I found out that my Nikon shoots dark. I mean, I knew that, but I found out the manufacturer made it that way. I always thought that maybe my camera was messed up and shot a couple stops darker than it was supposed to. This has been a huge annoyance to me because when I shoot on auto, I always have to lighten my photos later. And I tend to shoot on auto when I do big groups because I get stressed and can't focus on how to set up my light. So the point is, that my photos are always dark and I'm really annoyed that I'm just now taking the time to figure out what I need to do. I always make things I enjoy into a chore. : ( I also came to the realization that I can't shoot on auto when I take self-photos. Anyway.
Quinn has had a ROUGH week. He has learned a new scream/cry that isn't very fun to listen to. And he has decided that he doesn't need to take naps. Therefore, he is ridiculously tired and cranky. So right now I'm listening to him scream/cry and resisting the urge get him out of his crib. Tough love is hard to do, but he needs his sleep.
I've decided that the real difference between men and women is the tolerance for crying. Before Quinn was born, Thurm and I thought that he'd be the good cop and I'd be the bad cop. But it's turning out that Thurm has little patience for crying and irrational, baby-like behavior. I, on the other hand, can listen to the crying all the live long day and it rarely gets to me.
I've been invited to TWO scrap booking groups that meet once a month. What to do... I don't really scrapbook, but it's one of the few social outlets I'll get. Here are my social outlets: scrap booking, book club, and sewing. Very motherly, I know. Well, the book club could be hip and intellectual, but its not. It's older women sharing about church books or romance/mystery novels.
In the last few weeks I've read three really good books. I love that nursing provides guilt-free reading time. The Scarlet Pimpernel was good, but took me like 80 pages to get into. Once I figured out who the SP was, then I got into it. It was fun, mystery and romance. Anthem, by Ayn Rand was good. It was along the lines of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Handmaid's Tale. They are all about a future society where the government is suppressing the people in some fashion. I really liked all those books. I just read Animal Farm (same author as 1984, George Orwell) and thought it was good and disturbing. It was written around the WWII and is basically an allegory of Hitler's reign. And now I'm reading James Joyce's Dubliners- so far, so good.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Vegetable Barley Soup
This is seriously delicious soup. I added mushrooms, just because I had some that were going bad.
INGREDIENTS:
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked barley
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced
tomatoes with juice
1 zucchini, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo
beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. Add the barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, garbanzo beans, onion, and bay leaves. Season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, curry powder, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. The soup will be very thick. You may adjust by adding more broth or less barley if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories 209 (7% from fat) | Protein 7.8g | Fat 1.8g (sat 0.2g) | Carbohydrate 41.1g | Fiber 9.2g | Cholesterol 0mg | Iron 4mg | Sodium 1016mg | Calcium 81mg
INGREDIENTS:
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked barley
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced
tomatoes with juice
1 zucchini, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo
beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. Add the barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, garbanzo beans, onion, and bay leaves. Season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, curry powder, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. The soup will be very thick. You may adjust by adding more broth or less barley if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories 209 (7% from fat) | Protein 7.8g | Fat 1.8g (sat 0.2g) | Carbohydrate 41.1g | Fiber 9.2g | Cholesterol 0mg | Iron 4mg | Sodium 1016mg | Calcium 81mg
Friday, September 19, 2008
H0ttieB00mbaL0ttie
A few weeks ago I accidentally cut ALOT of hair off Thurm's head. But I actually really like it short. And I even sort of liked it when it was mid-cut and a mullet. Can I just brag about my husband for a moment. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I got. He is Super husband and daddy. He is attentive to me, kind, helpful, fun, sweet. And he is a great dad. I love watching him with Quinn and can't wait to see him as our children grow older. And the other night I found out what a talent he is. I knew he had musical abilities, he picked up the guitar and within two months, he was up to the level I had achieved after years of playing. And I knew he wrote and he let me read some things he wrote as a kid and I was super impressed. But he just recently wrote some new things that he let me read and I was SUPER-DUPER impressed. This is good stuff. I just can't believe the imagination on this guy! I want to wax on and on about his writing, but he holds it pretty close, so I won't. But I love that I keep finding new things to love and being impressed by. I hope that when we are 80 that is still happening.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Chocolate Chip Pie (Think gooey chocolate chip cookies in the form of pie. YUM)
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell-deep dish
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (yuck, I never use nuts in desserts)
Preheat oven to 325
Beat eggs in mixer till foamy. Beat in flour and sugars. Beat in butter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Delish :)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (yuck, I never use nuts in desserts)
Preheat oven to 325
Beat eggs in mixer till foamy. Beat in flour and sugars. Beat in butter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Delish :)
Oven Fries
1 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch strips
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
4 tsp oil
1 tsp paprika
1. Preheat oven to 450, spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. In bowl, combine potatos, salt, sugar, and cold water to cover. Soak 15 minutes, drain, blot dry.
