Happy Birthday Babe!

Babe, my brother, David. Not to be confused by my Baby, Ryan. My little brother David is now 19 years old - crazy!! Time goes by fast! I've had some people ask how David got the nick name Babe and on this, his Birthday, I will entertain you all with the tale:

When David was born the movie "Babe" (you know the one about the talking pig "Baaa Raaaam Yoooou") had come out and we were watching it alot around the house. Now, David was the cutest baby in the whole world (at least I thought...too bad I don't have a picture to prove it) and for some reason the name Babe just worked for me and from then on David was known as Babe. And that's it.......yeah, next year I'll think of a more entertaining story of how he got this nick name.

He's grown quite a bit since then and is now always mistaken for either Jared or a lamp post depending on his hair color at the time. I always have fun with Babe and enjoy the fact that even though he is soooooo old now he still lets me call him that. I hope that you have a great birthday, you mean alot to me and I love being with you always (except for the time that you picked me up for a big bear hug, and being as tall as you are, smacked my head at the top of the door way).

I love you!!!!

Tag I'm It!

My sister-in-law, Shelley, tagged me. I have posted the sixth picture in the sixth folder in My Pictures and this is it. I call it "Man Under the Heat". For Halloween last year Ryan and I did a shout-out to "The Office" by wearing second heads a-la Michael Scott. To make these masks we did the classic paper mache crafting project. So with strips of newspaper and a mixture of flour and water I framed the face of my husband, Ryan, and to help it dry a bit quicker we used the blowdryer. The heads turned out quite well (see our Halloween post). I, however, did not do the paper mache on the face with the blowdryer method. I was just getting over a cough and I knew that I couldn't hold it in that long and as delicate as paper mache is I didn't want it to crack. So, I built my face on a balloon.

I'm running after Paco - tag your it!

Doughnuts!

Oh those beautiful, delectable, pieces of fried, sugared, dough! Heidi & I (minus our third culinary-musketeer Candace) had never made doughnuts before, but took on the challenge. They turned out rather well and .....rather tasty! Sadly, there were some victims of our green-baking thumb. My slotted spoon melted (it's amazing how hot oil can get) and my candy thermometer. While fishing out the last doughnut hole I wondered why there was red liquid swirling in the oil and then it hit me....the candy thermometer! Popped, cracked...died. But the doughnuts in the end were well worth it! Yummy!

Valentines Day

Ha! Ha! So, I'm a little late on getting this post up, but better late than never right? Ryan & I decided (when we first got married) that we would trade who was in charge of Valentines plans everyother year. This year was mine! My friends Candace & Heidi & myself planned a lavish five course meal with rounds of The Newly Weds Game played inbetween each course. It was sooo much fun!
Appetizer: Fried Tortelini with alfredo
Question: What meal would your husband make for you?
Ryan: green chicken enchiladas
Michelle: Sloppy joes
Soup: Tomato Basil Bisque with cheese twists
Question: What is your favorite meal that you would want your wife to make you?
Ryan: green chicken enchiladas
Michelle: Sloppy joes
Salad: Mandrin spinich salad with citrus dressing
Question: If you were at home alone (husbands) what would you have for dinner?
Ryan: green chicken enchiladas
Michelle: sloppy joes
Entree: bacon wrapped Steak, twice baked potatoes & asparagus
Question: How did your husband show you that he loved you?
Ryan: I said "I love you"
Michelle: He said "I love you"
Dessert: strawberry topped Chocolate soufflee's & Vanilla Panna Cotta with strawberries & mangos (yeah! I know & it was just as good as it sounds!)
Question: What day does your wife's birthday land on this year?
Ryan: "Tuesday I think?"
Michelle: Tuesday!
There were alot of other questions with alot of other answers (alot right & some totally WRONG!)We tied for first with Hiedi & Jared.
We exchanged some homemade V-day gifts!! I made Ryan this really cool picture cube (thanks for finding that Heidi) that had pictures of us with scrapbook-y layouts on each side & Ryan made me a book full of segments that he had written in his journal about me & us. Starting from when we started dating to our first wedding anniversary. Sooooo romantic & so sweet! We had a great one & we hope that all of you did too!!

