Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

I do not care to write out the entire recipe for the sake of this blog post. Prep was long, there were a lot of very specific directions, but MAN was it worth it! This bread is YUMMY! Granted, I did not have a bread tin, so I made one out of tin foil and that made it look very ugly. That means no final picture. You will survive. 

This bread was a yummy blend of a sweet bread recipe, chalk full of blueberries, with a center of cream cheese yummy filling-ness. I made it a few hours before everyone went to bed and half of it is already gone! I rate this recipe an 8. 

Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding

Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Rice
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Vanilla Bean (insides scraped out)

Directions:
Cook Rice
Add all ingredients into pot, simmer on med-low for 40 minutes

This recipe was very easy, in fact, what you see above was written from memory. I rate it a 5. I enjoyed the rice, but it was not spectacular. I could see this being something yummy to fix my chittlins for breakfast to break the monotony of cereal. 

Salted Caramel Shortbread

Salted Caramel Shortbread 

Shortbread:
10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1-2/3 cups flour

Caramel:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Grease an 8×8″ pan

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork. Add the egg yolk and continue mixing.

Add the flour and use your hands to combine the dough until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and press it down into one even layer.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the caramel, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5-10 minutes until caramel has thickened

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour caramel over the shortbread.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, then sprinkle with sea salt and cut into squares.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this recipe a 7. These morsels are yummy! My issue with the recipe was ratios. The caramel totally overpowered the shortbread, because each bite has twice as much caramel! Not that I am complaining, because the caramel is stinking delicious. In the future, I would half the caramel portion of this recipe. Definitely worth making!

Joe's Crab Shack Crab Dip

I have been blessed with attorneys as parents. I have also been blessed with parents who love to serve. These two things mixed together equal our family sometimes receiving seemingly random gifts for free legal work my parents have done. One that might be my favorite that they have ever received is the 10 pounds of King Crab legs they were just given. This is fresh out of Alaska, flash frozen, King Crab and holy cow is it delicious. I had a recipe on Pinterest for some crab dip and when I realized we had fresh delicious crab, I went right to work!

Joe's Crab Shack Crab Dip

6 oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 TBSP Mayo
4 TBSP Butter
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Chopped Onion (to taste)
6 oz crab meat

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mayo and butter until smooth
Stir in salt and paprika
Then add the crab, onion and Mozzarella 
Place in baking dish and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes
Serve hot!

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this recipe 7. The base is good and can be used for any other kind of creamy dip. Replace paprika with garlic, crab with artichoke, and you will have a yummy artichoke dip! This recipe is worth making and eating at least one time! It would definitely be a crowd pleaser at any party. Don't use smoked paprika. 


(These legs are as long as our stove top!)

Pinterest Program

I have three months at home before I begin the greatest 18 months of my life. I thought over what I would spend my three months doing. Some of the ideas that crossed my mind were: staying at school, dating a boy, going back to work, moving to Anacortes, volunteering, tutoring and doing nothing. I still have not quite decided what to do with my time, but several of those have been knocked out. There is one thing that I have decide to do, however, and that is pinterest. I have compiled all of my pinterest recipes (which have taken me a good year to collect) into a list and am going to work through each of them, until I leave in March. I love food, so why not spend my time making it? I plan on making myself a cookbook so I am ready to be a wife when I get home from the mish! These are all righteous goals right? :) 

Additionally, I am going to blog about them. Keeping a blog is hard for me, as is keeping a journal, because I do not like to talk about myself--which is strange considering how much I like to talk. But now, my blog has a purpose! I hope everyone reading this likes food as much as I do!

Myself

I have learned something about myself since I have been at school. Actually, I have learned several things. In fact, it is remarkable the amount I have learned about myself in just the short time I have been here. I will save all those for another post. Today I want to focus on what I have learned as result of living with five other girls.

I always thought my biggest fear was being alone and in part it still is, but what I have realized since living here is I LOVE being alone. Holy cow, I took advantage of being an only child for 5 years as well as having older siblings who didn't want to play with me as a child. Oh the joy of walking into a house that no one is in and just sitting. The quiet. How I miss being able to sing out loud without worrying that someone was listening.

