Best Commute Home

This is fun to watch.

The Tale of Two Brains

This made me laugh out loud.

Don't feel sorry for yourself.

Just when you think your life and the life of people you love is hard, you get an email like this.
This guy is inspiring and brings us HOPE. We can overcome hard things.....and I will add.... with hard
work and the Lord's help. Let's pray good things for 2009.

Girl's Weekend

So last weekend we had girl's weekend in Richmond. It was Lindsay, Chelsea and me. Melissa couldn't come and Marissa was at Disney World. It had been a long time since we have done it. We had a great time. The red scarves and hats and mittens were a present from mom. And the rolling cart. What did we do? The girls got here Friday night..we had pizza, watched family movies, and then a "supposed" romantic comedy with Greg. We all fell asleep. We got up at the crack of dawn to go to a 'YOGA" class that almost killed me. It was too hard on my knees. I am still suffering a little from some of the moves. The girls did ok but are sore too. Then to Ukrop's for breakfast. Home to shower and get ready. Back in the car and headed for shopping. Hit lots of our favorite stores....then on to the movies for " Bride Wars. It was cute the and girls loved it. Then on to a little more shopping and then to " El Paseo" to meet Greg for dinner. More shopping again then home. We were going to do "pedicures' but CDW feel asleep. So Lindsay and I did a few more things...then on to bed. But we were up early for church. I taught RS and Chelsea did the music lesson at the last minute to help out. My friends sang at the end of my lesson for me and did great. We came home for dinner, Marissa and kids joined us .Denton was at ward conferences. So sadly it was over too soon. The girls had to get back home to their real lives. But we all agreed we needed to do it again soon. We had a good time. These aren't the best pictures, especially of me.....but it was early and I was still too puffy :).Likely story.

Felix's 6th Birthday

A few weeks back we took Leo ( another granddaughter) down to Raleigh, NC to Felix's 6th birthday. Chelseaand Dana had it at
" Lifetime Fittness", where Chelsea works. The kids invited got to do a climbing wall and go swimming. Greg and I went to the temple and then to part of the party. We all met afterwards at Chipotle for dinner and to open the family presents. We had to drive home that night. Leo spent the night with us and then went to church. We all had a good time. Here are a few pictures.

Suzie's New Recipe Collection : Food Glorious Food

These are 2 recipes from my dear friend Colette Johnson in Arizona. She is a great cook.

Collette’s Chili

Since I make this by scratch, I’ll do my best with ingredient amounts. So adjust this recipe with more or less of any of these ingred. to your liking. This chili is good no matter what you do to it. Anything goes!

2 pds. extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 large yellow onion - chopped
1 med. green bell pepper - chopped
2 27 oz. cans of dark red kidney beans
2 15 oz. cans of light red kidney beans or pinto or what ever bean you like, it’s the color variation that’s fun!
2 28 oz cans of petit diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 - 2 T. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt & pepper to taste
Bay leaves - 4 or 5

In a big soup pot, brown the meat and season with “Lawry’s Garlic salt, and some pepper. Just as the meat is almost browned, add chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes and then add the beans with the liquid. Oh....Yum! you’ll want to stop here and just eat a bowl of this! Cook a few more minutes then add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. You may also add a small can of whole tomatoes (drained) coarsely cut for chunky chili to, only if you want, anything goes!
Then add the bay leaves, chili powder and about 1 tsp. paprika for a beautiful bright red color.

Turn up the heat till hot then simmer for an hour. This is quick and easy and yummy!

You can also add corn, sliced black olives or what ever else sounds good to you! We always make taco salads with leftovers.

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Carrot Cookies “Recipes to Remember-Mill Hollow Favorites”


Cream together:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. shortening (butter flavor) or “I can’t believe it’s not butter” margarine

Add:

2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla

Add dry ingredients alternating with cooked carrots:

4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 pinches salt

2 cups mashed, kind of chunky, cooked carrots (I peel and cut carrots, put them in my “Pampered Chef” vegetable steamer and microwave 6-8 minutes then mash with potato masher).

Stir in:

2 c. walnuts coarsely chopped

Bake at 375 degrees for 11-12 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Frost with favorite frosting (butter, vanilla, lemon, almond, or cream cheese are all good).

Collette’s frosting:

3 oz. package cream cheese
1-2 T. butter
3 cups pd. sugar
1/3 to 1/2 c. canned milk

In small mixing bowl, put cream cheese and pd. sugar together. In a drinking mug, put butter and milk together and microwave till bubbly hot. Gradually pour hot liquid over pd. sugar and cheese while mixing with hand mixer. Frost while cookies are still warm, so leave the frosting soft enough to melt down the sides. The frosting should not be sticky when it cools-it should be shiny and firm. The cookies store well in a tupperware container with waxed paper between layers.

Yummy! Enjoy, this is a Johnson favorite!

Suzie's New Recipe Collection : Food Glorious Food

Lindsay, my daughter, sent this recipe. Too too good.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

You love the ice cream, now sink your teeth into gooey cookie dough brownies! Mixes for brownies and cookies make it extra easy.
Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 1 hour 55 min Makes: 48 brownies


1 box Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting or the Ganache at the bottom.

