January Bundt: Pineapple Coconut Cake

Before I post the recipe for my January bundt cake. (And, it is a good one!) I thought I would take a moment to expound upon the virtues of bundt cakes generally. In looking into the history of the bundt cake I have discovered a few interesting facts.

1- The bundt is originally a German cake, often served as a tea cake.

2- Bundts were not even really heard of in the US until 1966 when a bundt cake won a Pillsbury baking contest and caused the bundt pan to rise in popularity and even out-sell the popular and coveted Jello mold. (I, personally, found this fact less amazing than the fact that Jello molds had sold so well across the US in the sixties. I knew they still had a good niche in Utah, where I grew up, but apparently they had an even broader appeal.)

3- Bundt cakes are often considered a little old-fashioned -- I do not know why, nor could I find any explanation to account for this perception.

In any case, I personally think bundt cakes are great. They are beautiful and tasty. They are versatile. They have a cameo appearance in one of my favorite movies, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Jeffrey even won a contest among our friends in Virginia with one of my favorite bundt recipes. But, none of this explains why I have decided to undertake my Bundt a Month project in 2012.

I guess the primary reasons for my quest to identify and bake 12 great bundt recipes are three simple things:

1- I am not a big fan of frosting. It is too sweet and I think often masks the flavor of cake. Bundt cakes are not usually adorned with mountains of butter cream frosting. They are a simpler, and in many ways less over-bearing variety of cake -- and I do like cake. But, I do not like cake from a mix or overly fluffy cakes that are full of lots of air and not much real flavor. To me, a great cake has some complexity of flavor and is more dense. It is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. A great slice of cake can be perfection.

2- As a result of item #1, I have been reluctant to jump on board all of the current trendiness associated with cupcakes. I like cupcakes; they can be awfully cute little confections, but too often they are dominated by mediocre icing. I have had many a "gourmet" cupcake -- you know, the $5 variety that they sell at specialty shops -- just to be disappointed by the lack of sophistication in the flavors and the frosting (that in my humble opinion) has a little too much in common with shortening. Yet, I love the idea of making a small, even personal sized, attractive dessert. Something as good to look at as it is to eat -- which I believe is a large part of what is fueling the cupcake craze -- so I decided to create small bundt cakes instead. Which leads me to...

3- The fact is, I like to bake, and I have had an idea itching at the back of my mind for a couple of years now to find a type of thing I could make and give away to friends for birthdays and for other tokens that would be attractive, delectable, and transportable. Having ruled out the cupcake, for the reasons listed above, and determining that my other idea of miniature layered cakes was more work than I would ever actually undertake in real life, I have set my mind on the bundt. So, if you live near me, you may very well be the recipient of a personal-sized, freshly baked bundt cake during 2012. If not, well, maybe nest year I will explore the most effective means for shipping bundts across the country.

In the meantime, I intend to enjoying my baking explorations. I have some tried and true bundt recipes already which may find their way into this line-up later in the year, but I am trying to create new, completely original recipes for now. So, check back each month if you too want to explore the virtues of the bundt cake with me.

All that being taken care of I am ready to reveal the January Bundt Recipe: Pineapple Coconut Cake.

What I love about this cake is it is just the right density; it is moist, and the flavors are so very complimentary while not being over-bearing. It is subtle, yet delicious. You will be left wishing you had more.

This recipe should make enough for four small bundt cakes or one large, traditionally sized cake.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

1/2 c coconut oil

2 c sugar

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1 can of pineapple (drained and pureed -- juice reserved)

3 3/4 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c coconut milk (remove the thick white cream and just use the thinner milk -- I recently tried a recipe from Pinterest to make dairy-free whipping cream from this thick part of coconut milk, just chill in the fridge overnight, add 1 tsp sugar and a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and whip until thick and creamy. Would be delicious with this cake, but I did not serve it with it.)