When I am home alone I just sit and think "Perfect. Life is perfect." I blame my father for this quality of enjoying solitude.

"You will understand by October"

I just spent over an hour writing out a ridiculously long blog post about my decision, and then I erased the whole thing. If you want to hear the whole story, feel free to call me. But, for this post, I decided to focus on the REAL reason I have made this decision:

I LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ! I know that it is the true. I love my Savior and know that He died for me. I know that through Him, I can return to live with Heavenly Father and be with my family for all eternity. Through Him, I am able to grow eternally. I know that Heavenly Father loves infinitely. I have no greater desire than to share this with His children. I want to help people understand that they have a loving Heavenly Father. I want to help them feel the power of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I want them to be with their families forever. There is nothing, in Heaven or Earth more important than this knowledge. If I, Alivia Catherine Burnham, can help assist this work, I will do it. As Elder Holland said: "I will not stop until this work is completed."

I begin my papers tomorrow, to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have never felt so strongly that this is what I need to do. I am filled with complete peace. Where there is faith, fear cannot reside. I am putting my trust in the Lord, for truly, it is His plan. I willingly put my hand in His as He leads me along the path of life. Through Him, none can go astray. I am so excited for these next few years, for I know that this is where Heavenly Father needs me.

Still Here

I had something clever in mind for this post. I can't remember what that was. I wish I did. I guess this post is to just let you know I am alive. I am alive.


P.S--I saw a kitten today.

First Days of Classes

So far classes are going good. I was really nervous this morning though. I have a really good internal alarm, or should I say annoying internal alarm. When I have a big event, I always set an alarm, like any other person, but, my body doesn’t let me forget it. I woke up three hours before my alarm went off the today, and then in 15 minute intervals after that. I am lacking sleep. In fact, today I yawned in one of my classes and my professor goes “There is NO yawning is my class!” Thank heavens he did not know it was me! 

 I have Great Books, Science, English, Book of Mormon, Social Problems and Marriage Skills. I am very excited for my great books class. My teacher, Brother Pearce, really emphasized the fact that he couldn't care less about our grades, he cares about how much we learn. I love that. I have been waiting my whole life to have a teacher like that, because I think that is how school should be done. I understand the necessity for grades, but I wish school could do without them. High school, especially, is so geared towards teaching to the test, and getting good grades, that by the time students get out of  high school, they don’t know how to learn or even think! So, I am excited about this teacher. Plus, he was wearing yellow pants—awesome.

My english class only has like 25 people in it. My Social Problems class is going to be so wonderful. I have only taken the class for an hour and half and I already love it. It is about all the social problems that face our day--abuse, sexual abuse, racism, sexism, etc. In the least creepy way I can say this, those are my favorite things to talk about. I do not mean that like it comes out. I mean, I love learning about those topics, and finding solutions to such--hence why I am a sociology major.

Last but not least, the class I am most excited for: Book of Mormon. My teacher is AWESOME. His name is Kyle Black (for anyone who looked and that and thought, "hmm ironic", yes I understand) and he is so eccentric and exciting. I feel like I will learn a lot in that class and I cannot wait. 

Week One

I am here! I have only been here for four days, but it seems like life before this was forever ago. My apartment is already so homey and my roommates already feel like family. On day two of being here, we had a party at our house with like 25 people here, which may not seem like a lot, but crowded into the front room of our apartment, it is a lot. It is really nice to have older roommates who already have friends and a knowledge of the school, because I am totally reaping the benefits--AKA the party.

