i'm melting.

i found the man that i want to marry.
no kidding.





his voice melts my soul. (basically to the same degree that i end up in a puddle on the floor when i hear josh groban or michael buble sing...)


:) 
have an awesome week!

this was me.

i don't think that we smile enough.

you watch this and tell me that you don't laugh.
come on. do it.

pssst. i've got a secret.

I have a secret dream of becoming vegetarian.

You might think this is a little strange... considering most people tend to choose that lifestyle because they feel some sort of moral obligation to furry creatures, etc etc... I don't. I think it just sounds cool. 

Guess what? I'm a vegetarian. 

Kind of rolls of the tongue eh?

Vegan Lentil Chili with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, and Green Onion

from Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped in small pieces
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
2 T Chili Powder (I used Penzeys Regular Chili Powder, which is quite mild.)
1 T ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
1/8 tsp. dried Chipotle chile pepper (or cayenne; use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup brown lentils
1/4 cup red lentils (or use more brown lentils if you don't have red ones)
3 cans vegetable broth + 1 can water
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 can (6 oz) black olives, drained and sliced
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
lime slices for serving (optional) 

Instructions:

Use a large dutch oven type pan so you have a big surface area for cooking the vegetables.  Heat olive oil over medium heat, then saute the chopped onion until it's starting to brown.  Add garlic and saute about 1 minute more.  Add the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and Chipotle or Cayenne powder and saute about 90 seconds more, or until the spices are fragrant.

Add the brown lentils, red lentils, vegetable broth, water, and tomato sauce and heat until the mixture comes to a low boil.  Reduce heat to a low simmer and let the mixture cook until red lentils are mostly dissolved and brown lentils are well-softened.   Cooking time will depend on how fresh the lentils are, but I simmered this for slightly more than an hour, adding more water a couple of times.  (Tomatoes make the lentils cook a bit more slowly, so if you're in a hurry don't add the tomato sauce until lentils are starting to get tender.)

While the mixture cooks, slice the green onions, drain olives and cut into slices, and drain the roasted red pepper and chop into small pieces.  When lentils are cooked, add green onion, olives, and roasted red pepper and let the mixture simmer 15-20 minutes more.  Serve hot, with slices of lime to squeeze into each serving if desired.

This freezes well.  For best results, thaw in refrigerator overnight and then heat in microwave or in a small pan on the stove.

Did I mention that this winter has been one of the driest that I have ever seen in Eastern Idaho? It's crazy. 
Kinda feels like Mexico I think. 
Balmy.
(If I see anyone come into town with their Hawaiian-print shirt, I'll know that someone is reading this...)

But it snowed yesterday!
FINALLY!
Jess = :)

***

a little bit of every scattered thought.

how is everyone this (lazy) holiday morning?!


i'm fantastic... just in case you were wondering. :)
today is one of those mornings when life is just good. 
happy music-baking-motivated-i'm gonna go on a long run-type of morning!








so i have to work on my motivation to try this... because you know me, i am a very lazy person when it comes to my hair. anything that takes over an hour to do just isn't worth it in my book. 
this one looks like it could take a while...





and you remember that granola that we made like, two days ago?
it's gone!
crisis! i need to make some more!!!
this time, i think i'm going to try this recipe. and then maybe this one. this one??? (i have a surplus of recipes, most of which i haven't had the chance to try yet!) 


pumpkin granola
originally from baking bites


ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas


directions:
1. preheat the oven to 325° F. line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. in a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. mix well.
3. in a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. whisk until smooth. pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. they will be moist. evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. bake for 20 minutes. remove pan from the oven and stir. bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas. let cool completely. store in an airtight container.




i was reminiscing this morning... and decided to plan my next big adventure.

deja vu.

just a little musical background for your sunday morning.

i'm just sitting here preparing a lesson for church today (thanks to my new attempt at being social and outgoing, my bishop called me to teach a lesson.) note to self: no more being social until after all the callings are made...
just kidding!!!
have a beautiful, happy sabbath!

and one of these days, i am going to make this wonderful bread in honor of shabbat.


challah bread

(courtesy of allrecipes.com)

ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

directions

1. in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
2. punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
3. preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
5. bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

i'm gonna get over you.

this is my happy thought for the day. :)

i want her clothes. and her hair. 

so we tried an experiment today, and made super yummy pumpkin crunch granola. 

