Back to normal..

So our vacation is over, so sad. Even sadder that H is still in CA for the summer. We had so much fun, took over 300 pictures, but now its time to get everything in order, meal plan, grocery shop, get coupons, (haven't gotten any in 3 weeks!) L cleaned the bathroom and the laundry is mostly done, key work mostly, Avon orders have been delivered, new books are out, I think that's all. I will plan the menu for next week in the next few days. I got this really good recipe for a rice salad, from my grama, well its not really a recipe more like put a little of this and a little of that in a bowl, also my grampa makes these jalapeno poppers with bacon, chicken and of course jalapeno and shrimp wrapped scallops we are going to a bbq on Saturday so we are making all that we cant wait so we will post pictures of all the yummy food!

A few more pictures from our vacation

from top to bottom

1. C&L at the "pick your own" farm (which was so fun)

2. C and our niece Cienna

3. H and her cousin Cienna

4. Ventura Harbor

Away...

Hey just wanted to let you all know that we are away from our computer for awhile, we are still in CA having a great time, we met our neice Cienna for the first time tonight, she is so cute, chubby cheaks and all... we are going to be back to full time blogging early next week. We hopefuly will have tons of stories to tell, if we can find stuff to do... here are a few pictures to hold you over until then...

our cousin Avery shes such a cutie...

Who was in the ambulance??

Did you watch ER last night? Now first I must admit that, that isn't my favorite show... L loves it and watches it religiously, sometimes even the re-runs on TNT, but the past few weeks I have stepped away from my computer or closed my book and watched, and last night was super intense! And what in the world is Neela thinking? Here is the preview that I found on NBC

"EVERYONE HAS A SECRET--EXPLOSIVE SEASON FINALE GUEST STARRING STEVE BUSCEMI (“Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski”) AND STANLEY TUCCI (“The Devil Wears Prada”)-Gate’s (John Stamos) worries that his relationship with Sam (Linda Cardellini) may not be as serious as he thought. A drunk and very mysterious patient (guest star Steve Buscemi) comes into the ER and threatens the safety of everyone at County General. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) feels confident about his interview for the position as chief. Meanwhile, Kovac (Goran Visnjic) is shocked when Moretti (guest star Stanley Tucci) pays him a visit at the hospice. Maura Tierney and Scott Grimes also star.Show Cast: Linda Cardellini, Parminder Nagra, Mekhi Phifer, Maura Tierney, John Stamos, Scott Grimes, Goran Visnjic"

Now if you watched you will know what I mean when I ask who was in that ambulance? I am thinking it was Pratt, but you never know, and Abby was crossing the street at the same time! I guess we will have to wait until September to see what happens, well I guess until then there's always...

Army Wives (yeah I went there! Love this show) Season 2 Premiers June 8 at 10 pm et.

Another reason why we Love CA (Caution Hot Topic Alert)

L and I both grew up under the beautiful California sunshine, breathing in the crisp ocean air, with so many oppurtunities and so much to look forward to as adults, there was always one thing that we could never have, (and i know this may be a HOT topic for some of our non-gay readers) but L and I could never be married, yes we became domestic partners in July of 04 but we could never truly be married, never here "I now pronounce you wife and wife" we did hear "I know pronounce you commited for life" but thats just not the same, yes we have a "certificate of commitment" and a "certificate of domestic partnership" But I would like to have a marriage lisence to go with that, well California has made that possible from Yahoo news

SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot.
Domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage, the justices ruled 4-3 in striking down the ban.
Outside the courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as the news spread.
Jeanie Rizzo, one of the plaintiffs, called Pali Cooper, her partner of 19 years, and asked, "Pali, will you marry me?"
"This is a very historic day. This is just such freedom for us," Rizzo said. "This is a message that says all of us are entitled to human dignity."
In the Castro, historically a center of the gay community in San Francisco, Tim Oviatt started crying while watching the news on TV.
"I've been waiting for this all my life," he said. "This is a life-affirming moment."
The city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples and gay rights groups sued in March 2004 after the court halted the monthlong wedding march that took place when Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the doors of City Hall to same-sex marriages.
"Today the California Supreme Court took a giant leap to ensure that everybody — not just in the state of California, but throughout the country — will have equal treatment under the law," said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who argued the case for San Francisco.
The challenge for gay rights advocates, however, is not over.
A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution.
The Secretary of State is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to qualify the marriage amendment, similar to ones enacted in 26 other states. If voters pass the measure in November, it would trump the court's decision.
California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married spouses, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.
But, "Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," Chief Justice Ron George wrote for the court's majority, which also included Justices Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Werdegar and Carlos Moreno.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said the court overstepped its authority. Changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters, Baxter wrote. Justices Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan also dissented.
The conservative Alliance Defense Fund says it plans to ask the justices for a stay of their decision until after the fall election, said Glen Lavey, senior counsel for the group.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has twice vetoed legislation that would've granted marriage rights to same-sex couples, said in a news release that he respected the court's decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."
The last time California voters were asked to express their views on gay marriage at the ballot box was in 2000, the year after the Legislature enacted the first of a series of laws awarding spousal rights to domestic partners.
Proposition 22, which strengthened the state's 1978 one-man, one-woman marriage law with the words "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," passed with 61 percent of the vote.
The Supreme Court struck down both statutes with its sweeping opinion Thursday.
Lawyers for the gay couples had asked the court to overturn the laws as an unconstitutional civil rights violation that domestic partnerships cannot repair. A trial court judge in San Francisco agreed with gay rights advocates and voided the state's marriage laws in April 2005. A midlevel appeals court overturned his decision in October 2006.

Now we dont live in CA anymore, but that is still a HUGE step for GLBT couples all over the country so we would just like to say WAY TO GO CALIFORNIA!!

I have the answer!! ME! I became an Avon lady last week so far I have 5 customers! Its alot of fun and a great opportunity for me to make money and still stay home, I made up some fancy business cards even some that are magnets I know I am so cool! L is a big help with this, all the ladies of UTA love Avon, so of course she is out selling for me. I do have a website where you order and have products shipped directly to you, now how cool is that! the address is www.youravon.com/cstevenson
Now every one knows that Avon has been around for ever, and sells really great products, but did you know, Avon is the largest corporate supporter of the breast cancer cause, with programs in 50 countries that advance access to care and finding a cure, since 1992 they have raised and donated nearly half a million dollars world wide? Their "Speak out Against Domestic Violence" campaign created in 2004, raises both money and awareness of this important public health issue? Avon also responds quickly and effectively to national and international emergencies and natural disasters funding relief programs that provide vital services.
So when you order Avon not only will you be helping this SAHM (stay at home mom) stay at home, you will be helping raise money for breast cancer awareness, domestic violence victims, and Victims of natural disasters.
So keep me in mind for all your Avon needs!

Meal Planning Monday

With only a few days left till our vacation again we are going to try to make it go as fast as possible!
So here is the menu for the week, for more great menus (like ours) visit orgjunkie.com

Monday Chicken fried rice

Tuesday Penne a la Betsy (even though we dont know Betsy, her and her sister Pioneer Woman make a good lookin penne)

Wednesday 16 bean soup (actually 15 cause our super walmart doesnt carry 16, maybe the 16th is a secret bean that Utah doesnt know about!)

Thursday Rotelle pasta

Friday C.O.R.N (Clean Out Refriderator Night)

Friday Freebies

Alot of companys are offering freebies this month, here is a list the ones that I have come across.
TCBY if giving out a free cup or cone to moms on May 11th

Baskin Robbins is having a 'bump day' from their site;
You’re Invited!
Celebrate your new addition with a free 3 oz. cone* of our newest addition - Soft Serve.
For: Expectant mothers.
When: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Where: Select Baskin-Robbins stores across the country.
Print this page and take it to your neighborhoodBaskin-Robbins to receive your free 3 oz. cup or cone of our new Soft Serve.* Offer available at select stores in California, Chicago, New York, Nashville, TN and El Paso, Texas

Dunkin Donuts is giving out free 16oz iced coffees on May 15th from 10am-10pm

Dippin Dots get a free cup of birthday flavored dots on May 20th 4pm to close also they are having 2-fers every tuesday from May 27-June 24 buy one get the second one for .20.

Clinique Happy perfume Create and send a video to a friend and you’ll get a link to print a coupon for a FREE purse size Happy Perfume Spray. While supplies last

Haagen-Dazs May 13th Come in for a FREE scoop of Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream at participating Häagen-Dazs® Shops between 4-8 pm. Please call your nearest shop in advance to check that they are participating in the offer.

May 9th is "D-Day"

"D-Day" as in David Archuleta day! That's right as all the hard core American Idol fans know David is from right here in Murray (Murray is like 3 blocks away from here) He is coming in and there is a whole day of appearances planned here's what his schedule will look like;

GOOD DAY UTAH - 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.David will make an appearance on Fox 13's "Good Day Utah." During his appearance, David will be answering questions from fans.

