The Bakery

gour·man·dise

n.

A taste and relish for good food:

I have discovered the best bakery in Salt Lake City! Gourmandise! It's a classy-casual dining atmosphere with anything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, fresh-made pastries, desserts, cakes, cookies, and treats! Gourmandise is a full-service, family-owned restaurant and bakery that has been around for over 20 years. When you walk into the bakery it reminds you of a visit to a busting, lively European bakery and cafe.

I tried their Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandich. It is roasted chicken breast, fresh spinach leaves, roasted tomates and provolone cheese with pesto aioli on ciabattabread. Yum!

 

Voted "Best Desserts", "Best Bakery" (CitySearch & City Weekly) and "Best Quick Fix for Happiness" (City Weekley) year after year, we offer the widest selection of made-from-scratch European pastries & desserts in the Salt Lake Valley. 

Morning Shakes

Lately I've been on a health kick where I've been drinking these shakes in the morning for breakfast. My mom told me about this idea and I've been drinking them ever since. They have excellent protein and tons of fiber so it keeps you full till lunch! Here's what you need:

2 Scoops of Whey Protein

1 Cup of Milk

5 Ice Cubes

1 tablespoon of Splenda

Fruit (I prefer either blueberries or strawberries...frozen would be cheaper)

1 blender

Put it all in the blender and mix it up...and you have a shake for the road! It's delicious and great for losing weight and building lean muscle! :)

It Passes All My Understanding

Last night my friend Ryan and I had the opportunity to hear Cherie Call speak and perform. Ryan thought it was pretty funny how I knew all the songs and words she sang, but hey...when all you can listen to on the mission is gospel music...you get to know those cd's well! :)


Drawing from the simple yet defining moments of life, whether difficult or joyous, Cherie creates musical stories filled with faith that listeners can relate to... she offers her hopeful outlook in an acoustic blend that feels like a conversation between friends over mugs of steamed milk flavored with hazelnut. "Life is always going to throw some craziness your way," Cherie said. "Sometimes you have every right to feel frustrated, but you also have every right to move on and be happy. Eventually you just have to pick one or the other. When I take a good look I always notice there's so much to be thankful for in this world."


This is one of my favorite songs of hers...

I was sitting on a southbound plane,
I was buried in a magazine
When the man in the next seat over
Wanted to talk to me
He talked about the universe,
He talked about Saturn's rings
He said, "I might be an atheist,
Except for just one thing:

It passes all my understanding
How it all worked out just right
The distance that we live from the sun,
The stars that shine at night
We may prove that it was just an accident
But how did it begin?
It passes all my understanding"

I told him, "You are a scholar;
You know things that I don't know
But I believe a God in heaven Made everything below
And I know we are his children;
I've known it since I was two
But when it comes to being struck with awe,
I'm just like you

It passes all my understanding,
All the beauty we have here
From the majesty of the canyons
To a tiny baby's ear
And even when I can't believe it,
He still believes in me
It passes all my understanding"

We watched the sun set through the clouds
In a tiny little airplane window
With people sleeping all around
And I thought of how we just expect this world to be
And when the flight attendant passed me by
I threw away my magazine

It passes all my understanding,
That the Lord knows both our names
And that He made this world for everyone
That was sitting on that plane
And in spite of all of man's distractions
He offers us His peace
That passes all my understanding

Today while I was out walking and talking on the phone with my mom, a scary old man with a cane and cigarette approached me and noticed I was upset and said, "Excuse me young lady (while pointing behind me)...you left your smile back there!" He immetialy put a smile on my face and it caused me to belt out a huge laugh. He then said, "Oh, I even got your laugh back. Look at that!" Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. -Aesop

Crush

My Latest Crush

Matthew Fox In Lost

My Last Crush

Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic

Les Miserables

A few years ago my parents, Aunt Sue, Uncle Bryce, and I were in London and were able to see the musical, Les Miserables. I absolutely loved it and I finally got around to watching the movie and I fell in love with it as well! What a FANTASTIC story!

Val Jean was beat down, suffering under the cruel hand of JaVere over a petty theft committed to save his sister's life. When he finally completes 19 years of torment of work in the fields, he wanders about as an outcast of his neighbors, until taken in by a Priest. As Val Jean is caught with the expensive silverware of this rich parishioner, he stands paralyzed and afraid of his punishment. But then, the priest says that he forgot the special silver candlesticks, as well. From then on, Val Jean goes on his life journey redeemed-never stealing but always giving, and reaching out to the impoverished, hurting, and needy around him.

Val Jean is a great example of what Christ offers us. Whatever you have done, wherever you have been in your life, it is never too late. He wants us to enjoy life here on earth as we follow Him. GOD is like that priest…forgiving and offering not only the life of the sinner in return for a life of service to Him, but infinitely more than candlesticks or anything else we could imagine at the time, in this life.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.

We bow to the man who kneels. A faith is a necessity to man. Woe to him who believes in nothing. A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. To meditate is to labor; to think is to act.

Laughter is sunshine; it chases winter from the human face.

Every blade has two edges; he who wounds with one wounds himself with the other.

And then...Here is my favorite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt-IBJpEMzA

Las Vegas

I had training in Vegas for 2 weeks so I ended up living in a casino for a while. I stayed in the Rush Tower (The Golden Nugget) which was recently built and I really liked it. Each day after coming home from a long day of training, I'd go out and stuff my face with food and relax until another long day of learning! I had a fun group of people who were mostly from Reno, Nevada and we got to know eachother quite well. We usually stayed in the casino and ate at their restaurants which were fabulous. My two favorites were the Chart House which served seafood and steaks and had a huge aquarium with tropical fish and The Grotto which was an excellent Italian restaurant. It was a great experience.

                                       

These beds had pillow-top mattresses, feather down comforters, and feather down pillows! Ahh!

Lillie...she is one crazy lady.

I was able to meet up with my friend Char and meet her awesome husband! We went to a great Italian restaurant and then had gelato and shopped.

          

This pool has a 3 story clear water slide zooming through a 200,000 gallon shark tank.