Instructions

Dump butter and coconut oil into bowl of stand mixer and cream for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and cream another 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed. Add vanilla and coconut extract. Add pureed pineapple. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl and add to the above mixture, alternating with the coconut milk and mixing on low.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees. Small bundt pans took exactly 40 minutes; I suspect a large will take about 1 hour, but I would keep a good eye on it. When cake is done, remove from oven and allow to sit for five minutes before running a knife around the edges of the pan and turning over to remove cake onto wire rack or parchment paper.

When cake has cooled, combine the reserved pineapple juice with 1/4 c of sugar and 1-2 Tbsp of lime juice in a small sauce pan. Simmer until it thickens into a syrup (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, toast 1 c of sweetened coconut in the oven at 350 until just browned. Remove coconut from pan and pulse in a food processor to chop into fine pieces. Using a fork, gently poke holes in the top of the bundt cake and then spoon all of the syrup over the top, allowing it to be absorbed into the cake. Then, while still wet and sticky from the syrup, sprinkle the cake with toasted coconut. Allow to fully cool before serving. In fact, this cake will taste great if refrigerated for 12 hours prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Talk on Honesty

I had to speak in church on Sunday. Thought I would share my comments on Honesty.

In a world that is saturated with dishonesty, in a society which embraces deception, greed, lies and self-serving behaviors, the commandments of the Lord to be honest are no less valid. It is instructive that in outlining the fundamental beliefs of Latter-day Saints the Prophet Joseph Smith included one article not about doctrinal principles but about the attributes which we are to emulate, this one concise summary of what is expected of God’s followers in this dispensation begins with its very first injunction being the statement that: We believe in being honest. Every prophet since has reiterated the critical importance of honesty in the lives of the Saints.

President Howard W. Hunter taught: “There is a joy that comes to one from being honest... By this means you can have the companionship of the Master and you can have the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. If we are sensitive to our relationship to the Savior, we must be honest in little things as well as the big. We should always remember that we are never alone. There is no act that is not observed; there is no word spoken that is not heard; there is no thought conceived in the mind of man that is not known to God. There is no darkness that can conceal the things we do…If we would have the companionship of the Master and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, we must be honest with ourselves, honest with God, and with our fellowmen. This results in true joy.”

Consider the promise made by President Hunter, it is only complete honesty, in every facet of our lives that will lead to true joy. This is a remarkable blessing, but perhaps not one that we often associate with being honest. I think that is because too often we focus only on the aspects of honesty that involve our interactions with others, “Honesty with our fellowman,” and we do not consider what it truly means to be honest with ourselves and God. From these second two forms of honesty, the first will flow. But, in contrast, I think it is entirely possible for one to be, or at least seem to be, honest with others while not being honest with self and God.

The scriptures teach of the necessity of having “a pure heart and clean hands” (Alma 5:19). Latter-day prophets have regularly used the term “honest heart” which is synonymous with a “pure heart,” in describing a state of perfect cleanliness and truth. While honesty with others allows us to have clean hands, to not violate the letter of the law, to live in outward harmony with the commandments of God, honesty with ourselves and God is required to have “pure heart” or an “honest heart;” it means we have internalized the spirit of the law. As Elder Bednar taught: “Our sincere desire should be to have both clean hands and a pure heart… Clean hands alone will not be enough when we stand before Him who is pure and who, as ‘a lamb without blemish and without spot’ freely spilled His precious blood for us.” (David Bednar, “Clean Hands and a Pure Heart,” October General Conference 2007)

Honesty with ourselves, having a pure, honest heart, is a subtle thing. It involves seeing ourselves and our behavior accurately. It means that we engage in no rationalization, no justification, and no equivocation in relation to our thoughts, words and actions.

This can be a challenging thing to do. For example, I have thought often about what it means to be honest with self as I work to teach my daughters the principle of honesty.

