out of the recipe. It's still just as delicious.
Preparation:
Puncture then bake whole sweet potatoes in their skin in a 350-degree oven until tender, approximately 45-50 minutes (or longer if the sweet potatoes are especially large).
When done, peel and put potatoes in a bowl, add butter, brown sugar, pineapples, cinnamon and nutmeg mixture and mash with electric mixer or potato masher. Add salt and orange zest. Blend well.
Crust:
I kind of eyeball this, but here is what I came up with.
1). 1.5 cups of Bisquick
2). 1/2 cup of brown sugar
3). Add remaining 1/2 stick of butter (melted)
4). Fold mixture until it becomes doughy (you may need to add a little more melted butter).
5). Press mixture into the bottom of a 9X 9 prepared (greased) dish and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Once crust is ready and cooked, spread the mashed sweet potato mixture over the baked crust dish. Unwrap Scotch Kisses, and line them on top of the casserole. Bake in oven until warm and Scotch Kisses are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Step-by-step Instructions:
1). 1.5 cups of Bisquick
2). 1/2 cup of brown sugar
3). Add remaining 1/2 stick of butter (melted)
4). Fold mixture until it becomes doughy (you may need to add a little more melted butter).
5). Press mixture into the bottom of a 9X 9 prepared (greased) dish and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Once crust is ready and cooked, spread the mashed sweet potato mixture over the baked crust dish. Unwrap Scotch Kisses, and line them on top of the casserole. Bake in oven until warm and Scotch Kisses are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Step-by-step Instructions:
Be prepared to be the most popular person
in the room after you serve this.
Bon Appetit!
in the room after you serve this.
Bon Appetit!
