Breezy Days: June 2011

Pages

June 29, 2011

Portlandia

Currently Ryan & I are residing in Tigard, Oregon which is pretty much in Portland. Here is a list of reasons why Oregon is not our state:
  • Everyone is dressed in one of the following styles: like they are ready to run a marathon, go hike Mt. Everest, lay in bed all day, or go to a Nirvana concert
  • The speed limit is 55mph on the freeways which is not conducive to my California "driving with a purpose" style. For example...when there is hideous traffic, it's usually because someone is pulled over for speeding. What a bunch of looky-loos!! Speaking of which....
  • THEY ALL STARE. Portland people stare. A lot. 
  • Lastly, I have come to realize that I have been flipped off and stared down more here than I ever have been in California and Utah combined. Aren't these supposed to be nice hippie organic fruity people!?
All in all. Ryan and I have decided not to live in this state. Where the sun hardly shines, the freeways are slow, and the people are still living in the 90's. Speaking of which....
If you've never been to Portland, this is what it is really like. No kidding. 

Oh California, how I have come to appreciate and love you. :)

June 21, 2011

Dedicated to Evan and Jesse

No the apocalypse hasn't come. I cook!

Growing up I never felt the need to cook. Evan and Jesse were growing boys, thus they ate 24/7. My mom got sick of cooking for their bottomless stomaches and demanded that they learn how to cook for themselves. I don't eat like a crazy baboon so I didn't cook, just when Evan/Jesse was cooking I'd say "Hey, make one for me!" 
So Evan and Jesse's conclusion was that I couldn't cook. 
CORRECTION. 
It's not that I didn't know how, it's just that I never  had to. 

Life has changed and now let's do the math...
A: Married a boy who plays football and eats non-stop
+
B: I'm just sitting at home all day resting before the hectic school year and work
=
C: I've started to become bored and now call my mom for recipes and look up stuff on allrecipes.com and ourbestbites.com

Here are some pictures of a couple of my beautiful creations.
He loves mac&cheese so I'd thought I would make it a kids theme night dinner. 
Mac & cheese, celery with peanut butter and chocolate chips, and chocolate jell-o pudding with strawberries on top for dessert.
We LOVE brownies. The dollar box kind. I made the nice thick moist ones. Yummmm
I'll introduce you to my mixer and my crock-pot. I am in love with them! Wedding presents that I have used almost everyday. 

Fav recipes:
-Lipton onion pot roast
-Vegetable dip (it has tons of sugar in it which is probably why everyone loves it)
-Fruit salad (with marshmellows, cool whip, marachino cherries, mandarin oranges, etc)
-Chicken with cream of celery, mushroom, and chicken in a crockpot with rice 
-Mushroom caps with parmesan, cream cheese, and bacon bits
-Banana bread

Going to try:
-Making paninis
-More bread recipes (who doesn't love bread?)
-Mexican food! Specifically carne asada. (That's a given)

Annnddddd I'm hungry now. My banana bread is calling to me.

June 15, 2011

June 4th, 2011

I'll set the scene...Ryan and I were to be married at 11am at the San Diego temple. We are driving in the car with my parents, about 25 minutes away from my house when Ryan is making small talk and says "Ya, I just found your jetta keys in my church pants..."Then he started trailing off saying something else while my brain went into a whirlwind.
Jetta.
Keys.
Last time we drove it, yesterday where I saw the...
Wedding license, in between the seats.
Oh my gosh...."RYAN, WE FORGOT THE MARRIAGE LICENSE IN THE JETTA"
My dad whips the car around while I call the temple apologizing and saying that we were going to be late. The lady on the phone tells me to calm down and says "Whatever time you get here is the perfect time to get married." For some reason that doesn't make me feel calm. 
DON'T TELL ME TO BE CALM! 
We get to the temple, rip inside and get ready.
After we got there, I felt more at peace. {And that was not a result from what the lady was telling me on the phone}

Everything was just beautiful, the whole day was absolutely gorgeous and perfect. The temple grounds, the look on Ryan's face when I walked out and he saw me in my dress, my family with smiles all over their faces, all my friends there to support me laughing and smiling, my dad's face during the wedding, everyone's tuxes and dresses, the beach pictures that we took after the wedding, the reception in my backyard that was covered in: puff balls, flowers, twinkle lights, and loads of good food! {Ribs in homemade sauce, chicken, rolls, potato salad, lots of desserts, and novelty glass bottle sodas}

A wedding is like cramming for a final. After hours and hours of planning/studying out what you want and need to know, you are racing to get everything finished right up until the last minute and by the time that day comes you just have to rely on the preparation you worked so hard to complete. Focus on him, how awesome you look :), and the meaning of the day.
You are being sealed to your best friend for all time and eternity.

Venturing out to conquer life with Ryan at my side is a really comforting thought. I wouldn't have picked anyone else. He makes me feel happy, loved, confident, and secure when I'm with him.

 {And if all else fails, if I'm upset he will turn into his alter-cholo ego and beat someone up for me. Now that's true love}

-Brianna Nicole Rios