Today . . .

I know that you all want to see pictures and hear updates about Australia . . . but I just don't feel like blogging those much needed updates. Instead, I thought I would share some of my new thoughts with you . . . so here it is. Kasie's profound thoughts/reflections/feelings of the day.

1- I have a serious love/hate relationship with popcorn. Love the delicious low-calorie-ness, hate the fact that no matter what I either end up with hundreds of kernel duds or gross over-cooked and black popcorn. Seriously people, why can't there be a better way? I end up stressing out for the two minutes that the popcorn is cooking - trying to count seconds - just to stop it either too early or too late and open up the bag to reveal disaster. Today I was preemptive - poor little unpopped kernels - they will never know their full potential.

2- My success for the day - beating everyone's score on Bejeweled - a facebook game. Failure of the day - not doing one productive thing. What does that say about my life?

3- Why can't finger nail polish just stay on? I hate painting my finger nails, but (suprise!) I have actually stopped biting them and they are long! Still - they chip in, like, 2 hours! Puuhhhllleeaasseee!

4- Today the thing I miss most about Utah is Costa Vida - actually that's the thing I miss most almost everyday (sorry family)!

5- Lately I've been feeling like there is something super amazingly awesome and cool that I should do with my life, but I can't think of it. I don't want to be a teacher, poet, writer, lawyer, dentist, FBI agent, dancer, mom, fashion consultant, marine biologist, t.v. producer, or truck driver. Weirdly enough, the ONLY thing that I want to do for the rest of my life is be a student . . . anyone want to pay me to go to school?

Well . . . I guess that's enough for now. Maybe tomorrow I will find the desire to post pictures, or maybe not. I never can tell these days!

I still care, I promise!

I haven't forgotten about ya'll or my recipe challenge - I just seriously have not found the time to blog! (I'm a loser, I know) I just uploaded my massive amounts of pictures to my computer, so watch for an update! Also, we only have two more recipes to try for our mexican/pumpkin recipe challenge. Winners to be announced soon!!!!!!!! And . . . we have our return date (kinda). Jer's last day of work in Australia is Friday, July 10th! We will probably be taking a vacation in New Zealand before we return home, so more than likely we will fly out that next weekend, the 18th-ish. I will let you know as soon as it is finalized!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Random Post . . . I have been looking at these adorable baby headbands ALL MORNING trying to possibly conceive of any reason I might have to buy some . . . but, alas, I came up with zilch. I even asked my mom if she could think of any reasons, but she couldn't. So . . . I thought that I would live my life vicariously through my friends and ask you guys to take a look and buy some of these adorable flowers. They have TONS of cute styles! Hurry! They are only on sale until the end of April! (Psst, sorry Becca for stealing your pictures! Hopefully you won't mind!)

http://petalprincessbecca.blogspot.com

Ingredients Available

So, while I am in the process of finally uploading the pictures, here is an update on the ingredients available in Australia!

Available:

• chillis (all colors)
• bell peppers (all colors)
• jalapenos - I think. They don't call it that, but it looks the same.
• cayenne pepper
• oven ready noodles
• hoisen sauce
• watercress - kinda. I can only find it in a mixed leaf salad bag, so I can buy that and then separate it out (oh, so much work!)
  

Not Available:

• corn meal - is corn flour the same thing?
• chili flavor packet - but I do have mexican chili powder. Does anyone know if I can use that instead?
• jack-o-lanteern pumpkins - but I do have kent pumpkin or butternut pumpkin.

So . . . .. don't forget to add your recipe to the mix! I am going to the store to grab some ingredients to try some of them now, and I can't wait! Please oh please oh please submit a recipe (see 2 posts below) so that I can send you a fun gift from Australia!

Watch for pictures soon!

Misbehaving Gadgets

I promise I haven't forgotten about this blog or all my wonderfully amazing friends and family back home, I just (for some strange reason unknown to me) can't get my pictures off my camera. It also didn't help that the only person in this house who knows how to speak to feisty little misbehaving gadgets was gallivanting around Australia for the past week! But Jer is home now and will spend every dang night this week coming to some sort of agreement with my rebel camera until it is fixed - or else! Hehehehe.

Anyway, look forward to amazingly wonderful pictures soon and an update on all of our Australia fun! Oh . . . and don't forget to add a recipe to the contest below! Please oh please oh please!

MUAH!

Mission Impossible: Could You be the Winner?

First Ever Kasie and Jer Reciepe Challenge
*Winner will get a prize mailed to them from Australia!

There are several foods that I miss from back home and I would love to be able to home make them, but I have no idea how! I hate randomly trying recipes from online because I never know if they are going to be yummy or not. So, this competition is to find the very best recipes that remind me of home.

This challenge has two categories, so two winners! (and yes, you can enter and win both!)

Challenge 1: Mexican Food
I LOVE mexican food, but can't find it over here, so I am looking for the yummiest recipes you have.

• Unavailable ingredients: cilantro (sad!), corn tortilla chips, canned salsas, canned peppers and jalapenos, etc. Basically everything will need to come from scratch.
• Anything goes, but I am really looking for salsas, guacamole, and things like that.
• Would love something I could share with people from Jer's work and our ward.
  
• I like medium on the hot scale.
  
• Extra points will go to healthy recipes.

Challenge 2: Pumpkin Cookies/Pie
They don't eat pumpkin pie and have never heard of pumpkin cookies! Oh, the travesty!

• Unavailable ingredients: pumpkin filling, pumpkin in a can.
• Our friends here are very interested in tasting these, so either pie or cookies are fine (although I tend to prefer cookies!)
• Extra points go to healthy recipes.

Additional Info:

• Currently I do not have a blender, hand mixer, bread maker, crock pot, casserole dishes or a lot of other kitchen goods. I am not against buying some supplies, but the less the better!
• I'm on a health kick so the healthier, the better! (Although some times you just gotta suffer through the fat :)
  
• Jer and I will try all of the recipes that look yummy and then decide on a winner together!

Yay! Don't forget that the winner will get a gift from Australia! I love you all and can't wait to hear some yummy recipes from you! Ummm, let's say the deadline is the end of March?

*For those of you who may not know how to leave a comment, follow these easy instructions:

• Underneath this post, click on "Comments" right next to the time. This will open up a new window.
• Write in your comment in the "Leave a Comment Box."
• Under "Choose an Identity," click the circle next to "Name/URL."
• Write your name in the "Name" box.
• Click "Publish Your Comment"