TGIFriday

oh boy has it been a loooonnngg week for us over here in little old provo. i'm not sure what it was about this particular week, but it is friday night & i am exhausted. it is one of those nights where kicking up your feet & zoning out in front of the tv is all that i can manage. {oh, & i guess a blog post, too}

i just have to say that i am beyond ready for this weekend.
i have finally gotten over the little cold that mark generously shared with me over the thanksgiving holiday. {thanks, babe ;)} & no commuting for two whole days**!!!
but tomorrow will be busy busy!
to start the day my friend emily is having a baby shower, then i am on to completing & printing out our ward newsletter {which i haven't started yet, yikes}, next i will be taking pictures for a cute couple & then off to dinner with friends to celebrate a birthday. so much excitement in one day!! i think i can safely say that i will be taking full advantage of sunday, the day of rest. :) i will already say that after church i will be napping & lounging all day! & i feel pretty good about it.

**on a little side note... i am happy to report that i started another nanny gig in midway this week & i love the family! i am now finally working monday-friday & making some real money, which could be the cause of my exhaustion. commuting can really wear me out, especially after a long day, but it is only about 30 minutes both ways. i am in awe of people who commute over an hour in each direction every day {my stepmom, nancy, is one of those people} i don't think i could do it! i am worried that my creative cooking might suffer from the long hours, though...looks like the crockpot will have to start to become my new best friend! i will be on the look out for interesting crockpot meals...

before i go i guess i should mention mark somewhere in this post, too! mark has been working away as usual, playing soccer in the evenings or hitting the gym before i get home. staying busy & happy.

alright, i am off to watch liz & dick, snack on some cake & possibly fall asleep on the couch while mark kills some zombies with a couple friends {video game night...i know i know}!
until next time...

holiday mini sessions

anyone looking for some holiday photos???
this is a limited time offer to get some festive pictures for a great price! i am featuring this deal in utah, los angeles & seattle. check below for dates.
www.jennabechtholt.com

sign up today!

preview for the maskos!

this cute little family is up on the jenna bechtholt photography website!

check it out.

thanksgiving weekend

mark & i had a wonderful thanksgiving break! we spent the long weekend in seattle with mark's family. our trip was full of tasty food, a bit of shopping, lots of family time, a few movies, visiting with friends, a photo shoot & some chilly washington weather.

once thanksgiving was over we had to officially welcome in the christmas season by making a quick stop at watson's farm in puyallup. ann is very familiar with this farm/nursery, so when she heard that they had reindeers we decided that we had to make a trip out there. i was overwhelmed by the amount of christmas spirit that was in the enormous warehouse. the entire store was full of the cutest little holiday decorations, christmas trees, wonderful jarred food, reindeer and, of course, tons of different plants! i am excited to make a trip back to watson's in the spring.

the weekend just flew by & before we knew it we were back on a plane headed for utah. i am sad to see another wonderful holiday go, but couldn't be happier to know that christmas is just around the corner! only a few weeks of work & reality until we will be off again to see family. 

i love {morning talk radio}

am i the only person who actually enjoys talk radio?

i'm not talking about any old chit chat being broadcasted...i love morning shows where two or three hosts go on about any & everything that comes to mind.

when i am in the car before 10am talk radio is a must. i actually find myself switching the station & getting frustrated when my favorite stations take a break to play a song. some people need their coffee in the morning, but i need my morning talk radio!

i am a sucker for gossip magazines, so naturally listening to people discuss celebrity gossip, news & what not on the radio is a perfect fit for me.

i guess my love for morning talk radio began in high school when i would drive to school with my sister. kiisFM was my station & i loved to listen to ryan seacrest go on about various celebrities, recent reality tv show drama & local news. i also enjoyed hearing random people call in to discuss whatever the daily topic was. {when anyone calls into a radio station it is usually a great reminder of how weird/crazy people are. i love it!} does anyone remember the 'ryan's roses' segment?? apparently they still do it!
i realize this past time of mine might sound really strange, but everyone has their guilty pleasures, right? :)

during college i was rarely awake before 10am, unless i had a class, so i missed out on my favorite morning programs for quite a while. but now that i work up in draper two days a week i get a solid 40 minutes of morning talk radio. i guess i can't say that i mind the commute ;)

{picture found here}

happy turkey day!

i hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful holiday full of family, friends & food!