Often in our home skirmishes arise. Someone takes something from someone else. The offended makes a comment that is unkind. Words are exchanged. At times, blows are exchanged. By the time I am called in it would take Solomon to determine who is to blame. Instead of casting blame, I try to invite my daughters to account for their own part in the altercation, how they each contributed to the downward spiral of the interaction. Sometimes they respond (out of a desire to protect themselves and avoid punishment or guilt with blatant dishonesty) claiming “I did not do anything!” or “I never hit her!” when it is abundantly untrue. But, as they have grown, sometimes their defenses have become more shaded: “I did touch her, but I was only trying to move her over, I did not mean to push.” Perhaps, at times, this is entirely truthful. Perhaps, there was no desire or intention to hurt. But, most the time, in the heat of a conflict this is not the case. So, then I ask additional questions: “When you touched her, how did you feel inside? Were you happy and loving? Or, maybe, did you feel angry, or even want to maybe get back at her, even just a little?” I hope to help my girls see that they are responsible not just for the action, but for the feeling behind it. That to do anything with anger or frustration – even if not blatantly cruel – can be wrong. Helping them to learn to not only tell me the truth, but to fully tell themselves the truth about what happened, why they behaved in a certain way, and how they contributed to the situation is a critical part of honesty with self.

I am not perfect in handling all conflicts in this way – I wish I was. But, there is something that I have learned by too many sad mistakes myself. If as parents we are quick to cast blame, dole out punishment and get angry we will encourage dishonesty in our children. The root of honest behavior is a sense of unconditional love, a knowledge that we can admit our own mistakes, short-comings and inadequacies and still be lovable people. When children feel loved and safe they do not need to fear, and hence they do not need to learn to lie or deceive. It is not easy to always remember in the moment, but love will always beget more honesty. And, anger and frustration will always beget dishonest behavior.

Learning to be honest with ourselves means not allowing ourselves to be in any way deceived. It means taking full and complete responsibility for our behaviors, our words, our thoughts, and our emotions – as I am trying to teach my children to do.

In the Doctrine and Covenants we gain additional insight into the parable of the ten virgins. This parable was given by the Savior to help teach about the standard of personal worthiness and preparation required by members of the church who want to be ready and worthy to dwell with Him when he comes again. We all know the basic story in which half the virgins were prepared and invited into the wedding feast and the other half were found lacking. The critical question is what was the difference between the two groups? The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that those who were worthy and prepared were “they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived.” The wise virgins receive truth and are not deceived. Deception comes in many forms, but as children of God who know what is true and have spirits that cling to truth, as members of the church who have been taught the truth, the basis of our sin is always to be found in a degree of self-deception. It is when we shrug off the promptings of the spirit, when we ignore the standards of the Lord, when we excuse our sins because they are small or inconsequential that we deceive ourselves and separate ourselves further from God, His love and His spirit. Remember the words of President Hunter in the beginning of my talk, “If we would have the companionship of the Master and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, we must be honest with ourselves.” To take the Holy Spirit as our guide means to be completely and absolutely honest.

Complete honesty involves a willingness to see where we need to change, as instructed by the Holy Ghost. Often we know where our weaknesses lie, what we should be doing to live closer to the Lord and increase our faith, but we may not be willing to be honest enough to fully admit it to ourselves.

Recently, I have felt an increased desire and need to draw closer to my Savior. I felt inspired as part of this process to utilize the manual for the church’s 12 Step Program. This is a program designed to help overcome addiction and other behaviors. While I may not be an alcoholic, I do have tendencies and behaviors that I feel trapped by, that I want to rid from my life in order to more fully become like my Savior is, and I felt that this manual, as a guide to true repentance, would help bring this about in my life. As I have worked through the steps, reflecting on myself, honestly evaluating my actions, writing about my life and understanding of the gospel, my eyes have been opened to so many small and subtle ways that I have resisted the promptings of the spirit, that I have been complacent or kept back a part of myself from the Lord. These are things I think I already knew to a degree, but I had previously not been willing to experience the discomfort or invest the time in completely honest evaluation. Perhaps even more intimidating, I realized that now that I fully understood these things I had a choice to either act on them and go to the Lord and repent and change or to shrug them off as not being that big of a deal and then live with the knowledge that I knew how to grow closer to the Lord or how to love my children better and I was not willing to pay the price.

