Summer Fun

I have definitely been enjoying my little two week break before school starts again and am actually feeling pretty refreshed and ready to go for fall semester on Monday. The boys have been in three tennis tournaments and have both played really well! It was so fun to go watch them and I am so proud of them for working so hard this summer. They have been taking lessons at the Sports Mall and every Friday they have a match play where they play matches with other kids from their class and can earn points. At the end of the summer they total up the points and the top 3 kids get prizes. Tyler came in first and Colton came in second! They each won a new tennis bag (we have about a million of these at our house!) and they were both so psyched!

Wednesday night I went with my dad, Ashley, and Spencer up to Deer Valley to watch our friend Phil's band play. (My mom was at 7th grade orientation with Tyler... fun stuff :) Sorry mom! Wish you could have come! It is always so much fun getting to see them play! They are a U2 cover band called Rattle and Hum and they are really good! The lead guy, Tony is so into his "Bono" character and even has all the mannerisms down! So funny! After the show we went to grab some dinner with Phil and his mom at Wasatch Brewery on Main Street.

On Thursday we got to spend the whole day with Avery. We have been so busy with school lately we haven't gotten very many chances to go play with her. We had such a fun time with her! She is so cute and funny and had us laughing so hard at times! Thanks Avery, for the fun day of dancing, dress-ups, sidewalk chalk, hide-and-seek, snow cones, tea parties, drawing, laughing, and doing hair (according to Avery, I apparently look "Just like Gayla!" when my hair is in a pony tail). Oh and sorry Jodee, we totally forgot her sun glasses when we went to get snow cones! We managed to find some in our car that were a just a little big, but they did the job:)

Just finished reading...

this book. A love story that is a little bit dark and slow-moving at times, but I actually really liked it:)

Also, I picked up this book while I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday with Ashley (possibly one of my very favorite places... I could spend hours in that place haha!) I've heard good things about it and am really excited to read it!

Dark-Chocolate Cookies

I also made these the other night. They were actually really fun to make. I got this recipe off of Martha's website too. I love dark chocolate and these did not disappoint! Really chocolatey, but a little bit bitter and not too sweet. I put them in the fridge to store them and they were even better cold! One of the best cookies I've had in a while! (and I'm not really a cookie person) I want to get some round cookie cutters with a scalloped edge and make them again! One note though: next time I'll either double the recipe for the cookies or else half the recipe for the filling, because I had about twice as much filling as I needed! I don't think anybody minded though;) Also, I think the main key to these is keeping the dough really cold. I had to stick mine back in the freezer a few times!

Dark-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING
4 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make the cookies: Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

2. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. (Return dough to freezer if it softens.) Space rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 10 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Let stand until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.

5. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons filling on half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. (Assembled cookies can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

If you really like cilantro...

then you'll love this salad. I found it on Martha's website and thought it sounded light and refreshing but still substantial enough to have for dinner. The dressing is basically just lime and cilantro, so if that's not your thing then beware haha! Next time I might switch it up and instead of the cashews, add black beans and corn instead. We all loved it and I will definitely be making it again this summer!

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad (I thought it tasted more mexican than asian, but whatever!)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
1. Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

"Hey, are you guys twins?"

Ah if only I had a dollar for every time I have been asked this question. Yesterday Ashley and I were at Pottery Barn getting a wedding gift for a friend. While we were waiting for our gift to be wrapped, a couple waiting in line asked us this question. We said yes we were, and they then proceeded to tell us in detail about EVERY set of twins they knew. I always cringe after people ask us this question, because it is usually followed by a detailed account of all the twins they know or a series of "twin questions." This always surprises me because there are so many sets of twins out there. Sometimes it is really hard to be as excited as they are about the twins they know haha! Here are a few of my all-time favorite twin questions (yes, we really have been asked all of these):

- Can you read each other's minds?
- Do you say and/or think the same thing at the same time?
- Do you get sick at the same time?
- If one of you gets hurt does the other one feel it?
- Are you telepathic?
- How do you tell you guys apart? (I hate this one! I never know what to say!)
- Do you guys like all the same things?
- Do you do everything together?
- Do you play tricks and switch places on people and/or the guys you are dating? (we never have, just to clarify:)
And my very favorite:
- Do you ever forget which one you are? (Yes, this girl was dead serious)

I am not trying to complain, and most of these people are really nice, I just still find it very surprising sometimes:) and wanted to share!

New Recipe: Turkey Burgers

I have been looking for new recipes to use my fresh herbs from my garden. My rosemary was getting a little big so I was happy when I came across this recipe for turkey burgers on one of my favorite recipe sites MyRecipes.com. They were seriously so good and so moist. I think it was the basting that made the difference. They were definitely a hit, even with the boys:) I altered the recipe a little, but you can find the original here.

Tasty Turkey Burgers

Prep: 15 min., Grill: 14 min.
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Marinade
4 hamburger buns
Herb-Grilled Onion Rings (these I just sauteed in a pan with a little bit of the marinade instead of grilling them)
Toppings: spicy mustard, mayo, shaved Parmesan cheese, mixed greens

Preparation
1. Combine first 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 equal-size patties.

2. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, basting each side occasionally with Fresh Herb Marinade.

3. Grill buns, cut sides down, 2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with Herb-Grilled Onion Rings and desired toppings.

Fresh Herb Marinade

Yield: Makes about 1/3 cup

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.

I found these peonies today while I was out shopping with my mom. They make me happy...