yes, it snowed (part deux)

There is no better small pleasure in life than pulling something out of the freezer you made weeks ago (ahem, Dalene's chicken pot pie) and smugly knowing that you don't have to do anything other than let it defrost and pop it in the oven for an hour and then bam, warm, delicious, dinner at your service.  I'm going to go ahead and pat meself on the back for that one.  Today I am a meal-time ninja.

Since it's snowing the most wet snow I've ever seen, like ever, I thought I'd go ahead and make good on my promise for pictures from the snowapalooza a week ago at my parent's house.  You can stop using your imagination now because HERE'S THE REAL THING, get excited.  Especially since it's doing the same thing again today down there and the power is out again, golf clap to their power company for superior reliability and service.   

have fun shoveling Dad

yes, it snowed

I and my offspring have been in the land of Sanpete for the last two days.  We drove through a snowstorm to get here, don't worry.  I am basically the Dale Earnhardt of snow driving thanks to my Wyoming upbringing.  If I wanted to, I could drive a rear wheel drive car through a blizzard while texting blindfolded.  But you know, I didn't want to be a showoff so instead I put Blazey in AWD, and took it about 45.  2 hours later we made it just fine, only to be socked in deep, real deep.  It snowed, and it snowed, and then it snowed some more.  At noon today we measured 22 inches, there's probably another half a foot out there on top of that.  So my dad shoveled, and plowed, and shoveled some more, and said some bad words when he got hit on 3 different occasions by the mountain of snow sliding off their steel roof, which was sort of funny but don't tell him I said so.  OH and the power went out.  So there we were, no television, no internets, and I seriously felt like a pioneer you guys.  All I needed was to go outside and give birth in a snowdrift and the experience would have come full circle.  I am glad I can experience these things to give me a little perspective, I tell you what...

After 12 hours without power it finally came back on and we were back in business.  Except the storm knocked the satellite out of position and in spite of our efforts to coax the signal back on, no dice.  Really, it was just the icing on my dad's snow cake of a day.  Especially the part where the satellite dish company that rhymes with MirecTV said they couldn't send a repairman out until the 29th, thus furthering my theory that MirecTV is run by The Satan Corporation (TSC) because they are the purveyors LIES (and terrible customer service).  Sometime I will tell you about how a phone conversation I had with a MirecTV representative almost made me want buy a plane ticket out to Kentucky ,or wherever he was, for the sole purpose of punching him in the face, but we'll save that for another day. 

Anywho,  I'll post some pictures when I get access to a camera cable.  Until then, use your dang imagination.

The North Pole is Closer Than You Think

The Nub has been sick for going on 2 weeks now.  I won't lie, my motherly sympathy ran out about 4 days ago and I've moved on to easily annoyed and ready for this to be over.  Poor kid, how's that for double the fun?  Anyway, basically we've all been relegated to house prisoners since taking him anywhere results in sharp looks of disapproval directed my way whenever he breaks into a coughing fit, or when people get a glimpse of his perpetually runny nose.  I admit, I've been on the other side of that so whatever, we'll call it a draw.  We were supposed to go ride the train last week, but then the croup reared it's ugly head so we put it off a week.  Then he still wasn't feeling primo but we went anyway, because forcing your sick kid to participate in holiday fun always results in sweet memories they'll cherish forever.  Right.  

More like he'll recoil in fear at the very sight of Santa instead, please see exhibit A below:

 

But you know, I'm glad we went.  My parents came with us, we sang some songs, the Nub got a souvenir dreidel (irony?), I found out the North Pole is on the other side of Deer Creek Reservoir (WHO KNEW?!?!), Triple F stole the show with his festive digs, and at the end, we went to KFC.  We'll call it a success, sick kid aside.  

See, memories to cherish right there.

There's still time for you to catch a very slow ride aboard the North Pole Express, and you could have got a $5 discount had we managed to make our original ride a week ago and had I posted about it then,  but I think that offer is expired now so I bet they don't ask me back next year.

BLOGGER FAIL.  My bad.

Thanks for having us anyway Heber Valley Railroad...

TG Point Pass Winner

If you ask Paul to pick a number between 1 and 49 and he says 27 then you giveaway one fantastic Thanksgiving Point Family Pass to... (drumroll please)

Rosanova Family!  

