Ollie's Blessing

On sunday we were able to have Ollie blessed at church. It was such a beautiful day and we were so lucky to have friends and family from all over join us to celebrate! Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures until the day was almost over, so this is what I have to show for it...

I am going to have Kent take some pictures of Ollie in his blessing outfit so you can see him later. It was fun to celebrate with people that we don't get to see as often as we would like. It is amazing that you can live only 20 minutes away from family or friends and it takes a major event to even get to see them! So thanks for all that made it and we missed those that couldn't come-maybe next time!
The blessing was wonderful. I am always so in awe of the power of the priesthood. What an amazing blessing in our lives! I am grateful for a husband who holds and honors his priesthood and can bless our children (and me) in these times and in other times that we need it. This was the first time we have blessed one of our boys at church, so it was a new experience for us. Those visiting our ward had a treat- we just split our ward 2 weeks ago, and we are in the small, still growing, very young ward. We just left a more established ward and had 240 women in relief society, and almost 200 kids in primary, so we are now considerably smaller. But on sunday, we had 5 baby blessings and 1 confirmation, so the place was packed! it was even more full than the fullest days before the split. So between the blessings, confirmation, and about 10 minutes of new callings, there were only 5 minutes left for testimonies. It seemed to be the shortest sacrament meeting ever.
The highlight to any party, in my opinion, is the food, and we were really feasting this time! Thanks to all that provided food for us! I stole this picture of Amy eating a tart from her mom's blog- thanks! I promised recipes from the food, so here they are...

Kahlua Pork- 7 lbs. Boston Butt Roast (Pork Shoulder- just a different way to cut it, but the regular cut works) 2 T. Hawaiian Salt (Get it at ethnic food stores- one called Many Lands in provo by the hospital) 2 T. Liquid Smoke (By the BBQ sauce at the grocery store) Place pork in crock pot. Cover with salt and pat into skin. Pour liquid smoke over top. Cook on low heat 12-18 hours, unplug 1 hour before serving. Shred with forks and serve.
My note- I made 15 lbs and served 45 people. It is a really cheap and simple thing to make and serve- and is incredibly delicious!

Fruit Salad (made by my mother in law) Any selection of fruit you may like- we had grapes, bananas, strawberries, nectarines, blueberries, and blackberries Sauce: 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c. sugar 1/3 c. lemon juice 1 Tablespoon butter In saucepan, combine egg, sugar, lemon juice, and butter. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place in a different bowl to cool (place in the fridge). Just before serving, add 1 Tablespoon of milk and whip until well mixed. Pour over prepared fruit.



Tart Shells 1 c. plus 2 T. butter 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1 Tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon almond flavor 3 c. plus 3 Tablespoons flour Mix all ingredients. Press into any shape tart tins that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees until they are browned.
My note- they have been taking me about 15 minutes to cook. You don't want them white because they will break when you remove them from the tins. They need to be somewhat browned. Also- you can just put canned pie filling in to finish them, or you can try some of my favorite fillings below...


Lemon Tart Filling
1 c. sugar 2 T. flour 3 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt 1 1/2 c. water 2 lemons
2 Tablespoons butter 4 egg yolks, beaten

Juice and zest lemons.
In medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, corn starch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice, and zest. Cook over med-hi heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.
Place egg yolks ina small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 c. of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour into baked shells.

Chocolate Tart Filling
1 c. sugar 2 T. unsweetened cocoa 2 T. flour
1 pinch salt 2 egg yolks 1 c. milk
1 T. butter

IN a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Mix well, then stir in egg yolks and milk. Whisk until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is consistency of pudding. Stir vanilla and butter into custard. Pour into baked shells.

Fresh Strawberry (or Peach) Pie Filling
1 c. sugar 2 T. cornstarch 2 c. water
1- 3oz pkg. coordinating jello 1-2 pints fresh fruit

Stir sugar and cornstarch together. Add water and bring to a rapid boil. Stir in Jello. Cool and pour over fruit in pie shell.