Whole Wheat Pizza

This was so good. I am telling you, the best homemade pizza dough I have ever tasted or handled. And I have experimented with plenty, trust me on that one. Never until now have I fallen in love with any of them.

I got this recipe from the beloved AllRecipes and only tweaked its baking time slightly. As far as the ingredients go, they didn't chance at all.

Here is the recipe for you all to enjoy. (with my changes included.) For the original baking times and directions, just click here.

Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Dough


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey


DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. The dough will rise while the yeast is still warm.

After the dough has rested for while, roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.

Bake in 425 degree preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown!

If you need proof, here it is.

Emily thought it was "finger-lickin" good!


Skyler kept trying to steal Emily's pizza.

The addition.

When I first walked through this house a year ago, I hated it. I suppose hate is a strong word, but I didn't want it. It wasn't an ugly house or anything, it just didn't have a pantry. Getting out of the army and being somewhere more permanent, I was on a crusade to build my food storage and have room for it. So when this was house #1 out of 11 houses we looked at in a single day, I gave it no thought. It didn't have a pantry....I didn't want it.

Turns out, we didn't fall in love with any of the other houses. So we went back to California totally stressed and worried. To make a long story short, after much prayer and answers, we KNEW this house was right for us. The big compromise?? Build our own pantry.

It took us 8 months to get to actually doing it, but it was worth the wait. The builder admits he thought we were crazy and didn't know what we were talking about when we described exactly what we wanted. Happily, he is just as pleased as we are with the results. To everybody that has seen it, it looks like it was meant to be there all along.

So here are some pictures of the process.

*warning* This post is totally boring for the non-enthusiasts.

These were the begginnings. There was no turning back.


It was looking almost finished here. They had just gotten the shelves up and it needed to be painted to match the rest of my borings walls.


The painting.


And finally the finished product (plus a super cutie that was coloring this morning when I took the picture.)


And to show how it matches the rest of our house. This is our guest bedroom that is just opposite of the pantry. The shelf on the top is what we wanted the pantry to match. (and also Gracey. Pictures are always cuter with kids in them!)


Then this is standing in the corner of my living room. That same shelf is in my living room.


From this spot you can see all 3 of those shelves and suprisingly it is more symmetrical now than before. Needless to say, I am HAPPY!

Jailbirds

Last week, Corky occupied the girls while I cooked dinner by sending them to jail!! He would handcuff them with neck-tie, toss them in the slammer, then wait for the escape and do it all over again.

Corky was a good warden, feeding them "jail food" while they were there!

(sweet, fuzzy pictures right?)

Blast from the Past!

Today, as Corky and I were doing what we could to clean out the garage, we only had a few distractions.

Please, everybody tell me they remember roller blades.

I haven't worn my rollerblades in over 6 years....and even 6 years ago the rollerblades were feeling a little "old school!

Corky was an avid roller blader throughout his teenage years and is praying for the comeback!



It was like riding a bike, you just don't forget!

I may or may not have worn my rollerblades around my house for a good hour after this while the girls napped!

A trip to the mountain.

We had a wonderful Saturday!!! I will just start with that.

We got a lot of things done around the house, prepared a picnic, then headed up the road only about 5 miles to enjoy some snow. I keep finding more and more reasons to love where we are living, or at least reasons to reaffirm that I do like it most of the time. There was still snow up in the Hualapais but it was 55 degrees and warm! Since all the picnic tables were covered we just ate in the car.

The girls had PB&J, Corky and I had tuna on whole grain. And we also had Go-Gurts! (like you care, I know....but I just want to remember for some reason.)



Then our girls went sledding until they were soaked!





And then they both threw tantrums when it was time to go. Corky and I just laughed.


It was still a really fun time!

Gracey, the protector!

This morning, after getting the girls dressed and ready for the day, I decided to put a movie on for them. They chose "Monsters Inc" for the millionth time. It is a good one.

After showering and doing my make-up, I came in to see how they were doing. I laughed out loud when I saw this.


Gracey said she was protecting Emily from the scary monsters and Emily was just laughing and laughing about it. These girls absolutely crack me up. I am so happy they are friends. (most of the time)

Gosh, I love these ladies.

They are my favorite.

(photo taken Saturday on the Las Vegas Temple Grounds)

What are the odds?

We had heavy snowfall once again here in Kingman. (And when I mean heavy, I mean 5-6 inches!) The snowstorm we had here in December pretty much happens....like, never! So to get two snowfalls in 2 months makes me think that Kingman doesn't suck so bad! While it has taken some time, I am finally relenting to the fact and admitting that I actually REALLY like it here. And the snow helps.

After the last storm I realized how unprepared I was for the girls in case of an emergency. I decided that even though we live in a desert, I need to make sure my girls have warm snow stuff every year. We are lucky to have some ski-bibs from my cousin that Gracey has been able to use, but Emily had nothing. The day after the storm, I went to Kmart and bought Emily a snowsuit that should fit her for a couple of years and got Gracey some warm mittens.

