There are no words

30! Just a number right? True, but what that number represents to me is hard to put into words, but I will try!
30 years ago I met Vanessa Austin. She was my assigned mission trainer in the Florida Tampa mission. I was the "greenie"! We spent 3 months as companions, and have spent the past 30 years being family! Mark and I along with Vanessa and her husband Michael Reid.......all served in the same mission. (there is a great and REALLY long story there!)

Mike and Vanessa brought their oldest daughter Selena to visit us when she was just a few months old in California. Over the years we have spent Christmas in Disneyland, Thanksgiving in both Utah and Arizona, 4th of July in Utah, many other visits back and forth for weddings, parties and many other things. My children don't have many cousins close in proximity, or age, so they too have many many happy memories of time spent with the Reid "cousins"! One of the most enjoyable things I have ever done was going on the "RED ROCK RIDE" with Vanessa! We share a love and passion for horses, and had the chance to spend almost a year sharing that love here in Utah. Then we decided to go on a week long adventure together. We spent a week riding the majestic canyons of Southern Utah on Mules. I will tell you that unless you have been into the canyons like we were....you have only glanced at them! It is a treasured memory, the experiences we shared.
This past weekend The Reid family minus 2.....spent Easter weekend with us. They came for Russ's graduation from BYU, and to take Selena home:(
(sigh....tear....sad)
Nikki and her Husband and 2 kids Madison and Tanner, kept us entertained for the weekend! It was loud, crazy WONDERFUL chaos!! Nikki chose outfits, did hair and makeup for Kayla's senior pictures....which Selena took (Sorenson-Studios on facebook is a must see). We have been involved with some of the choicest and most wonderful moments life has to offer together. We have experienced the most painful moments of our collective lives as well. I heard a saying once..."You may well forget those with whom you have laughed, but never will you forget those with whom you have cried."
As the family was getting ready to leave for home Vanessa and I just hugged and cried! I know that my life was eternally altered for good, 30 years ago, when first we met as missionaries! We love them like family, and we consider them family, and will BE that, far beyond this life.
I love you Reid family! We all do!

Many memories are centered around food, and this Easter will be no different! I had to make some cupcakes for a family in the neighborhood and of course needed to try something new! May I say that this was a HOME RUN!!!! Strawberry Colada cupcakes with fresh strawberry butttercream!!! (I think I just gleeked!) FANTASTIC!!!
I had some left over, and so when the Reid's came the first evening....I offered some to them. I wish I had a picture of Nikki's face BEFORE a sound was even able to escape! (she is as thin as a rail, so I can tell on her! I think she ate 3 straight!)It was priceless!!! They were gone so fast that I make ANOTHER batch, THAT NIGHT, and those were devoured too! This recipe will always bring sweet and tender memories of this Easter spent with the Reid Family! There are no words that can truly express the love, the happiness and joy of ties that bind hearts!

Strawberry Colada cupcakes-Christy Denney
Cupcakes
1 1/2 Cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened,
1 1/3 Cups granulated sugar,
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
1/4 cup well drained crushed pineapple

Frosting
1 cup butter softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla

***1) Heat oven to 350* Place papers into cupcake tins.2) put strawberries into blender and process till smooth. should be about 1 cup puree. Pour 2/3 cup puree into small bowl, stir in coconut milk, and both extracts. reserve remaining puree for frosting. 3)In medium mixing bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. set aside. In large bowl beat softened butter and sugar with mixer till light and fluffy. add whole egg and egg whites one at a time and mixing till Incorporated after each addition. on low speed alternately add flour mixture about 1/3 at a time and whet ingredients 1/2 at a time beating just till blended. stir in pineapple. 4)Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 1/2 full. 5) Bake 18-22 minutes or until centers spring back when lightly touched. Don't overbake....but dense, so make sure its not gooey in the center too! 6) Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with mixer till light and fluffy. add powdered sugar about 1/2 at a time. stir in coconut extract, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 3 T. reserved puree, mix till just blended. 7) frost cooled cupcakes as desired. sprinkle with either regular or toasted coconut, and top with slice of fresh strawberry! TRY not to eat 2 or 3!!!!
Good luck with that!

A friend in need....Is a friend indeed:)

