“Easy-Bake” Oven My Butt: A Cooking Guide to Every Mother’s Worst Nightmare

December 9, 2013 by Amber

It is important for me to teach my daughter Hadley how to cook. My mom was a top-notch chef and ran a popular restaurant for many years. Growing up, I wasn’t what you would call a gourmand. Case in point: the infamous fiasco when I misread the gingerbread recipe and added 1 cup of ginger instead of 1 tablespoon.

A minor oversight.

My interest in cooking was not ignited until after college and now I love it. These days, my attempts to tap into my mother’s fountain of knowledge are met with frustration as she tries to recall her from-scratch recipes, none of which are written down nor have actual measurements.

Because evidently good cooks do not use measuring cups.

When I was at a store the other day, Christmas toys littered the entrance. Hot wheels. Dolls. And, much to my abhorrence, Easy-Bake-Ovens. A few years ago, I bought Hadley an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. She has always enjoyed cooking with me and I figured this would be one more notch on our mother-daughter bonding belt.

How wrong I was.

Click to read on

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor

Johnson Family Newsletter 2013

December 4, 2013 by Amber

In typical bipolar fashion, I decided to do a holiday newsletter, then opted out and then upon receiving newsy holiday newsletters from friends, decided it should be back on. After all, the world must know what the Johnsons did in 2013!

Overall, we had a great time full of family and friends, travel and minimal hospital visits (our gauge for a good year). We took plenty of fantastic ski vacations all over Colorado and a week at our favorite, Park City Mountain Resort in Utah. Last summer, the kids and I spent almost a month in Canada on a 3,000-mile trip that covered two countries and six states (Colorado, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah). Jamie was only able to join us for a week of our trip, citing “someone has to work to support your playtime.” Wise man; I couldn’t agree more.

Here’s a quick glimpse at our happenings. Click on the links for more details!

Atop 14,265-foot Mount Evans

Hadley

Hadley (9 going on 19) is in fourth grade at her Waldorf charter school and continues to love their arts-based academic education. Our free-spirited, fun-loving girl has been on several camping trips with her class and keeps busy with piano and volleyball. She’s also a stellar skier and for my birthday, we had a girl’s weekend of mogul-busting, snowshoeing, lake-skating and sledding. Hadley is a huge fan of horses and was delighted to spend a week at overnight Camp Chief Ouray last summer. She loves Fat Kitty, swimming, hiking, crafting, gardening, cooking and she was the top-performing girl in her grade at her school’s Fun Run. I should know. I ran beside her the entire way until our fifth mile when she blazed past me and I walked with a limp for a week. Her love for Scooby Doo has been replaced by mind-numbing shows on the Disney Channel like “Jessie” and “Dog with a Blog.” It looks like we have a tween, folks.

Hadley’s first scary leap into the Rooster Tail at the lake house in Vernon, B.C.

Skating at Copper Mountain

Summer hiking group at Mount Falcon

Bode

Our resident geek, Bode (age 7) loves all things space, educational and ensuring everyone is following the rules all the time. He is moderately obsessed with being the best-behaved kid in his second grade class (yet somehow is also among the most well-liked), thrives in academics, is a great little soccer player, skier, hiker, cook, master pumpkin grower and lives for his bi-weekly WiiU and technology sessions. For the second year in a row, he and Hadley were my child models at the 9News Back-to-School fashion show and he put Zoolander to shame. He and his sister went to Avid4Advenventure’s Survival Camp last summer and I now feel confident they can survive exactly two hours solo in the great outdoors. He ~~never shuts up on the piano~~ loves to play the piano, enjoys to read Calvin and Hobbes, bike down to our neighborhood skate park and play with LEGOS. His current obsession is constructing dream mansions for us out of giant wooden blocks and creating intricate maps of his designs. We strongly encourage this as a future profession.

First solo flight to see Grandma in Utah!

A snowy hike in Evergreen=joy

First fish fly fishing at The Ranch at Emerald Valley

Jamie

The Pumpkin Man had a great year. He grew his biggest pumpkin ever, 1,220-pound Stanley, and we landed a picture of him in The Denver Post. A professional carver drove down every day from Fort Collins for a week to chisel a marvelously creepy face into the giant gourd. And then Stanley and Jamie went on tour visiting both of the kids’ schools and harvest festivals, thereby cementing his status as a local celebrity. In other news (though really, is there any other news?), Jamie’s web development business Pixo Web Design and Strategy continues to grow, he has a few employees and is always busy. We marked our 10-year wedding anniversary last February and he surprised me by recreating the magical night we got engaged that included a limo ride to the swanky Briarwood Inn. He was recently released from the Bishopric at church and not even five days later, he was called as a stake clerk over technology, a real stretch.

