Bow Ties with Tomatoes, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing

I made this for the ward party last month and got several compliments so I'm going to share. The original recipe is here but I pretty much doubled the recipe so you might not want to follow their directions. Also I was expecting a really flavorful salad because of the balsamic vinegar but it's not overpowering at all. It's bland in a good way. Can you tell I don't watch the Food Network?

1 package uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups seedless green grapes, halved

1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Run pasta through cold water to cool it and drain. Combine cooked pasta tomatoes, grapes, and basil in large bowl.

2. While past cooks, combine vinegar, shallots, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Add cheese; toss to combine.

The original recipe served this as the main course to a meal but since I chilled the pasta and wanted it as a side salad I liked it better that way.

Well gotta go the visiting teachers should be here and then I have a date with Jordan Catalano. The last DVDs arrived so don't worry there will soon be an end to all the My So-Called Life references.

PSA - Go see the leaves.

Unless you don't like drives like this then just stay home. We went up American Fork Canyon to Cascade Springs this weekend and it was gorgeous. Logan loves to be outside and his new thing is he'll say, "Mom, I'm running!" or "Mom, I'm jumping!' So here is just one of his running shots.

Love this little serious look on Logan's face because he's always smiling unless he whining for more Elmo or Percy.

Hey, this could be coming to a Christmas card near you.

Let's see can't think of another leafy thing to say. I've been watching Freaks & Geeks and it's hilarious. I want to just kiss Sam Weir, he's such a cute little brother. Okay that was out there but if you watch the show hopefully you'll understand what I mean.

Look more red leaves.

Oh look Grandma and Grandpa must be doing something funny for Logan to laugh.

Here Logan is pondering how evil that Russell is on Survivor. Seriously does anyone watch this show anymore. I'm only watching because it's in Samoa but I'm totally sucked in, big time and no one to discuss it with.

I know totally shocking but we went to Cabella's on the way home. I didn't think I'd ever go there. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but then it was. I'm so grateful my husband skis rather than hunts. I think hunting is so expensive and such a waste of money. I did think all the stuffed animals were kind of cool. It was probably even better than going to the zoo - it smelled better, no chance of the animals escaping and eating you, you can get a lot closer to the animals and not worry they'll go in their caves and you can't see them, also did I mention it didn't smell.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Making Memories warehouse sale so you should check it out.

This boardwalk is where we were waiting to hear Logan say, "Mom, I'm jumping!" Thank goodness that didn't happen because you usually hear that after he jumps.

Just one more picture to entice you to get up in the canyons and see the leaves. Now wasn't my randomness much better than me narrating our never ending leaf photos.

Labor Day & The Fair

Okay so I haven't been doing too good at updating this thing. Sorry, it's just I'd rather stay up till midnight crafting away than getting back on a computer. Well I didn't do so good at updating in August but I'd say we did really good and not dining out in August. There were only two weeks that we went out to dinner twice in a week. That doesn't mean I was cooking tons but there was tons of spaghetti dinners and sandwiches. Also it felt like I was constantly loading the dishwasher and I never had a sink that didn't have dirty dishes in it. That wasn't fun.

So for Labor Day weekend I went up to Swiss Days. Why do I go up there almost every year? Every year I say it's going to be my last. It seriously is a mad house and I think it has totally overgrown the two days and it's just not pleasant at all.

Saturday I recovered from going to Swiss Days and we just worked on some house projects and I'm sure I'll do some big post on our yard this year because seriously it looked amazing. Most people wouldn't think so but with what it started out as it looks so much better. Plus I don't think we've ever kept our lawn green all summer. Tad says he totally thinks it's because of the June rain.

Sunday we had a family Weenie Roast that was a lot of fun. We even had my cousin Jeff come out which we probably see him once a year. Here's Savannah & Logan playing in the sand box. Cute Baby Miles is always such a smiley guy, not sure what he was smiling up in the trees (probably all the wasps).Then had to put in a shot of Tad's sexy little brother, Nate. I'd love to say ladies he's single but I really like his current girlfriend. Sorry.Then on Labor Day we went to the zoo. Is it just me but I thought the zoo was pretty lame. I hadn't been there since I was 12 but I just remember it seeming so much bigger and so much cooler. Yeah it was lame and hot and kind of ghetto. I took some photos but I don't really like any of the photos so I'm not going to waste the web space. Also the train broke down while we were on it. I'm so glad we got to ride it because Logan LOVES trains but luckily we made the last train.

Now onto the Utah State Fair. My favorite thing at the fair is to watch the people and see what people are selling. I could write a novel on my observations, concession marketing tactics and other random stuff but it probably only amuses myself so I won't. Well one thing (probably the only thing) that was super cute at the fair was this booth right behind the grand stands sponsered by the FFA. You go in and your little one is a farmer. Logan totally loved it and it was so stinkin cute.