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.
2. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp butter
In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
Pour over the chocolate morsels.
Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
Pour over brownies and let set before cutting.

This is one of those little secrets we know you’ll love! Cutting brownies or any bar with a chewy and dense texture is much easier when you use a plastic knife.

Nutrition Information:
1 Brownie: Calories 170 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 120mg; Total Carbohydrate 24g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 18g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Suzie's New Recipe Collection : Food Glorious Food

This is from my friend Kalisi. It is what she made for recipe club.

Strawberry Delight Extravaganza!!!*********

-white cake mix
-8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
-8 oz cool whip
- 1 cup powdered sugar
-2 cans strawberry pie filling (can also use real strawberries and sugar to make a glaze... the pie filling is just the quick way)

Prepare cake mix as directed. You can make this in a jelly roll pan or a 9x13 pan... obviously the 9x13 version is just thicker. Beat cream cheese, cool whip and sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled cake. Top with pie filling. TAH-DAH!

Suzie's New Recipe Collection : Food glorious Food

This is from my good friend Margie.

"This is my favorite quiche recipe! It takes about 10-15 min. prep time and 25 min. baking time."


Italian Zucchini Crescent Pie
(Zucchini Quiche)

4 cups cleaned, sliced zucchini (4-5 small zucchinis)
1 stick butter or margarine
1 onion chopped
2 T Parsley flakes
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
½ t. Basil
½ t. Oregano
2 eggs
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can Pillsbury crescent roll dough

· Preheat oven at 350 F.
· Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add sliced zucchini and chopped onion. Cook slowly for 5 min. Add the seasonings. Cook another 5 min. until zucchini is starting to soften. Set aside.
· Spread the crescent roll dough in a quiche dish to form your pie shell.
· In large bowl, beat eggs well and add the shredded mozzarella cheese and stir. Add the zucchini mixture to eggs and cheese; stir. Pour into quiche dish.
· Cook approx. 25 min. at 350. Insert knife in center, when it comes out clean take out of oven. Let sit for 5 min. before serving.
· Serves 6 to 8, depending on the size of your cuts.

Suzie's New Recipe Collection

This is a great recipe contributed by a good friend of Clayton''s.

Bluberry Muffins by Alexia Green

1 cup milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in middle of oven. Line
muffin pans with paper liners or spray with a vegetable spray.

In a small measuring cup mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla
extract. Set aside.

In a large mixing bow; combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and
salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour
mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look
like coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and place in a small
bowl to make a streusel topping later. Gently fold in the
blueberries. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture.
Stir until just combined. Do not over mix this mixture or the muffins
will be tough when baked.

Fill each muffin cup almost full with the batter, using two spoons or
an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffins cups with water to
prevent the pan from warping.

For streusel topping: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and
drizzle over the reserved 1 cup of streusel topping. Add brown sugar.
Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly and looks like coarse
meal. Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the streusel over the top of
each muffin. Place in the oven and bake until very lightly browned
and firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Suzie's New Recipe Collection : Food Glorious Food

This is the first recipe I received for my blog....from my daughter-in-law Marissa's awesome mom, Mimi Mitchell. She says"
this is one of my favorites...easy, healthy, very tasty, and baked all in one dish. Just need something green as a side. Savor!"

Onion Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

2 envelopes onion soup mix
1/2 c. olive oil
1 t. garlic powder or granules
8 thighs, breasts, or a combination, large breasts cut into thirds, etc. depending on the number of people you are serving:
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked large
2 small yams, peeled and chunked large
2 medium red potatoes, unpeeled and chunked large
2 Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, and chunked large
12 + baby carrots

Directions:
In large bowl combine all ingredients and toss until well coated.
Put all into a 13x9 pan and bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir, and bake 20 minutes longer.

New Recipe Blogs On-line

My good friend Sheri sent me these blog links today: http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com and http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

I think they look really fun. In fact, I am thinking of dedicating some of my posts to great recipes from family and friends. Email me at : suzieromans@comcast.net and share a favorite recipe. But I only want great recipes that are easy and use very normal ingredients. I have done hard and I want easy in my old age. It will be a fun way to share recipes. Only send me ones you have tried and ones you love. Happy Reciping!

Stethoscope

This is a cool video on youtube. Watch it : http://www.youtube.com/v/bYI_aOyCn9Y&hl=en&fs=1

New Year's Resolutions: Stars to Guide Us

Every year I set new personal goals to start my year. Every year I look back on the goals from the previous year to see how I did. Most times, I did some, not others. We also do family goals. Same thing...we do some, and not others. It could be discouraging... but really, in reality, it is inspiring... that you at least did something.

When my kids were growing up, we did personal and family goals. We posted their own goals in frames in their room and our family goals on the fridge. I am not sure they did all of them all either. But I do know that they accomplished many of them. And we did many as a family too. And they saw the important things year after year in their rooms everyday. Like preparing to serve missions, do well in school and attend college, get married in the temple, love their family, live the commandments, etc. They also put less significant things down but important to them. They sometimes groaned a little at Family Home Evening as they got older, but did them nonetheless. I like to look back on them to see what they felt was important. They obviously had some influence from us when they were young, but then they became automatic expectations for themselves, as well as their parents.

