Chicken Roll-Ups - My Favorite!

For Easter dinner, I decided to make my favorite - Chicken Roll-Ups, and invite some friends over for dinner. Chicken-Roll Ups have been my personal favorite dinner since I was born! I guess I'll share recipe with you.. It would be too unfortunate for you not to partake of the amazingness that is Chicken Roll-Ups.

I made about 30 roll-ups for dinner on Sunday, but you can use less chicken and make a smaller batch. Anyway..
Start with about 4 chicken breasts. Cook them. I usually just defrost and cook them in the microwave. Then I let the chicken cool down in the fridge for a bit and then use my cooking scissors to cut the chicken basically into shreds. Then mix that chicken with cream cheese. I used 1 1/2 things of cream cheese for the 4 breasts. If you use 3 breasts, 1 cream cheese would probably be ok. Then, scoop the mixture onto crescent roll dough.

I personally think that the trickiest part of the whole recipe is rolling them up. It just takes a little practice. :) After all the rolls are rolled up, roll them in melted butter and Italian bread crumbs.

Then, bake them on 375 for 15-20 minutes. If they look like this. . .

Then, they most likely turned out wonderfully delicious, and you will undoubtedly enjoy them!

I've always made them with a Cream of Mushroom gravy. Just mix the can of soup with 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of milk, depending on the consistency you like, and viola!

In case my words or amazing pictures (thank you, Liel!) haven't convinced you.. just ask Liel, Natascha, Hannah, Nate, Aaron or Kristen.. I'm sure they can convince you to try them!! My friends also brought mashed potatoes, asparagus (click for the recipe!!) and some corn. It was a delicious feast and excellent company!

It was a great end to a great day! I'll post more later about Conference and the things that I've learned. But for now, have a great Monday!!

A Morning's Run

Tuesday morning I went for a run, something I really need to do more consistently, and I had a lot thoughts come to mind, so I thought that I would share a few with you.

1. The first thing that struck me as I was running was this sense of confidence. I'll be the first to admit that growing up, I didn't always believe in myself as I probably should have. I would say that I'm a lot better today. This morning, though, I was just struck with this understanding of how important confidence is. I thought about the power of believing in yourself. I've come to notice that it's truly the times when I tell myself I can do something, and then go after it, that I am the most successful. There truly is power in believing in yourself. And then I thought, how can I ever succeed as a friend, as a wife, as a mother, as a teacher, if I do not first fully believe in myself, despite my weaknesses and then believe in my friends, my husband, my children and students just the same? I think I tasted a little more of my potential this morning, it was felt great. Imagine if we could, if only for an instant, view ourselves as God views us. If we could believe in ourselves even a fraction of the amount that He believes in us, how much more would we accomplish? And how much more could we be a impact for good in the lives of those we love?

2. The second thing that I've been thinking about was actually brought up by roommate Kristen last night as we were talking about life, and it's stuck with me. We were talking about what our purposes should be in life, and when you get down to it, what we should be focusing on doing every single day. And, I think she put it pretty simply, but beautifully. You wake up in the morning, you pray for the Spirit, you serve everyone you can, and you follow God. For some reason, I've just been really thinking about how powerful this is. Mostly I've been thinking about service lately. I really love how wonderful it is to lose yourself in serving others. You forget about your problems, if but momentarily, and realize the needs of those around you. It's like.. you broaden your perspective and your "world" to realize the needs of those around you. We're not sent here to do things on our own, or to only focus on ourselves; we cannot make it back on our own. I wonder how many people we actually come into contact with everyday, and in how many ways we can change the lives of these people - if but with a smile. Imagine that. That's how you change the world. We must just allow ourselves to forget our lives and enter someone else's.

3. So, on my jog, I stopped at a park. I love parks. So much. There's just something about them that makes me happy. Anyway.. I had been to this particular park before but not for awhile. I took a break from jogging and sat in the grass for a few minutes. It was pretty chilly, but the silence was worth it. There were a few birds chirping and the sounds of distant cars. There was a slight breeze through the trees, but other than all of this, it was silent. It reminded me of the importance of taking the time to be still. In this world full of bombardments, it is essential that we take the time necessary to pause from our hectic schedules and reflect and listen. How else do we expect to be able to feel the Spirit? Only through the still silence can we feel His love and His peace more abundantly in our lives. This experience also helped me remember how important it is to listen while praying. Just as important as it is to pray for things, it is important to take the time to pause and just listen.

