The Shriver's

Monday, April 28, 2014

Pinterest Recipe Success and Fails

For my first Pinterest post, I want to post about recipes that I have tried successfully and the ones I haven't loved or failed. 

If you are like me, dinner time is the worst time of day trying to figure out what everyone wants to eat.  When I ask my husband, "What do you feel like for dinner tonight?" he usually comes up with, "Anything. I'm not really craving anything today, so whatever is fine with me!" or, "I don't know, what do you feel like?" and with that response I usually respond back with, "I don't know, that's why I am asking you!"  I am sure most of you can relate to this.  If you are one of the few that knows what is for dinner ever night, I applaud and slightly envy you. For the rest of us, it is usually a huge, daunting task. I never understood my mom's frustration with dinner until I was out on my own trying to figure it out for myself.  For that, Mama I am sorry for always giving you grief about dinner time!

Once I discovered pinterest and all of its glory, I started looking through the food section daily. Everyday I would look for some new ideas for the dreaded dinner time conversation.  Today I have 585 pins (yikes!) to my "food" board.  No I have not tried all of the recipes (and some of them I probably never will), but I plan to try as many as I possibly can. For the ones that I have tried, most of them have been a huge success! Some not so great, but for the most part, very tasty and I will save to do again.  

Here is a list of recipes I have tried and loved! ( I know there is more but I can't find them :(  )

This corn chowder was super delicious! I have never made a chowder of any kind before so I was nervous, but it turned out really good! Plus, it was super easy and pretty cheap (yay!!) and only has a few ingredients!

I love Taco Bells crunch wrap supreme, and when I found this I squealed with joy! Making these at home is so much better! For one, it didn't go soggy as fast as it does when you get it from TB, and two, you can pretty much add whatever you would like and take out what you don't like! Plus it was kind of fun to make.  I think I had this three times last week, that's how much I loved it!

This chicken recipe is one of my husbands favorites! He craves it!  Its fairly easy, and is packed with flavor.  I usually make it with some pasta and sautéed veggies to make a healthy meal of it.

Yes, like the Disney movie (which is one of my favs!).  This was actually a very surprisingly delicious dish. Not to mention it is decently healthy for you. It was a little time consuming with cutting and placing all the veggies.  It has wonderful flavor and I love all the vegetables that are in it.  I topped mine with some parmesan cheese and it was divine!

I just love Caramel! This was the tastiest recipe I found for caramel popcorn. I had a bunch of the caramel left over so I put it in a mason jar and ate it with a spoon, it was that good! (I am kind of a caramel junkie though and love it anyway I can get it!)

Zucchini is probably one of my favorite vegetables, so naturally I was excited to try these. Talk about yummy! Such a fantastic way to enjoy my favorite veggie. (Helpful hint: spray the pans extra good! They do tend to stick and can be hard to get out sometimes!)
 

Who doesn't love chicken pot pie?? I have never attempted (and never will) to make a real normal size chicken pot pie, mostly because the crust seems like it would be hard.  When I found these and all I had to do was flatten some biscuit dough and put the filling in, I was sold! Its easy, cheap, and tastes like a real chicken pot pie.

Lastly, this is the Lasagna roll ups.  If you love lasagna (like me) then you will love these little roll ups.  They are time consuming (mostly because you have to cook all the lasagna noodles) but they are a very tasty (different) version of lasagna.  If you have a husband that loves his meet, you can cook up some Italian sausage, or ground beef and add it in. 



For the ones that didn't turn out so well, there are these: (again I know there is more, but I can't find them)

The reason I didn't particularly love the Calzones was they were more like a roll up and the dough in the inside didn't cook so it was very doughy. Plus it had little to no flavor in the crust.


The corn bread tasted ok, but I think it needed another box of corn bread mix.  It was just too gooey inside for me and that kind of weirded me out.  I would like it a little more dry in the middle, and I think the extra box of mix would do the trick. 


As of right now, this is what I have tried as far as recipes go.  It isn't much, but there will be more! I plan on trying as many as I can! I would recommend that you all try them for yourselves and tell me what you think! You may have different opinions (obviously) on what I think is good and what you think is good, and that's ok! If you happen to try any of these out, I would love to hear what you have to say about them!

