For the love...

OF COOKING!!! ;)

I love to cook. I didn't realize just how much until recently! I love to make delicious dinners and amazing desserts. I love watching people eat the food that I prepared to see whether or not I should use that same recipe again.

I realized recently that I have been using the same old recipes over and over! Therefore, my goal this year is to try a different recipe each week. Luckily, now that I live with Drew and Erin I have people I can practice on!!! :)

I was talking with friends one night about our mothers and the conversation of what we ate as children came up. I would have to say that my mother was quite the cook! She's made sweet and sour chicken with homemade eggrolls! We had yummy breads and treats waiting for us when we got home. I still have cravings for her homemade hot pockets! If you had one of those - - you were a very, very good friend of ours. Normally, I wouldn't invite my friends over that night. No, not even joking!! :)

My friend Lindy also taught me the amazing ability to make a meal in small amounts of time. She can whip out a salad, main dish and dessert so fast my head would spin! I still can't make my blackened chicken the way she does! So, since I have had two great examples of cooks in my life - and too many more to name - I am hoping that some of their ability has rubbed off onto me!

So, here is to a year of cooking and trying new recipes! This week I made BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. I know that it is an easy recipe, but it was a new one for me! Also, I am going to make a vegetarian soup and tofu for Friday's dinner.

I LOVE TO COOK!!!

The Visitor...

One of my Best Friends, Calley McKee (soon to be Thompson) came for a visit after she attended a conference downtown. We had a lot of fun catching up, talking about wedding plans, running around and taking walks.

Calley let me try out the foam curlers in her hair to see if I could make her super straight hair curly! It was a ton of fun and I think I did a pretty good job.

We were trying to find something to do on Calley's last full day in the city and we realized she'd never been to Gettysburg! So, we grabbed the GPS and started out in the early afternoon.

I have been to Gettysburg a few times and always learn something new and interesting. I have always had an interest in a war that could split families and friends.

Here are some fun pictures from that day! Thanks Calley for coming to visit! :)

Celebrate Good TImes - Come On!!!

I finished a program that I was in and was starting work again, therefore, cause for celebration! Erin and Drew picked up a delicious cake and surprised me after dinner!



It was a fun night and showed just how much my family cares about me! :)
The cake was AMAZING! It was an icecream cake with these little crunchy chocolate bits... Jealous!? Thought so! I am now craving one of these cakes... Hmm...

He's 60!!!

Yes! I have never been excited more for my dad's birthday than I was this year! Way to go Dad! You now get all these awesome discounts just for hitting the magic number - 60!!!

I'll never forget you running to save me when I was wearing a jacket that was too big while changing water. First, you thought I was just waving - but then you saw I was in trouble and rescued me while laughing... No worries, I was 1/2 inch close to having my insides ripped open.

I'll never forget the summer you, Logan and I went to build mini-pivots and worked from sunrise to sunset. I loved that I was able to be the little tomboy and help you with some of the more exciting things. Well, except when it came to skinning the pig... **shudder**

I'll never forget the hours you spent playing the piano or the organ just so I could sing-a-long with you. I love your amazing musical abilities and wish that I could be just as talented as you are! I love you Dad and I hope this birthday tops all the ones you've had before!!! :)

Love, Taci Beth

The reason I left Utah.....

Here it was the 31st of March and the sun was shining bright (no snow, unlike my fam in UTAH). Erin, April, Alesa and I drove to the beach and spent the day in the sun! Ah... the glorious, Vitamin D, tanning my skin, ball of fire!

The wind was also perfect to fly some kites and I had two that I purchased last year still in my car. Overall it was a great day of laughter, junk food (Hot Tamales), sun bathing, snoozing, eating at Jetty's, good way to spend a Wednesday!

Here are pics for you to enjoy!

New Hobby - - - Oil Painting

I will never forget the oil paintings my brother Matthew did while he was in highschool, one of The Little Mermaid and another of our brother Justin and a girl dancing. I thought that they were fantastic!!

Lately, I have had a lot of time on my hands and decided to take a look at starting a new hobby. I have always wanted to try oil painting but had a fear of being a failure. My friend, Bob, had started up watercoloring and was doing really well - so I decided I could "try" to oil paint.

Turns out that I am really enjoying myself and have found painting to be quite relaxing. I have included the first paintings I have worked on and if you make fun of them - please don't leave a comment! :)

The unfinished girl is something I still trying to figure out. I am testing different ways on how to do eyes or a mouth, or really a face. But I just formed an idea in my head and will see how that works out.

The Tulips were based on the tulips I received a couple of weeks ago. They were beautiful and I wanted to capture the love and beauty in something so simple.

The Space painting was just a random one I designed. I had created a blue background and all I could visualize were stars and the moon, so that is what is on this one.

I love art, I love the freedom I feel while I paint! Oils are a very forgiving tool to work with and that has helped. I look forward to create more pieces, one day they will start to look better - but for now I am still proud because I did them.

Last shot is a picture of me with my new glasses and new hair color. I went dark because I wanted to cover some old highlights! And I think it looks great - I had a wonderful colorist by the name of Andrew Wheeler.... I told him I would recommend him to all my friends! :)

No sleep...

Ever had time periods in your life where you aren't able to sleep all the way through the night? That has been my life for the last month or so!

I crave for those mornings when I wake up and see the sun shining and feel completely rested.

Big thanks to my mother and sister who decided a little trip to Maryland was exactly what Erin and I needed. Mother made wonderful cinnamon rolls, cookies and other goodies! Erin for letting all of us (four additional people) cram into every nook and cranny - good times, which could also be why I haven't slept well. :)

Overall, things are much better! Thanks to my great family!!! :)

Til the next time!!

Taci

P.S. Thanks to Dad for my special gift. I Love You, even if you don't send gifts!!