Yes, Yes there is a Difference Between Classy Ground Beef and Just the Regular Stuff

Grocery shopping can be a wonderful thing... It is mostly wonderful when your mom is paying for the groceries anyways... This being said, I am a little bit of a food snob and have a tiny bit of a hard time "shopping on a college budget" or whatever my dad calls it. I traipse longingly down the isles of the grocery wishing I could buy six dollar boxes of quinoa and thousands of dollars worth of spices. And who knew fresh vegetables could cost so much money? You can go ahead and forget about baking supplies... Needless to say, I do splurge every once in a while--still not sure what to do with that acorn squash I bought with no fancy ingredients to spice it up--but I mostly try to stick to my "starving student" budget. My pantry shelves stock the essentials but rarely hold a treat. Don't look in the freezer because there is always never ice cream in there. I love to eat and cook and bake and look at and buy food so clearly I have had to set grocery limits for myself... Like I actually follow my own rules, gurl puhlease. i.e. I will never, ever, no matter how poor I ever am, purchase any kind of meat that comes in a plastic tube with those little metal stapely clamps on the ends. Um gross. I have standards. I will also never buy margarine or "buttery spread"... Sorry mom... I can believe it's not butter and believe you me it is NOT butter. Like, I am not a brat or anything, these are just my truest, innermost feelings which I am putting out there for everyone to read and understand. So in true Provo fashion I can just nonchalantly declare that I had better find a rich husband to buy me lots of fancy clothes  groceries. Or something like that.

My Own Chicken Soup for My Own Soul

Sometimes life seems hard. Sometimes life is lonely. Sometimes I think life sucks (it doesn't). Sometimes life plays cruel jokes and snickers in the corner.

 

But...

 

The sun will always shine. Someone will always love me. I can always choose to be happy. There will always be hope.

 

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

 

-Emily Dickinson

 

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Let me preface this post by saying that I have never won anything. Like ever. Well I guess that was true until this week when I won 3 gift cards at work. Woot woot. I am not bragging because they were all team contests besides one... Which I am bragging about. That's right, this lady has a perfect attendance record at Deseret Book therefore won a $5 frozen yogurt gift card. Look out world!

Okay that is enough gloating, I realize no one really cares that I show up to work on time... I am a very blessed person and was just excited that I won something for the first time. Like ever. I am also blessed to have a mom who will talk to me on the phone 6 times in one day. I will not tell you that I ditched school today, or that I spent the better part of the morning making spaghetti sauce. I will, however, tell you that I saw it snow for the first time today. And let me just say it was not pretty, or magical, or whatever... It was cold and really wet. Guess everything can't be gravy. What is gravy though is how warm and toasty my toes are inside of my cow socks. I wish that I possessed the technical ability to take a photo of them and put it on here, all blogger like, so you could see how darn stinkin cute they are.

In other news, I saw an amazing concert tonight! The BYU homecoming spectacular featuring singer Brian Stokes Mitchell was simply amazing. There is so much talent at this lovely school and Brian Stokes Mitchell is enough to melt even the coldest heart on this freezing little day. Music is truly a wonderful thing!

And one other thing... I am being serious when I say that every time I am going to bed it sounds like a party is happening right under my window. I don't know why they are not partying before I go to bed but as soon as I tuck myself in, It is like the shindig of the year. I am glad that people can have so much fun! College is a wonderful place!

So anyways, there you have the disjointed wanderings of my lovely little brain. Sweet dreams.

Making Stock and Taking Stock

I love my crockpot. I love my family. I love the Gospel. I love my bed. I love to bake. I love the smell of rain. I love my neighbour. I love my job. I love to eat. I love to pray. I love the sunshine. I love my roommates. I love learning. I love the feel of freshly vacuumed carpet. I love sharing. I love my Savior. I love antiques. I love fishies. I love cooking with garlic. I love seeing old friends. I love cheesy movies. I love writing. I love babies. I love the ocean. I love disneyland. I love the temple. I love sharing. I love quiet. I love fried pickles. I love swinging. I love history. I love the smell of coming home. I love Phoenix sunsets. I love Utah fall colors. I love General Conference. I love my life!