Our ward hosted a stake marriage fireside last weekend with Matt Townsend as the presenter. He. was. hilarious! We had so much fun and gained a lot of incites. We laughed so much that I commented later to some friends that my cheeks hurt, and they asked which ones (because we were on those hard metal chairs for 2 hours:). He he he. Anyway, it was good so I thought I'd share my notes, although it's hard to write down funny jokes and stories when you're laughing so hard. Plus I didn't want to miss anything! So you'll only get a glimpse into his stuff. And if you get any chance to go see him (or watch him occasionally on Studio 5), we highly recommend it. Enjoy!
-What are some things that impact marriage? money, kids, work, in-laws, family, and hundreds of other stresses.
-The fire/smoke analogy: the smoke is what you fight about, the fire is the stuff you never resolve. In real fires, most people that die do it because of the smoke, not the fire. What is the number one thing you fight about? That's your smoke, and there's most likely a story behind why it bugs you, and that's the root of the problem, the fire.
-Men are the protectors, providers, and presiders. Women are the nurturers. It takes a certain amount of ego for the men to accomplish their roles, so don't squelch that ego. And help him save face when he embarasses himself.
-Men and women have the same amount of neurons, but they are used differently (in different parts/concentrations) in the brain. Men have compartments and women have spiderwebs. Men put arguments and lovin' in separate compartments and pull them out as wanted. But women's different things affect each other. If you get in an argument, it affects the lovin' part of the web and it's not gonna happen!
-To get to the root of the "smoke" problems, use his 7 marriage essentials: STARVED.
-Safety: you should feel safe with your spouse socially, emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually, etc.
-Women bond by communicating/talking. Men bond through activity. Don't disrespect this, just realize it. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, love languages, whatever you want to call it. Women's brains actually produce oxytocin (that's what he said, but I wonder if he meant seratonin? hmmm.) when they talk with friends and family members (and their spouse of course). But men's brains only produce it when they're intimate. Women get a bonus because they produce the oxytocin when they breastfeed as well. I guess that's the bonus for having a 24/7 for life job.
-Also, this difference in bonding (talking vs. activity) is why women talk and coo to their newborns and men want to throw the baby up in the air as soon as they can hold their necks up. And why said woman would go crazy when this happens.
-The average male glance is 3 seconds. The average female glance is 13 seconds. This happens from birth. That's why women are usually more in tune with people's feelings, etc. Part of maturnal nature. That's why little girls look at their mother's before they do something wrong, and boys have the guilty look after they've done something naughty (I think I got this right, maybe I have it backwards).
-Men's brains are bigger than women's, but women do just as much (have the same amount of neurons) in a smaller space.
-The corpus colosum is the network in the brain connecting left brain to right brain. Women's corpus colosums are really complex, like a superhighway with tons of traffic and big rigs. Men's brains are like a country road with a single 3-legged asmatic donkey.
-Men are literal. They never hint like women. Just remember that when they're trying to be honest.
-Speaking of literal, he told a joke about how at the end of a long day, the kids were driving his wife crazy, and she said, "Ugh, you kids are driving me crazy!" He walks in, hearing this, and the protector comes out in him and he's perfectly willing to wallop the kid that's doing this to his bride. There, problem solved, only that's not what she had in mind. He wanted to solve her problem for her.
-Trust: spouses should trust each other's character, capability, etc. It's very hard to communicate and bond with someone you don't trust.
-Appreciation: Appreciate the things your spouse does to give to your love language, to comprimise between your opposite needs.
-Respect.
-Validation.
-Encourage: In order to encourage, you've got to get to their heart.
-Dedication.
-D&C 130. vs. 1: We will notice our Savior as A MAN. vs. 2: sociality. We will have the same interactions and social gifts in the next life, including social grace. If most of your free time is spent interacting with your buddies while hunting, then that's your priority. But if you're spending it with your partner, interacting and getting to know them better, that will carry over.
-Women are prequalified for the glory. Men qualify themselves through the priesthood.
-His homework assignment: For 3 weeks have Cuddletime each night. Rules: 20 minutes, talk, touch, no groping, no griping. Only talk about good/positive stuff. Men will get the touch they need (they need 4 times more touch than women) and women will get their talking/bonding in.
-If you're starving him, he'll probably starve you. Vicious cycle. But if you start trying to unstarve him or feed the relationship, chances are he'll start trying too.
-3 Nephi 17. Great example of the Savior communicating. He looked at them to see how all he had just said landed on them. He is so in tune that he could tell that they were tired. And he had compassion for them, and told them to go home and ponder and rest. But then he could perceive just by looking at them that they really didn't want to do that. They wanted him to stay. And He, the creator of our universe, changed his mind. And it was an amazing result. So amazing and so awe-inspiring, He wept. We can learn a lot about communication from this story.
