Yummy Things

I made all three of these things this week and they were each delicious. Thought I'd share the wealth.


Black Bean and Corn Salad (Thanks to Julie Berg and my Iowa City cookbook!)

2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernals
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

dressing:
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix dressing and pour over salad. Stir to coat evenly and chill. Great all by itself, in a burrito, or with chips. We seriously can't get enough of this stuff!


Banana Cake (Like banana bread, only a million times better) From my Aunt Taria to my mama to me

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. (or about 3) mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all wet ingredients then slowly add dry ingredients. Pour in greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. You can also add brown sugar and cinnamon to the top to make it a crumble/coffee cake. We eat this with vanilla ice cream. Or we just each take a fork and wail on it right out of the pan. :)

Pasta Salad
This recipe isn't rocket science, but sometimes it's hard to find a simple, yummy pasta salad. I took my mama's dressing and added my own stuff. It turned out pretty and yummy. (I actually took a picture before it was all gone - just for you, Chef Chrissy)
1 12 oz. pkg rainbow rotini pasta
6 slices of hard salami, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced twice
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
small bunch of spinach, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
equal parts of zesty italian and ranch dressing (maybe about 1/2 cup total)
salt and pepper to taste

I cooked and cooled the pasta and added the dressing right away. I stuck in in the fridge for a couple hours before adding the rest, just so it could soak up the dressing a bit before adding the veggies. I thought about adding olives and/or parmesan. But after taking a few bites, I didn't think it needed them.

Lovable Dork

How did parents as cool as we are (and we are SO cool...) get such a nerd for a child? I don't know, but it's pretty funny.

Swinging

We've been using the Englewood city internet connection since we've been here, and it's rather slow. But after 2 hours, this video is up. I have a few more, so we'll see if the internet behaves until we get around to getting broadband. :)



We took this in Utah at G&G's. That'd be my brother, Todd, along with Taylor's siblings laughing in the background.

A little sick

He's feeling better today, but yesterday my little man had a fever all day and just wanted to cuddle. (Since it's the only time monster will hold still and let me cuddle him, I rather enjoyed myself). We sat here all day and watched movies together.
Doesn't he look pathetic? Love him...

Cured!

Look who enjoys baths again!

Many of you have heard stories about my son's crazy stranger bathtub phobia. He loved his baths in HIS tub in Iowa, but any other bathtub invoked fits of screaming and crying like a girl. Bubbles didn't help, nor did toys. He would just stand at the tub's edge desperate to get out while Taylor and I tag-teamed him. We had it down to a science. Traveling so much really did a number on him and eventually he gave it up. Perhaps he had been in so many different bathtubs by the time we moved in that he figured he'd be a man and suck it up since there was obviously no avoiding it. Needless to say, he hasn't freaked out even once since we've been here. Thanks, buddy. Cause mama doesn't allow stinky boys to live with her.

To Utah Real Quick

Happy Fathers Day, Dad! This is "a great, big kiss! muah!"

Bocce in Grandma and Grampa Walker's backyard. One of the greatest places ever.

Taylor gets excited easily.

Aunt Natalie sharing her snack with W.

These are 2 of my favorite pictures. So happy to be playing in the dirt.

W's a lucky kid to have seen so many aunts and uncles.

Kisses for Gram.

And high-fives for Grandpa.

We stopped by and saw Charla on our way home. And got to meet Miss McKenna. W's future wife. :)

"I said sit NEXT TO McKenna"! He got confused.

That's better, kid.

There was a big truck fire on our way back to CO. So they made us stop and hang out on the freeway. These people busted out the chalk. I don't know many people who could say they've sidewalk chalked a freeway.

Middle of nowhere. See the smoke?

Boredom Cured!

Home Sweet Home!!

Posting Palooza

We have been a tad busy lately. We got back from our Washington DC/Washington State trip, packed up our house, sandbagged a little bit, watched some movers load up all our stuff, moved to Denver, unpacked, went to Utah for the weekend for Wray and Natalie's sealing, and are now trying to rest in our new house. Warren is in heaven with a yard to play in and room to run around inside. We still have some work to do, but we're all unpacked and have most of our things in order. I know where the grocery store and the park are, but other than that I'm totally lost. Oh, and I have no friends. So COME VISIT US. :)

We have lots more to post about, but I'll let you see what I've got so far. We'll get new cell phones soon, so look for an email with all our new contact info. If you don't get it and want it, shoot me a comment.

Grad Party

Good food, good friends...what more could we ask for?? Sunny and I put together a little par-tay for our stud husbands. It was a perfect day - a great way to go out!

Yummy food.

Who gave this kid strawberries?? Oh well, he was having fun.

The LDS law grads (minus Morgan)

He will miss you, J.

Janitor Warren

Cute picture of my boys. Love them!

Life's Better (and Drier!) in Denver

We are so sorry for all our friends in Iowa who are dealing with this crazy flood. We saw the river rising last week and went to help sandbag the couple days before we left. But two days after we arrived in Denver, things got really bad. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected. It's insane.

These are some pictures from just down the road from where we lived. We left on 6-10-08 and these pictures are from 6-15-08. Did we dodge the bullet or what? Our apartment complex is fine, but parts of I-80 are shut down as well as 380, so our moving truck might have had some tough times getting around.
(Pictures from the Press Citizen) To see a video, click HERE.

This first picture was taken on 6-8-08 on the street where we went to sandbag. Now the water is up to the street signs. Lotta help that was.

2nd street/Coralville Strip

1st Ave

My beloved Taco Bell

1st Ave (We lived right behind the hotel that's in the top left corner)

City Park in Iowa City. CA-RAZY

Are apartments are just up the hill from this burger king (top right corner). The River Power Restaurant on the left is where we went for our anniversary dinner. We'd take walks across this bridge all the time to watch the waterfall. Notice that there is no more waterfall, only a ripple.

1st Ave meets 2nd street. I don't know how people get to the hospital now. The detours must be nuts.

Same intersection from the other side. All the streets just south of us are closed/flooded.

Graduation

These pictures are long overdue, but we had so much fun at Taylor's Law School graduation. It's almost impossible to believe that our 3 years in Iowa City are over. We've had the best experience imaginable. Working at the temple in Nauvoo, small towns, farmers, good friends, great school/work environments, bar food, our married student ward, etc. etc. etc. We'll definitely miss our life there. At the Old Capital in Iowa City

HOODED! (Loving his "advanced degree")

Proud Family!

Herky (who is probably drowning in water now...)

Mama and Papa Dix

My first friend, Sunny

Mr. and Mrs. Burrows

Bishop/Professor Andersen

LDS law guys (Morgan! Where were you?! So surreptitious that one.)