Half Moon Bay

Since TJ came home Friday at 11:00 pm and had to fly out again this afternoon (this time to Ohio), we wanted to do something really fun on Saturday - our way of cramming six days of fun into one :) We decided to go to Half Moon Bay, a beautiful coastal region south of San Francisco. The weather was perfect! Seventy degrees without a cloud in the sky. We had a little picnic on the beach. TJ took the reins and made us sandwiches - pastrami with cheddar, pickles, spinach, and honey mustard on wheat bread. He's becoming quite the chef! The other day, he even scrambled his own eggs. I was so proud :)

Here's what the beach looked like. No crowds at all - just perfectly clear water, warm sands, and gentle breezes. We got really lucky.
It took TJ all of five seconds before he sprinted towards the water to play in the small waves. He made me get my feet wet, too. The water was freezing, but it's been years since I've touched the ocean so I'm glad he made me do it :) We couldn't get over how crystal-clear the water was. What a pretty day!
We also were able to celebrate his birthday properly. I made a small, two-layer vanilla cake - TJ said it was so good he couldn't help but make noises when he ate it. When I told him to make a wish before blowing out the candles, he said, "But I already have you!" Even though I know he really wished for the new iPhone 4G, it still melted my heart. :) What a lucky girl I am!
He even brought me back a gift from New York City! A signed picture of the one and only JoBros. Not that I'm necessarily a Jonas Brothers fan.... but he got it for sentimental reasons. Our first kiss was after Stadium of Fire last year, the one where the Jonas Brothers performed. We put the picture up at our place and smile when we look at it. :)

TJ's 26th!

TJ's birthday was on Friday, and I had all kinds of fun things planned! A special breakfast in bed, a surprise picnic amid the beauty of Redwood Regional Park, presents and games, but alas....Thursday, while still at work, I felt that horrible nausea begin to creep over me that we all recognize as the onset of the stomach flu. I wanted to believe it was only going to last a couple hours, but I was wrong. Teeje is in NYC all week (I took him to the airport this morning), so I'll have to make it up to him when he gets back. We still enjoyed an evening at The Cheesecake Factory in Walnut Creek last night.
I was feeling much better and wanted to at least celebrate his 26th somehow so I didn't feel like a complete bum of a wife. We love that place! We had a great time, as we always do on our dates. Walnut Creek is a beautiful area on the East Bay that's just north of the Oakland Temple. If we had a million dollars, we'd live there :)

Here's what I was going to make TJ for our picnic on Friday. It's so fresh and delicious, you really can't go wrong. You can replace the mayo in the recipe with light sour cream (as I did) if you hate mayonnaise (as I do). Enjoy!
California Club Sandwich

Citrus Mayonnaise:
1/3 cup light mayo
2 T orange juice concentrate
1 tsp lemon juice
splash hot sauce
pinch of salt

Sandwich:
sourdough bread slices
fresh tomatoes
avocados
sliced chicken breast
arugula (or any dark green)
Swiss cheese

Mix up ingredients for citrus mayo. Spread on one slice of sourdough. Stack chicken, tomatoes, avocados, cheese, and arugula on the other slice. Don't forget to salt the tomatoes and avocados. Put the sandwich together and eat!

** I like to pat my sliced tomatoes dry with a paper towel before putting them on a sandwich. That way, it doesn't get soggy. Also, never put wet things (pickles, tomatoes, etc) in direct contact with the bread if you plan on taking it on a picnic or packing it for a lunch. The bread will always get soggy. Things like mayonnaise or butter help "seal" the porous bread so it won't get wet, but it also helps to put the tomatoes between the cheese and the meat. Also, if you want your avocados to last a few hours without turning yucky, toss them in lemon juice. This preserves their color. :)

I love to cook!

This is probably not news to anyone who knows me :) Here's what I made us for lunch today. It's really healthy and delicious! I'll probably be posting a lot of recipes on here because I make something new every day. Here is the recipe.


Fiesta Chicken Salad
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 cup chopped jicama (found near the potatoes - crunchy, sweet, and delicious!)
1 can corn niblets
1 cup chunky pico de gallo
1 diced avocado
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 cups spinach
Dressing: 1 packet of spicy ranch dressing mixed with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and 1/2 cup light mayo

Mix all ingredients together (except spinach) with 1/2 cup dressing. Put bed of spinach on each plate, then top with chicken mixture. Eat!

Our Wedding

TJ and I got married on February 13th. It was a really happy day! We had our reception at the beautiful Northampton House in American Fork, Utah, the night before (we highly recommend this idea, since we can't even imagine how anyone can do it all in one day). We got sealed in the Timpanogos temple by George Durrant, who also happened to be TJ's dad's mission president and the author of "Someone Special, Starring You" (one of TJ's favorite books). The wedding day was absolutely perfect, and with the help of close friends and family, everything went smoothly.

We met back in 2008 after our opening ward social in Provo. I went over to his apartment, by the invitation of his roommate, and made banana bread. TJ first remembers me saying "I really will!" followed by "I am going make my husband breakfast in bed every day when I get married." He immediately fell in love..... ok, maybe he didn't, but we all laughed and had a great time that night. The next night, I remember having a Saved By The Bell trivia contest with TJ until three in the morning (sorry, those of you who were under the illusion that I always kept BYU housing curfew......I rarely did) - he narrowly beat me. We formed a close bond after that point. I'd never met someone who was so easy to talk to and who made me laugh so freely. Our fun little "dates" and apartment visits became almost daily, where we'd talk about our day, eat dinner, watch the Office, or have jam sessions (TJ's name for talking about the deeper things of life). TJ accepted a job in San Francisco that year, so we knew something would have to change. We started dating in the summer of '09, knowing it was our one shot to see if we had something more than just friendship before he left for California mid-August.

That summer was so much fun! We went to rodeos, watched fireworks, flew kites, had picnics, played games. watched movies, went for walks, and so much more. When it came time to say goodbye, I drove down to San Francisco with TJ and then flew back. It was a sad time, because I was already pretty set on my path towards my masters degree and career in Utah, so I wasn't sure what would happen to our relationship. But, as you can see, everything worked out alright! We dated long-distance for about five months when TJ proposed at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, WA. I moved out to California in January and the rest is history!

Here are some more wedding pictures....

My new in-laws are the best! I sure love them!

As of now, TJ and I just love going out and playing in the city (San Francsico) when we have a chance to spend time together. Our work keeps us pretty busy, but we still know how to have fun. :)