Yummy Food!!

I really love to cook.

At first, I only focused on desserts (since that is what most people love in my opinion). But I have broadened my horizons and stepped out of my comfort zone lately and I can honestly tell you...

It feels great!

I'm use to baking - which means I measure the perfect amount of ingredients and play by the rules at all times to get my result. Deviating from the recipes always made me uneasy!

But thanks to Mike (who will eat and 'love' anything I make - eatable or not) I've really been committed to trying new flavors and dishes and it has really payed off!

One of the blogs that I love to follow is Two Peas & a Pot written by my friends Jana and Cindy. They always have great recipes that just hit the spot.

Like this one...

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The recipe is super simple and SO good - especially if you are craving Chinese Food!

They have such a great variety of recipes that keep my mouth watering!

My next dish I'm going to attempt to make from their archive is THIS.

Wish me luck!

Family & Memories....

This year has been a tough one. We lost two great women from the Armacost side of our family. My Aunt D.G. lost her battle with cancer recently and my Grandma just passed away this afternoon. Both women were great inspirations to me and possessed qualities that I strive for in my daily life.

With my Gram being 96 years old, we knew her time on this Earth was coming to an end. I was so grateful for the chance to sit by her side, tell her how much I love her and say goodbye for now.

A few of my favorite memories were finding her loose change with her metal detector in her back yard, helping her with crossword puzzles and trips to the San Diego Zoo.

She did such an amazing job raising her 5 girls and loving her 21 grandchildren.

D.G. was my mom's 2nd oldest sister and a prefect example of a loving, patient person. Each of my aunts have been a great influence in my life and it is so hard to see one of them pass away. Even though we were happy to see D.G. free from pain, we can definitely miss her sweet smile and warm laugh.

The great thing through all of this sadness, is the truth that we know Families are Forever. I'm sad that D.G. and Gram are no longer with us in this life, but I'm excited to reunite with them in the next. For now, we send our love to them and remember the happy memories.

To all my aunts (here and there), I love you!
To Gram, you were the best grandma ever! I love you forever and always.
And to my Mom, I love you "just a little bit more"!

Best way to describe how I felt this week...

But then I came home to this cutie...

...and I'm a happy camper again.


Have a good weekend everyone! xoxo

If I may say a few words...

This year has been a doozie so far! And yes, I know it is not over yet, but saying I've been overwhelmed is an understatement.

With that said, there is nothing better in this world (to me) than these last two days. I've still been overwhelmed, but let me shove those feelings aside and let you in on a little secret to my happiness.

I have a fabulous family. Plain and simple. Heavenly Father has completely blessed me with a great parents and a great husband. So, really...what is there is complain about? Sure there is chaos, but all of that seems to melt away when I get to plan a Girls Weekend with my mom, or spend time with Mike making Chicken & Shrimp Kabobs (they are cooking on the BBQ right now and smell amazing!), and have great, insightful talks with my Dad!

They really are the best team I could ever ask for.

So, it may not be glamorous, but it is what makes me happy!

Food's ready! See you next post!

About Last Night...

I was in the mood for cooking!

I've been wanting to expand my cooking resume for awhile now, but haven't found inspiration in this summer heat.

Thankfully, Mike set up a trio of fans in the kitchen yesterday so I wouldn't die from heat exhaustion and I rewarded him with the prefect summer dinner/dessert combo.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and...

Lemon Cream Pie

Both dishes were so light and flavorful...perfect for the hot summer nights we have here in Southern California!! Plus, my kitchen stayed pretty clean when making these dishes, so that is always a plus in my mind.

I owe all credit to Just Cook Already blog and the MADE blog since that is where I found the recipes.

You can find the recipe for the Enchiladas here and the recipe for the Lemon Cream Pie here.

Now, onto my next conquest...

I hope you all are staying cool this summer! xoxo

Updates & Desires

So this post will be a smorgasbord of thoughts and updates.

First, Mike finished his semester with 4 A's and one B+ in Advanced Physics. I married a hard-working genius! Mike has a little bit of a break before his next semester starts, but he will be filling his time manning the computer store while his boss in out of town. No rest for him...

I am thrilled to announce to the blogging world that Mike officially has 2 semesters left of school and then we graduate!!

I know, I know...I've already graduated from college (it will be 5 years in May! Eeek! Getting old!) but I really feel like I am back in school with the late night papers and prepping for final projects and exams! I might not be the one physically taking the tests, but I am right there with Mike emotionally-speaking. Plus, I get to be on the other side of this equation... paying the tuition! So I get a glimpse into what my parents went through for me!
Not that much fun.

For all of my followers who want to know the "Bottom Line" for this post...here it is.
I'm cutting to the chase...this means in February
(which just happens to coincide with our 3 year anniversary)
we will be starting fresh and moving out of our little bungalow in Lomita, CA.

Where will we go?

Good question...I have no idea!! And for me not to know where we will end up is torture! But I keep hearing my Dad's voice in my head repeating the words he told me when I was 12...
"Moving is an adventure...you can either face it and find the excitement or you can pout and moan and miss out on all the fun"

I choose fun!

So, I would love to hear what you all think...Where do you think we will end up? And for those who need a refresher course...Mike is graduating in Computer Engineering, so basically we can move anywhere.

My Mom & Dad are voting for San Francisco area. Mike's parents are voting for LA area. Adam & Marci are hoping we are East Coast bound and my BFF Holly is wishing for Northern California

(and I'm secretly hoping we can move to Italy and buy a villa and spend our days watching the sunset and riding bikes through the small town near us...)

Hey...a girl can dream! But in all seriousness, I am pulling for San Francisco area but in case that doesn't work out, I have to go on the record saying that I'm happy with whatever.

Now, since this post is labeled Updates & Desires...here is the desires section of my ranting - besides the Italy blurb...

When we get the luxury of no longer having to pay tuition, I've casually mentioned a few additions to Mike that I would LOVE to make as soon as our budget will allow. Take a look at these beautiful pieces from Pottery Barn...

I swoon over amazing furniture and perfectly designed rooms...

I love this bed frame with white curtains draped on either sides

I adore these sheets! And I've already received Mike's blessing since I thought they might be too girly for him. Shhh...don't tell him if they are, he hasn't seemed to notice yet!

Lastly, I love trunks!! I have one in my living room as we speak, acting as an end table for my Reading Chair. But this trunk is fabulous and it comes in 2 sizes...

Oh Pottery Barn...you are such a tease!

Well, some people may think I'm crazy...but these little gems will get me through the next 8 months of saving all my pennies for tuition!

And then saving more pennies to pay for the gems! Haha!!

My Mom...

My Mom is awesome!

She is the strongest person I know & she taught me to believe in myself and help me see that I can conquer any obstacle.

My mom is a genius. She helps people that can't help themselves and helps them find peace.

My Mom is my hero because her life is a perfect example of how I want to be.

So, I just have to say:

I love you Mom! Happy Mothers Day!

Thank you for dancing in the living room with me, for making me Minnie Mouse-shaped pancakes every Saturday morning, for singing me to sleep every night, for curling my hair Sunday mornings, for teaching me how to apply make-up, for standing on the rail during a horse show to coach me and calm me down, for hanging your heels with me on the stairs, for those little hand massages you give during Sacrament Meeting, for spending hours listening to me talk about nothing, for prompting me to bear my testimony, for teaching me to overcome my fears, for wiping away my tears, for understanding that my bratty teenager phase would end, for doing the silly dance with me when I knew Mike was the one, for helping me plan my wedding and a billion other little things you have done for me.

I love you!