The Chipper Chef

Okay, I'm attempting to take on this social media thing by storm.  I now have instagram and twitter accounts (I don't know how to use them yet, but that is the real reason I have a teenager in the house.) I have a new business food lovers ingredient of the day blog, aka lindseythechipperchef.blogspot.com, and the Chipper Chef also has a page on Facebook... doesn't that make you want to go "like" it?! Anywho, plans are rolling for a Chipper Autumn. I'm still working on my adult cooking class schedule, but I am excited about a Mom and tot cooking class I'm offering, see the flyer below.

Oh, and we went to Lagoon today with our Scottish pals and my phone died shortly after our arrival, so no pics... and it's looking like I left my wallet there as well. Good times. (feel free to join me in prayer that the "incident of the wallet left at a major theme park" is quickly sorted. That's life.

I simply love whisks.

This class is aimed at toddlers and their moms. Come, cook together, eating your way through the alphabet, sample some goodies, let me handle the dishes:~) Call me/ text if you want in on the action.

Elder Josh Whitt and the Smith's. Clearly, I'm not dressed for the day.

The dress rehearsal for Aladdin. Everyone looks so great in their costumes.

I have a Jafar, a sultan, a golden camel and a guard in the cast. 

Antelope Island

Antelope Island is one of my favorite places to take Utah visitors. It has free museums, loads of cool animals and birds to check out, a ranch/farm area, and we even walked out to the Great Salt Lake, which totally reeked and was infested with bugs.  All together, it was a lovely visit.

I also taught my last cake class of the summer, and had some great friends as students. It was delicious fun, and entirely enjoyable! Big fat thanks to all who took classes this summer. I simply love to teach cooking!

Tonight we have a friend, a returned missionary from Scotland, who came for dinner and is staying with us tonight with his fab fiancé. Josh Witt and Rachel have been a welcome addition to tonight's line-up!

Cake making. Party time!

Annie and Owen, sitting on top of the antelope, assisted by the Gooch girls.

We're even allowed to touch the fur!

Cowboy Calvin.

Dress-up.

There was a lovely deer grazing about 50 feet away.

Josh and Rachel, digging in.

I bought Dragon fruit today.

I'm also starting an "ingredient" blog for my business.

To check out the very first entry (the page is almost ready to go)

you can head on over to lindseythechipperchef.blogspot.com

Hiking the Y... Almost.

Today we set out to hike the "Y" on the mountain just East of the BYU campus.  Some reviews said that some declared the hike very difficult, others said it was super easy, so we had no real idea what to expect.  We started up the crazy steep trail around 2:00pm, in the dead heat of the summer sun... and made it about half way up.  I felt a little bit like a weakling for throwing in the towel. However,  now that it is late at night, and I am still very tired and sore, I am going to add my review of the Y hike as being quite strenuous, and best attempted on a summer's day in the wee hours of the morning, with loads of time, lots of water, and excellent friends/family.  Well, I got the last bit right.

At the beginning of the hike. Still all smiles, and slightly overcast.

We haven't started yet, so Nicola and I are also happy.

The perfect ending to a long hot hike in Provo?  Ice cream and fries at the creamery.

Iron chef tonight. Them ingredient: Figs. Trophy: Presentation.  Well done me. And well done to all the dishes. The food was amazing.

Scottish Lassies Have Arrived

We are lucky enough to have the Gooch girls, Nicola, Olivia and Georgia, in our home tonight.  They left Edinburgh a few weeks ago and have been on a whirl wind USA tour, from New York to Hawaii, and loads of places in-between. How lucky that Utah made it on their map!  The house is clean, the dishes are done, the welcome sign is up, and the Smith B&B is in business.

In the car, right after the airport pick-up.

What a sign!

Car washes are still loads of fun, for both kids and adults.

Ryan just cut a whole in the wall for our new TV room door.

This is the same pic, only shows a little more of the wall.

Homeward Bound

On Sunday, I often think about my family, both the ones living far away, and my eternal parents.  Preston recently learned to play the song Homeward Bound (not the Simon and Garfunkel version, but by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.) If you've never heard it, pull it up on grooveshark.com.  I think some songs were written/ composed under division inspiration. Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring, Amazing Grace, and Homeward Bound are three that come to mind. Happy Sunday.

                                             In the quiet misty morning

When the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing

And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming

When the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning -

I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing

If you're hoping I'll return,

To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,

And in the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing

As my journey nears its end

And the path I'll be retracing

When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you somehow

Construction Time!

After remodeling our kitchen, living room, and conversation pit area this Spring, Ryan and I were just   exhausted.  We did 90% of the work ourselves. Remodeling is a lot like child birth.  You can hear people describe it, but until you experience it personally, you will never fully comprehend what the experience entails. I think that Home Depot or Lowe's should actually make and sell shirts that say something like: "We remodeled our _____.  It cost twice as much as we thought it would, Took three times as long as we estimated, but the project is done and no one was killed in the process. Proud member of Club Remodel." Okay, that would be way too much text on a shirt, but you see where I'm going with this.  In light of our recent renovations, I am thrilled that my husband has accessed some untapped well of remodel energy and has taken on what we hope will be the last remodel project for some time.  We are dividing what was once our basement playroom into a bedroom and a t.v. room.  It is 3,000 times easier than a kitchen remodel... but will still probably cost twice as much as we have estimated:~) And so it goes.

Framing up. Electrical in progress. More pics to come.

Probably Ryan's 4th trip to the hardware store today.  Cricket loves a good trip to the hardware store.

WE went up to Park City to ride the Alpine Slide We waited about 30 minutes in line. Then the lift operator said they spotted lightening and had to close the ride for an undisclosed amount of time.  We will go some other time. Very disappointed kids. This is a "before" shot.

We hit Craft Lake City Fair today in downtown SLC, where my good friend was selling Ninjas.  We picked up this cute little Orange ninja, and brought him home with us.  I love radseams.com!

Ryan is drinking Brigham's Brew Root Beer.  I wonder if Brigham Young ever drank root beer in real life?

Brazenly Beautiful Bread

I taught my last bread class of the summer today, and it was wonderful.  Nothing smells quite as fantastic as fresh bread being pulled out of the oven... well, cookies smell great, and so does a crock pot roast on a Sunday, right after church... okay, but the smell of bread is definitely up there. Bread, with butter, jam, honey, mayo, avocados. Just so many great options. I'm excited to finish up my classes this summer and get some new ones posted for the fall.

This is a pic of sour dough that has just been placed on a piping hot stone.  They turned out beautifully. All of my students are excellent chefs in the making.