Needless to say, yesterday was TONS more fun for Emily than the last time.

Kind of makes you think "I can't put my arms down!"


Emily actually got to enjoy sledding this time. Her and Gracey went up and down that hill for an hour and a half.




Then they cried when I forced them to go home but were really hoping that they could build a snowman. So we came home, stripped in the garage and put all of our stuff in the dryer. As soon as Corky got home, we put on our snow stuff again and built a snowman.

The snow melts fast in these parts....we have to cram all the snow activities into one day. :)




Meet Norman. Or like Emily calls him "Mormon"!


While I was running the bath water, Corky was making sure the girls were nice and cozy while warming their feet. (I missed the part where he put their frozen feet on his stomach trying to warm them....maybe we should invest in some snow boots!)

Worky Work Busy Bee

I read quote this morning that said "We cannot run faster than our legs will carry." This quote was referring to cleaning a house one room at a time. I applied to my own life right now.

I have made the mistake of spreading myself pretty thin this week.

One of my new years resolutions this year was to delegate more. This week I failed miserably. Because I committed to all the things that need to be done, they will get done. They HAVE to be done. Next week I will breathe a huge sigh of relief when this weekend is over. I am trying to find the balance at the moment as far as getting the work done and playing with my kids.

Every Thursday we go to the library and today I can think of a million things that NEED to be done that I CAN'T do when I am just sitting there....but library time is important to me and my children. Which one do you think will win? Of course the library time with my girls will win, it will just come at a cost. It means I will be scrambling during the girl's naptime today to etiher sew a blanket (that needs to be done by Saturday), work on sharing time, work on invitations, work on Valentine's Day cards, call the insurance company, call our satellite company, or prepare a talk on the Holy Ghost for a baptism for an 11 year old boy this Saturday.

All these things are important to me, I can't just NOT do some of them. But I don't want to spread myself so thin that I fail at ALL of them.

So after this weekend, I am going to try to remember that I cannot run faster than my legs will carry me. In order to maintain a happy home and a happy self, I need to know my limits.

Welcome Whipples...to the 21st century!

Corky and I have been going through our monthly payments of things recently and finding ways to "trim the fat!" One way we looked into was our DirecTV bill. We had no complaints really, we loved all the channels and the service seemed okay, but we looked into its competitors to compare prices. Lo and behold, DishNetwork's monthly plan included HD, DVR, AND was $20 less than what we were paying without all of that with DirecTV.

Corky is excited about High Definition.

I am excited about DVR.

Do you have any idea how long it has been since I watched Oprah? Now I can record Regis and Kelly and watch it after lunch while I fold clothes and my girls nap. Or now we can DVR shows like "The Office," "Lost," and "Chuck" that Corky and I usually miss in order to exercise. Now we don't have to cram around our 15 inch computer screen the next day to catch up with our favorite shows on the internet.

And best of all, it is $20 less than what we have been paying. (did I already say that?)

Hey Losties!

Can you believe the premiere is finally here? I can't wait...except I have to. I had a serious moral dilemna last night when I remembered that Enrichment was tonight, the same night as the premiere that we have been waiting for. My good concious won the battle and I will be attending Enrichment. It only happens every 3 months and this is seriously one of the ONLY chances I have to mingle with ladies in Relief Society. So Corky and I will be watching LOST on the internet tomorrow. (hopefully)

So here is my request, all you fanatics that I have exchanged text messages with while watching the show before....no texting me tonight! I love you but I don't want any spoilers.

Thanks a million!

Secondhand Serenade!!

Friday night, Corky and I met up with my sister, brother, and their spouses in Las Vegas for the Secondhand Serenade concert. If you know me really well and have spent lots of time with me in the last year or so, you will know I have quite the obsession with Secondhand Serenade. Something about all the songs that he writes always get to me. I have been a huge fan for a couple of years, before he was signed big or had any songs playing mainstream. (That just proves that I used to browse myspace for new music all the time! I am so cool, right?)

Corky and I were going to go to the concert in Vegas last month but it was cancelled only 3 days prior. I was quite bummed. So when I found out the new tour dates and the first stop was in Las Vegas, we jumped on it. Oh yeah, Corky is a fan too. Not obsessed like his lovely wife, but he listens to the music, plays the songs on the guitar, etc. etc. My friend Heather W. knows my obsession and heard about the concert. I didn't even have to try to find someone to watch the girls, she called me up and said she'd watch the kiddos. Everything was just coming together.

On our drive to Las Vegas I was so excited! I told Corky that all my dreams were coming true. I felt like a little kid on Christmas. I hadn't been this excited in a long time.

One of our conversations on the way,
Me- "I am going to tell you something, but you can't laugh."
Corky- "uh, okay. Right!"
Me- "I am so excited for this concert, I am on the verge of tears. I said not to laugh, but I know you will but it still felt good to get that off my chest!"
Corky- "How am I not supposed to laugh at you for that?"