Your tweet got you the prize, congrats!

see, twitter is good for something

I'll be contacting you shortly since you were kind enough to leave your email address

I hope you enjoy the crap out of your family pass! 

Ham and Pork, Pork and Ham

10:30 Sunday night.

I made a ham today.  I know some of you people have deep feelings about ham but as for me and myself as of today, ham was the answer.  I don't know if technically I "made" the ham seeing as how it was pre-cooked already so maybe I should say I warmed a ham instead.  I did, however, glaze it myself with a lovely sauce I gleaned from this blog I read.  I subscribe to about a million of those recipe blogs and I read them and think OH YES GET IN MY MOUTH, but ever since my friend Whitney quit blogging it's like I'm recipe despondent and haven't tried many of the other offerings out there because I would be cheating on her or something.  But today I did and it was treats all around.  Homemade Ham Glaze-get some.  I mostly made the ham so I could have ham sandwiches on rolls but then I realized I needed to make some rolls for that to happen so on tomorrow's agenda: make rolls.  

I'm carb loading for Christmas.  It's a very intense regimen, not for the faint of heart.

I ventured to the Macey's (grocery store that is) for some grocery shopping Saturday afternoon and I can't tell you what a bad idea that was.  First of all, Macey's has decided to take a hint from Costco with an effort at offering sample booths around every corner which, whatever, I like my free samples as much as the next person, but then throw in pictures with Santa in the bulk foods sections,  and people dressed up in caroling outfits belting out Christmas songs in the dairy isle, and me packing one kid strapped to me and the other in one of those stupid car grocery carts that are about 7 feet long and you've got a mild recipe for holiday grocery shopping disaster.  The old lady hater brigade was out in full force too, one barked a very annoyed EXCUSE ME after I tried bending over (not so easy with a Fatty on your front) to give the Nub a sample of pumpkin bread and effectively blocking her passing route with my abundant rear quarters, apparently I missed the memo about staying in your own lane, my bad.  It was cutthroat I tell you.  Next time I better take my Grandma for backup, the grey hairs will leave you alone if you're with one of their own.  Senior Citz can get straight loco I tell you what...  But I made it out alive with the ham in my basket and two packs of bacon to boot.  We are doing our best at casa de Verbie to keep the pork industry in business.  Anybody up for a little Hamm and Buble?  (sit through the advertisement and get to the video, it's worth it)

And on that note of disrespect, I'm out.  11 pm is basically way too late for me to be awake still.  

next up: let's talk Christmas gifts.  I want one of these so deemed "infinity scarfs" (except I would never pay $62 for a scarf, like ever).  Except I want a gray cable knitty-ish one.  Except, I already have a gray scarf, how do I break my addiction to gray?  I like that purple one though.  Maybe I need two?  Your thoughts?  Also, where do I get one of those for not anywhere near $62?  

I love it, I do

I feel weird that it's the middle of December and it's raining instead of snowing outside.  

My Nublet has been sick the past few days with croup.  Probably because we've been frequenting the play land at Chick-Fil-A at least twice a week over the last month.  They know me by name there, we're old friends.  Never having had any prior experience with croup, I think we'd like to avoid that one in the future.  Though it did make his voice sound more like a 60 year old smoker which on a 2 year old, is sort of cute.  Plus when he screams at me it sounds more like an indignant squeak instead of an ear shattering squeal.  Sick kid bonus!  Triple F has a stuffy nose too, here's hoping he manages to avoid the croup nastiness.  Maybe with the help of some boob milk magic he'll dodge that bullet.

Needless to say we've been spending a lot of time indoors, and here is where I get tender.  You guys,  I love Christmas.  It has nothing to do with the gifts, though honestly, who doesn't love a present or two?  We'll call it a side perk.  I love being shacked up with my little family, the Christmas tree in the corner,  my house smelling like pine and cinnamon and fine baked goods of course ( I've horked down 3 cookies already today).  This past month has been so full.  Random opportunities presenting themselves, tender mercies occurring left and right, I have been humbled and reminded over and over again how good I have it, how blessed I am.  My babies are beautiful, living evidence that God answers prayers, that even though some days I fail in epic proportions at my job as a wife and mother, we will always have each other and I can start again the next day with a fresh slate.  