(this is like pavlov's dog... i say a food, and you start salivating. muahaha!) 

looks pretty delish don't you think?

(we did make a little subsitution and just used honey instead of all the agave-necter-health-nut stuff... i mean, we are poor college students after all!)

so i told you about my dream yes?

of running a half marathon.

tomorrow is the 5-mile run.

and guess who is a little scared.

NOT ME!

i'm gonna dominate this thing.

:D

ch-ch-ch-changes!

last year.

december 2010.

this year.

december 2011.

a little different eh?

***

i want a guy to say this to me.

:)

{day 6}


...is supposed to be a picture of something that makes me happy.
i felt more like a movie instead.

this girl will capture the world.

{day 5}


this just fits today

bubbly toes

do you ever have a day when you don't know why, but you just wake up and feel glum?

i have a solution for you:

(just try it one time and tell me that it doesn't make your whole entire day that much better!)

last night, the sis and i decided that we needed to use the massive amount of food that we had just received from the parents... and grandpa.. and winco...

(i think my roommates hate us. we take up at least half of the refrigerator.)

but we got squash.

buttercup squash.

and a lot of buttercup squash.

and guess who got a box of apples from grandpa's tree yesterday?

it was meant to be.

my version of buttercup squash & apple soup

kind like this one. and this one. but mostly different.

ingredients:

chicken stock (mom got us some rotisserie chickens from costco... so we de-boned them and then used the carcass to make stock)

2 buttercup squashes

3 onions - roughly chopped

2-4 apples cut into large chunks(depends on the size... and how much you want your soup to taste like apples)

cut the squashes in half and throw them, the roughly chopped onions, and chunked apples on a cookie sheet that has a little bit of water on the bottom

bake in oven until you can easily scoop the squash out of the shell (we left ours in about a half hour at 400)

throw the squash, apples and onion in stock, let simmer and cook together for a few minutes (you can season it with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, chicken bouillon... i don't ever really measure when i'm making soup. i go purely by taste)

throw it into a blender - and voila!

yummy soup and a very happy tummy.

one proud nerd.

call me a nerd, but i love science. 
call me an even bigger nerd that i watch youtube videos about science. 





(you know you wish you found this first...)


but guess what? today is friiiiiiidayyyyy! :) 
and friday is the day that:
1- i can stop thinking about school for the next 48 hours
2- i can have adventures (and not feel like i should be at home studying)
3- no homework
4- my parents are coming up to visit!
5- did i mention i get to go shopping with my mom???
6- i don't have to wake up at 6. (wait... that really happens any other day of the week???)
7- quality time with me and my book. because i promised myself that i will finish one book every other week. (by the way, this is book #2)
8- i don't have to be any where important. so i can sit on my butt and look up useless things like this:





9- and this: 

(this just makes me want grilled cheese ohhhhhh so badly! i should stop torturing myself because i don't get to eat lunch for another 2 hours... this is just cruel...)

http://www.grilledcheesesocial.com/ has some of the BEST looking grilled cheese sandwiches i've every seen in my entire life. i mean, this chick has the art of perfectly grilling a cheese-which down to a science. nay, it is art. pure and simple.

if you really want to get down to the science behind the grilled cheese, check out the sporkful.

they are my new favorite when it comes to analyzing the nitty-gritty necessities of good cookin'.  

10- lunch today: leftovers from last night's cooking escapade.

 this is yet another one of those meals that just kinda... happened. we threw in a couple of onions, green onions in the fridge, an eggplant, peppers and jalapenos, leftover hamburger and spinach that was not lookin so hot... (not slimy... just a little wilty...)

toss it all in a skillet with some spices and BAM! 

PRESTO!

the most time consuming part of the dinner was finding out how to get the blasted cabbage leaves OFF of the head.

how do you perform this feat you ask?

you toss the head of cabbage into boiling water for a few minutes, and then the leaves just come right off!!!

simple as that.

then we threw those in a casserole dish, covered it in prego or ragu... and then topped it with some cheese right before it was done.

oh heavens.

yum.

don't tell anyone... i think i had two.

but it was gone so fast i'm not really sure.

11- friday is just a good day.

:)

now go partyyyy!

almost halfway.

four tests in a week???

i swear my teachers are colluding against me.

"oh yeah - killing jess sounds like fun!"

"sweet let's do it!"

ugh.

especially that hot guy in class.

yesssss please!

not all fairy tales turn out the way we think huh?

i'm going to admit it.

i have an obsession with pinterest.

it's baaaaaad.

