Happy Easter!

Before talking about our pagan holiday traditions, I should say that we had a lovely Easter with wonderful talks and lessons about the real reason we celebrate Easter, which is Christ and His resurrection! We are both so grateful that Christ suffered through everything He did so that we have His Atonement so that we can repent of our sins, be forgiven, and then one day be resurrected and be reunited with our body, each other, and our family whom we are sealed to!

Now to the candy/egg/food part of our Easter!

I must give you a little background first. Our good friends Jordan and Kelsey are in between apartments right now, so they are staying with us! It's been way fun and honestly they could stay to the end of the week and it'd be great! But they leave us tomorrow...

Anyways, after church, we decorated Easter eggs! Jordan and Kelsey made some pretty cool designs with lines and tape and things, while Jed and I simply made cool colors, which we decided were some of the planets. Once that was decided, Jupiter needed its spot, Mars needed a rocket, and Earth needed some flowers and things (the decorating kit came with stickers).







Then, we had an Easter egg hunt! Two, actually. First, we girls hid the eggs for the boys to find, and then the boys hid the eggs for the girls to find. We girls were too easy on the boys, and so they won the hunt (by finding the eggs much faster than the girls...). Granted, we only hid the eggs in the living room, and the boys hid them all over our apartment. It was quite the adventure! The boys still think we lost an egg and will find it when we move out, but I (who bought all the plastic eggs) think they just miscounted :)



The victors...



And then, before dinner at my Grandma Grace's house with (my step-dad) Tony's side of the family, I had to make the cupcakes I promised! On Saturday the cupcakes were baked, so all that was left was the decorating. Luckily, I had two wonderful assistants to help me, Jordan and Kelsey. Jordan and Kelsey decorated the rabbit cupcakes and I did the many grass cupcakes. In the end, I think they turned out super super cute!

Miss Amy Brugger's Bridal Shower

Saturday I hosted my old roommate Amy's bridal shower! Kyli was originally going to plan and I was going to help, but sadly she wasn't able to because she was going to be out of town, but she was so kind to let us use her cute house! Natalie also helped.

So it was the first one I've ever hosted, and as many of you know, I am a perfectionist. So I knew what I thought would be the perfect bridal shower, and so that's what I wanted to do for Amy! Consequently, sleep was a little lacking because I had a lot to prepare for the shower (and Jed's birthday).

First of all, the food. We had Ravioli with Pinenut Sage Sauce, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Caprese Salad. For a drink we had cider, and for dessert we had cream cheese brownies and Monarch Butterfly Cupcakes. I will post the recipes in a separate blog post because I think they are all fantastic recipes.

So here was the spread:



I must confess I was most proud of my cupcakes, and I think everyone was impressed with them. They are from my cupcake book "Hello, Cupcake" and if anyone wants to make them, I am happy to let you borrow my book and to help!









So first we ate the delicious food, then we played games! First we played jaw breaker, a game where Amy had to answer questions about her fiance Brandon, and for every one she got wrong, she had to put a piece of gum in her mouth. We had a lot of questions, and a lot of hard ones, and so by the end she had quite the wad of gum...

Seriously, who looks this good with that much gum in your mouth??





Then we played a candy matching game, like concentration or memory. You match a word or phrase that has to do with weddings (The Bride, The Wedding Gifts, The Reception, etc.) with a candy bar (Hot Tamale, Mounds, 100 Grand, respectively).



In case you want to play this game, or just want to see the selection, here it is:

Bridal Shower Game – Candy Concentration

Match the following:

The Bride & Groom - Sweet Tarts
The Bride - Hot Tamale
The Groom – Big Hunk or Mr. Goodbar or Mr. Big
Bridesmaids - Airheads
Groomsmen - 3 Musketeers
Flower Girl & Ring Bearer - Runts
First Date Interactions - Butterfingers
Wedding Ring - Ring Pop
The Reception - 100 Grand
Reception Glass Clinks - Kisses
Reception Departure - Fast Break
Bachelor Party Pranks - Twix
The In-Laws - Nerds
The Parents - Lifesavers
Wedding Gifts - Mounds
1st Wedding Dance - Symphony
Nine Months Later - Baby Ruth
The First Year - Rocky Road
Post-wedding Bank Account – Zero
Engagement Announcement – Good News
Wedding Dress – 5th Avenue
Wedding Ring Purchase Date – Pay Day
Father of the Bride – Sugar Daddy
Couple’s Dream Home Location – Park Avenue

And last she opened presents!!!





The freshman roommates (and Krista) all chipped in and got Amy a super fun present: A Panty Line! Basically, there is a poem (scroll down a little and there it is) and it talks about what panties you will wear throughout your life, and so we got her the panties that the poem dictated. It was a way fun idea and I highly recommend it! Oh and disclamer, Amy isn't really obsessed with underwear...

