oh. so. decadent.

ok, i totally see the irony and hypocrisy in writing a post about healthy eating (2 posts ago) and then writing this post, but this is a recipe i've had people ask me to share.  i only make this to take to large gatherings - when i'm sure there will be enough people to eat the whole thing - because this dessert is just so darn rich!  if you're counting calories, this is definitely not the treat for you (fat, sugar, more fat, more sugar).  but if you're in the mood to splurge, this is called Brigadeiro Strawberry Pizza.

before i share this recipe, i should explain that brigadeiro (pronounced bree-gah-day-row) is a wildly popular brazilian treat.  every birthday party, wedding, or celebration of any kind serves up the famous richly chocolate flavored rounds covered in chocolate sprinkles.



hi.  meet the traditional brazilian brigadeiro. 

this dessert pizza recipe uses the brigadeiro recipe as a base, but i spread the mix.  the trick to making the brigadeiro is finding the right consistency.  if you undercook it, it's too runny.  if you overcook it, it's too chewy.  it is vital getting it just right, because that is the novelty of brigadeiro - the crystalized sugars melt in your mouth.  i learned how to get it right every time from a professional caterer i knew, who was kind enough to share her secret with me back when i was a teenager.  she has since passed away, and now i'm sharing the best thing she ever taught me.  so let's get to it...

Ingredients:
1 tube croissant dough (i used the pillsbury brand.  they have the croissant dough that comes pre-cut into triangles, and they also have the dough that is one long rectangular stretch.  that's the kind i used for this.  i can imagine that if i'm saying this is pizza, some people would think this should be done with pizza dough.  i'm sure pizza dough would taste just fine, but i prefer the croissant dough for it's flakiness and flavor)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 stick butter
1/2 bag (which is about 5oz.) ghirardelli's baking cocoa chips - 60% cocoa (the sweetened condensed milk is overpoweringly sweet... you will want a semi-bitter baking cocoa for this)
fresh strawberries, washed, tops removed, and sliced (using an egg slicer works great for that last step)
chocolate sprinkles (i used 'parlor perfect' by betty crocker, because they actually are made of and taste like chocolate - rather than homogenized fat, like most other brands)

these few ingredients are about to be turned into a delicious dessert

first, you work on baking the croissant

stretch dough onto the baking sheet.  roll out any areas that are uneven.
bake according to packaging instructions.

you want to make sure the dough looks evenly golden before removing from the oven. 

crispy and perfect!

place the croissant in the fridge, to cool off.  leave it there until needed.

now onto the brigadeiro:

put sweetened condensed milk, butter, and chocolate in heavy sauce pan over MEDIUM-LOW heat

mix your ingredients continuously, so you will avoid burning the sugar (contained in the sweetened condensed milk)

the mix will start to bubble up...

but you will still notice the butter is still not yet absorbed into the mix all the way
(the edges of the mix are still shiny and have excess of butter on the surface)...



...and the mix is still rather runny at this phase.  keep on stirring...

 as the mix progressively boils, you will notice that the sugar in the mix will be cooking underneath...
when you stir the mix it will look like it's 'crusting' from beneath
{click on the image to have a better look at what i'm referring to}
this is the beginning of the crystalization process that will make this brigadeiro
the perfect consistency.
keep on mixing!

you will notice the mix getting thicker, and becoming homogeneous

finally... THIS IS THE CONSISTENCY YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
it usually takes about 10-15 minutes to get to this point.
but as the mix boils thicker, you should tilt the pot every few seconds.  this is when you know
the brigadeiro is ready:
when the mix no longer sticks to the bottom of the pot once you tilt it.
instead, it slowly slides down together, like a blob. 
once you see that, let it cook for no more than 1 minute. 
if you overcook brigadeiro the mix becomes hardened once cooled off, and the brigadeiro is ruined.

remove croissant from the fridge, and spread the brigadeiro over the croissant. 
make sure it's a thick layer.



add the chocolate sprinkles



then add the sliced strawberries.
i like to push them into the chocolate when i place them on top.
it infuses the chocolate with a stronger fresh flavor of strawberries.
mmm... delicia!!! :)
(important: refrigerate until serving!)

now go sink your teeth into this indulgence.  Bom Apetite!

pras minhas amigas do Brasil {to my brazilian friends}

meninas aqui vão cupcake toppers, perfeitos pra qualquer atividade das moças.  eh so baixar o arquivo provido nos links abaixo, abrir e imprimir em papel kodak ou cartao {cortem a imagem, e colem com durex num palito pra espetar no topo do cupcake, como toque decorativo final}.

para abelhinhas, clique aqui
para meninas moças, clique aqui
para lauréis, clique aqui

abaixo estao fotos pra vcs verem o design dos toppers antes de baixarem o arquivo.  clique na imagem para ver em tamanho maior.  espero que curtam!