(but oh so gooooood at the same time!)

you get my meaning?

one of my recent finds...

pumpkin pie shake!

for those who live in the frozen tundra (loving called iceburg rexburg) we have this amazing restaurant called sammy's.

their pumpkin pie shakes?

to diiiiiiiiie for.

especially when you get a piece of crust that survived the blender.

oh heavens... i might just die and go to heaven thinking about it!

anywho, in anticipation for one of my four favorite seasons of the entire year... a recipe! for pure deliciousness.

Pumpkin Pie Shake

vegan, serves 2-3

(random side-note: i've always wondered what it would be like to be vegan or vegetarian... you'll probably be hearing more about this later.)

15 ounces organic canned pumpkin - 1 can (not pie mix)

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup non-dairy milk, vanilla (soy or hemp preferred)

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup vegan chai tea concentrate

2 tbsp soy milk creamer

2 dashes cinnamon

1 dash cayenne

2 dashes nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups ice (coconut water ice cubes approved for this pie shake)

optional: 1/2 frozen banana, pinch of flax seed oil/meal for added nutrition

directions:

1. add all your ingredients, except the ice, to the blender.

2. blend on high until smooth. yes the pumpkin will make this smoothie thick, so be patientwhile blending. if you need to add more 'milk' go ahead.

3. keep blending and slowly add in the ice. make sure it blends icy-smooth! again, if you need to add a bit more liquid, do it gradually. you can always do a taste test before pouring and modify as needed to suit your own tastes. i added in a few extra cashews because I liked the body and flavor that they added.

4. pour, sprinkle with cinnamon on top. whipped rice cream-optional, but yummy.

serve! delicious any time of day. dessert-friendly.

and yes, it will taste like pumpkin pie! 

bold... beautiful pumpkin flavor. 

notes and alterations:

table for One? just making this smoothie for yourself? you can easily halve the ingredients for a nice sized smoothie for 1.

creamier? if you want to turn up the 'creaminess' a notch, add in a bit more soy cream, non-dairy milk and even a spray of whipped cream blended right into the blender.

dessert please! you can easily make this into a delicious pumpkin-ice-cream style shake by removing 1 cup of ice from the recipe and replacing it with a big scoop of vegan soy/hemp/coconut/rice cream. vanilla flavor of course.

perfectly pumpkin: feeling super adventurous and cringe at 'canned veggies'. well OK, grab a 'pie pumpkin' roast it, puree it and chill the pumpkin puree in the fridge. use it in place of canned!

ready?

set?

go do it!

(and tell me what you think.)

***

today is one of those days that i am so grateful to have a wonderful family.

simply because my sister makes me dinner when i am pushing to get a homework assignment done on time.

she's pretty much the bomb.com.

and even though i missed my mom's 4 phone calls, i still know that she loves me enough to call. 

even though i'm in class.

and my brother telling me about an acronym that his 8th grade teacher taught him to remember the first presidents of the united states. do i remember them? no. but i sure appreciated him telling me!

well hello sunshine!

i love waking up early and sitting on the couch with my chilly toes stuck under a gigantic mound of blankets, with my computer and a big cup of hot chocolate. 


ooooh yes, i am sooooo ready for fall right now.


i've decided it's been too long since you've gotten any music, and i've been feeling in a somewhat indie mood as of late, so here ya go.

beware. this is what happens when i am allowed to sit and surf the web uninterrupted. 


i listened to her version of elton john's song: your song this morning, and fell in love with ellie goulding's voice. 








i've been doing projects with my mom straight for the past few weeks that i've been home, so i've got major crafts on the brain. this is my next project:

infinity dress and here

and for the piece de resistance - i want to try this!

recipe here

my toes are warm, the hot cocoa is gone, and mom is finally up. time to start the day!