The bridesmaids have a secret to share
About our little bride
She is obsessed with underwear
And that we cannot hide

So for our special panty queen
We'll make her feel just fine
By working as a friendly team
To form a panty line.

Amy, these undies are to last you
All throughout your life
And Brandon will be pleased to say
He has a sexy wife!

So listen up to hear about
Your lifelong panty plan
These underwear, we have no doubt
Will last your whole life span


The first are for your wedding day
Of course they are pure white
We know Brandon will shout, "Hooray!"
When he sees you on that night

The next are for your honeymoon
They're sexy and all lace
We hope you'll leave your hotel room
'Cause Mexico's a gorgeous place!

On Valentine's you'll wear this pair
Before you hit the bed
Cuz Cupid's arrow in the air
Shoots tushies that are red

After a year has passed you'll face
Anniversary number one
With these you'll surely have a blast
'Cuz magenta's so much fun!

Then when the time is right for you
And don't be saying, "Maybe"
You'll wear your little pink or blue
In honor of your baby

And when your years of wedding bliss
Become the big 2-5
Don't worry - you'll just slip this on
To keep the sparks alive

When finally you're old and gray
With these you can't go wrong
'Cuz sorry, Amy, but at that age
You just can't wear a thong


(Amy's reaction to the granny panties)

So, I had a great time planning this and I think everyone, most importantly Amy, had a great time attending! I'm so glad we could have this fun time, and I can't wait for June when I get to celebrate the most important part of all, Amy and Brandon's wedding, being sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple!

Recipes from Amy's Shower

Ravioli with Pine nut Sage Sauce

1 pkg. frozen ravioli with cheese (Costco)
1 stick butter
1 clove minced garlic
1 c. pine nuts
1/2 - 3/4 c. fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. chicken broth
Grated parmesan cheese to taste

Cook ravioli in salted water as directed; drain. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat butter over medium until golden brown. Add garlic and nuts, saute for 2 minutes. Coarsely chop sage and add along with salt and broth. Cook for 1 minute more. Add ravioli, stirring to coat with sauce. Cook just to heat through. Place on serving platter and sprinkle with parmesan.



Spinach Artichoke Dip - I have to give the credit for this recipe to Keri Herrmann. It was the thing everyone loved most at the shower!

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
15 oz. can artichoke hearts
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. cream (or 1 c. sour cream)
1 1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 1/2 c. grated jack or mozarella cheese (save 1/2 c. for top)
1/4 c. diced onion
1/4 c. diced pepper (red is pretty)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash Tabasco sauce (or red pepper flakes or cayenne)

Combine and heat in the oven (heat around 375 or 400) and cover with foil so you don't brown it.

Caprese Salad

6 large vine-ripened tomatoes
2 bunches fresh basil (you will need about 40 leaves) thinly sliced
1 ½ to 2 lbs. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 ½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Places slices on a platter, alternating tomato, basil, and mozzarella slices. Place in fridge up to 8 hours. About one hour before, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

**I adapted this because I didn't want to buy fresh basil. I used grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls, and tossed it all in pesto.



Cider

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered with peel
2 quarts apple cider



World’s Greatest Cream Cheese Brownies

Filling:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ c. sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownie Batter:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Frosting:
1 c. sugar
5 Tbsp. usalted butter
1/3 c. milk
One 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

To make filling, put ingredients in a mixer and mix until smooth. Remove from the work bowl and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. To make batter, combine the butter, sugar and eggs a mixer and mix until smooth. Add the cocoa, mix, and then add the flour and mix until combined.

Spread half of the chocolate batter over the bottom of the prepared pan; dot with the cream cheese filling, then top with the remaining chocolate batter, and swirl the batter and filling with a spatula. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with some crumbs adhering to it, 35-40 minutes.

To make frosting, combine butter, sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate pieces until smooth. Pour over the warm brownies. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes and, while still warm, cut into twenty-four 2-in squares. Can refrigerate for up to two days—remove one hour before serving to bring it to room temp.

Jed had a birthday, shout hooray!

So, Friday (April 8th) was Jed's 23rd birthday! It was such a fun day. I love love love to do lots of surprises, so I had fun thinking up several things to do.



Thursday we were up late, so at midnight, I blindfolded him and drove him to Del Taco for a midnight run, something he used to do all the time with him roommates. Then we slept in very late... very late ha ha. Then we had lunch at P.F. Chang's, which he's never been to! My cousin Josh was our server, and so overall, it was a delicious and fun lunch. Then poor Jed had to work.

After work, we went to a party. Not for Jed, but for my Grandma's 80th birthday! I made potato salad, and because everyone loved, it, I am going to give you the recipe!

Tangy Dill Potato Salad

Ingredients:
3 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and
quartered (I used red potatoes)
1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mix with Italian dressing, and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, green onions, dill, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper. When the potatoes are cooled, stir into the bowl until coated. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to blend flavors before serving.