{sorry...this post is especially dedicated to my brazilian friends.  the church has limited resources in brazil, and i just helped a friend out by making some cupcake toppers for the YW.  i figured other people may be able to use it, too, so i'm sharing the links with the location of the files, for free download.  i'll blog again, soon!}

acorn squash salad

i recently watched the documentary 'forks over knives'.  life changing.  seriously.  if you haven't watched it, they have it on netflix, and hulu+ and you can live stream it in case you're curious.

{side note: if you're mormon, as soon as you're done watching this documentary go ahead and read d&c 89.  it's chilling.  this documentary is all there, in fewer words.  we've known it all along.  and we're great at avoiding what we shouldn't do, but we absolutely fail at what we should do.  insane}

at any rate, it was because of this documentary that i have, for the last month or so, readjusted my diet.  the only thing i did not do was cut fish out of my diet, like they suggest.  i figure if Jesus ate fish, i'm okay eating fish.  but i'm off red meats, processed foods, and sugar (i get my sugars from fruits and veggies).

i was already eating pretty healthy.  so i didn't have to make that many changes, which has made this transition very easy for me.  i know i could not go from regularly eating sweets, frozen foods and red meat to a nearly vegan diet.  so i'm glad i've been transitioning to a healthier path for the last few years.  

if there's one thing i've learned from changing eating habits is that food is like obeying God's commandments.  the more obedient you are, the easier it gets because you earn a conviction of that principle.  so you become more sensitive to what's bad, and you reject it.  do you have moments of weakness?  yes.  but you refocus, and overcome.  on the other hand, the more you sin, the more you loose your sensitivity to what's bad, until you get to a point where you don't even recognize that as sin anymore.  it becomes the normal thing, the totally acceptable thing, and you don't see the damage it's causing you.  some times, when people have a sober moment they realize how far they've let themselves go... some people loose hope, and believe they're so far gone, they're beyond salvation, so they might as well feast on...   well, with food is the same.

the healthier you eat, the healthier you will crave to eat, because you earn a conviction of how those choices have changed you for the better -- and feel sick when you're exposed to junk.  the same is true to the opposite side of the spectrum... the crappier you eat, the crappier kinds of food you will crave, and your body will get used to that -- the only difference is, when you're eating gross you will think your lazy, unmotivated self is your 'normal' stage, and you simply get used to that.  you will be completely blind to the fact that you could feel like a million bucks, and you'll chalk it up to stress, a busy life, aging, you name it.  and too many think they're too fat to loose weight.  i've been there, and i've pulled myself out of that miserable state.  if i can, anyone can.  

real quickly, this is why acorn squash is an awesome thing to eat...

• one serving or one cup of acorn squash contains 145% of the daily recommended requirements for Vitamin A
• it also contains: vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folic acid, and omega 3 fatty acids
• good source of fiber
• contains phytonutrients, which is believed by many researchers to help cure cancer
• contains beta carotene, which protects from lung cancer, heart disease, and colon cancer.

so enough with the chatter, and on to a delicious recipe that is a step in a healthy direction...

ACORN SQUASH SALAD
{serves 4}

1 acorn squash

4 sprigs italian parsley, chopped

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt, or salt to taste

that's it!  here's the how to: 

pick your squash... the yellow spots basically tell you they are getting ripe. i like mine with a little yellow, but not too much, because those get mushed after cooked.

also... the more yellow you see, the more beta carotene that squash  will have

wash your squash, cut off the ends, and slice them in half.  they are hard, so make sure you use a strong, sharp blade

scoop out the seeds from the middle.  i used a melon baller.

cut the squash into smaller chunks, for fast cooking

boil in small pot for about 7-10 minutes.  you want it to be cooked throughout, but not too soft, or your salad will get soggy.

a good indication that your squash is ready is when it's coloration is yellow.

rinse squash under cold water; it will help maintain it's shape and it will also help cool it off so you can handle it for the next step: using a pairing knife, remove the green skin, then cut it into 1" cubes.