4. While I sat there in the silence, I heard a small plane overhead. I thought about how small I must look to them, if they could even see me at all. We're all so small. And if you think about it too much, you can begin to seem insignificant. But, you know, what's so amazing about it all is, as small as we might seem on this earth, in this vast universe we are of infinite worth and we have infinite potential - in this life and the next. I'm really on a "changing the world" kick, so to speak, but honestly.. We might be small, and our influence might not seem to reach beyond those on our block, but we can change the world through the choices we make, through the small acts of service, through smiles.. It really is simple.

These are just the beginnings of a lot of thoughts that I've had lately. I would (and might) expound upon them, but I fear I'd never stop writing. If you have any thoughts, feel free to share :)

Summer To-Do's

Ok, so I wasn't exactly done for tonight. Here's the beginnings of my list of things to do this summer, and I will do them all:

1. Bonfire(s) up the canyon
2. Hike Bridal Vail
3. Watch the sunrise/set from the mountain
4. Finish the BoM
5. Read some Jane Austen (this one is carrying over from last summer..)
6. Swim in the lake
7. Stargaze late into the night
8. James Bond movie marathon
9. Lose 15 lbs. (and reward myself with a pair of new jeans (: )
10. Have dinner parties
11. Take a midnight stroll
12. Mini road trip to somewhere?
13. Go some place I've never been
14. Blow things up (and not get hurt..)
15. Learn to play my guitar (at least a little better)
16. Learn new songs on the piano
17. Serve someone everyday
18. Get rid of the junk that I don't need but for some reason still have
19. Expand my cooking repertoire
20. I really want to go camping. Perhaps I will... But I need a tent.
21. Decorate our apartment so it doesn't look so blah..
22. Ride the Heber Creeper
23. Tube the river
24. Sidewalk chalk, hopscotch, and popsicles
25. Bike ride (to the lake? or some other cool place)
26. Glow in the dark Frizbee golf at night
27. Life-size game of Risk at that park with the giant world map
28. Find a random shopping cart and take it for a ride
29. Feed the ducks
30. Start saving up for a new camera

Oh, don't you worry, there's more to come. :)

Late Night Outpouring

So, it's way past my bed time, but I can't sleep, so I might as well write some things that are on my mind.

First off, can I say how grateful I am for the Lord's hand in my life. I see His hand in my life everyday, and I am so eternally grateful to know that, even though He makes me make my own decisions, He is giving me the tools to do so, and He cares about me every step of the way. Today was kind of an emotional rollercoaster for me (go figure, I'm a girl..) but it was at the same time, one of the most reflective, best days I've had in a while. As I was driving today, I felt the warmth of the sun on my face (Hallelujah, spring is coming!) and the wind in my hair, and I knew, I know He is there. Sometimes we pray and we pray, and we hope beyond hope that He is listening to our prayers. I plead for the answers to my questions and direction in my life, and I sometimes feel like I'm not getting anything. Actually, I feel like that quite often. But then, I realize - He does care, and He is giving me the answers. He's giving me His trust by allowing me to take a step into the unknown. He knows that I know the path and that I'm trying my best to stay on it. And, you know, as I felt His warmth from the sun and I thought about life, I realized how much He really does care for me, and really does want me, and all of us, to succeed in life.

I've been thinking so much lately that it's really been taking a toll in my focusing abilities when it comes to school work. I just have so many thoughts on my mind, that I can't seem to get them down on paper fast enough, or process them quickly enough to be able to put my energy into my schooling as I'd like to. Hopefully running and writing things down will help me better able to concentrate. I really am grateful for the thoughts and the insight that I have gained from my reflection and the wise words of roommates this week, though.

I'm also grateful for His tender mercies in my life. There are little things that happen everyday that just leave me feeling so loved and absolutely glowing because I know it's no coincidence the way life pans out. Every time I begin to doubt, or I momentarily let Satan enter in, He's always there reminding me of His presence and His love. He doesn't have to, and I know I don't deserve it, but He loves me anyway. For this, I will forever be grateful.

I'm also so very, very grateful for my amazing roommates. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. They bless my life in so many ways that I can't even begin to express how much they mean to me. I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has led me here, and blessed me with such amazing angels in my life.

And you know what, most of all, I'm grateful for my trials. I sometimes think I'm weird for thinking this, but I often find myself having the conversation with myself time and time again. I am grateful for the hard things in my life. They have shaped, and continue to shape the person I am and am becoming. I'm learning the lessons that will change my heart and bring me closer to Him. Like the refiner's fire, I am being made into something better...

I know that God has great things in store for me in my life, and I pray that I can live up to them.