RADIO INTERVIEWS - 9:00 a.m to 10:30 a.m.David can be heard on 97.1 ZHT and 101.5 The Eagle.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNING - 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.David will be at the AT&T Store at The Gateway, 160 S. Rio Grande Street, 2nd Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

DAVID ARCHULETA SPECIAL - 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.Tune in to Fox 13 or MyFoxUtah's Live Streaming page at 4:00 p.m. Friday to see a 90 minute special about David. The special will include extensive live coverage from the Murray High School event listed below.MURRAY

HIGH SCHOOL PEP RALLY - 4:15 p.m. to 5:30Performances by MHS Cheerleaders, A Cappella Choir, Pep Band, Drill Team, Dance Company, the Utah Blaze Chief mascot and David Archuleta. Murray High School, 5440 South State Street, Murray, Utah 84107

NATIONAL ANTHEM 7:00 p.m.David will sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Jazz / Lakers game at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101Tickets for the Utah Jazz / L.A. Lakers playoffs game are required for admission.

Random Disney Facts

So we are in countdown mode! 10 days left till California, we are so excited! I thought it would be cool to add some Random Disney Facts in honor of the trip.

Heres what I came across.

~515 million: Number of guests the park has welcomed since it opened.

~26 million: Hand towels used in Disneyland's restrooms during the year.

~13.3 million: Guests welcomed last year, making it the second-most-visited theme park in the country. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., was No. 1, with 15.1 million.

~4 million: Hamburgers sold at the park each year.

~3.2 million: Servings of ice cream sold at the park each year.

~3.1 million: Amount of cardboard — in pounds — that the park recycles during a year.

~2 million: Phone calls the park receives during a typical year. The most frequently called individual is Mickey Mouse. The most frequently asked questions — other than the ones answered by the recorded information line — relate to merchandise and collectibles.

~1.6 million: Hot dogs sold at the park each year.

~1 million: Annuals planted each year throughout the park.

~500,000: Pieces in the Disneyland costume inventory. A new costume takes from eight months to a year to produce.

~100,000: Light bulbs used throughout the park, including 11,000 "rim lights" that outline the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A.

~75,000: Performances by the Disneyland Marching Band during the last 50 years.

~21,000-plus: Cast members (employees) at Disneyland Resort.

~10,250: Guest parking spots.

~5,000: The minimum number of gallons of paint used each year to keep the attractions and buildings looking fresh.

~5,000: Trees throughout the park. They range in size from the 1-foot dwarf spruce in Storybook Land to the 75-foot-tall eucalyptus trees along the park's perimeter.

~1,000: Brooms used by park employees each year. They also go through 3,000 mops and 500 dust pans.

~800: Species of plants at the park, which come from more than 40 nations.

~87: Hotel and motel rooms in Anaheim in 1955. Today, there are more than 18,000 rooms at

150 hotels and motels.

~85: The size of the theme park, in acres.

~60-plus: Attractions and adventures at the theme park today.

~$53: Price of a single-day theme park ticket. The price is $43 for ages 3-9.

~34: Restaurants in Anaheim in 1955. There are more than 450 today.

~30: The amount — in tons — of trash collected in the park during a busy day.

~18: Attractions available on opening day.

~9: The number of times the Mickey Mouse flower "portrait," located at the main entrance, is replanted each year.

~8: The number of themed lands. They are: Adventureland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Main Street, Mickey's Toontown, Tomorrowland and New Orleans Square.

~$2.37: Average per-guest spending during the first year for parking, admission, rides and souvenirs.

Free Del Taco.... Taco!

Take the challenge at Del Tacos website and they will email you a coupon for a free Taco!

Hello C,
You took the test and came up short, but we still think you've got it in you.
Print this coupon and take it to your nearest Del Taco and drench that taco up with some New Del Inferno Sauce

24 Hours without the internet!!

So in this day and age the Internet is a Huge part of our every day life, being so far away from friends and family we often instant message, email or message on myspace daily along with search for recipes, play on pogo and of course blog and read other blogs so yesterday at 2pm when our Internet went out we got a little frustrated! I called comcast right away, they scheduled an appointment the tech came out this afternoon and within minutes had the problem solved. So what did we do with our 24 hours you ask? Well we started with a BBQ just the 3 of us L grilled and I made the pasta salad, it came out really good. While dinner was cooking H and I planted a cabbage that she has to grow for school, so after dinner while we were at Walmart, L and I got to talking about planting our own stuff, so we walked back to the garden and there was no one to help (surprise surprise) so we headed to Home Depot, and we talked with a woman named Cindy, and this is what we ended up with;

From left to right that is, Roma tomato, bell pepper, Roma tomato, H's cabbage, strawberry, Roma tomato and strawberry. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for our cool neighbors in 37c! you see we don't get any sun in front of our apartment but he gets sun all day long, so we asked if we could leave our garden in front of his house, he said it was fine cause it would make his front look pretty! No worries, by August we will be swimming in tomatoes and strawberries (that's the plan anyways!) I will keep you all up to date on our new hobby.

