.c&d.

New Blog!

2012-01-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Check out and follow my new blog "pinned by dani." I will try and be consistent at updating both my blogs, but my new one might get a little more attention until I gain a decent amount of followers.

Anyway, if you love pinterest you should enjoy it!

Click on the image below to go to my new blog :)

The Most Wonderful Time Of Year

2011-12-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

sparkling lights. winter coats. hot chocolate. homemade candies. family. candy canes. boots. christmas music. mistletoe. decorations. balsam scented candles. sugar cookies. parties. presents. snow.

Yup. This is absolutely, 100%, the BEST time of the year. I love everything about it.

But first, let's back up a little....

Colby and I had our siblings sleep over the night before Thanksgiving, and it was perfect. We made apple pie, bought some ugly DI sweaters, watched a movie, and just hung out. The next morning we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while Lauren and I made a yummy fresh green bean casserole.

Then we headed off to Thanksgiving Dinner at Colby's grandparents' house, fully decked out in our nasty sweaters.

Naturally, as soon as we got home from dinner, I recruited my sister to help me put up the Christmas tree...and I've been enjoying it's warmth ever since!

December 1st marked the start of my 25 Days of Christmas. Basically all that means is that I've been trying to do at least one Christmasy thing every day to "savor the season." So far, I've been successful! I've made a cranberry + popcorn garland for my tree, had hot chocolate, listened to festive music, sat under the light of my christmas tree, made yummy treats, gone to a christmas party, watched christmas movies, and done some holiday shopping! It's been amazing. Oh, and we're going to the Salt Lake Temple tomorrow to see the lights, and I can't wait!

Colby and I head back to New York for the Holidays on the 18th, and Colby's family is coming out for a few days too! What better way to spend the holiday season than with our families in one of my favorite places on earth? I am blessed.

Birthday Boy.

2011-11-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Colby turned the big 2-4 on November 19th! It was fun having a whole day dedicated to spoiling the man I love.

He loves Reeses, so I made him a yummy chocolate cake with a peanut butter buttercream frosting. Delicious...and I don't even like cake!

We went to dinner with some friends, and had a ton of people over to our place after. Turns out all of Colby's friends are boys! My sister was the only single girl there, and she didn't seem to hate it :)

I decorated in blue, since it's Colby's favorite color. (This was before the drinks and appetizers were laid out).

Short post...just wanted to give you all an update and let you know that it was a successful day of celebration :)

Lately.

2011-11-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Where do I even begin? With the exception of my post on chocolate chip cookies, the last time I blogged I was a single woman. Now I am a Mrs...and that's super weird to say, no matter how many times I say it. What's even harder to get used to is "Mrs. Zimmerman." Every time I say it I feel like an old woman..."Mrs." makes me think of grandmothers and teachers. Not only that, it's just odd not having the word "Frogley" tacked on to my name. I mean, 75% of my nicknames involve Frogs. I guess these are things that will become more normal with time. I think I'll like it here at the end of the alphabet :)

Let's take a trip back to just under two months ago...to the best day of my life. Colby and I were married on Sept. 24th at noon in the Draper Temple, and it was perfect. As Colby and I walked into the sealing room we were both slightly shaky and nervous. My heart was pounding and I had butterflies like never before. Despite all that, we had never been happier and I couldn't help but have a perpetual grin plastered on my face...that is, until I started crying my eyes out the second my parents came up to give me a hug.

All in all, everything that I feared might go wrong ended up falling into place perfectly, and I actually had FUN at my reception! Colby and I managed to completely avoid a receiving line and it was awesome. What is the point of those anyway? No one likes them...they should be banned. We still managed to say hi to everyone who came in, and we were able to chat with them for longer than a split second because they didn't have a trail of other eager guests waiting behind them.

All in all, I love being a wife and homemaker. I work from 8-4:30 everyday, and my husband doesn't get home until 7:30 each day...Therefore I have 3 hours to tidy up, get dinner ready, and even catch up on the random TV shows that I like. It's really quite nice. Though I must say, coming up with a nice meal EVERY day is not the fun/easy task I thought it would be. I need to get in the habit of planning all my meals for the week on sunday so that I can go to the store just once, instead of everyday as I have been.

I have a lot to learn, but I couldn't be happier about it. Being a wife is the best!

