Chew on This!

We've all probably attended 1,522 wedding receptions and summer picnics at which chicken salad on croissants was served. It's a classic. But...certain versions of chicken salad can be very dull, drab, flavourless, bleak, dismal, and cheerless. THIS recipe, I assure you, is not a "chicken mixed with Miracle Whip" disaster. My mother wrote, produced, and directed this recipe, which tells you in advance it's toothsome and luscious!

Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken *see tip below*

3/4 cup finely chopped celery

3/4 cup water chestnuts (I omitted these - I feel a bit suspicious of them!)

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2-1/2 tablespoons grated onion (I used diced green onion and felt inspired)

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

dash of pepper

Up to 3/4 cup mayonnaise, depending on how "saucy" you like it.

*Combine ingredients and chill in the fridge. Serve on fresh and buttery croissants. Oh! I must tell you a heartwarming chicken shredding tip I learned from my friend, Katie. Boil and simmer the chicken breasts until very tender (I always season the water with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to infuse the chicken with flavor) and place immediately into a bowl while they're still very hot. Turn on your electric beaters and in seconds you have perfectly shredded chicken. Try it! You'll be touched. No more ghastly shredding with two forks until your bored and restless. Anyway, I'm excited for you all to make this recipe! I prepared it for our 4th of July picnic and it made the day. I hope you like it!

Stars and Stripes and Fun Forever!

"Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light", the Simon family at Kaysville's 4th of July parade?! You will now! We met up with some of my family to watch the great parade Kaysville hosts every year!

Now...this picture may need a BIT of explaining. You see, we purchased a new camera the day before and Jerald was having fun experimenting with the color swap and accent tools. Very curious...

Here's darling Summer with her equally darling cousin, Annika.





Ohhhh! Jerald's at it again! This time, check out Summer and Annika's red punk hair and the grass/retro 70's red shag carpet!

Sweet mother of Job and Saints be praised - we met the Pope himself! Dan Pope, that is. He picked Summer out of the crowd and actually asked to have his picture taken with her. And hey, we didn't need his seven day forecast to tell us the weather was perfect for our Independence Day fabulousity! (I totally made up that word)

"What so proudly we hail" a shot of Jerald's dapper good lookingness. It must never be bypassed.

Pause for a pose!

Summer was ecstatic with all of the floats, the marching bands, the dance groups, as well as the candy, toys, and stuffed animals that were tossed in her direction!

She scored some patriotic bling and a great Mickey Mouse to add to her collection!

And "at the twilight's last gleaming", we all convened again to watch the fireworks display by Davis High School. I packed a picnic dinner for us, which consisted of chicken salad on croissants (a recipe which will leave you speechless - I'll post it soon), pasta salad, potato chips with onion dip, chocolate chip cookies, and a chocolate cake with melted chocolate glazed over the surface. It all felt so festive and exciting. I love this holiday! And heaven knows, we love a crowd. And now you know too!

No, you are not viewing an approaching UFO - nor are you shooting through space at lightning speed or experiencing worrisome visual disturbances. These are some jaw-dropping shots of the fireworks Jerald captured.

Summer was amazed at the fireworks show and loved it all so much that...she fell asleep ten minutes into the show! I'm so glad she saw some of the display, though. She had been much too excited to nap that afternoon, so her lack of sleep and the events of the day "gave proof through the night" the sheer exhaustion of the holiday that had set in. But while she slept, it gave me the sweet opportunity to cuddle her to my heart's content. It was a perfect day that left us with jolly memories of celebrating in our "land of the free and the home of the brave"!

Lambs, Ponies, and Pigs - Oh My!

It was a day of free admission at This is The Place Heritage Park on June 10, and since it fit in with our week of festivities for Summer's birthday, we took full advantage of the fun! Halfway through our excursion, the heavens opened in a rainstorm of gargantual proportions, but we didn't mind a bit!

Here is a shot of us by a monumental monument.

We Simons have taken it upon ourselves to head up the flamboyant pose corporation!

Summer loved riding on Daddy's shoulders. Oh, my heart! Doesn't Jerald look handsome? Say it!

The park has a darling train that takes its passengers to all the different park areas.



Look at these little lambs! We got to pet them too! Summer was very gentle and talked so sweetly to the fluffy babies.



We met a pretty horsie with such fetching bangs!

We think these two piggies are either sharing secrets or they're dating.

This is a quick shot we got of a sweet bunny before it dashed inside its home to avoid the downpour. Summer loved making her aquaintance!

The best part of the day was the pony ride! Summer was so excited and not a bit scared to climb aboard.

So, if you get a chance, go to Heritage Park! It's fun for your kids and you'll get a kick and a punch out of it too! Hey, this is good advertisement for them! Maybe they'll let us in free AGAIN next time as a special thank you!

