McBlog – Page 27 – Love mortality; you're only here once.

Berry Creme Fraiche Cake

Post author By Joy
Post date May 15, 2011

I made a cake today. I might have had 3 slices…

This is a special cake recipe, because it’s from my dear friend, Amanda E. Stonesifer. She was a bridesmaid for our wedding 6.5 years ago, and she has a definite knack for whipping up delectable desserts. So I had her make our wedding cakes for us. She did a great job!

People ranted & raved about this moist, flavorful cake they ate at our wedding reception. Usually wedding cake is on the grosser side, because people sacrifice taste for looks. But not OUR wedding cake!

It looks a little odd in this photo, but I just had to show the multiple layers of moist poppyseed cake & fresh mixed berries & crème. Hands down the yummiest cake I’ve ever had (or made). Basically, I was just so excited that it turned out well! OK, bragging is over.

Charlotte McVideos

No one likes a frowny face

Post author By McAdmin
Post date May 10, 2011

Enough said

Personal

Big Ole Water Bottle

Post author By McAdmin
Post date May 4, 2011

Joy is having a hard time drinking enough water throughout the day. In my attempts to help her, I’d like to buy her a water bottle that is or is close to the amount of water she should intake each day. Thus relieving her of even thinking if she has drunken enough yet or not. According to web calculators she should be drinking around 100 oz a day or 2.2 liters. I found this one on Amazon. I picked it b/c it doesn’t look too overwhelming, it has a lid, and is BPA free.

Any one out there have any recommendations for a large capacity water bottle?

Family Fun Personal

XX Chromosomes

Post author By Joy
Post date May 2, 2011

jimk

Just to make it an official McBlog announcement, we’ll be having a baby GIRL around September 15th, 2011!

The baby looked completely healthy in the ultrasound. I always see this as nothing short of a miracle, and feel so grateful. The placenta is against the back wall of the uterus rather than the front (which is fine), so I can feel this baby’s every move!

Pace is alright with it being a girl, possibly because sweet Charlotte has him wrapped around her finger, so she’s basically softened him.

Chase is thrilled to have another sister on the way! I was surprised that he actually preferred this over having a baby brother. He remembers how much he loved holding baby Charlotte & he just loves to snuggle babies. (Unfortunately for Chase, Charlotte just screams at him & pushes him away whenever he tries to hug or kiss her. I feel bad for him!)

I am doing well. I’m happy to be having a girl; we would’ve been happy with a boy too, because Chase would have had a brother! But I absolutely loved having the whole “sweet baby girl” experience with Charlotte, and I will love having this one, too.

The “nursery” is actually ready to go, because I didn’t take down any of Charlotte’s bedding/décor! I’m glad that we weaned Charlotte off her binkies, transitioned her to a big bed, & potty trained her well before this little one’s arrival. (Major feats!) Hopefully this will help Charlotte feel like the big girl, and that she’s not being replaced as the baby girl of the family… BTW “girl” is one of those words that become really weird when you stare at it or say it too many times. Anyway.

In case anyone is wondering where the above outfit can be found, it’s on the Janie & Jack website. Absolutely the cutest baby & kid clothes ever! Never mind the prices.…

Charlotte Chase Family Fun

Easter

Post author By Joy
Post date April 28, 2011

Hope everyone had an enjoyable & uplifting Easter! I’m sure many are tired of reading about people’s Easter Egg Hunts. So I’ll just post some photos from our Easter Sunday at GG & Grandaddy’s place! Their yard isn’t as green as ours yet, because they live “way” up north where it’s still cold all the time.

Blinking Beauties!

Of course, Casey was making a weird face when I was trying to snap the photo, so I told him, “Normal face!” and waited, & that smile is what he eventually came up with.

Charlotte Chase Family Fun

Kids Enjoying Life

Post author By Joy
Post date April 28, 2011

When my family was visiting a couple weeks ago, my brother Gino took some entertaining photos of Chase & Charlotte enjoying watermelon and playing in the backyard. Here are a few:

They love Uncle Gino!

Deals Family Fun

Big Day Tomorrow

Post author By McAdmin
Post date April 27, 2011

Well the big day is here. Tomorrow we find out if this new child is a male or female. So far the Doctor has prematurely proclaimed that it has been each, first he said he thought it was a boy, then he thought it was a girl…. why he said that, I have no idea. Please post your guess in the comments and the winner might win one of these. (Fine print: if Joy tells you and you post after you know for sure, you will owe me a chocolate malt milkshake from Smashburger)

Family Fun Personal

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival

Post author By Joy
Post date April 19, 2011

When my brother Gino was here, he taught Rachel & me a thing or two about how to use our cameras. I kind of understood, but I’d like to learn more… It seems so complicated! Now, I’m not trying to be some sort of all-star photographer by any means, but I AM interesting in knowing how to take decent photos. Especially because I have such cute kids to take pictures of!

