Tomato Salsa

I got this recipe from my friends mom, and I loved it, but mine didn't taste the same. It was still good, but needs some improvement.

1/2 bushel of tomatoes (scald and remove the skin and chop up in chunks)
4 green peppers
3 large onions
10 large jalepeno peppers (add seeds if you want it extra hot)
5 chilli (anaheim) peppers
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of salt
1 tsp crushed basil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano

Cop up all ingredients and combine in a large kettle-simmer to desired consistency (3-4 hours). Be careful- scorches very easy. Stir often!

Process in a water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 20-22 pints.

This makes a huge batch and it takes forever to cut all of the tomatoes. When I did the tomatoes, I tried to get as much of the seeds out, if you cut the core down deep and then turn it upside down and squeeze and shake and they squirt out. It is kind of fun! I added a lot of jalepeno peppers and seeds, next time I will put serrano and habenero peppers. It needed to be spicier. I also put more onions and garlic and spices in. My brothers just suggested to roast the garlic and grill the peppers to enhance the flavors. I only simmered it for 2 hours, because it was 2am, so I was ready to be done. I also added cilantro and lime zest.

Peach Salsa

I got this recipe off of the internet, I really like the taste of the peach salsa without the sugar and before it is cooked. The recipe calls for a ton of sugar, I halved the sugar and it was still a little sweet. So next time I am going to put even less. Here is the recipe:

4 cups fresh peaches-chopped
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
4 jalepeno pepers minced
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 distilled white vinegar
1 tsp grated lime zest
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package light fruit pectin crystals
3 1/2 cup white sugar

1. Sterilize jars and lids.

2. In a large saucepan, combine peaches, onion, pepper, cilantro, garlic, cumin, vinegar, lime zest. Stir together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to boil and stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups of sugar. Boil 1 minute, stir constantly, remove from heat and stir for 5 minutes.

3. Pour peach salsa in jars and leave 1/4 inch air space. Seal and process in water bath 15 minutes.

I really like this salsa, I made a few changes and next time I make it I will probably make more changes. I put in more onion, garlic and jalepenos. I will probably put some serrano or haberno peppers in to make it a bit more spicy. And I will probably do just a little bit of sugar, although I am not too sure how much you need to keep it preserved. I used the yellow box of pectin, but it called for the pink box, but it is what I had. When doing the water bath, make sure to start the time once the pot starts to boil. WARNING: I learned the hard way I did not use gloves when cutting the jalepenos, my hands were burning for two days, it was the weirdest thing, it felt like my hands were constantly in a bowl of bowling hot water. So where gloves.

New Fabric!!!!

Can you tell I am excited about this fabric! I kind of took a lot of photos. This fabric is designed by Anna Maria Horner, she has beautiful ideas, I just love everything she does! I bought the fabric on fabricworm.com warning if you visit this site you will want to buy it all!! The bundle had a 1/2 yard of 24 fabrics! I have designed a few quilt patterns that I am excited to use, we will see how they turn out. So if you don't see me for awhile, it is because I am quilting! I will try to get my work done first! :)

Organized Garage!

I have been wanting to put up shelves in my garage for a long time. I have already filled my house and need more storage space. So I decided to paint the garage, it was such a pain, but the end results look so pretty! Every time I pull in the garage it makes me happy. But now I have already filled up the shelves and need to put up more. I especially love all of the organizing hooks, yes I am a little OCD!

Before

After

Matching Onesies and Burp Cloths

Yes I know I don't have any children or am even close to that, but I just love making stuff, especially little girly things! My friend Becki came down from Malta and we had a craft day, so we made her little girl a set. I promise I am giving these to my friends that are having children! :)

More Headbands!

I am addicted right now to making up headband patterns, it is so fun to design them. I have so many ideas, we will see how many actually get made.

