A few things every gal should have in her kitchen!

My hubby loves a good deal. He shops for "necessities" at least once a week, especially if they're on sale. For that reason, our cupboards/fridge/freezer are always amply stocked! Even if no one will eat it! Still, there are a few things I just can't live without:

'Basghetti is my go-to meal. After a long day of work, there's nothing better than whipping up this family favorite.

At my husband's request, we've got to have Jell-O (the generic brand).

"Best when used by" is just a suggestion. It hasn't killed us yet!

This might've come from Dollar Tree but no salad is complete without it!

Forget PAM- this is the original way to grease your pans, emphasis on grease.

If you put everything in the freezer there is no expiration date!

My granddaughter just loves to browse through the many items of the deep freeze.

This is fairly practical in any situation.

I just love Craisins so much I've got my own container for them!

Who has time to wait for rice? We need this done fast with our busy schedules!

Last but not least, don't forget the jar for bacon grease! And you can sneak some to fry your eggs in from time to time.

As you can see, life gets hectic sometimes, but with these items at an arms-length, you'll never be left wanting!

California Girls

Three years ago our bookclub ladies went to see the play Wicked in California. We decided to go again this year to see Beauty and the Beast. (You know how wild bookclub ladies can get).

We shopped on Rodeo drive (Let's be honest, we window shopped). We ate at the Staples Center so my friends could watch the BYU basketball game.

Once again, Susan Glad's dad treated us to a nice seafood dinner near Newport Beach. He's a fun,  fiesty older man that loves to shock us bookclub ladies (such as when he kissed me on the lips last year). This year I held a picture of fake lips over my lips just to trick him.

To top it off, we all went to Dineyland! It was a unique experience because everyone was a good sport and stayed until midnight. They respected the Disneyland dictator's (that's me) rules.

I would travel with these ladies anytime. We had a great time. Onto the next adventure!

Elena's Kitchen Tips 101

Message for today: Don't do dishes today that can be put off until tomorrow!

Did you know that Tang can be used as a cleaner? You bet it can. I even throw a little bit in the dishwasher for a little extra oomph!

Oh and crock pots are great! (I just refuse to clean them) ;)

Stay tuned for more of Elena's tips!

The best thing about Spring!

So excited for these!

A New Look

I decided to finally splurge and get some new furniture in my living room. No thanks to Mac, I finally got some.

Yeah!

Signs you know your husband is "Unique"

1. He has a collection of t-shirts that include sayings such as "I love to fart" and "4 out of 3 kids can't do math."
2. He carries an actual hunk of chocolate in his pocket to nibble on to keep himself awake at certain activities.
3. He thinks it's perfectly acceptable to shower and snuggle with his pet parrot who bites him at any random moment.
4. Napping anywhere from 6-8pm it perfectly acceptable.
5. He thinks romance is a section of books at the library.
6. Instead of signing birthday/Christmas/special event cards, he just stamps them with a rubber stamp he had made that says, "Happy birthday, Steve."
7. He changes everyone's names to have a "Roy" at the end. For example, I am "Elenroy."
8. He has a subscription to "The Onion" newspaper.
9. He eats toast, powdered donuts,etc in bed with no plate.
10. When he sees his sisters, he kisses each of their arms up and down.
11. He clips his eyebrow hairs over the toothbrush holder.
12. He has every color of Converse sneakers.
13. He has severe anxiety if his computer is not at his side at all times.
14. In his spare time, he records himself reading short stories and emails them to people.
15. He coined the phrase "SB" -- don't ask.
16. He adores monkeys.
17. He thinks I snore. He must be crazy, right?
18. He cooks meat in his solar oven.
19. Cream can be used as a substitute for milk when on vacation.
20. He corrects your grammar during every conversation. "Never end a sentence in a preposition."

I sure do love the guy! He is certainly one-of-a-kind!

Australia Dec.25-Jan.1, 2011

We abandoned our children Christmas evening and headed down under! It sure pays to have two children that work for airlines! (Let's just say, Mac coerced them into working for the airlines)

 We left Christmas day but didn't arrive to Sydney until the 27th. They are a day ahead of us. They asked me to sing at the opera house but I was on vacay, and just couldn't spare my time.

It was wonderful leaving freezing temperatures in Utah for a fantastic 85 degrees in Australia. Can you imagine having a warm New Year's?

Anything goes in Australia fashion-wise. I fit right in.

Can you guess what this is? It's actually a meat pie with pureed peas on top. It was actually quite good. Oh and yes, we did eat vegemite. It's awful.

We went through a botanical garden. There was a giant lizard walking around. When I told the worker that a gila monster was loose, the worker laughed and said, "A monster huh?"

There were many bats in the botanical garden. They would fly around at night.

Mac in front of the harbor bridge. We actually walked across it. People (including Oprah when she visited) pay to go across the top. They have to wear a jumpsuit and a harness.

It was crowded waiting for the fireworks to start. This is in front of the opera house. There were over a million people here.

Pre-firework festivities. Mac actually thought the one on the left was a woman. Mac and I were the minority for being heterosexual.

The fireworks begin!

They just kept on going. They were breathtaking. I wish I could be like a boomerang and go right back there! We then traveled home and thanks to the time difference, were able to celebrate again. That's two romantic kisses from Mac! We were on the airplane though so it was less festive. G'day mate!