Risotto Madness

I am often asked, "what is your speciality?" To be honest I don't like that question. I like all food and don't necessarily focus on one thing, but when people ask me what I like to make I will always answer RISOTTO. It is delicious and you can do so much with it.

I personally like to cook for other people and not just myself. I had offered my friend Romeo a risotto cooking lesson when I finally got settled in to my new apartment. The time came and we set a date. I mentioned it to my friend Brooke and she started inviting more people who wanted to learn. When the day arrived we had a total of 12 people invited to learn how to make risotto. We were supposed to start at 6 but these things never start on time. I had gone all out and made flank steak, southwestern chicken breasts, chile verde sausages, home made sour dough bread and roasted veggies! Everything was ready to go at 6 but we finally started at 8 and started to eat around 9.

I took my camera out of the bed room because I wanted to take some pictures but I was too busy cooking. Ben picked up the camera and started shooting pictures for me. Brooke saw how much fun it was and decided they were going to have a contest to see who could take the best and coolest picture. In my opinion Ben won, but they both had fun in the process. It was a night full of good food, good friends, and lots of laughter!!!

Life on my own, again!!

Well it is official I am the lone Johnson in Utah. JayLynn and Jake are now in Washington and I am left alone. I have to admit that I miss the kids and talking with Jay at night when she gets home from work. She was staying with me while she finished out her 2 weeks at her job. It was the closest thing to a roommate that I am going to have for a while.

I am now living in Orem and I love it!!! I am closer to work and that means I can start riding my bike again, closer to the singles ward and all of my single friends. Life is GOOD!!! Even with Jay and Jake gone I still have a great support system. I live in the same complex as my friends Brooke and Amy. We spend quite a few nights out in the hot tub and the pool relaxing. We have been making all sorts of new friends that also live in the apartments. With school starting at UVU and BYU this week there have been a lot of new move in's! We met a very nice young man named Ben one night while soaking in the hot tub. He is a lot of fun and likes to cook so we invited him to a risotto party at my place. A few days later we met another nice young man named Kyle. He is going to UVU and was a swimmer in high school and was giving me all sorts of great swim workouts. I plan on using them to get in the best shape of my life.

Work is trying at times but because of the great friends I work with we all support each other to get through the day with smiles on our faces. Even thought we see each other all day long we still enjoy getting together and watching movies, playing games and of course eating. We had a nacho libre party a few weeks ago and I decided I would live the rest of my life happy and content if I never saw that movie again. It is one of those movies you love to quote but d0n't NEED to watch over and over. Adam is a big time cyclist and Marco is a runner so they both wear STRETCHY PANTS (said with a Spanish accent) that is the big joke right now. I realize that I was blessed to have Jay's family down here with me but that is was time for them to go and me to move on with my life. I have been equally blessed with the new family of friends that I have been given to uplift and support me in their absence. I only hope I can do for them what they do for me.