here are some pictures from wednesday when school was canceled due to snow
Dallin and Amanda standing in our driveway. The pile is now too big to shovel on to, but luckly the snowblower can still throw snow over it. 
our house is sinking
emily is king of the castle.. or queen of the castle...
the 3 kids
dallin
amanda and emily in a snow tunnel in the front yard
attacked by the killer dog
Dallin is going to show you a magic trick.
Pick one of the
following cards. Don 't click on it; just keep it in your head.
Scroll
down when you have your card
Think
about your card for 20 seconds in front of Dallin
Dallin will attempt to read your mind!
Scroll down after 20
Seconds
The
Great Dallin Has Removed Your Card!
Here it is. Finally! The long awaited 2nd edition of our New Years Cookbook. At least it's still January. You can download the cookbook here, or shoot us an email and we'll send you a pdf copy. We kind of put it out in a hurry because we had been procrastinating so long, so we ended up recycling some of last years health tips (I guess they're still valid... Trans fats are still bad for you right?)
You can also click on the cookbook picture below to download a copy:
We'd appreciate it if you'd post some feedback in the comment here about the cookbook:
1. What do you think of this years version?
2. Do you like it better than last year?
3. Suggestions for improvement
4. Missing recipes that just have to be in there next time?
5. What do you think of a kids cookbook? or a cookbook called 'freestyle cooking' where there are no recipes, just good ideas and sound cooking principles.
Here is tonight's FHE treat. How does it look? Banana cream pie with dark chocolate crust.
Happy New Year!
Amanda and I just finished doing some painting. Acrylic on canvas.
Amanda calls the painting above 'the town'.
This one is by me, 'the tree of life'.
went to sundance with jamie and paige last night. The babysitter didn't pan out, so Lisa stayed behind. Paige thinks Lisa is imaginary. We struck out on the first movie we tried to see (Phoebe in Wonderland) because we were there only 1hr 55min early. The next one was sold out too.
See j&p in there?
We found tickets for a black and white cartoon about things people are scared of, but decided to pass.
So we settled on The Year of Getting to Know Us at 11:30pm, and had some time to kill in between. Jamie won an owl in a karaoke contest:
Just kidding. We had some pizza, listened to a little live music, went to a few galleries, and got rejected from some private parties...
This is from One Republic's official site:
_______________________
OneRepublic’s first-ever headlining tour kicks off today in Oren, Utah!
Posted 1/17/2008 by admin10
OneRepublic tour starts tomorrow in Oren, Utah!
Get your tickets now!
_______________________
But I guess what they lack in spelling skills, they make up for in their music.
here's jamie (with his senorita at his side) blowing out the pipe and the flaming eyeballs
Jamie hasn't seen this yet, so hopefully he won't check this blog between now and dinner at 5pm in about 1 hr. The kids made him a very cool birthday cake and documented the process on gourmetchildren.com
The eyeballs will be flaming when it is served.
we miss you mommy
our hairdos fell out before sacrament meeting was even over...
This morning's breakfast
Pumpkin (+/- chocolate chip) pancakes
We decided to try out a restaurant in park city tonight called Shabu ('freestyle asian cuisine'). We had to cram it in tonight or wait for a while, because sundance starts tomorrow and every restaurant in town has been booked solid since a month ago for the entire film festival duration.
Here is amanda walking down main street in Park City tonight, 
with sundance film festival trucks unloading and setting up for the big parties tomorrow.
We ordered a couple communal hot pots to share, consisting of an asian broth boiling at the table, and a bento box full of seafood, beef, and fresh veggies to skewer and cook. The kids loved cooking their own food. 
Emily was the bravest of the kids. Here she is eating her first squid:
I won't show you the picture of her spitting some out afterwards..
The kids loved the noodles they give you to cook too.
We couldn't resist the 5-spice dark chocolate shabu shabu fondue afterwards, with a hint of star anise. 
Notice the temperature on the way home:
Here's a description of the process, along with some recipes, from the Salt Lake Tribune:
" Cold weather makes most people yearn for two things: something warm to eat and someone warm-hearted to enjoy it with.
The communal "hot pot" satisfies both.
It all starts with a pot - something similar to a chafing dish - filled with simmering liquid.
The pot is placed in the center of the table with family and friends gathering around it and trays of thinly sliced meats and chunks of fresh vegetables and tofu completing the setting.
Diners place these bite-sized morsels on skewers or long-handled forks and then dip them into the hot liquid to cook.
After a minute or two, the cooked food is pulled from the broth dipped into
one of several different sauces and consumed. The process is repeated over and over again until everyone is "nearly" full.
