Enter As Strangers, Leave As Friends

80s Night - Part Deux

2008-05-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

You know how some couples have two wedding receptions to accommodate guests from different areas? Same idea. Think of this month's FHE as our downtown reception... if our wedding had an 80s theme.

Shad and Stacie are kindly hosting the bash at their place - (address in email) at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 19th.

For details on activities, check the post below. For inspiration on all things style and big bangs, please consult the photo.

Total "Boss"Ness - As Promised

2008-04-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

We're totally looking forward to this month's 80s night. We've spent the evening researching the greatest 80s trivia, television, games, food and tunes. I even double checked the playlist for authenticity - and believe you me, no song that didn't make it on the scene before January 1, 1990 made the cut. I know, it's totally bogus that Salt n' Pepa didn't get "Shoop" on an earlier album. That stroke of musical genius didn't hit until the early 90s. Trust me, a 90s party is in the works purely to accommodate that tune. But I digress...

Hopefully you've all saved the date from you totally rad slap bracelets. But in case you've been sporting your neon goodness all week and your sweaty wrists destroyed the info, here are all the details you'll need to get your 80s on:

Monday, April 21 @ 6:30 p.m.
To carpool - meet at the church at 6:15 p.m.
4763 S. Meadowview Rd. (300 East) - Stephen Kasteler's parents' home (there are too many of us to fit in our little places! We hope you'll make the trip, the more the merrier!)

Wear your most righteous 80s ensemble (the bigger the bangs, the better), brush up on all things 80s (there will be prizes!), get ready to view a priceless episode of your fav. 80s sitcom and if you can, bring an "80s" snack to share. Hope to see you there!

Calling All Runners

2008-04-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hey!

If anyone is interested in putting together a running group - nothing too intense, maybe 2-4 miles 3X/week - RaeShell is hereby prepared to be your inspiration :). She's interested in running with a partner/group a few times per week in the mornings. Feel free to contact Rae if you're feeling like it's getting close to swimsuit season and that freaks you out a little because you've been hiding under sweaters all winter... just me?

In the interest of not posting personal info for the whole world to observe, hopefully you know how to get in touch with Rae! If not, snag me and I'll connect you with Runnin' Rae.

So, We're Doing WHAT?

2008-03-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our apologies to everyone for just now sending this information. Truth be told, we weren't even sure until this very morning what the plan was for tomorrow.

When we realized St. Patrick's Day fell on a Monday, we thought - "that's easy enough, we'll just have a St. Patty's Day Party." It wasn't until we wracked our brains trying to figure out what we'd actually DO for the party, however, that we realized we didn't have a clue what to do. We checked a few Irish traditions web sites, and contemplated but ultimately vetoed such options as...

Place a snail in the hollow between two plates and watch for the slime trail to see a meaningful shape.

On the way to and from the gathering play tricks- take the wheels off of carts and place them on roof tops. Take Cabbages. Paint a man sleeping by the roadside.

Go door to door masked (a guiser) and ask for funds for the Halloween party. You may take clubs and sticks and invoke the name of Colum Kill saying: "lay aside the fatted calf and bring forth the black sheep." Blow horns to announce that you are coming disguise your voice and chant your request.

(All actual suggestions from a site. I'm sure these traditions make sense in context.)

Finally, Noah asked: "Have you ever gone to a St. Patrick's Day party?"
I confirmed that in fact I had.
"Well, what did you do?"
"Confiscated keys and drove people home."

We found ourselves in quite the conundrum. Confusing traditions and beverages that require ID at the door. We finally settled on an informal get together complete with "Irishy" foods and homemade rootbeer. And because we know little about Irish culture, "Irishy," for the purposes of this FHE will mean - a) made with potatoes, or b) green.

Meet at the Riley's (Marmalade Square - 650 North 300 West - #216) at 7:00 p.m. Wear something green, bring something "Irishy" to eat and come enjoy an evening of great company and what we're sure will prove to be a very diverse menu.

Temple Evening

2008-02-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone -

Hope you can join us for the 6:00 session on Thursday, February 28 (we intentionally waited for the post-season, for all you Stake Basket"Ballas"). Please plan to meet in the session.

Marmalade Pairs Tennis Tourney '08

2008-02-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, nine couples and a baby converged on the Relief Society room at the 5th North building armed with Wii paddles and fueled by sugar cookies and tortilla chips. The event was not lacking in....

determination:

high fives:

70s tennis attire:

or pure fury:

But when all was said and done, only one couple came out victorious to claim the oh-so-coveted USC 1968 tennis trophy.

Thank you to everyone who came! And thank you to Victoria for providing much of the fodder for this post :)

Time To Show A Little Love...

