My (very) Dirty little Secret

I am an organized gal. I love filing systems, binders and a place for everything. Unfortunately where we live there is very little room for storage. VERY LITTLE. the one "decent" sized closet is briggy's and thats FULL! I gave up the closet for briggy--so Tom has a very small one in our room, and I have a dresser. I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH clothes---unfortunately about 3 things FIT, so everything I have in my drawers and in BINS everywhere isnt even being worn. Downstairs we have a hall closet that is very small and an even smaller crawl space that is in the back of that closet. The crawl space is FILLED TO THE BRIM with holiday decorations, ornaments, bedding, camping gear, tent, suitcases, more too-tight clothing....For a while the hall closet was fairly organized, but the past few months its really gone downhill. Im starting to buy a lot of stuff to alter for christmas gifts, craft bins, and food storage along with a bin of shoes....ahhhhhhh. normally, i just buy a bunch of bins and stack--but im getting SO SICK OF BINS. I have moved so much the past 7 years of my life and lived out of bins for that long....I hate it! I know I'm selfishly complaining, because there are plenty of people that dont have THINGS to even PUT in bins....i just have been part lazy/part confused. Is there any other way to organize this stuff? we rent, so I cant build shelving....and we can't afford to rent a storage unit. I CANT WAIT TO MOVE INTO A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would appreciate any advice....otherwise, im going to have to break down and
BIN IT!


I think I just need to....

Visiting Teaching

Right now, i am currently calling-less. i miss having one, but after reading teresa andersen's blog (okay, im not a creep-o ---i just totally love her, i dont know her, she doesnt know me...but i love her! shes jocelyn's relative and always has the nicest stuff posted, she is the super mormon lady i strive to be! ---- anyway, she has a nice little blurb about visiting teaching and that IS my calling right now. ive been a member of the church since late fall 2004 and i have never been diligent about visiting my assigned gals. i always feel rotten about it, but i never seemed to get it done. well, brianne is my companion and she is very studious about making appointments (halleluiah) so i have tried to step it up with my ladies. its nothing major or enlightening...but i put together a little bag with some homemade icecream recipe cards (they are wicked cute...go to http://heatherbailey.typepad.com for the insanly cute downloads) a quotation from president hinckley that relates to july's visiting teaching lesson on our bodies being sacred and made in Heavenly Father's image....and some iceream cone cupcakes. i dont have fancy pastry bags to make them really cute like i had at my parents house, but they taste good! kiddo's and husbands alike should enjoy them for the upcoming holiday :) anyway, thats that.

Tillotson Tropical Pie

Today I was fooling around with some recipe ideas and i decided to whip up a pie made of my two favorites: lime and coconut. i have seen a couple key lime pie recipes online that i was going to make for the luau, but we decided against making pies and getting the cake. the recipe that i thought looked the best was on martha stewart's site...but today looking in the fridge, i knew i was missing a few ingredients. so anyway, im supposed to be starting my diet today and whenever i start a diet i crave sweets like crazy. i figured id try out my concoction and give it a little taste thinking it probably wouldnt come out too good....but i am really happy with it! its fast, easy and yummy! i suppose you could make this with meringue, i just dont like the stuff---i think the fresh whip cream is yummier. here goes, if youre brave and try it, let me know what you think!

Tillotson Tropical Pie
2 cups of graham crackers crushed
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of butter melted
4 egg yolks
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of sweetend coconut flakes
1/4 cup-1/2 cup of lime juice (im sure this would be much better with real key limes, they were just too expensive for my grocery budget, so I used those little plastic limes that say "sicilia" on them. they're like a dollar at price rite) 1/2 would make it REALLY lime-y i put in 1/4 c and then a good squirt more.
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of coconut extract

1. make and bake graham craker crust. combine the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl and then press into a 9" pie plate. bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes.

2. Using a blender, mix egg yolks for a couple minutes until foamy. add the sweetened condensed milk. after thats blended, add in lime juice and coconut flakes.

3. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Let pie completely cool.

4. Make fresh whip cream. My mother always chills her mixing bowl in the fridge before making the cream...im not sure if that really makes a difference, but thats what ive grown up doing. start whipping the chilled heavy whipping cream and slowly add in your powdered sugar. the mixture begins to get thicker, add coconut extract. whip whip whip until a nice firm consistency.
Plop it on the chilled pie, or use a pastry bag to make it pretty!

Option: garnish with toasted coconut flakes and/or sugared key limes (i didnt do the sugared key limes, but thats taken from martha stewarts key lime pie recipe and it makes it look pretty fancy!)

its plenty sweet, but i have a mean sweet tooth---my hips dont lie!
if any of you try it, i hope you like it!
(i didnt take a picture of it this evening because i didnt have the whipping cream, and it wouldnt have looked as pretty, im sure ill be making this pretty soon and ill snap a shot just for the heck of it!)