add vinegar, olive oil and salt.  fold well.  sprinkle chopped italian parsley over the top, and fold well again.  put in fridge for an hour.  this will allow the squash to absorb the flavors, and it will cool it off entirely as well.

serve it cold.  

voila!

this salad goes well with plenty of dishes, but i personally love eating this with ceviche... {that's a recipe for another time, though}

bon apetit! :)

the narrows @ zion national park

so scott had told me {in april} that he wanted to cross something off his bucket list.  a hike up the narrows, at zion national park. i have certain physical activity limitations due to my many knee problems {namely, an almost complete lack of cartilage, which makes my knees sound like a bag of crunching metal when i walk.  it's quite nasty, but i'm working out to strengthen the muscles around my knees, and i take huge amounts of glucosamine}.  but regardless the daily intense pain i deal with to move around {drama, drama}, i really do love the outdoors.  ironically, my favorite is biking, which some people might think is bad for my pathetic knees, but i don't feel much pain while biking.  i absolutely love the feeling of the wind as i speed, so i think that thrill helps me cope with the pain, and i do go on bike rides whenever i can {which is whenever i have free time. translation: not as often as i'd like}.

but back to the narrows project... he just sort of mentioned it, wondering if i thought a hike would be too hard on my knees, but i told him i wanted to go.  so he said he wanted to do it either by the end of may, or beginning of june.  then we didn't talk about it anymore.  

i then dismissed it, thinking it was just wishful thinking.  he's usually insanely busy, and even when we go on vacation he brings his laptop to work on any given number of projects.  

but then he told me he wanted to invite the kofoeds {neighbors and close friends of ours} to come along.  so one more layer got added to this idea.  i was curious now to see if this plan was really going to materialize. 

a few days later i asked scott about the plan, and he told me he and ryan were talking about it.  {i don't know about other women, but in the world i live in 'talking about it' is code for 'that ain't going nowhere'}

however on thursday, may 31st, i got an email from scott {a little context: i married a geek, whose best method of thorough communication is via email, where he can put things on a list or spreadsheet.  no, i am never offended by it.  i've learned to happily embrace how he does things}.  the email was a list of items we needed to get, and things we needed to do so we could go on our, now impromptu, hiking trip. i say impromptu because the email said we would be leaving on friday, june 1st, the next day.  lol.  yeah, i did laugh when i saw that email.  i was thinking someone was out of their mind.  we had no camelpaks, no water hiking shoes, no rash guards, no hotel reservations, no one to watch the dogs, and no time to get ready to leave so soon.  that evening the kofoeds came over at 10:30pm so we could hash out the details of the trip that was supposed to happen the next day.  we laughed hysterically at our willingness to take on this last minute adventure and decided we should reserve the hotel rooms, so there was no backing out.  we were going to do this thing! {wow, and as i type this, i am realizing more and more how irresponsible we all come across!}

this was the Big Plan:  bethany and i would pack in the morning, then do all the shopping and hopefully be done by 3pm {we're deliriously ambitious}.  of course, we took longer packing and figuring out snacks, so it turned out that we only hit the stores in the afternoon... it was a hilarious mad dash trying to buy everything for her 4 kids and my 2 kids, plus our husbands.  we took forever trying on shoes, because we really had no idea how harsh the hike would be, and we wanted to feel as comfortable as possible...plus we got side tracked when we saw the awesome heals dsw had on sale, but that's not relevant.  :)

meanwhile ryan picked scott up from work around 4 pm, then they went to get camelpaks, and their water shoes... with all of this, it was 7:30pm by the time we hit the road. 

off we went to hurricane, where we were lodging.  we only made one stop, in fillmore, and we got to hurricane a little after 11:30 pm.  great time, if you ask me!  

when we took all of our things inside the hotel i realized something was missing.  my purse.  i had left it behind, in fillmore, where we had stopped for gas! i couldn't believe i did that, but being in the hurry we were, i was just glad it was my purse - and not a child - i had left behind.  {the purse incident had a very happy ending.  i was able to cancel my cards that same night, so the only thing i cared to get back was my i.d.  when we drove back i stopped by and was able to retrieve my purse, which was actually still there, and still with everything in it! so, a woot woot for the honest people of that chevron in fillmore! \0/}

the next morning we got up, had breakfast, and made a quick stop at the walmart... the poor kofoeds had forgotten their baby backpack, and needed something to carry little tyler in.  see...right about now, i know many people who would be feeling discouraged and frustrated, even cranky.  but we decided we were going to have a good time, no matter what, darn it!  so we were all just taking our hurried preparation as lightly as we could manage, thinking about all the funny stories we'd be able to tell in the future because of this crazy trip. 