It was way good and I highly recommend it.

After the party, we went home and Jed opened presents!

This one was from me: a 50 minute professional massage and afterwards, dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries!



His parents gave him a great book, Supersonic Saints, and a really cool DVD set called Life, and his sister Haley gave him a funny present: six cans of chocolate frosting. She read my post a little while ago about how much Jed likes frosting, and decided to give him that. It was super funny. Jed also got two cards, one from his brother's family in England, and one via email from his other sister, which I thought was way cute!



The next day was my step-dad Tony's birthday. So my he, my mom, Jed, and I went out to Happy Sumo for dinner for sushi which was delicious! Then we went home for presents and cake. My family gave Jed a really cool Star Wars book that he had wanted and a huge rolling cooler!

So the cake. I had been planning this for weeks! I was so excited. My sister helped me decorate it, and I think it turned out great! The cake was an Xbox 360 and then I made a rice krispies Xbox controller that we also decorated with frosting.





And so ends all the birthday festivities for my husband. I hope he had a great birthday! I certainly enjoyed planning it!

General Conference Traditions Born!

I'm sure most of you knew that General Conference was a week ago, and most of you probably watched it.

In preparations for last weekend, Jed and I wanted to start some traditions we can have in our family. We decided on a couple of things. First, I would make Orange Pull-Aparts for breakfast. Jed's mom makes this for Christmas, but as I have my own mother's traditions of what we eat for Christmas that I would like to make, I thought this would be a great tradition to transfer over to General Conference--plus then Jed gets a special meal he loves TWICE a year rather than once :).

The other tradition is a rather silly one but we loved it! I read online that a great idea for children is to pretend you are like the people of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon and build a tent or fort that faces the TV, like how the people of King Benjamin had their tents facing the tower when he spoke to them. So we built a fort! I think it will be very fun for our future kids, but we also enjoyed it immensely!

Here it is on the outside...



And here is the inside!



We loved it, loved General Conference, and already can't wait for October to come so we can have it again!

Nine Years

Nine years ago today my dad passed away. It was spring break and for vacation we stayed at some random hotel that was close to downtown Indianapolis so that my mom could be near my dad and us. We had just gone swimming when my mom got the call from the hospital and then we all sat on the bed and cried. I think the saddest part of it was hearing my brother Daniel cry. Poor guy was only seven.

Some of you may wonder how my dad died. In June of 2000, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. He was treated, went into remission, and then a while later it came back in his spinal fluid. For this, he had to get a bone marrow transplant. So he did, thanks to my Uncle Chris, and then he just had to wait to recover. It was a hard time for him, and in February of 2002, he was taken to the hospital because he was turning blue, which as we found out was because he had a fungal infection in his lungs. He was in the hospital all of February and March, and at the beginning of April, the doctor told us that the fungal infection moved to his brain and no one had ever lived from that. So, a few days later, he passed away. We had a funeral in Indiana and then one in Orem, UT where is buried.

It's crazy that it's been nine years since he died. I'm nervous for year twelve in 2014, because that means that I've been alive longer without my dad than with. My poor brothers have already hit that mark or are hitting it this year. It's still sad to think of this in detail, but I can't tell you what good things came from it. I gained a huge testimony on prayer, priesthood blessings, and the fact that families sealed in the temple are forever and will see each other again. It's a comforting thought, and I know it's true. We moved to Utah because of it and I made some great friends in high school that I hope to visit often, even when we're old and gray. I definitely feel like the move helped me come out of my shell and gain the friendly personality I have. I can't tell you how many papers I had to write about "a trying experience in your life" or a "time when you lost a loved one" or "a time that helped you grow." Ha ha, but seriously, I learned a lot about myself, my mother, my family, and my Heavenly Father through this experience, and while I would love to still have my dad here with my on earth, I know that it was for so many good reasons that he went back to our Father in Heaven. Those who knew my dad knew it was his time, he was such a great man, and God needed his help in Heaven. We needed to learn things from that experience. Now that I have had a loved one die, I can comfort a lot of people who lose their own loved ones, and I am grateful for that.

Well, I didn't expect to cry today, but I wanted to share that with everyone. I think it's extremely important to share my testimony that families can be together forever, because I know that is true.

Have a great day! I love you, Dad!

(Stephen Wesley Morgan, 1961-2002)

A lovely night

Tonight Jed and I had a really awesome night. We went for a walk because it was 60 degrees outside (!) and then we laid on our couch that's on our balcony and talked. It was so great. I honestly wanted to stay there all night and sleep there. What a great husband I have! We've been married for almost 11 months and known each other for almost exactly 1 1/2 years. We talked about how it seems like forever, we just know each other so well... I just love that man so much! We can't wait for summer so we can have more nights like this!