Last night was I-NIGHT which is this huge campus wide "Welcome Back To School" party. They had blow up toys, human clue (don't worry, no one was actually murdered in the making of this game), laser tag, karaoke, a dance. speed dating, the dating game, food--you get the picture. I-NIGHT went from 7-11pm, but our apartment did not end up going out there until about nine. Four of us decided to go to laser tag. There was a huge line, but we decided we could tough it out. After waiting about 45 minutes, Jess and Jess decided to leave and do other things, while Julie and I decided to continue to wait. I mean, what is the point of waiting in line for 45 minutes if you aren't going to play the game? Right? By this point we had made friends with the boys in front of us. After an hour and a half Julie, Dale, Aaron and I finally made it into the laser tag "arena". I say arena with quotes because it was really a dark dance studio with a strobe light, where you got to run around and shoot each other. Mind you, there was no shelter besides a piano that was in a corner and two little curtain things that really don't even count as shelter. So basically, it was not at ALL worth the wait. But, I met Dale and Aaron and they came back to the apartment and played games and ate cake, so making friends was definitely worth the wait!

BYU-I could not be more perfect for me. The Lord knows what He is doing. I learn that more every day here. I was NOT going to go to BYU-I, EVER. It was completely out of the question. But, alas, I am here, and I could not imagine being any where else. It is wonderful. There is a special Spirit and reverence here that is lacking on the BYU campus, honestly. Everyone is so kind. There is a thing here called the "Spirit of Ricks" and it is a real thing. Everyone has the obligation of sorts to be nice to everyone else. Every person you pass says hello to you--every single person. I just, love it here.

I am looking forward to classes starting on Monday and going to my first new ward I have ever been in  today!

Roomates

I found out who my roommates were on Tuesday. It was so exciting! Emily and I have talked to three out of the four of them--the other one we cannot seem to find! Their names are Julie, Jessica, Jessalyn, and Kaylynn. Isn't that funny? juliejessicajessalynkaylynn and then Alivia and Emily...our names do not quite fit. 


Jessalyn and Kaylynn are sisters. Jessalyn is a junior, Kaylynn is a freshman, and Jessica is a senior. We don't know about Julie! I could definitely see a difference between the older girls and the freshman. The older girls were nice and willing to chat, but very laid back. Then I talked to Kaylynn and she said things like "I'M SO EXCITED!" A freshman indeed! Once I actually got my roommates though, I started to become a little bit anxious. I grew up a majority of my life with a brother, and then as an only child. Living with FIVE girls is going to be quite the change. I suppose I will need a lot of prayer and patience--but luckily, my roommates all seem wonderful.

Only five more days until we leave for school. I am so looking forward to it! 

Just Waiting

The family and I arrived in Utah about two days ago. We are here until the 5th when we FINALLY get to go to Rexburg! I love my family here in Utah, but I just want to go to school so bad. I have been waiting for six months and am beginning to get a little bit impatient. Okay, maybe more than a little bit. I just hope that my impatience doesn't negatively affect my poor family. They are just helpless victims here! Despite my impatience, I do still have a little to look forward to before school starts. Example: This week I find out who my roommates are! YAY! This is wonderful news! 


That is all I have for the "looking forward to before school starts" category. It is better than nothing, right? 

Work

I am employed! I am the Social Media Manager for CEG Life! I also work weekends for Three M Parties. I really enjoy both jobs and am so grateful that I found two great paying jobs in the amount of time I did. However, having these jobs and making some money just makes me want to go to school THAT much more. I have currently made a "Quarter Jar" (to collect quarters for laundry) and a countdown calendar. YAYYYYYYYY. I am so excited!

BYU Idaho

Early this week my mom and I drove up to Rexburg to check out BYU-I. Neither my mother or I had ever been there before. And let me just say--IT IS WONDERFUL. I could not be more excited to go there. The campus is the perfect size, not to big and not to small. You can get anywhere on campus from anywhere else on campus in 15 minutes or less. It is like a mini-BYU Provo, but better! Everyone is so kind and helpful. AHHhhhh, I just want to go so bad! The campus has heated sidewalks, in case anyone was wondering! The place where I am living in absolutely perfect. It is a three bedroom apartment, off campus (but literally right across the street from campus.) It has a huge kitchen, two bathrooms, and tons of storage space. Plus, to top it all off, it is brand spanking new. That means it is clean, hallelujuah! My personal favorite add-ons are, tv and cable are included. Plus, there are workout and movie theatre rooms in the lounge. I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on........

kensingtonmanor.net (look at the pictures! Personal fav is the girl studying her scriptures, haha, gotta love BYU-I!)