-The Savior is the Master Feeder. In the Mary and Martha story, He cried with empathy for his friends, even though he knew he was going to bring back Lazarus. He just felt so bad that they were so sad. Are you that in tune? And that empathetic? He noticed the woman with the blood disorder too.
-How to grow charity? Service! (Moroni 7:45) Serve for it and pray for it. Christ went through it all to know how to succor His people.
-Believe your spouse, listen to them, be honest.
-When you serve, charity and grace are then given to you. Pray for that grace. It will convert you to your partner.
-Picture meeting the Savior again. With all your family around you. And picture your spouse going up to meet the Savior and collapsing in His arms. Picture this sweet moment and think about it and it will help you deal with your relationship. And deal with the rest of humanity too.
I'm so sorry that these are kind of scatter-brained notes. I'm reading them a week after I wrote them and can't remember why I wrote some of the things. So I'm sorry if they don't make sense. I hope I got it right. I wish you could have heard all of his funny anecdotes and stories! Hilarious!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Miscellaneous Funny Stuff
So here is a random collection of funny things the girls have said or done in the last couple of weeks. They're so funny sometimes, and you want to laugh because it's so hilarious, but sometimes you've got to keep that parent poker face, you know? But whenever I do that, I completely forget what that funny thing was by the time I sit down and blog. So Jeromy and I brainstormed the other day some of the funny things going on around here lately.
-Kierra's favorite animal is the elephant. She thinks they have "trunkets." No matter how many times we try to explain this to her.
-We took the kids rock climbing last week (and they were so brave! We were so proud of them!) and on the way there, Audrey said, "Boy I hope I do good so I don't fall." I explained to her that she'd be tied up to a harness so that she couldn't fall. "Oh, that's good. I really didn't want to fall." She actually thought we'd be freestyling. That's one brave little girl.
-In a recent family prayer, Kierra blessed the couch so that it would keep us warm. ???
-Audrey's really into learning about the planets right now. I found some plastic place mats at WalMart that have educational things on them, one of which has the planets on it. Yup, Audrey's favorite mat. At dinner the other night, she asked where the "Planet Salvation" was. Oops, I guess we weren't really enunciating during FHE. She also keeps asking us to point on the map of the solar system where Heavenly Father lives. Hmmmm....
-The girls really like to hear their heart "beeps." So I showed them how if they cover their ears, they can kind of hear the blood flow. Kierra said, "I can hear it, Mommy! Uh-oh! My heart tooted. He he. It sounds like a duck." ...um, okay then.
-We spent the better part of the day on Saturday cleaning the whole house. Jeromy and I cleaned downstairs while the girls tackled the play room upstairs. We were really proud of them. They really didn't want to (come on, who would?) and whined a bit and had to be nagged quite a bit, but they got that whole ugly mess of a room cleaned up by themselves (uh, actually we found out later that when it got down to the wire, they just shoved everything into their play house). Anyway, we were so proud that they stuck it out and kept going and so we told them. I guess that really meant a lot to Audrey because the next day at church, she had to tell EVERYONE she came in contact with, "We cleaned our house yesterday. Ya, it's really clean now!" Um, thanks, kiddo. I think.
-On the way back from the library the other day, Kierra was pretending to read the library receipt of our books. Over and over again she said, after clearing her throat, "I love you, Betties. You are my greatest band. Wait a second, this is my letter! They didn't even read it!" So those are famous lines from Phineas and Ferb, one of the greatest cartoons ever made. Yup, we're raising mini movie nerds after ourselves.
-The other night at dinner, Kierra complimented my cooking (something they learned a long time ago--rather on accident--from their Daddy. I love it.) She said something like, "You're a pretty cook, Mommy." Audrey, no doubt trying to outdo her sister said, "You're a hot cook, Mommy." Me: "Uh, thanks, sweetie, but I think it's better if you didn't say it that way." A: "Oh, sorry. That's what Daddy sometimes tells me to tell you."
-The girls were playing spy the other night while I was cleaning up dinner. They assigned me as their boss that talks to them on their watch. (Yes, they probably do watch too much Phineas and Ferb.) So I did my best gruff voice I could manage and told them to go downtown and catch the bad guys. They ran to the front door, ran back to me at the sink, and made throwing motions. Audrey said, "There. You're in the dungeon!" Kierra, on the other hand, said, "Ya, I'm going to chop you into pieces!" What?!?!?!?!?!? Wow.
