dood & juanford

Crazy Hair Day

Today was crazy hair day at school. Syd has been planning her hairdo all week long. This is what she came up with. Pretty clever girl. The last photo is of her and her friends at the bus stop this morning.
Brynn was not so excited about crazy hair day. She was more concerned with looking cute. So this is our version of crazy/cute hair. Also, the last photo is her friends at the bus stop.
Silly kids. There was lots of excitement going around. I hope their poor teachers live through today.

First Snow?!

We are having some CRAZY weather here in Utah. It snowed yesterday. Of course the girls were thrilled. Syd had all her gear on and was out the door first thing after we got home from church. She climbed on top of Betsy and was sliding down the windshield like it was a ski run or something. It was pretty funny to watch. But here is my question: What happened to autumn?!

Food Blog

I started a food blog a while ago. For some reason I feel silly sharing this fact with you all. I don't know why, but I do. So if you go visit it, be kind, I am fragile. :)

The Orange Apron

Goings-on at our house

Things have been fairly quiet around here for the last several days. This is not a bad thing. So just for fun, here is a post about the goings-on within our house full of little women. Syd is loving 2nd grade. She just graduated out of her readers at school. This means she gets to read regular chapter books for her reading homework now. Yesterday she brought me a book she wanted to read: "Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke. This book on a 6th grade reading level and has 523 pages. She actually had gotten several pages into the book before she asked for help. That is my girl!

Brynn is doing an awesome job in Kindergarten. She learned how to read her first word last week: "Hot". She is going to be reading before we know it. Brynny is such a charismatic little girl. She knows how to wrap people around her fingers. After church yesterday she said to me "Mommy, I want to go see the Bishop. " So we trucked down to the Bishop's office so she could say hello and get a treat. They are special buddies. She told him all about school.

Our Claire Bear will turn 6 months next week. She is starting to get such a fun little personality. Her new favorite thing is her exercise saucer. She also learned her name! "Baby" Actually she will look at you if you call her Baby or Claire. So we must call her Claire sometimes.

Shawn and I are keeping busy chasing the girls around. Shawn has had lots of work meeting lately. Work meetings= games of golf. I have a new obsession with cooking blogs lately. I have found some really good stuff lately. Carne Asada Tacos anyone? BTW- yes the picture is an old one. From the days when we were young and beautiful. Honestly we don't have many pictures of us together. Are you guys like that? Thousands of pics of your kids, four of yourself.

Lemon Bars

Please indulge me another recipe post. I found this blog: For The Love of Cooking and on it, this recipe for lemon bars. The picture does not do it justice. These things are amazing! Lemon and coconut- it is a perfect combination. We ate the whole pan in one night. You've gotta give them a try! Let me know if you do.

Crust:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of powder sugar
• 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. To make crust combine flour, powder sugar and salt in a bowl. Add butter pieces and mix with hands until crumbly. Press evenly into the bottom of your baking pan. Bake until lightly golden, about 18-20 minutes. Set crust aside.

Filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 tbsp of flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon zest, diced finely
• 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Sweetened shredded coconut for garnish

To make filling whisk together eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Add lemon zest and juice and mix until combined thoroughly. Pour over hot crust. Bake 15-18 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely before sprinkling with shredded coconut. Enjoy.

My Husband Can Cook!

So I had a serious sleep-in this morning. I am talking 10:45-serious. I got up and could smell something really yummy going on in the kitchen. Here is what Shawn made for our Brunch today:

Biscuit Peach Cobbler

3 lbs. ripe peaches
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar

Biscuit Dough:
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. sugar mixed with 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Have ready a 2-inch deep 2-quart baking dish.

Slice peaches into wedges directly into dish. Toss with lemon juice and sugar. Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes until peaches are hat and juices bubbly. Make dough while peaches cook. Mix flour, sugar, powder, and soda in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour buttermilk over top. Toss with fork until mixture clumps together. Drop heaping tablespoons on peaches. Sprinkle sugar-nutmeg mixture on top. Bake 30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown. Let stand to cool.