3. In another bowl, toss potatoes with oil and paprika. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake, turning potatoes over as they brown, until cooked through and crisp, about 45 mintutes. Sprinkle with remaining salt.
3 points per 1/4 of potatoes
I didn't use the oil or the paprika. The salt/sugar solution draws out some the potatoes water so they brown, not steam in the oven.
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
4 tsp oil
1 tsp paprika
1. Preheat oven to 450, spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. In bowl, combine potatos, salt, sugar, and cold water to cover. Soak 15 minutes, drain, blot dry.
3. In another bowl, toss potatoes with oil and paprika. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake, turning potatoes over as they brown, until cooked through and crisp, about 45 mintutes. Sprinkle with remaining salt.
3 points per 1/4 of potatoes
I didn't use the oil or the paprika. The salt/sugar solution draws out some the potatoes water so they brown, not steam in the oven.
Moo Shu Chicken
4 TBS soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch stops
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups shredded bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms, rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp hot chili oil
8 Whole-Wheat Moo Shu Pancakes (below)
4 tsp hoisin sauce
1. To prepare the marinade, in a gallon-sized ziplock bag, combine 2 TBS of soy and half of the garlic; add the chicken. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air, turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, 1 hour. Drain and discard marinade.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining 2 TBS soy and remaining garlic, with ginger. Set aside.
3. Spray wok with nonstick spray, heat. Saute chicken till cooked through; 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
4. In wok, combine cabbage, bok choy, carrot, mushrooms, bamboo shoots; cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage and boy choy begin to wilt, 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken, soy sauce mixture and the hot chili oil; toss to combine.
5. Serve on pancakes spread with hoisin sauce. Top with chicken mixture and roll up.
4 points per 1 pancake with 3/4 cup filling.
Whole-Wheat Moo Shu Pancakes
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
5 TBS water
1. In a medium bowl, combine ingredients until smooth dough forms. If dry, add few drops of water at a time. Divide into 8 pieces.
2. Roll each dough ball into a 6 inch circle.
3. Heat non-stick skillet. One at a time, cook pancakes, turning every 10 seconds till light brown spots appear on both sides, 30-40 seconds. Wrap in foil to keep warm.
1 point per 1 pancake
The pancakes are not fantastic. I would try to find some sort of substitute at an Asian store next time. I never follow recipes exactly, so we used regular cabbage, no hot chili oil, regular mushrooms, etc. It still turned out really good. But you definitely have to have the hoisin sauce.
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch stops
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups shredded bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms, rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp hot chili oil
8 Whole-Wheat Moo Shu Pancakes (below)
4 tsp hoisin sauce
1. To prepare the marinade, in a gallon-sized ziplock bag, combine 2 TBS of soy and half of the garlic; add the chicken. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air, turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, 1 hour. Drain and discard marinade.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining 2 TBS soy and remaining garlic, with ginger. Set aside.