Bright Lights and Explosions

This past Friday I went to Wendover, NV with four friends to see Boyz II Men in concert. It was a great little vacation!! The concert was AMAZING! And we even got to meet the boyz backstage after the concert!! The concert was in the Peppermill concert hall, and we actually stayed in the Peppermill hotel. Here's a picture of us with the boyz courtesy of the amazing Natascha Faux:



After the concert and meeting the boyz, we ate at the restaurant in the casino. I've just gotta say.. I'm pretty sure that if you got high while in that casino, you might never find your way out.. There are mirrors and neon lights everywhere! You can't even really tell how big the casino is because the mirrors make it seem like it just goes on forever. The light and mirror effect was pretty mesmerizing, though, no doubt adding to the attractiveness of the casino. I did not, however, gamble, no worries.

Saturday morning we loaded back in the car and came back to our lovely home in Provo. Saturday night I watched Star Trek with a few friends. Can I just say how much I love that movie?! Well, I love it. A lot. I'm still at a loss for who I think is more attractive - James Tiberius Kirk or his father. For the most part, I just go back and forth. Haha. I'm ridiculous, I know. Anyway! Whilst watching this beloved movie, there was a fire at an apartment building down the street from us. It was pretty scary looking , what with like 4 fire trucks and about 6 police cars. We saw a lot of smoke, but no fire. Apparently it was a car fire in the underground parking area. Thank goodness! I had this picture in my mind of explosions and fire which actually was a pretty intense imaginative experience... but I'm honestly glad no one was hurt. I'm pretty sure that Star Trek and the fire down the street made me really fire-happy. I've felt like blowing something up for days now, which is weird, because I am in no way a pyro. Too bad 4th of July is so far away...

Well, that's the recent scoop.

You Are Worth It.

I've had a handful of different experiences lately that have really confirmed to me of my own personal self-worth. And, as these experiences don't seem to come often enough, and I know that we can all benefit from them, I thought that I'd share a couple of them in the off chance that you might glean something from them as well.

This past week I was having a hard time with myself - you know, the normal arguments with myself about where I'm going in life, and what my focuses are at that moment. I was feeling a little down when it came to self-esteem and self-worth and had regressed in my perspective, you could say. Right at the pinnacle of these self-doubting thoughts, I had a friend bluntly tell me, "Tiffany, you're worth it. You're worth anything and everything." This friend didn't know of my struggles, and wasn't aware of my thoughts. This comment came without the knowledge of the impact it would leave on me. Oh, how grateful I am for the Lord's hand in my life, and I hope that I can bless the lives of others as my friends bless mine everyday.

Another experience was a dream I had just last night. I won't go too deep into the details of the dream.. but I think the impressions and lessons I learned from the dream are quite significant. I seem to dream the most right before I wake up in the morning... which stinks because I usually wake up before the dream concludes or before I get to the good parts. But, it can also be a good thing because often I remember the dreams quite vividly, as with this particular dream. In this dream, I was surrounded by people from my life that I consider to be rocks, people that live upstanding, worthy lives. During the dream, I didn't necessarily realize this as some of the people there seemed out of place because we aren't that close in real-life, but after I woke up, I realized that I have looked up to all of these people in my life. From this dream, I realized that God really has blessed me and surrounded me with amazing people. He has given me people to look up to and admire, and these people have all blessed my life even in the smallest, simplest of ways. I realized that I am not and will never be alone. In the dream, I had made some not so great choices with my life, but all of these people that I look up to were there and still cared about me. I was reminded that no matter what happens, I will be loved - by my family and friends, but especially by my Heavenly Father and my Savior. And, I felt a greater portion of my worth. No matter what path I choose, I am still of infinite worth and am still a daughter of a King. Nothing can change that - not a bad decision, not an attitude. Nothing. Don't worry, I'm not making any terrible choices in life, or heading off on a path into the abyss.. But we all stray. We all have moments where we get too close to the edge, and we stumble a bit and then doubt that we have the strength to get back to where we want to be. But why do we doubt ourselves??

This past Sunday, my stake held Stake Conference. It was amazing, and I learned and was reminded of so much. I feel that I have a lot of things that I want to work on improving in my life, but I won't get overwhelmed. I really felt invigorated after the conference. During the conference, Pres. Child discussed fear and self-doubt. I felt like a sponge soaking up all the words he shared with us. One thing he said really rung true with me. He mentioned how sometimes our desires do not align with our actions because of fear. I sometimes feel this way. I know that there are ways that I could better myself and my life, but for some reason I get caught up thinking that I'll never be good enough, or I can't do such and such a thing. Fear can be overpowering and consuming if we let it. President Child spoke of replacing this fear with hope and faith and perfect love (1 John 4:18). By placing our faith in the Lord and remembering our worth, we can dispel fear in our lives and live confidently.

