Why there were no brownies for dessert...

That's why.

We were so excited to have Jay, Aubrey, and Baby G over for lunch on Sunday.

Last week I tested out a recipe for Black Bean Brownies.

Since J and A are also all about trying to eat better,

 I wanted to serve a healthy dessert.

The test run got a decent review ("This just needs a scoop of ice cream on it." -Patrick ) so I decided to go ahead and add the brownies to Sunday's menu.

Sunday morning I threw the ingredients for Quinoa Chicken Chili in the crock-pot.

I had the rest of my morning planned perfectly...

I would quickly mix-up the brownie batter in my Bullet,

then shower and get ready for church while it baked.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

Twenty minutes before I needed to be at church

I was in my penguin pajamas cleaning up great globs of the bean/sugar/egg concoction

that had managed to land all over the kitchen and living room floors.

Thank goodness for my new short hair that allows to get completely ready in apx. 15 minutes.

By some miracle I made it to church on time.

Despite the absence of brownies,

we still had the wonderful benefits of black beans that the chili was loaded with.

Maybe it's a good thing the brownies never made it to the table...

both chili and brownies may have caused black bean overload!

I recommend making both recipes,

perhaps just at seperate meals. :)

One Year

On February 17, 2012 Patrick and I went on a blind date.  We had dinner at Kathmandu's and then saw our "matchmaker" Kimberly perform at the Off-Broadway Theatre in GLEEK SCHOOL MUSICAL.

Sunday marked one year of knowing each other.  Crazy, right?
Crazy because some days it feels like it was just yesterday that we met and crazy because mostly it feels like we've know each other forever.  I can't imagine life without Patrick!

Since the 17th fell on a Sunday this year, we decided to hold a two-part celebration.  Sunday night Patrick cooked a delicious dinner for our part-one.  It was his own twist on Chicken Parmesan.  I enjoyed every bite! (I also enjoyed every second relaxing in the living room after dinner because Patrick always insists on cleaning up when he cooks. So nice.)



We decided for Monday's part-two of the celebration it would only be appropriate to relive our first date!


Patrick outside of Kathmandu in SLC. It had just opened last year around the time of our first date.  We are super happy it is still open.  Restaurants tend to come and go pretty quickly these days.
This place is soooo good.  You should go!

Our server seated us at the exact same booth where we sat one year ago!  It felt like deja vu (especially because I'm almost certain that is the same shirt Patrick had on one year ago, too).

On our first date, we talked so long at the restaurant that we were late for the show! (Kim, if you read this, we are so sorry!)  The same thing almost happened again this year.  This was the best photo we could get due to being short on time.

Guess what?  I had almost given up on blind dates.  I'm so, so happy I agreed to go on one last one! I cannot wait to see what our second year together brings!

Adventures in Babysitting

Once upon a time,

Patrick & I babysat my boss' two children.

The daughter tripped while running around the apartment,

landed on her face, and got a bloody nose.

She blamed Patrick.

Even though it wasn't his fault,

I thought he might be traumatized from the experience

and never want to babysit again,

or even worse, ever have kids.

*Sigh of relief.*

We still plan to have kids one day.

And Patrick agreed to help me babysit Baby G last Saturday.

These boys are buddies.  They had fun walking around and around our little apartment, blowing bubbles during G's bath time, and playing with my (decorative! eek!) owl.

When bedtime approached,

the fun ended.

We do not have Jay and Aubrey's skillz

and Baby G was not loving us so much.

There were some alligator tears.

We felt so bad for the little guy!

I don't know who was more traumatized,

Patrick or Grant.

We have a much, much deeper respect for

his amazing parents.

*Sigh of relief.*

We still plan to have kids one day (but not too soon).

Patrick and I will still babysit your children,

if you still have confidence in our child-tending abilities
after reading this post!

Game Review: Sleeping Queens

My family loves games.  Growing up, Sunday night usually included at least one game.  Nowadays whenever the family gets together we always try to get one going.  I have been working on getting Patrick hooked on games and I think my plan has succeeded!  The other day he said how much he now enjoys playing games.  We are working on building our collection and wanted to share our latest addition: Sleeping Queens.