 

thanksgiving is a special time that comes around every year in which we are encouraged to reflect upon the things that we are thankful for. although most of us should take more time to do this more often, i love that for at least one day we can be sure to take some time & give thanks.

i know i have so much to be grateful for & i'll be sure to give that some definite thought somewhere in between football, turkey, naps & pie. ;)

happy turkey day!

i love {fur vests}

a christmas MUST for me this year is a faux fur vest. i love big & comfy clothes and nothing says comfortable & stylish like a fur vest in the winter.

how cute do these girls look??? 

a fur vest can easily dress up a plain outfit & make you look effortlessly put together.
i am still trying to find the perfect vest, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
thanks!

happy birthday...

to my dad!
 

i am so lucky to have this guy as my father. he is the best dad.
i am grateful for all that he has done for me throughout my entire life. from helping with science projects & getting frozen hot chocolates before school to quacking with me in the grocery store to annoy my sister, we have had some pretty good times together.
i love that my dad is always supportive of my decisions & willing to help me at any cost. what more could you ask for in a father???

i am wishing him the best on his birthday. i wish i could be in california to celebrate, but i know nancy will take good care of him :)

happy birthday, pops!
i love you!

life lately {iphone edition}

i realize that i take a lot of pictures of food & not as many of myself. {i will make an effort to slightly balance that out} for some of you that don't love food pics i apologize, but i really enjoy cooking & sharing what i've been making!
do you guys enjoy recipe posts?? let me know!

until next time...

weekend recap

my weekend started a bit early this week. mark spent all day friday working from home due to a scratchy throat & i discovered that it is rather hard for me to get things done when he is around during the day. usually i spend my fridays working on my website, blog, doing errands, cleaning up the house & whatever else needs to be done, but when i woke up to mark sitting on the couch i knew it wouldn't be a typical friday. i don't have that problem on saturdays & sundays for some reason, but on a weekday i seem to just want to chat or go do fun things with him! can you blame me??

that evening was girls night & boys night IN. i say in because we both had plans to go over to some friend's houses rather than going out for a change. in honor of my friend lauren's return to utah, some of my old roommates & i decided it was time for a get-together. we decided it would be a perfect opportunity to keep up our tradition of making breakfast for dinner! we had a blast cooking, chatting & hanging out with one another! good girl friends are hard to come by & i am thankful for these girls! meanwhile, the boys gathered together to play a new video game that had just come out. their night consisted of too much pizza, candy, chips, soda, video games & boys just being boys. all in all, it was a successful night!

i woke up early saturday morning & headed up to draper to take some family photos for the family that i nanny for. the weather was supposed to be on our side, but we ended up getting clouds & a bit of rain. we made the best of what we had & did some indoor photos as well as a few down at a local park before the rain really started to fall. this was the first time i had ever photographed a family on my own & i learned a ton from the experience. i was a little nervous, but i am hoping that they love the pictures. the rest of saturday was a bit of a blur. after an early start to the day, traveling up north & working hard i was just a little tired. we spent the rest of the day hanging out at home, ordering our favorite thai take-out for dinner & making healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. i don't know what it is about the term "healthy", but for some reason the brain thinks healthy=you can eat more than usual, which results in no longer being healthy! ha.

{a small preview of the shoot i did :: jenna bechtholt photography}

sunday was spent cleaning, cooking & getting ready for the upcoming week! i made a delicious pork roast with sweet potatos & a cabbage, apple & onion slaw. both mark & i really liked it! {i love finding meals that i can repeat again!} i can't believe thanksgiving is in 4 days! i am so eager to go to seattle & spend some time with mark's family. it will be fun to get out of town for a few days & eat some GREAT food. i will miss seeing my family for this holiday, but christmas will be here in no time!!

{short & sweet} thankful.

today i am thankful for mark. he is a wonderful friend, person & husband. i am especially thankful for how supportive he is & has always been. he has always been on my side when it comes to figuring out what it is i would like to do with my life. this has been very comforting & reassuring for me, especially when embarking on a new journey like i have been doing.

but above all, i am grateful that mark & i can have meaningful conversations which eventually turns into laughter. our favorite past time is fooling around & laughing {often at each other} until our sides hurt. the reason i fell for this guy was his sense of humor & his cute smile :)

thank you, mark, for being such a great guy.

{short & sweet} today i am thankful for...

so it is the month of thanksgiving & i love seeing what people are thankful for every day on facebook, twitter & other social media outlets. i might be starting a bit late {& half way into november}, but better late than never, RIGHT?!

right.

so, today, i am thankful for diet coke from mcdonalds & pier one imports commericals. very random, i know, but lately i have been back on diet coke {zero calories & a caffeine boost = much needed sometimes} & for only $1 you can get any size soda that you desire at mcdonalds. & for some reason there is nothing like a diet coke from mcdonalds...other places simply fall short in comparison & i'm not sure why! as for the pier one commericals, i am thankful for these gems because when they come on tv they cause me to literally laugh out loud, even when i am home alone. they are so strange but still hilarious in my opinion. i thoroughly enjoy laughing at them even if i am by myself & feel slightly embarrassed afterwards! :)

i think this is a perfect example of the saying, "it is the little things that matter most." even the smallest pleasures in life can bring us so much joy! & i am thankful for those things.

what are you thankful for today??

recipes {sweet potato frittata & homemade egg mcmuffin}

i love eggs. egg scrambles, fried eggs, deviled eggs & so many more. this week i made two delicious egg dishes that i am so excited to share with you guys. they are very different dishes so i hope you will try atleast one of these recipes!

