Pork Rinds...who knew?

So while starting full boar into the Atkins eating lifestyle again, I needed to research some new and exciting recipes. I came across a website that is awesome. As I was skimming down the list of new ideas I came across "Grilled Cheese" sandwiches. Just like that, in perentheses and all. So I clicked on it and the main ingredient was PORK RINDS!! Oh yeah! I don't mind pork rinds. I think they are delectible. They are so acceptable in this diet because they have 0 carbs! To make the grilled cheese sandwiches you meed to crush the pork rinds in the food processor. Kind of down to a consistency of a graham flour. As I'm feeling the pork rind flour I get the thought that this is a new and astounding find!! I could use this flour to make pancakes, crusts, tortillas, muffins. The list goes on and on! So this morning I made pancakes and they turned out delicious!!! I just mixed 1/2 cup or pork rind flour in with 2 eggs, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and some spledna. Then I covered the pancakes with sugar free maple syrup and lots of butter. Melt in your mouth! Way better than the soy flour pancakes I was making! Tomorrow I am going to try and sugar free cheese cake with the pork rind flour as the crust. I'm so excited!

Summer

WoW! What a great summer! I promised the kids a great summer and they got it! We are on a tight budget so I plan things that don't cost much. If it weren't for gas prices we'd be on so many adventures. But, we have managed to go exploring almost every day! We have been cliff jumping, rock climbing, Geo tracking, swimming, swimming and more swimming. Right now the boys are enjoying a week as Scout camp. I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by! We are already into August! Fair is coming up shortly. I believe we are shipping the kids down to Utah for a week to spend with the relatives in down there. But once they get back it'll be time for school close shopping and then the first day of school already! I've been busy at work and Kyle's been busy with his theatre group "Basin Community Theatre" and his accapella group "Shades of Blue". They've been striking up quite a few performances around the community. He's loving it. As for me I've been doing quite a few cakes. I've been able to team up with a local photographer and have been showcasing cakes for her new sessions called "Cake Smash" session where 1 year olds demolish their first cake and get it captured on film. Here are some pictures

Busy, busy, busy...blessed, blessed, blessed!

My lesson on Sunday was about "Keeping Personal Records" I felt like a hypocrite the entire lesson until I read an important part explaining that journaling doesn't have to be everyday, although reccomended, it just needs to be of important events or testimony builders. Even the prophets that wrote the scriptures weren't every day or even every month...so here I am writing you again after two months.
To catch up I think we are the busiest we've ever been, well Kyle is anyway.
Scout Master, CFO of Country Morning Farms, President of the "Basin Community Theatre Group", Member of the "Something About Harmony" accapella group are all the titles he's taken on lately. The most exciting thing lately is that his Theatre group has been asked to run Spring Fest this year here in Moses Lake. He's even having a "Deep Fried" cheese curd booth to raise money while helping run the parade, lyp sync contest, and singing the opening ceremonies for the event. I'm so excited for him. Having him involved in so many things keeps him active and he likes that.
For the rest of us we are keeping busy ourselves. I'm of course working as Shift Leader at Perkins. As my job I get to open the restaurant at 5:30 am and stay until everyone is settled and secure about 2-3 pm. The kids are busy in school, everyone is A's and B's. Cody has been busy training for State Track meet at Tahoma Highschool next month. He is amazing! With training he has brought his time of running 1600 meters (about a mile and a half) to 6 minutes and 20 seconds! He saved up his money and bought himself shoes that were $110!! He choose neon orange for his trade mark color to represent a flame like he's ON FIRE!! I'm so excited to see him run at state. I know he's nervous...but he'll do great! If he places at state he will get to advance to nationals which is in Pennsylvania! EEEEkkkk!
In other news the boys are getting ready to go up to the annual round up. Due to work me and the girls are staying hom this year. I've been expressing my work of cakes more and have 3 due by this weekend. (Sigh)...anyway. Well that's the jest of it. Busy Busy Busy but we are so blessed!

Why cell phones are amazing

I'm sitting here on break at work and downloaded the BLOGGER app to my phone! How exciting! Now I can blog every day! Anytime! Post pictures and updates anywhere anytime! Awesome! Who knew 10 years ago cell phones would be so awesome!! I'm so excited! Well here's a picture of me so excited!

Diets, practices, sickness and stuff

Its the last day of February. We've flown through this month with minor ups and downs. The family is in full swing with the musical. The kids are loving it!! Katelin is going to be an orphan in Annie and the boys are orphans in Oliver. Kyle is playing in numerous parts. The Musical "Salute to Broadway" is showing at the Moses Lake High School Theatre March 15, 16, and 17th. You can buy your tickets at the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Kyle and I started our diets this month. Kyle is somwhere around -13 pounds and I am currently going to report -9. We are following the Dr.Atkins for life diet. At first it was quite challenging until I got creative and found recipes that included our favorite foods. And now that I'm opening the restaurant and leave the house at 5:30 in the morning Kyle has become very domesticated. Eating right is the easy part. It's finding time to excersise that is tough. With all that Kyle has going on it's quite difficult. For me I just grab the kids and go for a run. Cody and Weston love to run. Me not so much. But they keep me motivated.

We've had the flu it our house a couple of times this month. Although it's just bouncing between Katelin and Savannah. Maybe the stomach flu is just what I need to kick start another loss of poundage :-) but for now I'll have to stick to my crunchies and 2 miles run/walk/jog. We really are loving the Atkins though! It's not the old Atkins. There are tons of recipes and products that are sold at Walmart.

Auditions and other stuff

These are some pictures from December. Not exactly in order by date but from top to bottom: I did a wedding cake for a couple that got married on December 30th. She had a christmas color themed wedding that was so beautiful. I also did a cake for Toby and Rosalies joint birthday celebration. It was a "Dancing through the Decades" themed party so I did a disco ball on top and dancing silouettes on the base with matching music records. The next picture is all of us on Christmas Day at church. We just all happen to wear pink and black lol! I had to add a picture of the kids with Santa. Notice Cody is MIA. He's too old for Santa so he just got socks and underwear on Christmas day lol! And the last picture is a special one. Katelin was baptized on the 17th of December by her daddy. Don't they look good! It was a special day because she also got to get baptzied with her cousin Jaidyn on the same day!

Kyle started back to school. He has a class called...um yeah...I can't remember it's that hard to say lol! But he has class Monday's, Wednesdays and Thursday at 8 and homework everynight! Also this weekend kicks off auditons for the upcoming play "Salute to Broadway". Kyle is encouraging us ALL to audition being that he is the Vice President of the BASIN COMMUNITY THEATRE GROUP Soooo....we've all been trying to come up with a hymn or disney song to sing for the panel of judges. So the play will add another thing to our list of activities for the week. Because Katelin was baptized in December she is now able to be involved in Activity Days on Wednesday nights so Kyle, Cody, Weston and Katelin get to go to Scouts and Activity Days on Wednesday night leaving me and Savannah some free time to ourselves. Kyle has also been involved in his all men accapella group. He really enjoys it. They got to perform for the Quincy Ward Christmas Party and did an outstanding job! He loves getting together with the guys that share his own talent for singing. So it's going to be a busy winter!