Getting to Know Kelsey C

My name is: Kelsey Ann C

My favorite dinner is: Homemade pizza

My favorite dessert is: Cheesecake

My favorite flower is: Carnations

My favorite hobby is: Playing tennis or reading a good book

My favorite restaurant is: Wingers

A game I like to play is: Boggle - it's the only game where I'm guaranteed to beat AJ.

The music I listen to most is: I've been on a Fun./The Format kick lately.

My favorite thing to buy is: Clothes for AJ...I can almost double his wardrobe with every purchase.

A book I highly recommend is: The Book Thief

A movie I watch over and over is: How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days

A smell that makes me pause is: BBQ

The city I would most like to visit is: Bangkok, Thailand

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Anything that requires tennis shoes.

The best vacation I ever had was: I lived in Germany for 5 years growing up and we traveled super often. I consider that period of my life an awesome, giant vacation.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? I think I read this on several others but I would choose to be Katniss Everdeen too.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Become fluent in ASL.

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Vacuuming.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Read, close my eyes, or listen to a podcast while doing the dishes.

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? My husband, AJ, and that the Gospel is as important to him as it is to me.

What is your dream vacation? Someday me and AJ want to ride the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Hong Kong just to say we did it. I'd also take two weeks in Bali.

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Got myself married to AJ.

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?

AJ and I met on a BYU intramural water polo team beginning of last winter semester. His friend knew my roommate and invited her and any other girls she knew to join the team. I liked AJ right away but despite all my obvious hints, his roommate was the one that asked me out. They must have had a strong "bro-code" because it took AJ months after that to ask me out.

He proposed in Midway after recreating our first date. He played my favorite song (All About Us by He is We) while we danced and then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I'll love him forever.

The best thing about being married is: Just being with my best friend all the time.

What do you and your husband like to do together? Play racquetball, hike, read, compete, and hold hands.

What would be your perfect day? It would be a warm and sunny day. I'd wake up to no alarm and be able to run around and play with AJ all day. We'd play frisbee, read in the park, go on a hike, laugh, grill some hamburgers. We'd come home exhausted and slightly sunburnt.

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage?  Go to the temple together as often as possible.

What story does your family always tell about you? I think my mom has told AJ ten times how when I was younger I used to say, "I want to be a server or a doctor." Both admirable goals.

Soup Recipes

White Chicken Chili
Ellen L

Ingredients 
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 tsp. each: salt, ground cumin, and dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
Big pinch of cayenne pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping cream

In a large pan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately.

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Arlen A

2 pkg ( 10 oz each ) Frozen chopped broccoli or fresh
2 cans (10 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2T flour mixed with 2 T butter  ( to thicken)
2 C half and half

Cook broccoli as pkg directs. Add chicken broth and simmer. Put in the blender and blend until small chunks. ( Add butter and flour which has been blended and heated with part of the cream to thicken.)

Put all together with the rest of the 1/2 and the 1/2. Salt and pepper to taste.

Poppy Seed Spinach Salad

Mary H

Ingredients:
1 ½ C thinly sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
1 pkg. fresh spinach, cleaned and broken
1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup (8 oz) cottage cheese (I omitted)

Dressing
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated onion (not dry onion. Use actual onion and grate)
3/4 C. Canola oil
1 ½ tsp. poppy seeds

Dressing:
1. Combine all ingredients except oil and poppy seeds. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
2. Slowly whisk in oil and beat well.
3. Stir in poppy seeds. Cover and chill

Salad:
1. For this recipe, marinate mushrooms in dressing. 
2. In a glass salad bowl, layer spinach, Swiss cheese, bacon, onion and cottage cheese.
3. Spoon dressing and mushrooms over the top, and serve.

Getting to Know Jessica R

 

My name is: Jessica R

My favorite dinner is: Lasagna, bread sticks, and salad

My favorite dessert is: Key Lime pie

My favorite flower is: Tulip

My favorite hobby is: Playing tennis with my husband =)

My favorite restaurant is: Olive Garden/Cafe Rio

A game I like to play is: Dominoes (Mexican Train or Chicken Foot)

The music I listen to most is: Country

My favorite thing to buy is: Surprises for my husband =)

A book I highly recommend is: God Wants a Powerful People (Sheri Dew)

A movie I watch over and over is: Tangled ha ha

A smell that makes me pause is: Pomegranate

The city I would most like to visit is: Barcelona, Spain

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Share funny stories; eat great food =)

The best vacation I ever had was: Church History Tour

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? No idea

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Play the Violin

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? I don't necessarily "hate" it, but my least favorite is cleaning the bathroom ha ha

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?  I love to go out and do something fun with my husband

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? I have heard from others that I am easy to be around because I make people feel comfortable and important

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? I am grateful for so much. The Lord has blessed my family and I so much.

What is your dream vacation? Going to Jerusalem to see where the Savior was......trip to Europe.