So what would you do with 24 hours with out the Internet?

Meal Plan for May 5th-9th

So this week we arent trying anything fancy no new recipes, we are just trying to get these next 12 days to go by as fast as possible! So on the menu

Monday BBQ pork ribs (L is cooking) with corn on the cob maybe a pasta salad

Tuesday Nacho Bar (we were going to have this in honor of cinco de mayo, but L is off early monday so we are grillin)

Wednesday Sweet and Sour drumsticks with rice

Thursday Breakfast for dinner? now you will be surprised to know that I dont think we ahve ever done this before... so we will do pancakes, if l is off early so she can make them, otherwise, french toast eggs and sausage.

Friday Personal Pizza's on greek pitas/

So thats all for the week! hope you all have a good one! You can see more meal plans at I'm an Orginizing Junkie.

Garage Sale, Catered by A (L's mom)

So it was another long Sunday, we had our first yard sale of the year at L's moms house. We started at 8am and ended at 2pm, we got rid of alot of stuff. We thought that by selling clothes 5.00 for all you could fit in a grocery bag, we would get rid of alot of clothes, but it ended up, not so much! We only sold 2 bags of clothes but we did sell alot of stuff. We went with about 6 boxes and only packed up 4 it was a good purge! Our garage is so empty right now. Anyway more about the day, we took pan dulce for breakfast, and A provided coffee and chai, for lunch she made a dish that she calls "carne molida" its ground beef that is cooked in the acid of a lime, just like the ceviche that I made a few days ago. L and H love this dish its their favorite, you serve it over tostadas, I don't like it, it has a mushy texture. But whatever they love it!

So all and all we had a great day got a little sun burnt, and worn out from the heat, but we made.... $146.00. We are going to do it again on Saturday morning, hoping to make some more spending money before our big vacation.

Shrimp Pasta

So shrimp is not my favorite food, but its L loves it and H tolerates it, so I make it. Last night I made shrimp pasta it was so good, I didn't eat the shrimp but even the pasta and the sauce is good, So you could use it for a chicken dish, or turn it veggie with no meat at all!!

Here's the recipe:

8oz Fettuccine pasta (I used penne)
2 cups cleaned medium fresh shrimp (I used frozen and a pound)

8 0z fat free cream cheese

8 0z chicken broth

1 cup Parmesan (didn't have it so used mozzarella)

5 oz frozen spinach thawed (we used 10oz)

2 cloves garlic (chopped itty bitty)

1/2 onion

1 tbs oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook whatever pasta you are using as directed on package.

Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion cook till tender. Add cream cheese and broth whisk together let cook for 3-4 minutes until cream cheese is melted and mixture is blended well (I know it looks gross at first but it gets better). Add Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Add shrimp and stir until cooked thru. Add spinach and stir well.

Drain pasta place in a large bowl, stir in shrimp mixture.

You can toss in 2 medium chopped tomatoes for taste and color but we didn't have any so I didn't.

May 1st and still snowy???

Mother Nature is severlly confused this year! Its snowing! does she not know thats its spring? So with that, we were suppost to have some sort of salad with the chicken leftover from last nights dinner, but who wants a salad when its so cold out? So I found a recipe at eatbetteramerica.com for chicken tortilla soup, now its not as good as the one at Cafe Rio but still its good. And since we are going to be in the garage getting ready for our first garage sale of the year I figured we will need a little warmth once we get in.

So here is the recipe that I used:

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/3 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, chopped
1 carton (32 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used 2 14 ounce cans so it would be a little thicker)
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
Avocado slices, if desired
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, if desired
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. Place in single layer on cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until strips begin to brown, stirring once halfway through baking; cool. Strips will become crisp when cooled.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

3. To serve, divide half of tortilla strips among 6 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

I also added 1 can of corn (drained) and 1 can of kidney beans (drained, black beans would be good too.)