This is my 100th blog post! I thought it would be fun (at least for my own personal record) to list 100 things that I love. After reading some of my previous posts, you'll know that many of those things will be food related. I'll probably do a lot of plugs for various restaurants and TV shows too :).
I'll start off with a new favorite, a great homemade ice cream recipe that came about by combining a few recipes that I couldn't decide between, and the result was amazing! It was so flavorful and creamy and had a really rich pink color with the right amount of frozen bits of berry. This recipe takes a little extra work, but it's worth it! This is for a 4 quart ice cream maker.
4 cups half & half
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 (24 oz.) container plain yogurt (I like Activa by Dannon because it's so smooth and creamy)
4 (6 oz.) containers fresh raspberries
1 (12 oz.) package frozen red raspberries
In a large bowl, mix half & half, cream, sugar, and vanilla with a wire whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Rinse the fresh raspberries and put in the blender with 1 cup of the cream mixture. Blend for 1 minute or until the raspberries are pulverized. Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine sieve with a bowl underneath to remove the raspberry seeds (be patient, it will be very thick and might need some stirring to get it through, but you'll be so glad to get rid of all those nasty seeds). Stir the raspberry juice/cream in with the remaining cream and add the yogurt. Stir in the frozen raspberries and pour the entire mixture into the ice cream maker tub. Follow your ice cream maker's directions for layering rock salt and ice and churn until it's thick and creamy.
Now... on to my favorite things... in no particular order at all:
- Above mentioned homemade raspberry ice cream
- Being married to Ryan
- Being the mother of Liv and Cole
- Coleman's goofy sense of humor
- Olivia's sensitive and kind nature
- Ryan's smile and the knowing looks we share
- Spending time with family
- New clothes and shoes
- Frozen York peppermint patties and Junior Mints
- Going to lunch with Grandma Cole
- Frozen Thin Mints (Girl Scout Cookies)
- Grandma Wirthlin's caramel apples in the fall
- Going to the cabin in Midway and pushing kids on the swing there
- Fresh flowers
- Newly painted rooms
- Clearance rack at Old Navy
- H&M
- Great Harvest oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Wheat bread, hot out of the oven (homemade raspberry jam is a bonus!)
- Cinnamon and sugar toast
- Book Club
- Long, hot baths
- Showers (baby showers, bridal showers) and parties
- Cafe Rio pork salad with black beans, hold the cilantro and pico de gallo
- Lemonade (the real stuff, not from the powder)
- San Diego Wild Animal Park
- The beach
- Having a tan (I know it's very unhealthy, so I've been trying so hard to be good about sunscreen, but I just feel better when I have some color)
- Pedicures
- Foot Rubs (Ryan gives the best)
- Flip flops
- Clearance at Target (clothes, home decor, household goods, etc)
- Roberts' 40% off coupon
- My paper cutter
- My new tape gun (makes paper crafting a breeze)
- Reading blogs--of people I know and don't know
- My laptop (when it doesn't crash/freeze, which isn't nearly as often since Ryan has rebuilt it four times!)
- Gift certificates (I said in a previous post that I don't like to give them as gifts, but I LOVE to receive them!)
- Date night
- The Temple
- The Book of Mormon
- The feeling after teaching a great Relief Society lesson
- Costco
- General Conference
- Ryan's Frozen Berry Lemonades
- Sour peaches and sour apples
- Sincere smiles and compliments (from me and for me)
- Being in Primary
- Cheese empanadas and completos (hot dogs with diced tomatoes and avocadoes) both Chilean specialties
- Good friends
- Fox TV: Arrested Development, House MD, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, 24
- NBC TV: The Office, Medium, Heroes
- Music videos
- Sting
- U2
- Dark Chocolate--Haagen Daaz bars and Dove chocolates (especially their little messages, like one that I got said "Chocolate, the gift that loves you back")
- Meltaway cookies
- Caramel popcorn
- Japanese Pan Noodles from Noodles & Co.
- Honey Seared Chicken from Pei Wei or PF Changs
- Handmade cards
- Photos (especially pics of my kids and pics taken by Ryan)
- Home decor
- Real Simple magazine
- A good book--the kind that makes me want to put of everything else so I can find out what happens
- Hand me downs and great yard sale finds
- Comfortable shoes
- Travel
- Hot chocolate (I love my Cocoa-Latte machine!)
- Bear Lake with Ryan's family
- Talking on the phone with my sisters and friends
- Tickling, giving zerbits (sp?) to the kids, and dog piles with Liv and Cole
- Creating something new or improving something old
- Chocolate dipped strawberries or pretzels
- Disneyland
- Christmas cards
- The smell of clean kids
- Girls Nights Out
- Making a "To Do" list
- Crossing things off of my "To Do" list
- Grilled pineapple
- A great new hairstyle (right now, I'm in desperate need of one.. .any suggestions?)
