Happy Halloween!

There is one song that just screams "Halloween" to me. I heard it on the radio last night and saw a clip about it on the news this morning. It's a total classic and with it being Halloween, I found it appropriate to post the music video. After all, Halloween just wouldn't be complete without a little THRILLER, would it?

Well, when I searched Youtube for Michael Jackson's Thriller video, all of them were marked as "Embedding Disabled by Request." Bummer! So, here is the link to the Thriller music video and here is the second best representation of the song that I could find...from one of my favorite movies! :)

 

Happy Halloween!

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary!

Jeremy and I did it.  We made it through our first year of marriage!!  (insert thunderous applause here)  One year ago today, we walked down the aisle at Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills, CA and then partied the afternoon away at the Orange Hill Restaurant in Orange, CA.  Awww, let's get a little reminiscent, shall we?  WARNING:  I couldn't just pick one or two pictures that summed up our wedding.  Our photography took about 1300 pictures, so picking just a few is impossible. Plus, you only have your 1st anniversary once, and therefore I think I can post as many pictures as I want. :)

My favorite pic of the guys!

 

Having fun with the girls.

The long walk down the aisle.

Jeremy's reaction to seeing me.

My daddy, giving me away.

 

Phew, the hard part is over!

 

      

How can a year have gone by already?!  We honestly cannot believe it...but apparently we've survived "the most difficult" year of marriage.  Our overall consensus is that it was a pretty good year.  The first six months were...interesting...as it took a bit for us to get used to each other and accustomed to being around the other one 24/7.  However, after that, it was fairly smooth sailing.  We had our carefree days that felt like we were dating again...and we have also had our days where we couldn't stand each other!  :)  But most importantly...we made it through it together and we have many more years to come!

So, you're probably thinking, did we do anything special for our anniversary?  Of course we did!  We actually celebrated the special event a week ago.  It's a bit of a long story but to sum it up:  I was supposed to be in San Antonio for work this week, but my trip got canceled.  Since I was going to be gone, Jerm had time off from work and decided to make plans on going to California for a few days, to see family and friends.  When my trip got canceled, I didn't want him to have to cancel his trip!  How often does he get to head back to The O.C.?  Plus, most importantly, he's picking up our FREE one year anniversary cake from the bakery that did our wedding cake!  So, he's in California right now and we decided to celebrate early.

For our anniversary celebration, we decided on a WONDERFUL evening at home!  We ordered take-out, ate it on our Fine China, drank sparkling cider, watched a movie and exchanged presents!  It was so fun to spend a night together at home and a great way to celebrate our anniversary.

Table set for dinner.  3rd time in one year that we've used our Fine China.

Take-out from Chili's.  (We're so high-class, aren't we?)

About to watch "What Happens in Vegas."

Sparkling Cider...just like at our wedding!

So, now you're probably thinking, what did you get each other as anniversary gifts?  The traditional gift for the 1st year of marriage is paper and the modern gift is a clock...so, we worked with this a bit.  I got Jerm a new watch (the clock/modern gift).  Plus, I got him a sweater/sweatshirt and a video game.  Jerm got me two things.  The first was a video game that I've been dying to come out: Fable II.  Yea, that's right.  I'm a 25 year old female and I play video games...that and the fact that I can cook are probably the reasons Jerm married me! :)  The second thing that my fabulous husband got me was....TICKETS (the paper/traditional gift) TO SEE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA IN LAS VEGAS!!!  Yay!!  I'm so excited!  I've been wanting to see this show in Vegas for years!  So, on December 30th at 9:30pm, don't bother me...I'll be Vegas with my Jerm and the Phantom. 

What a great first year together!  Thanks to all our family and friends for the love and support that you've given us this year.