I don’t know if it really mattered or not....guess I will never really know.
But I do know that many of those goals were accomplished. So I have to believe that this exercise in setting goals is a good thing. We did it in YW, RS and Scouts for years. I think that is where I got started doing it.

It is good to expect something of ourselves and our kids. Many times , it is the thing that keeps us going. Because someone believes in us and we believe in ourselves...we carry on. We can just putz along in life..or we can accomplish things that make us happy. When we accomplish things and contribute to our families and our church’s and our neighborhoods, we are happier. When we are busy and we work at things, we are happier. When we feel like we are doing good and serving others, we are happier. When we follow the gospel, live the commandments and follow the counsel of our church leaders, we are happier.

I think if our goals are based on these things, they serve us well. They need to inspire us, not immobilize us. We need to re-evaluate them and if they aren’t working we need to re-vamp them. Sometimes it is ok to just carry them over to the next year if we haven’t accomplished them. Some goals will be on their year after year, as a reminder they are always important. Some goals are unrealistic and just get tossed out. They’re really are no rules. Goals are just ideas to help us and to help us measure our progress. I like to think of them as stars. Stars to guide us.

I like to make lists everyday of things that I need to do short-term that ultimately help me accomplish my long term goals. Most days I don’t do them all. I just carry them over to the next page on another day. Most of the time, I am the only person that sees them. But it feels good to cross things off and to look back at them and see all that I have done and still want to do.

One of the goals I set last year, was to start writing stories about my life down and making a book for each of my kids. And getting Greg to do it too. If fact, It has been a goal of mine for several years. Having the journal class offered through RS this year, has inspired me and helped me to get it accomplished. This year we gave our kids each a book of stories for Christmas that we will add to every year. I think they liked it...no one really said. But I know I loved doing it and feel good I accomplished one of my goals.....even if it took me several years. Resolutions, Goals, Stars..whatever you want to call them. Ideas that help you be better. Start writing them down. Here I come 2009.

Friends Forever: Memories of the Good Ol' Days

I just received these pictures from a very dear friend, Carolyn Ward, today.She found them in a box when she was going through things. We served together in the church in Illinois for many years.I lived there 9 years. Greg was the Bishop there for about 3 years right before we moved. And her husband, Fred, has been the Bishop there a few years back.We served first in the RS ( this is our presidency) and then in YW. We had so many good times and did so much together. We used to have most of our meetings in my home, while the kids played in an awesome playroom in the 4th level basement with and indoor jungle gym Greg built. My friend Caroloyn Ward bought my house when we moved. I was so happy she got it and she still lives there today. We used to go out to a great restaurant, Jumers, to celebrate special occasions. We helped our other friend, Carolyn Biliter, do both of her boys wedding receptions at Christmas time...I made a zillion homemade rolls and froze them in my chest freezer and Carolyn made 10 lbs. of this yummy, yummy chicken salad she was famous for. And I know Bev Hayes did something too..just can't remember what it was. It was a crazy time. We put on so many RS and YW functions, baby showers,birthday parties, etc. I have wonderful memories of good times together and an eternal friendship that will forever be. I still have the "friendship" caligraphy poem Carolyn made me when I moved hanging in my home many , many years later. I had some other very special friends from Illinois that I still keep in touch with. Members and non-members alike. In fact, I quote my friend Emma Turner, at least several times a year. My friend Beth and I are close and travel together. My junior women's league craft group friends are very dear to me today. Greg and I together are friends with many of the couples in our early years raising kids. And fabulous neighbors we did block parties with and hung out with a little each day. We spent many holidays together when we weren't with family. We have great, great memories of our days living there.

It was freezing cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer but we thought we were in the Garden of Eden.
It was the people. It is always the people. Life is all about the people and the relationships we share. The older I get , the more I realize this and the more I appreciate it. I have always known it, but getting these pictures tonight, and going down memory lane, reminded me once again. RELATIONSHIPS are everything.

Life happens, and the most important part is the relationships we have with our family and friends.I love. love. love these girls I served with and many others from my days in Illinois. I love to think about good times with them..it makes me smile.

Sorry about the bad word in TJMAXX article

So I just deleted the TJMAXX post that was funny because I hadn't read it careful enough...had the F-word in it. I apologize to anyone who may have read it. I would have never posted it knowingly. Clayton must not have proof read it either because he knows I would go crazy. I must be more careful. Another new year's goal :)

INSPIRING...Are you Going to Finish Strong?

This is the coolest video. When you want to whine and complain...watch this.....then count your blessings:
http://www.guzer.com/videos/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.php

Christmas card pictures

Here are some Christmas card pictures from Chelsea and Denton's Family.  I didn't get any from Jordan yet this season.

Cute pictures from Christmas

We had Chelsea, Denton and Clayton and families for Christmas this year. Here are a few pictures Chelsea took. The pink sweaters are from Grammy Suz. I wish I could photo shop my little Utah grand girls in the picture too. We had a nice time together.