Veteran hot-pot lovers save room in their stomachs, knowing that the best part of the meal is still to come. The broth, now richly flavored from all that dipping, is ladled over noodles in soup bowls for a final bit of slurping.
Some people are surprised to learn that a hot-pot meal is as filling as its fondue cousin - but more healthy and nutritious.
Legend has it that this one-pot cooking method began centuries ago as a way of feeding the massive army of Genghis Khan, the ruler of the Mongol nation. Men would gather around a pot of boiling water anddip sliced meat into the pot. It was an efficient and nutritious way to feed the troops that were always on the move, but it also conserved limited fuel.
The method not only survived but thrived, spreading into different regions of Asia. It is called shabu shabu in Japan and horhog in Mongolia. Sukiyaki may be the most well-known moniker. This dish involves stir-fried pieces of meat, vegetables and tofu that are dipped in beaten raw eggs.
Of course, cooking food one piece at a time is a lengthy process - the antithesis of today's "fast-food" mentality. But it is the leisurely pace and communal nature that makes it so joyful, explains Robert Valaika, the chef and co-owner (with brother Kevin) of Shabu in Park City. "It's a social thing," he said. "Kids especially love cooking their own food."
Chinese hot pot
One pound of thinly sliced squid or one pound thinly sliced pork can also be added.
1 (3-pound) chicken, breast meat thinly sliced across the grain, bones and legs reserved
1 large yellow onion
4 green onions, trimmed, halved crosswise
3 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
12 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked 30 minutes, drained, stemmed
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound beef eye of round, thinly sliced across the grain
1 pound uncooked medium-size shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 pound fresh flounder fillet, thinly sliced crosswise across the grain
3 ounces dried cellophane noodles, soaked for 30 minutes, drained
2 pounds fresh baby bok choy, trimmed, leaves separated; or shredded Napa cabbage
Chinese soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Hoisin sauce
Oriental sesame oil
Chinese chili paste with garlic
In a stockpot over high heat, combine 5 quarts cold water, reserved chicken bones and legs, onion, green onions and ginger. Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
Gently simmer, uncovered and undisturbed until broth has reduced by 2 quarts, about 3 hours. Strain broth into a wok, clay pot or a wider more shallow pot. Return mushrooms to broth. Add some bok choy, spinach or cabbage.
Divide beef, chicken, fish and shrimp among four or eight plates. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until transparent, about 2 minutes. Drain and divide among eight bowls and distribute among guests.
Place an electric plate in the center of your dining table and preheat to medium-low heat. Place pot of broth on top. Have guests cook pieces of beef, chicken, fish and shrimp in the simmering broth.
The cooked vegetables should be eaten as well, with remaining raw vegetables added to the simmering broth as you go along. Serve soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and/or chili-garlic paste for dipping.
Shabu shabu
6 to 8 cups beef broth
2 pounds well-marbled sirloin or prime beef, sliced paper thin (see note)
12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed and cut in half if large
8 green onions, included tops, cut diagonally into 1 1/2 -inch lengths
Half of a small head Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 small spinach leaves
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1 1/4 -inch cubes
6 ounces udon noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, including tops, for garnish
Dipping sauces (see recipes below)
Special equipment:
Electric wok, fondue pot or chafing dish
Skewers or fondue forks
Fill an electric wok or fondue pot two-thirds full of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile arrange beef slices, mushrooms, green onion pieces, cabbage, spinach and tofu on a platter and place at the table. Set out sauces in small bowls.
Place pieces of mushroom, green onion pieces and cabbage on skewers or forks. Cook in broth 1 to 2 minutes. Add meat, spinach and tofu. Cook 2 more minutes. Remove from broth and dip in desired sauce before eating.
When diners have had their fill of meat and vegetables, add noodles to broth and heat through. Sprinkle with chopped green onions. Ladle noodles and broth into soup bowls.
Note: Place beef in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Ponzu sauce for shabu shabu
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
1 tablespoon chopped green onions, including tops
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, mirin and onions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to three days.
Makes about 1 cup.
Chili-peanut sauce
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian-style sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup water or chicken broth, heated
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, optional
5 to 10 drops chili oil
In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar and garlic. Whisk in water or broth, blending until smooth.
Stir in cilantro, if using. Add chili oil to taste. If desired, thin the sauce to desired consistency with a tablespoon or two of additional water or broth.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to three days. "
Emily has a good friend named Macey who lives around the corner. They have frequent play dates. Macy!! what is with that shirt??? where's your loyalty? your mommy and daddy went to byu.
which helps wear emily out...
(notice how emily never wears pants)
Posts
All Comments