we finally made it to zion national park, into the bus and up the canyon... and wow.  what an amazing place.  i was overwhelmed.  that's really the only word i can describe the feeling i had as i saw the magnitude of the natural beauty of that place.  man, i felt so insignificant.  those canyon walls are unbelievable!  and the trees growing in the canyon... i mean, amazing.  just amazing.  

scott and i goofing off in the bus

the bus dropped us off at the temple of sinawava, where the hike begins.  there is a trail that follows the river for about 1 mile, and it was populated with darling squirrels that looked absolutely adorable begging for food, but that turn nasty the second you refuse to feed them.  {we almost had one jump on katie, after noticing she had a bag of pretzel crisps with her... sneaky little critters!}

don't trust this cute face

kids minus little tyler, on the riverside mile hike

view along the riverside.  if i were an atheist i would have become a believer after
seeing this place.  there's an incredible feeling at this park.  it's nature saying:
'we're not an accident'.

once you reach the end of riverside walk the real fun begins... we entered the river, and started treading up, against the current.  the kids were having a BLAST!  and, full disclosure, i was having even more fun.  we didn't go very far, but we saw plenty of breathtaking nature at the bottom of that canyon.  i was completely taken by the place, and i tried my best to photograph what i saw.  unfortunately my slr camera is just too snobbishly posh to survive this sort of adventure, so i used scott's phone to take pictures, which i quickly realized was a lame way to record this event... that was the one thing we forgot to purchase: a waterproof, shockproof camera.  it's on our list for the next time we go.  and yes, there will be a next time.  :)

venturing into the river... kids treading through mystery waterfall

they totally got a kick of every little nook and cranny they could play hideaway in

canyon monkeys

katie, scott and livia continuing deeper into the narrows.
the rest of our group stayed behind
{except for me, who also came along, and was the one behind the camera}

us at the narrows

granola clarisse and sporty scott

when you see that person {center} looking up, you gain a small perspective of
the grandeur of the canyon walls.

the river snakes around the canyon, and there's more and more
beauty with every turn.

one of my favorite spots.  this was at one of the turns of the river.
this was the spot where i realized this
beauty just went on and on.  so i took a picture because i wanted to remember
exactly where i knelt and prayed to thank my Father
for the gift of being there.

mystery falls

that person in the pink shirt is livia.  people look like little ants in this place
{insert zoolander joke here}

khombu river shoes + athletic tape = not-so-maimed feet
{i only bruised one toe, and it was because i tried to cross
the current in a hurry at some point}

zion adventure company specializes in providing rental
equipment so people can hike the narrows more easily
{note to self, rent their canyoneering shoes next time}
this was the info they had on the narrows hike the day we went:
70% of the hike is in water that is knee to waist deep;
the temperature of the water was 58 F that day;
40% of the hike is in the sun, but the day was super hot {100 F}
so we were cooled off in the canyon.
conditions were perfect!

the infamous spontaneous quartet: us and the kofoeds

all hallows eve 2011 edition

yikes, it's been forever since i've posted here!  life's been so super busy, so i haven't had the time to sit and write about what's going on.  but then halloween rolls in and we have to post pics.  :)

our family loves halloween.  okay, me and my kids LOVE halloween.  scott is a good sport and lets us drag him along for the ride.  it's always impossible to get him to participate and wear a costume, so i took the opportunity when he actually suggested a costume for us.  so i put it together, and ta-da, this year he dressed up!  we were characters from plants vs zombies (the ubber popular computer game and app by popcap).

we showed up at this halloween party and the kids went crazy!  this one little girl couldn't get over how cool our costumes were and wanted pictures with us.  it was so fun to be able to dress up and go out together... i hope scott enjoyed it just as much as i did, so we can repeat it again next year.

forget me not

this was the first year (out of the last 10) that i didn't go to the conference center for the relief society general meeting.  i had just returned from extended stay in arizona, so i had to unpack, do laundry, prepare the relief society lesson, etc...

i was bummed out for not going, because being there and walking around downtown with that army of women is just downright freaking awesome!  you get to see our strength in numbers, and you feel stronger because it's so evident you're not alone in your cause.  :)

but this year i laid low, stayed home catching up and watched conference on my laptop.  i'm glad i did.  i was able to really ponder about the words that were spoken after the meeting was over.  