2008-01-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

A lot of really great couples have moved into the ward recently. And when they walked in for the first time, I know what you were thinking... "I bet I could totally take them in Wii tennis." Prove it.

During February, it's all about the love. And trust me, when you play the Rileys, there will be plenty of love -- if you know what I'm sayin' {this is either my futile attempt at talking smack, or a pre-emptive admission of defeat...}. Come show off your mad interactive gaming skills at the Marmalade Pairs Open.

Place: Church Cultural Hall
Date: Monday, February 11th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Details: Wii Tennis Hooked Up to the Giant Slide Show Screen in the Cultural Hall... need I say more?

It's not really worth it, however, if you're not consuming roughly twice the calories you burn off. So if you can, please bring a treat to share. Believe me, the wheels in my head are already cranking on how to make tennis-related munchies. Anything to incorporate that favorite of all Valentine's Day junk food staples: the sugar cookie.

We hope to see you there! This is one Valentine's Day tennis tourney that will not disappoint.

Yeah - it's going to be THIS exciting...

And Bingo Was The Activity's Name-O

2008-01-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

You know it's been a while since your last update when your browser doesn't recognize the url up automatically...

We hope everyone's holiday season went well and that you got everything your hearts desired... But if, perhaps, a few things were conspicuously missing from under the tree or in your stocking - now's your chance to win it at a this month's couples FHE during a rousing game of BINGO.

Noah was a little embarrassed to announce over the pulpit that we're playing a nursing home game, but make no mistake - this Bingo game will pack more punch than pudding and wheelchair races.

Come join us for an evening of fun and a chance to win such enticing prizes as Clorox Wipes, a 12-pack of toilet paper and a nose exerciser (Noah claims these exist. The Rileys will be at the dollar store tomorrow either confirming or debunking his claim). We hope that's enough to whet your palate - you'll just have to join us tomorrow at 7:00 at the church to see what other little gems we were able to drum up at the dollar store.

New Year's Eve ala The Kastelers

2007-12-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

The invitation is out for one and all...

The first ever Married Couples Game Night is finally here! After all the talk of game nights, we invite everyone to come and join us for an awesome night of games, food, and fun! Have plans with other friends? No problem, bring them along! Come help us celebrate 2007 and ring in 2008 with board games galore, rootbeer floats, and memories you won't soon forget.

The Details:
What: The Best Game Night Ever!
When: New Year's Eve @ 7:00 PM
Where: 4763 S. Meadowview Rd. (300 East)
Who: Any friends and married couples that want to have fun!
Food: Please bring some root beer, vanilla ice cream, or snacks to share

We hope to see you all there!

Stephen and Victoria Kasteler

Ugly Sweaters

2007-12-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! We're sorry December was kind of a crazy month for everyone. But we promise to do something else with an ugly theme sometime soon - because man, Noah and I can sure pull off ugly.

We had a great display of sweaters at this year's event... but it was the Mickey duds that walked away with the oh-so-coveted first place tennis trophy.

Just when you thought only the FRONT of this sweatshirt totally rocked...

But the VERY best part. It was reversible.

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The other sweaters that evening weren't trailing far behind...

Happy Holidays everyone! We can't wait to see you next month.

That's Not the Idea

2007-12-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Noah’s family has this really amazing collection of home videos. One absolute CLASSIC that is still quoted often at the Riley household is from Christmas morning when Noah was about 10. Apparently he asked for a super-cool track jacket and pants. As he tore into the gift, his face got progressively more disappointed (and for those of you who know how easy going this guy is, if Noah is disappointed, you’ve crossed the line). From behind the camera, his dad asks, “what’d ya get, Noah?” Noah held up the perpetrator – a sweater – and said, “that’s not the idea.”

In a household about 60 miles north, an awkward pre-teen Allison was dropping ALL kinds of hints about this “totally awesome” sweater in ZCMI’s ads. I seriously campaigned hard for this retina-burning kaleidoscope of yarn. And Christmas morning, my heart pounding in anticipation, my parents TOTALLY delivered.

Whether your sweater was “not the idea…” or you just had that poor of taste in all things cardigan, pullover and turtleneck… now is the time to display them proudly at the first annual Ugly Sweater Soiree.

Stuff You Should Know:
Monday, December 17
7:00 p.m.
Riley Residence – Marmalade Square #216 (650 N. 300 W.)

Come show off your sweetest sweater (none of this – it’s actually very cute on you business, ladies...), enjoy some holiday tunes, mingle with friends and decorate sugar cookies – some for you to take and eat, some for you to deliver to the widows/older couples in the ward.

We’ll supply the cookies and frosting. Please plan to bring some manner of cookie decorating items – sprinkles, little candies, you know the drill.

I will do what I can to get THIS guy there...

