Busy

June was super fun and busy, and I can't believe it's already July. I was gone for most of June and now I'm not going anywhere for the rest of summer. I know I said I probably wouldn't post anything after school got out, but this is exactly why I said PROBABLY haha. I have decided that I'll just post some shorter updates here and there to keep up with what I've been up to or to share a cool idea or recipe.

I went to Lake Powell again the Monday after school got out. A couple of friends and family members  are leaving on missions this summer (my cousin Braeden leaving this week, friend Ashley left June 19, and ward member CJ leaving in August) and wanted one last trip before they have to go. We did a lot of tubing, boating, swimming, cliff jumping, playing volley ball and horse shoes, and doing other random fun things.

Two days after I got home from Powell, I left for Girls Camp. This was my fourth year, so I got to go on an overnight backpacking trip (it was really easy but also really fun). Then I was at camp for a couple days doing the usual things such as crafts and attending fireside devotionals.

I left early to pack for my next adventure; St. Kitts with the Waugh family!!! We went to the beach every day, toured St. Kitts and Nevis, tried new things, went jet skiing, went snorkeling, and of course got sunburned! It was a blast and I really enjoyed being with my friends. Oh and my camera broke so I won't be able to take as many pictures. :( I will just have to find a new one or another way to do what I love.

June was super fun and the only downer was that I missed a lot of soccer and workouts. I'll just have to work extra hard to get back where I was and keep improving. Now I'm in town for the rest of summer so I will have plenty of time to do that. :)

Until the next time I find myself bored enough to reflect on what I've been doing,

Sophie

The Season is Here

I'm sure some of you may have noticed that I almost completely stopped talking about soccer, and you're probably wondering why. We thought that the season would start in the middle of March, but our coach kept telling us the wrong dates since the schedule wasn't finalized at that point. Then, in early April, the season was supposed to start, but our first three games were cancelled and rescheduled due to bad weather. We finally got to a really late start at the end of April.

The season didn't start out the way we would have liked, but there are many contributing factors. The fact that we don't have a goalie or enough girls on our team is our biggest problem. To make up for our lack of players, a couple girls from the U13 team are playing up. They are pretty good and help a lot, but they are a lot smaller than fifteen year-olds and they have to play their own games in addition to ours.

Our last game was particularly hard because we played with only ten players half the time (there are usually 11 on the field, plus multiple subs). The U13 girls had a game at the same time as us, so they couldn't help us out and our coach had to coach them. Our old coach, Bob, coached us instead. Everyone was super excited for him to coach us again. We started the game without subs and then a girl twisted her ankle in the middle of the game. As expected, we didn't win that game, but we played well and had a lot of fun with Bob coaching us.

So far we haven't won any of our games, but we are getting better at playing as a unit and I am excited to see how we get better throughout the season. Considering all the disadvantages our team faces, we are doing pretty well and have improved a lot.

Gracie's soccer ball with mine.
Gracie has had a headache for about 6 weeks, pray for her to get better!

Disappointment & Frustration

Spring in most places is an exciting time because the weather gradually gets warmer and summer is approaching quickly. However, spring in Park City is frustrating and disappointing. I say this because the weather just can't seem to make up its mind about what season it is. One week the temperature will reach the sixties and then it will plummet to the thirties two days later. The snow melts when it's warm and then starts dumping again when it's cold.

This year has been especially messed up (I can't think of any other way to put it). Park City had an awful snow year, so everyone was excited when temperatures started rising and snow started melting. Then, out of nowhere, a giant snowstorm came and destroyed all hope of warm weather. We would be grateful for the snow at any other time, but it's a little harsh when the weather taunts us. The past week was a perfect example of this.

Here are some pictures I took on four consecutive white days on my way back from seminary:

Last Tuesday
4/2/13

Last Thursday
4/4/13

Monday
4/8/13

Wednesday
4/10/13

The delay of spring isn't the only thing making me disappointed and frustrated. My first soccer game was supposed to be on Monday, but it was rescheduled due to an unexpected snowstorm. Also, in my last post, I talked about my elbow hurting and making it hard to workout. It has been a few weeks since it has bothered me, but for some reason the pain came back on Tuesday at CrossFit Club. I still don't know what I did to hurt it, but it feels very unstable. Hopefully I'll be able to see a doctor and get it figured out soon!

Sunsets

I recently realized that when I first started my blog I said that I wanted to blog mainly about soccer, cooking, AND photography. My posts are frequently about food and soccer, and I have hardly done anything about photography whatsoever. So here is my first photography post (hopefully there will be more to come).