3. Spray wok with nonstick spray, heat. Saute chicken till cooked through; 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
4. In wok, combine cabbage, bok choy, carrot, mushrooms, bamboo shoots; cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage and boy choy begin to wilt, 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken, soy sauce mixture and the hot chili oil; toss to combine.
5. Serve on pancakes spread with hoisin sauce. Top with chicken mixture and roll up.
4 points per 1 pancake with 3/4 cup filling.
Whole-Wheat Moo Shu Pancakes
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
5 TBS water
1. In a medium bowl, combine ingredients until smooth dough forms. If dry, add few drops of water at a time. Divide into 8 pieces.
2. Roll each dough ball into a 6 inch circle.
3. Heat non-stick skillet. One at a time, cook pancakes, turning every 10 seconds till light brown spots appear on both sides, 30-40 seconds. Wrap in foil to keep warm.
1 point per 1 pancake
The pancakes are not fantastic. I would try to find some sort of substitute at an Asian store next time. I never follow recipes exactly, so we used regular cabbage, no hot chili oil, regular mushrooms, etc. It still turned out really good. But you definitely have to have the hoisin sauce.
Sourdough White Bread
Starter
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 envelope active dry yeast (about 1 TBS + 1 tsp)
Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt (this seems like too much, next time I'm going to use a little less)
1. To prepare starter, in a glass bowl, combine the flour and water, sprinkle with yeast. Cover and let stand at room temp for 2 days. The starter should be bubbling and have a grapefruit-like odor.
2. To prepare the bread, mix flour and salt. With mixer running, slowly add starter until the dough just forms a ball (the dough is pretty sticky). Knead the dough until smooth.
3. Cover and let raise till doubles, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down dough, form loaf, spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cover and let raise till doubles, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a pan of boiling water on the lowest over rack. With knife, slash top of loaf. Bake about 20 minutes, reduce teh oven to 350 degrees. Bake untill the bread is well-browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 20-30 mintues longer. Remove and cool.
1 point per 1/12th of loaf. I've looked for a good bread recipe and this one is awesome. I think it has more to do with how you bake it. Yum.
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 envelope active dry yeast (about 1 TBS + 1 tsp)
Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt (this seems like too much, next time I'm going to use a little less)
1. To prepare starter, in a glass bowl, combine the flour and water, sprinkle with yeast. Cover and let stand at room temp for 2 days. The starter should be bubbling and have a grapefruit-like odor.
2. To prepare the bread, mix flour and salt. With mixer running, slowly add starter until the dough just forms a ball (the dough is pretty sticky). Knead the dough until smooth.
3. Cover and let raise till doubles, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down dough, form loaf, spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cover and let raise till doubles, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a pan of boiling water on the lowest over rack. With knife, slash top of loaf. Bake about 20 minutes, reduce teh oven to 350 degrees. Bake untill the bread is well-browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 20-30 mintues longer. Remove and cool.
1 point per 1/12th of loaf. I've looked for a good bread recipe and this one is awesome. I think it has more to do with how you bake it. Yum.
Hummus
1 (15-ounce)can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp olive oil
1 TBS water (don't use this, its too watery if you do)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Just puree in food processor. Thurm loves this.
2 points per 1/4 cup.
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp olive oil
1 TBS water (don't use this, its too watery if you do)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Just puree in food processor. Thurm loves this.
2 points per 1/4 cup.
Friday, September 12, 2008
It's almost midnight, my men are sleeping, and I'm wasting some time waiting for some bread to bake. Today I made vegetable barley soup, vegetarian chili, dahl (Indian lentil soup), cornbread made with yogurt, muffins made with applesauce, and sour dough bread. Thurm and I are trying to eat healthy, so I've been making recipes from a weight watchers cook book. The problem is I've been spending ALOT of time doing it. So I thought maybe I'd just kill a whole day and freeze a bunch of stuff. So far this cookbook is awesome. We've only eaten one meal that was sub-par. I'll have to post a few recipes.