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Writing and receiving uplifting letters to and from a missionary I didn't even know who eventually ended up being my husband =) The coolest thing I've ever done is lived my story of how my husband and I met.

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? My husband's older brother Tyler came to be an intern out on the ranch I live on in central Florida. When his brother Randall (my husband) left for his mission, Tyler called and told me he felt like I should write his brother. Tyler gave me his address and also showed me a picture....ohhhhh I thought he was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. =) I wrote him a letter and from then on we ended up writing his entire mission. We never wrote anything romantic, we didn't know each other. We became good friends through letters sharing spiritual experiences. He would also share experiences of his mission, and I would let him know what was going on in my life. I fell in love with "Elder R" before I had actually met him. I looked forward to his letters every other month. After his mission we met each other for the first time April 22, 2011. That same day we decided to date...8 months later were married in the Orlando, FL temple December 17, 2011. I love him =)

The best thing about being married is: Getting to be with your best friend everyday and for eternity =)...ha ha and no longer having 5 other girls as college roommates...no more silly drama.

What do you and your husband like to do together? Team roping

What would be your perfect day? Waking up early, going out and catching the horses, roping and working the horses, warm weather, no homework, march madness, and orange juice ice cream floats while being with my husband all day. I love that man =)

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Marriage takes work....but it is the best and happiest thing you'll ever do. Life begins when you get married...life is so much sweeter. Go to the temple every week, or at least as much as you can. Temple attendance greatly strengthens a marriage.

What story does your family always tell about you? How I randomly decided I wanted to play basketball my senior year in high school, and how through prayer and hard work, I managed to make the varsity basketball team my senior year at a 4A school.

Stake RS Conference

Every year our Stake Relief Society puts on an AMAZING conference. I have been able to go for the past three years and I can tell you that they have the best speakers and topics. I have felt incredibly uplifted and determined to improve after attending each time.

If you want to be in the choir for conference there will be practices in the South Chapel at the following times: Sunday, February 12th 7-8 p.m., Sunday, February 19th 7-8 p.m. and Saturday, February 25th 8-9 a.m.

The main speaker will be Elder Baker, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy. There will be also five other classes offered and you can choose two to attend. More information on the classes and speakers are found below.

Getting to Know Christina M

 

 

My name is: Christina M

My favorite dinner is: Shepherds pie

My favorite dessert is: Chocolate Banana bread & butter pudding, with caramel

My favorite flower is: White lily

My favorite hobby is: Lampwork

My favorite restaurant is: Olive Garden

A game I like to play is: Uno

The music I listen to most is: Colbie Caillat,Taylor Swift

My favorite thing to buy is: A new journal

A book I highly recommend is: Stephen R.Covey-The 8th Habit

A movie I watch over and over is: Home Alone

A smell that makes me pause is: Freshly baked cookies :)

The city I would most like to visit is: New York

The best vacation I ever had was: A month touring Europe, Greece & Italy are my favorite places.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Hermione

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Fly a plane

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? The dishes

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Have a bath, relax and sing, while pretending i am auditioning for American Idol.

What is your dream vacation? Trip to Rio De Janeiro, chill on a Private Island, water sports, scuba dive

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?

After my husband had served a mission in Scotland, he went on a study abroad to Israel for 6 months.

On his way back to the US, he got BYU to get him a 1 month layover in London so that he could visit his old companions. I met him the second day he was there, and the rest of his time was spent with me. 8 months later, we had already talked about getting married and he planned to come back to the UK to propose to me. He called me one night a few weeks before he left, and he sounded like he was going to propose. I said to him, "Please don't propose to me down the phone." He did. Ah well…he came over to the UK a few weeks later and gave me an engagement ring.

The best thing about being married is: Having your best friend with you everyday of your life.

What do you and your husband like to do together? Skiing and watching movies.

Chicken Noodle and Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

Chicken Noodle Soup
Jessica Robinson

Dissolve 6 Tbsp chicken bullion base in 2 1/2 quarts of water in a soup pot.  Add 3-10 oz. packages frozen mixed vegetables, 2-10 oz. cans diced chicken (or 1 1/2 lbs. precooked cut up chicken) and 6 oz. dry egg noodles.  Bring to a boil, simmer 5-10 minutes.  Makes 4 quarts finished soup.  (I added a can of cream of chicken soup, as well, just to make it a little creamy.)

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lindsay Hansen

In a Large Stock Pot:

1 large onion, chopped  (use a sweet white onion like a Walla Walla)
1 clove garlic, minced

Saute the onion and garlic in 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add:
6 Cups Chicken Broth (1-48oz. can)
2   10oz. cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
½ Cup Cilantro, chopped  (one handful)
2 Cups Frozen Super Sweet white Corn
2 - 15oz. can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Cups cooked boneless skinless Chicken Breast or 2 cups of shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 Bay Leaf (remove before serving)
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, sliced Avocado, Sour Cream, a sprig of cilantro, and fried corn tortilla strips.