Dear blog,
I know it's been forever but don't be mad, okay!! I don't have the internet at my house which makes consistent blogging pretty much impossible. But for the holiday I'm staying at mom and dad's house and they do have the internet which is glorious.
Anyways, here are the goals I made for 2013:
1. read 35 books (book of mormon included)
2. go to the temple twice a month
3. be nicer (i.e. no more backhanded compliments!)
Did I accomplish them??
YES!
mostly.
I lost count of the books I've read, but if I finish the one I'm reading I think I will be right around 35. I finished the Book of Mormon and started it again (I don't know if that really counts, but I will do better next year!) I went to the temple twice every month (except this month, but I have five more days!) and I definitely have decreased the amount of backhanded compliments I give. I don't know if I can consider myself "nice" yet, but I'm trying!
This was a good year filled with family, new friends, old friends, work work work, weekend trips, hello's and goodbye's, heartache and joy, beginnings and ends. I'm learning that most years will be filled with bits and pieces of all of these things. Mostly though I'm happy and I think that's what matters.
For the next year my goals are:
1. Read 35 books (including 5 classics and the Book of Mormon)
2. Attend the temple twice a month
3. Only eat out once a week TOPS (maybe twice in case of an emergency... or a date)
4. Don't say the word "hate"
5. Be nicer (haha!)
6. Write Nickie two letters every month
Well, blog, good tidings till we meet again.
xoxo
Rochelle
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
pseudo-motherhood
dear blog,
sometimes i feel like a stay-at-home mom in a world of young single people with fun interesting lives. it's like all i have/want to contribute to a conversation is something funny or cute one of my buddies did. and to me, that never gets old but to EVERYBODY else it is old old old.
the thing is, i actually don't mind that much.
xoxo
rochelle
sometimes i feel like a stay-at-home mom in a world of young single people with fun interesting lives. it's like all i have/want to contribute to a conversation is something funny or cute one of my buddies did. and to me, that never gets old but to EVERYBODY else it is old old old.
the thing is, i actually don't mind that much.
xoxo
rochelle
Monday, April 15, 2013
lately
dear blog,
amy broke her ankle.
i got a fourth job at wasatch as an aide for a 3rd grader with autism.
i've been watching project runway.
maddie's home for the summer!
nickie leaves in less than 2 months!
i have a crush on nobody.
i've been sleeping with the pocahontas blanket.
my fridge is filled with baked potatoes.
my smarty phone broke so i downgraded.
not much else is new.
xoxo
rochelle
amy broke her ankle.
i got a fourth job at wasatch as an aide for a 3rd grader with autism.
i've been watching project runway.
maddie's home for the summer!
nickie leaves in less than 2 months!
i have a crush on nobody.
i've been sleeping with the pocahontas blanket.
my fridge is filled with baked potatoes.
my smarty phone broke so i downgraded.
not much else is new.
xoxo
rochelle
Sunday, March 10, 2013
lately
dear blog,
i have been a horrible blogger thismonth year!
sorry i'm not sorry.
here's what i've been up to (more or less)
xoxo,
rochelle
i have been a horrible blogger this
sorry i'm not sorry.
here's what i've been up to (more or less)
 |
| snow snow snow |
 |
| family time |
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| my boyfriend died |
 |
| bowling champions |
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| bec forgets her lunch a lot |
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| zeus, that beggar |
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| burffday boyz are 13! |
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| somebody loves their new years hat |
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| baby girl got her mission call! |
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| spicy! |
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| bfffs |
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| love spending saturdays with these sillies |
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| m |
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| dyl's nightstand... |
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| shamrock shake! |
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| he's home! |
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| in n outtt |
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| grandma hand holds |
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| valentines day! (heart attacking blake's car, bugaboo, cookies from the wrights, brian's bball game) |
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| banana leaf |
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| nacho nachos |
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| indexing up a storm! |
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| templing with this woman! |
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| apple pie |
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| pho with these weirdies |
rochelle
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
two years
dear blog,
the dowd house is buzzing tonight because my baby brother returns home from serving a full-time mission tomorrow & honestly, i'm kind of freaking out! i know that it will be so normal and wonderful, but it also feels weird and scary too. i haven't seen him for two whole years! TWO YEARS IS A LONG TIME! all day i have been thinking back on the person i was two years ago. granted i don't think i've changed tooo much, but 21 year old me seems so so much younger. is 21 year old richie the same? is he sillier? more serious? will he get married soon? will he be as obsessed with my roommates as i am? will he like 23 year old me? will he still love pokemon and disneyland? will he want to come to brian's birthday dinner on saturday? will he still think farting is hilarious and that basketball is the best? will our family dynamic click into place? or will it be awkward?
i genuinely don't know the answers to these questions and it is so weird to me that in the next couple of hours i will. there will be another human that i love right here and i can almost guarantee that these questions will feel so silly because all the answers will be so obvious, but for now, until i can see richie with my own two eyes, i think i'll still be nervous and anxious and excited.
love,
rochelle
the dowd house is buzzing tonight because my baby brother returns home from serving a full-time mission tomorrow & honestly, i'm kind of freaking out! i know that it will be so normal and wonderful, but it also feels weird and scary too. i haven't seen him for two whole years! TWO YEARS IS A LONG TIME! all day i have been thinking back on the person i was two years ago. granted i don't think i've changed tooo much, but 21 year old me seems so so much younger. is 21 year old richie the same? is he sillier? more serious? will he get married soon? will he be as obsessed with my roommates as i am? will he like 23 year old me? will he still love pokemon and disneyland? will he want to come to brian's birthday dinner on saturday? will he still think farting is hilarious and that basketball is the best? will our family dynamic click into place? or will it be awkward?
i genuinely don't know the answers to these questions and it is so weird to me that in the next couple of hours i will. there will be another human that i love right here and i can almost guarantee that these questions will feel so silly because all the answers will be so obvious, but for now, until i can see richie with my own two eyes, i think i'll still be nervous and anxious and excited.
love,
rochelle
Monday, January 7, 2013
60 (okay, 90) minute rolls & cinnamon butter
dear blog,
did i mention that i made a turkey yesterday!??? it was really empowering. like, i could throw my own thanksgiving now (not without lots of help from my roommates though.) but it turned out beautifully & it was actually (relatively) stress free and fun!
here's the recipe that i always use for rolls & the recipe for cinnamon butter a la texas roadhouse.
enjoy!