Simon Spotlight!

We begin this post with a "Simon Spotlight" of our Summer girl. Hey, Summer - what's your favorite...

Color? Pink

Foods? All foods! But especially Mommy's cookies, chocolate cake, pancakes, pasta salad, quesadillas, cheese, corn, broccoli, chicken, grapes, Italian and Mexican food, and anything mint or cinnamon flavored.

Friends? Mommy, Daddy, Annika, and Sarah.

Movies? "Enchanted", "High School Musical", and "The Wizard of Oz".

Television Show? "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"

Hobbies? Daily school time, arts and crafts, and story time with Mommy, playing with dolls, going to the park and on outings, singing and dancing, photo shoots, cooking and baking with Mommy, having playdates with friends, being in crowds, charming her loved ones with her massive vocabulary, and performing in pretend road shows, concerts, and fashion shows in the family room.

The night before Summer's birthday, Jerald and I stayed up until past midnight, stringing crepe paper and nearly blowing fuses in our sinuses whilst blowing up balloons in preparation for the morrow! We then crept into Summer's room while she was asleep and placed all 25 balloons on the floor, thinking what a cute surprise it would be for her to wake up to the fanfare of decor. Horrifyingly... Summer, for some reason, awakened at 5:00 in the morning, screaming for me. I ran, bleary-eyed, to her room. She hadn't seen the balloons up until that point, but the light from the hall shone a perfect spotlight on the bubblegum pink one by the side of her bed. Then Jerald came running in the room, causing more light to flood in, giving her full view of the litter of balloons on the floor. She began screaming for us to "GET THEM OUT!" We tried to tell her they were only balloons we'd set out as a surprise for her, but she was so delirious from sleep, that she became more and more frantic! We were forced to kick them all out into the hall. "What a disaster", I moaned to Jerald. It was supposed to be such a sweet surprise. We trudged back to bed, feeling very much like deflated balloons (observe and respect the pun). It hit us later how funny it was, though! The rest of the day went fabulously, with first a pancake breakfast for the Birthday girl at her request. Jerald even made her a perfect Mickey Mouse head pancake! We took her to her favorite children's museum and showered her with presents. We actually had a whole week of celebrating because 24 hours for a birthday, in my mind, is much too short. But my mention of it is just a preview of coming attractions because I'll post pictures next week of our activities. The day after her birthday, we had a huge birthday party for her with Jerald's and my family in attendance. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday cake, and she said without hesitation that she wanted a pink cake, so, I baked a two layer heart shaped chocolate cake with pale pink frosting and chocolate sprinkles (I must give voice to the fact that the very BEST chocolate cake recipe can be found on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder container. Try it and be moved). Check out the video below of us all singing Happy Birthday to little Summer. I'm so happy she felt loved on her birthday, because she sure IS!

The Birthday Girl

As a bewitching baby... ...And now as a dazzling little girl
I sit, typing this love note to my little Summer Leilani Simon on the eve of her third birthday. I excitedly went to the store tonight to buy crepe paper, balloons, and a big "Happy Birthday" sign. She'll have a huge birthday party with a pink birthday cake - just as she requested. Her presents are ready to be presented...and I simply cannot WAIT for tomorrow to come.