-At church on Sunday, we went to the Bishop's office to get Jeromy set apart. As do most Bishops, ours has a big jar of candy. Well his was running a little low that day and only had hard cinnamon candies left. They asked for candy right as soon as we got in there, and I warned them it would be spicy, but oh they had to have some candy. Okay, fine, have some candy. Maybe it'll keep em quite for a little bit. So Jeromy's getting set apart, and I peek over at the girls who are sniffling runny noses and trying really hard not to squirm in their seats. Let me tell you, it was really hard not to laugh during such a serious moment! Ya, as soon as it was Amen, they were over to the trash to spit those things out. I hope they learned their lesson with spicy candies and listening/trusting Mommy. But at least they were reverent through the ordeal.
So there you have it. Our family is crazy. But at least we're having fun.
-Kierra's favorite animal is the elephant. She thinks they have "trunkets." No matter how many times we try to explain this to her.
-We took the kids rock climbing last week (and they were so brave! We were so proud of them!) and on the way there, Audrey said, "Boy I hope I do good so I don't fall." I explained to her that she'd be tied up to a harness so that she couldn't fall. "Oh, that's good. I really didn't want to fall." She actually thought we'd be freestyling. That's one brave little girl.
-In a recent family prayer, Kierra blessed the couch so that it would keep us warm. ???
-Audrey's really into learning about the planets right now. I found some plastic place mats at WalMart that have educational things on them, one of which has the planets on it. Yup, Audrey's favorite mat. At dinner the other night, she asked where the "Planet Salvation" was. Oops, I guess we weren't really enunciating during FHE. She also keeps asking us to point on the map of the solar system where Heavenly Father lives. Hmmmm....
-The girls really like to hear their heart "beeps." So I showed them how if they cover their ears, they can kind of hear the blood flow. Kierra said, "I can hear it, Mommy! Uh-oh! My heart tooted. He he. It sounds like a duck." ...um, okay then.
-We spent the better part of the day on Saturday cleaning the whole house. Jeromy and I cleaned downstairs while the girls tackled the play room upstairs. We were really proud of them. They really didn't want to (come on, who would?) and whined a bit and had to be nagged quite a bit, but they got that whole ugly mess of a room cleaned up by themselves (uh, actually we found out later that when it got down to the wire, they just shoved everything into their play house). Anyway, we were so proud that they stuck it out and kept going and so we told them. I guess that really meant a lot to Audrey because the next day at church, she had to tell EVERYONE she came in contact with, "We cleaned our house yesterday. Ya, it's really clean now!" Um, thanks, kiddo. I think.
-On the way back from the library the other day, Kierra was pretending to read the library receipt of our books. Over and over again she said, after clearing her throat, "I love you, Betties. You are my greatest band. Wait a second, this is my letter! They didn't even read it!" So those are famous lines from Phineas and Ferb, one of the greatest cartoons ever made. Yup, we're raising mini movie nerds after ourselves.
-The other night at dinner, Kierra complimented my cooking (something they learned a long time ago--rather on accident--from their Daddy. I love it.) She said something like, "You're a pretty cook, Mommy." Audrey, no doubt trying to outdo her sister said, "You're a hot cook, Mommy." Me: "Uh, thanks, sweetie, but I think it's better if you didn't say it that way." A: "Oh, sorry. That's what Daddy sometimes tells me to tell you."
-The girls were playing spy the other night while I was cleaning up dinner. They assigned me as their boss that talks to them on their watch. (Yes, they probably do watch too much Phineas and Ferb.) So I did my best gruff voice I could manage and told them to go downtown and catch the bad guys. They ran to the front door, ran back to me at the sink, and made throwing motions. Audrey said, "There. You're in the dungeon!" Kierra, on the other hand, said, "Ya, I'm going to chop you into pieces!" What?!?!?!?!?!? Wow.
-At church on Sunday, we went to the Bishop's office to get Jeromy set apart. As do most Bishops, ours has a big jar of candy. Well his was running a little low that day and only had hard cinnamon candies left. They asked for candy right as soon as we got in there, and I warned them it would be spicy, but oh they had to have some candy. Okay, fine, have some candy. Maybe it'll keep em quite for a little bit. So Jeromy's getting set apart, and I peek over at the girls who are sniffling runny noses and trying really hard not to squirm in their seats. Let me tell you, it was really hard not to laugh during such a serious moment! Ya, as soon as it was Amen, they were over to the trash to spit those things out. I hope they learned their lesson with spicy candies and listening/trusting Mommy. But at least they were reverent through the ordeal.
So there you have it. Our family is crazy. But at least we're having fun.
Third Person
Kierra has been talking in the third person lately. ALL the time.
"Kierra loves pizza!"
"But it's Kierra's turn."
"Can Kierra have another one?"
"Those are Kierra's."
"Kierra is full."
"Look at Kierra!"
Seriously, I don't think she's said anything in the first person in awhile. Nope, no me's, mine's, I's, or myself's. Crazy.
"Kierra loves pizza!"
"But it's Kierra's turn."
"Can Kierra have another one?"