the talks by the relief society general presidency were all great, but can i get a woot woot for president uchtdorf?!?  he. is. incredible.  every time he speaks to us women it's like he knows us so well.  three years ago he spoke about our need to be creative, and i felt that that message had been directly written to me.  it came at a time of deep inner search, and it changed my life.  he explains things in a way that opens my understanding to who i am as a daughter of God, and gives me assertion of my importance and value.   

his message this time was about not feeling forgotten, and it hit me hard just like his last talk.  i'm so deeply grateful for him, his wisdom, love and respect for us as daughters of our Heavenly Father.

fun in the scorching sun

what was originally a "quick" trip turned into a one week stay, then into a two week stay, and now i'm contemplating staying 2 1/2 weeks.  who knows, maybe i won't drive back home and i'll just start living in az again! LOL

we've lived in utah for the past decade, but every time i come to az to visit i get this feeling that this is my place.  i just love it here.  yes, it's insanely hot, but somehow i still like it.  i come to az regularly because my parents live here, and this time we had an extra special reason to come down.  a family reunion, celebrating 40 years of my mom's family's baptism into the church.

Here's a quick overview of the events of this trip, so far...

First things first... We quickly stopped at the Moqui Caves (still in Utah) on the way down.  We've always wanted to check that place out, but it was never open! We lucked out this time, and decided to take the extra hour break to look around and explore that incredible space.  The kids' favorite part was to see the dinossaur tracks they have in there, and the glow in the dark mineral rocks... so cool! :)

is this awesome or what! 

Once in AZ our first commitment was the reunion we had so much looked forward to.  We gathered with family and friends at the Brazilian Bull Steakhouse, and talked about the connections  we've had throughout the last 4 decades.  So, so many, and so many blessings have come from the friendship we've maintained with our family's missionary.  It was a-ma-zing, and so gratifying to be able to look back and see all the many ways we've enriched our lives because of the love we have for our Heavenly Father.  A truly unforgettable event.

{pictures coming soon!} 

That same evening Scott and I headed down to Ben Drake's wedding, in Tucson.  He looked so handsome and happy... we were so honored to be a part of his wedding day!

Dollar dance with the groom

And the next morning we were back to be present at my nephew's blessing.  We had another family gathering -- because we love good food and laughter like that.  :)

a 4 generation picture with our missionary -- we're so blessed!

Monday we were off to Salt River to celebrate a cool labor day by the water, with Scott's brother and his wife.  What a gorgeous place; we loved being there!

on the hiking trail at Salt River

Scott's brother and his "catch"...I know, it looks more like bait! lol :)

Scuba Jonah looking for "cool rocks" to add to his collection.  he did awesome! 

with my awesome sis-in-law, Amy

the girl cousins playing in the river

We spent the rest of the week swimming and hanging out.  I really can't think of anything else I'd rather do than swim when it's 113 outside!  :-P

So as one can quickly see, the greatest thing about kids is how little they need to be happy.  Here's yet another exhibit: Chandler Fashion Mall has a LEGO store.  $15 for a bucket full of pieces of your choosing.  Seriously?!?  Utah needs a LEGO store!!!  But while we don't get one, the kids had a blast going to the store they have in AZ.  It's impossible to describe Jonah's excitement when he saw the place, so I won't.

LEGOs from wall to wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  8D

Then our plans changed again, and we had to head out to San Diego.  We're on such a tight a budget, but you don't need money to have fun when you have the beach! :)  We went to Pacific Beach, and when I got there I realized how much I miss the ocean...  wow, I miss it so much it hurts.  I tell Scott... that's the one thing I gave up when I moved from Brazil that I so wish I could have nearby again.  The ocean is my inner peaceful point of reference; it makes me whole.

my therapy

livia thought it was hilarious to dump sand on jonah's head.  jonah, not so much... 

got to teach livia how to body surf!
now we just need to come back more often so she can practice  :)

with my buddy jonah.  he loved loved loved the beach! :)

jonah playing along and pretending to be desperate
to get out of the sand trap Scott put him in

i just love this shot.  :)

My sister and her husband and kids had also gone to San Diego, so the husbands headed back to Utah while the wives and kids decided to stay behind.  My sister and I then headed back to AZ for another week or two of fun in the scorching sun.  What a perfect way to wrap up this summer!  :)