David Archuleta Makes Dreams Come True

Okay, so here's a funny story. I recently received a new calling as the Stake Photographer. What does that mean? Basically, I have an open invitation to every stake event, and that included the Young Women's Conference.
I am still in shock over what I witnessed firsthand.

About mid-way through the conference, David Archuleta (yes, I mean American Idol David Archuleta), surprised hundreds of teenage girls as he showed up to speak and sing for them. As they announced his name from the podium, the girls screamed, some cried, and others ran to him!

He managed to calm the audience down though as he sang the sweetest rendition of
"I am a Child of God" that I have ever heard. He genuinely spoke from the heart. Which only provided further proof that the person we all saw on American Idol was the real David Archuleta. That was no act on national television. More than anything though, I have to say that boy can sing! When he does, it permeates the air and touches your soul. His voice can and will make anyone a David Archuleta fan! 

Meanwhile, all those lovestruck teenage girls came away with just one thought...
to marry David Archuleta!

Fajitas-American Style

For two years, my brother lived overseas. When he returned home, we asked him what he would like to eat. He answered the following, "I want American food! You know, fajitas, tacos, and enchiladas!"
Oh yeah, that's American food alright! Regionally speaking, I suppose it could apply as American food...okay, so I'm stretching the truth a little.
Regardless, these are some of our favorite recipes. The other night we made fajitas. Doesn't it look delicious?

Recipe:
5-6 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
8-10 Bell Peppers, diced (various colors)
3-6 Tbsp. Fajita Seasoning
3-5 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
Flour Tortillas
You begin by cooking the chicken in a covered electric skillet. Once cooked, cut the chicken into small pieces. Add 3 Tbsp. fajita seasoning, and frozen bell peppers to the skillet. Periodically taste the chicken and peppers. Season to taste. Add chopped tomatoes, and heat through. Serve with flour tortillas.

Here's a few tips:
-Dice the bell peppers in advance, and freeze them in a plastic freezer bag. This allows the peppers to cook up faster.
-We use Chef Merito Red Fajitas Seasoning. It is ideal since it comes in a 13 oz. bottle. However, you could use any fajita seasoning. Some of us like more seasoning than others, so we prepare the fajitas with a mild flavor. Then those that want more heat can apply more seasoning to their own serving.
-Usually, we use the smaller flour tortillas, but you can use any size.
-Personally, I don't like tomatoes, so I usually set aside a portion of the fajitas before adding the tomatoes to the mixture.
Basically, we try to accommodate the entire family!

Mom's Burgandy/Green Quilt

Last year I found myself being interviewed by a judge to be on a jury. In response to one of the questions, I replied (without thinking), "It seemed like a good idea at the time." Since then, I have realized just how applicable that statement is to so many decisions that I have made!
Take this quilt for example. You see, we never intended for Mom's quilt to be green. It was supposed to be burgandy and rose. Green was supposed to be the accent color. Boy, did we ever accent it! We kept finding ourselves attracted to the floral prints, which naturally had green in them. Anyway, it wasn't until we looked at our collection that we recognized our blunder. It was such a beautiful compilation though that it would be a shame to not make it that way. And, it did seem like a good idea at the time!
Still, it turned out quite beautifully, and Mom was just as pleased with the quilt!
The pattern is one that we found in Colorado. It calls for 1 jelly roll to make a throw quilt, but we wanted specific colors and styles.

Of course, just as other fashion venues have trends, so does the quilting world (For some reason quilters are getting stuck on batiks and civil war fabrics right now). Well, considering the options we had for jelly rolls, we just bought our fabric off the bolt and cut our own 2 1/2 inch strips. Then we enlarged the quilt size to fit the bed. The only dilemma we found with the pattern was the excessive amount of fabric left over. We solved that problem by turning it into a border.

My favorite feature though, is the butterfly! I've appliqued plenty of butterflies, but this time I wanted to try something different. It was a lot more work, but it was worth it! I selected some of the scraps from the quilt, cut the right shapes, and appliqued the entire ensemble together. Isn't she a pretty little butterfly?
The next step was to quilt the masterpiece. Patches has become one of my favorite quilt stores, since I took the Gammill quilting course there. I quilted the Watercourse pantograph in green thread, and the subtle effect is gorgeous! I wanted to set it up on the bed as soon as it was quilted, but, as with all quits, the binding remained to be done. You know, sometimes it feels like quilts never end because there are so many steps! However, after just a few weeks, the quilt was finally completed, and ready to be displayed!
Best of all though was how much Mom loved it!