Frankenstein Comes a Knocking!

Well, we can all sleep better this week - Cali has a date to homecoming!! All week long her friends kept telling her - you're going to get asked, you're going to get asked. But Friday arrived and still no date...mom was getting worried! Homecoming was only a week away. Saturday came and still no date. And then - Saturday night 10:00 p.m. and the door bell rang and there standing at our door was a full size cut out of Frankenstein! He had a sign that said Homecoming? and then a sign around his neck that said "Frank Ben Stein" We all screamed - not because there was a full size Frankenstein at the door but because CALI HAD A DATE TO HOMECOMING!! A cute boy from school - Ben Neal. Of course my creative brain went into overdrive to come up with a way to respond to his invite. Now in the olden days we would just have picked up the phone and asked ' Hey do you want to go to Homecoming" and then answered with a simple yes or no. But that is not the way they do it nowadays - it is an event, a production!


Well as I lay in bed Saturday night - the idea came - we needed to make a Bride of Frankenstein cake with a sign that said "Frankly, I'd love to go to Homecoming with you." Well thanks to the internet we found a picture of a Bride of Frankenstein cake and with a few contributions from the neighbors (black gel frosting, black food coloring and two bolts for the side of the head) and after several hours of making a HUGE mess in the kitchen tonight we had one - Jim thought it looked like a cat but then he had never heard of the Bride of Frankenstein - WHERE HAS HE BEEN?!?!?

Cali and Tessa are off making the delivery to Ben's house right now. I think I am more relieved than she is!


We got the old sewing machine humming again this week. We got Cali's homecoming dress "modestified" with a cute little black satin jacket. We've also been sewing the dolls for Cali's faceless doll honors project. She is making 50 faceless dolls. The doctors give these to children having surgery and actually draw on the body of the doll to show them where they are going to operate. Tbey have cute little hospital gowns on them too. Thanks to Grandma Wilkes, Aunt Tamara and a couple of people in the ward she had enough money to buy the fabric and stuffing she needed. Several sisters in the ward donated fabric. Grandma Best has help cut the fabric out and she has been busy clipping and turning the dolls right side out after I sew them. Cali and her class of Laurels spent one activity night stuffing the dolls so we are making good progress on the project.


Cali also brought home her costume for the school play - all I have to do is make a vest for her so that will be easy. She is a little girl named Leslie who has funny braids (think Pippi Longstocking) and can only read upside down so she stands on her head occasionally durng the show. It should be a fun show. She keeps busy with rehearsals every day after school.


We overdosed on doctor's appointments this week - all three of us girls had dental appointments (no cavities, yeah), I went to the orthodontist and had my yearly check up with my OBGYN - fun, fun!. The girls were suppose to go in for some immunizations too but I postponed that until next week - enough doctors already!!


I have spent a lot of time this week getting my "business blog" set up - it is entitled "a homebased mom" It is a blog for women who have home based direct sales businesses. I am having a lot of fun with it - I will share tips and ideas for balancing home and a business as well as sharing fun recipes, cooking ideas and book recommendations and other homebased ideas . I have had a lot of fun setting it up but it has been a lot of work. I am using Word Press which is a much more complicated system than the one I do this blog on - it is all written in html (computer geek language) which I don't understand at all. I have been taking a Blog course and the first lesson they teach you is that if you can't figure it out quickly - don't spend much time on it - but hire someone to do it for you. So I went onto Craig's List here in Portland to find someone to help me get the blog set up. I got the name of a guy and we emailed a few times and I set up a time to meet him in a coffee shop across town - a little out of my comfort zone but figured we'd be in a public place, in broad daylight. Well, he turned out to be a great, laid-off computer geek who was willing to help me for $10.00 an hour. After we were done I paid him $20 an hour because he was worth it!


I plan on "unveiling" my new blog tomorrow so will send along the link to you - please feel free to share it with any of your friends who may find it helpful. Especially any women you know who run home based business!


Tessa's week was school -dance - school - dance repeat!


Jim flew to Colorado on Monday and then flew onto Idaho Falls and got home late Thursday evening. He missed Back to School night at the high school so I got to go by myself. I made it to most of each girl's classes and met most of the teachers. I sat through the wrong AP Psychology class though - wrong room - oh well!


Cali and I attended the General RS broadcast on Saturday night. They invited all the graduating Laurels and had a really nice presentation for them - introduced them and gave them each a personalized crystal bracelet. It was very sweet.