Tuesday night I went to a book club. Well more of a book REPORT/SHARE club. They don't want everyone to have to buy the same book because of the expense of either driving into SLC or ordering it online. And the library here probably wouldn't have whatever book we were reading. So each month, we bring a few books that we've read, tell about them, and let others borrow said books. Pretty lame, but when living the life of a desert rat you take what you can get. So I'm at the book club and we went around the circle and introduced ourselves and told what we did. The woman before me said her name and said "I'm JUST a stay at home mom." Maybe its because I'm 29 and just now becoming a stay at home mom, but I think it rocks. When I introduced myself I said "I'm Natalie and I GET to stay at home with my baby." Now I know this woman had her first baby at a young age and is pregnant with her fifth, so maybe her perspective is a little different than mine. I had a good run as a single girl, got my education, traveled, lived in a foreign country, kissed a few boys. And I gotta say, being at home with an adorable baby is the best thing I've done so far. Today he discovered his feet. Yesterday he was nursing and caught my eye. He stopped sucking and proceeded to coo and talk to me for about five minutes before he finished his lunch. The day before he realized that there was a baby in the mirror and it smiled when he smiled. I could go on about all the adorable, heart-bursting moments that our little baby provides, but the bread's done.
Tuesday night I went to a book club. Well more of a book REPORT/SHARE club. They don't want everyone to have to buy the same book because of the expense of either driving into SLC or ordering it online. And the library here probably wouldn't have whatever book we were reading. So each month, we bring a few books that we've read, tell about them, and let others borrow said books. Pretty lame, but when living the life of a desert rat you take what you can get. So I'm at the book club and we went around the circle and introduced ourselves and told what we did. The woman before me said her name and said "I'm JUST a stay at home mom." Maybe its because I'm 29 and just now becoming a stay at home mom, but I think it rocks. When I introduced myself I said "I'm Natalie and I GET to stay at home with my baby." Now I know this woman had her first baby at a young age and is pregnant with her fifth, so maybe her perspective is a little different than mine. I had a good run as a single girl, got my education, traveled, lived in a foreign country, kissed a few boys. And I gotta say, being at home with an adorable baby is the best thing I've done so far. Today he discovered his feet. Yesterday he was nursing and caught my eye. He stopped sucking and proceeded to coo and talk to me for about five minutes before he finished his lunch. The day before he realized that there was a baby in the mirror and it smiled when he smiled. I could go on about all the adorable, heart-bursting moments that our little baby provides, but the bread's done.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
My beautiful niece. She's off to Guatemala to see the world, better herself, and better the people she meets. Just 13 and already such a talented, outgoing, adventurous girl. She wants to be a nurse when she grows up, which fits her perfectly. I can just see her volunteering her skills in third-world countries and winning over everyone she meets.
We're back!
Back in Wendover—we moved into a two-bedroom apartment across the grass from our old apartment. I like it because it’s on top and has lots of windows and light. The move back has actually been really good. Everyone has been happy to see us and, of course, little Quinn. Kids I taught are running up to me in the street to see him. I am babysitting a little girl, Ginny, born two days before Quinn. I thought I’d like having twins, but now I’m not so sure. It's crazy when they are both crying.
Thurm is feeling really positive about the school year. He likes his classes & is excited about his lesson ideas. As much crap as I talked about Wendover last year, I think we are both totally fine with being here this year. It felt like the right thing to do. And regardless where we live, my world is our apartment and Quinn. I think I’ve left the house about 3 times since we’ve been here.
I’m learning to be quiet. My sister-in-law is so quiet and I’m like an elephant in a glass shop. She always closes cupboards quietly, walks quietly, sidles into a room without you ever hearing her. She’s scared me quite a few times. You think I’d be used to it since I married such a stealthy husband, but he comes into a room all the time and, much to his delight, startles me every time. So as I was putting dishes away, very quietly, yesterday, I told myself, “you are Florecita…quiet as a mouse.”
Some ways life has changed
-Sometimes I don’t brush my teeth till noon.