At moments like this I often call to mind the words of the prophet Joseph Smith regarding the truth he had come to learn and his decision to be honest and true to it, “I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it.” (JSH 1:25)

Once we have decided to be absolutely honest with ourselves, once we have been enlightened by the Spirit and know how we personally need to change or what we need to do to follow the Lord, then the question is: Are we going to be honest with God? Or, are we, like the people in Malachi’s time going to excuse ourselves for short-changing the Lord by thinking we do not owe Him anything. (Malachi 3:8)

In some ways it is ironic to think about being dishonest with God. He knows everything. He cannot be deceived. Yet, despite this fact, mankind has often been dishonest with Him.

Perhaps one of the best accounts is at the beginning of our human story when Adam and Eve’s son Cain begins his dishonest actions by not offering the sacrifice to God that he knew he should. Somehow, Cain thought he could keep back for himself some of what he knew was due to God and that it would be okay. Yet, we read in the scriptures that of this selfish and dishonest sacrifice God “had not respect.” Unwilling to accept correction and be honest with himself about his misdeeds and change, Cain was angry, and he committed an even graver sin in killing his brother, Abel, and then, again, he thought he could hide his sin from God by deliberately lying to Him.

Cain’s experience is instructive to us. God may know all, but He also expects us to tell the truth about ourselves to Him. He also expects us to give Him what is His due, what we have promised to Him.

This principle is taught again in the story of Ananias in the New Testament. Ananias, along with his wife “sold a possession and kept back part of the price…and brought a certain part and laid it as the apostles’ feet.” When questioned by Peter as to whether the offering was the full amount, he and his wife lied saying it was all, and then Peter admonished, “Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” (Act 5:1-9)

While Cain and Anaias both kept back temporal goods from the Lord, it was the lie in their heart, a notion that they could keep the truth from God, that they could pretend to know less or be less than what He had asked that was truly the great sin. In relation to God and his power, there is no room for any deception. We must be completely honest with him and come to him with full purpose of heart and give him everything, all of our sins and our mistakes and our desires.

Contrast these accounts with the example of the people of Ammon in the Book of Mormon. As I re-read this account recently I was in awe of the honesty demonstrated by these Lamanite converts. Not only did they honestly repent and commit to follow the Lord when they heard and recognized the truth and saw the errors of their ways, but then, when the spirit of the Lord spoke to them personally and taught them about their unique weaknesses and what would be necessary for them, personally, to remain true to their new faith, they were humble and teachable and willing to do all things to be honest with God and themselves. In Alma 24 we read the words of the king in explaining the understanding he has been given by the spirit, “And now my brethren, since it has been all that we could do to repent of all our sins…since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren…for perhaps if we should…they can no more be washed bright…And the great God has had mercy on us and made these things known that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls.” We know what follows, the people are honest with themselves, they know that they have a weakness for bloodshed; they are honest with God, they recognize that He had in his mercy given them understanding of how to stay on His path and be true to Him in advance that they will not be tempted, and so in their own, full, complete offering of their full hearts they bury their swords in the earth. And then, when days later their willingness to honestly remain true to what they know to be right is tested by the Lamanites coming upon them in battle, they lay down upon the ground and give up their lives, suffering death rather than lying to God by justifying, what could have been easily rationalized, going against the truth that the spirit has taught them.

How complete was their honesty, and thus their sacrifice to God, compared to Cain’s or Ananias!