Boy Update: I guess Logan's picture is in this week's Church News (ours doesn't come until Wednesday) so be sure and check it out if you get it! Shayla's show (Thoroughly Modern Millie) opened this weekend so her parents were in town. Logan went to dinner with them before the show (just he and the parents) and out for dessert after (with Shayla too!)


Clark is getting this dating thing down and had two dates this week (3 originally but one rescheduled for next week)- one was a double date with Logan and Shayla. After which he and a group of mission companions drove to SLC for an all night Halo party. Clark assured me the were going to get it out of their system and this would not be a frequent occurance!




Recipe of the week. I have become somewhat addicted to food blogs -there are a lot of them. I came across this recipe on one this week - They are so yummy and the recipe makes a ton!! Cali took a plate full to her Thespian Mixer Party Saturday night and we delivered plates to Grandma and Grandpa Best and some friends and there were PLENTY for us!

If you like lemon (David you are going to love these) you will absolutely LOVE these cookies. Grandpa Best has already asked me to make more!






Lemon Drop Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup butter/shortening ( I used 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup butter flavored shortening)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 1 /2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
finely chopped zest of 1 lmeon
6 oz. package crushed lemon drops ( I found them in the bulk food section of Winco) I used lemon drops - NOT lemon heads.
2 cups powdered sugar
juice of a lemon


Preheat ove to 350. Cream sugar and shortening in mixer with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring and blend well. Sift dry ingredients and gradually add to wet mixture. Add lemon zest and crushed lemon drops (I did it in mini food processor so they were really fine) Roll in balls (Iused my small cookie scoop from Pampered Chef) Flatten with a fork. Bake on parchment paper for 10-12 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Cook 1-2 minutes. Brush with glaze.

I knew it was really fall when....

… I woke one morning this week to the sound of the furnace kicking on – I really love that sound.

… I could see my breath when I went out in the morning for my walk.

… I bought my first pumpkin pie scented candle

… I bought my first (emphasis on first) bag of candy corn (from the photo it looks like I better buy another bag soon)

… We attended our first high school football game of the season – Go Wildcats! (ranked #2 in the state)

… I put on closed toe shoes.

… I have tomatoes coming out my ears from the garden so have been having fun with lots of tomato recipes this week – including some yummy tomato and basil soup, bruschetta, (recipe below) tomato tart, and more!.

… I can no longer see the top of my kitchen table because it is always covered in homework!

This week’s accomplishment:

-Helped my dear friend who is undergoing cancer treatment work on her scrapbooks.

-Held a successful Creative Memories Trade Show for 200 people on Thursday.

-Enjoyed eating beignets when I took a friend out to lunch for her birthday.

-Jim and I survived our second ballroom dance class!

-We found a darling homecoming dress for Cali – it just needs a little “Modestification”, oh yeah – she still needs a date too! In fact we found two dresses and bought them both since they were on sale – cheap – now we’ll have one for MORP too! (You’ve heard of food storage – well we believe in dress storage! Be prepared!)

-Jim and I enjoyed dinner out and an evening at the temple

-Survived driving the dance car pool three times this week (a four hour ordeal each time) as our carpool buddy was sick

-Jim spent lots of time in the garden deadheading and trimming preparing the garden for winter.

-Jim finally got a new cell phone. The children affectionately called his old one “the brick” but when it died on him in the middle of “no where” Montana – or was it Wyoming ( he was in Idaho and one of those other states a couple of days this week) – he had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. He is so excited because the numbers are HUGE on the phone – so he can actually see them. The girls gave him a lesson in how to take a picture with his new phone too!

-Cali survived a whole week of getting up early for Cantores practice each morning and Tessa survived riding the bus to school all week.

Boy Update:

Clark’s accomplishment for the week was – he had a date! He took a date to see Homecoming Spectacular (Logan’s show)

Clark also got called back for a second interview at the MTC and was told as soon as they have a Spanish opening he has a job – yeah Clark!

Logan survived Young Ambassador rehearsal and had the opportunity to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at BYU’s Homecoming Spectacular.

O.k. just for a bit of humor for your week. Last night at 11:50 pm. as I was trying to stay awake waiting for Cali to get home from the movies (midnight curfew) I was reading through the BYU Police Beat from the Daily Universe – well I actually found it pretty entertaining - thought I’d share a few with you.

