Saturday, December 31, 2011

Brubaker Family Christmas Party (on my birthday) 12-16-11

A very simple party...
Kids craft.
White elephants by age group.
Treats and Snacks.
Visiting.
Grandpa has kids reach into a bag for a present.
Done.
The star is the kids craft, the" C" I painted for my Christmas tree.












Birthday Party!

Lunch at La Jolla Groves with my quilting ladies, Sandy, me, Deb, Annette.

Stuffed mushrooms

Citrus shrimp

Lemon cake

Orange creme brule

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Saturday in Logan

We spent Saturday in Logan with Jake and Heather. It turned out to be a food trip
and I forgot to take pictures of most of the food!

 We started out at Kneaders for breakfast, you can see by the belated food picture that we really liked our food! It was all decorated with Christmas knick-knacks for sale and Gary started calling it a "girl store" as in "I feel like I should be wearing a skirt." etc.
We had lunch at Texas Roadhouse, Heather's currant favorite. No pictures of all the cookies we bought at the Prestwich Farms outlet...
but here is one of me trying on those weird toe shoes.
Too bad you can't see my face!
I was laughing so hard because I could not get the right toe in the right slot!

We ended up a fun day with Heather and Jake with ice cream from Charlies.

Laura's Bithday

We are not big birthday celebrators, but last year we hit a new low when Laura came to dinner right on her B-Day and we didn't even say a word! Lacey had by complete coincidence made a cake with sprinkles which Laura thought was for her, so even though no one said anything she truly didn't know that none of us even knew it was her B-Day!
Still not big celebrators, at least we knew it was her birthday coming up on DECEMBER 5TH, when we had dinner Sunday the 4th.
Birthday paper plates

Multi-purpose punch bowl

Homemade hamburger buns just for Laura!

Laura, Brady, Rylee, Tyler, Gary, Cameron, Lacey, Raquel
Happy 20th Laura!

High School Photo Shoot

 Here's what might happen to you if you hang out with Gary at a High School Photo Shoot!








 When wondering aloud about why I got the princess look and she got the exotic peacock woman look
my niece Laura said "Maybe because she's looking for a mate"!

Flowers and Ribbon


This is an "emergency" flower job. A neighbor brought over some supplies and said she needed  15 corsages and an arrangement by tomorrow. She thought she could do it all herself and then realized that it's harder than it looks. It was limiting to work with what she brought, but super not to have had to do the  shopping and ordering!

The next week I helped Tammy do a job, but don't have any pictures yet. The Bride wanted all baby's breath and twine, it was pretty cool. While we were at the floral warehouse  I saw all this...




If you wonder how I resisted buying them, they were &15-$25 a roll 
(you can get great ribbon there for $3-$7 for 25 yards, just not this new stuff evidently).

Thanksgiving 2011


I Started off the Thanksgiving week with this turkey for sharing time. This is Ashlynn Stanworth who wanted to take it home with her.
Tyler, Lacey, Raquel, Brady, Tammy

Then the real festivities began on Wednesday night when Tammy's family went to Cafe Rio-we always go there for the Wednesday special when she comes into town. I am thankful for Cafe Rio!


 Kori's house on Thanksgiving Day.
 Kori and Been grew all these little pumpkins themselves, I was kind of sad that the next day 
there would be no more use for them, they were just so cute!

Grandma, Carson and MacKenzie, who entertained us on the piano and pretty much all day!

Britteny, Grandma Cramer, Jeff, Andrea holding Chloe, and Diane
 Just taking random pictures to try and get one of Jeff's girlfriend Britteny (back left). Some people called her Bitty but to me it sounded too much like Biddy. When I mentioned that on the way home in the car Cameron said he had never heard that word so maybe it's OK.
Hans, Andrea, Elvin, Kori
 On the left we have a picture of Diane's boyfriend Hans, yes I know it looks like you should say it Hauns, but it is Hantz-rhymes with pants. It's like you want to correct him but I guess he knows his own name!

Later that night we ended up at Cramer's for turkey sandwiches and magic tricks with the Cafe Rio crowd! Now that was fun, you should have been there!


Saturday, November 12, 2011

Heritage Dinner 2011-Grandma Alice

The Brubaker family has a heritage dinner every year, usually the week before Thanksgiving. We often come prepared to talk about our ancestors or memories for our own lives. Last night we met at Nancy's house for dinner and to honor my  Dad's Mom, Alice Frederickson Mortensen Brubaker.

We each told our memories, We remembered walking to the market, going to the tabernacle (she lived right downtown Salt Lake City in the Kimball apartments, where the conference center is now), sleeping in the Murphy bed, eating okra and parsnips-things we didn't really eat at home and therefore did not like.

We remembered the time she came to stay with us in Hurley while my older siblings and parents went on a trip-that was when Scott and I watched Cal put buttered soda crackers in the toaster and burned down the kitchen curtains and smoked up the sides of the cabinets. For all of my life and since my Dad was 8 she suffered the effects of a stroke and couldn't use her right side properly , she held her arm as though it were in a sling, she dragged her right food and spoke slowly, always, starting out with "I gon to say..." so people would slow down and listen to her. So you can imagine how flustered she was trying to put out a fire. Scott and Cal finally dragged the garden hose in through the back door and put it out.