Oh, and just in case you're interested...we were rockstars for Halloween, and it was a little too convincing, if i do say so myself!

the beginning of forever

2011-07-25T20:05:00.000-06:00

I am officially engaged! At 6:15 a.m. on July 7th, 2011 Colby proposed in Central park overlooking a beautiful lake, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We thought it would be fun to take some engagement pictures in NYC so my dad agreed to take some even though Colby hadn't proposed yet...I had every intention of just hiding my hand from the camera lens.

That morning we woke up bright and early and walked a few long avenues over to the park in the thick humidity so that we could get some pictures before the crowds took over. Once we were at the first location I turned to my dad quizzically and asked how he wanted us to pose. When I turned back around I found Mr. Zimmerman down on his knee. At first I thought he was trying to sit on the ground in the dirt and I was very confused...it wasn't until I saw him reach in his pocket for the ring that I realized what was going on and that he was about to propose! Fortunately my dad was there, camera ready, so we got the whole thing captured on film.

It was perfect...and he is perfect. I can't believe how lucky I am :) Oh, and the ring is gorgeous! He designed it himself, and it is exactly what I wanted. The wedding will be September 24, so save the date!

part of your world.

2011-06-07T19:45:00.000-06:00

You would think that a girl named Danielle would be able to recognize a capital "D" anywhere. Unfortunately, that is not the case. For a long time I thought the Disney "D" was a symbol of some sort instead of a letter. I have always known the word was read "Disney" so I never really thought to question it...I still remember how enlightened I felt the day my mind was able to see the letter for what it really was: a capital D with one too many swirls. To be honest, it still looks more like a backwards "G" to me every time I look at it, but I guess that's just something I'll have to deal with.

Despite my issues with the "Disney" lettering, I am a huge Disney fan, and have been since birth. When I was two I wanted to be The Little Mermaid.

I literally had the entire movie memorized and I would record myself singing along to the soundtrack with my parent's big ghetto karaoke machine. Let's just say we have some priceless cassette tapes and home videos :) For Halloween one year my mom sewed me my very own Ariel costume, and my 8-month old brother was Sebastian. We were quite the sight. The following February I had a Little Mermaid themed birthday party with an Ariel-face cake and home-made Flounder gift bags, all made from scratch by my mom...

My mermaid obsession did eventually come to an end, but I can still be found singing "Part of Your World" at the top of my lungs in my apartment or car from time to time.

A few years ago I went and saw this Disney classic come to life on Broadway. Though it wasn't my favorite show of all time, it was still pretty magical to see my childhood fantasy unfold in front of me. I have recently been obsessed with the quartet "If Only" from the musical.

I find myself singing it A LOT, and playing it on repeat occasionally at work...Haha. I'm obviously really cool. Here's a version someone put to clips from the original movie.

So, why the heck am I writing a blog post on The Little Mermaid and Disney? Basically because I'm such a Disney fan, and if you want to know more about me, this is a good place to start. There are very few days where a disney song DOESN'T go through my head, and most people who hang out with me hear me humming them constantly. Not long ago I had a guy ask me if my life was a Disney movie. What can I say? Alan Menken is a talented songwriter, and his tunes have been engrained in me since birth!

I love everything about Disney, from the parks, characters, fantasies, and melodies all the way down to the Disney Channel and it's corny shows. Walt Disney was a smart man. There are few things more magical than the world of fairytales he created. To him, I tip my hat.

books.

2011-05-30T18:34:00.001-06:00

There's nothing quite like the smell of a nice book. Whether or not the book is paperback, antique, hardcover, or newly printed, the smell is redolent of my childhood and makes me feel right at home. I will choose a real book over an electronic version every time.

The Harry Potter Series has been at the top of my "favorite books" list ever since I read the first one back in middle school...Cliché, I know...but I can't deny my love for J.K. Rowling's creativity. Something about the magic, adventure, mystery, romance, heroism, and comedy all tied into one with that delicate British flare makes me a #1 fan. I used to literally count down the days till each book was published, and then I would bury myself in a cozy spot and read until there was no more reading left to be done.

It makes me kind of sad that Hollywood so often fails at doing books justice. Though some of the Harry Potter movies are done quite well, I can't ever seem to get past the fact that SO much is missing from the original story. Oh well, I guess that's the way it has to be in order to keep the movies under 20 hours. To be honest, I'm actually pretty excited for the last Harry Potter film to come out.

I made a personal rule for myself in order to avoid disappointment: Never re-read a book right before the movie comes out. Give yourself at least 6 months to forget the details of the book and you might be satisfied with the feature film.

So far this plan works, assuming the movie is made well. This is what I plan to do with one of my other favorite Young Adult Series: The Hunger Games. If you haven't read it, now is the time because the movie is already in production. As surprised as I am that I'm saying this, I think Jennifer Lawrence is starting to look the part....