College Choices and Life Decisions

I was at the Ari Hest concert and could not WAIT for him to get on stage. It felt like I was waiting for a lifetime, so I decided to check my phone, see if I had any messages. My sister had texted me asking if I got into BYU. WHAT!? We weren't supposed to hear until the 28th, could they really have already posted it? So excited I opened besmart.com as quick I could. I waited with baited breathe for the page to load as I imagined all my dreams coming true. And then I saw it--denied. Don't mind my being dramatic, I was just trying to articulate what was going through my mind at the time. I did not quite know what to do. I did not really feel anything. I was a little dejected, embarrassed, upset, but my heart was not completely broken.

 My whole life I have felt like BYU Provo was my calling. It was where I needed to be, it was where all my siblings had gone, where my parents had gone! I was the last one. I HAD to get in. Maybe, it was an unrighteous desire, to want to be accepted so that I did not seem like a failure to my family. I knew none of them would view it like that, but I would. In that moment when I saw the "denied" I felt like all of my hard work, everything I had done my whole life was for nothing. BYU was where I needed to go. I had prayed every night, pleaded with the Lord to let me be accepted there. My parents prayed for it. I was so confused to why Heavenly Father would do this to me. I had lived a righteous life, always trying to be the very best I could be. I worked really hard in school, heck I even graduated early. I had almost a 3.9 GPA, how come I did not get in? As I went to bed that night I laid with my eyes open for hours. I finally decided to read my scriptures in some search for an answer. I have recently started rereading the Book of Mormon, so I was in 2 Nephi 20 and just decided to keep reading there. It had nothing to do with me. It was about people being destroyed and whatnot. I kept reading and the very last verse of the chapter the very last line said "The haughty must be humbled." That was it. But that was enough. I knew, at least partly, that I had not been accepted because I needed to be humbled. And humbled I am.

This morning I spent my time looking at the other schools I had been accepted to. It just so happens that the school I decided on has the exact program I want (BYU did not), with a new apartment that is so stinkin' nice. I see the hand of the Lord directing me where I need to go, and that is BYU Idaho. So, starting Fall 2012 that is where I will be attending. I know that as I trust in the Lord all things will be beneficial in some way, even if the path is clouded to me, He is there, leading me to become what He needs me to be. I know that. And I can honestly say, I am so, so excited to attend BYU Idaho.

The Job Hunt

Looking for a job is not easy. To be honest, I thought I would begin looking for a job and have one in like two weeks. That has not been the case. I feel like I have put in seventeen million applications--to no prevail. All applications are online now, which is such a disadvantage to us "wonderfully pleasant in person" people, such as myself. Today, I actually went out to stores to ask for paper applications, most of them told me to apply online, one manager talked to my chest for 5 minutes and Chuck E. Cheese actually gave me a real application. Does anyone else remember Chuck E. Cheese being the coolest place on earth? Yeah, well, it is kind of gross. But hey! It is a job! Anywho, the job hunt continues! I have not gotten completely discouraged yet. I am still convinced that I am perfectly capable of any job, not to mention qualified. *cough* I'm sure that confidence will not last much longer as I realize that I am not getting hired anywhere because I actually have zero experience. IF NO WHERE HIRES ME HOW CAN I EVER GAIN EXPERIENCE!? Goodness. I digress.

California

I spent this past week with my grandmother down in California. It was very fun and I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with her. Most of our time was spent watching TV, driving to various stores and working on a quilt. I love my grandma very much and each moment no matter how insignificant is significant to me. PLUS, I enjoyed the fact that I did not have to be in school. Relief.


In other news, my sister, Lindsey sent me the last of my senior pictures! They turned out great. What a blessing it is to have such a talented photographer as my flesh and blood sister!