Sweet Potato & Red Bell Pepper Frittata

I love frittatas. I think they are a great way to sneak veggies into breakfast & still have something that tastes amazing. For this frittata I just grabbed some things that I had in my fridge to make a fabulous brunch for my husband & me! :)

{serves 2}

4 Eggs
1 Medium Sweet Potato or half of a large one
1/2 Cup White Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic, Crushed
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thinly
4 oz Sliced Honey Ham, Chopped
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to Broil.
2. Cut the sweet potato into small cubes & place into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the sweet potato for about two minutes until soft.
2. Heat up a large, oven safe skillet to medium-high heat. Spray some non-stick cooking spray & dump the sweet potatos & chopped onion into the hot pan. Sautee until the potatoes are nicely browned & the onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Next, add peppers, ham & garlic. Sautee for another 3 minutes until all veggies are tender.
4. Whisk eggs in a bowl & add a dash of salt & pepper. Grate about 1/2 oz of Parmesan cheese into the egg mixture. Turn down the pan's heat to medium & pour egg mixture into the hot pan with veggies.
5. Using a spatcula, gently push around the eggs to allow any uncooked egg to slowly become firm. Stop stirring & allow the eggs sit for about 1 minute on the stove & then take the pan & put it into the oven.
6. KEEP OVEN DOOR SLIGHTLY OPEN. {You never want to close the oven door when broiling} Keep your eye on the frittata while in the oven because it will puff up & brown quicker than you might think. Once the frittata is puffy & slighly brown, remove from the oven. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top & serve hot!

Homemade Egg McMuffin {with honey ham}

{serves 6}

6 Eggs
12 oz Sliced Honey Ham {2 slices = 2 oz}
6 Whole Wheat English Muffins
3 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grab a muffin tin & crack one egg in each hole. Bake for about 10 minutes. {You can scramble the egg or just drop it in & you will get great results}
2. Cut each English Muffin in half & toast them until slightly crispy.
3. Time to put together our McMuffin! With one English Muffin, place 2 slices of ham on the bottom bun followed by 1/2 oz of cheese. Take the warm egg right out of the oven & place it on top of the cheese & top with the other half of the muffin.

{i realize i should have taken better pictures with my real camera but i was in a rush & only snapped a few with my iphone. i didn't top my mcmuffins because i wanted to save some extra calories, but if you want to make a real sandwich simply put the tops on these & enjoy!}

baby it's cold outside

two days ago it was 72 degrees outside & today it is a winter wonderland! i can't believe that we are facing winter again already. being a california girl really comes out of me during this time of year. way too cold for me is 50 degrees, so you can imagine how i feel about the current temperature of 34! yikes!

but even though i prefer a more comfortable temperature of 70, i must admit that there is nothing more beautiful & peaceful than snow falling. everything is white, quiet & seems so pure! this afternoon the snow began to really come down & it was such a sight to see that i decided i had to go outside for a few minutes {bear through the chill} & take some pictures to share with you all! 

driving in the snow is an adventure that i am not a huge fan of, so what's on the agenda for tonight? i was thinking maybe a snowball fight with mark ;) followed by a cozy night inside. popcorn, hot cocoa, a warm meal & a movie! 

sounds pretty good to me!

 

recipes {fried cauli-rice & marinated salmon}

for the past 5 weeks mark & i have been counting calories in an attempt to lose some weight that we both put on during our first year of marriage. i was a bit hesitant to embark on this journey with mark because, as anyone that knows me knows, i love love love food. :)

i have still been cooking up a storm, as usual, but featuring healthier recipes in smaller portions. during my research for better options i have stumbled upon some of the latest diet fads & health food options and have actually taken bits & pieces from everything i find. my latest discovery is using cauliflower as a substitute for rice & potatoes.

i wasn't sure how this would work out, but i honestly couldn't tell that i was eating cauliflower instead of rice. i would highly recommend trying the recipe below because i know you will love it just as much as i did! in fact, i wanted to play a trick on mark & serve him the fried rice without informing him that it wasn't actually rice just to see if he could even tell. i was too anxious to share my new discovery with him & completely forgot to play my little trick on him. i was so bummed! if you have a spouse or friend who hates veggies, play this little trick on them & let me know what happens! :)
p.s. my apologies for the low quality pictures, they are from my iphone!

