General Conference

The 181st Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is what I'll be watching this weekend! I am so ready for the uplifting weekend that is General Conference.

Some links to share the love:

Learn who we are

The official LDS website

Watch General Conference on your computer

Read previous conference talks

General Conference has something for everyone, by Jeffrey R. Holland

Enjoy!

PETA Is Doing What?!

Joey and I joke all the time about the I Can't Believe its Not Butter commercial that uses sexuality to sell butter, but this is just bonkers.

PETA is now launching a pornography site (don't worry, the link is for the news article, not the site)

--- umm, say whaaa?!

From PETA and the article:

"We're hoping to reach a whole new audience of people, some of whom will be shocked by graphic images that maybe they didn't anticipate seeing when they went to the PETA triple-X site," Lindsay Rajt, PETA's associate director of campaigns, told Reuters

The X-rated site will show pornographic content and images from PETA's more risque ads, Rajt said. Those images will be interspersed with pictures and videos showing animals being mistreated—and (we're not making this up) links to vegan and vegetarian "starter kits" and recipes.

"When people first visit the site, it will be very enticing and once they go just a little bit deeper, that's when they'll be confronted with images that we hope will make them stop and think and get them talking and hopefully encourage them to make a lifestyle change to a plant-based diet," Rajt said.

Since this is my blog, I'm not even gonna try to be unbiased---this is just slimy. Besides the obvious problems with pornography in general, I think its laziness on PETA's part--I mean can they really not think of any other way to promote their goals than sex? Do they not have anything better to say?

What do you think about it?

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Joey and I hosted some of our friends and cadets from VMI at my apartment for lunch after church on sunday and we decided to make chicken enchilada casserole, a recipe I got from my fabulous, amazing, and inspiring Aunt Jenny. Since I got the recipe from her a couple years ago, it has slowly become a favorite among my friends and I even get requests for it from time to time--so, here's the recipe!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cans enchilada sauce

corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

white rice

sour cream and tapatillo hot sauce for serving

• Cook chicken breasts (I usually put it in my slow cooker while I'm at church); let cool and shred.
• In a large saucepan, mix cream of chicken soup and enchilada sauce and heat (I heat it while I'm prepping everything else so that it takes less time to bake later).
• Cut corn tortillas in half so they fit into the corners of the pan easier. Also, since I always buy corn tortillas in a large bag, I'm not sure how many you might need--can you tell this is definitely an easy eye-balling recipe?
• in a 9x13 pan, spread a little of the sauce on the bottom, then place a layer of corn tortillas. sprinkle 1/3 of the chicken, then about 1/4 of the sauce, followed by 1/4 of the cheese.
• Repeat tortillas-chicken-sauce-cheese two more times, for a total of three layers.
• Arrange a fourth layer of tortillas, spread the remaining sauce, and cover with the rest of the cheese.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until its heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.
• While its baking, cook the rice. Again, since this is kind of an eye-ball recipe, I don't have a specific amount. I usually make about 1/2 cup per person (I made way more for the hungry cadets!). Of course, make which ever kind of rice you like, but I go with traditional white rice.
• To serve, make a bed of rice on the plate and place a slice of the casserole on top. Finish it off with some hot sauce (Joey and I love Tapatillo) and sour cream if you like.

This is absolutely one of my favorite dishes. Its warm and cheesy and overall delightful--in fact, I would say this is one of my comfort foods. And despite only using a few ingredients, its definitely not lacking in flavor. And did I mention its a cinch to make?!

Hopefully you see how open this recipe is for little additions and variations. Maybe try adding beans, sauteed onions, shredded steak instead of chicken, different kinds of salsas, or jazzing up the rice to make your own unique enchilada casserole!

Thanks, Aunt Jen!

The Navy Blue Lace Dress

Joey and I are taking our engagement photos next month (one month from today, actually!) with the wonderful Brinn Willis of BMW Photography, and we've had too much fun planning our outfits and the props for the shoot.

One of the things I decided I want to wear is a navy blue dress--all lace, knee length, square neck, and 3/4 length sleeves. I can literally see it in my mind right now.

Knowing how much I detest trying to find dresses that fit me right (the line "36-24-36" from Brick House always pops in my mind) and are modest, I had already determined that I would sew my own dress. Not to mention that I haven't seen a dress remotely like what I want anywhere.

And then Kate Middleton came along. Gosh darn it, she really is a style icon!

She's done a blue lace dress--twice!

So here I am thinking I've designed a fairly unique dress, and the princess has beat me to the punch. At least mine will be slightly different (a blue lining instead of white, slightly longer sleeves, and a square neck instead of rounded), so my pride isn't too wounded. ;)

wish me luck in my upcoming sewing adventure!

I'm a Nerd--But a Pretty Rad One

Well even with school, I still have a decent amount of time on my hands, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I'm finished with class by 9:15am.

So I have used that time to bring my ideas for various parts of my wedding together in inspiration boards. I suppose its the graphic designer and perfectionist in me that finds these things fun, but it'll also help everyone who's playing a part in the wedding to understand my and Joey's vision.

Venice and Maritime Memories

I know I know, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but right now its looking pretty dang good.

I miss Italy so much. Like, I dream about it every night, I miss it so much. Right now, I really miss being on the water in Venice.

But wait, you're thinking, "didn't she complain that she just wanted out of Venice while she was there?" Well, yes (that's what makes this a grass is always greener moment). But that was until I saw the ocean and got on a boat.

Sitting literally on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, feeling the warm ocean air while enjoying artichoke pizza, and watching the Greek cruise ships sail by was so wonderful. At the time, it made all of the stress of traveling totally worth it.

And then there were the boat rides. Prior to this trip I had never been on a boat, so I was slightly nervous about how I would take it. But I LOVED it. First on the Vaparetto (water bus), and then a VIP ride around the city in Guiseppe's boat--glorious.

Being near the ocean was relaxing, natural; a happy time. It was good for my soul. And I think this is one of the reasons I was meant to marry a Navy man.