Atop McConkey’s lift for the first time as a family at Park City Mountain Resort

Stanley the Pumpkin

Stanley’s scary carving

Amber

I’ve had a busy year working for the newspaper and various freelance opps in the travel industry. Our favorite gig is writing for AAA Five Diamond The Broadmoor’s magazine because they pay their writers in trade, which amounts to an opulent, indulgent vacation like no other in Colorado Springs. I love hiking every week, skiing, boot camp, volunteering at school and in the community. I received an award in recognition of journalistic excellence as a community blogger from Digital First Media, The Denver Post’s parent company. But my real prize was when I was at a media luncheon hosted by the Maui Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and my name was drawn as the winner of a trip to Maui (we’re going in February). At church, I was sad to be released from the Young Women (favorite calling ever) and now serve in the stake’s Public Affairs where I work with community leaders and media. I’m also the volleyball coach and our ward’s Primary pianist and have mastered The Look from across the room, which quickly corrects the behavior of any misbehaving kids. We all have our talents.

Solo hike to Maxwell Falls in Evergreen, Colo.

9News fashion show

Girl’s only birthday ski trip

Fat Kitty

He’s still fat, snuggly, sleepy, sweet and lives for his backyard adventures of stalking mice and eating grass ’til he pukes. We often walk in on him licking himself in Cirque du Soleil-esque positions but it was this shot I took of him on my bed that convinced us all that he’ll be America’s Next Top Model. Look for him on a Kitty Litter advertisement coming your way soon.

America’s Top (Cat) Model

We feel infinitely blessed this holiday season for wonderful family, good friends and the gospel in our lives.

Merry Christmas!

The Johnsons

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Family travel, Hadley, holidays, Humor, Jamie, LDS, Marriage, outdoors, pumpkins, skiing, travel, Utah

My Husband: The Giver

December 1, 2013 by Amber

It’s Jamie’s birthday next week so Hadley and I set out to find the perfect gift in downtown Denver yesterday. I discovered something about myself: though I usually don’t like shopping unless it’s at Target or Costco, I genuinely enjoy browsing unique boutiques and outdoor markets. Malls are pretty much my worst nightmare.

Something else I learned: Hadley is really picky with everything–from clothes to food. I already knew that. But the epiphany I had was that, though it’s nearly impossible and frustrating to find anything she likes, having a tween who is picky with clothes is not a bad thing. I offered to buy her something yesterday but she couldn’t find even one thing she liked. Savings success!

She takes after her father who is tough to buy for but unlike her, he only likes big-ticket items. This is a problem when you do not have a big-ticket budget. Hadley and I were wandering around T.J. Maxx looking for his gift when I found these shoes I HAD to buy.

My justification? He’d have wanted me to have them for his birthday because he’s a giver like that.

Filed Under: Hadley, Humor, Jamie

Thanksgiving 2013: Turkey Trotting and Bursting with Flavor!

November 29, 2013 by Amber

It’s been a busy few weeks and this blog of mine has suffered. I literally have a month’s worth of updates and with the holidays upon us, it’s likely I won’t ever get caught up. I have some career changes I’m trying to navigate that, right now, are causing an uproar but in the end I’m hoping they’ll be good things. When a door closes a window always opens, right? At this point, I’m hoping for a skylight with a heavenly messenger telling me what the heck I’m supposed to be doing.

We’ve had a great Thanksgiving week. We skied Copper Mountain (details forthcoming), played a lot and ate even more. Jamie’s wonderful mom Linda is in town to help his sister after back surgery so we’ve been busy juggling everything.

I’ve stated before that Thanksgiving is probably my least favorite holiday because of all the gluttony and football but it’s growing on me. We started out with our 7th Annual Turkey Trot Hike. It was a gorgeous day and I can’t believe how much my kids have grown since the first year we did it.

Please disregard the finger of the dude who took our picture in the top corner. He didn’t appreciate being asked to do it so I’m hoping it wasn’t his middle one.

The hike was as steep as always but these kids of mine are becoming intrepid hikers.

Plus, I gave the pitch as an excuse for Bode to hold my hand to give me balance on the way down. Gotta soak up these moments while you can!

Even in late-November, the views at the top were gorgeous.