I have a friend whom I affectionately refer to as "Hester the bester". This will be the subject of another blog! But as for now....She gets herself involved in lots of things, and she in turn gets....ME involved in lots of things! We have a "scratch the back" kind of relationship! She helps me, and I help her. Somehow.....She has a book club group being hosted by another member, but somehow....she is doing an appetizer, and several soups, and french bread, and BEAUTIFULLY decorated sugar cookies. Really? There is a local restaurant who shall remain nameless....that has a portabella , artichoke soup. A few years ago when I first tried it, I flipped! DELICIOUS!! I happen to know someone related to one of the owners, and asked if she could possibly get me the recipe. JOKE! He told her that even the individual locations didn't have the recipe, but received a base. He told her what he could tell her, was that is has Lots, and Lots, and Lots of butter! That is like throwing down the gauntlet to me!!! I love a good challenge, and pride myself in the ability to pick out flavors and ingredients in foods. I also love to make them healthier in any way possible. I said to myself.....Self: you can make that soup with 4T. butter or less! Challenge issued, and conquered! I will interject here, that I DO share recipes, and am personally irritated by people who won't! Unless they have a restaurant and it is a source of their livelihood, VERY FEW people make up their own recipes! Most dishes are variations of another, with a different sauce, or different heat source ect. They have found something they like and have staked a claim. For instance....how many recipes do YOU have for chocolate chip cookies??? This is not the old west! Some people have just not learned to SHARE:)
I digress. Hester asked if I would help her make MY (hee hee) recipe for the event. I agreed, and eventually offered to make it for her, which I have done this morning! Even at 9;30 in the morning onions and garlic smell heavenly!!!! I have made the soup many times and refine it as it goes. I make another change this morning which is a winner!! I am sharing the recipe with you in hopes that you will enjoy it as much as I have, and those that I have SHARED it with.

Artichoke/Portabella mushroom soup,
1T. olive oil
2T. butter
1 shallot-diced
1 onion-diced
2 stalks celery -diced
1 c. carrots -diced
5 cloves of garlic-minced
2 portabella mushroom caps 1 small dice, and one with fins removed and 1/2 inch dice
1 can WATER PACKED artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 1/2 C. chicken stock
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
4 T. cornstarch
1 heaping tsp. beef base (added today, and GREAT addition for depth of flavor)
1/4 C. white wine**** may substitute vinegar instead, but use about half that amount
1 Cup half and half (I use fat free)
**Put oil and butter in heavy pan and melt butter. Add shallot, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and the one finely diced mushroom. Saute till soft, abt. 10 minutes. Add 1 Cup stock and simmer 10 minutes more. Make a slurry of 1 C. stock and 4 T. cornstarch and poultry seasoning. Add, and simmer 5 minutes. Add remaining stock, wine,chopped artichokes and second larger dice mushroom cap. Simmer till thickened. Add Salt and pepper to taste, and just prior to serving stir in half and half. DO NOT BOIL AFTER ADDING CREAM!! it will curdle. This soup gets better as it sits, and it freezes very well. If you are going to freeze, don't add cream till serving.

If you try it....let me know what you think of MY recipe:)

Definition of Site name

I have a passion for cooking. I think food service is in my blood. My father was a butcher, and a great cook. My mother was not only a great cook, but very inventive in the cooking she did, and loved trying new things. The interest was aroused, because I had great teachers. My FAVORITE job ,was waitressing at "LaFrance" restaurant in Provo. It is long gone, but the 20 years I spent working there have changed my life. 23 years ago Claude Massa....the owner, called and asked me if I wanted to buy the restaurant. We had just moved back to Orem from Torrance California. Angie was a year old, and Mark had just opened our business R and M Woods. We had no money to invest in such a venture, and being a new mom, no time! I could kick myself every time I think that I didn't get recipes from Claude, before he moved back to france. Lessons learned. I have a pet peeve!! BIG one!!! Mouth noises, smacking, slurping ect!!! My little brother and I used to get in fights at the dinner table over it! Have you ever heard a Frenchman eat???? At first I was so grossed out, and so annoyed, that every time Claude would eat, I would have to leave the room, or SCREAM! What I learned....SOMETIMES....those sounds of enjoyment ,are "Thehighestcompliment" that you can give a chef. (and sometimes it is still just plain gross and rude!) Those 20 years at LaFrance taught me so much! I learned to love FINE food. Not fast food. When French people would come in, they wanted to DINE....not EAT! 3 hours at a table cuts down on tips, but I learned about savoring the meal, not inhaling it! I loved serving people great food, and seeing their pleasure after dining. The love affair began for real! Now I love cooking for other people! Just this weekend we hosted some youth from our church who were visiting from out of state, for conference weekend. I made some killer cupcakes (my new passion...along with the rest of the world!) for dessert. Lemon poppyseed, filled with a really tart lemon curd, and topped with a vanilla/lemon buttercream! The last 4 are in the other room, HAUNTING me!! As they bit into them, all I heard was "uhmmmmmm". No words. Just the sound of satisfaction. I said to the kids, you know.... that is the highest compliment you can give! It means far MORE THAN WORDS> I truly mean that! The sighs, and moans, and lip smacking are what I live for! It makes me all warm and mushy inside:) So.....I NEVER though I would join the blogging craze, but I hope to share my joys, and hints, and things learned along the way. New recipes, new techniques, reworking old ones. I will try anything once! I love finding new things to try. Anything involving food interests me. My newest adventure.....CHEESE MAKING!!! Another.....Cake decorating! So.....here we go.....let's have some fun! I know I will:)