A Favorite Breakfast...Muesli

This is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast...or even lunch!  Whenever I eat it, I think, "Yum, this is delicious!"  So, I decided to blog about it. :)

I got this recipe from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger, on Food Network.  In the episode, she uses the muesli as a base for parfaits with fruit and nuts.  It is delish!  I usually don't keep the kitchen stocked with nuts...so I just eat the muesli with whatever fruit I have on hand.  The recipe is really easy to throw together and I always have the ingredients on hand.  It makes four servings, so I portion them out for a quick, easy and healthy breakfast during the week.  Enjoy!

Ingredients.

   

Pre-fruit.

Post fruit and ready to eat.

Muesli Parfaits

by Ellie Krieger, Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup unsalted walnuts
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (strawberries sliced)

Directions

1. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Chop them coarsely then set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, milk, honey, oats, and vanilla.
3. Divide the oat mixture evenly among 4 small dishes or parfait glasses. Top each with a half cup of berries, then 2 tablespoons of nuts.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Per Serving (serving size 3/4 cup muesli, 1/2 cup berries, 2 tablespoons nuts)

Calories 300; Total Fat 11 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 3.5 g, Poly Fat 4.5 g) ; Protein 12 g; Carb 40 g; Fiber 6 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 75 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium, Manganese

Good source of: Riboflavin, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus

Great Breast Cancer Sites

I know that I've been slacking a bit in my quest to provide posts about breast cancer throughout the month, but I'm done with traveling for the month and now I can get back on track!  So here we go!  I've found some great websites that provide information on breast cancer or support the cause.  Check out these 5 sites, so we can all be educated, support, and help find a cure.

The Breast Cancer Site

Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. 

About a year and a half ago, I signed up for the daily reminder email from this site and I click everyday!  It's part of my morning email ritual. :)

National Breast Cancer Foundation

The National Breast Cancer Foundation mission is to save lives by increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in need.

Check out the "Early Detection Plan" on this website!

Susan G. Komen

This is THE breast cancer site.  Everything and anything that you wanted to know about the disease, how to reduce your risk, how to support the cure, statistics and much more.

Feel Your Boobies 

Ok, how could you not love a website with a name like that!?Feel Your Boobies® is a call to action for women young and not-so-young to get in touch with their body and know what’s normal for them. 

 

Save 2nd Base 

Here's another awesome website name!  Save 2nd Base is a unique and humorous phrase to support the fight against Breast Cancer.  A play on words of the old baseball euphemism is now synonymous with a battle cry heard ‘round the globe! 

There you have it!  Let's all continue to learn and support finding a cure for breast cancer!

Pumpkin Butter

I've discovered a new recipe that I'm totally obsessed with...pumpkin butter!  I had some leftover canned pumpkin from when I made my Pumpkin Gingerbread, and this past weekend, I decided to do something about it. In my recipe search on Recipezaar, I came across this wonderful recipe for Warp-Speed Pumpkin Butter.  I had all the ingredients, so I thought, "Why not?"  Boy am I glad that I did because this stuff is absolutely amazing and I'm eating it any chance I get!

The recipe is so easy and takes less than 10 minutes to cook in the microwave.  Oh my, the spices and the pumpkin are such a delicious combo!  Plus, while it was cooking, the whole house smelled like fall deliciousness!!  So far, I've had this pumpkin butter on toast and sliced apples, but the possibilities are endless.  If you like pumpkin, this recipe is a must-try!  Enjoy! :)

Ingredients, except the pumpkin cause I was already measuring it.

All mixed up and hot out of the microwave.

Yummy!  Spread on apple slices.

 

Yum!  Spread on toast.

Warp-Speed Pumpkin Butter

by Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling mix)

Directions

1. Combine everything except the canned pumpkin in a microwaveable one quart bowl.  Mix well.
2. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then stir.
3. Mix in the pumpkin well, and microwave on high 5 minutes longer.  It should be bubbly.
4. Put into clean, sterilized jars for gift-giving, or into other clean, airtight containers for home use.
5. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate.
6. This will keep several weeks in refrigerator or can be frozen for longer storage.  This cannot be kept in your pantry- must be refrigerated or frozen.

