Monday, September 13, 2010

DANCE FESTIVAL....amazing






This past year Corey & I had the privilege to be dance instructors for the regional dance festival for our church. There were over 12oo youth ages 12-18 involved. We taught the 12-13 aged boys a dance to Eye of the Tiger for 6 month prior to the youth festival. For three days in June six stakes from all over the Vancouver Washington area & surrounding areas got together to PRACTICE some more and put on three performances. I will never forget how much fun it was and how much I felt the spirit.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Seattle Fun



I wanted to go to Seattle so I could go to this store called Creation Station. I had heard they had strange materials for cheap that you could use to make beads for girls camp. So I decided to get a hotel room and invited Kim & my mother-in-law around for the ride. We had a great trip. We visited the zoo & the Science Museum (while I went to the store) & ate at the Cheesecake Factory. My favorite part of the trip was when one of the bears went swimming and lunged at the glass.....we were so CLOSE to the bear, it was amazing!!!

Cream Puff Pie...a little of heaven on earth

Pie Crust & Filling Ingredients:

1 cup water

4 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

3 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanila pudding mix

1 cup flour

1 (12 ounce) container of Cool Whip

4 eggs

1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Frosting (for bottom of pie) Ingredients:

2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp hot water

DIRECTIONS:

CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat butter and water to boiling over medium-high heat. Add flour and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir until it forms a ball and pulls away from the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

3. Spread in bottom & up the sides of two 9 inch glass pie dishes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting:

1. While the crusts are cooling make the frosting. First, melt semi-sweet chocolate squares & butter in saucepan over low heat.

2. Stir in confectioners sugar & vanilla.

3. Stir in 3 Tbsp of hot water (I add one Tbsp at a time until I get the right consistency - sometimes that is only 2 Tbsp.)

4. Spread/pour the frosting on the bottom of each of the pie crusts.

Pie Filling & Topping:

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then add a small amount of milk and beat the cream cheese and milk. Keep adding small amounts of milk and beat in between until you have added all four cups.

2. Add pudding mixes and beat until thickened. Spread over both cooled pie crusts.

3. Top both pies with Cool Whip & then drizzle chocolate syrup over the top.

4. Keep refrigerated until you serve. You can make it the day before and it does not get soggy!

OK people this dessert is my new favorite. It is absolutely divine. It is easier than making cream puffs, but you get the satisfaction of having a homemade cream puff. I cound sit and eat a whole pie. Good news is you can do that and you still have another whole pie for "other" people.

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Max's Birthday Party

Back in June we traveled to Ridgefield, WA for my nephew's 1st birthday party. He is the cutie in the middle. As you can see the cupcakes were pretty popular with my kids!

Beach: Memorial Day











A few months ago the Maganas (my sister-in-laws family) & my little family rented a beach house at Rockaway Beach for Memorial Day weekend. It was a last minute thing & we really lucked out with a great beach house and lots of fun times.
We also traveled to Manzanita Beach (oh such a beautiful little town) & Cannon Beach for some seafood at Mo's (well I had a veggie burger, but it was yummy).