High School

Today was my last day of High School. I was sadder to leave than I thought I would be . I even started to second guess my decision. Why had I chosen to leave early?


Then I went to the last basketball game of the season.


And got pushed down the bleachers.


I remembered why I left. And I'm never going to back. PEACE OUT LW

Currant Bush

I recently had a friend get baptized. Her name is Emily and we have grown together a lot in these few weeks after her baptism. Our dream is to both be accepted to BYU, where we will then room together in a B-Room apartment in Heritage Halls. Dreaming. But anyway, today I had the chance to go with her to one of her missionary lessons. It was a really cool experience, because I have never actually been to a missionary lesson before. The Spirit was tangible. The elders spoke about enduring to the end. I shared this story with Emily and I thought I would share it with the Internet blogging society as well. It is the classic Hugh B. Brown story of the Currant Bush. If you want a little pick-me-up today, read this talk.


http://www.lds.org/new-era/1973/01/the-currant-bush?lang=eng&query=currant+bush


In other news, I put in my first job applications this week to Gene Juarez, Spazzo, and Staples :) I plan to do some more after finals! Exciting!

Best of EFY

Last night was the Best of EFY! Best of EFY has an inspired name because it truly is the best. It was especially cool for me because two of the speakers, Brother McDonald and Brother Stonehocker were at my session of EFY this summer. Brother McDonald was my Session Director and Brother Stonehocker was my favorite teacher. It is always so uplifting to attend a meeting like this and be with hundreds of other youth. Living in a place like Washington where I am surrounded by people who are not LDS it is refreshing and encouraging to see people who hold my same values.

All of the speakers were absolutely fantastic. Brother McDonald spoke about being SUPERmen and WONDERwomen. Brother Martin spoke about Joseph Smith and Brother Stonehocker spoke about the atonement and repentance. I think the talk that most stood out to me was Brother Martins. I feel like I have not actually "learned" about Joseph Smith since I was in Primary, so, I really enjoyed a talk completely dedicated to him. The most powerful thing Brother Martin said, however, did not directly have to do with Joseph. He talked about how we should care more about what Heavenly Father thinks about us than what our peers think about us. Then, he gave us this little motto that has become my second resolution of the New Year:

 "Look vertically instead of horizontally!"

This upcoming year is going to be full of a lot of changes for me--college, work, a new home, a new life and I have never felt more certain that this is going to be the motto that gets me through those new decisions. I do not know what is in store for me this year, but I do know that as I trust in the Lord and His plan for me, I will always be safe, confident, and in the best place for me. As I look vertically at His plan and what He wants me to do, instead of horizontally at what others might think about my choices, all will be for the best in the long run. So, I challenge you to do the same! Look vertically instead of horizontally!

And of course, the dance was fun. Even though I was on crutches...okay so maybe it wasn't that fun...

Snow Day

I am not graduated quite yet. This means that a snow day is, in fact, a huge deal. I cannot help but feel like snow is the most beautiful thing on the earth, for two reasons. First, it is so pure. It is white and clean--unblemished. It brings a sense of renewal each time it snows. I love to just sit and watch the snow fall. It is graceful--reminds me of my sister Lindsey dancing. Absolutely gorgeous. Second, it means I can sleep in, drink hot chocolate, and not go to school--that is a beautiful thing.

However with snow comes the desire to go outside. A few weeks ago I had surgery on both my knees. Injuries+Snow=more injuries. Lets just say I'm back on crutches. Blast. We did catch a few pictures before it got hurt though!

Welcome to Blog

After pestering my sisters to update their blogs more often, my sister made me a blog and said "See how well you do updating this everyday." I think I posted a total of 10 times in that blog....and I had it for somewhere near 5 years. One of my New Years Resolutions is to keep this NEW blog updated. We will see how that goes. But I am going to try. I thought a blog would be a good way to keep myself busy after graduation. Also, since I am heading to college soon, I know my parents will need some sort of way to keep up with my "soon to be" exciting life (at least I like to think that is what will happen). So Enjoy :)