The photo below is just silly. I was trying to get a sweet, sentimental shot of the kids together, but to no avail. Chase just can’t resist large, grassy banks. He enjoyed somersaulting his way on down! And Charlotte was just… running wild. It was great!

My parents took Chase, Charlotte, & me to the very first day of the annual Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. It’s always nice to have my mom along to tell us what the names of the plants are! Unfortunately, the tulips were not yet in bloom or even close for that matter, but good times were had nevertheless. Especially because cotton candy was involved!

Cotton candy is yummy to kids of course, but also to me because it reminds me of when we used to get it at the Sonoma County Fair (way back when I was a kid). For some reason, my parents didn’t want any! What??? My dentist father refused to eat pure sugar!?!

Although there were little to no blooming tulips, at least the daffodils were showing their bright, shining faces. I really didn’t know how to photograph them. The next picture looks like it has some odd Photoshop effect on it, but I’ve never even set foot in Photoshop! I like the effect anyway.

And then there were the beautiful man-made waterfalls! My parents kept marveling at how much $ the Thanksgiving Point Gardens must have cost to build, & to maintain now. The 55 beautiful acres are pretty impressive.

Charlotte enjoyed peering down at the waterfalls from way up above, but Chase would have no part in that. My dad said he didn’t blame him. Chase definitely inherited his grandparents’ fear of heights!

Charlotte is asking these tulips WHEN, exactly, they plan to emerge. Smile

We were all tuckered out by the end of the outing. *Yawn.*

Gotta love Charlotte’s little Panty Bum peeking out!

Chase

Here’s Our Five-Year-Old, Chase!

Post author By Joy
Post date April 18, 2011

We’ve been loving this month of April. It’s one of those busy birthday months. We had 4 family birthdays close together. Chase’s was the only child birthday, so naturally, he got the most attention & celebration & presents. Here he is enjoying breakfast in (bunk)bed.

He had awakened at his usual 7am time and called out, “Mom, are you getting ready?!?!” I groggily stumbled out of bed to whip up a breakfast feast for the beloved birthday boy. It was all he could do to stay in bed & wait to be served! Most of my family was here to visit from CA, so they soon came over to give more birthday love to Chase.

I made him a pirate cake. I tried to make it nice & moist, which backfired because it fell apart while I was decorating it. But thanks to Rachel’s moral support & my decision to resist re-doing the entire cake, this semi-Perfectionist actually didn’t lose it. Whew!

In all honesty/I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t think it turned out all that amazing, but everyone gave plenty of (undue) praise. Most importantly, the birthday boy enthusiastically approved of the cake! And it was fun to make, too.

I loved my brother Gino’s close-up shots of the pirates too much NOT to post them. (Proud to add that he took these pics with our little point ‘n’ shoot.)

We didn’t do a friend party this year because we’re going to go check out Thomas the Tank Engine next month at Heber Valley Railroad. So for the family party, we decided to go to Pirate Island Pizza because we hadn’t eaten there yet. We had some family there for dinner, cake, & arcade games. It was fun (even though it ended up costing MORE than a friend party would have. Haha!)

Chase got tons of presents. Thanks to everyone! Here he is enjoying his new Slip ‘n’ Slide from GG.

Deals Reviews

Greg’s

Post author By McAdmin
Post date April 8, 2011

My Dad has turned me on to the best food in Utah County! Better yet, you get a six course meal, drink, and fun for $10! It’s the Culinary Arts School at UVU as they practice their fine dining dishes. They don’t do it regularly, but when they do, it’s amazing. I took a group from work about a week ago for Wild Game day and here is what we had:

Alligator Etouffee
Classic Cajun Stew featuring tender pieces of alligator and cajun spices in a rich brown gravy.
Served over Cilantro Lime Rice and topped with fresh salsa and cilantro cream

Elk Tender Loin Griller
Grilled Achiote basted Venison with barley risotto, caramelized berry sauce and tempura fried
vegetable garnish

Pheasant Consommé
With quenelle of herbed scented Pheasant and Vegetable Garnish

A duet of Buffalo
Slow cooked BBQ Pulled Buffalo with fresh slaw and grilled bun
Hand Pressed Grilled Slider with cheddar, caramelized onions, and spicy remoulade sauce and
grilled bun.
Both sandwiches are served with Pomme Frites and house BBQ sauce.

Roasted Venison Roulade
Stuffed with duxelles, spinach and red pepper and barded with smoked bacon, nested on
ratatouille, accompanied with stuffed potato and crispy chip.