Fingers crossed that they do it justice!

My Newest Obsession

2011-05-17T20:40:00.000-06:00

foodgawker.com

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're missing out. Here are a few of the things I've "favorited" (I have already chosen over a hundred that I like, so this is a small preview). Click on the pictures and it will take you to the recipe.

Reader's Digest Update

2011-05-17T19:15:00.004-06:00

School:

Well, I just graduated from BYU with a Bachelors Degree in English...This is a picture with my Young Ambassador Director, Randy Boothe. And yes, this is from LAST april, since I walked a year early... :)

Work:

I am now officially "grown up"...meaning, my dad doesn't pay for my life anymore and I have a full time job. I currently work 40 hours a week as the Content Director of an Internet Marketing Agency called Lava7:

Family:

Though I am still nestled safely in the bubble of "Happy Valley" Utah, my family is experiencing life to its fullest through both the excitement of our NYC apartment and the tranquility of our converted barn upstate.

However, I won't be alone for long. Lauren is about to graduate and make her own memories at BYU, and Adam returns home from his mission on July 8th. By August there will be 3 Frogley siblings making their mark on Provo.

Love Life:
Ah yes, my favorite topic of all. This year has had quite a few ups and downs concerning the boys in my life. I seem to have quite a knack for falling for the all the WRONG ones. Luckily that streak finally came to an end and I started dating Colby: a guy that is...well, perfect for me. Not only is he charming and fun, he's smart, passionate, ambitious, and outgoing—not to mention extremely handsome. Luckily he's also a punk, so he can put up with my sass AND dish it right back. To put it simply...he's pretty great.

Granger: Where the Dinosaurs Roam

2011-05-05T21:04:00.009-06:00

Good news Jurassic Park lovers: dinosaurs still roam the earth in Granger, Washington! In fact, there are about 28 of them, and no...I'm not kidding. For some reason the town of Granger thought they needed something to make it special...and they chose dinosaurs.

When I was visiting Colby last week we decided to drive around after church in search of the creatures, so naturally a photoshoot was in order.

And to think we thought dinosaurs were extinct!

...a post on Parents....

2010-11-19T10:05:00.008-07:00

When we are young, the term “parent” refers to someone whose sole purpose is to meet our every need and make sure we are properly taken care of. In our unmolded and fresh minds, we believe that parents miraculously come into existence the same day we are born, and not a second before. The idea that our parents had any sort of life before ours is practically impossible to comprehend, so it is typically concluded that parents simply are, and always have been, parents. In the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the word parent declares that it comes from the word parere, to produce or bring forth, making it safe to assume that parents skipped childhood altogether and were put on earth as full grown adults for the sole purpose of raising a family. It is because of this that parents have no idea what it is like to be a kid, and cannot truly understand what we’re going through.

When we get a little older, parents still haven’t the slightest clue as to what it’s like to be us, and we make sure they know it any time they butt in or try to give us advice. Over time, they evolve from caretakers into ridiculously unfair rule makers that are determined to ruin our lives. On occasion, we attack them with accusatory phrases such as “I hate you” and “You’re so unfair” in an attempt to make them feel guilty about not letting us have our way. Unfortunately, no matter how relentless our efforts, they always manage to infuriate us more by calmly asserting, “Someday you’ll thank me,” or “I’m sorry you feel that way.” As we stomp out of the room we make sure to have the last word by reminding them that they’re too old to understand, and that they’re wrecking everything…not to mention the all powerful, and ever defiant slam of the door.

Luckily, puberty doesn’t last forever, for most of us, and by the time we graduate high school we are blessed with a newfound wisdom and maturity that we never realized we previously lacked. It is around this time of life that we are finally able to overcome our pubescent idiocy and recognize what our parents were trying to be to us all along: comforters, counselors and friends. News flash—Parents really did experience childhood! They really did stumble their way through their own teenage years! And they weren’t lying when they claimed to understand what we were going through. For some, this is a hard reality to come to terms with, and each of us begins to pray that we won’t have children as stubborn and ridiculous as we were. Of course, things will be different when we’re parents; we’ll be so cool that our kids will want to be our best friends. Then we remember that the more our parents tried to act young and hip, the more we resented them, taking us back to square one. We are all doomed to become just like our parents were: agonizingly misunderstood.

As an unmarried senior at BYU, and two years older than my mother was when she gave birth to me, I have recently become interested in the story of how my parents met. Theirs is an interesting tale, and one that causes me to consider my place in the universe and the possible significance my unimportant life might hold. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “Every man is an impossibility until he is born.” Though this quote may seem deceivingly straightforward and clear in its meaning, it poses quite an interesting suggestion: there are a myriad of different paths we can choose to take in this life, and even the smallest decision can take us plummeting down an entirely different journey than we might have originally been planning on.

I guess my story truly began on a crisp autumn morning in 1985. My mom, Amy, was at the beginning of her first semester at BYU, ready to tackle any challenges and circumstances that life decided to throw her way. Like most college freshman, freed from the chains of high school and immature boys, she found herself madly in lust with a handsome BYU football star, and had her mind set on being his wife someday. Despite these solidified plans, a suave blonde by the name of Scott Frogley caught her eye. After a few non-committal make-outs and casual dates, the pair drifted apart and went their separate ways. This didn’t matter of course, because my mom was going to marry her football crush anyway.

The following winter semester, my mom attended a dance where she met a guy who looked awfully similar to Scott. As it turned out, he was Scott’s older brother Curt. The eager young man braved asking Amy for her number and she willingly obliged. Unfortunately, this young man that had appeared so anxious never called. This same semester, as finals week was reaching its end, my mom came across yet another face that seemed strangely familiar. She hesitantly approached this handsome brunette only to confirm her suspicions: another Frogley brother roamed the BYU campus! Fortunately, he was just as good-looking as the first two. She explained how she knew Scott, and after some short and shallow conversation he walked her out to the parking lot where she reunited with her long lost fling. Addresses and goodbyes were exchanged and she and Scott resolved to keep in touch while he was on his mission.

In less than one year’s time, my mom was presented with four completely different journeys upon which she might travel. However, after witnessing the horrible way in which a dear friend was treated by her husband, Amy became unimpressed with the male species and resolved never to marry. Lucky for me, my mom was not the only one in charge of dealing the cards. As fate would have it, five months after she said her goodbyes to Scott, her friend finally persuaded her to go on a date with a guy by the name of Clark. My mother soon figured out that Clark’s last name was Frogley, and that he was in fact the third brother whom she had met the winter before.

From day one Clark was a charmer; he could have written the book on how to impress the ladies. With a little help from the flowers, presents, and gentlemanly gestures, the two immediately hit it off, and Amy was pleased with her hot new beau. Having been previously engaged, Clark was unsure of the relationship and decided to dump my mom a few months later. It took a wise and slightly envious roommate to talk some sense into the young man, in which case Clark came crawling back. Though still unsure of what her future had in store, my mom surprisingly found herself unable to resist his request. For one week things went back to normal and then the pair found themselves separated for six weeks while Clark travelled overseas performing. Once it was time for him to return, Amy decided not to accompany Curt to the airport to meet him; she just wasn’t ready for a serious boyfriend. However, it seemed there were more important things on the line than Amy’s personal agenda, so when Clark stopped by her work that evening, all tan and sexy, she was doomed. As they embraced, her necklace caught on his button and the beads scattered hauntingly upon the floor. They both knew there was no turning back; these two were meant to be. By the time Scott was off his mission, my mom greeted him with a sparkly ring on her finger and a 3-month old me in her arms.

Marilyn Monroe once said, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right…and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” When my mother’s future remained undecided 25 years ago, I was still an impossibility. What would have happened if things had worked out with Scott from the beginning? Would I still be me if my mom hadn’t given my dad a second chance and married another? It’s an interesting thought to consider that other children might have been born if my dad had married the first woman he was engaged to. Life oftentimes presents us with the unrequited question of whether or not all things happen for a reason. Those who believe that theirs is a life of insignificance and triviality are sorely mistaken. In regards to the principle of cause and effect, Buddhism explains that everything that happens to an individual will not only affect them internally, but also influence others externally. All our actions, good and evil, will determine our future, and the future of those we affect. No matter how discouraging and bleak the future may seem at any given time, we can always be reassured by the fact that our souls will learn and grow, and everything will work out for the best. Of all the options my mom’s life presented her with, the journey with my dad was the only one that could have led to the existence of me as I am today, and for that I am grateful.

and she's back...

2010-10-27T10:18:00.009-06:00

Well...My return to this blog has been long overdue. Over the past 9 months I have learned this: I am not a good blogger.

Here's the update on my life:

I walked at graduation in April under the assumption that I would be finished with school in December, but I will not be officially graduating until this coming April (that's right, a year after I walked.) On the bright side, I will have two sets of graduation pictures that I can use to confuse my kids someday.

Over the summer I lived in NYC. One word to sum it up? amazing. Lots of fun friends came to visit, I was able to go home on the weekends whenever I wanted, I saw lots of broadway shows for super cheap, and I never once got mugged or raped.

I finally finished (and passed) the online class I had been signed up for since June 2009...I had a year to complete the class, plus a 3 month extension, and an extra 30 days after that to take the final exam...let's just say I milked that time for all it was worth.

School this semester consists of 3 english classes, a cooking class and voice. I can't really complain...

I currently live with two of my best friends from the Tokyo days, Miriem and Lauren. This past weekend we were "the milky way" for a Lost in Space themed birthday party...it was quite the costume.

We have recently become obsessed with the T.V. show Alias and you can often find us snuggled together on the big couch under my cloud watching Jennifer Garner kick some trash. It's quite the bonding experience :)

So it turns out that I am currently at the time of my life when everyone I know gets hitched. In the past 2 months I have been to 5 weddings, and I didn't even make it to all the weddings I was invited to...As for me, I am currently still unmarried, and unengaged...so is life I guess, but hey, what's the rush?

Oh, I'm also really good at going to the gym now. Miriem and I go 5 days a week at 7:45 in the morning. It's great. Time to pack on the pounds (of muscle of course).

Today I was browsing through facebook pictures and I came to the realization that most of the people I had major crushes on in elementary/middle school...and even some from high school...have grown up to be people that are SO far away from my type, it's ridiculous. Why is that, I wonder? Weird how life works out.

I have also recently become aware of how small life really is. I don't even want to get in to how many awkward encounters I've had lately, but I seem to have a real talent for running into practically every guy I've ever dated...at the same time...sigh....

Well, that's all for now.

Four Pieces of Wisdom

2010-01-26T19:59:00.006-07:00

Yesterday at 1:00 I was lucky enough to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed...After setting up the appointment, I did a significant amount of research concerning how to prepare for the procedure and the best ways in which to nurture myself once I no longer had the use of my jaw. Two of my best friends accompanied me on the adventure to the oral surgeon, not because they couldn't wait to take care of me, but rather so they could make fun of me afterwards. Needless to say, they had the camera ready to roll.

Once I was properly seated in the dental chair with an oxygen tube in my nose, a heart monitor attached to my chest and a blood pressure monitor hooked to my arm, it was time to put me to sleep. Unfortunately, that task proved to be easier said than done. The needle was stuck into my arm and fiddled with four times before the medicine finally entered my body, and I think they forgot it was a living thing they were stabbing over and over. I've never been a fan of shots, but I can usually handle them pretty well. However, yesterday I was cursing my silly veins for making things so difficult.

After what felt like ten minutes of pinching and pressure in my arm, things started to go blurry. The next thing I knew, a woman was telling me to stay in my wheelchair as I attempted to stand up on my own. Definitely not a good idea. I don't remember much about the next hour or so, except for the fact that I had a huge mouthful of gauze, I was absolutely starving, and it seemed like I had a never-ending supply of blood in my mouth that I constantly had to spit out.

I tried to talk to my dad on the phone with gauze in my mouth...poor guy couldn't understand a word I was saying.

I also found myself to be extra emotional. When my friend wouldn't let me get raspberries with my frozen yogurt because she didn't think I could chew them I felt like the world was ending and the tears began to flow. Later on I cried again when I found out Gurus was closed and when I couldn't decide what I should eat for dinner...it proved to be a hard day... Ha.

I refused to go into spoon me without this over my head...for some reason I was convinced the coat made me look less conspicuous than the bloody gauze coming out of my mouth.

Thank heaven for supporting friends and roommates. Laur stayed with me until 11 at night and made sure I was taking all the right medicines and getting things to eat, even after I called her the worst driver in the world and cried whenever she tried to look out for me. Two of my guy friends brought me my favorite smoothie from jamba juice even after I supposedly called them stupid on the phone when they jokingly asked how I really felt about them. My roommates made sure I was as comfortable as possible and stayed calm as I pretended to dump my cup full of blood and saliva on them after they scolded me for spitting into it without warning.

Today the chipmunk cheeks have started to arrive, I feel weak and dizzy, and my jaw is too sore to open more than a centimeter, but I can tell I'm on the road to recovery. Now I just have to pray for no more swelling, no infections and no dry sockets!

this is halloween

2009-11-09T22:06:00.002-07:00

When fall approached this year, I decided to fully embrace the halloween season. I watched a total of about five halloween/scary movies and made it over to Odyssey Dance's Thriller show up in Salt Lake. I also got together with friends one night to drink homemade hot apple cider, carve pumpkins, eat candy and brave the haunted forest.

my mom had also just sent me a huge box of my great grandparents' hippie clothes so we had some fun time traveling back to the sixties.

Last year for Halloween I was too lazy to think ahead and figure out a costume...As a result, I ended up in Jaremy's mom's old witch dress so that I wouldn't feel dumb at the dance party we made an appearance at. This year I decided not to pretend like i was too cool to wear a costume, so I dressed up as a ladybug; definitely not something I had ever been before. I got all ready on friday and saturday night and made the most of my halloween weekend. On the 31st, some friends and I went out to eat all dressed in our halloween gear and then we went back to my apartment to do a little photoshoot before we ventured off to a dance party.

Overall, the evening was a success and we had a lot of fun just hanging out and being silly. The day after halloween I decided I was ready for a change so I put up our christmas tree hahaha. Gotta love the holiday season :)

unexpected turns of events

2009-10-09T10:46:00.001-06:00

A couple weeks ago I went to a show at the Covey Arts Center by Kendra Lowe. She brought David Archuleta in as a guest singer towards the end of her show, and I was lucky enough to go backstage afterwards and meet him. Kinda fun :) He's a sweet boy, and SO little!

In other news...I found out on Monday that there was a modeling audition on Tuesday that I could go to. Problem was, the most recent headshots I had were taken my senior year of high school, and those were lost when my hard drive crashed last July. As a result, Jamie and I decided to take matters into our own hands...we pinned my top sheet over the closet door in our hallway and stuck Shayla in charge of holding the lamp. It was quite the sight to see. That's the back of a painting she's using to reflect the light. haha.

halfway through the shoot i looked over at Shayla and found her unconsciously trying to imitate all the different smiles i was doing with her mouth. For those of you who aren't quite sure what i'm referring to, think of a mother feeding her young child...Almost every time without fail, as she brings the spoon towards the baby's mouth, her mouth opens as well. We call this "cameling"... Needless to say, I lost it for about five minutes.

Every time i look at these pictures I remember Shayla's face and it makes me laugh all over again. Who would have thought taking headshots could be such a fun experience? Once we were sick of taking pictures, we found one that was tolerable, printed it out at Kodak, and went to bed. I guess I'll be investing in some real headshots soon so that I won't have to be embarrassed by my picture next time I show up at an audition :)

food glorious food :)

2009-09-28T12:00:00.006-06:00

My dad was in town this weekend, so we went and stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's house up in Draper for a couple nights. It was so nice to see him, especially because I really only ever get to be home a couple weeks out of the year now. The weekend was filled with hysterical kids, interesting movies and lots of yummy food.

Me and my daddy

We made Scott jump in for a picture as well

my cute cousin Will acting 'gangsta' :) haha

We went and saw "Fame" on Saturday night and were impressed with the level of talent in the film. The only issue I had with the movie was that there seemed to be too much going on so none of the plots were really developed enough. Other than that though, it's a pretty good show. You'll like it if you enjoy music and the arts :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRPca0Lvp1w

One thing you should know about the Frogley Family is that we love food and the culinary arts. My dad is one of ten kids, and almost all of them love to cook. You get any of the siblings together and you're pretty much looking at a gourmet feast. Let's just say we live for our family reunions :) This saturday, my dad and his brother Scott decided that the theme for the night would be "Everything Pablano." I was able to assist as my dad refined his homemade recipe for Pablano Soup and as Scott created a delicious filling for what would soon become Stuffed Roasted Pablanos. The end product was AMAZING...seriously, so delicious. I made my dad give me a play-by-play of how he was making the soup so that I could write it down, and I've attached the recipe below. Make sure you read through the whole thing before you start so that you understand everything. Most things can be done simultaneously to speed up the process--otherwise it could potentially take you a lot longer than it needs to. I also attached Scott's homemade recipe for Cilantro-Lime Tomatillo Ranch (pretty much the same dressing you get on your Cafe Rio salads). It's super easy and SO delicious!

Scott stuffing the peppers--He made homemade toothpicks out of carrots :)

The end product:

Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup

About 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 poblano peppers (cut down to 2 if you aren’t a fan of spicy)

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

1 ear of corn

1 whole yellow onion

1 whole head of garlic

3-4 c chicken stock (or broth)

¾ c white wine (cooking wine can be used)

1 c light cream

1 T sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado

a little fresh cilantro

heavy duty aluminum foil

a little bit of olive oil

Directions:

Start reducing your chicken broth and white wine mixture on the stove until it’s down about ¼ (this just means let it simmer until it looks like it has reduced down to about ¾ of what you started with)

Meanwhile, you need to be roasting your peppers, onion, garlic and corn. The peppers need to be roasted until they are completely blackened all over (this can be done over any open stove-top flame, really close under a broiler, or preferably on a grill). The corn should also be roasted over an open flame (once again, grill works best, but the broiler is probably the best second option).

The garlic and onion can be roasted together in a 375 degree oven. For the garlic, you need to take the entire head and cut off the tips so that all the individual cloves are exposed, leaving the root and skin connected. Put the head inside a piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle it lightly with olive oil, kosher salt and a teaspoon of water. Crimp up the foil and place on an oven pan. The onion just needs to be peeled and cut into quarters (leaving root attached), then placed on the sheet with a little olive oil and salt. Leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

VERY IMPORTANT: As each pepper finishes roasting, place them in a covered pot, and let them steam for about 15 minutes.

Once the peppers are done steaming, take them out of the pot one by one and remove the blackened layer. Water can be used to assist you, as it is sometimes hard to remove. It’s important to keep the other peppers you aren’t peeling yet inside the covered pot until you’re ready for them because they get harder to peel as they cool. Also remove the seeds and stem, and then place the cleaned peppers in a blender.

Once the onions and garlic are done, add them to the blender with the peppers. Make sure you cut off the root end of the onions. The garlic cloves should squeeze right out of the outside layer. Blend these all together with a little bit of your chicken broth reduction to help it blend more easily.

Put your blended mixture into a pot, then first add your white wine/chicken broth reduction followed by the light cream, and sugar until it looks like a good consistency (not too watery, but not too thick). Heat on medium low until warm.

Finally, top off the soup with some fresh cilantro, finely chopped avocado and some of your roasted corn kernels. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Tomatillo Ranch

Ingredients:

Powdered Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch packet (enough to make 2 cups)

4 washed tomatillos (they sort of look like little green tomatoes with a weird papery skin)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded

2 cloves garlic

1 lime

A bunch of cilantro (remove stems)

Directions:

Follow directions on buttermilk ranch packet

-Cut tomatillos into quarters and roast on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (you can roast your jalapeño as well if you want)

Blend tomatillos in a blender with the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and the juice of the lime.

Add blended mixture to the 2 cups of ranch

a little update

2009-09-15T11:55:00.006-06:00

- No longer in Young Ambassadors: I decided it was high time to get this whole graduation thing done with, so I said my tearful goodbye to the group at the end of our Scandinavian tour this summer, and have been trying to sort out my future ever since. I had an amazing two years in the group though and made some incredible friends that I know I'll have for life...not to mention, it's also where I met Jaremy :) Here's a video of the YAs performing "Can't Help Falling in Love" at BYU's Homecoming Spectacular a year ago. Not my favorite recording of myself, but what can you do...

http://pam.byu.edu/ANIMATIO/YA/YAVideos/Cant%20Help%20Falling%20In%20Love.mpg

Singing "Can't Help Falling in Love":

Singing "reflection":

the entire group in Bergen, Norway

-Majoring in English: I've always enjoyed writing and english has always been one of my strongest subjects, so this path seemed logical. I'm not positive what I'm going to do with it yet, but it's very broad so my options are pretty open :) As of now I've considered journalism, something in the marketing/advertising industry, creative writing, and perhaps teaching...I guess we'll just have to see which of those areas I get a good job in!

-Still love performing: Don't worry, there's no way I'm giving up singing. I'm gonna go in to the studio and get some decent recordings of myself, take some new headshots, update my resume, attempt to write some songs, and get my stuff out there. I'm not trying to get famous or anything, I just love to perform and wouldn't be happy unless I found myself some way to sing.

Singing "unwritten" in Young Ambassadors:

-The Fam: Currently located in NY (upstate as well as the city). Lauren is a beautiful 16-year old now, and a junior in high school. Nicole's my funny little mini-me. So cute. She's 12 and in 7th grade.

My mom keeps herself busy everyday painting, cleaning, singing and making sure our house and property stay in working order. Don't know how she does it, but we sure love her for it and our house looks great!

My dad works in Manhattan mon-thurs, and then in the albany office near our house on fridays. Adam is 19 and currently serving a mission in Hiroshima, Japan and he couldn't be more excited. We're all so proud of him and to be honest, we're also a little jealous he gets to be back in Japan for 2 years without us. He had to eat natto (fermented beans) his first morning there, and swears he'll never try those again because "it smells like paint and is like putting snot in your mouth". hahaha. That was something I never worked up the courage to try when we lived there. Sure do miss that goof.

just some things...

2009-09-14T20:38:00.002-06:00

Well the Questar Gas guy just left...The poor guy was here for over an hour trying to figure out what the source of the carbon monoxide was, but alas...no luck. Our windows and doors have been open for the past two days as we were scared of dying, and that didn't help him get any readings. He cleaned out our water heater, told me his suspicions, and commented on how he wished he'd been here the night it went off. I guess they have a 24/7 number we should have called the same time we called 911, so he said if it ever goes off again (which it better not!), to call them first. oops...haha. He also said that the guy who came in July to fix the problem the first time around did a crappy job cleaning the water heater, so we just have to hope that whatever was done differently this time will have done the trick.

I also found out today that only a few of the apartments in Belmont have carbon monoxide detectors...heaven bless our owner for taking extra precautions and putting one in our condo! scary, scary.

On a completely opposite note...

I love to cook (assuming i can afford the proper ingredients haha) and I have this amazing rub for chicken or steak fajitas that i thought i'd share with you :) My dad made it up on the phone with me one time, and it's super fast and easy. Just mix it together, rub it on the steak/chicken before cooking, and then grill your meat in a cast iron or stainless steel pan!

(you kind of have to guess with amounts..., but there's really no going wrong, just put more in of the stuff you like best, and less of the other stuff)

-garlic powder

-onion powder (if you don't have this in your kitchen, get it! it's amazing)

-chili powder

-ground cumin

-paprika

-a little brown sugar

-salt and pepper

-cayenne pepper if you like a little kick

For the last 3-4 minutes on the pan, squeeze fresh lime juice on the meat and cover. I promise you will love it. yay!

The fajitas are best served with sauteed onions/peppers, homemade guac and salsa...maybe in a future post i'll give you my recipes for those too :)

getting started

2009-09-12T11:41:00.002-06:00

So I decided to start a blog. I'm not exactly sure why...I think it's partly because my boyfriend's blog for Teach for America inspired me and partly because I figured this would be a good way to release my thoughts since I suck at writing in my journal. I have a monstrous headache at the moment, and am praying it's just a regular headache, rather than one brought on by invisible poisonous gases...Last night the carbon monoxide detector outside my room went off for the second time in the past 3 months...my roomates and I begrudgingly went outside on our deck at 5 am on a saturday morning to wait for the fire department to show up and de-contaminate our apartment. Luckily this time we knew the drill, so we got them to our door within 10 minutes of the thing going off.

The first time around we weren't as well educated. It was just Jamie and I living in the apartment at the time, and the alarm started going off at 3 am rather than 5...needless to say, I was OUT and did not have any knowledge that anything was wrong. Once Jamie finally woke me up, we took the stupid thing off the wall, but neither of us knew what was going on with it (at this point we both just thought was a faulty smoke-detector). We noticed the beeping red light warning us to get to fresh air, cursed at it because there was clearly no smoke, unsuccessfully tried to disable it, hid it under the couch cushions to drown out the sound in case it started beeping again, and went back to bed. Five minutes later the obnoxious sound came on again, causing us to simultaneously storm out of our rooms with every intention of throwing the thing against the wall. Both of us felt a new-found sympathy for Phoebe in that friends episode where they're up all night and she can't get her smoke detector to shut up. Upon our second attempt to rid the thing of its battery life-line, Jamie noticed some words in gray lettering that said carbon-monoxide detector, and we realized the danger we were actually in. We must have had some guardian angels looking out for us, because had we been successful in getting the batteries out the first time around, we would have probably died. The fire department came and found lethal levels of the toxic gas in our apartment, flushed all the air out of it, and told us to go back to bed and call back if it went off again. The questar-gas company came the next morning and fixed everything, or so we thought. I guess last night would suggest otherwise. My mom is insistent that we demand a new water heater, or move out. I guess I'll be calling the 24-maintenance manager today so we can sleep safely in our beds without the threat of a silent death hanging over each of our heads anymore. Here's a picture Jamie took on my cell phone of us waiting outside the first time around. hahaha.

If anyone doesn't have a carbon-monoxide detector in their house, get one! It might just save your life once or twice :)