Isnt this flower pretty? its'a echinacea purpurea aka "coconut lime" flower!

Luau Graduation Party

My sister Jessie and I decided to throw our little sister, Danielle a luau graduation. We had it last sunday--and it turned out pretty great. there was a lot of kids and they all seemed to have a nice time. when we were decorating in the morning we were a little nervous with the booming thunder and sprinkles. we tried not to think of the doom and gloom that the weatherman promised. lucky for us he was wrong! it turned out to be really nice the rest of the day and night!! besides being really super muggy the weather was sunny and the luau went on until 10 or so at night. the only thing that kind of bothered me about the party was the menu. i had planned on having your classic hamburger and hot dogs, but wanted to jazz it up with grilled pineapple as one of the possible condiment/topper. I also was hoping for kabobs with shrimp and veggies....my father didnt like this plan and decided pasta, meatballs, sausage and peppers along with the hamburgers and hotdogs. personally, i thought it was silly to serve hot italian food at a luau in 90 degree weather---but he paid for the shin dig so i had to let it go. jessie and i also planned on making the cupcakes ourselves but again...my ever controlling father said NO! we ended up buying them and were a little disapointed that the frosting was airbrushed---they didnt come out half-bad. ohhhh and the cake we ordered. its a photo cake with a pic of danielle at a very young age wearing my older sisters cap and gown. notice the congratafjkads;lfjsd. they messed up so bad on the writing and piping. big y bakery stinks! other than that, i was really happy with how everything came out. the whole family worked hard to make everything nice, im glad we had something special for danielle. i really liked the cupcake tiers we made. i saw a how-to on cakejournal.com, the main difference is i couldnt find any "cake dummies" for the pillars. we ended up using rectangle floral foam---they were pretty nifty though. anyway, just thought you might want to see a glimpse of the decorations and the graduate:

Ten Things to Try

1. Pay the price for strength and progress in the challenging role of wife and mother by taking time for daily scripture reading and prayer.
2. Do a quick "Priorities-Check-Up". Ask yourself if you are making timein your life for the things you value most.
3. Work with your own mood swings and energy levels.
4. Have a system for accomplishing your housekeeping tasks. A plan, time-limits, and an established routine can help you use your time more effectively.
5. Make routine work pleasant by listening to tapes, memorizing, planning, or meditating while you do chores which take little concentration.
6. Schedule an "island of time" for yourself each day and watch your morale improve(blogging!!)
7. Share your interests with your children. If you write poetry,read and discuss it with them; if you paint, let them watch and imitate you.
8. Give your best to your family by doing your best for yourself. (developing your own interests and taking care of your appearance..etc.)
9. Try new ways to show your husband love and support. Pray for him in family prayers, tell the children (in his presence) how grateful you are for their special father, or plan a special program to honor him.
10. Keep an "eternal perspective", remembering that if you trust in the Lord, do your work well, and put first things first-"the best is yet to come!"
To parents, with love pg 43-44

Chapter One Highlights

The Joys of Homemaking:

"The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home"
--President Harold B. Lee

In the 1973-74 Family Home Evening Manual, President Harold B Lee gave this definition of the ideal home:
The primary function of a Latter-day Saint home is to ensure that every family member works to create the climate and condition in which all can grow toward perfection. For the parents, this requires a dedication of time and energy far beyond the mere providing of their children's physical needs. For the children, this means controlling the natural tendency toward selfishness.

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.
D&C 88:119

To Parents, with love:

Be Your Best to Give Your Best

"As we give of ourselves, we must reserve a little time and energy for that other life which is within each of us--that urge to make, to do, to try to create. It really amounts to putting something extra into the day--something we have seen or heard that inspired us, something we have learned or done which has added more to the quality of our day. Somehow, somewhere, there must be an island of time for ourselves"

1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, 4, 5 Potato, 6 Potato, 7 Potato, MORE!

You may have read my other blog where I ranted about how great my new potato salad recipe is. It is super delicious!! Maybe its because I'm so Irish, but potatoes and kelly=best friends! I'm always looking for yummy ways to integrate potatoes in my menus. This is a great salad for barbeques!

(my measurings are a bit rough, i tend to just throw stuff together without precisely measuring)

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs of Red Potatoes
3/4 c. sour cream
3/4 c. mayo
8-10 slices of crispy-crumbly bacon
1 small red onion diced up
3/4 c. chopped celery
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
(option: green onion)

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Dice 'em up and let 'em cool. Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Toss with potatoes, cover and refridgerate for several hours.
Should have 10 hearty servings


**Apples of Life** Thats what the Irish called the potato in the early 19th century.
A typical Irish family of 6 during that time period might have consumed up to 250 lbs of potatoes a week!!!!!!