i heart ... chris bianco's pizza crust

brook and i had our recipe exchange saturday.

i made pizza using chris bianco's pizza dough recipe.

i got the recipe here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chris-biancos-pizza-dough

it tasted great, but i did not know how to shape it!

one of my pizzas was shaped like italy

and that definitely was not the look i was going for.

i made two different pizzas:

(and no, these are not pictures of my pizzas because that would just be too embarrassing!)

margherita

sauce

mozzarella di bufala

roma tomatoes

fresh basil

and

wiseguy

olive oil

mozzarella di bufala

italian sausage

roasted onions

for dessert
brook made a super good
peppermint cheesecake

(go here for the recipe)

i'm not kidding-

it was soooooooooooooo good!

i heart ... paulina

happy birthday,
paulina!

paulina had a cute little birthday party.

she had a funny shrek cake

because she loves shrek

(like natalie before her).

and look how juicy this cake is!

rebeca makes the best tres leches cakes!

rebeca also made these cute cupcakes.

but when paulina saw me eating pizza,
she wanted to trade me.
what?
who would choose pizza over a cupcake?
i guess paulina would.

and look at the super fast bike paulina got!

(well, at least, i'm sure it will be super fast, but she can't actually ride it yet)

i heart ... wendi

wendi is the funniest girl i know!

oh the fun we have when we're together!
too bad she has to live so far away.

some of my happiest times are when i'm with wendi.

but what makes wendi happy?

10 things that make wendi happy:

1) sleeping!

2) eating good food (not just any good food---good-tasting food!!!)

3) watching movies (especially scary movies with paula at the cabin!!)

4) taking my boys to the zoo, movies, or fun places where they all have a good time and they don't fight!

6) texting and e-mailing (i do not like talking on the phone--ever! fyi!!)

7) sleeping!

8) playing cards and quiddler w/my mom, sisters and paula

9) holding babies (especially newborns) and just smelling them!!!

10) watching t.v. in my room w/out any interruptions from anyone!!

(do i or don't) i heart ... the bono bag

i saw a tote bag at walmart today

with this image on it.

my first reaction was, "yay, bono!"

my second reaction was, "i'm not sure i approve of this."

my third reaction was, "oh no, not the chest hair!"

i'm really not sure what to think.

part of me wants to buy it of course because it's bono!

but part of me thinks it's in bad taste.

(and it's not bono's bad taste, it's rolling stone's)

but it's bono!

i feel like i should have it

even if i never go out in public with it.

and to be totally honest,

part of my issue is that this bag is being sold at walmart.

if it was target i would be okay with it.

yes, i'm shallow.


i need your help because i don't know what to do.

buy it

or

don't buy it.

so here goes my first poll.

wanna help me decide?

p.s.

well, the poll is now closed

and here are the results of the poll:

The Bono Bag

Buy it!
(61%)

Do not go near that bag!
(38%)

i bought it!

i heart ... jennie

jennie and baby thomas

jennie is my cousin.

but more than that she is my oldest friend.

i have known her literally my whole life.

we spent the night at each others houses every weekend growing up.

(or at least that's what it seemed like!)

and we would laugh and laugh all weekend!

we're still great friends, but she lives far away now,

so i don't see her as often as i'd like.

remember i said how i love to laugh so hard that i feel like i'm going to faint?

well, that's how hard jennie makes me laugh.

she makes me very happy!

let's find out what makes her happy...

10 things that make jennie happy:

1. the sound of my children laughing
2. the smell when i walk outside right after it rains
3. getting an email from someone i love!
4. the endorphin rush after exercising
5. cuddling up in bed and reading a good book
6. sleeping after a very long and hard day
7. waking up early and going on a walk and coming into my quiet house and reading my scriptures while the kids are still sleeping
8. sitting in my backyard and looking at the view of mount graham
9. watching my kids reading books together and not fighting!
10. seeing corn, carrots, tomatoes and green beans growing out of my garden!
11. hearing the sweet, sincere prayers of my children
12. feeling my unborn baby kicking and moving inside me!

ummm... that is 12, jennie, but i love all of them so we'll keep them!

i heart ... sauce

sauce is one of my favorite restaurants.

when i hang out with my friend julie

we usually end up at sauce.

they have the best salad that we both love...

the chicken, pine nuts, tomato & gorgonzola salad.

and my favorite pizza is...

the wild mushroom w/ truffled arugula.

(i also love the prosciutto & melon pizza - it's true! try it!)