Food, Glorious Food (around town)

Basically, I love food.

I love the connections it establishes, I love the way it tastes, I love trying new things, I love the comfort it brings, I love the memories it makes.

Here are some places in Utah County that I've recently discovered:

The Sweet Tooth Fairy

Um . . . so good. So, so good. Such a cute, cozy atmosphere, and the treats are to die for. Seriously. It's heaven in every cupcake and cake bite (which are A.MA.ZING., btdubs). 

I don't know what flavor this cupcake is, but I want to try it. And isn't it so pretty? It's so pretty.

What a beautiful sight. The two strawberry shortcake cupcakes on the top left-hand corner are my favorites.

Molly's
(753 West Columbia Lane, Provo)

Great for lunch. Molly's serves up home-style brisket, roast, chicken, dutch-oven potatoes, cheddar biscuits, and has a delicious spinach salad. Delicious and filling. Oh! And their chocolate cream cheese cake? Divine.

Home-cooking.

I found a recipe for deep-dish pizza recently. It was a hit with my family. One reason it was so good was because my sister, who is a diabetic, was able to eat this pizza without her blood sugar numbers going haywire (which is what usually happens when she eats take-out pizza). I don't have any pictures of the pizza, but here's the recipe (for you, mom):

Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza (from the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)


Dough
2 and 1/4 to 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope (2 and 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm skim milk

Topping
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 and 1/3 cups pizza sauce
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)

1. For the dough: Mix 2 and 1/4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the oil, then the milk and mix until a rough ball forms. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer. If after 30 seconds the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.

3. For the topping: Meanwhile, place half of the pepperoni in a single layer between double layers of paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard the paper towels and set the pepperoni aside; repeat with the remaining pepperoni.

4. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil each. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, divide it into 2 equal pieces, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keep the other piece covered), roll and stretch the dough into a 9-inch round with a thick edge. Press the dough into the prepared pans. Brush the dough lightly with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Spread 2/3 cup of the pizza sauce over each pan of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle each with 1 and 1/2 cups of the cheese and top with the pepperoni. Bake until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni is browning around the edges, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.

6. Let the pizzas cool in their pans for 1 minute, then lift them out onto a cutting board with a wide spatula. Serve hot.

And enjoy! It's probably one of the healthiest pizzas I've ever had.

School Days

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy school is starting again!

It's crazy to think that I'm a JUNIOR at BYU! Upperclass(wom)an, baby!

And I forgot how stressful first days at school can be. Honestly, this was probably the hardest one since second grade (but no dogs chased me this time, fortunately).

But there are always silver linings:

--Friends (and friends-to-be) in all of my classes
--A Shakespeare class that I'm ueber excited for, even though it will probably be one of the most demanding classes I've taken so far
--Texting/calling freshman sister (Hi, Sarah!)
--Friends who take time out of their day to help me
--Courage found in the unlikeliest of places

This ain't gonna be an easy semester. But I know it will be worth it.

Hard things unfailingly are.

Kansas Trip

Things I learned on my trip to Kansas:

1) I have super-cool family and friends who can bust a move. And create dance routines to Glee's "Singin' in the Rain/Umbrella". And look awesome with high ponytails.

These pictures just shout: "We are cool!" 

2) Barnyard Rummy is merciless.

3) Adam-ondi-Ahman is beautiful. Especially in the morning, and especially when you get to read your scriptures, looking out at the valley. There's such a special feeling there.

 Can't you just imagine thousands upon thousands of folding chairs filling the valley? Yeah, me too. 

4) There is a special rock down the Tower Hill trail. It's called Preacher's Rock. And Joseph Smith gave sermons standing on top of it! 

On Preacher's Rock

5) The Kansas City Missouri Temple is coming along! And it's going to be beautiful. 

 The temple grounds 

Yay! My family is soooo excited for this temple. The people in the Kansas City area have waited for their own temple for a long, long time. Hehe, the Kansas City temple was announced the same day as the Rome, Italy temple. And even though a temple in Rome is incredible, my family was much, much more excited for the Kansas City temple . . . we cried and shouted for joy when it was announced. Kansas is where we've grown up, in one way or another. Our hearts are connected to this temple. 

6) I can fit into my Grandma's wedding dress from the 1960s! And it's such a beautiful, classic dress. 

 The lighting's not the best, but it's still a beautiful dress! 

 Now with the veil. 

7) I still love Kansas and my Grandma and Grandpa's house. It's one of my favorite places, and always will be. There's just so much love there, it's tangible. 