I love taking pictures of just about anything, but what I do definitely isn't planned. I really enjoy capturing random moments with friends and family or scenic views in nature. Registration was this week and I kind of wanted to take a photography class so I could improve my capability of taking clear, high quality pictures. The problem is that I don't have room in my schedule for anything other than orchestra, seminary, and Spanish. I guess I'll just have to wait until next year.

Over the past year, I have been taking pictures from a specific spot at my house. Whenever there is a pretty sunset, I jump up and sprint to our back porch that has a beautiful view of the pond in our backyard. Each sunset is different, so I take the picture where I can capture the best parts and it's not always the exact same spot. However they are close enough that when I put the pictures side-by-side you can see the similarities and differences. It is amazing to see how beautiful each one is. It has now been a full year, so you can see what my backyard looks like in each season.

This is my pond sometime last spring

This was taken last summer

This was also last summer

This was last fall

This was just last week

In my opinion, all of these scenes are beautiful in different ways. Some of them are beautiful because of the vibrant colors. Others for their exquisite cloud formations. Some simply because they are peaceful. I think it's amazing how much nature changes.

I have really liked taking pictures of my pond, and I plan on continuing whenever I see something amazing. I've thought for a while that it would be really cool and interesting to take a picture from the same spot at the same time of day for a few weeks. Or even taking one every hour of just one day. You could really see how the clouds move and how quickly the scene changes. I would like to try doing one of these things sometime this summer when I don't have to worry about homework.

The Perfect Snack

Who doesn't reach for a granola bar when they're hungry before a sports practice? I know I do, and that's why I had wanted to try making my own granola bars for weeks. I finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago. I was rather surprised with how well they turned out and I had a blast making them. My favorite thing about making my own granola bars was that I could choose the ingredients.

The original recipe I used was found on For the Love of Cooking. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp salted butter, plus more for pan
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup cut pecans
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x9 glass baking dish. Set aside.
2. Spread oats, almonds, and pecans in a baking sheet pan. Toast in oven for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
3. While that is in the oven, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
4. When the oat mixture is done, remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees.
5. Immediately add oat mixture to honey mixture. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Spread into the prepared glass baking dish evenly, and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
8. Cut into squares or bars and wrap individually with saran wrap. Store for up to a week.

Finished product :)

These were extremely delicious and they were the perfect snack whenever I got hungry. The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute almost any of the ingredients with ones you like better.

Let me know if you try this out with different ingredients!

Outdoor Practice

My friend wore ski goggles to make fun of the fact that we had practice outside and there's snow on the ground!

This week we had our first outdoor practice since the fall season. Up until this point, we have been training indoors at the Basin Recreation Field House. Our time there has been helpful, but space is limited and the season is approaching so we need to start practicing where there is more space. Lucky for us, one of the fields at Quinn's Junction is cleared every winter for our use. Practicing outside in February is almost as crazy as it sounds. It's usually below freezing and you find your muscles sufficiently frozen by the time practice is over. As you probably know, running outside when it's cold sucks. I don't think there is any other way to put it. Breathing becomes nearly impossible, your nose won't stop running, and your muscles are about ten times harder to move. In short, running is the last thing you want to be doing.

I had been dreading outdoor practices for about two weeks because of the experiences I had last year with them. When the day finally came and we were forced to play outside, I was pleasantly surprised that it was almost forty degrees! It was still cold, but it was sunny and much warmer than I anticipated so I was happy. However there are a few things that I completely forgot about since last year and I will need to prepare my bag accordingly. It completely slipped my mind that tissues, gloves, and hats are essential for practicing in February weather. I learned my lesson and I am going to keep those things in my bag from now on. Luckily it was a warmish day, so it wasn't a bad day to forget these things on.

Although our first practice was warm, I have convinced myself that we just got lucky and we won't be seeing warm weather for a while. Future practices are bound to be much colder, but I am excited for the upcoming season and I know that enduring the cold will be worth it!

Team Night!

What happens when a girls soccer team gets together outside of soccer? You start to see the real colors of each girl. Who's energetic and outgoing, and who's timid and shy. As my coach says, "It's team building." My coach is a firm believer in getting to know each other outside of soccer, so we have team night once a month.

My crazy team

Last weekend, we had our second team night. We had dinner and watched She's the Man at my house. I have known most of the girls on my team for quite a while now, but I still find it rather amusing to see how they react to certain things. Plus, just about everything anyone says is hilarious to someone on the team because teenage girls are fluent in the language of Sarcasm. There were three very funny instances throughout the night.

The first noteworthy thing that happened was when my team discovered that I have a pet bird and he flies around the house. It's funny enough when one of my friends witnesses him flying for the first time, but when an entire team of clueless girls finds out, it's priceless. Many people screamed, ducked, and were on edge for the next few minutes. Surprisingly, my coach seemed more afraid of him than almost anyone on my team. When this happened, I was laughing so hard I couldn't stand.

