Salmon Vegetable Bake

A few weeks ago Dave and I tried out a new salmon recipe and I've been meaning to post it! It was fabulous! Not super fishy, and extremely healthy. My mom stopped by as I was finishing it, and I jokingly told her I'd make her taste it (because it has mushrooms in it).

1 lb salmon (fresh or thawed)
2 c carrots (thinly sliced)
2 c fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. onions
2 t orange peel (finely shredded)
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
4 garlic cloves (diced)
4 T olive oil
1 med orange (sliced)

Cut fish into 4 serving sizes and set aside. In a small saucepan, boil carrots in a covered pot for 2 minutes. drain and set aside. Tear off 24 inches of foil and fold in half.

In a large bowl combine carrots, mushrooms, onion, orange peel, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic.

Divide vegetables among the four pieces of foul, placing beggies in the center of the piece. Place one salmon piece on top of each, and drizzle with oil. Top with orange slices.

Fold up the foil, allowing a small space at the top for steam to build up. Place packets on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes (or until the carrot is tender and the fish begins to flake). Serve with wild rice.

The Holidays call for creativity

Check out this killer awesome hat I finished crocheting during the Snowtorious B.I.G.!

I'm pretty proud of it because it's the first crochet item I've made while following a pattern. I guess technically the flower the pattern called for was ugly (I made it before I decided this). So I ended up eyeballing this flower from a headband my sister Sheila made for me... and I had to add 4 extra rows to make the had big enough for my head (what can I say? I take after mom), but all in all I consider it a "learn to read patterns" success.

Which is a good thing because a sweet little lady in my ward decided she didn't need the vast majority of her crochet patterns any more and has given them all to me! I've gone through them and pulled out the patterns I want, Sheila's gone through some of them, and I'll bring the remainder to Thanksgiving this weekend to offer to Dave's mom. Anything that is left I'll donate to DI so they can find a new home.

So I've got my work cut out for me in future blankets, pot holders, pin cushions, bags, baby booties (good thing I have a niece and a nephew!) and one not 70's sweater. I'm super excited, and have several balls of left over yarn that will work for a few of the smaller projects (old yarn = free project). Now if I only had some more time on my hands...

Now that the hat is done, I've started making a blanket for Dave's Birthday. A few months ago Dave found out one of the blankets at my parents house not only had I made, but I had made it for an ex-boyfriend. When we broke up I had given it to my parents, so Dave has felt entitled to that blanket. So he took it! So we can give that blanket back to my parents, I'll do my best to complete this blanket quickly!

I've also finished a robe I was making for myself for Christmas. I wanted it to be super warm (what can I say, I'm a cold pansy) so I lined the top half with two layers of fleece. It turned out pretty well if I do say so!

Dave's Exciting News

This week Dave had an interview for an internship with Struck Axiom . They met for about an hour, reviewing Dave's portfolio, discussing his plans for the future, and his improvements over his time in school. At the end of the meeting Dave was offered a summer internship!

He's so excited because this is his first choice company. They have offices in Utah, California, and Washington, and work with companies like Dream Works, Adidas, Quaker, and my favorite TCBY. So this is the kind of company that will really help build his portfolio and bulk up his resume. And it just seems like a KILLER environment. Also, it's half a block from my work, so we have the potential to carpool a few days a week during the summer.

The same day as Dave's interview we attended my company's Christmas party. While speaking with my co-worker Liz, and her boyfriend Kyle, Struck Axiom was brought up. Kyle works closely with Graphic Designers, and is even on a Salt Lake City creative board. He said when his company is looking for Designers their first choice is to try to get "anyone" from Stuck Axiom. The company has that kind of reputation in the area.

We're really hoping after working for them for the summer, they will see what a hard worker and great producer Dave is, and they'll want to hire him on for the fall. We'll pray hard, and Dave will work hard so that can be the case!

Survived the Snowtorious B.I.G.!

As I was driving to work yesterday I turned on the radio to hear all about a blizzard warning that was going into effect at 3:00pm. Upon arriving at work everyone was freaking out about it and they convinced the owners we needed to go home early for our safety. So we "worked" until 2:30 and all headed home to make sure we were safely in before the "worst storm in the past 7 years" hit. Dave got home at 5 for similar reasons.

Periodically throughout the night we would stick our head out the back door to see how bad it had gotten. Nothing. We went to bed figuring it would hit us over night, or early morning. I woke up and still... Nothing. Well, maybe 2 inches of powder, but nothing earth shattering. And the roads were already plowed. So we headed out to work and school.

I was a little disappointed it wasn't worse. Not that I wanted it to be so bad that our power was out or anything. But I was hoping to have a snow day so I could bake a peach pie and crescent rolls for Thanksgiving. Maybe clean the house a bit, just get ready for the holiday. Since I don't have the day after Thanksgiving off work, I was already feeling a little gipped, and thought having Wednesday off would some how make up for it.

As a word of gratitude during this holiday season: I'm so grateful for my best friend and husband Dave, our families, our beautiful home, that we can rent out our basement apartment, my awesome job, that Dave will be done with school next year, enough snow in the mountains that we can go snowshoeing Saturday and for so many more blessings that are too numerous to list.

Christmas is in the Air!

I swear the holidays start sooner and sooner each year! This year it's mostly my fault, I've started a few Christmas projects that hopefully will be completed by Christmas... we'll see what I can get done by then! One's for Dave (which I can't disclose at this time, since he has a tendency to find his gifts and use them prior to Christmas). The other will be a new robe for me. I have looked for one in the stores, but haven't been impressed with the prices or options. In the end it's going to be far cheaper to make one than it would have been to buy one that I really liked. Hopefully it turns out!

We're not doing major Christmas gifts this year, since we went to North Carolina, so I've actually completed my shopping already! Well, except something for the Plastow side's exchange. I'm not sure what we're going to do this year (in the past we've drawn  names to buy for), and as soon as we've figured that out I'll take care of that one. Oh... and two stinking white elephant gifts for my work Christmas party. I hate white elephant gifts, they really are crap, and I just don't want to spend $20 buying something nobody will want, let alone buying two pieces of crap nobody will want. Oh the joy of the mandatory holiday party!

Dave has spent the past month or more working on a project to create an outdoor company and put together all the needed paper products for the company as well as a guide to explain how the logo and brand should be used. He finally completed the project and it looked absolutely awesome! His teacher said he could see how much time Dave had spent on it, with all the details in the paper work, embossing, and binding. If he doesn't get an A, I might have to find the teacher and give him a piece of my mind!

I have two vacation days left this year. They're just burning a hole in my pocket! I want to use them at least once a week, but I also could save them, as they roll over and can be used next year. I keep telling myself I'll get Thanksgiving off in a few weeks, and I'll be taking a half day on the Friday after. I can survive two more weeks without time off, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.