Slacker

2007-11-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hey all - sorry for the SERIOUS lack in posts. You would think we'd had a holiday, or been sick or something :). Hopefully you caught the announcement in church on Sunday, but for temple night this month, please support the stake temple night TOMORROW, Wednesday the 28th. There is a meeting in the chapel (upstairs) at 7:00 p.m. at the session is at 8:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

Progressive Dinner

2007-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

November is here. And if you're like me, you equate November with family and food. (And if your family was like mine, usually you'd be seated across one of those horribly balanced little kid picnic tables from a cousin of comparable weight, and that all worked out fine until someone actually STOOD UP. Dinner usually ended with tears, a few bumps and scrapes from having a table land on some kid, and the inevitable gravy soiled shirt.)

This month's activity will be a fun way to get to know more of our ward family, share a tasty meal and spend some time in each other's homes... hopefully without any table incidents :).

Our evening begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Anderson's home for salad, then to the Nuttall's place for soup and bread bowls, and finally to the Wasson's digs for dessert. Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered their home and their cooking talents to make the evening possible, we're really looking forward to it!

The Details -

DATE/TIME: Monday, November 12th @ 6:00
PLACE: Anderson's, Nuttall's and Wasson's
(I'll send an email with addresses so this infor isn't just available for all the weirdos out there...)

Also, just so we can have a rough estimate of how many to plan for, will you please reply to this post or to the email to RSVP? Thanks!

Let Me See That Pumpkin Roll

2007-10-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the totally lame 90s hip-hop reference. It's just one of those mornings.

THANK you - Cyndi - for reminding me to post this recipe! I'm glad you liked it! The recipe for the pumpkin roll (in the pictures from the post below) is RIGHT here for your baking pleasure. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN ROLL
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves

CREAM CHEESE FILLING
1 c powdered sugar
1 stp vanilla
1 package 8 oz cream cheese
4 Tbsp butter
*All ingredients must be at room temperature. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Beat eggs together in large bowl. Slowly add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. Sift flour and baking powder together and add while mixing. Add the salt and spices. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening. Spread mixture evenly in the sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Run knife around edges and immediately turn onto kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. (Try to run a spatula under the whole thing--sometimes when you flip it over, the middle will stick to the pan and break) Roll the cake in the towel and let it cool. I roll it so it is skinnier and longer rather than thicker and shorter - that way, you can eat like EIGHT pieces and it's not a big deal because they're small. :)

Unroll and spread with filling. Roll again tightly; wrap the pumpkin roll in wax paper and then tin foil. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.

October Temple Night

2007-10-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

This month's temple night will hopefully work for a few more couples - we hope to see you there!

Time: 6:00 session - please meet at the temple, in the session
Date: Thursday, October 25th

Mystery of Edwin Drood

2007-10-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Join the Marmalade pairs for a fun night of mystery and intrigue at the Empress Theatre’s “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Charles Dickens died before he could finish his book, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” and so the mystery remains unsolved... Until now! The audience gets to vote on who the villain is in this wonderful Victorian romp. There are hundreds of possible endings, so each performance is unique and different! This musical comedy/mystery is a great way to get into the Halloween spirit!

We would like to get a group from the ward together to see the show:

When: Monday October 29, 2007

Time: 7:00pm (doors open @ 6:30) Please meet at the church before 6:15 if you are interested in carpooling out to Magna together.

Place: Empress Theatre in Magna (9104 West 2700 South)

Cost: $6.00 per ticket

If you are interested in attending please let Anna Heywood know by emailing her at anna@nwlarchitects.com or calling 755-3549. She will make all the arrangements for tickets. Thanks, and we hope you can join us!

Not Your Kindergarten Teacher's Caramel Apples

2007-10-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some serious evaporated milk rescue efforts on the Kasteler's part, Monday evening's activity was a success. I was so impressed by the ability of some present (who shall remain nameless, but I just happen to live with one) who managed to fit all the topping options onto one little apple. These fall treats were not for the faint of heart. Thank you so much to everyone who came!

Apples to Apples

2007-10-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

For this month's activity, we're celebrating all that IS fall. That's right - we're talkin' caramel apples, spiced cider, pumpkin rolls ... and Noah will knit each of you a sweater.

Please join us at the church on Monday, October 8th at 7:00 p.m. to make caramel apples - (yeah, those intense you-could-eat-one-for-three-meals kinds) eat some Fall goodies and play games.

So, to get your caramel apple on and to claim your Noah Riley knit goods, meet us at the church Monday @ 7:00.