Thanks for reading!








Pinterest

Pinterest.
Oh how I love thee! Some days I love it more than other days, but for the most part, I LOVE it! It has actually helped many times with dinner, with my need to be crafty, and it has great tips for just about anything!

 I will admit, it can be a little bit evil at times.  I find myself looking at the travel section a lot and just dream and wish how I could be on a permanent vacation for the rest of my life (don't we all though!).

Anyway, the reason I am wanting to write about pinterest is I have tried many recipes, crafts, tips, etc., and I want to share what pins have been successful and not so successful.  As we all know, there are those amazing food pins, hair pins, nail pins, etc. that we must try, and then when we actually do it, it is a complete and utter fail!  If you haven't experienced the pinterest fail yet, I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for you! Why would I feel sorry for you? Well, experiencing a pinterest fail is at times absolutely hilarious! Yes it is disappointing and a bit frustrating (lets face it, you probably worked really hard on something only to find out it didn't turn out the way pinterest said it would). But for the most part, anytime I find that when I have experienced the fail, I just find it hilarious, laugh at myself, and move on.  After all, how do you learn and grow if you don't fail 1, 2, or maybe 10 times? Unfortunately, I have not documented any of my pinterest fails, but from now on it is being documented so you can see! Until then, here is a couple  fails I have found hilarious that other people have done. (I found all of these pictures on pinterest under "pinterest fails" and "nailed it" searches.)
 
The Epic Cake Fail.
 
The Photography Pose Fail.
 
The Classic Hair Style Fail.
 
 
With fails, there are also a lot of successful pins! In a new blog post I will post what I have tried and succeeded with, and also ones that I failed. 
 Pinterest is probably one of the most useful apps I have ever downloaded onto my phone/ipad. When it first came about I was not into it at all and thought it was kind of dumb.  But once I checked it out, I realized that it could be a huge help in my life.  At first I just wasted time looking and pinning useless things, but now that I have found true potential in it, it is the most helpful tool I have! I know, it probably sounds dumb, but it is the truth! 
 
If there are any pins that you would like me to try, please send them to me!!  Also I would love to hear what you all have tried and loved or hated! I am always looking for new crafts, recipes, tips, tricks, etc., so please share!
 
 
If you would like to follow me on pinterest here is my profile. 
 




Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Owen Dee Shriver- Our Nephew

If you haven't already seen, Brian and I have a nephew!
Everyone meet Owen Dee Shriver. Born January 30, 2014. (yes, he is flipping the bird. but he wouldn't be Ian's child if he didn't!)

We are a first time Aunt and Uncle! It has been so exciting and so much fun. We have only known the little guy for a few days, but we love him SO MUCH already.  We are both a very proud Auntie and Uncle.  I can't even describe how happy I am!  Is it weird that the moment I became an Aunt, I instantly felt older? I agree, it is weird, but its true! I (we) have a whole new "responsibility" in life as an Aunt and Uncle.  As a child I always looked up to mine and saw them as very wise, smart, older people and now I am one of them! It is both crazy and amazing at the same time.  We never thought we could love a baby that isn't our own, as much as we do with our nephew Owen.  I can only imagine how Ian and Katelyn feel with him being their son.  He is such a cute, sweet, wonderful baby.  You can't help but smile when you see the little guy.  He has the cutest little chubby cheeks that make you just wanna squeeze 'em.  He brings so much joy to everyone who sees him.  Not to mention he is such a good baby. He is so cuddly and will sleep through anything.  Its pretty amazing! Ian and Katelyn got luck on this one! I just hope that when Brian and I have kids that they will be that good.
Now its time for a picture overload!

That face!! 

One proud Auntie Rachie right there!


And one proud Uncle Bri-Bri!


Well that is our nephew! We love him SO stinkin much! We are so excited to be apart of his life and get to see him grow everyday. We are so happy he is apart of the family and that Ian and Katelyn let us love on him when we go visit.







Monday, August 26, 2013

A post about a girl, wanting to know what to expect about expecting.