60 minute rolls
(from my aunt shirley- i make them in the bread machine so they take 90+ minutes instead)
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (or one packet) of yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
in a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup flour, sugar, salt & yeast. in a saucepan, heat milk, water & butter to between 120 & 130ºF. combine dry and wet ingredients and mix. add 1/2 cup more flour; mix. stir in flour until you reach a soft dough. knead. put in a greased bowl and set bowl in skin temperature water for 15 minutes. knead. shape. let rise for 15 minutes. bake at 425ºF for 12 minutes. (for the bread machine i melt the butter & add all the wet ingredients in first. then add the flour & dry ingredients and set the machine to dough and voila!)
cinnamon butter
(from here)
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
add all ingredients and blend with a hand-mixer or food processor or whatever you have! store in the refrigerator.
love,
rochelle
did i mention that i made a turkey yesterday!??? it was really empowering. like, i could throw my own thanksgiving now (not without lots of help from my roommates though.) but it turned out beautifully & it was actually (relatively) stress free and fun!
here's the recipe that i always use for rolls & the recipe for cinnamon butter a la texas roadhouse.
enjoy!
60 minute rolls
(from my aunt shirley- i make them in the bread machine so they take 90+ minutes instead)
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (or one packet) of yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
in a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup flour, sugar, salt & yeast. in a saucepan, heat milk, water & butter to between 120 & 130ºF. combine dry and wet ingredients and mix. add 1/2 cup more flour; mix. stir in flour until you reach a soft dough. knead. put in a greased bowl and set bowl in skin temperature water for 15 minutes. knead. shape. let rise for 15 minutes. bake at 425ºF for 12 minutes. (for the bread machine i melt the butter & add all the wet ingredients in first. then add the flour & dry ingredients and set the machine to dough and voila!)
cinnamon butter
(from here)
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
add all ingredients and blend with a hand-mixer or food processor or whatever you have! store in the refrigerator.
love,
rochelle
Sunday, January 6, 2013
apple pie
dear blog,
i'm making a turkey today! (i'mnot freaking out.) we're having pie for dessert & this is my favorite crust & apple pie recipe (so far.) enjoy!
apple pie
(adapted from smitten kitchen)
for double crust, 2 pie crusts (see recipe below)
1 1/2 pounds granny smith apples (about 3 medium)
2 pounds mcintosh (about 4 large) (i used 4 medium fuji apples and 2 large granny smith)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice (recipe calls for, but we didn't have it)
1 egg beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon water
1. adjust oven rack to lowest position & heat rimmed baking sheet & oven to 500ºF. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator.
2. roll dough on lightly floured surface to a 12-inch disc. transfer dough to pie plate (i like to fold it in half and then fourths.) refrigerate.
3. peel, core & cut apples in half, and half again width-wise; cut quarters into 1/4 inch slices & toss with lemon juice. in a medium bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt & spices. toss dry ingerdients with apples & add it all to the pie shell.
4. roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch disc & place over the filling. tuck excess under the bottom crust. brush the top with the egg wash (egg+water) and 1 tablespoon or so of sugar.
5. place pie on the baking sheet & lower the oven temperature to 425ºF. bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. rotate the pie & reduce oven temperature to 375ºF; continue baking until juices bubble & crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer.
6. transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.
betty crocker's pie crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c + 1 Tbs. shortening
2-3 Tbs. ice water
1. mix flour and salt in medium bowl. cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas.
2. sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
i'm making a turkey today! (i'm
apple pie
(adapted from smitten kitchen)
for double crust, 2 pie crusts (see recipe below)
1 1/2 pounds granny smith apples (about 3 medium)
2 pounds mcintosh (about 4 large) (i used 4 medium fuji apples and 2 large granny smith)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice (recipe calls for, but we didn't have it)
1 egg beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon water
2. roll dough on lightly floured surface to a 12-inch disc. transfer dough to pie plate (i like to fold it in half and then fourths.) refrigerate.
3. peel, core & cut apples in half, and half again width-wise; cut quarters into 1/4 inch slices & toss with lemon juice. in a medium bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt & spices. toss dry ingerdients with apples & add it all to the pie shell.
4. roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch disc & place over the filling. tuck excess under the bottom crust. brush the top with the egg wash (egg+water) and 1 tablespoon or so of sugar.
5. place pie on the baking sheet & lower the oven temperature to 425ºF. bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. rotate the pie & reduce oven temperature to 375ºF; continue baking until juices bubble & crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer.
6. transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.
betty crocker's pie crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c + 1 Tbs. shortening
2-3 Tbs. ice water
1. mix flour and salt in medium bowl. cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas.
2. sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
3. gather pastry into a ball.shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable.
4. roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate (12 inches or so.) fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
4. roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate (12 inches or so.) fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
5. trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. for pre-baked crust: prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork . bake at 475ºF for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.
love,
rochelle
love,
rochelle
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