"Those are Kierra's."
"Kierra is full."
"Look at Kierra!"
Seriously, I don't think she's said anything in the first person in awhile. Nope, no me's, mine's, I's, or myself's. Crazy.
Spring???
Is it really finally spring? For reals? No teasing snowstorms? Rock on! So we filed on out to the playground with the neighbors yesterday. For an hour and a half. Instead of napping. It was wonderful. Simply wonderful.
Colored Pasta
So after 2 weeks of trying to convince myself that I needed to do this for the kids no matter how painful, we finally did the colored pasta project. They were ecstatic.
And you know what? It wasn't painful. And it didn't take as long as I thought, well except for the drying because we quadrupled each batch, but the rest was fast. We all had fun and will continue to have fun with future projects with this pasta. And Daddy surprised us all by driving up halfway through, 2 hours early from his business trip. Yippee! So, thanks Megan for the idea.
Our rainbow of colors:
The girls insisted on sorting them into their separate shapes before putting them away. Okay, so that was a little painful. Notice Jeromy's lack of smile since we suckered him into helping us so we could all go to bed. Sorry babe.
And you know what? It wasn't painful. And it didn't take as long as I thought, well except for the drying because we quadrupled each batch, but the rest was fast. We all had fun and will continue to have fun with future projects with this pasta. And Daddy surprised us all by driving up halfway through, 2 hours early from his business trip. Yippee! So, thanks Megan for the idea.
Our rainbow of colors:
The girls insisted on sorting them into their separate shapes before putting them away. Okay, so that was a little painful. Notice Jeromy's lack of smile since we suckered him into helping us so we could all go to bed. Sorry babe.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
So here's our spread. Green eggsaroneous on green bread, green jello fruit salad, green milk, and Lucky Lime Pie. I didn't really feel like making the butter green, that's just too overboard for me. And I forgot the asparagus. Oh well. We had a fun green dinner though. Hope you did too! Happy St. Pattie's Day!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
My Week
Okay, so the first half of the week wasn't so good, but I have to tell y'all that I got my butt in gear (with much thanks to my sweet husband for his encouragement) and got some stuff done.
I dehydrated 3 batches of apples because I found them on sale for 50 cents a pound. Still have 1 more batch to go.
I canned 23 pints of butter (ghee or clarified butter) last Saturday. Pretty cool. It keeps for a few years.
I canned 8 pints of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling. I hope to use it to make some fruit crisp.
Get this, I actually got rid of that awful mutant stack of papers and clutter on my kitchen counter! Can you believe it!?! I guess the hardest part is to keep it from coming back though.
I put some hooks in my cleaning closet so I can actually hang up my broom and mop and stuff. Finally. That 5 minute project has been haunting me for 3 months.
I put a shoe organizer thing on the back of the door in our mud room so we can keep track of all those little things of everyone's. You know, little trinkets I find around the house, chapstick, etc. And a pocket for hair things I find around the living room and kitchen along with a brush and hair detangler so I can fix problems on the way out the door. Anyway, the House of Order gal said it's good for each person in the family to have a tray or pouch or something so that when you are cleaning a room and find people's belongings, you put them in their tray/pouch and they have to put them away. I'm excited about this.
Ooh, and I finished a super fun book I've been meaning to read for awhile now. The Ranger's Apprentice, book 1. Good read.
And I successfully made a corned beef and cabbage dinner tonight (in honor of the holiday), that the family raved about. That's always nice. And a pistachio pudding dessert which was pretty good, surprisingly. Tomorrow comes the yearly green eggs meal (Jeromy will be gone on the day of green, so we'll be having it a day early). Only this year, we'll be having our green egg gravy on green bread, thanks to Macey's. Can't wait!
So it sounds like I got a lot accomplished. I guess I did. But at the price of the house and kids. It took Jeromy and I most of the day on Saturday to get it looking good again. Thanks, hon.
So here's to this week! May it be just as productive, if not more!
I dehydrated 3 batches of apples because I found them on sale for 50 cents a pound. Still have 1 more batch to go.
I canned 23 pints of butter (ghee or clarified butter) last Saturday. Pretty cool. It keeps for a few years.
I canned 8 pints of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling. I hope to use it to make some fruit crisp.
Get this, I actually got rid of that awful mutant stack of papers and clutter on my kitchen counter! Can you believe it!?! I guess the hardest part is to keep it from coming back though.
I put some hooks in my cleaning closet so I can actually hang up my broom and mop and stuff. Finally. That 5 minute project has been haunting me for 3 months.