First off, no we are not pregnant! Secondly, I am in need of as much input as possible! Brian and I are coming up on our 1 year of marriage, and talk of babies has snuck its way into a few conversations lately.  We aren't sure when we want to start having babies, but its definitely in the future somewhere. Reason being, I for one am VERY uneducated on the subject of being pregnant, and being a mother. I want to be as educated as possible!  Those of you who know me, know that I always said I didn't want kids for a VERY long time, if ever.  Every time I would go to church and see everyone's kids out of control and screaming, made me want kids less.  Going to a restaurant and being next to the table with the crying, braty kids, made me want kids less.  Being at the grocery store or mall and seeing a mom or dad chasing their kids around trying to control them and not succeeding, made me want kids less. The only children I seem to have noticed are the crazy, out of control ones.  All these things made me not want children. 

To my surprise, something changed in me over the last few months or so.  I started to get a little a lot baby hungry.  Why did this happen to me you ask? Well on my facebook I have had dozens of friends get preggers, or having babies.  Why did this change my feeling of having my own kids? Well all of their posts were so happy and full of joy! They posted dozens and dozens of pictures of how beautiful and sweet their babies are (trust me, they are ALL so beautiful and adorable).  They posted all the exciting movements of their baby bellies and how they could feel so many things from the precious baby growing inside them.  After seeing these kinds of post for a few consecutive months, it started to make me want all of those things for myself! I finally saw all the great and positive things/rewards of being a mother, and not all the craziness I saw everywhere I went.  I realized I had been focusing on all the wrong things.  My view when I see babies and kids out in public have completely changed.  I only see how beautiful and fun they are! Not the other stuff I had only been noticing before. (Yes, I know kids will always have their moments! ha ha)  

With all that said, I know I want to be a mother. I know it is my right, and my heavenly duty to be a mother.  I would love to start having my own babies, and sooner rather than later.  I know that being pregnant isn't easy and a lot comes with it, a lot that I do not know! I want to be educated, I just don't know where to start! I want to learn everything! If there are books that you recommend,  I want to know about them! If there are articles you have read and recommend, I want to now about them! If you have personal experience/thoughts, I want to know about them! I want to know your thoughts, opinions, and experiences on natural birth (no epidurals or pain meds, etc)  verses a hospital medicated birth (meaning pain killers, epidurals, that sort of thing).  I know deciding which kind of birth I want to have is all based on my own personal preference, but I want to be educated on both so I can make the best decision for me when the time comes.  It is so important to me that I know all that I can about being pregnant and expecting a baby. When I say I don't know anything about it, I literally mean I know NOTHING about it! And that scares me! I don't want to go into it blind! What can you mothers, and expecting mothers out there give me for advise? I honestly want to hear what you all have to say! 

Where any of you worried about your financial situation when it came to having your first child?  Obviously you want to be as stable as you can, but what are your thoughts/feelings about that topic?  I know my husband is worried about it, and I want to be able to get him some advise as well! What kind of insurance do you have to get when having a baby (see, I know nothing!)? Do you have to get it before you start or can you get it after you find out your expecting? I'm so overwhelmed about how naive and uneducated I am! I just have so many questions! I'm sorry this is kind of all over the place, but I just have to make sure I get it all in here! 

Please share anything you can/want with me! Tell your friends, sisters, moms, even the men to share what they know! Seriously, I want as much education as I can! Thank you in advance for all that you share! I know this isn't a traditional blog post, but I need the help! It means so much to me to know everything I can, and I appreciate all the help and support from all of you!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Missing my missionary brother!

I just wanted to write a little post about my baby brother who has been in the MTC for a little over a month now! I miss that boy like crazy, but I am SO grateful for modern day technology so I can get emails and pictures from him every week! 
Ryan got called to serve in the Toronto, Canada mission! Which he will also be speaking the Korean language! Korean in Canada?? Weirdly cool right? Well Ry entered the MTC July 10, 2013. The day after he entered, mom got a call from his mission president. He called to inform mom and dad that Ry's mission got changed! He is now going to Vancouver, Canada still Korean speaking. How cool is that?? I have never heard of anyone getting there mission changed while being in the MTC before!  He said that they just didn't need any more Korean elders in Toronto so they all got switched! I am really excited for him! I think he will like Vancouver so much better. 