:)

searching ebay for a mary poppins carpet-bag:

i think i like to stress way too much.
but the one thing that i can be grateful to stress for is that it motivates me to get things done. (if i had just barely started packing today, i probably would give up and go sit in the corner and cry.) so, the good thing about starting to stress about packing last week has actually paid off. it doesn't mean that i like it though.
now comes the best part of the packing.
i have to fit everything into 3 bags:
one that i am checking (64" total - under 50 pounds)
one that can fit into the overhead compartment (45" total - under 40 pounds)
and one purse. (of course... the word "purse" is entirely left up to my own interpretation...)
after managing to fit everything into the big suitcase, doing the whole knee-on-the-top maneuver to keep it from exploding and sending clothes and other items flying all over the room, we got the suitcase on to the scale.
it wasn't until today that i realized how truly funny brian regan is.





we tried sitting the suitcase on the scale.
what do you know. it covers up the numbers!
so here i am, holding the massive suitcase... stepping on and off while my mom looks to see how much i weigh with the suitcase. it was way too complicated for how simple something like that should be.
we managed to get it down to 55 pounds.
then i realized that i was able to take a 40 pound carry-on... duh. well i feel sheepish.
unfortunately, i have to leave room for school books that i will be getting at orientation next tuesday. gee i hope they don't give me a lot... because i don't know if it's gonna fit!
i know you are thinking it... just come out and say it already! 
jess is a packrat. jess has problems.
i know. i do.
i need someone to just pack for me, and then i would go and wear whatever they picked out for me. none of this decision-making crap. it just is way too vague for me! 


anywho. i have an obsession with chicken salad.
i could eat it all day, every day. 
feast your eyes. and possibly go and make some for yourself.

-----------------------------------------------------------

a shout-out to my bff on her birthday!

carissa larsen - i am so freakin glad you were born!

:D

this girl makes some knock-out bread.

but i am friends with her for more than her bread-maker.

love you riss!

life at home... is... it just is.

not much news today.
not that home is boring or anything like that... just nothing that the world needs to hear about. nothing exciting...
just regular, everyday things... like my mom being obsessed with oven cleaner. (because she just discovered that it cleans the top of her stove. and that it actually gets rid of the blackened and burnt egg/cheese/spills from my brothers cooking their breakfast... and it doesn't scratch it! listening to her tell me about it was beginning to sound a lot like the oxy-clean guy on tv. i was feeling like i most definitely had to go and buy a bottle to take with me.) or maybe going to savers with my mom and finding the cutest vintage dress i have ever seen in my entire life. and it fit! (i swear pictures will come!!! i have actually made a deal with my sister to let me steal use hers for the summer.)
we also colored eggs last night... and decorated them like monsters. my sister brooke wasn't at home with us, so we took a family picture of our eggs and sent it to her:

can you guess which one it is? (or rather, isn't?)
i think mine looks like a minion.
yeah, that's pretty much home life for ya.

so sad news: i found out yesterday that due to a lame little thing called a "revolution"... that i won't be going to egypt. i think a part of me died last night when i read that.
instead, i get to go to turkey.
what is in turkey, you ask?
i have no flippin' idea.
we will figure this one out together!
[but i made a promise to myself that i WILL make it back to egypt one day. no worries, king tut! i won't keep you waiting for very long!!!]

----------------------------------------------------------

his voice...

good golly gosh!

it's crunchtime!

i am beginning to feel the pressure now...

not that it is anything really new.

i thrive under pressure, remember?

so i realized that i started to do this like a week ago, and never finished it.

so here ya go.

(i was practicin' my abc's for ya.)

A. age: 21! and yes, i am super excited that my driver's license now is horizontal not vertical! (talk about a rite of passage... my life changed when i walked out of the DMV.)

B. bed size: twin. and too short. i don't like it when my toes hang over the edge...

C. chore you hate: emptying the garbage.

D. dogs: big. or not at all. i can't stand little rat-dogs.

E. essential start to your day: a shower. and sunshine.

F. favorite color: yellow. and then blue.

G. gold or silver: silver... but some golds actually are growing on me lately.

H. height: 5' 11 1/2" (i should just say 6' huh?)

I. instruments you play: piano, guitar, and ukulele (but i suck at all 3)

J. job title: 'sales rep' (actually i tell people that they should buy my fat pants...)

K. kids: someday. definitely. now? no.

L. live: rexburg, idaho. will i stay here forever? definitely not.

nampa, idaho. when i'm not at school.

in a week and a half? JERUSALEM!!! yes, it does count.

M. mom’s name: susan. she also goes by wonderwoman when she is not playing chauffeur, cook, cheerleader, photographer, maid, and mom to us kids. (she's basically my hero)

N. nicknames: jess, jessie, (here's where it gets fun) toad, chief, the beast, "the girl with the gorgeous hair"... yes, that is how i am known at the plasma center...