I put a shoe organizer thing on the back of the door in our mud room so we can keep track of all those little things of everyone's. You know, little trinkets I find around the house, chapstick, etc. And a pocket for hair things I find around the living room and kitchen along with a brush and hair detangler so I can fix problems on the way out the door. Anyway, the House of Order gal said it's good for each person in the family to have a tray or pouch or something so that when you are cleaning a room and find people's belongings, you put them in their tray/pouch and they have to put them away. I'm excited about this.
Ooh, and I finished a super fun book I've been meaning to read for awhile now. The Ranger's Apprentice, book 1. Good read.
And I successfully made a corned beef and cabbage dinner tonight (in honor of the holiday), that the family raved about. That's always nice. And a pistachio pudding dessert which was pretty good, surprisingly. Tomorrow comes the yearly green eggs meal (Jeromy will be gone on the day of green, so we'll be having it a day early). Only this year, we'll be having our green egg gravy on green bread, thanks to Macey's. Can't wait!
So it sounds like I got a lot accomplished. I guess I did. But at the price of the house and kids. It took Jeromy and I most of the day on Saturday to get it looking good again. Thanks, hon.
So here's to this week! May it be just as productive, if not more!
March Food Co-op
I'm so mad at myself! I forgot to make my order this past week so I won't be getting an order this month. Dang it. I have GOT to get myself organized!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Artichoke Dip Recipe
I want to thank everyone for their tips and ideas with my food co-op food. I've now become a mushroom fan (applause). And an artichoke fan (as well as the rest of the family). So I'd like to share some new recipes we've tried the last couple of weeks that have become instant favorites for us.
Elegant Artichokes
From The Taste of Home Cookbook
I loved this so much that Jeromy teased me for eating more dip than artichoke. I could totally drink it. So yummy. (It would probably make for a good salad dressing too) And Audrey was so excited to try these artichokes ever since I brought them home. When I'd open the fridge and she'd see them she'd ask if we were having them that night. What's more is that when we actually had them, she loved them. Kierra thought they were okay, but Audrey devoured hers. Jacob just kept looking at it weird and tentatively touching a leaf to his tongue every once in awhile.
5 medium artichokes
2 medium lemons, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon-Pepper Dip
1 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. diced green pepper
2 Tbs. sliced green onion
1. Cut off stem at base of artichoke. Cut 1 inch from top. With scissors, snip tip end of each leaf. Remove outer leaves. Rub cut ends of leaves with juice. (I just cut them in half and boiled them)
2. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the artichokes, lemon slices and garlic; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Drain; arrange on a serving platter. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (We just ate them warm)
3. For dip, in a bowl, whisk together the oil, juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in green pepper and onion. Serve with artichokes. (We only had 3 artichokes, and we only had a little of the dip leftover- probably thanks to me for almost drinking it :)
Elegant Artichokes
From The Taste of Home Cookbook
I loved this so much that Jeromy teased me for eating more dip than artichoke. I could totally drink it. So yummy. (It would probably make for a good salad dressing too) And Audrey was so excited to try these artichokes ever since I brought them home. When I'd open the fridge and she'd see them she'd ask if we were having them that night. What's more is that when we actually had them, she loved them. Kierra thought they were okay, but Audrey devoured hers. Jacob just kept looking at it weird and tentatively touching a leaf to his tongue every once in awhile.
5 medium artichokes
2 medium lemons, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon-Pepper Dip
1 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. diced green pepper
2 Tbs. sliced green onion
1. Cut off stem at base of artichoke. Cut 1 inch from top. With scissors, snip tip end of each leaf. Remove outer leaves. Rub cut ends of leaves with juice. (I just cut them in half and boiled them)
2. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the artichokes, lemon slices and garlic; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Drain; arrange on a serving platter. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (We just ate them warm)
3. For dip, in a bowl, whisk together the oil, juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in green pepper and onion. Serve with artichokes. (We only had 3 artichokes, and we only had a little of the dip leftover- probably thanks to me for almost drinking it :)
Overwhelmed
Today I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. And when I feel overwhelmed, I quit and don't do anything. That's my coping mechanism I suppose. (And so here I sit and blog...)
The house is a wreck, as usual, I've got tons of projects (most of them half-finished) I want to do but can't muster up the courage or motivation to tackle them, and we're all in this after time-change funk. Ugh.