In all of Ry's emails he seems very happy and loving every minute of being a missionary! His Korean is coming along and he has made a lot of new missionary friends. He is liking and getting along with his companion. He is also really happy right now because his best friend Junie entered the MTC last week and he got to see her! Here is a little bit of what he said in his email this week.

"Hi everyone!

This has probably been one of the best weeks yet! I will start of with the coolest part. At our Tuesday devotional we got to hear from Elder Richard G. Scott! It was so awesome! There was a rumor that it was going to be an apostle but we didn't get to find out who it was until they walked in. He talked about prayer, and we need to seek His will and not our own when we pray. He also said God has called us to succeed not to fail. He also told us if we don't get our answer right away that we need to actively seek for it and not just wait for our answer. At the end of his talk he told us the reason why he was so emotional was because he knew that the Lord had allowed his wife to be present at the devotional, it was so sweet. Then he ended with giving everyone who was learning a language an apostolic blessing of the gift of tongues. It was so cool! It was the best talk we have had yet. You could tell he really cares about us. He also said that every time the Apostles meet in the temple they pray for us."

He is doing so good and I am so happy for him! Although I miss him so much, I know he is where he needs to be and that he is happy to be there! I can't wait until we get to go pick him up! I'm counting down the days!


Before we dropped him off at the MTC.







Ry found his friend McCall in the MTC.


Such a goof ball!


Ry and his companion with other missionaries.


Even in the MTC he his still a ladies man!


Girls just love him!



Ry with more girls!


I don't know why but I just love this pic! Such a Ryan photo.


Ry with McCall again.


Another Ryan face.


Ryan and his companion. (sorry don't know his name)


Such a handsome young man! He got his good looks from me! ;)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Fun with Mom and Dad Shriver

Well we have done it! We jumped on the blog bandwagon! Do we know how to have a blog? Nope, not at all. Are our lives interesting enough to keep a blog going? Sometimes! I like to think we are hilarious, but I don't know about anyone else! ;)

Well on August 1st, Brian's parents arrived in Utah from Alaska.  Not only did his parents come, but they brought the family dog Dhubi! Yes, it does sound exactly like the drug! Mom claims she didn't know what a "doobie" was when she named the dog, but sometimes I think she isn't that innocent! ;) Ha ha jk Mom! It has been a very fun, exciting, busy couple of weeks and are really sad for them to leave on the 15th, which happens to be tomorrow :( We are so sad to see them leave! With them living in Alaska, it makes it really hard to see them whenever we want! The last time we saw them was when Brian and I got married almost a year ago. We just wish they would pack up and move to Utah and be with all of us kids! Especially now that they are going to be first time grandparents! No, Brian and I are not having a baby sorry, but Ian and Katelyn are and we are so happy and excited for them! They just found out on Monday that they are having a baby boy! I am so excited to have a nephew and be an aunt (finally)! They are due in January and luckily we will get to see mom and dad again when the baby arrives! Yay!

Anyway, since mom and dad have been here, we have been having a lot of fun as the Shriver family! Getting all the boys together and mom and dad in one room is quite the site and very entertaining! They all just feed off of each other and are quite the characters! Its fun being apart of the Shriver clan! Just a couple things we have done, we went to Park City and rode the alpine slide, the alpine coaster, and the zipline. It was a lot more fun than I expected! The coaster was by far the best though!  We also did a lot of shopping and went to the Real Salt Lake game! It has been nice having the whole family together for a while! It doesn't happen as often as we would like it to though! Here is a few pictures of what has been going on the last couple of weeks!

Dad, Ian, Kevin, and Brian on the chair lift up to ride the zip line!


                 Ian and his sexy man-pries ;)


                           Riding on the coaster!

Brian and I on the chairlift.

First time at Scheels!

Mom and Brian at the RSL game! I love this pic!

Dad and Kevin at the RSL game!

Ian and Katelyn being cute and cuddly at the RSL game!

Me and the love of my life Brian at the RSL game.


This is Dhubi dog!