Sept. 10: An individual held a sign offering free hugs in the Harold B. Lee Library. When asked by an officer to leave, he declined to leave the area and continued offering free hugs. (Emailed Clark and Logan to make sure this wasn’t either of them )

Sept. 4: A bicycle was reported stolen from a bike rack near the Wilkinson Center. The owner had gone into the bookstore to purchase a lock for the bike. When he returned, the bike was gone. (Just a little late)


Sept. 7: A microwave was reported stolen out of Budge Hall in Heritage Halls. This is the third time it has been taken. It is speculated that somebody has selfishly taken it for their personal use. There are no suspects. (Why else do you they think someone took – to share with the poor?!)

Sept. 10: After stopping a student for skateboarding on campus, the police officer found that he had an active warrant out of Provo City’s 4th District Court. The individual had been stopped and warned four times prior to this incident. He was allowed to pay for the warrant instead of being taken to jail, and was transported to Wells Fargo to get the money (Now where else but Provo would the police drive you to the ATM to pay off your fine!)

Sept. 7: A 7-year-old boy was found walking in the Harmon Building parking lot without shoes. After much persuasion, he reluctantly gave police his home phone number. Police found that his sister, who was supposed to be watching him, did not know he had left. Police took him home and spoke with his mother, who assured them she would make sure it didn’t happen again. (Now was it the fact that he didn't have shoes on that tipped them off or that he was a 7 years old wandering around alone?)

Sept. 7: An 18-year-old female student was reported behaving oddly in the bookstore. When University Police arrived, she was outside the bookstore, behaving irrationally, dancing around, singing, throwing personal possessions out on the lawn and giving irrational answers when questioned by police. She was taken to the hospital and kept for observation. As far as police know, she had gone without sleep for a couple of days. (Sounds like me when I don’t get enough sleep )

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil:

We have been making this a lot lately due to a bumper tomato crop. I taught Tessa how to make it so she is now the "official bruschetta babe". Today after church when she was making it our neighbor Hannah was over. Hannah and her family had been to Italy a few years ago and Hannah told us that when they were in Italy they had prepared the bread toasts by coating them with olive oil, a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence and then some fresh grated Parmesan cheese and then toast under broiler. Well I just happen to have all those things so we tried it and it was wonderful! We will definitely do it like that from now on - thank you Hannah!

6 or 7 roma tomatoes, skinned and chopped into small pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 baguette style bread sliced into 3/8" thick slices, brush on a thin layer of olive oil and then toast under broiler 0r try our new way with a sprinkling of herbs de provence and grated Parmesan cheese and then place under broiler.

To skin the tomatoes we put them into boiling water until the skins crack and then place them in cold water - the skins pop right off.

Chop tomatoes finely, add garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix. Chop the basil thinly, add to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon tomato mixture onto bread toasts - enjoy! Yum!!!

Fall has arrived

It definitely felt more like fall around here this week, cooler, overcast days, a few drizzles here and there and the leaves are changing color. The girls are also immersed in school and homework.


This week was a bit stressful for Cali as she had auditions for Cantores and for the fall play. Good news - she made Cantores (this is the "elite" singing group at school) despite the fact that she thought her audition was on Friday afternoon but it was really Thursday afternoon. The music teacher called to see where she was (she was studying at a friend's house). I called her quickly and told her to get down to the school. So despite the rush, not being prepared mentally or vocally she did great. The downside of it is she now has to be at school at 6:50 ever morning and Tessa will have to now take the bus to school! The had 100 kids audition for the fall play and Cali made call backs on Friday along with 22 other girls. We will know for sure on Monday if she is in the show or not.


Tuesday morning I went over to my friend Jane's house. Her mom, (Louise Eddy) who is a great cook, was in town visiting. I had heard Jane rave about her mom's scones so I asked if I could come over and get a scone making lesson from her mom. She showed me how to make some yummy cream scones and devonshire cream. I learned a couple of great cooking tips from her too - always put your ingredients away after you have added it too the bowl - that way if you get interrupted you won't forget whether you have put it in the bowl already or not - I have done that so many times! Also - spoon your flour into the measuring cup - don't scoop. You can get up to 2 Tbsp. more flour than you need if you scoop instead of spoon.


I made the scones for breakfast this morning and the girls and Jim loved them. They are made with OJ and craisinets. I think at the holidays I will make them with a little eggnog, nutmeg, white chocolate chips and craisinets - doesn't that sound yummy! Check below for the recipe and pics of what they look like. Of course you must serve them with "Mock" devonshire cream and homemade raspberry jam!