Complete honesty will likewise allow us to draw close to “dwell with (our) God.” (Alma 24:22) and will allow the power of the atonement to work in our lives too. The atonement is a gift, a vicarious sacrifice made two millennia ago, but its power in our lives is limited by our own desire and willingness to accept it. I personally believe that one of the most effective stumbling blocks to accessing the power of the atonement is an inability to be fully honest. It is an unwillingness to fully see our own sins, to acknowledge fully our short-comings and weaknesses, to recognize our own inability to redeem ourselves. When we are completely honest, fully aware of the depth and magnitude of our estrangement from God and the consequences of even our daily deviations from His path and light and we are willing and ready to honestly confess this state before Him, then our souls will cry out like Alma the Younger’s “Oh Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and an encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.” It is in this state of perfect honesty and humility, that we are really prepared and able to access the power of the atonement, to feel the change that can happen as we lay our full burden at the feet of the Master and then “can remember (our) sins no more” as our “soul(s) are filled with joy as exceeding as was (our) pain.” (Alma 36:18-20) This is why I believe that President Hunter could promise that complete honesty “results in true joy.” Without absolute honesty we can never fully experience the full grandeur of God’s love made manifest through the sacrifice of His Son.

As covenant children of God we have promised to give ourselves to Him. To not hold back any part of our hearts or hide in any corner our favorite sins. As we strive to become like the Savior, we should desire absolute honesty in our relationship with him. Honesty is a key attribute of God; “God cannot lie”(Ether 3:12, Enos 1:6) while Satan is the “Father of all lies.” (Moses 4:3, 2 Nephi 2:18) How would we be different if we also could not lie, if it was not in our nature to be dishonest with others, ourselves or God.

This attribute is a prerequisite to using God’s power in our lives, recall the strong counsel given to those who would exercise priesthood authority, “when we undertake to cover our sins, or gratify our pride, our vain ambition or…any degree of unrighteousness, behold, he heavens withdraw themselves, the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.” (D&C 121:37) The power of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord in our lives cannot be present without perfect honesty. When we are willing to pay the price of full honesty, to see ourselves with our eyes wide open, recognizing our sins and our weaknesses and then honestly going to the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit ready to honestly follow any and all direction we are given, willing to give Him all that we have covenanted to give, and with faith in the merits of the Savior’s atonement – which when we honestly look at ourselves we know is truly the ONLY way or means whereby salvation can come to us, then is “his grace sufficient for (us)…then are (we) sanctified in Christ through the shedding of the blood of Christ.” (Moroni 10:32-33)

I bear my testimony of Him, of His infinite mercy, of the reality of His life, of the truthfulness of this His true church, of the joy that is to be found in His service, and of the power of His atonement. I have known it in my own life and it is pure joy for which I am eternally grateful and indebted to Him.

Holiday Catch-up

I think I should just plan on an annual post by this title every January. This is when I come up for air, download pictures, and then decide to finally write about Christmas.

I was a little worried about Christmas this year in a new place. I remember well our first Christmas in Virginia. It was VERY quiet and a little lonely. By year two, we knew people; we had friends over on Christmas Eve and visited with other friends on Christmas Day; we had some ideas about what to do in the area and ways to celebrate the holiday. This year, being in a new place with much less to do than the DC area offered, without family nearby, and without any established traditions, presented a bit of a challenge. I was not so worried for my sake, but my kids had some big expectations, especially regarding Christmas Eve.

I spent a lot of time thinking and praying about how to create an enjoyable and meaningful holiday season for our family, and in the end I felt very blessed with how it all came together. Here were some of the highlights:

1- I took Mia and Maggie to the Nutcracker for the first time. Tickets are more affordable in ID than in DC, and both girls were at the perfect age to be mesmerized. We had dinner at the Spaghetti Factory before, and they were so cute and grown up about their big night out. They loved getting their own nutcrackers as a gift that night and brought them along in the car and listened to the original story of the Nutcracker on the way there are back. After the show, they discussed their favorite dances, who they would have wanted to be in the production. Of course, costumes were the deciding factor: with Mia voting to be a Chinese dancer since their costumes, with traditional pants and shirts, looked both "comfy and modest," and Maggie, as usual, putting style above comfort, voted for the Sugar Plum Fairy in a sparkly, stiff pink tutu.

2- We had Grandma and Grandpa Merchant in town for two days the weekend before Christmas. They brought tons of gifts for us to open on our annual pre-Christmas celebration. We had presents, quiche and cinnamon rolls, went to the movie and dinner, and then visited the Idaho Botanical Garden for their light show. I had braced myself to be disappointed, since such events rarely meet up to my expectations, but this was a true fairy-land. They got to see Santa, have free hot chocolate and cookies (we apparently did not come on a night when we could feed the reindeer, much to Mia's disappointment), and wander through thousands of sparkly lights. This, like the Nutcracker, will definitely be an annual Christmas tradition.

