FiRe AnD mOrE

they came this week!  merry Christmas to us.  mom and dad got us the kindle fire for our presents this year.  in one word they are amazing!  affordable at $200 a piece and so much fun!  we are very thankful for them and should get them for free with all of promotion we have been doing in the last 2 days.  between the 2 of us we have probably convinced at least 8 people that they must get one.  so i'll put it on here for all 3 of you who read this, you need one.  if you have been thinking that a tablet pc would be fun (and you would be right) this is a fantastic option.  the price is unbeatable.  the quality is amazing.  i was doing the dishes with pandora playing on it and the speaker quality and volume was perfect to rock out during my chores.  size is ideal.  it fits in my scrub pockets at work.  it easily fits in any of my purses.  its easy to hold.  it is almost exactly 3 of my iphones.  i'm really enjoying the size.  the only downside i can see so far is that if you love to sit outside and read and that is a  main reason for having an e-reader than just get one of the many kindle options and you'll be very happy.  this does not have e-ink that has no glare in sunlight.  but if you are trying to read at night and have a spouse that is trying to sleep this allows you to do so without a light.  and if you play with the settings you can find ways to make it easier to read in brighter light.  all in all kindle fire is perfect for me.  james is loving it as well.  of course he is testing it to see its limits way more than i am but what can i do.  anyway back to reading....i've finally started the hunger games books and i can't put them down!!!!

It'S oN!

the beet competition is has turned into cupcake wars!  so i'm crossing my fingers and hoping i win!!!!

to see my competition check out megan's blog

ComBEETing for the Prize!

Thanks to Tina and her blog challenge I have finally worked out most of the kinks in my all natural Red Velvet Cupcakes! Tina's challenge was to create a recipe that used beets and luckily I had been working on a Red Velvet cupcake recipe that used a natural food coloring. Beets had been my food of choice for some time and this was just the challenge to help me perfect them! so here you go.....

Food Coloring:

1 bunch of beets (3 or 4)

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup water

peel and chunk beets. place in food processor with sugar and puree till very small pieces remain and there is a lot of juice. Place all of the beets and 1 cup of water in medium sized sauce pan and heat on medium until boiling. Allow to boil until it is no longer pink but a beautiful deep red. See below...

Cupcake Recipe:

1 cube butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 egg white

1/4 cup half and half

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup NATURAL cocoa (I use Ghirardelli natural cocoa powder, this is important)

1/4 cup lemon juice (I prefer fresh squeezed, about 2 lemons)

1 tsp salt

1 cup boiled beet puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar well, about 5 min. Add eggs and egg white and continue to beat until well mixed. Mixture will be light and fluffy. In a separate bowl mix half and half with vanilla and vinegar. Add this mixture to the butter, sugar and eggs. Then add natural cocoa, salt, and lemon juice. The cooled beet puree is added next. Then finally add the flour and mix till combined. The mixture will be gooey!

I use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners. It keeps the mess down and the cupcakes come out perfect every time. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

The cupcakes are not quite as red as I would like them to be. I'm working this out but it is much better than it was before. I'll let you know if I can get it even better...

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 oz package of cream cheese

1 cube butter

1 lb powdered sugar

1 Tbsp sweet and condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Place all of the ingredients in a mixer and beat until creamy and smooth. Takes about 10 minutes starting on low and working up to high.

After cupcakes cool completely frost anyway you like!

Enjoy!

SuNdAy InSpIrAtIoN

so i'm a horrible blogger lately, i guess i'm just a little overwhelmed by getting ready for our trip to washington and utah next month and leaving our puppy for more than 2 weeks. but today at church i was made aware of a scripture i had never noticed before. our lesson in relief society was on elder oaks talk in april's conference on desire. the scripture is:

doctrine and covenants 88:83

ok if you don't want to look it up then i'll share it with you:

"he that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken"

the savior wants us to seek him early in life, early in the morning and early in trials. don't wait until your in the middle of a crisis. don't wait until you are ready to break. don't wait until you are old and on your death bed. just don't wait. call on him before you need him and he'll be there all along your way. have him as your companion as early as you start to learn of him. and don't let him go.

through out life we can forget to seek him and lean on "his ample arm". i forget so often that i don't have to do this on my own. i always have him to be there and support us in the journey.

i just wanted to share some of the insight i received today.

