Spectacular Displays

One of my fondest childhood memories from the holidays is of hopping in the car as a family and driving through the elaborately decorated neighborhoods of Sioux Falls, SD. On a frisk, dark, winter eve with a cup of hot chocolate, enjoying a horse drawn hay ride, we braved the elements and enjoyed the festivities.

Its with these grand memories in mind that we begin our quest to recreate such a memorable drive. This year we begin our search for the perfect neighborhood to bring the holidays home to. Stay tuned for updates on decorating ideas, possible routes, and pictures of the next greatest holiday family destination in Utah!!

The Most Mouthwatering Christmas Dessert Ever!

I have to admit, i can't take credit for this one. All the blame for the extra pounds goes to my mother! With that said (as I'm in the middle of making another batch while i post this), I'd like to introduce you to the most amazing Christmas desert ever...Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake (adapted from taste of home)

1 pkg spice cake mix

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix (added dry...makes a very moist cake)

1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Combine ingredients in a stand mixer and blend until lumps disappear. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool and cut into cubes.

OPTIONAL - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, rounded 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Whipped Cream

2 1/2 cups heavy cream - beat to stiff peaks

12 ounces (1 1/2 bars) softened cream cheese

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 or 2 teaspoons vanilla (depending on the strength of your vanilla)

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until creamy and smooth and sugar has dissolved. Fold into beaten whipped cream. Chill until ready to use.

OPTIONAL - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Carmel Sauce

I would highly recommend making your own caramel sauce, but, seeing as how we're professional Christmas light installers, we opted for the store bought version.

Assemble Trifle:

In a large trifle bowl, place cubed cake in one layer. Drizzle caramel sauce over cake. Spread half of the whipped cream mixture over caramel. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Top with drizzled caramel.

2011 Install Season Draws to an End

With December upon us, the 2011 installation season is drawing to a close. With this in mind, we are running one last promotion for this Saturday, December 10th only!!! ALL C7 and C9 installations will be priced at $1.35* per foot, including: Installation, seasonal maintenance, removal, storage, and Vibrant Lighting's LIFETIME Warranty.

Schedule now at www.VibrantLighting.com as openings are limited.

*Applies to products currently in stock.

Force 2 hurricane winds in Northern Utah

We had a very interesting bout of wind here in Northern Utah this last week. Wind gusts reached the equivalent of a force 2 hurricane at more than 100MPH! While we're proud to say that none of the Vibrant Lighting professional installations were damaged, our hearts and prayers go out to the many families that have experienced varying degrees of damage to their homes.

We are also very thankful to have been able to provide a little additional service when so many families are in need. Unfortunately, many people are unable to even reach their insurance companies in order to begin repairs to the vast damage caused by the winds. With impending weather changes of rain and snow, many homeowners are worried about more damage resulting from the elements.

Thanks to the past work history of individuals within Vibrant Lighting, not only were we able to help decorate a home for the holidays, but we were also able to help provide minimal repairs to a very badly damaged roof only minutes before a snow storm rolled in. While the repairs were only temporary, we are very happy to have been able to provide this service at a time of need.

New to blogging

For those that have been following the adventures of this blog, you can probably tell that we're still trying to get the hang of "blogging". Please be patient with us as we are trying to organize this information in a way that will be easy to find and understand.