Here is Logan and daddy planting their onion seed. I had another shot but how great is this one with Tad sticking his tongue out because he's concentrating. Love it. He'll probably kill me when he sees this post at school Tuesday. Here's Logan riding the tractor. We almost had a melt down getting him off of this but we diverted that by the lamb he had to get wool from.

We then went around to see all the animals. Logan hated all the animals but the chickens. Might be because they didn't smell so bad, weren't trying to eat him, he's bigger than them or our neighbor had 4 chickens Logan would watch all the time. Anyways, the fair was a lot of fun even though it sounds like I hated it. I can't wait till next year to see what amazing things they are selling and to see the crowds. I'm going to try to talk Tad into maybe wearing 'costumes' next year so we fit in more with the crowd. ;)

So this post is all ready unbelievably long but I'm so excited for new tv. I'm shocked I'm saying that because I didn't watch tv all summer except my Netflix movies and I didn't miss it at all but I after watching Vampire Diaries I'm reading for it to be on. Did anyone else what Vampire Diaries? What did you think (come on Bev I know you watched)? I'm so into vampires right now so I loved it. No, my obsession with vampires has nothing to do with Twilight.

Just curious, which show are you most excited to see new episodes?

Ward Party

Okay so usually I probably wouldn't post about a ward party but our last one was a lot of fun. Okay this was the funniest thing ever. They had husband and wife teams and the goal was to empty the shaving cream can and whoever made the tallest pile won. It was so funny plus the men that were up there were bishops, former bishops, patriarch, and stake presidency members. I loved it when the stake president member started the shaving cream fight with the bishop and totally got him by surprise.

Then there was a soda chugging contest, which Tad participated in. Give that guy soda and he's in. I just had to laugh because it was binge drinking at a church social.

They even got the kids involved. I love how serious E is on the right. He was the winner for the kid's group.

Katie's Baby Shower

Okay so I've been dying to make tissue paper pom poms for awhile now. I think they are the cutest things ever so when planning for Katie's shower I knew these were a must.

This was a shot before we moved the tables over there. When the party was over I didn't want to take them down. I loved them.

It was a lot of fun catching up with people from high school that I haven't seen for awhile.

A photos of the SBK Heffers. Sabrina, Bonnie Katie. When we were in high school we would have contests on who would eat the most at lunch, then whoever did was the heffer of the day. Yes we are so nice to each other. Now all the heffers are moms or soon to be. Seems so weird sometimes.
Katie, Erin and Camille

I shouldn't have been in this picture because these were all girl's that went to Orchard Elementary. Also I didn't eat cheezies in the grass like they did in elementary. There's Laura, me, Katie, Angela and Tiffany (expecting her 4th). Angela brought all the toppings for the crepes and it was so good especially my nutella one. I think Nutella is my new love.

East's Fruit Salad

This is my new favorite easy salad. It's better than that jell-o salads with cottage cheese or cool whip because you don't have to let it set. Here's the recipe.

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 small package lemon instant pudding

1 can tropical fruit salad, drained

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

That's it.

I usually add 2 apples cut up and 2 bananas. The best part because of the pineapple juice they don't turn brown. I think I might try adding peaches next time I make this.

Girl's Camp '09

This year for girl's camp we went to South Fork up Weber Canyon. I think this area might be my favorite camping spot in Utah now. It was so much fun and there are tons of trees that it's just so pretty and is only an hour away.

Here are all the girl's ready to make their camp chairs from PVC pipe. They were so cute.
Here's all the leaders minus Collette and Maureen. We had a girl get sick so Maureen went home for the night. Okay so we always have to play little pranks on the 1st years. Well across from our campsite was a group of 16-17 year old scouts. So we sent the girl's over to get a smoke shifter. They of course didn't have one. So the girl's came back and then all the girl's left to go snipe hunting. Well while they were gone all the scouts came over to visit. They were the nicest boys, all of them Eagle Scouts. Well when the girl's came back they all went back to their camp but later came back over and visited for at least 2 hours. We do a Miss Congeniality each night at camp but we also did a Mr. Congeniality this night. We finally had to close the party down when neighbor campers were complaining.Leah showing off our value flags and of course flirting with the scouts. Luckily (or unfortunately if you're a YW) the scouts left the next morning. Everyone got their certification done early so we could spend most the day tubing down the river. This was my favorite part of camp. One last group photo of us in our river gear.It rained, thundered and lightninged our last night and we had to pack up in the rain but that was okay because it just got the girl's to move faster. We also had one girl go home early because she broke her arm but luckily her family was there so things worked out. Next year Heber Valley. Wahoo!