SuNdAy InSpIrAtIoN

in preparing my lesson for sunday school today, i came across a quote from elder neal a. maxwell. i love elder maxwell and i miss his talks every general conference. i got a book a few years back that is a 10lb book of quotes of elder maxwell's and i love them. here is the quote i found helpful to me in some things i've been struggling with lately.

Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.

for those of you who have felt the sting of a lost friendship or a lost love, this quote is for you. i was reminded by it that we gain much by loving even when it is not returned to us. and sometimes i think there is a very valuable lesson to be learned in loving someone, caring about someone, who cannot or chooses to not love you back. its softens our hearts and gives us a glimpse of what our heavenly father and savior experience. they love us no matter what, but sometimes, some of us or all of us for brief moments don't return that love to them.

recently i have been feeling that my love of an old friend has been wasted. that years of time spent together and tears and laughs shared was of no consequence. but this reminded me that although things have changed in that relationship that love is not wasted still. and continuing to care about is her is not a waste of my time.

A wEeK iN iPhOnE pHoToS (w. 2)

this week was fun and busy. we had good food, but lots of late nights at work. well only one really late night but staying past 5:30 3 nights in a week is a little painful especially if one night is until 9:30. but we had a great time regardless.

sunday:

in an attempt to clean our pans the "right way" we have been boiling water in them for a while to get cooked on stuff off. it works beautifully and its preserving our teflon coating wonderfully. well we forgot it was boiling and we burnt the water! eeeeeeeekkk! luckily it didn't ruin the pan but if you didn't know what happens when you burn water, this is it!

monday:

we had super yummy kabobs for dinner. i love kabobs on the grill. its the best dinner ever!

tuesday:

the best day of the week! it was my day off and we ran a few errands trying to avoid the rain. i got a library card for the first time in a long time and got a great picture of the beautiful pink flowered tree blooming in front of our apartment. the color is vibrant and with the rain and the dark sky it was the perfect light to capture it.

wednesday:

wednesday night i got into bed and 10:40 and wanted to capture that as proof that i can make it to bed before 11. the next night i was at work till almost 10 and wasn't in bed till after 11 again. one day i'll get the hang of it.

friday:

grapes on sale for $0.99/lb and they got frozen in my freezer as a yummy summer snack.

that's how life is here in the NC. i want to see how your week was. grab a link and join in the fun!

fRiDaY cOnFeSsIoNaL

its friday and i'm home and i survived another week. and what a week it was. and now we have a 3 day weekend and i get to enjoy it with my cute husband and our crazy dog and two super crazy cats. my plantar fasciitis has been acting up this week and i'm working really hard to stretch out my left foot and try to get it to calm down.

well enough of that lets start confessing:

*i'm hooked on instagr.m

*don't know what instagr.m is then google it! just kidding....i'll tell you and provide you with a link here. Instagr.m is a fun way to take pictures on your phone and add effects to them.

*well they didn't stop there, then they let you share them with anyone else around the world who has instagr.m.

*i love seeing the amazing photos that others take and i can't lie i do love others following me and liking the photos i take.

*i'm starting to post them to the blog ever week in my week in iphone photos post.

*and if you have an iphone you should start following me on instagr.m and join in the fun. my name is chelt82!

ok enjoy!

An ExPeRiMeNt: ThE uPdAtE

so about 2 weeks ago i posted about trying to see how not eating 2 hours before bed would have on my weight and how i feel. well the results are in and although i did lose about 2 lbs, which is awesome since i still ate peach cobbler and peach cupcakes. i also found that i felt much better in the mornings. i was more hungry but i felt lighter and i felt less bloated. i say, from my super scientific experiment, that its a good practice and one that i am working hard to make and keep a habit in our lives. so YAY! for a healthier me!