O. overnight hospital stays: only when they aren't mine. but i can wander the halls and buy juicyfruit from a vending machine at two in the a.m.

P. pet peeve: flaky people. (not referring to dandruff... but that is gross too)

Q. quote from a movie/show: i go up to paris, bam bam bam bam... i'm back before weeks end, we spend the treasure. how is this a bad plan??? 

(from my favorite movie of all time - the count of monte cristo)

R. righty or lefty: i think that signing my name with my left hand is awesome... only because it looks like a kindergartener did it.

S. siblings: 4 of my best friends in the whole world.

T. time you wake up: always late. after i've turned off the 3 alarms that i was positive i wouldn't sleep through.

U. underwear: wouldn't you like to know?

V. vegetables you dislike: love them. but i am not inclined to try brussel sprouts. and swiss chard? ewwww. never ever ever again!

W. what makes you run late: sleep. getting distracted. trying to finish "just one more thing..." blogging? nevvvvvver. ;)

X. x-rays you’ve had: teeth, my feet (i had inflamed growth plates as a young'n)

Y. yummy food you make: must i choose??? but i hear my carmel corn brings all the boys a runnin'...

Z. zoo animal favorite: elephants. i bought a necklace with them on it today.

i've been feeling in a very music-y mood as of late.

and for good, happy, uplifting, music.

not the usual crap they play on the radio.

it gets boring reallllly fast.

but i had this one stuck in my head all day.

new life motto?

i think so.

--------------------------------------------------

in preparation for my trip, we've been trying to "fix" all of my clothes, 

so that they will be somewhat cute, while still modest...

i'm so glad my mom is amazing.

and knows how to sew...

we had pants to fix, shirts to fit, buttons to sew... 

it kept us busy pretty much all night long!

but they will be worth it!

dish is de end.

now that finals are done:

that's a good way to think right?

sweet freedom!

now on to the cleaning.

the end of school is always fun, because you have the combination of multiple stresses, namely:

huge tests that you haven't studied for

having to pack up everything you own in boxes and put them in storage for the next 5 months

having to decide what you are going to need during those 5 months

packing all of your crap in the car

leaving all of your friends

cleaning (because if you don't, the apartment complex will charge you $20 for dirty baseboards...)

having no food left, and refusing to go to the store

trying to remember everything before you leave...

and having it snow on your birthday!

(yes, today is my birthday.)

(and yes, it did decide to snow. for the second year in a row. and yes, it is april.)

so, now that i've done a stressful list, i think it is only fair to include a list of things that i love right now.

1. cupcakes.

and i recently discovered a new way to eat them.

2. my friends

we have had many crazy-awesome adventures over this last year...

and even though i know that they are coming to a close (for now) it doesn't mean that it is the end!!!

by the way jess and carissa... i'm still planning on our oregon coast road-trip/excursion!

you aren't going to get out of this one!

3. my family

cuz they are just plain awesome.

we had all 3 of us girls up here at school this weekend, and it has been sooo much fun!

definitely not the last time this is going to happen.

i just couldn't resist putting this picture up. (i love super young, awkward pictures...)

if you wanted to know what a mane looks like on a person... i have the proof right here!

4. cupcakes!

acutally, just baking in general.

if you haven't noticed yet. ;)

i think these are SO CUTE!

i have to try them.

5. green apples

i don't know why, but if i had to eat a food for the rest of my life, this would be it.

they are a big part of my purpose for living.

i think i'm gonna go grab one right now.

6. cleaning.

bizarre?

yes.

i feel like i'm getting ready for war.

but i love cleaning.

it relieves my stress... but don't get any ideas.

if you paid me, i would come clean for you, but i don't do it for free!

7. psych

please tell me you have watched it.

if not i might cry.

8. broadway

i've seen les mis (in london!), which was probably the highlight of my life...

but i have a bucket-list of broadway plays that i have to see before i die.

phantom of the opera

jane eyre

wicked

the scarlet pimpernel

jekyll and hyde

(and that isn't all!)

9. my church

i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

everything that i am, i owe to my church.

it is the best part of my life.

10. music that makes me happy :)

you got me - colbie caillat

shine - laura izibor

spending all my time loving you - aaron fresh

just the way you are - bruno mars

brand new day - joshua radin

rhythm of love - plain white t's

smile - uncle kracker

eh, eh (nothin else i can say) - lady gaga

i look so good (without you) - jessie james