I'm not perfect, and I'm not perfectly confident, but I have been reminded of my worth, and the love my Heavenly Father has for me. I'm thankful for the little moments and the little conversations that remind me of my own worth and cause me to "remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10). I realize that cultivating hope will dispel the fear from my life, and I know that "we learn to cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk - one step at a time."

And, so with patience and a determination to do better each day, I press on.

The Last Long Weekend..

Not gonna lie, this past weekend was hands down one of the best I've had in a long time. Unfortunately I didn't get much homework done or get enough sleep.. but I'm pretty sure it was all worth it. :)

• Friday night I went with Darin to assist in getting Natalie a Build-A-Bear for Valentine's day. It was seriously the cutest thing ever!! He got her a monkey and dressed it up like him and even recorded his voice to put inside. A-dorable. It was fun to get to help show him all the ropes and see him have such a great time putting it all together for Nat! Then I went with Dallin to an awesome Faculty Recital. His uncle is an AMAZING pianist and was accompanying a faulty tenor. It was pretty darn amazing! I had a great time and really think I should try and go to more musical stuff! I love it. Then we got ice cream at the Creamery and skipped home singing musicals :) Yup, it was great.

• Saturday I worked for 8 hours, but it wasn't all that bad. We were pretty busy because of Valentine's Day, but I had a blast as usual! Then I had many fun adventures with my dear friend Holli! We stopped by Smith's and got some groceries, and then we came home and caught up on life. I don't like that we never get to see each other... Sometimes I think it really stinks that we're both managers.. and thus hardly ever at work at the same time. Sad. Anyway! We sat and caught up on each others' lives. Eventually some of my roommates came home and we talked with them for awhile. Then some girls beneath us had a pinata and so we all went down about midnight and had a pretty good time playing baseball with the poor chicken's head. Hahaha. . . Holli and I made a gazillion (I kid you not..) cookies. I realized half-way through putting the ingredients together that I usually half the recipe. So, we just stayed up and made all the cookies. Eventually (about 4 am..) I took her home. :) Can I just say how thankful I am for Holli Klare Smith!? I love my friends so darn much. God really does bless us with angels all around us, and I have no doubt that my friends are my angels.

• Sunday was church (and Valentine's day) which was awesome. My roommates and I had dinner with a bunch of our guy friends in the ward and they gave us each a pretty rose :) How sweet, right? Then my friend Drew and I made chocolate eclair cake. Uh-mazing. Luckily there was still some left today, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But seriously. I'll have to post the recipe later, cuz this stuff is like heaven in food form. And yes, I know I'm slightly biased, but don't lie - you know you want some.

• Monday, Tasch and I worked on our presentation for our History of Math class. We have to teach for half of the class on Friday about the history of the quadratic formula. It's actually pretty awesome if you ask me. *Warning, I'm about to get pretty nerdy. Don't judge. So back in the day, and I mean like... BC times.. they didn't use mathematical symbols to write out expressions, they just wrote them out with words. And so, they didn't solve equations algebraically as we do now, they would solve them geometrically. So, this awesome Arab, whose name escapes me, probably because I couldn't pronounce it if I tried.. came up with a method for solving for x which pretty much is the same as the quadratic formula - just without considering negative numbers! Pretty awesome if you ask me, but then again, I'm weird.* Anyway, so then I came home and hung out for little while before I had to go to work again.

So, overall there are two things I've learned - long weekends are amazing, and BYU is dumb for not giving us any more this semester. Seriously. Now begins the long haul until the end of April.

Honestly though, I had so many great talks with friends this weekend. That's what I like about life - the talking and listening and learning about other people, because that's what life is all about. Our relationships are what matter most. There's just something about reminiscing about childhood, learning someone's favorite things, lending an ear and a shoulder, knowing someone cares - that makes all the trials in life somehow seem easier to bear. I'm going to try harder to show those around me how much they mean to me, because I think sometimes we forget how blessed we are - I know I sometimes do. I love my friends and family more than anything.

I'm grateful for the most amazing friends - new and old. Don't get jealous, but I have the best ones ever.

Life These Days

It's been way too long since I've actually ever written anything on here, but for some reason, I've got the urge to start blogging again. I really like writing, but sometimes I just feel like words come more easily for me through conversation then when I try to put them together on paper. So, even though I'm not so sure I'm great at this.. I'll give it a shot.