A wEeK iN iPhOnE pHoToS (w. 1)

this week was great. peaches, jam, cupcakes, and overtime.....

oh well, every week can't be perfect...

25 lbs of peaches may have been a little overboard but the gallon of jam we made and canned and the brand new peach cupcake recipe i'm developing made it totally worth all of the peeling and pitting. I promise the recipe and pictures of the cupcakes soon...

the corn is amazing and the farmer's market came through again. 12 ears for $5 and its picked that morning and delicious even raw. i had never tried it raw before but i did there and now i'm a fan....you should try it sometime.

first round of peach cupcakes. the receiver of these cupcakes said "i'm in love" after trying it.

friday was bus day, and here is the ticket i use. this is a very precious piece of paper. it gets me on the bus and means i don't have to make sure i have exact change.

raleigh really is a beautiful place.....

until next week....

join in the fun and follow on:

(follow my photos on intstagr.m username: chelt82)

fRiDaY cOnFeSsIoNaL

friday is back and the confessing is about to begin......

*i love peaches.

*i was totally excited about being able to get fresh from the orchard southern peaches here in the NC.

*i was even more excited to get 25 lbs of fresh peaches for $10.

*ok some of the excitement may have worn off a bit when i was at about a gallon of peach jam on tuesday evening.

*but it was back when the peach cupcake recipe i'm perfecting was coming together last night ;-)

*oh how i love fresh peaches!

My DaD

well he's not my dad but he is my dad-in-law and Chuck Nelson is a pretty great guy. the first time i met him was at the detroit airport a couple days after christmas. he was picking me up and we were going to have an hour long drive together before we got to the house. James was obviously a little nervous but he had nothing to fear. i was hooked and nothing Chuck said could scare me away. (thank goodness there was a beautiful ring waiting for me that night) that's not to say Chuck didn't try. but in his defense he actually parked the truck and came in to find me at baggage claim and get me and all my stuff to howell safely (which has never occured in the history of Chuck Nelson, he's more of a curbside kind of guy). i learned a lot on that car ride. i learned just how scared James was of his dad's ability to scare me away. i learned that Chuck loves his wife and kids very much. i learned that Chuck will say whatever he is thinking and he's not worried about what anyone else thinks. i have learned over time that he is a good man who loves all of his kids (step or not) and will do anything for them. i know he is a man of faith and that even though it is hard for him to share his feelings they run deep. i am grateful for the example he has been to James since James was young boy. i'm grateful for his get it done attitude. between my father, father-in-law, husband and brother there are only 2 names. James and Charles. each of these men continuously makes those names proud. I love you all.

My DaD

i have a really cute dad. he has always been there for every major and minor event in my life. i know it wasn't in his plan but he made an excellent wedding planner for my wedding. he had the time and my mom expertly put him to work. but he also planned and made a beautiful cedar chest for me that even my mom didn't know about until they were loading the car to come down to utah for the wedding. we was my shoulder to lean on and fall asleep on watching tv. he took me to every piano lesson practically and taught me to drive. he was there for every temple trip and every graduation. he has been protective and supportive. he not only moved me to utah but he came the next year to help me and kristina move apartments. bringing a new to us coach and kitchen table with him. but most importantly he has been a rock in his commitment to my mother, our family and the gospel. he does what is asked of him, he sustains his priesthood leaders. i've watched him work long hours and then head off to meetings night after night to do what the Lord has asked him. when i was getting ready to leave on my mission he was the one giving the advice that kept me going and even got me out there. he is a great dad. i feel so blessed to have him in my life. he set the bar high for the man i would marry and i'm very blessed to have met a man that can give my dad a run for his money in being the world's best dad. James is going to be an amazing dad one day when we are blessed to have some special spirits in our home.

fRiDaY cOnFeSsIoNaL

welcome friday, i've missed you so much. why do we have to work so much and have such small windows of time off. this week has been much more relaxing than previous weeks and that is much welcome. and now it is time to confess....

*my really cute husband made dinner for me tonight.

