Runs in the family

This is Bryan's favorite picture from our Disneyland trip.  He looks normal, Jilly looks disinterested (don't let her expression fool you, she was lovin  it,) and I look like this is the single greatest moment of my life.

I was looking through old facebook pictures and, what do you know, Dumbo excitement runs in the family.  This is my sister Katie on the ride a few years ago.

We Andersons love that Dumbo!

Friday Five

5 things Jilly loves these days:

1. The nursery manual.  I often find her flipping through looking for all the pictures of babies and Jesus.

2. Animals. We practice animal noises all the time and she can do a dog, cat, tiger/lion/cougar/bear, fish, monkey, snake, bird, duck, chicken, rooster, pig, horse, and cow.  She also makes a fantastic daddy noise (a grunt) and mommy noise (shh)

3. Fruit Snacks.  In our house they're simply called "nacks" and next to cheese they are the most requested food.

4.  Minnie Mouse.  In preparation for our Disney trip we got a few Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVDs from the library and she is now obsessed.  She has two Minnie dolls and she always sleeps with one or both.

5.  Keys.  Every time she sees a lock she begs for the keys so she can try to fit them in.  This makes leaving the house and getting in the car a lengthy process.

Bucket List Revisited

I guess since Labor Day has come and gone the Summer is over.  Hard to believe since around here it won't cool off until mid-October and none of us are starting school.  Nonetheless, here is my report on our summer bucket list.

Make Homemade Ice Cream: check, we made mint ice cream on the 4th of July

Roast S'mores: check, on our campout and while we were in Park City

Read 100 Books: check, this was probably the easiest since we read Jilly at least 5 books a day

Watch a movie outside: this one didn't exactly happen; we were going to watch a movie outside at my cousins' cabin in Utah but we decided to head home since it was getting late.  We did watch Fantasmic at Disneyland, so that will have to count.

Go to the beach: check, we went to Santa Cruz, Dillon Beach, and Virginia Beach

Swim in a lake: check, when we went camping, it was freezing

Bike in Downieville: check, Bryan took a biking trip while we were in VA

Watch all of "24": apparently I didn't realize how many seasons there are.  We've completed 3 seasons and will definitely finish the rest of them some day

Go on a date without Jilly: check, we went to see The Dark Knight Rises while Bryan's parents watched Jilly and another time we went out to eat and got a real babysitter for the Jilster

Camp Outside: check

Watch Fireworks: check, 4th of July and Disneyland

Visit VA and UT: check and check

Watch a Parade: check, Orangevale Parade and 4th of July

Jilly's first canoe ride: check, camping trip

Football Cookies

Last week our friends invited us over to have dinner and watch the BYU football game.  I said that I would bring dessert, remembering this pin that I never got around to making last year.  When I looked back at the pin it involved a little more work than I was willing to put forth.  So I modified and made my own football cookies.

Cookies-
1 box of chocolate cake mix (chocolate fudge is my favorite)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together.  The dough is pretty sticky so I sprayed my hands with Pam before I shaped the cookies.  Roll the dough into small football-ish shapes.  Cook at 350 for 10 minutes.

They'll look like this when done- not perfect football shapes but good enough for me.

Frosting-
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 tbl softened butter

Mix ingredients until creamy.  Assemble cookie sandwiches with frosting in the middle.  Put extra frosting in a baggie and cut the tip off to make the stitches (obviously, mine are very imperfect.)  Cheer on the Cougars!

Laboring

We spent Labor Day morning busy at home.  Bryan worked on the car

and I painted.

Then Jilly woke up from her nap and informed us that Labor Day was actually a day to take a break from our labors. So we packed a picnic and headed to Folsom Lake.

I wish every day was Labor Day

five on friday

1. Last night our Cougars earned their first win of the season.  We had so much fun watching and eating with the Shurtz's.

(poor Jilly was very very tired, and a blurry picture had to do)

2.  Bryan and I started listening to the Maze Runner series on our recent drive.  I'm halfway through the second book and kind of disenchanted with the series.  Has anybody read them all?  Should I persevere?

3.  Re-watching Season One of Downton Abbey was one of my better ideas this week.  January can't come soon enough.

4. Tonight we are having our first paid babysitter for Jillian.  I'm equal parts excited and nervous.

5.  I love Ann Romney, and Mitt's not bad either.

Three Summer Recipes

I have a love/hate relationship with cooking in the summer.  I love all the fresh fruits and vegetables, but I hate wasting play time in a blazing kitchen.  These are 3 recipes that we love, and that make frequent appearances at our table.

1. Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

recipe and picture found here 

One night Bryan came home from work and declared it was the perfect night for a picnic.  I had already made this salad, and it was perfect to throw in a tupperware container and take to the park.  It was one of my favorite nights of the summer.

2. Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

recipe and picture found here

This has been one of my favorite ways to use up our basil.  I am really loving the lemon/basil combo these days.

3. Southwest Pasta Salad

recipe and picture found here 

There are a few wonderful things about this salad.  1. It has lots of vegetables,  2. It makes a lot and stores great in the fridge,  3. It's very filling; I made it for Bryan and his brothers last year before they did the Tough Mudder and they all attributed their success to me (okay, maybe not, but they did say it was the perfect pre-race meal.)