Tessa was back to dance this week. Fortunately I have a carpool to share the load. Tuesday and Thursday we leave at 5:00 and are home from dance by 9:00 p.m. Saturdays dance goes from 9 - 11:30 a.m.


Thursday night I tried out a new yummy recipe for a Chinese Chicken Salad because Jim had a Primary teacher's dinner and you were suppose to bring something. Well he showed up with the beautiful salad I had made to find out the activity was actually on Friday night - not Thursday. We had already eaten at home by the time he got back so we shared the salad with some neighbors!



Friday I went to Salem for the day with American Mothers. We had a meeting at the State Capitol in the Governor's office with one of his assistants and then a board meeting/lunch afterwards. Of course no trip home from Salem is complete with out a stop at Harry & David's at the outlet mall! Love that onion and pepper relish!!


Friday night Jim and I started our ballroom dancing class which is taught by a member of our stake at the Sunset Athletic Club. It is a six week course for $25 so I figured we didn't have much to lose. We are learning the Salsa. We actually didn't embarass ourselves too much and had fun. We'll keep you posted on how we do ! After class we stopped by the "real" Primary Dinner (I didn't take anything as we had already eaten) and had fun visiting with people.


Cali had a group date Friday night where they played laser tag.


Cali started a ballroom dance class (taught by the same lady) Saturday morning - she is learning the Samba. After her class and Tessa's dance class we headed out to shop for a Homecoming dress. Cali doesn't have a date yet but we are trying to be prepared and optimistic. We struck out so I think we will be making a trip to the fabric store on Monday and I may be making a dress.! Finding a modest dress is next to impossible!

Saturday night there was a Multi-Stake Priest/Laurel Activity. They did a Speed Dating activity and then had a dance. Cali had a good time and met a few new boys. (maybe possible Homecoming dates?) Tessa babysat for a family. We don't see much of Tessa these days as she spends all of her free time reading - she is addicted to the Twilight - New Moon - Eclipse series and is on the 3rd book. She can be found snuggled under her covers in bed reading!











Saturday night Jim and I went with another couple to watch the Vaux Swift bird's. It is quite a sight! I guess this happens each September here in Portland - tens of thousands of these little black birds stop by Chapman Elementary School in NW Portland as they migrate down to Central America. Each evening at sunset they literally "funnel" into the chimney of the school. Hundreds of people gather on the lawn of the school to watch the sight. While we were there I took a photo on my phone and sent it to Logan along with a message "This is what old people do on Saturday nights! Watch birds fly into a chimney" Afterwards we wandered around NW 23rd and had yogurt.


This morning, Sunday, we were awakened by the phone at 6:30 a.m. It was Horizon airlines calling to tell us that Jim's flight today from Boise to Idaho Falls had been cancelled. Jim got up to call the airline to find out what to do and after a 40 minute wait on hold was told it was just a computer glitch and his flight wasn't cancelled. He left Sacrament meeting early to head to the airport. He will be in Idaho Falls Monday and Tuesday on business and is looking foward to spending some time with his parents.

Boy Update: (meaning Logan and Clark, not Cali's date prospects) Both were called as counselors in their ward's Elder's Quorum Presidency and seem to be enjoying their classes. Clark is playing on a flag football team and is busy studying Physical Science. If he passes the test at a certain level he can not go to class the rest of the semester. Logan is busy writing articles for the Daily Universe. You can read his articles at http://www.newsnet.byu.edu/. He has the Campus beat so writes about the different club and organizations. The YA's are also busy getting ready to perform at Homecoming Spectacular. Still no dates for Clark..... Thanks to Emily for inviting them over to watch the BYU game and feeding them!

For those who may want to enjoy a little English Team Time - these scones are wonderful!

Cream Scones by Louise Eddy

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. soda

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. Sugar

Mix dry ingredients

Cut into dry ingredients -

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into little pieces

Add 1/4 cup whipping cream, 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 egg.

Mix all together. This will be somewhat dry - DO NOT ADD extra moisture. Use hands to combine but don't handle too much.

Form into an 8 inch flattened circle. Coat with a small amount of cream and sprinkle with sugar (coarse sugar works great). Cut into 8 wedges and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-16 minutes.

Devonshire Cream

3 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vankilla

1/3 cup whip cream.

With hand mixer beat together well, it will thicken a bit and get fluffy. Chille one hour (I didn't and it was fine) Serve with jam or lemon curd with your scones. Enjoy! Let me know if you try it!