So here's what I would do if I had limitless amounts of energy: clear off that always-there-stack on my kitchen counter, vacuum (oh come on, it is a huge hurdle seeing as it takes me almost an hour to get the whole house covered. I know, I know, boo hoo, it's my own fault for buying a big house, whatever), wipe all the grimy stuff off my dining room walls, finish organizing my cramped desk by making cute pen containers and printing off House of Order worksheets, (oh ya can't forget the kids) go to the park, put all winter clothing away in hopes that it's not jinxing us into another snowstorm, actually finish the laundry and not leave that miscellaneous pile that doesn't have to be done, bake some chocolate cookies, scrub my shower, research store prices and compare to the case lot sale at Macey's (ok, I have actually started doing this, it just takes A TON of time to do), unpack the rest of the Junk boxes in the basement, post the yummy recipes cluttering my family room floor that I've been meaning to post for a week now, finish putting together some file folder games we laminated last week, finish making the chore charts we started yesterday, put the picnic basket away from Saturday, practice the piano you forgot you owned, exercise, write that letter to HBO about how horrible they are (Big Love episode to air soon with temple ceremonies- makes me sick), finally get all caught up with everyone's blogs, start working on my online class, plan out this year's garden and start the seedlings, change all the batteries out of the toys that need it, look at all those cool websites you just heard about from the half-read magazine, cut out Sunday's coupons, oh and cook dinner and clean up after.
I know, I've got this huge problem with ideality and reality. I can come up with the ideas, but can never follow through with them. I'm just not a finisher. That's one thing I've learned from the House of Order gal, that if we just finish what we're doing, our homes would be so much neater. Oh, so you mean, finish the laundry? Finish going through that magazine so you can throw it away instead of putting it in that huge stack of half-looked-at magazines? Finish cleaning up after dinner so you don't have to wake up to a depressingly dirty sink and floor (Jacob is in that throw-everything-onto-the-floor stage. Fun times. Three times a day.)? Finish dealing with the mail so it doesn't add to that mutant pile of crap on my kitchen counter?
Wow, aren't I Suzy Sunshine. Sorry.
Well that made me feel better. Back to work.
The house is a wreck, as usual, I've got tons of projects (most of them half-finished) I want to do but can't muster up the courage or motivation to tackle them, and we're all in this after time-change funk. Ugh.
So here's what I would do if I had limitless amounts of energy: clear off that always-there-stack on my kitchen counter, vacuum (oh come on, it is a huge hurdle seeing as it takes me almost an hour to get the whole house covered. I know, I know, boo hoo, it's my own fault for buying a big house, whatever), wipe all the grimy stuff off my dining room walls, finish organizing my cramped desk by making cute pen containers and printing off House of Order worksheets, (oh ya can't forget the kids) go to the park, put all winter clothing away in hopes that it's not jinxing us into another snowstorm, actually finish the laundry and not leave that miscellaneous pile that doesn't have to be done, bake some chocolate cookies, scrub my shower, research store prices and compare to the case lot sale at Macey's (ok, I have actually started doing this, it just takes A TON of time to do), unpack the rest of the Junk boxes in the basement, post the yummy recipes cluttering my family room floor that I've been meaning to post for a week now, finish putting together some file folder games we laminated last week, finish making the chore charts we started yesterday, put the picnic basket away from Saturday, practice the piano you forgot you owned, exercise, write that letter to HBO about how horrible they are (Big Love episode to air soon with temple ceremonies- makes me sick), finally get all caught up with everyone's blogs, start working on my online class, plan out this year's garden and start the seedlings, change all the batteries out of the toys that need it, look at all those cool websites you just heard about from the half-read magazine, cut out Sunday's coupons, oh and cook dinner and clean up after.
I know, I've got this huge problem with ideality and reality. I can come up with the ideas, but can never follow through with them. I'm just not a finisher. That's one thing I've learned from the House of Order gal, that if we just finish what we're doing, our homes would be so much neater. Oh, so you mean, finish the laundry? Finish going through that magazine so you can throw it away instead of putting it in that huge stack of half-looked-at magazines? Finish cleaning up after dinner so you don't have to wake up to a depressingly dirty sink and floor (Jacob is in that throw-everything-onto-the-floor stage. Fun times. Three times a day.)? Finish dealing with the mail so it doesn't add to that mutant pile of crap on my kitchen counter?
Wow, aren't I Suzy Sunshine. Sorry.
Well that made me feel better. Back to work.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Meanest Mom Blog
Pretty dang funny stuff:
http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/
Check it out, you'll laugh. Plus there's an awesome giveaway soon.
http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/
Check it out, you'll laugh. Plus there's an awesome giveaway soon.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Taco Casser-Ole!
Well that wouldn't be very nice of me to talk recipes and not share one!
I found this recipe in my faithful Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine. They called it Enchilada Casser-Ole! but there's no enchilada sauce, so I changed it. Hope you enjoy! We loved it!! (Oh, and this pic is pre-lettuce and tomato. I forgot to take a picture after because we were all starving!)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (I used 1/3 Cup dehydrated onion)
2 C. salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 C. reduced-fat Italian salad dressing (I didn't add this)
2 Tbs. (1/2 pkg.) reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
6 flour tortillas (8-in.) (I only used 4 tortillas and it was just fine)
3/4 C. reduced-fat sour cream (We lika da sour cream, so I used 1 C.)