If You Give You Will Recieve....

So, whenever there is a blood drive Ryan always donates; the Red Cross loves him! Well a few days ago we got a phone call from the American Red Cross to let Ryan know that his name was chosen for the American Red Cross Dream Vacation get-a-way. We get 6days/5nights in the San Diego Marriott on the Marina and a South West gift card. We couldn't believe it! We won....well Ryan won, which means I also win by extention so ... We won!! We are tre-mundo excited and are planning on using our trip for October when we celebrate our 5th year of blissful marriage! So next time you're asked to give something - give it - you may get something back in return!!

The Wedding Cake

So my friend Candace was asked to make a wedding cake for her brother-in-law's reception & Heidi & I helped out. It was so much fun to learn how a wedding cake is made! So here are a few key elements that I learned on how a wedding cake is made:

• Cake Release: a concoction that is made with butter and flour. It costs $3.95 a bottle, has about a billion calories per tablespoon and when you turn that cake pan over - it really does release!
• The Cake: To make a wedding cake it takes 3 to 4 days. The cake is made on the first day, cooled & cut. Sits over night and is then moistened with any flavor of basting you choose (Candance I think did an orange-honey one? BTW: Basting isn't the technical term, but you get the idea of what you do with it). You put in the filling (Raspberry mousse for this one), you stick dowels in and stack it. Frost with buttercream and await the fondant.
• Fondant: It's the stuff that looks like frosting that is really, really smooth. Classic fondant is made with powdered sugar and crisco, but Candace made this one with powdered sugar and marshmellow!!! Soooo yummy. You knead in any colors you want & roll it out thin - Candace told me that I have an excellent talent at fondant rolling! Then place it on the cake and mold it around to fit.
• Tools: Being the thrifty mormon women that we are the fondant smoother was the bottom of a measuring cup, instead of a pastry cutter we used a pizza cutter and sissors & instead of a pastry brush to brush off the powdered sugar we used a cleaned makeup brush.
• Powdered Sugar: You need ooober amounts of it! It is everywhere! What you think is flour in the pictures is actually powdered sugar it was everywhere & we smelled like Jessica Simpson for the week!
• Decorating: That is on the final day! It was soooo much fun. Rolling out the chocolate fondant and Heidi cut out the picket fence posts & Candace arranged the flowers!

It was so much fun & I would loooove to do it again! Ace of Cakes here we come!

A New Year!

We were able to ring in the new year with my family (Caldiero) and our friends the Johnsons this year. It was fun! Good food and games galore. Our vacation with our families, both of them, were awesome!! We really had alot of fun in Utah and got to see alot of friends as well (not everyone sadly!!) We miss having our nieces and nephews being around, all of the food and all of the many activities: movies, games, Beatles Monopoly, late nights, Cafe Rio, ice cream at Leatherby's, family pictures, food, Rock Band, food, and more food, sleeping in, snow, icing cookies, holding a niece, playing with a nephew.... so many good times and memories by the end of it we were just pooped (and we weren't the only ones)! Thankfully Candace brought down my camera so I was able to take a few shots of my nieces and nephews. Between the Merry Christmas post and this New Years you will be able to see how all of them have grown! Bryson - 8 years, Abbey- 5 years, Parker - 2 years, Tiffany - 1 year (and a few months), Caiden - 11 months & Katrina - 6 months. We are truly blessed! We look forward to the new year with hope and optimism. We hope that all of you have a great 2009!
P.S. Sorry that the pictures are so dark in the widget. I'm still learning about our camera and such. Click on the thumbnails on the side to enlarge the picture & and click the down arrow to see more thumbnails. Enjoy!