3- The girls had over two full weeks off school this year for Christmas break, and I was very worried about how to keep them occupied -- especially for the super-excited week leading up to Christmas. I put together a schedule, planned playdates, and had craft projects ready for every afternoon. It was really fun and went quite well because I had gotten so much of the other holiday preparation done in advance. I will post pictures of some of our holiday crafts -- I need to take them -- but we enjoyed having friends over to play and craft and share dinner.

4- Christmas Eve was the event that loomed over me all season. Mia and Maggie kept talking about the "big" party we were going to have just "like in Virginia." They invited everyone they met to come to our house for Christmas Eve, but most people have their own plans and traditions. I feared great disappointment, but in the end, the evening was so very lovely, I just felt blessed. We had family (my second-cousin Lise, and her husband Mark, father Jay, and daughter Alicia all came) and friends (our fabulous neighbors the Smiths). I wondered how it would go, but it truly was a fun, warm, comfortable evening. It felt like we could have been gathering with these people in this way for years.

The kids loved acting out the nativity -- and were so happy to have their favorite Smith friends to help fill in all the parts. Elsie Jane was Mary, with five-year old Benjamin as Joseph. In traditional Elsie-style, she had her own ideas about what she was going to do.

She was uncertain about a costume. I finally persuaded her to put on a pink bathrobe, but when I offered to tie a scarf on her head for a "special Mary hat," she replied, "It's okay, I have my own hat." She ran off to the bonus room and came back with a red, straw cowboy hat on her head. "I'm cowgirl Mary!" she announced, "Yee-haw!" I began to laugh, but I just could not let it fly. (Not only did it feel slightly irreverent, but I knew that the other children would be appalled by her inability to truly get in to her character.) I finally persuaded Elsie to wear the scarf and to carry "baby Jesus" very carefully down the stairs with Benjamin.

They knocked on the door to the play closet where the inn keeper told them there was no room and sent them over to the fireplace "stable." "Mary" sat still while the angels (Sarah and Maggie) visited the shepherds (Mia and Spencer). Maggie and Sarah were darling with their parts, which they had memorized, and Sarah gave a fabulous, energetic, slightly rock version of "Glory to God in the Highest." Too cute. The shepherds began to make their way over to visit Mary and Joseph and the wisemen were waiting in the wings when little "Mary" decided she was done sitting still. She took her baby doll Jesus and departed for the kitchen. All the other children watched her leaving in dismay, wondering what to do next. I stopped her and asked, "Where are you going?" To which she replied, "Jesus and I are going to find a place with more room!" Again, I had to suppress a giggle; I am certain that is PRECISELY what the real Mary would have liked to do.

I thought quickly about how I could save the nativity production from falling into complete disarray, and then I knew. I told Elsie she had to go back quickly and sit by "Joseph" because people were bringing presents for her and baby Jesus and she had to be there to open them. It worked! She made it back over, sat down, and the wisemen arrived. I think the best part of all was witnessing the pure delight on "Mary's" face as she opened each gift and exclaimed in joy, "Wow!" "Ahhh!" "Look Jesus." She held up a bottle to "baby Jesus's" lips and let him drink the frankincense. It was adorable. The production was saved. And, Elsie Jane still talks about what a great Mary she was and plays with her doll that is now permanently "baby Jesus."

Mark and Lise also shared their musical talents with us in an incredible piano rendition of silent night and leading the group in some carols. We enjoyed good food, and the kids and I were fully satisfied. I still feel so very blessed.

5- Christmas Day was on Sunday, which I always love. It was a little tricky though to figure out how we were going to do gifts and our traditional morning traditions and be at church at 9:30 am. In the end we let the girls see what Santa brought them, open their stockings, one gift (a new dress to wear to church), and give their gifts to each other before church. They then got ready and we had breakfast.