Cute New Headband

I went to the Salt Lake farmers market on Saturday, and after seeing all of the crafts I just wanted to make something. I couldn't decide what to do, I had too many that I wanted to work on. So I combined a lot of them into one headband. And I kinda love it! Let me know what you think. I learned how to make the crocheted flower on Little Birdie Secrets blog, follow this link to create your own: http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/search/label/crochet
They have the cutest ideas on their blog, check them out! The headband has a little loop made of ribbon on one end, and on the other end it has two loose ribbons that tie into the loop on the other side. Also they are not the best photos, because I took them myself, I was too impatient to wait to have someone else take it.

25 Things to do before I am 25

I was at my moms house the other day, and I was eating some Reece's Pieces cereal, it is highly addictive. So I started to read the box and on it was a list of things to do before you are 18. It made me want to make a list of things to do before I am 25. As I thought about it, I thought that I would have awhile to accomplish a lot, but then I started to count the months, and I only have 19 months until I am a quarter of a century! What! That is crazy and the way things fly by, I am getting old! It will probably be here tomorrow. So I got home and made my list. I don't have to have the thing accomplished all of the way, but to at least have a good start. Some of them might be a little out there, but I want to make the attempt and these things are going to help me become what I want to be. So here it goes....

1. Have a gallery show of my fine art photos.

2. Have a Summerfest booth of my photos.

3. Design a line of fabric and submit to a company.

4. Design 3 patterns and make the items.

5. Go to Nepal for humanitarian work.

6. Go somewhere in Africa for humanitarian work.

7. Go to the East coast to see the fall leaves, especially the Sacred Grove.

8. Start learning Spanish.

I listened to some CD's and they were pretty use less. I can say a few phrases, but nothing really useful. I hopefully can find a better way to learn!

9. Decorate my bedroom.

10. Be in a serious relationship that has potential for marriage.

11. Learn how to knit.

I learned with my grandma, it was way funny. I can't post anything yet, because I haven't made much progress, I think crocheting is easier. The most memorable part of the learning experience was what my grandma said. She was telling me that she knows some ladies that are really good and they are a bit retarded, so you should be able to do it. So if I can't make something fantastic I am going to feel pretty dumb!

12. Read the C.S. Lewis Box set.

Mere Christianity: I am almost done.
The Screwtape Letters
A Grief Observed
The Problem of Pain
Miracles
The Great Divorce

13. Read the Bible Dictionary.

14. Read the Book of Mormon in one month.




I started reading on March 1, 2010 and I finished March 31, 2010.

The last few months have been really hard on me, as you have read in some of my blogs I have a really great dating life (sarcasm just incase you didn't pick up on it). I thought things were great, he said that he loved me and to trust that and then he ran... Since that time, I haven't had much motivation for anything, I had gotten behind on work and haven't cared. It is hard to take photos of other peoples happy moments, when my heart just got ripped out. I truly thought I had found the one, and he never gave me reason to doubt that. So anyways in short I have had a really hard time. I have sought for comfort in so many things, I have tried to be social and move on, I have fasted, prayed and sought for answers in the temple. At the end of February I was sick of being so miserable, so I went to my Uncle for a priesthood blessing. It was such a great comfort and a reassurance that my Heavenly Father is truly aware of my. In the blessing he told me to study the Book of Mormon, at the time I was reading in the Old Testament. The next day was March 1st and remembering my goal to read the Book of Mormon in a month, I decided to start.

I know I probably just told you a lot of stuff that doesn't really matter, but as I read the Book of Mormon I was able to see how much love our Heavenly Father and Jesus have for us. I know that I read it fast and probably didn't get that much out of it, but I was able to see how constant the Lord's love is for his children. I know that we are all children of God and that He loves us so much. No matter the difficulty that we are in, He is always there to comfort and consul us. I know this with out a doubt. It is the weirdest feeling but it consumes my whole soul, there is no way to explain the feeling. It is just something that you know. Our Heavenly Father is so merciful, He will always allow us to repent and return to Him. As I read the Book of Mormon, I was able to understand my purpose here on earth. I know that as we go through this life it will all be worth it in the end if we stay true to the commandments and the covenants that we have made. The time that we spend on this earth is such a short moment in the span of eternity. We can't give up, we can't let a break up ruin our lives. Afflictions and trials will come, but if we have the proper association with our Heavenly Father, we will be able to grow and to become what He expects us to become. While we are in trials, it seems like a long time. We need to step back and see that we are the only ones that measure time. This life will pass so fast before our eyes, and we can't let the things of the world get us down. We have to endure so that we can inherit the great mansions that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us. In the Book of Mormon and especially in 3rd Nephi we see how they are preparing for the coming of the Savior. They watch for the signs of his birth and then for His death and then they await for His appearance in the Americas. We are in a similar time in our life, other than preparing for His first coming, we are preparing for His Second Coming. We read of the signs of His return, we must prepare. It is so crazy the amount of the natural disasters that have been happening. We do not know the hour that He will come. I don't know if it will be in my life time, but I know that I will be an instrument in preparing the earth for His return. We can't take this lightly we must always improve ourselves and look for ways to help our neighbor. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have, I know that there is no other way to be happy. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and when we read it we can feel of Gods love.