-My work consists of rocking gently, interpreting cries, holding, nursing, kissing. It’s WAY better than making excel spreadsheets and attending meetings!
-I can’t seem to get anything done. I used to make lists and have them checked off by the end of the day. Now if I get at least one productive errand or chore done a day, I’m happy.
-The word poop (or some variation, i.e.- poopie, poops, poop-poop, super pooper, etc.) is now the most used word in our vocabulary.
-I now understand all things mother. Well, probably not ALL things. But I get why moms do and say the things they do. It’s like when you’re single and you just don’t relate to your married friends, but then when you get married, you start to do all those things you thought were annoying.
Today I put Quinn & Ginny together under a little play gym. Quinn wasn’t as interested in the toys as much as he was in Ginny. While she played with her toy, he quietly studied her. He tried a few attempts of attracting her attention. He faked a cough. He tried talking to her, but it sort of died in his throat as though he were too shy. She paid him no attention and kept playing with her toy. Sassy redhead. He finally gave up and cried for his mama, who he knew would pay attention to him.
Thurm is feeling really positive about the school year. He likes his classes & is excited about his lesson ideas. As much crap as I talked about Wendover last year, I think we are both totally fine with being here this year. It felt like the right thing to do. And regardless where we live, my world is our apartment and Quinn. I think I’ve left the house about 3 times since we’ve been here.
I’m learning to be quiet. My sister-in-law is so quiet and I’m like an elephant in a glass shop. She always closes cupboards quietly, walks quietly, sidles into a room without you ever hearing her. She’s scared me quite a few times. You think I’d be used to it since I married such a stealthy husband, but he comes into a room all the time and, much to his delight, startles me every time. So as I was putting dishes away, very quietly, yesterday, I told myself, “you are Florecita…quiet as a mouse.”
Some ways life has changed
-Sometimes I don’t brush my teeth till noon.
-My work consists of rocking gently, interpreting cries, holding, nursing, kissing. It’s WAY better than making excel spreadsheets and attending meetings!
-I can’t seem to get anything done. I used to make lists and have them checked off by the end of the day. Now if I get at least one productive errand or chore done a day, I’m happy.
-The word poop (or some variation, i.e.- poopie, poops, poop-poop, super pooper, etc.) is now the most used word in our vocabulary.
-I now understand all things mother. Well, probably not ALL things. But I get why moms do and say the things they do. It’s like when you’re single and you just don’t relate to your married friends, but then when you get married, you start to do all those things you thought were annoying.
Today I put Quinn & Ginny together under a little play gym. Quinn wasn’t as interested in the toys as much as he was in Ginny. While she played with her toy, he quietly studied her. He tried a few attempts of attracting her attention. He faked a cough. He tried talking to her, but it sort of died in his throat as though he were too shy. She paid him no attention and kept playing with her toy. Sassy redhead. He finally gave up and cried for his mama, who he knew would pay attention to him.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Elaine: Did you read the whole thing?
Kramer: Oh! yeah.
Elaine: Huh . So What's it about?
Kramer: Well it's a story about love, deception, greed, lust and...unbridled enthusiasm.
Elaine: unbridled enthusiasm...?
Kramer: Well , that's what led to Billy Mumphrey's downfall.
Elaine: Oh! boy.
Kramer: You see Elaine, Billy was a simple country boy. You might say a cockeyed optimist,
who got himself mixed up in the high stakes game of world diplomacy and international intrigue.
Kramer: Oh! yeah.
Elaine: Huh . So What's it about?
Kramer: Well it's a story about love, deception, greed, lust and...unbridled enthusiasm.
Elaine: unbridled enthusiasm...?
Kramer: Well , that's what led to Billy Mumphrey's downfall.
Elaine: Oh! boy.
Kramer: You see Elaine, Billy was a simple country boy. You might say a cockeyed optimist,
who got himself mixed up in the high stakes game of world diplomacy and international intrigue.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
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