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 C. shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 C. minced fresh cilantro (we're haters of cilantro. I used green onions.)
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. Place 3 tortillas in a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers.
Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.
I found this recipe in my faithful Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine. They called it Enchilada Casser-Ole! but there's no enchilada sauce, so I changed it. Hope you enjoy! We loved it!! (Oh, and this pic is pre-lettuce and tomato. I forgot to take a picture after because we were all starving!)
1 large onion, chopped (I used 1/3 Cup dehydrated onion)
2 C. salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 C. reduced-fat Italian salad dressing (I didn't add this)
2 Tbs. (1/2 pkg.) reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
6 flour tortillas (8-in.) (I only used 4 tortillas and it was just fine)
3/4 C. reduced-fat sour cream (We lika da sour cream, so I used 1 C.)
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 C. shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 C. minced fresh cilantro (we're haters of cilantro. I used green onions.)
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. Place 3 tortillas in a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers.
Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.
Master Menu Idea
Since we won't be having an Organizing Class tomorrow night (sniff sniff), I thought I'd share my 2 cents about the food aspect of the class.
Okay, so the Master Menu idea is great in principle (decide what your favorite meals are, plan them for a month or two, multiply all ingredients by 6 or 12 to get your food storage in place, and then you never have to wonder at 4:30pm everyday what you're going to cook, etc.). I really do think it's a great idea. (And how wonderful would it be to have your food storage that organized! My food storage looks as random as a local food bank's.)
However, I don't think this idea fits my personality. You see, back when the Flylady was swooping through our neighborhood (i.e. a bunch of us were trying it at the same time), I tried to do her method of cleaning, which is very similar to the House of Order lady's method of cleaning, only it's in a binder, not on index cards. Anyway, I tried it for awhile, but I just couldn't commit to always having bathroom cleaning day be on the same day, among other things. Life happens and things have to be pushed back. And also strict structure like that kind of scares me. Plus I'm not a super clean freak. I really don't think it's vital to dust blinds and floor boards every week. And if I can get away with not scrubbing the toilets one week so I can spend time with the family or read a book, I will. I know, I'm gross. Oh well.
Sooo, when the House of Order gal said that if that doesn't work for you, you should just number your chores and rotate through them when you have the time (The Working Person's Method), it was such an eye opener for me! I could do that! Number all the weekly chores and when I have time I go through a few. But the important part was to go in order to keep the cycle going, even if someone came down with croup or pregnancy laziness set in that week. Just do what you can, when you can, in order.
Then this also reminded me of a friend's idea to rotate through family adventures. She made lists of different types of activities she enjoyed with her kids: crafts, board games, non-board games, fun stuff, places to go, etc. She put this on the inside of her closet that she kept most of these things. This way, (and I hope I'm getting this right, Megan!) she wouldn't be doing bubbles with her kids for a whole week straight and then be sick of bubbles for the next 2 months. Instead, she would consult the list and, remembering that they did bubbles yesterday, would move down to the next thing on the list and not get sick of bubbles! And she'd never have to think of more fun ideas off the top of her head because she had a good list on her closet door.
Okay, so back to my original point. I am going to do my own Master Menu like my friend's Family Adventures List. Inside my kitchen cabinet I put lists of different meals that are our family's favorites. A list for chicken dishes, beef dishes, Oriental dishes, Mexican dishes, Crock Pot dishes, etc. And then I'll set aside some time each week to plan out meals for 1 week (that's the most I can plan for, things happen, parties get announced, and leftovers accumulate so that I can't stick to a plan for any longer than that), which I've already started doing recently. So this way, when planning menus on Sunday night, I'll say, "Hmm, well we haven't had any Oriental for awhile, what's next on that list. Okay, we had Teriyaki Chicken last time we did Oriental, so we should have Chinese Chicken Salad this week. And we should probably use up some meatballs this week, which meatball recipe is next? Okay, Swedish it is!" and so on.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you because I'm so excited about this! The other methods just didn't work for me. I like to try new recipes a lot, and seriously, if I made Tamale Pie more than 4 times per year, I think I'd have to take it off the favorites list because I'd be so sick of it! Call me spoiled, but that's how I was raised. My mom hardly made things more than once (okay, she did, but they weren't cooked monthly, that's for sure), and as a result we weren't picky eaters growing up, and now us daughters love to cook and try new foods and recipes. Cooking is my favorite hobby, I think. Maybe baking first, cooking second. Young adult books third. But that's another post.
And please do not be overwhelmed with the amount of favorite meals in the picture. It's taken me almost 8 years of trying new stuff to get that list, with only the last couple of years of real dedication of trying to find those Ultimate Favorites from others. And I normally only cook 3 times per week. If we've got the money, we'll go out once a week, and leftovers take up the rest of the week. Maybe when we have more kids we won't be eating leftovers so much!