I was in awe of my daughters. Not only was there not a single complaint about having to leave their gifts and go to church, but when we got home they were so very satisfied with what they got that we had to remind them to keep opening the rest of their gifts. It was such a pleasant and grateful atmosphere.

We really tried to scale back and not over-do on Christmas this year. Contrary to our previous Christmases, it was Jeffrey and I that were spoiled over these holidays, not the kids. I got a new laptop (that does not crash whenever I open photoshop!!!), a new bike, a food processor, and some great boots while Jeffrey got an i-pad and a really nice traveling briefcase. The kids all got some clothes, hammock swings for the back patio (when it gets warm), books, new hats and gloves, a game, new banks, and a couple of other small items. From Santa Mia asked for and got a paint set that opens up to be an easel (and he threw in some roller blades!); Maggie got a Boo (from Monster's Inc) doll that she was very lucky Santa found in the back of his store room since it has been discontinued and Mom and Dad told her that Santa only gives common items that are available in stores and cannot do custom orders (which she frequently tries to make) -- she also got a motor home that goes with the girls' doll house set. Elsie Jane did not ask for anything, but Santa knew she would like a Rapunzel baby doll and cradle, although the bigger hit was the Little People Amusement Park that her sisters went in on for her. The kids were in no way deprived, especially when you factor in all the gifts from grandparents and aunts and uncles, but, it was so nice to see that even without any really "big" items Christmas morning, they were so very happy and satisfied!

6- After Christmas my parents and Ellie came to visit. We had a fun time with them, celebrating more holidays -- like Christmas, again, and my birthday, and Maggie's birthday. Well, actually, Maggie's birthday was kind of a flop. I had planned to celebrate it on New Year's Eve with my family in lieu of having much of a party on her actual birthday. Maggie did not want a friend party this year, and I was getting a little partied-out, as I do every year around January.

I always let the kids choose dinner for their birthdays, so I asked Maggie far in advance what she wanted, and she said, "Fondue." We talked about it a lot, and I thought we were on the same page, so when we got back in the evening from the movie and I commenced to make two types of cheese fondue, and two types of meat for fondue, and bread, and tons of vegetables and fruit to go with it, I was not aware that I was not fulfilling Maggie's wishes. But, apparently I was not. She was VERY angry. She was VERY disappointed. Apparently, she thought that I was going to serve only chocolate fondue for dinner. From that point on, nothing could please Maggie. And, the evening just deteriorated. We did not even try to stay up and ring in the New Year with any celebration.

Once I put her down to bed, I realized I was going to have to do something so she had at least one successful birthday party. But, besides Maggie's moods -- which we have all learned to cope with-- the visit with family was great. We just did not want to see them leave so soon. I had to post the pictures we got which capture the many temperaments of Maggie so well. She is one of a kind!

Thanksgiving Pictures

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Utah with our families. Complete chaos, as usual, but fun. I just thought I would finally post the pictures of the family. These are a great demonstration of how hard it is to get a good shot of all my girls or all my family. Mia insisted on having the dog in the family shots, which of course, was a massive distraction for her. And Elsie Jane is just a goof ball. Maggie tends to love to pose for pictures, thought. Not too surprising when you know her personality!

Here is the whole gang:

My mom and sisters and me

Eventful Week

The last couple of weeks have been eventful at our house. Full, but mainly just with the regular, normal stuff that makes up our lives. Here are the most exciting things in the Merchant house this last week:

First real snow of the winter in Boise!!! This has been a VERY anticipated event around our house. We got about six inches in six hours, but unfortunately, then it started raining and the snow melted too fast. The kids are hoping for more than 2 hours of playtime in the next snow storm, if it ever comes!

I started teaching dance classes again. Just one class a week for 3-4 year olds, Elsie Jane's age. It is fun and works well in our home's space. I had worried I would not have room, but once Jeffrey (somewhat grudgingly) helps me push back all the furniture each week, it actually creates a good amount of space.