Just as a quick update of my life, I'm still living in Provo and attending Brigham Young University. I'm studying Mathematics Education, and though sometimes I wonder why I've condemned myself, I really do look forward to having my own classroom in a short couple of years! I love learning about learning, and I can't wait to help students not only learn math, but learn to love math like they didn't know they could. This semester I'm taking some GE's and thus less math classes, and so I'm not procrastinating like I did last semester. I'm really proud of how on top of everything I've stayed. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it really does feel good to study and know that I'm getting things done - sometimes even earlier than needed. I also think that life is going a little better than it did last semester, but that's a story for later. . Anyway.

When I'm not in the Talmage building, I'm working at Build-A-Bear Workshop - the best job ever. I've been an Associate Manager for almost a year, and I've worked there for almost two. At times the job can be very demanding, but overall, I really do love my job. I love my co-workers, I love the atmosphere, but most of all, I love making people happy. There's just something about seeing a smile on a little kid's face when you hand them their new best friend. It's the most fulfilling feeling! I know I get paid.. but I honestly just love going to work and losing myself in helping others. It's seriously the best feeling and the best cure to a bad day! There have been days that I have dreaded going to work whether it be because I have so much homework, or because my day just hadn't gone too well, but when I decide to put a smile on and just make other people happy, I seriously find so much happiness myself. I love helping other people! And most of all, I love the contagiousness that smiles have! Another plus of the job is that I get to see the cutest little kids everyday! It makes me so excited for the day I have some of my own!! I seriously am so excited to be a mother! Guess I should probably find myself a man first.

And I guess you might be curious about that aspect of life as well. Well, there's not much to tell. I've got a lot of great friends, but I haven't really dated anyone in awhile. And you know, that's okay. Right now I'm really not sure where life is taking me, and what paths lie ahead, but all I know is I'm having patience - patience with the Lord, patience with time, patience with myself. I'm just at a point in my life where I could choose from many different paths. I'm 21 now, and so I could serve a mission if I'd like to, which I'm not sure about. I'd like to get married, too, but I know that it'll all happen in good time. So for now, I pray for patience knowing that no matter which path I take, I'm in God's care. I'm very much the person who's always looking ahead to the future and so sometimes I have a hard time living in the moment and living for today, but lately God's just told me to have patience and to love today. This hasn't been easy for me, but I've really started to see His hand in my everyday life and in places I had never imagined before. I know that when we slow down and remember Him, our lives will be blessed. I'm not sure where my life is taking me, but I know I'm doing the right things, and so everything will be okay.

Can I just say how amazingly empty the roads are at 4 am? My friend, Holli, came over last night and I took her home way late. I guess she pretty much spent the night when she said she wasn't going to, ha. But seriously, the roads were so empty. I felt like the only person alive - it was a neat feeling. It just got me to thinking, and then for some reason, despite the fact that it was 4 in the morning, I could not get to sleep. I've kinda been in a deep thinking mood the past few days, though, so I wasn't surprised when I couldn't get to sleep. I've just had such a great appreciation and gratitude for amazing friends. I can't tell you how many times my life has been blessed recently by the encouraging words or smile of a friend. I just hope that I've been half as good of a friend as mine have been to me. I seriously am so blessed! My roommates are the biggest blessing and bring such a spirit and sweetness into our apartment and my life! There's just something about being surrounded by such amazing people - you rise up, too! They lift me higher and make me smile everyday. I don't think I've ever been surrounded by such amazing friends.. and to think, just two years ago I moved up here with no friends at all, and now Provo has become more of a home to me than I could have ever imagined. That to me is evidence that God loves us. He is the reason I'm here. If not for Him, I'd still be at U.T., and let me tell you how grateful I am that He led me here! Best decision of my life. Hands down. I've found and am still finding amazing friends, I'm learning so much, I'm strengthening my own testimony, and I'm preparing myself for the rest of my life. Sometimes I do wish I were closer to home, I've found bits of home here in the friendships I have made.

And so, that's life these days. I do crazy math problems, I build bears, I try to make someone smile everyday, and I try to be the best I can be. I've started slowing down and learning to enjoy the amazing journey that life is. There are some days where I doubt and I struggle to carry on, but I try to have faith. I'm not sure where exactly I'll be in 3 years - but this I do know. I've got amazing friends, the best family, and a Father in Heaven who loves me more than I could ever know. What amazing reassurance!

I hope something made you smile today. If not, I'll make you smile. Just do it. You won't regret it. :)

Here's some videos for ya:
Something to give you hope.
Something to remind you that you're loved.
Something to make you laugh.
Something to keep you going.

Love and Laughter,
Tiffany.