- ABC TV: Lost, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Ugly Betty
- USA TV: 4400, The Closer, Psych
- Soft-serve chocolate ice cream
- A clean house (I have yet to achieve it, but when I do, I'm sure I'll love it!)
- Outlet stores
- Exercising (at least when I'm finished with it)
- Being right
- Cookie dough and cake batter and brownie batter (even though it's bad to eat because of salmonella... I don't usually let my kids eat it, but I can't get enough)
- Key Lime Pie (Mike's Pies in Tampa, FL or Costco for something a little closer to home)
- Paris with my dad and sisters
- Drixoral (how I miss this never-fail allergy med that is no longer being made/sold in the US.. I have yet to find a suitable replacement)
- Good mail
- Thunderstorms and the smell of rain
- Family Gatherings at Granddad's, especially after General Conference
- Having everything in it's place (and having a place for everything... still a work in progress)
- Battlestar Galactica (new series on SciFi channel)
- Blogging! Even if it doesn't enrich YOUR life, I am glad to have a record of the things that are happening in my life. I recently read in a news magazine that many psychiatrists recommend blogging to their patients as a way to cope with life. It's especially effective because you have a built in audience and it can be anonymous (I threw anonymity out the door with the creation of this blog, though). So if you made it this far, thanks for being my audience.
**Do you agree that I love a ridiculous amount of TV and treats?
**Do you think blogging is therapeutic?
11 comments:
One of the many medical magazines that come our way also had an article about the health benefits of blogging. I think it is very healthy to express your feelings, to have people hear you, and relate. I like a lot of the same things. I especially like treats and to travel.
I do think blogging is therapeutic, and it's also such a great family history of sorts, with pictures included. I love reading about family and friends (and even complete stranger). And what would a "100 favorite things" list be without tons of food listed!!? Some of your favorites sound amazing and are making my pregnant tummy so hungry!!
Oh my yes, we share lots of favorite things. I love key lime pie, travel, being organized, Conference because we eat Pluckit (bubble bread to the rest of the world) then and only then, getting things done, a good book, shoes, (I don't even care if they're comfy! I can make a three hour fashion sacrifice for church or a hot date) caramel corn, Cafe Rio salad, H&M, and hot bread. Troy was just saying last night that it's a shame we haven't known each better until now. I agree. What a lot of lost years. You wanna vacation with me in November? :)
And YES Coleman just makes me DIE! I found a hooker is my favorite. What a great way to phrase that shape of piece, though. It makes sense.
Yes, we love many of the same things- I love all the foods you listed that I have tried so I probably would love the ones I haven't tried yet, the shopping deals, books, clean rooms (whenever they occur), pictures, blogging and creating things. This has to be therapeutic, I know its my escape when its been a long day and I feel justified because it records my family's history. Yeah!!! Great blog idea.
Loved your list of 100 things! I love the smell of rain too, but I'm mostly excited to find another Psych fan! I discovered it last summer and I wish others would catch on, I think it's great.
OK, my dear. Your blog (both most recent entries) needs to be on my do not read before bed list, bc my pregnant belly is now rumbling for most of the things on your list and my mouth started salvating (so graphic) for that salad at Thanksgiving Point!! It's 11pm and instead of hitting the bed, I'm off to the fridge for nothing that will compare to your writings! Cruel.
PS I can't believe in what good shape Olivia's American Girl doll's hair is!! You should be proud. xo
We share several favorites! Since I saw the Chilean food, have you been to the Chilean Deli that used to be on Main Street SLC??? It is SO good! We should go sometime. :)
What a great idea to put down your favorite things. Homemade raspberry ice cream is my favorite too. I'll have to try your recipe. I've got a family favorite, but I'm always willing to try new things. I love all the food entries. I think a large portion of mine would be food too. :)
I'm with you on the Drixoral. It used to do wonders for my sinus headaches. I have substituted Tylenol allergy sinus (ok, really the Kirkland version), and a combination of sudafed and benadryl.
Also LOVE LOVE LOVE BSG. We don't have cable and have only watched it on DVD from the library, but I think it is presently the Best Show on Television. I like LOST, too. Oh, and The Office and Heroes. I miss Arrested Development with you.
I made it to your blog from Kristy Snyder's - it's a small world.
Hi Lisa - Thanks for your nice comments on my blog today! You never said.. did you like Twilight?
As far as your 100 things, I agree with you on almost all of them, especially dipping things in chocolate! I used to be a Real Simple reader, but I didn't renew my subscription this year. I just spend too much time reading blogs, and I felt like I had to pick. :)
I love reading your blogs. It's such a cool idea to list 100 things you love. We share a lot of the same favorites.. I think bloggins is theraputic, but I like reading them almost as much.
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