New adventure!!!!.....cooking

Ok so everyone knows I love making and designing things! which good news ( for me anyway ) I have been doing pretty well with my booth at quilted bear! I am very excited! So in true Martha Stewart fashion I have decided to become a better, more rounded (....I meant that strictly in an experience 'rounded' way not my figure lol....) cook. I have been gathering recipes for a long time and finally took the plunge!

PF Chang's has AMAZING lettuce wraps that I've been craving so why not look into lettuce wrap recipe's and try it right?!! So that was my first brave attempt and cooking! OH MY GOODNESS YUMMY YUMMY!!! I'm including the recipe I found on one of my all time favorite websites and it calls for random Asian ingredients that I just found at Wal-mart. Go easy on the soy sauce it was a little salty so I am tweaking the next batch a bit but all and all a definite keeper for my little recipe tin! Enjoy!!! side note I cut out the sherry and the mushroom's and they were still very very yummy!!!! yummy yummy! lol

PF CHANGS LETTUCE WRAPS

Ingredients:

8 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons water

salt and pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, minced

5 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, minced

2 small dried chilis (optional)

1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, minced

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, minced

1 package cellophane Chinese rice noodles, fried in oil for a minute or two (until they puff up)

Cooking Sauce:

1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Iceberg lettuce "cups" leaves OR

Bibb lettuce leaves or other leaf lettuce

Directions:

Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince mushrooms. Set aside. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minuts. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilis (if desired), and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened. and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.

Few hawaii pics...from my phone

Look at me I'm actually updating my blog frequently!!! Mars you should be so proud! I just got back to Utah from Hawaii. Sorry to everyone I didn't get to see in AZ. I was sooooo busy getting things together for my booth that I didn't have much time to visit! I'll be in town in less than 3 weeks for Christmas!! YIPPEE

The Arizona Memorial on O'ahu. Not bad for a phone pic right?

One of the gorgeus beaches on O'ahu. Kate and Erik live on Schofield Base (20 minutes from the beach!) So don't worry I'll have a ton of pictures up soon! : )

hahahaha....as we walked up the Waikiki shopping strip we saw this restaurant sign! oh I love it....we did not eat there but it was a great name for a restaurant!

Homemade last minute costume!

This is my last minute $12 dollar halloween costume! haha it was awesome!!! I had these fake gold lashes too! Just ignore the fact that I'm in the bathroom!! hahaha!

My friend Holly and I at the Skillet concert! We got our tickets for $10 bucks and had soooooooo much fun! I LOVE SKILLET!

Fun new crafty stuff!

Here's some stuff I just finished the last few days! Taken with my phone camera so that's why they are sideways and not great quality but you get the just of it! lol

Glass Block holiday decoration

(missing a votive lol) Candle holder

I love this print! it was soooo fun to create!

I added ribbon and a few jewels to the glass votive!

I have my booth mostly set up. It is a lot of work! sheesh!!! I've pulled a few all nighters to try and get stuff done before I leave for Hawaii next week!!!!! woohoo!!! Anyway I'm still working on some Christmas card designs, and jewelry, and some other things! I'll post pictures up here when I get it all set up in my booth!! : )

Gotta love the Home Depot!

I now have a booth at the Quilted Bear!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!! I'm so excited and terrified!!! I'll be posting stuff on here as well once i get my booth all set up. I'll be in serious need of opinions!!! Anyway.......sooooooo I'm at Home Depot getting shelving and some things for my booth and since I live in a College town of course there are A LOT of single guys working at Home Depot! I was asked if I needed any help at least a dozen times! And then I was also asked if I found everything I needed at least another dozen times!! CLASSIC! I picked up an awesome addition for my bathroom!! : ) I'm so funny! take care all!

Hey Everyone!

Well I was planning on deleting my blog. but i never could figure it out! Oh well. Anyway update on me....first day of snow in utah!!! brrrr!!!! I've been working on so many different things! I have some of my crafts posted on Etsy.com. I'm posting pictures of stuff here! You all have probably seen all of it....sorry!! well not the latest thing I've posted because I just finished it saturday! It's probably my new favorite thing! Stay tuned for more fun crafty stuff! If anyone wants to know how I made anything just ask. I don't mind. Or just order one from me lol. Ok I'm not trying to sell my stuff. I miss everyone!! I hope everyone is doing great! I'm still working full time and going to school. No fun stories about guys. I just got promoted or....I just got the chance to also work with all my companies accounting along with my other responsibilities at work. I love being artsy though. That's why I relentlessly post pictures of things I've made. I love you all. I need to get some fun updated pictures of me up here. O halloween is soon....I'll be checking out everyone's blog to see the fun costumes! haha I did find one funny picture! a while back I went with some friends to Lagoon and we took those awesome western photos!