Oh! Big shout out to my best friend, Sharisa, who traveled with us. And put up with us. We're glad you came along! :) 

Family Roadtrip Playlist

My family just got back from San Diego. 

That's about 10 hours of driving both ways. Which means a lot of empty space to fill. And a lot of people to keep happy. 

Luckily for us, we love to sing. And doubly lucky for us, we can agree on music. 

We mostly listen to musicals. But we're just cool like that. 

Keepin' it awesome. 

Keepin' it classy. 

Keepin' it old school. 

(Okay, so it's not a musical, but it's not an Armknecht road trip without "Hey, Mr. Postman".)

Oh, yeah. We are awesome. 

I bet you wish all of your road trips were with us. 

Blessed, Honored Pioneer

HAPPY PIONEER DAY!!!!!

Did you know that when I was little--around ten- or eleven-years-old--I wanted to be a pioneer so badly?  Like, I wanted to be born in the 1830s, just so I could have been a pioneer child, singing as she walked and walked and walked and walked.

Don't worry. I don't wish that anymore. Now I'm very glad to be here, in the 21st century. (Hurrah for air conditioning!)

But my admiration for the pioneers has never died. I can't put into words how much their sacrifice and devotion mean to me.

They sacrificed so much for the gospel of Jesus Christ--their homes, their money, their comforts, their families . . . even their lives.

I am so grateful for pioneers. And not just those who crossed the plains. But all those who had and have the courage to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like my dad.

So, thank you pioneers in my life. Thank you to those who sailed across the oceans to America; those who crossed the plains to make it to the Salt Lake Valley; those who bravely decide to join the Church. You are an inspiration.

"But if our lives are spared again to see the Saints their rest obtain. Oh how we'll make this chorus swell: All is well! All is well!" 

On Singleness

First things first:

When this blog became more about my life than about my travels, I made it a point to not talk about specific boys/dates. Those stories are reserved for my journal and for those who know me best, not for the public blogosphere. (Especially because I never know who is reading my blog.) I also really don't go into great detail about what I'm feeling or my fears and insecurities. Because I don't think people want to read about my angst.

That being said, I'm breaking one of my rules. And it's not the first one. This post is not about any boys in particular. I am going to reveal one of my deepest insecurities, but only because I hope that what I've learned can help someone else somehow.

Yesterday when I was studying my scriptures, I felt like I needed help with something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. You know those days when there are a thousand problems buzzing in your head--nothing too serious, but they cloud your mind and make peace impossible? That's how I felt. I wanted Heavenly Father's help and advice, but I wanted to be specific--you get specific answers when you pray for specific things.

So, I pinpointed a stressor: boys and relationships. It's a common worry for girls my age, and I am no exception. In fact, I'd say relationships are a constant worry for almost all BYU students . . . especially the singletons. The pressure to date and get married is a bit overwhelming . . . and not because I don't want to date and get married, but precisely because I do. I want to be a wife and mother more than anything in the world. But it can be frustrating feeling like you're doing all you can do, and still nothing. I'm not saying that I want to get married right away. I'm not saying that at all. All things in good time and all good things to those who wait . . . marriage is not something I want to rush. I also know that marriage is not a "fix-it-all." Ohhhhhh, goodness no.

Still, it would be nice to feel noticed, or at least have your love returned a few times. It can be difficult waiting for the promised blessings of relationships and marriage. I think most single BYU students would agree with me.

Anyway. I decide to focus on relationships and asked Heavenly Father to give me advice/help/comfort on the subject. I felt impressed to turn to the Index in my Triple Combination (the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price). I opened up to the "Think" entry, I believe. And I was going to turn to Moroni 7:45, which talks about charity, but then I felt like I should turn the pages over just one more time. I looked at the page I was on, and chuckled when I saw the bolded words:

"SINGLE, SINGLENESS"

Oh yes, I thought. God has a sense of humor. 


But then I looked at the words right next to the entry:

"See also Diligence"

I stopped. I had never thought of it like that before. I looked at the tidbits of scripture listed under "SINGLE, SINGLENESS":

3 Nephi 13:22 (cf. Matt. 6:22)--if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light;
D&C 4:5--eye single to glory of God qualifies man for the work;
D&C 82:19--do all things with eye single to glory of God;
D&C 88:68--sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God.

My mind started whirling with realization.

Isn't it interesting that the word "single" has no negative implications in the Index or the Topical Guide? Unlike the word "worry," which generally points to scriptural stories of those who lack faith (yes, I've looked up the word "worry," too . . . but it was a different scripture study session), the word "single" brings up scriptures that imply mountains of faith. It's hard aligning your will to God's.