The Christmas Spirit is real.  I feel it in grand proportions.   I wish it would last all year long, but I know it won't, so I'll take my opportunity to revel in it while it's here and I hope you do the same.  

psssst entered my Thanksgiving Point Giveaway yet?  Do it, and add a little holly to your jolly!

  

Thanksgiving Point-You Want To Go To There

Thanksgiving Point is practically in my back yard, if my back yard was 5 miles long.  We seriously go there all the time, mostly to the movie theater because it is awesome.  Did you know you can reserve your seats in advance?  Yeah.  Now when I go to another movie theater where you can't do that I feel like it's so archaic, kind of how I feel about t.v. before the DVR was invented.  Plus the cherry coke is top notch I might add, and there's my plug for the movie theater.  

But Thanksgiving Point is about so much more than my love affair with the movie theater.  Believe it or not, it's actually a non-profit foundation that got it's start in 1996 as a "gathering point for the growing communities along the Wasatch Front and throughout the state".   There's something for everyone at Thanksgiving Point whether it be the Museum of Ancient Life, the expansive gardens, the Art Institute, shopping at the Emporium, dining at Harvest or the Deli (either one is seriously tasty, trust me I speak from experience), or even taking a cooking class to improve your culinary skills, and don't even get me started on how great Farm Country is.  Our love for Farm Country is unparalleled.  It doesn't get better then some goats getting crazy over who gets to eat corn from your hand, now does it?  

TG Point invited a gaggle of us bloggers over to learn a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes.  They were generous enough to let us taste a sampling of the delicious offerings from Harvest like the Butternut Squash Soup (silky and yum)

and I don't even love shrimp but these nachos were ah-mazing, no really, 

a party in my mouth I kid you not

Their home decor and craft wizards taught us a craft that even I could do, and that's saying something because basically I'm incapable of crafting.  Like I'm missing the gene or something.  

Here's foxy Jill modeling the fruits of her crafting efforts, she's funny.  I like Jill.  

and Camille, Jill's equally foxy sister who I'm sure will love me for stealing and re-posting this picture
and look, ME!  (and baby Fatty Fat Fat)

They set us free to wander through the Emporium and I found myself coveting a grey velvet couch,  everyone needs one of those I've decided, and they even let us walk through their incredible basement of wonders and secrets.  We learned about the insane preparation process that goes into preparing the Emporium for the holidays.  Basically these people eat, sleep, and breathe Christmas 11 out of 12 months of the year.  I got tired just hearing about it.  Then we enjoyed a heated trolley ride while slurping on some hot cocoa through the holiday lights display which, I'll be honest, before hand I thought such a thing was probably going to be super lame.  Turns out it was exactly the opposite.  I can't wait to take my family.  The Nub will dig it so hard.

All of that was so cool, and then they went ahead and made it even cooler by giving me a family pass, and then another to giveaway.  The family pass grants entry to all the Thanksgiving Point attractions including the Museum of Ancient Life, the Gardens, and Farm Country, including a 10% discount on all retail and dining, 50% off admission for guests, early admission to the gardens, and $5 admission to the Mammoth Screen movies.  Come on, it's a $175 value, that's legit friends.  Seriously, I am so jazzed, yes I said jazzed, about it, and you should be too.  All you have to do is leave a comment to enter.  So go on ahead and do that and get in on the radness that is Thanksgiving Point.

You won't regret it.  I promise.

*Leave a comment to enter
*Gain one extra entry by following me on twitter @mamakalli
*Gain another entry by actually tweeting about it for a total of 3 possible entries
*Giveaway closes on Tuesday, December 14th at midnight
*this is way too complicated for my taste but whatever, let's go with it for now



p.s. I stole all these pictures from Quinn and Emily, thanks guys

p.p.s. there are a ton of other TG Point giveaways going on, go forth and enter, and up your chances.  You can find links to all my Sassy Scoops gal's giveaways HERE, and to my date for the night Whitney's HERE

p.p.p.s thanks to Thanksgiving Point for having me!

of note

A few things,

1.  all my clothes suck.  I'm thisclose to packing up shop and joining the legions of mom jean wearing loyalists.  Cameltoe here I come.  