We couldn’t fit our fat heads in this selfie but we had to try

Hadley has to free climb every rock wall or boulder she sees

Hiking Turkey Trot is always a great lead-in to our meal. We each had food assignments. Jamie’s brother Chris smoked the turkey (thankfully he gave in to my pleading NOT to do a deep-fried one), we did the sides (garlic-mashed potatoes, jalapeno sausage stuffing, pomegranate-pear salad, green bean casserole and cranberry salsa), while Linda made her famous rolls and was in charge of desserts.

Complication: The day before Thanksgiving she called to say poor Lisa was in the ER in pain so could we please pick-up the cheesecakes from Cheesecake Therapy and run to Costco for some apple pie? The cheesecakes weren’t a problem and Jamie grabbed egg nog, gingerbread, pumpkin and white chocolate raspberry from this darling bake shop.

The apple pie was a problem. I hate crowds and finish most of my shopping before Thanksgiving in an effort to avoid them (and yep, I don’t like shopping, either). So come hell or high water, there was NO WAY I was going to go to Costco the day before Thanksgiving and stand in line for an hour for just one item. Another complication: Jamie loves Costco’s apple pie but I came up with a solution to bake our own. I just added it to our list of items I was already making that also included several dozen cream cheese cutout cookies. Basically, my kitchen looked like a bomb went off. But Hadley was an excellent helper.

Jamie was incredulous. “So, you’d rather spend all this time making a pie just to avoid going to Costco?” Yup.

I retorted. “So you’re actually whining that your wife is making you a homemade apple pie instead of a store-bought one?” Touché, my friends.

In the end, everyone was happy. We had an amazing spread of food, Linda’s rolls were better than ever and Chris smoked some unbelievably delicious gouda cheese in the smoker.

Rolls, pomegranate pear salad and our appetizer spread

Chris smoked his best turkey ever: moist and bursting with flavor

The kids did a wonderful job setting the table with my mom’s china and grandmother’s beautiful utensils. My heart was full of love for this wonderful family of mine, the life we’ve created and the miracles that surround us.

I’m sure Jamie feels the same way regardless of the fact that every picture I took of him that night he looked like was going to burst.

Just chalk it up to an overabundance of culinary blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Foodie, Hadley, holidays, Humor, Jamie

When you can’t win in marriage

November 26, 2013 by Amber

Jamie and I had a bad night’s sleep and I really, really, really didn’t want to go to a party that night but knew we should.

“Jamie, I don’t want to go. But tell me I need to go.”

“Go.”

“Has anyone ever told you how bossy you are?”

Filed Under: Humor, Jamie, Uncategorized

Perfect for After Thanksgiving: Chicken (or turkey) vol-au-vents!

November 26, 2013 by Amber

My mom has been making Chicken Vol-au-Vents for as long as I can remember. Sounds fancy? When you’re from Canada, you don’t think twice about incorporating French dishes into your cooking repertoire. I’m not quite sure what vol-au-vent means but following the enthusiastic response this tasty recipe received from my picky kids, I’d translate it as “miracle food.”

Chicken Vol-au-Vents are essentially a light puff pastry shell filled with a ragout of meat, veggies or fish. They’re super easy to make and delicious. The first time I introduced them my husband when we were first married, he didn’t get it.

Me: Voila, dinner tonight is Chicken Vol-au-vents with Parmesan couscous and fresh broccoli from the garden.
Husband: Errr..why do these them thar biscuits have holes in them?
Me: They’re not biscuits, you Southern Redneck. They’re puffed pastries with le fowl francais in them.
Jamie: Errr…where’s the gravy go?

Note for the uninitiated: asking where the gravy goes on the “biscuits” is equal unto putting ketchup on a gourmet steak.

Chicken (or turkey) Vol-au-Vent Recipe

Ingredients

Cooking the white sauce

2 boxes of puffed pastry shells, 12 shells total (I buy Pepperidge Farm, found in the freezer section)
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 to 1 cup of flour
1 small can of evaporated milk (5 ounces)
1-1.5 cups of milk
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken or turkey
1 tsp garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon (or 4 small cubes)
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
Veggies of your choosing. My family likes carrots and onions. Other options could include peas, cauliflower or mushrooms.

Directions

Depending upon what vegetables you have chosen, cook them. I always saute garlic and about 1/2 an onion in 2 tsps of olive oil and then add the carrots.

Melt the butter in a separate medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup of flour and whisk with the two milks. You want the white sauce to be fairly thick so be sure to slowly add the milk. Add the white wine if you are using it and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the bouillon, garlic, salt and pepper. Turn the heat down and add the meat and vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cook the puff pastries according to the package instructions. When they are lightly browned, remove and carve out the center of the pastry, spoon the chicken mixture into the middle and serve. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Foodie

Recipe: Fresh pear and curry pasta

November 21, 2013 by Amber

Now, I’m not about to get all partridge in a pear tree on you but ’tis the season for pears.