Love,

Bri

This is the latest and greatest....crappy picture but it says 'To love to laughter to happily ever after' oh so cute!!!!

This is one of the things I made for Katie's wedding reception. It fit right in next to the AWESOME guest book i made! haha!! It was sooooo much fun helping Kate 'crafty-up' the wedding! I was able to design and make the actual invitations, guest-book, and this table decoration. I also demanded that I get to take the engagement photos which are on my photo blog and some of the actual wedding shots! It was a blast!

deleting my blog

Hey all I'm deleting my blog so if you guys need to get in touch you can email me.
Thanks,
Me

New stuff for sale!

New Stuff for sale and customized!

Granted they aren't the best pictures and I should be ashamed at that for sure!! The jewelry is something new I haven't been able to find...well hopefully I'm not a copycat. It is a message in a bottle necklace. I'm trying to get the word out on them so let me know if anyone wants one custom made. color, message, length you can email me at brianne.carroll@yahoo.com for them. Also for the custom made clear block...I don't have a name for them yet but I can do baby announcements on them, weddings, anniversaries, graduation...wow I hate sounding like a salesperson but hey I should share my crafty curse with anyone I can : ) I finally got courageous and just applied for a spot at quilted bear so I'm crossing my fingers that you will all be able to see my stuff there!!! Love you guys! I don't even think anyone looks at my blog but oh well!

Latest loves of my life! ha

I posted these photos on my photo blog but I love them so much I wanted to add them here as well. The City Scapes are in New York actually and I finally got around to enlarging the photos and framing them. I'm spoiled with plenty of artwork on my walls so let me know if anyone wants copies as well. I'm going out to the new Draper, Utah temple this weekend to take photos. My Dad has requested some pictures of the Salt Lake Temple so if any of you have requests let me know. I'll be in Arizona in a few weeks!

Memorial day tradition

Every Memorial day since I moved to Arizona....13 years....good grief....my Mom's side of the family gets together for a pancake breakfast and launching water balloons! It was a pain in the butt to get us kids up early...ha it's at 7am...that to me is sleeping in now! Well anyway I never realized how lucky I am to know and be close friends to my cousins and Aunts and Uncles. Most of my friends who check out this blog are my cousins and relatives. I love you all and am so thankful that my parents made the effort to get together with family so often! Here are some highlights of the weekend. Love you all!

My Dad...the original Launcher lol....

Look out!

Too cute to not capture.

BBQ

Our friend Landon has been deployed so we had a going away BBQ. It was perfect weather up in the canyon. Gotta love perfect weather, good friends, and BBQ!!

Ok this isn't the most flattering picture of me but it's so funny I can't help but post it up here!!

Left picture obviously me and my room mate Lecsi, right picture is Brett.

Lindsay posing! Work it girl

Guest of honor and chef extrodinar...I hope I spelt that right. ha...Landon Selin. We'll miss him and pray for him to be kept safe. See you in Feb 2009!!!! : )

Here's the money shot of my mug! ha Lecsi is always graceful...I should take pointers lol

Oh and I can't forget this one! How I wish that bike was mine! I took it as a personal duty to see how cute I looked on the bike though...not too shabby!

Spring Break Fun

Spring Break time! My room mate Lecsi and I came down to Az. Man it was hotter than Hades! It was still snowing in Utah when we left. We had fun hanging out down town old Main street with the statues and had fun hanging out by the pool pretty much all weekend! We went to a car show as well....oh what I wouldn't give to drive any one of those cars!!!! oh man!! I love the sound of a big block engine in a beautiful old car. : ) maybe one day I'll have one

Cr8ive

So these aren't the newest things I've made or painted but I thought I'd add some pictures. Especially for Marisa who I've scared half to death. I love you Mars! : ) I miss you Mars! It's currently snowing which means I'm stuck inside trying to stay warm and since conference is so relaxing to listen to I'll be finishing more art projects...including editing photos I took for Marisa! lol. Hope everyone is doing great!

Fun fun fun

This past weekend my room mate Lecsi, and our friend Annie and Mori went out. We had lots of fun and took lots of goofy pictures....thought I'd post something so I could update my blog. lol

Painting....uh oh

For an art design class I decided to try something new and try oil painting. It's due Monday so if you guys could give me input that'd be awesome. The assignment was to take a song rythm and put it to art. I chose a song called pieces by the band Red. It starts off classical and the middle is more emotional with the ending being classical music again. so....tell me what you think!! : ) It really doesn't look like something died too bad does it lol.....oops