On the same day as the snowstorm, we had a rainstorm in the house. The girls splashed and let the tub overflow and it found a way right through our ceiling and into the kitchen. It poured and dripped for a couple of hours, but everything has been dry since, so we hope there will be no more incidents. Unfortunately, it means some repairs to the drywall, but I figure this just gives us more motivation to get the main floor repainted this year. Sometimes messes are blessings -- like when our crockpot caused our laminate countertop to warp in Virginia and I HAD to get the granite I wanted.

Having fully settled into our home, I felt i could commit the kids to music lessons again. Mia started piano back up, and Maggie is ecstatic to be taking "real" violin lessons each week. Elsie Jane was also invited to participate in a co-op preschool with some friends from church, and she is really enjoying going to do that twice a week. With horseback riding and dance classes also on our agenda and ski and art lessons coming up next month, life is full!

Jeffrey and I both got new callings at church. He is the first assistant in the High Priest Group Leadership, and I am the Secretary in Relief Society. Someone commented to one of us on how that must mean we were going to be quite busy -- I just had to smile as I thought about what we left behind in Virginia -- life here still feels pretty tame and laid back by comparison.

I have been so excited to curl up the last few weeks and watch Downton Abbey. It is rare that I ever have anything I care about on television, and in the winter a show to enjoy truly is such fun. I love PBS!

And, finally, wrapping up our lives over the last weeks, Jeffrey had LASIK! This has been a much anticipated event. His eyes are still adjusting a bit, but it is pretty awesome for him to be able to see without contacts of glasses.

Rethinking Life... and the Blog

I love January because it really is a time when I think a lot about my life and the direction I want to go in the coming year.

Perhaps that is obvious. Everyone does that.

But, I always feel that after the crazy whirlwind of the holidays, it is appropriate to stop and re-evaluate where I am going. After all the spending and consuming, I love putting together a budget for the new year and being able to stick to it. I love planning our key activities and vacations. I love thinking about what I want to accomplish. I like making new job charts and printing off new schedules. I just love planning and order.

And, January is synonymous with planning. At least for me.

As I have been engaging in all these activities this year, I have thought a lot about the over-arching direction I want to go in life.

My friend, Denise, has posted the last two years about having a word for the year. One word that encapsulates what you want to achieve, to become in 2012. I think for me the word is: Simple.

I just want to simplify. To eliminate excess and to focus on the most critical and most essential aspects of living. To give my all to what really matters and to have the courage to let go of the rest.

And, as I have pondered what the essential elements are, as I have really honestly faced how much I can do, and do it well, I have had to ask myself: What about the blog?

I have had some great plans for stepping up my blogging, for adding more posts and focusing more on some practical ideas. But, I have not known if it is one of those most essential things. I love to do it. I want to do it. But, when I promise myself I will and then don't I just feel like it is one more of the endless tasks on my to-do list and it weighs me down. So, I don't want to continue to try to do something that just becomes another burden, another obligation, or a distraction from what is most important.

I am still not entirely certain that I know the right answer. But, after much thought, I have decided to give it a try. If it fizzles out after a few weeks or months, well, then you will be able to discern the final outcome of my evaluation: blogging is not an essential part of my simplified life. But, perhaps, it will succeed and become a great way to share what I am learning in 2012 about my purpose. About simplicity.

So, what does this mean for the blog?

Well, for one, I am changing the title to reflect the purpose I am trying to serve with it over the coming year.

Second, I am adding links to some pages along the top. These represent the topics I intend to regularly post on (the hope is once a week for each), which really dovetail with the various goals I have and areas I have deemed essential in my personal life. An introductory post for each is up. After that, the pages will primarily serve to organize content from this main page into lists of links for past posts related to the various topics.

Third, I am hoping to include more simple ideas, recipes, and practical items in addition to info on our family's happenings.

I think that is about it. I will see how it goes. In the meantime, let me know what you think as the content comes up. I am always looking for ways to improve! (Although, lately, just actually writing would be a good start.)