I call this time of the year the dark and dreary world of fruit eating (anyone else miss their mangoes, peaches and strawberries?) but I love cooking with pears. And a flavor combination I enjoy is pears and curry.

Years ago, my mom gave me a fabulous Canadian cookbook The Best of Bridge. This dish is from their Best of the Best with all their top recipes so you know it’s gotta be good. It’s meatless but if you want you can serve it with chicken or pork. I generally double it because the recipe only serves two and I add garbanzo beans for flavor and protein. Enjoy…your house will smell wonderful for days after you’ve tried it.

Fresh pear and curry pasta

(serves 2; I generally double this recipe)

1/2 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp medium curry paste (or I just use 2-3 tsp of curry)
1 tsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp honey (I prefer more to make it sweeter)
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 unpeeled ripe pear, peeled and sliced in thin wedges
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp cream (optional; I leave out when I’m trying to eat healthier)
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Pasta for 2: rotini, bow ties or shells

Instructions
In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add broth and beans, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes). If you like it less thick and more soupy, don’t cook as long (I love to do this and also use it as soup).

Not cooked as long, used as soup

Delicious with cream

Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Pour over pasta and toss gently. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Foodie Tagged With: recipe

Getting resurrected (or would that be crucified?) in the Primary program

November 20, 2013 by Amber

Every year, the Primary children (kids ages 3-12) in our congregation perform a program for Sacrament meeting. Each child is assigned a short scripture or talk and it is interspersed with lots of music. Putting on a production like this takes a fair bit of planning–from writing the script to rehearsing to performing. In years past, the kids have received their parts several weeks in advance with plenty of time to practice. A couple of overachieving Primary presidencies have even burned a CD with all the Primary songs for the kids to learn.

This year, the kids received their parts only one week prior, leaving very little time to prep. I was admittedly a bit irked about this but then realized I was forgetting what I love most about the Primary program: when kids mess up. Now, I’m not talking about anything demoralizing that would land the kids in therapy session but rather, those funny little unpolished moments where kids are just kids (like the one time toddler Hadley very obviously lip synced when she forgot the words).

Every year, I have helped my kids memorize their lines but that didn’t quite happen this year due to three reasons.

1) Lack of time. Remember that?

2) Complexity of what was required of them. This is specifically referring to Bode, who was given a humdinger of a scripture in the book of Abraham that even I couldn’t keep straight…something proving them herewith to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. Huh?

3) Messing up on key terms in a major way. And yes, there is a story behind this.

Bode had memorized his introduction, “My name is Bode and I am a child of God” and he had practiced reading his scripture several times so he could recite it smoothly. But here’s the thing: he was over it before it even began. Before church started, he complained, “When this is done, I can’t WAIT to throw away this piece of paper with my lines.”

Because the 10 minutes I required them to practice was just so demanding.

Standing up at the pulpit in front of 300 grown-ups is terrifying for anyone but all was going smoothly until Bode got near the end. We had practiced smiling as he wrapped everything up and I was prepping myself for his million-watt toothless grin…until…until…until while he was saying his final few words, he turned around and went back to his seat, still reciting it as he walked.

At first I was mortified until the congregation united in a collective chuckle. It could have been a lot worse and that worse couldn’t been Hadley.

You see, her part was a bit longer but a lot easier so she had memorized her lines. Part I involved her going up with a darling Sunbeam (3-year-old) and asking him, “Owen, what is your favorite story of Jesus?” Owen, being an unrehearsed 3-year-old, gave her a deer-in-headlights stare and shrugged his shoulders. More laughter.

But then I braced myself for Part II. You see, when Hadley had been practicing, she made a very critical error along the lines of “Because Jesus was crucified, we can be crucified, too.” I reeled in horror and then laughter when I told her the word she should have used was resurrected.

After Owen sat down, Hadley continued with her lines, which she decided to read. Normally I would have been disappointed because she had already memorized them but decided to look on the bright side:

Not preaching false doctrine from the pulpit? I’ll count that one was a win.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor, LDS

Our Junior Chefs and Why Jamie Can Just Eat Ramen noodles

November 19, 2013 by Amber

I love Sunday mornings. Every year, our church meeting time changes between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and the latter is my favorite. It’s late enough for us to race back from weekend trips and provides plenty of time to kick back we’re home.