My bird, Ollie.
Photo courtesy of Caroline Wagner.

The second was when I pulled out my popcorn maker. My family doesn't make popcorn in the microwave, we have have a different kind of machine that eliminates the risk of burning it. A few girls on my team had never seen one before and they quickly became entranced with how it worked.

I love how easily entertained they all are :)

The last thing was watching the movie as a team. Specifically my team's reaction to the movie. Almost every girl on my team was obsessed with Channing Tatem and it was hilarious to hear their comments throughout the movie. Another funny thing about watching the movie was how everyone reacted to a kissing scene. Again, my coach's reaction was the best. Every time someone kissed, he would single me out and say, "Sophie! Close your eyes! Don't worry it's almost over!" I couldn't stop laughing every time this happened.

I love spending time with my team and I can't wait for our next team night!

The Comforts of Home

Before leaving on my cruise to South America, everyone always told me how great the food on cruise ships is.  They were right, the food was phenomenal, but no matter how good the food is, it's possible to get tired of buffet food and four-course meals.  Near the end of the cruise, I found myself craving simple things that I eat at home.  (Such as fruit, bread, crackers, and other simple yet delicious snacks!) This week I was happy to finally get to make and eat whatever food I wanted.  Trying new, gourmet food is great, but eating familiar foods can be even better.

One comfort food I had multiple times throughout the week was hot chocolate.  I was craving hot chocolate multiple times over break but never had any.  Plus, the climate differences between Buenos Aires and Park City are extreme, so the transition took me a while to get used to.

Thursday night, for once, I didn't have very much homework.  I decided to make a treat for my seminary class since the semester ended Friday and many people would be switching into a different class.  I made Rice Crispy Treats with Captain Crunch Berries in them.  Something my cousin often makes when we have family get-togethers.  My seminary class loved them and my family was very pleased when I had extras to bring home.

Rice Crispy Treats!

On Friday night, my mom and I were trying to think of creative dinner ideas involving chicken.  I know it's random, but it's true.  I found a recipe on For the Love of Cooking that looked fun and delicious so we decided to try it out.  We made chicken taco cups by putting tortillas in a muffin tin and putting the chicken inside.  It was delicious and is something I would like to try again in the future.

1. Butter the muffin tin and place small flour tortillas (cut in half) inside.

2. Put whatever kind of meat and cheese you want inside
3. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes

4. Enjoy! (We ate them with salsa, guacamole, and tortilla chips)

We also had a beautiful fruit salad on the side

Eating any food I wanted whenever I wanted to was something that made my chaotic finals week just a little bit better.

Visit For the Love of Cooking for a more detailed recipe.

"Operation Cookie"

My friends and I always have a hard time figuring out what we want to do when we hang out. Recently, whenever we don't know what to do, we have baked some sort of dessert. Cookies, brownies, muffins, we'll make anything as long as we have the ingredients, it doesn't look too hard, and we can find a recipe for it. We get some of our recipes from the cookbook Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen.

The friend that I cook with most often also has an obsession with Batman. I try not to become obsessed with anything, but I admit I have become much more fond of the Batman movies because of this friend. Ever since The Dark Knight Rises came into theaters last summer, my friend and I have wanted to make Batman sugar cookies. A couple of weeks ago, we finally got around to it. We had a lot of fun with the frosting!

Batman Cookies!!!!!

My friend and I are really slow at everything we do together because our work is hindered by our laughter. Decorating these cookies took us so long that we got together multiple times to finish what we started. We named the whole thing "Operation Cookie." After decorating so many Batman-related things, we decided to decorate other cookies as well. To make "Operation Cookie" more interesting and unique, we made the most random things we could think of. It's a good thing that there's still room for creativity and you don't have to be a genius to make sugar cookies.

Our other creations

Sugar Cookies 
1 cup real butter (no substitutions!) at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or other flavor of your choice, like vanilla)
3 C flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled (don’t scoop it!)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  A very important note: It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. Never, ever use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour.  Use a regular sized spoon and spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.

 Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour, or use this great tip to make things easier:

When your dough is made, instead of putting it in the fridge, immediately roll  between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper and then place on a flat surface in the fridge.  Chill for about 20-30 minutes and then start cutting it out.  This way it chills faster and the bonus is that you don’t need to add extra flour to roll it out.  If you don’t use this tip, proceed as follows:

When you’re ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. The baking time really depends on how you like them. If you like themreally and slightly chewy, about 8-9 minutes does it. If you like them slightly crisp and buttery, then go for 10-12.

(Recipe from: Our Best Bites Cookbook)