*and not just scrambled eggs or ramen. no my friends prepare to be jealous....drum roll please....

*bbq chicken pizza. he made a special marinade for the chicken that involved fresh basil and had the chicken cooking before i got home.

*then we finished it together.

*don't be too jealous, but it was divine!

An ExPeRiMeNt

so i've read in many places, including health magazines and diet books, that not eating for the 2 hours before bed you can dramatically increase the weight you lose. i've tried it before but always with other workout plans. so i'm starting an experiment to see exactly how good of a help it can be. so starting tonight i am not eating for at least the 2 hours before i go to bed. the big struggle is that i get up early and need to go to bed before too late, but i also don't get home very early either. but i'm pretty sure with some planning and help from my adorable husband i can make it work and make it a part of our lives. i'll let you all know the results of my little experiment next week.

fRiDaY cOnFeSsIoNaL

friday comes every week, and here we are again. things have been super crazy at work. i've worked late every night i was there. i don't mind working late but every night is a little ridiculous. don't these people know i have a cute husband waiting at home for me? sheesh! i wish they were a little more considerate of my time.

oh well time to confess.....

*i ride 2 different buses during the week. one bus from raleigh to the hospital on days i don't have to stay late or get there extra early. and one from my parking lot.

*i use this time to facebook-stalk random friends of mine.

*i usually read my news feed on my phone and then read up on whoever has the most interesting status.

*i like to look at old posts and pictures.

*i make sure to check up on people's relationship statuses and blogs if they post them.

*i hope no one minds but i need some mindless entertainment on my 10-15 ride from my truck or 30 min ride from raleigh.

*ok i fall asleep a lot of times on the long ride but i still do a little facebook stalking.

*the bus has added an interesting dimension to my life. i have to follow an arbitrary schedule that is not the most convenient but taking the bus the from raleigh a couple days a week is saving us tons of gas money and riding the bus from my parking lot is saving us tons on parking at the hospital as well.

*so i guess thanks to everyone for contributing to my money saving strategies.

*

fRiDaY cOnFeSsIoNaL

Its that time again....

*Sinus infections are the worst!

*I've been surviving this week on cold medicine,

ibuprofen,

and neti potting.

*It seems that when I'm doped up on cold medicine and stuffed up in the sinuses I talk in my sleep a lot more. Poor James.

*I'm sure my snoring isn't too sexy either.

*Working in an environment where we wear masks over our faces most of the time does not help when your ears are plugged up. I can't hear or read lips or facial expressions.

*On the up side my voice now has a sexy, raspy quality to it. (maybe that makes up for my snoring;-P) I'm pretty sure the coughing that accompanies the raspy voice might distract slightly.

*Oh well, hopefully I'll be back to my normal self in a few days.

BuTtEr BeEr CuPcAkEs!

I love Harry Potter. I loved the books, the movies, all of it. I really wish I could be a student at Hogwarts. One thing I have always been curious about was the flavor of the famed Butter Beer the students like to indulge in while at The Three Broomsticks pub. Recently we came across a blog where a woman had created a butter beer cupcake based off of the butter beer served at the new Harry Potter World in Orlando. Since Mackenzie was coming and I know she enjoys a good cupcake as much as I do, we set about making these delectable delicacies!

DuKe GaRdEnS

Two weeks ago Mackenzie was in town and we took the opportunity to show her Duke Gardens and Duke Chapel (more to follow on Duke Chapel). Duke Gardens is a free to visit and sits in the middle of campus. Its beautiful with many different types of gardens. We only had time to visit two of them and of course I wanted to go to the Asian garden. All of it was beautiful and I'll let them do most of the talking....

I'm totally in love with these tall, spindly, Dr. Seuss like flowers. I took a lot of pictures of them.

The little yellow buds are called Skullcaps!

From the Terrace Gardens to the Asiatic Arboretum, can we say "homesick"?

This is the Japanese version of gutters. The water drips down the cups and chains to the ground.

The bamboo gardens helped to reaffirm my growing love for this wood. I think I could have a house with only bamboo for the floors and cabinets.