Dear Summer,

On June 12th, 2006, my mother (your Grandma Wendy) and I went to my 36 week appointment with Dr. Spencer. He looked concerned as he stared silently at the ultra-sound's screen. The seconds ticked by while we waited to hear what he would say. "Well", he said, "This baby needs to come out. Today." My heart thudded in my chest as he informed me that I had pre-eclampsia, my blood pressure was sky high, and you were in stress and in a breech position. An emergency cesarean was to be performed as soon as we could get to the hospital. As soon as he left the room, I looked at my mother and began to cry nervously. She said, "You are a mother now and you will be strong for this baby. You can do this." I took a deep breath and smiled. I knew everything would be OK. The delivery went just fine. The nurse lifted you up for me to see, but then whisked you away to the NICU immediately, and I was not able to be with you until late that evening. I was wheeled down the long corridors to the NICU, where you laid in your incubator. I drank in the sight of your beautiful, three pound little body with a head full of glossy dark hair with a red bow in it. I reached my hand through the glass to stroke your tummy and...threw up! Oh, my medication made me so nauseated I vomited all evening. I'm so sorry our first meeting involved bile! The NICU nurse who took care of you told us, "She's tiny...but she's perfect." Such true words to this very day, Summer. They broke the hospital rules and took you out of your incubator and brought you to my hospital room when I was so ill, I couldn't lift my head off the pillow. They laid you on my chest and that was the first time I held you. They knew we needed each other, even if it could only be for five minutes. That's when Daddy gave you your first priesthood blessing. You made me a mother, and how grateful I was to take you home after your ten days in the hospital. I never minded getting up in the middle of the night to nurse you because that was our special time together. In the quiet of the late night hour, and with the night light shining by your crib, I could nurse you, rock you, pray with you, and feel the beautiful spirit of the Lord you brought with you into this world. Now, three years later, you still carry that beautiful spirit. I always feel you have angels with you, so I, too, feel safe and watched over when I'm with you. I'm just...in awe of you. When you enter a room, all eyes turn to you. Not just because of your physical beauty, which you have in abundance, but because people sense your greatness - your powerful presence. You are so full of personality and shimmery sparkle! Your intelligence stuns us. You knew your whole alphabet, numbers, and shapes at the age of one! And at twenty months old, you could play "I am a child of God" on the piano. You remember song lyrics and movie lines! You're so talkative and outgoing with everyone you meet, and you have so many friends who positively adore you. When you sit on my lap for our daily story time, I love to gaze at your beautiful profile. I'm always so touched when you take my hand and press it against your cheek. I'll never forget when I was so ill, recently, and you laid down next to me on the floor in the hall and sweetly murmured, "Mommy...I need you." And on the morning of Mother's day, you laid with me in my bed and gave your purple blankie and your Mickey Mouse to me to cuddle - your two most prized possessions. Now, I can praise you, darling, without sounding like one of those "braggy" mothers because I know Heavenly Father Himself made you - that you came to earth with these talents and gifts to bless the lives of millions. And bless them you will. You have already blessed your Daddy's and my life in overwhelming abundance. I'm honored to be your mother, and to be along for the great ride of your life. Happy Birthday, pretty kitten.

Love,

Mommy xoxo

Way "Zoo" Much Fun!

Our first trip to the zoo! Or rather, it was Summer's first trip. My last excursion there was a decade ago with some guy on a very bad and awkward date...so it was nice to be with my hot Jerald this time and to see Summer's excited reaction at all the animals, people, and festivities!

Summer's wondrous blue eyes shone with delight while riding the train and the carousel!

I instructed Summer to introduce herself to each animal we met. I informed her that they were very honored she had come to meet them. I said they had been waiting so long for her visit, and they were trying to be extra cute to impress her :)

The Rhinoceros frightened Summer JUST a tad...

...but she loved hobnobbing with the giraffes!

Two jean-clad girls posing on the rocks...or at least I was posing. Something deathly important at stage left had Summer riveted :)

...yes, and these next two shots of me overlooking the zoo's landscape prove irrelevant and have nothing to do with anything whatsoever.


Here are Jerald and Summer scouting out gophers. Would you "go for" a gopher??? I made that one up! Oh, pride fills my heart :)

And a little Summer was hatched!!!

Hogle Zoo has the coolest park! Summer has a thing about slides...

...and apparently, so does Jerald!

Here, Jerald takes us all on a trip back in time to 1991 when his teenage mutant ninja turtle obsession ran rampant.

...and this below just proves how Jerald looks good enough to eat!

Well, I conclude another post with little Summer having beauteously zonked out in her carseat after a day of fun. And when she woke up, you can bet she gave all the facts to her Mickey Mouse about her new animal friends she met while at her jaunt at the zoo :)

Memorable Memorial Day Grilled Chicken!

Once we slide into Memorial Day, it really feels like summer is here! I have always so loved this holiday. Our little family celebrated by barbecuing outside and enjoyed the best grilled chicken I've ever had the pleasure of devouring. Jerald is a sovereign master at the grill and he left Summer and me speechless with his commanding skill. Together, we were a compelling team. I had the sobering job of attacking the chicken tenderloins with my kitchen shears to rid the world of its miscellaneous fat, cartilage, red veins, that curious hard white strip of matter, foreign objects, and the mesh material, closely resembling a gooey spider's web that always completely covers half of the tenderloin! One would think one's appetite would be fiercely removed after that poultry surgery, but I knew it was worth the gagging. The chicken then soaked all afternoon in a bath of a zesty marinade before Jerald grilled it to perfection and gave it those pretty "grill lines" of black charcoal. This marinade will become a firm and decided staple in all of your houses! I found the recipe a few years ago in a Taste of Home magazine, but had yet to make it. Oh, those wasted years! I can never get them back! I now share the recipe with YOU!

Zesty Grilled Chicken

6 tablespoons white vinegar

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I used chicken tenderloins)

*In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Reserve a bit for basting during grilling. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; Refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side.

~~ We ate this zesty, juicy, flavorful chicken with baked potatoes and fresh corn. Joy was ours! And now it's yours too :)