TEMPLE NIGHT - TOMORROW

2007-09-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We'll probably bombard you by email, blog and phone about Wednesday night to make sure everyone has the same info. I think there was a misunderstanding on Sunday to meet at 6:00 and go to the 6:30 session. Unfortunately, I don't think that exists. So, please still plan on attending the 6:00 session - which would mean meeting at 5:30. Let's please plan to meet in the chapel at the temple rather than at our ward building, that way if there are any snags, at least we're in the temple rather than trying to rush over. And if anyone's game, we could grab ice cream or something after the session. (But not Maverick frozen yogurt. Our last experience still haunts me. Should have known better than to buy dairy from the sketchy location on North Temple.)

So, recap:
WEDNESDAY, September 26 - meet at the temple @ 5:30 for 6:00 session. Optional frozen goodness after the session.

When It Rains, It Pours

2007-09-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

After a literal blogging drought, I've decided to drown you all with posts. :)

Actually, we just wanted to give everyone a heads-up about September's temple night. For September, we'll cater to you Wednesday folks... I think we'll try to alternate between Weds/Thurs each month, there was a pretty even split in availability.

For those who are available, please plan on the 6:00 session on Wednesday, September 26th - we'll plan to meet in the chapel.

Finally, Some Visual Representation

2007-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Kudos to everyone in this shot who managed to hold a great smile in spite of the confusing 7-second delay.

The group after Jake Otteson made his triumphant ascent - I swear he must have RUN up the mountain. Impressive.

Hey! I Can See My House From Here...

2007-09-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, our first activity has come and gone. Thank you to all of you who were able to make it – thanks for braving the peak, the wind and my attempt to sing the alto line of the hymn. We appreciated Victoria supplying the delicious peanut butter kiss cookies, and the sweet Korean lady at the EZ Mart for stocking Chewy Chips Ahoy. We had a great time, and we hope it gave you a chance to get to know some of the amazing couples in our ward a little better.

I wanted to post some pictures from the hike, but it seems the fates have aligned to prevent me from doing so. I took my camera to work because I knew uploading pictures at home would be a nightmare thanks to our no bueno internet connection (my apologies to the management for marring their reputation on this blog with its readership in the high teens … but seriously). And my computer at work is apparently unable – or unwilling – to recognize my camera. So – maybe don’t hold your breath, but I promise some pictures will be posted shortly.

In other news: We’ve been enjoying the cookies we didn’t dare expose you to – I threw them all in a Tupperware when we got home Monday night, and they seem to have melded into one large chocolate chip mess. However, I’ve found eating a chunk of cookie with a fork really hits the spot after a hard day’s work.

Also...

2007-08-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

I changed the settings so anybody can post comments (I believe...). Just select "other" and cough up the info they're after.

Ensign Peak

2007-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

As the inaugural activity of the oh-so-hip young marrieds club, how 'bout we conquer a mountain? Or at least walk up a leisurely path the top of Ensign Peak…?

Normally, let’s plan to have our monthly activity on the first Monday of each month. The day o’ labor throws September off, however, so please plan on Monday the 10th.

DETAILS:
When: Monday, September 10 @ 7:00 p.m.
Where: Parking Lot of LDS Church below Ensign Peak
Who: You… and a good pair of shoes. Or a pair of flip flops (my footwear of choice for my first Ensign Peak experience. They fared pretty well … but a hike a few weeks later totally knocked them out for the count. That is $11.96 I will never see again.)
What: We’ll have a lesson at the top and finish up with treats (certainly, a church activity staple) in the park below the peak.

If two or three people would volunteer to bring a treat for the after-party, that would be great. Just leave a comment and let us know!

Extreme Blog Makeover

2007-08-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who visited the site in its former template life, I hope you like the new look. I can't take one bit of credit for this ... I'm just glad I have a scrapbooky sister (a literal sister, not in the ward sense), she makes me look good.

You Might Also Enjoy...

2007-08-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

You may notice the links to the right labeled "PAIRS" - these are to link to each couple's individual site. Thanks, Anna & Mason and Teresa & Kyle for the info! If anyone else has a site they'd like us to link to, let me know.

Marmalade Pairs

2007-08-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize naming a blog could be so difficult. I hope it's at least 1/3 that easy to name a child, or Noah and I may resort to some sort of numbers system.

We are so excited to get to know the couples in this ward! I'm starting to wonder if playing host and hostess really counts as a legit calling - or if the bishopric is going to catch on and reassign us as nursery leaders :) Until then ... we're going to relish this opportunity to get to know each of you.

If you're like us, so much of our day happens in front of a computer, it's almost sad. And my daily regiment of "must-visits" is somewhat akin to a crack addiction, I'm sure. But add this url to your favorites (addictions, whatever...) and check it often for updates, upcoming activities, pictures, the whole shebang. Also, take FULL advantage of the comments option - we're banking on feedback to make this successful, because let's face it - Noah and I are not nearly as fun or creative as the whole lot of you combined.