2. growing your hair out is a ridiculous process, just be long again mmkay?  In high school when it was androgynously short and I looked something like Tina Fey does in all of her flashbacks on 30 Rock,  I said I would never chop it off again.  And true to form I grew it out long, then I chopped it, and then grew it out long, and then chopped it.  I realize it's just hair and it does eventually grow back, eventually being the key word.  This time I'm going to grow it to see how long I can really get it, like polygamous long you feel me?  Maybe if we're lucky I'll be able to sit on my own hair.  HAIR SITTER!

3.  it's almost like I've forgotten how to do everything.  I used to be a whiz at makeup and hair, maybe even a bit of a fashionista, but having kids has apparently made my skills disappear, that and my fashion budget dried up in favor of diapers and bills.  Yeah, what?  This week a few of the teenage girls from the Sunday school class Paul and I teach were at my house perusing my wedding photos and said "look how pretty you are here!", a compliment, I get it.  But man, being all postpartum squishy that just sort of makes me mournful for the good old days when it was all about me.  ME ME ME ME.  Selfish, yes, yes I am today.

4.  I have got to stop popping out babies right before the holiday season shows up.  It makes losing weight nigh unto impossible.

5.  the end

Communal Winner

I know I should take a screen shot and all that mumbo jumbo but I'm too lazy so I plugged in 1 and 28 into random.org and 5 came up so congrats and a hip hoorah to Zina at

MyImaginaryBlog  

turns out I'm not a liar, eh!

Shoot me an email at kallikverb@gmail.com and we'll get you your $25 to Communal, enjoy friend!

For the rest of you, it definitely must be Christmas up in here because I have another sweet giveaway in the next few days believe it or not.  I know, this whole channeling Oprah thing is going a bit far...

Communal Giveaway

Listen,

I need to tell you about my Saturday morning.  Sometimes people think I'm cool enough to invite me to blogger things.  Sometimes these blogger things are completely lame, sometimes they are not.  Saturday morning's blogger thing involved excellent food, and excellent company and it was certainly not lame by any standards so I'm glad I went, because it would have surely sucked to have missed out otherwise.

Let's talk Communal.  If you follow the Utah blog scene (that sounds a tad bit redonkulously self absorbed, which let's be honest, the Utah blog scene is exactly that at times which we can laugh about because we're laughing at ourselves, right?), you know about this place. You know that they are committed to fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients to create an absolutely delicious menu.  I'm no food critic.  I grew up in Wyoming people, gourmet to us is the Olive Garden.  But I get Communal, the food is filling and the flavors are diverse.  It might sound weird but you can really taste a difference when your food isn't traveling thousands of miles to get to you and that is one thing I can appreciate.

Communal is offering breakfast service now and I, along with a some other lovelies, got to give their menu a dry run.  They did not disappoint.  The food wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and yet it was.  It was breakfast, done better.

And now I will make you hungry with photos of our delicious breakfast feast courtesy of Lindsey from Cafe Johnsonia:

Steak and Clifford Farms Eggs with Salsa Verde-it was perfection I tell you, melt in your mouth

pastry of the day-Blueberry Muffins

so good I scavenged the table and took one home

Housemade Granola with Clifford Farms Honey & Winder Dairy Farms Milk as well as Greek Yogurt

felt so inspired I went home and made a batch for myself

French Toast with Apples & Maple Syrup

made from house baked bread to boot

delish

And this was just a sampling.  Trust me friends, you want to eat your breakfast at Communal.  Here's the extra fun part, I've got a $25 gift card to Communal with your name on it.  All you gots to do is leave a comment below, I'll pick a winner via random.org by Sunday, December 5th at midnight.  

In the meantime stay up to date on the latest from the Heirloom Restaurant Group HERE and on Twitter @HeirloomGroup

if you want to up your chances, here's a list of all the other Communal Giveaways, thanks for having us Chef Colton and crew!

Becky, Jenny, Susan, Lindsey, Natalie, Veeda, Kami, Kimberly, Quinn, Rachel, Hannah, and Jen 

**One comment will suffice just fine, anonymous comments will be duly ignored