I was so grateful to read the Book of Mormon, I am still trying to get over things, but it helped a great deal. I don't know what will happen next in my life, but I trust that my Heavenly Father can see the bigger picture. He knows what will be best for me, I don't know if something will end up happening or if I will get another opportunity. I know I complain a lot about not being married, but that is pretty much the only thing that I have a complaint about, I am so truly blessed, and I owe all that I have to my Heavenly Father, I know I wouldn't be where I am today without Him.

15. Train for a triathlon.

16. Make a dress.

17. Take a class.

18. Decide whether or not to get my teaching degree or another degree.

I gave it a lot of thought and prayer, my schedule is too busy to take something else on. I would still love to go back, but not now.

19. Go backpacking in the Wind Rivers.

20. Start a photo project.

21. Give a quilt away.

My good friends Sarah and Rob lost their baby Benton in November. Words can not explain the loss or soothe the ache. I wanted to do something for her, so I put together my scraps and this is what came out.



22. Submit my Peru book to different Humanitarian organizations, in order to broaden my photography oppurtunities.

23. Find dead ends in Family History and find the original location and try to further the lines and information.

24. Visit all of the temples in Utah and do work in them.

Logan:
Ogden:
Bountiful:
Salt Lake:
Jordan River:
Oquirrh Mountain:
Draper: February 26, 2010
Timpanogous:
Provo:
Vernal:
Monticello:
Manti: February 5, 2010
St. George:

If completed by April 3, 2011
Brigham City:
Payson:

25. Study more about graphic design. Learn Illustrator.

My friend Kara has taught me a lot, I feel a lot more confident. But I still need a ton of practice.

These appear in no certain order, and I am going to try to complete them by April 3, 2011!

"Trees for Sale" by Pieces from my Heart

My friend Amy works at Bernina a material store, and she asked me if I could make a store sample for them. I was way excited, I didn't really have the time to do it, but thought it would be a fun little project, after a few late nights, it was finished! It was a way fun pattern to sew together. The material was in a Layer Cake by Moda, way cute fabrics! I am getting it quilted with a navy blue minky fabric on the back. I know these are crappy photos, and I am supposed to be a photographer, but I was in a hurry!

Jewelry Holder

Awhile back, my friend Jenna and I, we thought we were frame makers. We made a ton of these wood frames and never really used all of them. I saw the wire idea at Pier 1, but they hung photos on it and it was a little bigger.

Fun Aprons!

My room mate just got married, and I wanted to make her something. Awhile back she made me love Amy Butler fabrics, we looked at her website a lot to get ideas, so I wanted to do something with that fabric. My aunt Ginge, made these cute aprons, so I had to try it. I love how it turned out, I need to go get material for mine. I think it will be fun to have a sexy apron, not that I cook for anyone, one day I might.

Spring Fever Quilt

I finally finished the top of this quilt, I still need to ad the borders and get it quilted, but I am way excited about it, so I had to show it off!

Hair Bows

My friend Becki had a little baby girl this week and for her baby shower I wanted to make some cute flower bows. They were so fun to make, I just wish I had a little girl to make them for! I made some for my little neighbor girls, I hope their moms don't think I am weird, I just love making stuff.