Fried Cauli-Rice

3 cups shredded cauliflower
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 tsp oil
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 green onions, chopped, the white & green parts kept separated 
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 cup shelled edamame
2 tbsp soy sauce

1. To shred the cauliflower place medium sized pieces of cauliflower in a food processor with the shredder blade attachment or use a hand grater. Prepare 3 cups.
2. Scramble the egg whites & whole egg together. Add a pinch of salt & pepper. Heat a wok or a large skillet and scramble the eggs. Remove scrambled eggs & set aside.
3. Add oil to pan. Place onion, garlic, carrots & the whites of the green onions into the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add shredded cauliflower & cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
5. Add soy sauce, edamame, cooked eggs & the greens of the green onion.
6. Serve hot!

when i made this i paired it with my mom's signature salmon recipe. this is the simplest yet most delicious way to cook salmon at home! all you have to do is marinade the salmon in soy sauce for 20 minutes & heat your grill, oven or pan until it is pretty hot. then cook the salmon based on it's thickness {about 5 minutes on each side for an inch thick piece: look this up on google to make sure you get the cooking time right.} my preferred method to cook this salmon is on the bbq/grill because then you get a nice char on this fish which makes for amazing flavor! {keep in mind this will obviously come out with an asian flavor due to the soy sauce} 

i hope you guys give these recipes a try & are pleasantly surprised by them both!
until next time...

politics & the public

i thought that once the election was finished i would be happy because all of the silly & overbearing campaign commerials would be done with, but i only find myself more annoyed by all of the comments i am seeing all over my facebook & twitter feed. i can respect that people are frustrated & annoyed that their preferred candidate did not win & some people are beyond upset because they think obama is not the right man for the position, but i am SO tired of the rude, hateful & disrespectful statuses.

i'm honestly not surprised that people lose friends over politics. politics & other controversial topics can bring out the worst in people. their ignorance, hatefulness & stupidity. 

it is one thing to be concerned for our country, but purposely stirring up hateful emotions in others with the things that you write is so unnecessary.

i can't say that i voted for obama, but i also don't think the world is going to come to an end because he was re-elected. & finally, i don't believe that romney would have necessarily been able to repair everything in our country that obama has caused or hasn't yet fixed. these things take TIME & the although the president has a lot of power, he cannot do any & everything he wants. checks & balances, my friends. {but i won't get into all of that because this post isn't about my political opinions}

perhaps i should just avoid facebook & twitter for the next few days, but really all this election has reinforced within me is the fact that i hate politics.

ANNOUNCEMENT: jenna's new website

as you all know, i have been working really hard on my photography for the past few months & i am excited to finally launch my business! i have started a facebook page {jenna bechtholt photography} & a website {jennabechtholt.com} dedicated to my photography. i hope you all will take a moment to check them out & "like" them.

i will occasionally post some pictures of my work on this blog but check those other sites to see everything i am up to! i am super excited to get moving with this new adventure & to use this personal blog to post more about my daily life again. {thank you for bearing with me through the many photo shoot posts :)}

all hallows eve

halloween is one of my favorite holidays. not for the costumes necessarily, although i love seeing little ones all dressed up, but i am a sucker for scary movies & tasty food. so, in honor of this special day, mark & i got together with friends of ours {the cooks} to enjoy an evening full of food, movies & great company.

maryclarie & i decided that we would go all out & make a few items that we have been wanting to try for the past few months. my pick was mac n cheese & her's was a pumpkin cake.

we both wanted to finally master a mac n cheese recipe & the one we made was actually really good. the ultimate test was to see what the boys thought & they both went back for seconds and thirds. {we took that as a good sign :)} maryclaire made her famous italian braided bread with dipping sauce. this bread is amazing & relatively easy to make compared to most breads. you might notice that this particular loaf of bread slightly resembles a turkey {haha} but that was unintentional & it usually comes out in more of a braided form. oops!

a favorite halloween treat of maryclaire's are mummy dogs, which are lil smokies wrapped in crescent roll dough & then dipped in ketchup. they are delicious & a halloween must for our group! we gobbled these up at a halloween party the weekend before & luckily had extras to enjoy at our dinner.

and finally, our pumpkin cake. we were inspired to create a cake that we found on pinterest that embodied halloween perfectly! the idea was to make a spice cake in two bundt cakes & then stack them to create a pumpkin. unfortunately, we didn't realize that these people used specific bundt cake pans to get deep ridges that resembled a pumpkin, so our cake came out looking more like a huge donut. we were a little confused & bummed, but we went with what we had! we added a little orange frosting on top & threw the pumpkin idea out the window! regardless of the look it tasted yummy & we had tons of leftovers.

after we devoured all of our food, we cuddled up on the couch with blankets & candy and watched the others. most of us had seen this thriller before, but it had been so long that we couldn't exactly recall the twists & turns throughout the film. all in all, our halloween night was a success & so much fun!