Salty Goodness

I was lucky enough to have an awesome big brother and he gave me an awesome gift this christmas! he got me a subscription to Food Network Magazine. I got my first issue the other day and I have already picked out several recipes to try!
  My parents were supposed to be coming in tomorrow to drop off the rest of the gifts that we couldnt fit in our little dinky car after christmas, but the roads are horrid so Ill be surprised if they make it, so I made some pretzel rolls to have on our sammies and soup dinner with them. Of course the recipe came from the magazine! It was really easy and they taste great. At first I thought it was a bit salty but thats just how a pretzel is. I think they will make yummy sammies.

Pretzel Rolls

-Guy Fieri

1 Tbsp Yeast

2 3/4 cups flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/3 cup Baking Soda

1) Put 1 cup warm water (110 -115 degrees) in a bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle in yeast. set to bloom, 5 minutes. In another bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt.

2) add Flour mixture to the yeast and mix (with dough hook) on the lowest setting until dough comes together. Then on Medium speed until dough is elastic and smooth.

3) form dough into ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Turn to coat with oil and cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size (30-35minutes) line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat (I used parchment) Coat with cooking spray

4) Punch down dough and turn out on a floured surface. Knead until smooth and springs back when poked. (about 1 minute) divide into 4 portions (these are BIG portions) and form into oblong rolls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Cut slits along the top and cover with a towle to allow to rise for 15-20 minutes.

5) Bring a pot of water to a boil and add baking soda (it will foam) add two rolls at a time and poach 2 minutes a side. Remove from water and return to baking sheet, sprinkle with additional salt.

6) Preheat oven to 425 and bake rolls for 20 minutes.

The Titan's Curse

As you can tell I love to read. I took advantage of the help I had over the holidays and got caught up on my reading. I am on cloud 9... For those out there who are sick of my book reviews dont worry... I have a craft project planned this weekend... as long as nothing crazy happens... fingers crossed.
   I have come to realize that if I read a series back to back for the first time I read them I often get bitter by the end of them and am totally sick of the characters. Making me think that the last few books arent very good. With that in mind I decided I ws going to space out my reading of the Percy Jackson series. That has been more difficult then I planned it to be. Yes I did just finish book two and now I have finished book 3... But give me credit I did read Boy in the Striped Pajamas in between them. I just cant stay away from Percy Jackson. Rick Riordon just ends his books on such cliffhangers that I HAVE to keep reading the series.
  Book Three was GREAT! We are introduced to more of the God's of Olympus and even have to bid a farewell to one of the characters I have grown to love... although I wouldnt be surprised if they pop up in later books too. I have to give Rick Riodon credit though... for a male author he really hase alot of fierce girl power in this book. I loved it.
  In Titan's Curse we meet Artimes and her Hunters (which are all female) and they go an a special quest in search of a monster that turns out to be a quest to save the world. Percy and Annabeth and Thalia help out too of course. Kronos is getting more and more closer to rising and he and Luke are having more and more success if recruiting monsters, half bloods and even some gods to their army. We even get to see a mortal with a special gift for seeing through the Mist. She seems to only have a bit role in this book but she was made to be more then just a passer by which makes me wonder if she shows up again in later books.
  The ending was AWESOME! I had planned on reading one or two books before moving onto book 4 But I dove right into book 4.... and now I am pages away from its ending....
  Remember book one didnt grab me all that much... but books 2-4 have been awesome! So even if you dont get hooked by book one try book 2... I bet you will end up reading all 5!

Christmas Throw back

I found this picture of the gift I made for my dad in my file of pictures still to blog... so I dont think I ever shared this... if I did... sorry for repeating myself.
My Dad is horrible to buy for. He and my mom have worked hard their whole lives and now are in a position where really if they really want something they can go get it. So I am always perplexed as to what to get him. The man doenst even really have many hobbies! But like most people in my family he LOVES to eat and snack and as an added bonus He loves his two little grandkids, which I am lucky enough to be the mom of! So I use that alot.
I found some glass pasta sauce jars (the lids where white I didnt even have to paint them!) then I labeled them and found some pictures to go along with them and filled them with my dad's favorite treats. Now he can take them to work and display them on his desk and have a snack while admiring his funny grandboys!
This was super easy and beyond cheap! I needed pasta sauce anyways and it only took one sheet of cardstock to cover all three jars!

