Duh Duh Doughnuts.

Hey, everyone! So this morning I was totally craving doughnuts. It might have been because I used to eat at least one doughnut at work every other day or so or because I watched an episode of "Unwrapped" on Food Network all about doughnuts this morning. So I did what any girl that didn't want to leave home would do, Pinterest! I found a few recipes but none of them seemed that great and I don't have a thermometer for oil... so I continued searching until I found a great recipe for a baked doughnut. Luckily, Sean likes making bread, so we had some yeast around the house. Here's the recipe, if you wanna try it out.

First came the dough:

First, I had to whip up the dough and then let it rise for an hour. Easy peasy. While I waited, I watched Clueless. Great movie!

Then the dough was cut and let to rise again. like it does.

Then some time in the oven and BLAM! awesomeness.

 I don't have powdered sugar so I had to find another way to make a glaze. I found this recipe and then got to work whipping it all together. turns out, these puppies are SO GOOD.  Then just a dash of cute sprinkles and then gobble them all up! 

YUM! oh, and kitty just loves the smell of fresh homemade donuts and the cool breeze of the fan. What a cute kitty! 

Hope everyone has a sunny spring week!

love, Ellen

just another new year blog.

This was the craziest year, let's be honest. It flew by and i'm all the better for it.
I think i'll go by month.

New Years last year i spent watching crappy music videos with old friends. Then, in January, I met the Donner boys (Brady and Sean) at a party I held for myself for my half birthday. We also hung out at a game of broom ball that same month (at which I met Jeremiah, their younger brother) and, because I liked them so much, i invited our entire ward to an after-party at Village Inn. Later that month, Sean and I started hanging out. Also, my second year of college started.

On February 7th, Sean sent out the ghost of Paul Revere to tell the world we were dating. The next week was Valentines. The best Valentines I've ever had because I spent it with Sean. That month, we continued dating. I gained a best friend and trusted accomplice.

March is a funny story. the beginning wasn't that much of interest... but Sean's birthday was on the 20th and we celebrated. The week after that, though, we went to Phoenix. It really was a terrible trip, his family will attest to it, but it's a great story now. Here's a rundown of it . So that i don't have to type it all out.

April. Sean and I exchanged mixes, went to the zoo and to our favorite place, the Dinosaur Museum. And Sean and I continued to fall in love (combined awwwww. and... go.)

May. We visited a meat parade, took a fun day-trip to Moab, and Abby had a birthday (shout hooray)

June. We saw Jay Mohr at Wiseguys and busted a gut, bought a record player, and I got some gnarly bruises from a children's playground toy, and went to a super rad Motion City Soundtrack concert with Brady and The Front Bottoms and The Henry Clay People opened for them.

July. the best month. We saw Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and saw some fireworks. On my birthday we saw Foster the People in concert. Sean bought a car (for realz). The next day, we drove it to the Dinosaur museum. We went in and Sean proposed to me in the starry tunnel after the kids stopped running around in it. Adorable. That day, we drove up to bountiful and to logan and all around to show off our new engagement. SO great. We set the date for October 5th. Also that month, i packed up to move, and picked out my dress.

In August, I moved out of my old apartment and into our cozy new apartment, picked out our invites, and school restarted. I was waving my ring finger about like it was nobody's business. Also, we had out engagement pictures done. And Sean started his new job at Adobe.

September. I had some bridal showers and got some awesome stuff. Sean and I took our first of 2 trips to Minnesota for his friends Marcus and Whitney's wedding. 2 entire days were spent just driving. It was fun and cute! We got our marriage licence while there, also. When we got home from our journey, we got a kitten. so cute and fun back then... less fight-y.

October was the biggest month. We drove so much back to Minnesota and got ready for the wedding. Our families met and we set up. We got married in the St. Paul, MN temple on the 5th, had our reception in the Mankato ward building and then we had our honey moon in Mankato and Keystone, South Dakota where we visited Mt. Rushmore and had fun. When we got back, we had a couple days to catch up on things and then we had another reception in Bountiful which was gorgeous and fun. It was a month to remember. Also, Halloween where we carved pumpkins and had candy and it was great.

November. I went to school, Sean went to work. Thanksgiving was tons of fun and delicious. it was really a relaxing month, just what we needed after october.

December flew by. We saw The Hobbit 3 times (our 4th was last night... so it doesn't count for December). I finished the semester of School and hung out at home for most of the break. We had some Christmas parties and stuff and i wrote an adorable blog about our wedding. For New Years, we went to Heber City and just enjoyed each others company instead of going to a party. boring.

I'm excited for 2013. It's gonna be fun. Sean's and my first entire year of being married. Yay! This year, we're hoping to move up to Davis County, start saving for a real house, and maybe visiting Phoenix again or somewhere. I'm excited.

Thanks for another year of listening to me ramble or whatnot.
love, ellen

Youthful Energy

i have some. i actually have a lot. of both. Maybe not in equal proportions, but they're both there.

Turns out, i'm an incredible dancer. I won 3rd place at the 80's stake dance last night because i can really shake it. too bad i had to shake it to some weird "pop" music (whatever that is...) song. but i'm still awesome. i got a pack of victory tropical skittles. and a bunch of high-5's and a self-confidence boost. and a whole lot of day-after soreness. like paralyzing soreness. but it was still fun!

I hate to say it, but i'm kinda embarrassed about my age... all of the people in my ward are older than me and a lot of my classmates are older than me. All i have are class of 2011 sweatshirts and they screeeaaammm "Look how young I am!!" "I have no real-life experience!" "I'm a noooob!" and "So thaat's why she's not _____" fill-in-the-blank. maybe with "interested in dating me because i'm [probably] looking for an eternal companion."

man. my dishwasher is looouuud. i can hardly hear Titanic. yeah.. it's the only thing on tv. boooo no direct tv.. whatever. at least i have one. i cleaned the bathroom today. and mopped the floor in the kitchen. yay. oh and i hung out with erchap. it was rad. we ate some magnificent pizza and went to the mall for a spell and chilled and chatted. and looked at pics of Carl. yeah... i have a huge crush on him.

my head is singing "We watched Titanic and it didn't make us sad!" over and over because i'm watching it and i'm not sad a: because i don't get sad easily, 2: i can't hear it (as aforementioned) c: I love Leo DiCaprio a mill and he will never die to me. and when he does for real, i will be most sad. that is when i'll cry. possibly. or not... because i don't know him and i don't cry. Not heartless, just doesn't cry.

YAY! HAllowEEN Is COMING!! yay. yayaaayyyyyaaaay! it's my fave. and, and, i love how much candy i can buy for less. i'm gonna get a lot and then eat it over the span of till christmas. probably. oh. and i'm hungry now. I even ate 2 WHOLE pieces of pizza and lunch! and a bowl of oatmeal! blah blah.

oh, and if you want a shot of happiness with your morning coffee. or whatever you drink.. go to here and say "awww!" and "cuuuute!" and other things like that. seriously, it makes me so so happy.

that's all, she wrote.
-elle