So Long Circus Animals, Taffy Sandwiches and Flaky Flix...

I came across some incredibly sad news today!  Thanks to one of my favorite Foodie Blogs, Cookie Madness, I found out that Mother's Cookies is closing down!!

Here is a link to the bad news.

How can Mother's Cookies close down?!  Didn't EVERYONE eats these cookies as a kid?!  What will the world be like without Circus Animals or Parade Cookies?! 

Jeremy and my mother-in-law might find it hard to go on without Fudge Flaky Flix!

 

And my dad, my father-in-law and I will be going through serious Taffy Sandwich Cookie withdrawals. 

 Oh, the horror, the horror!!  Hurry!!  Before it's too late.  Run to the nearest grocery store and stock up on your favorites during these sad times...

I'm So Excited About...The Twilight Movie!

Alright...it's already been established that I'm a big nerd and that I LOVE Harry Potter.  Well, there is another book series that I'm in love with and it's the Twilight series.  Similar to Harry Potter, they are turning the books into movies.  In fact, the release date of the Twilight movie took the place of my dear Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, on November 21st. 

Though these books and movies will never replace my dear Harry, I'm totally stoked about the movie!  The third and final movie trailer just came out moments ago (again, I'm a total nerd for know that!) and...

"I'M SO EXCITED...AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT...I'M ABOUT TO LOOSE CONTROL AND I THINK I LIKE IT!!" :)

For your viewing pleasure, here is the trailer.  If anyone wants to join me in seeing the movie when it comes out, let me know!

Does Anyone Else Find this Creepy?

In my playing around the Internet today, I somehow came across this fun, yet slightly disturbing website called Make Me Babies. On this website you can upload a photo of you, your spouse/significant other, friend or celebrity and it will generate what your children will look like! I do find this a bit creepy, but how could I not play with this a bit?!

And without further ado...please meet the children of Sara and Jeremy Bofferding:

Our son, Hayden.

Our daughter, Grace.

Personally, they look nothing like I thought our children would look like!?  In fact, I find them a little scary. What do you think?

Also, just for a bit of fun: here is Jeremy's son, Guile, with his favorite, Angelina Jolie.

And my son, Logan, with David Beckham. :)

Weird, weird, weird...and yet, so entertaining!

Slash Cancer Risk in Minutes a Day

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm going to be posting interesting facts and articles about Breast Cancer, throughout the month of October.  The more we know, the better chance we have to educate one another, reduce our risk and find a cure.

Well, the first article comes from the October issue of Self magazine.  This article entitled, "Slash Cancer Risk in Minutes a Day," gives us some great ways to make little changes in our lifestyles that can lower the odds of getting cancer.  Some keep points are:

1. Stay weight wise - Excess pounds boost cancer risk.

2. Nibble a bit of chocolate - Researchers have discovered a compound in dark chocolate that fights fast-growing cancers such as colorectal cancer.

3. Practice peace - High levels of the stress hormone cortisol may inhibit a key gene from suppressing tumor growth.

4. Bake, don't burn - Grilling beef, poultry and fish until it's charred to a crisp can turn amino acids and other substances in the meat into heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that have been linked to cancer.

5. Avoid needless tests - Those full-body computed tomography scans you sometimes see at the mall are bad news: CT scans deliver a dose of radiation 50 to 200 times that of a conventional X-ray.

6. Steal these secrets - Cancer rates in some countries are significantly lower than in the United States, and many experts attribute this to the lifestyles of people in these areas. Adopt these disease-fighting behaviors from afar:

   Spice things up. In India, where breast cancer rates are about five times lower than in the United States, people cook with an abundance of cancer-fighting spices such as cumin, ginger and turmeric.

   Go for whole grains. Finland natives are known for eating loads of dark rye and other whole-grain breads, which likely contributes to their low colorectal cancer rates.

   Kick butts. West Africans smoke much less than Americans, which may in part explain why their rates of esophageal cancer are about 60 times lower than ours.