It's hard to be single. It takes patience. It takes faith. It can be so hard to keep faith in blessings yet to be when another lonely Friday night rolls around--whether you're on the girl's end, just hoping for the phone to ring; or whether you're a guy, feeling miserable because you've been rejected again. It takes patience to go to family reunion after family reunion and have people ask you over and over again, "Where's your boy/girlfriend?" "Why aren't you married yet?" It's hard to have hope when you're crying over another unrequited love or devastating break-up. It takes faith to move on and keep on moving.

But it's vital to keep on moving.

It's vital to be diligently single.

While I'm single, I need to be diligent in keeping God's commandments. I need to be diligent in dedicating my life to Him; in serving Him and others--truly having an eye single to His glory. 

The single years are not a time to wallow in misery and self-pity. They are a time for joy, really--to solidify your relationship with God and touch lives in ways you couldn't otherwise. There's so much for me to do while I'm single. It's not a time to mope or wish away my problems--or dwell on dreams of the future and forget to live. God has a specific plan for me. And right now, I'm supposed to be single. I can have faith in His plan, even if it isn't comfortable for me or exactly what I want. Because guess what? I would like a boyfriend. Not gonna lie about that. 

But instead of worrying about not having a boyfriend, I can be diligently single. I can diligently seek out the good in the world, others, and myself. I can be diligently single by touching one life at a time. I can be diligently single by seeking to align my will with God's. I can be diligently single by developing my talents. I can be diligently single by learning how to commune with God.  

I don't know when I'll get engaged, married . . . I don't even know when my next date will be. In the wide spectrum of things, I could have a "Marius and Cosette" type of meeting with my beloved tomorrow and he'll be singing love songs at my window and we'll be married within a fortnight. Or, maybe I'll be single forever. I just don't know what the future holds. I'm not supposed to.

But my scripture study last night certainly changed my perspective on singleness.

There are lives to touch. There are people to change.

There is more to life than a changed relationship status on Facebook.  

Yay! Pretty picture to reward you for getting this far!

. . . anyway, I hope that was helpful somehow to someone. I felt like I should post this, so I did. And I hope I was coherent. If you got this far, thanks for reading. :)

Adventures in Baking

Once upon a time I made croissants.

And they were the most delicious things I've ever made.

And probably the best croissants I've ever had. No joke.

And they lived in my stomach happily ever after.

Nom nom nom nom nom. :)

Here's the recipe:

First off, a disclaimer: These take a loooooonnnnnnnnngggggg time to make. I wasn't expecting that--so like, I wanted to eat them the same day I made them. You can't really do that. Unless you start in the morning. Then you can eat them in the evening. Anywho.

Croissants (recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)
Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)

Butter Square:
3 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten, for brushing

1. For the dough: Combine 2 3/4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook (I didn't have a standing mixer, so I just used a beater). With the mixer on low speed, add the milk and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead the dough until it forms a sticky ball and becomes elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 5 minutes the dough appears overly sticky and doesn't come together into a ball, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
3. For the butter square: Lay the 3 sticks of butter side by side on a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cover with a second sheet of parchment paper. Gently pound the butter with a rolling pin until the butter is softened and the flour is fully incorporated, then roll it into an 8-inch square. Wrap the butter square in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counted and roll into an 11-inch square. Place the chilled butter square diagonally in the center of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough up over the butter square so that the corners meet in the middle and pinch the dough seams to seal.
5. Using a rolling pin, gently tap the dough, starting from the center and working outward, until the square becomes larger and the butter begins to soften. Gently roll the dough into a 14-inch square, dusting with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
6. Repeat step 5 and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 2 more hours before using.
7. For the croissants: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into a 20-inch square on a lightly floured counter. Cut the dough in half.
8. Cut each piece of dough crosswise into 3 small rectangles and cut each small rectangle on the diagonal into 2 triangles (you will have a total of 12 triangles). Gently stretch each triangle of dough to lengthen it slightly and even out the sides. Cut a 1-inch-long slit in the center of the wide end, then fold the dough on either side of the slit outward.
9. Gently roll up the dough, from the wide end to the tip, gently stretching it as you go. Lay the croissants on the prepared baking sheets, with the pointed end facing down, and bend the ends of each croissant around to form a crescent shape. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise slowly in the refrigerator, 10 to 16 hours.
10. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the croissants with the egg and bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the croissants to a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 12.

Super long and intensive recipe. But so worth it.