I didn't even care, nor did I really cry. On to the concert. It was SO FUN!!!! It was at the House of Blues, standing only, and only about 2,000 people, if even that. We worked our way to the middle and had a really great view of the concert. The first band was Rookie of the Year. They were pretty good, but we had just gotten in when they were playing so we weren't totally into it quite yet. The next band was "The White Tie Affair and they were a blast! Very entertaining and totally good! They made instant fans out of all of us. The next was Meg & Dia. They were good, but not nearly as entertaining as the White Tie Affair. Can't deny the talent though.

Now don't laugh (though I know you will) I am finally admitting openly that there is something about those Emo boys in their skinny jeans that I really like, but only if they are in a band. They HAVE to be in a band. If they aren't in a band....eeewwww!

Then it was on to Secondhand Serenade! I felt like a little girl. I was SO EXCITED!! I should add, I am not obsessed with him (John Vesely, the lead singer and the guy who writes all the songs) I am in love with his songs, his music, and the talent. He did not disappoint! He sang my favorite songs from his new album and some of my favorite from his old album. It was such a fun set, I really didn't want it to end. It did of course end all too soon. I could have stayed for hours. I snuck in my camera and snapped some pictures.
After the show, most of the bands were hanging out at the merchandise tables so we got some pictures there. The dark haired guy making the funny face was the guitarist for White Tie Affair. He was really fun to watch on stage and seemed to have a fun personality. Meeting him was fun but I sure am glad he's not my husband. He was super flirty (with everybody...I am not flattering myself by thinking he was with just me) and seemed to be all about the ladies. The longer haired guy was the guitarist/piano player for Secondhand Serenade. In fact, his name is Luke Vesely, John Vesely's (lead singer) brother. He was really nice and I made sure to compliment on how talented he was on the piano instead of saying "I think your brother is the bomb!"
Now every bit of pride in me is telling me to NOT post this video, only because you can hear my hideous singing voice the entire time and I am so embarrassed! I couldn't hear myself singing because it was so loud in there, I didn't even think that the camera would pick it up. (I am so stupid...but I was in the moment!) In my defense, I had been singing and yelling for over 2 1/2 hours at this point. I still sound awful. Thanks to this video, I now have a serious complex. But the song was just too good to not share! And you can also see how close we were to the stage.

Emily in 16 years?

We now know who Emily looks like, she looks like my little sister Markie.

We watched a few home videos of my younger years and saw Markie at about 22 months old. Corky doesn't see it nearly as much as I do, but I felt I was watching videos of Emily.

Here's Emily at the television posing while Markie on pause!


And Markie now.


And I thank Skyler for this post idea! After I took the picture he said "For the blog!" (making fun of me of course) I really intended to just email the picture to Markie, but Skyler just has the best ideas!!!!

How old are we?

For Christmas, Gracey got a scooter and has loved everything about it. It wasn't until we visited St. George that we found our appreciation for it also.

The object of the game: To make it around my mom's kitchen "island" thing (sharp corner and all) with only one step to push you. Of course Corky, Dallas, and Skyler were the best...Dallas I think being the winner of the night.

The next morning, Gracey asked "Last night after I went to bed, were you guys playing with my scooter?" We were guilty!

The funnest park!

While in St. George for a couple of days for New Year's, my brother, Dallas, suggested a newer park in Green Valley. He said it was a great park for little and big kids, and it did not disappoint! It had us all playing and laughing, and it was so crowded. It is obviously a huge hit for all ages!

Don't miss the video at the very bottom! It's hilarious!

This is how I feel.

A few months ago I was wasting time and blog browsing some of my friend's links when I came across Dooce for the first time. While I don't read her blog religiously, I will admit that she is a funny lady. Anyway, it just so happened I came across her blog on a day she posted a video. I thought it was hilarious and even have video of my girls mimicking it.

Let's just say, this video illustrates exactly how I am feeling right now going into day 5 of the P90X program.

Click here for the hilarious cookie video!

Emily is 2!

This is quite late, forgive me.

This year I have been mentioning best days of my life. My wedding
being my first best day, Gracey's birthbeing the second, and now Emily being the third. I am a lucky woman to have so many "best days of my life!"

This little queen came into our lives December 27th, 2006 and even the morning going into the hospital, I couldn't imagine the joy another little child could bring.

She is mostly a silent observer of all things but as she grows, she becomes more talkative, outgoing, and funny as heck!! She has to walk along, climb over, and jump off of every curb or obstacle that is along her path, even if it not along the way for me!

We celebrated her fun day with her favorite dinner of pizza. This little lady can slam down 2 slices of it, she loves it.

She blew out the candles of her cupcakes...

and opened her presents. She has lately had an obsession with Mickey Mouse and was so excited to open her new bedtime buddy.

Happy 2 Years to Emily. We love you having to you laugh with and love on every single day.