7. Cut back on coffee - The number of esophageal cancer cases has jumped 300 percent in the past 20 years. A primary cause: chronic reflux, which bathes the throat in stomach acids that can erode tissue.

8. Ponder the Pill carefully - Research on the link between birth control pills and cancer reveals the contraceptive can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, women who took the Pill for 15 years cut their risk for ovarian and endometrial cancer by more than half.  On the other hand, Pill takers may have a slightly elevated risk for breast and cervical cancer.

9. Be sunscreen-savvy - Melanoma rates among young women jumped 50 percent between 1980 and 2004.

10. Ask about daily aspirin - It's not only for heart disease: One a day reduced estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer risk by 16 percent, NCI research finds.

11. Beware false promises - At least 25 companies have misleadingly marketed products containing ingredients like shark cartilage, exotic mushrooms and wild yam as cancer treatments or preventatives, prompting the FDA to issue a warning this summer.

For the complete article, please click here for Self.com.

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

I've said this before and I'll say it again...I LOVE COOKIES!  I'm a huge fan of any and all types of cookies.  A few months ago, I got to talking with my friend, Kayla, about toffee and Almond Roca.  I mentioned that I had a great recipe for Almond Roca Cookies and that I would make her some.  Well, life got in the way and I got busy, but since I'm not one to tease about cookies, I finally got around to making them the other night and they did not disappoint! 

This is a Food Network recipe from one of Emeril's holiday shows a few years ago.  On the show he had some of the viewers best cookie recipes and once I saw this one I just had to make them.

These cookies are really easy to through together and the only trouble I had was finding toffee bits!  Has anyone else run into this problem?!  I went to 3 grocery stores and they did not carry them.  Then, I went to Wal-Mart and they were all out!  The closest I could find was a mix of toffee bits and milk chocolate pieces.  Maybe toffee bits are just more of a holiday item?

Anyway, I highly recommend these cookies for those of you who like Almond Roca!  They are delicious, covered in almonds and then drizzled with chocolate.  Yum!  As usual, I used whole wheat flour and subbed egg whites.  I personally like to leave these cookies in the frig so that the chocolate stays nice and firm, while the cookies have a cool, crisp texture, but they are great at room temperature too.

Enjoy! (Glad you liked them, Kayla!)

Dough balls, rolled in almonds and ready to hit the oven.

 

Cooled cookies.

Melting the chocolate.

Finished cookies!

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

Recipe courtesy Lynn Scully, Rancho Santa Fe, California

Makes approximately 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 package toffee bits
• 1 cup coarsely ground almonds
• 4 ounces milk chocolate
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

As you can see by our new updated blog, it's time to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Yay!! Breast Cancer Awareness is a cause that I love to support, for the following reasons: 1) I have breasts. 2)I LOVE the color pink. 3) I have a small breast lump (fibroadenoma - benign and nothing to worry about).

Throughout the month of October, I've decided to post some interesting articles and facts about Breast Cancer to help educate us all, get us talking and raise money for research. There are so many ways to support this cause!

One very easy way is to have your website "Go Pink for October." The following is from their website:

Web sites will Go Pink during the month of October to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, get people talking about breast cancer, and raise money for research.

The hope is that you turn your site pink (in whatever way works for your site), go out to that World Wide Web thing and educate yourself about the multiple issues related to Breast Cancer, then take that newfound knowledge and tell someone else what you’ve learned.

We hope that you will:
1. Turn your web site/blog pink (however you like, it’s up to you).
2. Educate yourself about the multiple issues related to breast cancer.
3. Take that newfound knowledge and teach someone else what you know.

In 2006 (our first year) was a great start with the roughly 1500 sites that Went Pink. 2007 saw roughly 3000 sites Go Pink. We are looking to make an even bigger splash in 2008, but we’ll need your help to do it.

Blog about it, invite others to join, become involved, help increase awareness, learn something new, and teach others what you know.

So, let's all do our part, GO PINK and support Breast Cancer Awareness!!