Can't Stop Thinking About. . .

The other day my friend Jen told me about a blog she frequently checks out called The NieNie Dialogues. It is an adorable blog about this girl Stephanie and her family. She is super cute,talented, positive, etc. Tragically she and her husband were in a plane crash last week and are now in critical condition with severe burns. So I went to the blog to check it out and now I'm a bit obsessed! She really is an amazing person and it is fun to go through her old posts and see all the fun things she has created and the fun memories she has made with her family. Her sister, Jane, has created a link to her page and gives daily updates on Stephanie and her husband's condition. Anyway if you want to check it out click on the button below. It's random I know but I just can't get them off my mind and I know they'd appreciate as many prayers as they can get.
p.s. Starlyn if you read this - this girl reminds me so much of you! She loves dresses :)

Sara and Lucy Come to Cleveland

Yay I love getting visitors! My friend Sara and I have been friends for all of our lives, she is like a sister to me. So I was sooo excited when she and her daughter Lucy drove from Pennsylvania to come visit us! We had such a fun time ~ here are a few pictures from our adventures.

p.s. I'm still trying to figure out this blog thing. . .sorry the pictures are all over the place. Any advice on how to make the layout look nicer?

JoUrNAl JAr

Question: What are your father's best and worst traits? Which traits do you share?
My dad has always been perfect in my eyes. He has been my rock throughout my life and a girl couldn't adore her father more than I do. His best traits: extensive knowledge of the gospel, lives the gospel, patient, kind, funny, hard worker. . . I could go on and on. Worst traits: well as I said he is perfect in my eyes so i can't think of a worst trait :) One trait that I really wish I shared is the organized/clean freak trait. My dad is the complete opposite of a pack rat (just like his mom) and I love that, but I'm a work in progress. I hope I'm half the person he is.

I want to COOK and LOOK like Giada

Here are a couple recipes that are easy and tasty. The first one is from Giada De Laurentiis, I got it off the Food Network website. The second recipe is for delicious Hot Fudge Sauce. . .it is a family recipe. Enjoy!
Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
1 cup pastina pasta (any small pasta will do I used macaroni)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 clove garlic minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 Tbs butter plus more for buttering pan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Drain pasta and put in a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 min. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 min more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8x8x2 inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 min. Serves 4

Aunt Laurie's Hot Fudge Sauce
2/3 heaping cup (almost full cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 can evaporated milk
1 cube butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Stir all but vanilla together over medium heat. Bring to boil and stir constantly for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream!