Sweet Pork

-SWEET PORK-

For my church calling I am on the activities committee. For our Christmas Party

we did a Mexican Fiesta. I had suggested to the committee that it would be easy

to make sweet pork for everyone. Little did I know that that little comment would put me

in charge of all 40 lbs of the sweet pork. This was a test of my faith... After unloading all of the pork into the house, I went to go park my car. I pulled out of one side of the parking lot and two seconds later I was pulled over for the first time ever. The officer was a brat, and I was already mad. He gave me a warning and told me to no longer drive on the wrong side of the road. Then I went into to the house to start the pork preparation. The pork was supposed

to come boneless and skinless, and it did not. It took Becky (my room mate) and I about

and hour to cut and separate the meat. Then the next morning (because I did not realize that

the skin was still on it) it took me an hour and half to cut the SKIN of the pig. It was

the most disgusting thing I have ever done. After it was all done it was super good, however

Lets just say I would be good to go pork less for another lifetime.

Recipe

1 pork (picnic roast)

3 cups of brown sugar

1 jar of pineapple mango salsa

let sit in crock pot on low for 8 hours

eat like tacos yum!

Clares Christmas Cooking: Fudge

The ORANGE Fudge
Try one: Fudge From Hell

One Night at the beginning of my break I decided I wanted to master the art of making fudge. During Thanksgiving, Grandma Q had bought this kind and it was so good, so it was the one I wanted to make. The first try took about four hours. First I asked Mitch, "What kind of sugar do I use to make fudge," he replied with just regular sugar. So I went to Walmart and purchased all of the things I needed amounted to about 20 dollars ( I bought my first set of hand beaters)! I was doing so well, when I came to the end result and was like what the FUDGE happened? First of all I broke my first set of beaters, apparently fudge is thick and you can not just put it on high. The fudge was so grainy, it tasted really good, however the texture was like a freshly paved road. I was pretty red with fury, I had waisted all my time and figured out I used the wrong kind of sugar, I was supposed to use powdered sugar instead of the other kind. Did I mention I doubled this batch so I could share with all. So meh, after getting mad pretty fast, I threw it all out and prepared to try it the next night.

Failure

The Chocolate Rasberry Fudge
Try two: half batch not half bad

After going to Walmart for my second time I decided to try another kind of fudge, Chocolate Raspberry. I bought all the stuff, and traded in for a new set of beaters, seeing how I had already broken the first set. This time I thought I would just try a half batch. I DID NOT make the mistake again of using the wrong sugar. I put everything in just like the recipe said. However if it is Clare cooking, there is a disaster. The beaters broke AGAIN, and it was not all mixed I was about to throw them against the wall. I went out into my apartment complex to try and see if anyone else had beaters I could borrow so I would not have another failed batch. Since it was break and most people were gone, I was not very lucky in my journey. I did however run into my friend David in the Hallway,who does not live in the apartments. I asked him on a whim "do you have an beaters!?" He replied with 'NO I wear the G's" ha ha. He was so confused. After that, I convinced him to come in and stir it for me. This one tasted the best so far, but was a little thick because the lack of stirring. So the chocolate raspberry was now complete and passed the check of my two friends who tasted it.

The Orange Creamcicle Fudge

The third try: Terrific

The third try was done PERFECT, it truly was. I went out and spent 20 dollars at Khols and bought bigger and better beaters. I was so ready, I tried super hard and all of my hard work and tries resulted in a perfect batch of fudge that tasted just like an orange creamcicle.

Orange Recipe

• 1 eight ounce thing of Cream Cheese
• 3 cups of POWDERED SUGAR
• 1 big bar of almond bark white chocolate (walmart) melted

1/2 teaspoon of Orange extract
(for chocolate, use chocolate instead of white, and use raspberry extract)

Melt chocolate, add to bowl, mix in cream cheese until smooth and then gradually add in powdered sugar. Mix until smooth, add in extract and then put in food coloring if you would like!

Spread out in a 16x8 pan? put in fridge until you want to use it!

Things I learned while making fudge:

1. 
   
   Take the amount of time the recipe says it will take to bake it, and times it by about 3 and that is how long it takes me.


2. 
   
   Always buy double the amount of supplies because I either spill it, or mess up the recipe.


3. 
   
   Always have a boy on hand that can come in and stir (that could be a benefit of getting married maybe?)


4. 
   
   Never listen to Mitch about sugar, rely on Wikapedia, it is the most correct information database in the world.


5. 
   
   Try, try, again! The end result is worth the time.... kind of

A little later...

Sorry it has been forever! Since the summer I have become some what studious... I finally passed Math 1050 so that was nice. As of right now (Keep your fingers crossed) I have straight A's. I am taking 14 credits, I think. I finished Fly Casting class with flying colors. I decided on a Major and a Minor. I will come out and say it, I am a nerd. My Major is going to be Speech Communication (Public Speaking) and my minor is Computer Science. I love it, it gives me butterfly's to count in binary :]

This year I live in a apartment complex. It has been different, I am the only single one. It has been difficult to become social, so I became even more studious, good for grades not good for morale. However, it was time to grow up any ways. I thought I would throw a little update out there though. Sorry I cant make this cheesy like other blogs, I don't have that talent... or maybe i do....

the summer house

So I moved into my summer place, it is what I like to call Satan, it was deceiving. Apparently there are only like 4 boys who live in the building. How am I supposed to achieve my goal of a summer boyfriend? This I honestly can not tell you. There is however an upside, to this all girl apartment, my bed. It is kicken. The bottom can choose to be a bed or a couch depending on what I feel. This may or may not be my new favorite thing in the world. The bed moves alot and is hard to get into though but worth it. My room is huge, and has nothing in it. I have my own bathroom that is nice to not have to share. Overall, summer is slow so far. Nothing to cool has happened yet. It has also been brought to my attention that this is just the LLC but in a smaller case. It is all the same people and I guess has the same status.... we will wait and see if the drama is the the same :) loves....

The last of the Activities!

One day my room mates were eating dinner, and I was like I am bored. So we decided to go die a piece of hair blue. It was worth it completely and I was able to cross it off my bucket list. It was a good last roommate bonding experience.

All the girls on my floor went to clean the sink at Angies. It is where the locals eat. They let me have 3 bites of the reeses and strawberrys yum!

My new favorite thing is cutting Rica's Hair. I think I am going to become a hairstress. I was able to make many designs in her hair and loved it. She is all natural now and loves it.

This is the end of the year, the drama of the LLC is over. I am now living in Logan for the summer and working for Logan Parks and Rec as an Summer Playground Leader. I will now be livinig in the "Crestwood" apartments I hope that there is a little less drama. I will love what happens and I am excited, maybe I will try something new :)

I loved my freshmen year, it went by to fast and I love my roommates.

EASTErr

These pictures explain themselves. Rica and I blew eggs and decorated them. It was flat out disgusting, hard, and literally the most fun thing we may or may not have done all year. I chipped a tooth doing it and Rica broke one blowing, and it went all over her pants. We were good at celebrating Easter alone.

General Conference

It came again, General Conference. I took all my room mates down for it. Renee even came back for the reunion. We walked around the grounds and took lots of pictures it was a grand ole time. It was Rica and Renee's first time to Conference. It had turned out to be a really nice day to. We had two boys meet us there to, Adam and Jake. Like a church date, it was very spiritual

A warmer day

Scott had come to visit people at Utah State. He was able to make time for his VBF and we went out and got ice cream (sherbet) no just any though, Aggie ice cream. It was fun to show him my new life here at Utah State.

Emily and her bestie Megan met Mitch, Stu, and I at a Red Robin in Ogden. It was fun see Emmers again and meet Megan. The food was good and the company was great. It was for sure a random trip but it was a good get out during the semester.

Spring Break Part: Family.Wicked

So while I was on Spring Break in Portland. My sisters and mom thought it would be really cool to come be just like me. So they came and so did the rest of the girls on my dad's side and Ian came and we went and participated in the watching of WICKED. I had never heard of hit, but in the end I really enjoyed it. I think it would have made alot more sense if I had seen that Wizard of Oz crap but some times life doesn't work out like that. It was a dream come true when we could have a girls weekend. When I was little I would always get really jealous that my mom got to go on girls weekends. This was my first one, and now I think its my new hobby. I also came to the realization that I love leisurely breakfasts.

Spring Break Part: Jason

So Jason, on of my best guy friends from high school, was currently attending PSU, so Jackie dropped me off at his dorm for some fun. I felt like was on the way to getting babysat. Jason and I walked around downtown for a long time. We had fun, took the bus back up to his dorm. Then we thought it would be fun to go to dinner. He lives right above this sushi place, so I said yes and we went. I tried a lot of things that night that I am still even surprised about. It was a fun place, it was just like the Pokemon game on Nintendo 64. You pulled the plate of the belt and it was happy hour so each plate was only a dollar fifty. I think I had six, it was a blast to eat there and to see Jason in a different State in a new atmosphere and to see he was doing good!

The first thing I had was the some fried sushi, it was my favorite by far. The other thing on the plate was eel, it hurt going down because it was spiky, but strangely it tasted good.

The white one is squid, it was not good. The texture alone made me gag, and the taste was not even all that. I am glad I got to experience it but, never again please :) The white ball thing, was ice cream balls, it was like a gusher hard on the outside and then really gushy on the inside I wont say I loved it but it was okay. Oh it was fun though!!!

Spring Break Part: Jackie

This is the Portland Temple.
I thought it was really pretty.
Portland was a nice place but strangely I don't like it that much not because it is really pretty and green. However the rain really hurt my feet, the screws in it kept my foot cold. I honestly did not have warm feet once while I was there, it hurt alot. The green was pretty though, and a nice change from all of the SNOW!

This is Mt. Rainier, my new fascination I honestly want to die this way, get blown up by a volcano. Weird maybe, but definitely historical!

This was my first ride on the "MAX" train system thing... It was quite the adventure indeed.

This is the biggest bookstore in the west, POWELL'S. It was in down town Portland. If one person in my entire life that should be jealous its my mom... I even went in! (more to come in part:jason)

VANILLA ICE and MC HAMMER AND LOVE YOU LONG TIME CONCERT

I know I look obnoxious, but this may or may not have been the best college experience of my life. I was able to see such a fence post of a role model from the 90's. This event definitely sparked my new fetish with the 90's, I honestly love them, live them and now breath them. I was able to hear Ice Ice Baby in person, that all together was a marble in the jar. I honestly loved it.

On the down side, I almost died, I wont lie. Apparently concerts get a little crowded and wild. We were in like the 3rd row of the mosh pit when six grown males (Joe's size) took to pushing us down. I ended up on the floor a few times, and was trampled...totally worth it because I did slap one after he tried to put the moves on me, did I mention he was married?

This picture above is one of my new favorite bands. It is called Love you Long time, they sing the classics "Steps in my Fade" and "I don't party like I use to." This is the lead singer, he actually stepped on my head, yes MY HEAD, while he crowd surfed out I actually touched him.

On the way home I was able to make daddy proud. Lauren (brown hair-p.s her mom invited us to the concert) got pulled over at 3 in the morning. The cop almost arrested her on spot because she had a "declined licence." The officer then said I need a driver with a good licence. I handed mine over he checked it out and congratulated me with a clean record...knock on wood alot.....

Overall one of the best experiences of my life!

Mardi Gras

To celebrate Mardi Gras we decided to attend the huge bash! We all got dressed up in our get ups. We all know Rica looked like she has cellious or something but it was fun for the night. The dance party was in our TSC, an they had air brush tattoos, poker games, blow up toys, and just a huge dance party.

Rica and I have decided that we are really really good at looking good for events... and matching :)

Rock Climbing Date Night

This is one Adam Eastmen, we live in the same building. He just got off his mission a few months ago from Mexico. He took me on a really nice date, we went rock climbing at the Rock Haus House. Obviously he is really strong, guess why....

Yep you guess it he is a quarter back for the Aggie football team. Jackie and Jake came along and we raced them, our team dominated of course and then we celebrated by getting Jamba Juice. It was a really fun date!