Jamie was just released after a few years in the Bishopric but when he was at his morning meetings, the kids sleep in (at our house, that doesn’t usually extend past 8 a.m. during the school year). Read. Practice the piano. Listen to the weekly broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle choir performing Music and the Spoken Word (seriously inspirational whatever denomination you are).

Weeknights are so chaotic with homework, meetings, playtime and activities that our cooking tutorials have been put on the back-burner. But on Sundays, the kids help me cook a big dinner and we spend a lot of the day in the kitchen together. On a recent Sunday, we went overboard and I boasted about it to Jamie afterward.

“The kids did a great job cooking today! IHOP pancakes for breakfast, slow-cooker roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed artichokes, caramel apple bars, popcorn and caramel apples.”

“That’s awesome they did all that,” said Jamie. “So when are you going to step it up around here?”

Filed Under: Foodie, Humor, LDS

Hiking Maxwell Falls: A Matter of Unfinished Business

November 18, 2013 by Amber

I’ve had a bone to pick with Maxwell Falls. Several years ago, baby Hadley and I joined one of my friends from Colorado Mountain Mamas to hike this trail that winds into the Arapahoe National Forest along Maxwell Creek. Only we never made it there. This hike in Evergreen, Colo. was only supposed to be a couple of miles and yet we kept going and going and going. We eventually turned back without ever finding the falls.

If there’s anything I hate, it’s unfinished business.

My Thursdays have been dedicated unto hiking and mid-October, I made attempt No. 2. There are two ways to access Maxwell Falls: a 1-mile hike (perfect for families), a 3-mile loop (both accessible via the upper trailhead lot), and a 4-mile round-trip trek from the lower trailhead lot.

Or, if you’re like me, get lost, go on a couple of detours and your adventure will last about three hours.

I’ve hiked pretty much every trail along Denver’s Front Range and waterfalls are a rarity so that made Maxwell Falls that much more desirable. I parked at the Lower Trailhead Lot and was delighted that the scenic trail in the Ponderosa forest maintained a steady upward pitch. The October temperatures were brisk, the golden aspens were hanging on for dear life and there was a dusting of snow on the trail. Pretty much, my ideal hiking conditions.

I’d been hiking for about a half hour and all was going well until The Stream Crossing of Doom.

What I did: Instead of skirting across the rocks strategically placed on the creek, I kept going straight and noticed a trail that continued up the valley on the other side of the creek. I followed the sketchy trail, over logs and fallen brush from the flood for about 20 minutes before turning back.

What I should have done: Crossed the stream and taken a sharp right up the mountain. Consider yourself warned.

Once I finally made it back on the trail, all was clear sailing until I reached the falls. There wasn’t a clear view of Maxwell Falls from the trail and darnit it I’d hiked all that way and I was only going to hear them. I scrambled down the boulders, snapped a few shots of the pretty, understated waterfall’s icicles that cascaded over the tiered boulders.

Now, a smarter person would have headed back to the Lower Lot but my confidence had returned so I figured I’d make my hike even longer by doing the Cliff Loop. It took me away from my creek-side view into a beautiful forest with a stunning glimpse at Evergreen’s charms. But remember that snow? The loop is not as frequented, the signage is lacking and the snow made it tough in places to find the trail. After about 45 minutes of hiking, it cut back down near the creek and I was dismayed when it didn’t connect with the original trail to Maxwell Falls. I was lost. Again.

I called Jamie but he didn’t answer (what’s the point of downloading your lamentations if someone isn’t there to hear them?) I said a quick prayer along the lines of “Heavenly Father, I knew I was stupid by trying to do this loop but do you think you could cast me a lifeline?” Two minutes later, I spotted a bridge and the original trail. Prayers answered!

Forty-five minutes later, I was finally back at the car, exhausted but jubilant I’d finally seen Maxwell Falls. Now, all that remains on my bucket list is accessing them via the Upper Parking Lot.

Only for that one, I’ll recruit my kiddos. They should consider themselves warned.

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Getting there: From Denver, take I-70 west to Exit 252 and merge onto CO-74 South/Evergreen Parkway. Drive 7.6 miles and take a slight left onto Bear Creek Road. After half a mile, turn right onto CO Road 73, continue for a mile, and turn right onto South Brook Forest Road. The lower parking lot and trailhead are 3.6 miles in, on your left. To reach the upper parking lot, continue past there for about 1.6 miles more until the road turns to Black Mountain Drive/CO Road 78; drive 1.2 more miles to the upper lot (on the left).

Filed Under: Colorado, hiking, outdoors Tagged With: Colorado, hiking, outdoors