The Scorch Trials

WOW! Thats all I can say about this book... WOW! James Dashner really out did himself with this one. I loved it... no love isnt even a strong enough word. I was hooked right from the beginning. It only took me a few days to get through it. I was livid with the ending but only because it was such an amazing cliff hanger and the third book isnt out yet so now Im left wondering. AWESOME
  This is the sequel to The Maze Runner, which I blog about a little while ago. It was so good! In this one we find Thomas and Theresa seperated and sent on a new trial so see who will survive, group A (the Gladers from the maze Runner) or Group B (a group of girls who have lived the same thing as the boys in group A but they are all girls.) They have to cross a section of the earth known as the Scorch as it was completely fried by a sun flare and considered uninhabitable and make it to a safe haven. The Scorch is also where the people infected with the disease knowns as the Flare are sent to die. Supposedly the Maze and now the Scorch trials are all part of a bigger plan to help WICKED and Humanity find a cure for the Flare. I am still trying to sort that out.
  This book is filled to overflowing with betrayal and mistrust. It left me with so many questions that my head spins and I am DYING for book three! I am so entralled I dream about this! Who do I believe? Who will survive? Will the Flare be cured?? and above all.....IS WICKED GOOD?

Hot Hippo

A new year also means its a new month... which means I give my boys a new book. But since its a new year we have moved onto a new theme (last year it was Robert Munsch) This year its african Folk Tales. There is a series out there by Mwenyth Hadithi which is Kenyan (I think) for Story teller. The aristry that goes along with these tales is fun I love them. We have taken out a couple of them from the library and jaxon really like them but we didnt own any yet so I thought it would be a good series to work on collecting.
  This month we started with Hot Hippo. Its a fun tale explaining how the Hippo came to live in the water and why he is always opening his mouth so wide.
  I also really like doing these books because it gives me an opportunity to teach my boys about another culture. I think its important to expose children young to many different tastes and cultures and people. I am raelly looking forward to these books this year!

First Week in a New Year

Here we are the first Sunday of the new year which means its time for me to figure out what my family will be eating for the next week. This really wont be hard since my mom stocked me up with food before I left her house so I really dont have to go grocery shopping this week! Yippie!
Monday - Crackers and Sausages and pickles and cheese dip!
Tuesday - Breakfast (Sausages and waffles)
Wednesday - Chicken Burgers and Fries
Thursday - Egg Sammies
Friday - Soup and grilled Cheese Sammies
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - I am still thinking on... I dunno if mom and dad will be here or not... hmmm....
  Also as I sit here blogging on the only spot of carpet I can find I dread the start of a new week which will mean... school, cleaning, organizing all the new Christmas gifts, taking down christmas decorations and of course starting work on my HUGE list of new goals and projects. Sounds like this week will fly by since I am so busy! But thats how I like it!
  OH and if you follow my family blog http://www.thepiskofamily.blogspot.com/ you will notice that I am challenging myself to post a picture a day about something I am thankful for. So if you want to check out the good things in my lfe head on over there too! (You will be so sick of me!)

Happy New Year!

Have you miss me??? Ive been partying it up with my family in Edmonton and just was way to exhausted to blog. So I thought Id take some time off and then start up again in the new year... and here we are.
  Did you all have a fun New Years? I almost didnt make it. I am not a night owl and so staying up past 10pm is a HUGE achievement for me! but I did it... I made it to like 12:15...Yippee!
  Normally this is the time of year that people make goals for the upcoming year. I love setting goals. Its like a compulsion... Im always making goal/project lists. So I cant say now that its new years I have set a bunch of new goals. For me its a continuation of the goals I am already working on... So here is my list
1) Get Published (always!)
2) Lose 15 lbs... it was only 10 before the holidays hit... now I have more work to do!
3) Learn the following skills;Make Jewelry, use my sewing machine, knit, make stained glass, cake decorating, quilting (I dont think Ill learn all that this year though)
4) Read my scriptures better
5) Update my scrapbooks (these have fallen behind as I was be busy with christmas craft project)
6) Complete as many oth craft projects as I can... I have a list of like 50 or something!
7) Play more with my kids!
  yeah Im insane I know!
What are you guys working on this year? Let me know Im always into taking on more goals! Maybe we can work on a goal together! That would be super fun!