We remembered the plaid quilt she made for Cal and the gingham apron she made for the girls. This even though she had little use of her right hand.

My Dad told his memories of a strong women who raised four children by herself. He did not speculate who's fault the divorce was when he was three years old, he only remembers that his dad left out the screen door of their house and when he asked his Mom where he was going she replied "he won't be back." Divorce was very taboo in those days and his mother never mentioned it- almost expecting him to forget he ever had that father- when she married Charles Grover Brubaker. They had three more children Charles, Margaret and Gladys. My dad credits him with being a hard worker and inspiring him to get an education. It was during the depression and Charles Brubaker was in and out of work, but trying hard. He finally got a job with the railroad and eventually found another women at the other end of the line. He left my Grandma Alice when my dad was a teenager. Her stroke was while they were still married and the recovery time was long and still going on when he left. My Dad has nothing but respect for the way his Mother held the family together. Things like her walking clear downtown, dragging her leg to pay the utility bill so as to save a stamp. My Dad started working and helping out financially at a pretty young age.

We talked about the raids of PanchoVilla and how her family had to flee Mexico-they had gone there in the first place after the manifesto because My Grandma Alice's father was a polygamist who had 3 wives; she was a child of the third wife.

We ate Pecan Brittle-the secret recipe that my Grandma Alice watched her sister Nana make and memorized the ingredients!

My Dad told a lot more details, Emmy's husband Josh recorded the whole evening so hopefully we'll get a copy somehow. I don't even have a picture of her because I left them at Nancy's last night. I'll correct that here sometime.
Everyone looks intently at my dad while he tells his story...

...except Laura who only looks intently at her boyfriend Neal!

Sitting: Emmy, Josh,Thomas, Desiree, Neal, Laura, Alice, Cal Tani. Standing: Myron Dorothy, Dad, Mac, Chelsea (Rob is taking the picture) Bob, Karrie, Nancy, Carol, Gary

It was a successful Heritage Dinner, one of our best.


Chicken and Sweet Potato Pot Pies

These were a big hit, (thanks for the recipe Kristi)! 
I got the large  ramekins (6 oz. souffle dishes) at Cost Plus World Market.



Chicken & Sweet Potato Pot Pies

Best Halloween Dinner ever.  To make this festive, shape the pie top to look like a jackolantern!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Lb sweet potatoes (about 3-4) cut into  1/2 inch pieces (I used one large yam and chopped then microwaved it for a couple minutes first).
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock-maybe a little more
1 small rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (I bought a large rotisserie chicken and
used the leftovers after we had it for dinner the first day.)
1/4 cup dried parsley or 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten (optional - I don't do this part)

STEP ONE: shred chicken
STEP TWO: chop onion and sweet potatoes
STEP THREE: heat oven to 375. Pam 6 large ramekins or small pie tins (3 1/2 inch round)
STEP FOUR: Heat oil in a large skillet (one that has a lid).  Cook onions and sweet potatoes - could also add celery if you want - until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute
STEP SIX: Gradually stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil
STEP SEVEN: Add the chicken, nutmeg, and parsley
STEP EIGHT: Cut out circles out of the puff pastry that cover the top of the pie
STEP NINE: brush with beaten egg
STEP TEN: cook until puffed and golden brown, 20 - 25 minutes

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Las Vegas- Part 2


Cameron arrived Tuesday night so we hot tubed again-it wasn't the last time, but I quit taking pictures.
Wednesday November 2 we went to the go-cart track
I think we were celebrating Elvin and Gordon's birthdays.
15 laps go by very fast! Especially if you're Cameron!

Elv, Andrea, Carol, Gary, Cameron,Gordon, Tammy

Andrea, Tammy

Winners 1 Cam, 2 Gary, 3 Tammy


Tammy and I did art and made jewelry. Here is my painting in progress.

The Wackee Six proof I told you about!

 Here we are Thursday night at planet Hollywood getting ready to go to a show called the mentalist. 
It was fun and a conversation piece for the rest of the week!


 Oh yeah-what we came for -the SEMA show.
Gordon looks at all the stuff Cameron and Gary bought at the show.

We went BACK TO THE CRAB buffet one more time on Friday night!
This time I took pictures of dessert!
Cheesecake and pumpkin cheesecake.

Fruit tarts in Chocolate cups
 Saturday  Nov. 5th (Happy Birthday Jake)
Tammy and I made up for lost time-we went shopping at the
Farmers Market
a boutique called Best Kept Secret
Charmin Charlies
Michael's
Cost plus
Quiznos
Ulta
Trader Joes
Target and even
Walmart


We ate tamales at the Farmers Market.
 
Tried on weird hats and bags at Charmin Charlies


Liked this mirror at best kept secret. 
Tammy and Gordon went to stake conference so Gary, Cameron and I spent Saturday
evening at Elv and Andrea house where I won Wackee six again and Andrea and
I made earrings. Sunday we came home expecting snow along the way, but luckily we had missed it.