Patrick's Grandma, Dyan, introduced us to Sleeping Queens.  A queen is similar to a princess so how could I not love this game?!  In the words of Patrick, "It is simple, yet compelling."

A little girl came up with the game one night when she couldn't sleep.  She told her parents the next morning about her ideas and they thought it sounded like fun and helped to make the game a reality.



I wish you could see the illustrations on the game cards.  They are absolutely wonderful and my favorite part about the game.  If I ever write a children's book I want this artist to help me out!

Well, I think the reason Patrick now likes games is because he always wins!  I am super competitive and do not like losing but I'm trying to be a better sport.

 Look at Patrick basking in the glory of his victory!

If you want to try out the game for yourselves come on over and have a game night with us.  Or, if our review convinced you of the greatness of this game, you can purchase it at your local Deseret Bookstore.

Princessing

Last weekend I had four princess events.  That is a record for me!  I loved every minute of it (except for wearing a mermaid costume in a snowstorm but that's not the point).  Princessing is just about my favorite thing ever!  It is hard to make others fully understand how much I love it without them experiencing a party for themselves.  I always wish I could invite people along to my parties!

One of my princess commitments was an appearance as Cinderella at a Daddy/Daughter Ball.  I asked Patrick if he wanted to be my chauffeur and then discretely hang out at the dance and he said yes!  I was so happy that I had the opportunity to share with him just how fun my job is!  I think seeing all those dads and their daughters melted his heart just a bit.  Patrick says if we have a little girl he will definitely take her to a dance.  So sweet!

He's handsome. He's charming. The search for a prince of my own is over!

Patrick has new bragging rights... he can now say he has kissed a princess and a mermaid! ;)

Patrick & Baby G

When Patrick and I got married he became a husband, a son-in-law, and an UNCLE!  I have two nephews and one niece who Patrick inherited as part of the whole marriage package.

Patrick always gets excited in anticipation of seeing Baby Grant.  Really, how could you not?  He is the sweetest and most beautiful little boy.  When we went to visit Jay and Aubrey last time, Grant was already asleep and Patrick was so disappointed.  He made sure to get in some cuddle time when we saw Grant last Saturday at Grandpa's funeral.

Those are two handsome boys!

Montana Jensens- We can't wait to visit you so Patrick can get to know all of you better.  Hopefully this summer!

William Ray Jensen

William Ray Jensen

July 13, 1922-January 29, 2013

Grandpa Ray passed away peacefully this week after living a long and full life. I am so grateful Patrick and I could attend his services today.  I loved hearing the fond memories everyone shared about this amazing man.  What a great legacy Grandpa Ray has left behind!

Here are just a few of my favorite memories of Grandpa Ray.

• Grandpa made the most amazing wheat bread.  He showed us the best way to eat it- served in a bowl, torn into bite-sized pieces, drizzled with honey, and covered in milk.
• Later in life, Grandpa served a mission in England. In one of the cities where he served, he passed a doll shop every day.  One doll in the window looked very much like me and so he bought it and sent it to Montana.  The doll is absolutely beautiful and it was what inspired me to start collecting porcelain dolls.
• When I was 14 years old, Grandpa drove me to Phoenix so I could spend the summer at the Arizona Ballet School.  He told lots of stories during the drive and we listened to lots of country music.  I felt so lucky to have been able to go on a trip just me and Grandpa Ray.
• I thought Grandpa Ray would always stay young.  I remember him going walking every single morning.  He said being active is was his secret to not growing old.
• Grandpa Ray and I both loved to dance.  Whenever I'd visit, we would dance in the kitchen in our socks.  He taught me to two-step and waltz.  

I am so happy that Grandpa Ray and his sweetheart, my Grandma Faye, have been reunited at last.  I am thankful that death is not a "Good-bye" but simply a "See you later!"

*Here is the link to Grandpa Ray's obituary.