Sorry about my gabby mouth and horrible picture.
Okay, so the Master Menu idea is great in principle (decide what your favorite meals are, plan them for a month or two, multiply all ingredients by 6 or 12 to get your food storage in place, and then you never have to wonder at 4:30pm everyday what you're going to cook, etc.). I really do think it's a great idea. (And how wonderful would it be to have your food storage that organized! My food storage looks as random as a local food bank's.)
However, I don't think this idea fits my personality. You see, back when the Flylady was swooping through our neighborhood (i.e. a bunch of us were trying it at the same time), I tried to do her method of cleaning, which is very similar to the House of Order lady's method of cleaning, only it's in a binder, not on index cards. Anyway, I tried it for awhile, but I just couldn't commit to always having bathroom cleaning day be on the same day, among other things. Life happens and things have to be pushed back. And also strict structure like that kind of scares me. Plus I'm not a super clean freak. I really don't think it's vital to dust blinds and floor boards every week. And if I can get away with not scrubbing the toilets one week so I can spend time with the family or read a book, I will. I know, I'm gross. Oh well.
Sooo, when the House of Order gal said that if that doesn't work for you, you should just number your chores and rotate through them when you have the time (The Working Person's Method), it was such an eye opener for me! I could do that! Number all the weekly chores and when I have time I go through a few. But the important part was to go in order to keep the cycle going, even if someone came down with croup or pregnancy laziness set in that week. Just do what you can, when you can, in order.
Then this also reminded me of a friend's idea to rotate through family adventures. She made lists of different types of activities she enjoyed with her kids: crafts, board games, non-board games, fun stuff, places to go, etc. She put this on the inside of her closet that she kept most of these things. This way, (and I hope I'm getting this right, Megan!) she wouldn't be doing bubbles with her kids for a whole week straight and then be sick of bubbles for the next 2 months. Instead, she would consult the list and, remembering that they did bubbles yesterday, would move down to the next thing on the list and not get sick of bubbles! And she'd never have to think of more fun ideas off the top of her head because she had a good list on her closet door.
Okay, so back to my original point. I am going to do my own Master Menu like my friend's Family Adventures List. Inside my kitchen cabinet I put lists of different meals that are our family's favorites. A list for chicken dishes, beef dishes, Oriental dishes, Mexican dishes, Crock Pot dishes, etc. And then I'll set aside some time each week to plan out meals for 1 week (that's the most I can plan for, things happen, parties get announced, and leftovers accumulate so that I can't stick to a plan for any longer than that), which I've already started doing recently. So this way, when planning menus on Sunday night, I'll say, "Hmm, well we haven't had any Oriental for awhile, what's next on that list. Okay, we had Teriyaki Chicken last time we did Oriental, so we should have Chinese Chicken Salad this week. And we should probably use up some meatballs this week, which meatball recipe is next? Okay, Swedish it is!" and so on.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you because I'm so excited about this! The other methods just didn't work for me. I like to try new recipes a lot, and seriously, if I made Tamale Pie more than 4 times per year, I think I'd have to take it off the favorites list because I'd be so sick of it! Call me spoiled, but that's how I was raised. My mom hardly made things more than once (okay, she did, but they weren't cooked monthly, that's for sure), and as a result we weren't picky eaters growing up, and now us daughters love to cook and try new foods and recipes. Cooking is my favorite hobby, I think. Maybe baking first, cooking second. Young adult books third. But that's another post.
And please do not be overwhelmed with the amount of favorite meals in the picture. It's taken me almost 8 years of trying new stuff to get that list, with only the last couple of years of real dedication of trying to find those Ultimate Favorites from others. And I normally only cook 3 times per week. If we've got the money, we'll go out once a week, and leftovers take up the rest of the week. Maybe when we have more kids we won't be eating leftovers so much!
Sorry about my gabby mouth and horrible picture.
Temple Adventure
I call it an adventure, partly cuz I think it's fun to call all family outings adventures, but also because we had to change a flat tire on the way up the hill to the temple (and when I say we, I mean my husband and father-in-law). AND I think it's safe to say that keeping 3 kids, 5 and under, entertained (and reverant) while waiting in lines for 4 hours is an adventure too.
The kids have been looking forward to this for some time. Their grandparents came down just for the event, and we had some really great FHE's talking about temples and families. Audrey said she liked the room where brides put on their wedding dresses the best (always a princess), and Kierra just liked all of it. Jacob sat on Grandpa's shoulders most of the time, pointing at all the greenery (which was a lot if you slow down and notice it) and saying "Oh!" like an old Jewish man, the way he always does. And can you believe that after taking all those photos at home before we left that I forgot to take some of the whole family at the temple!!? Oh well, we can always get it later. It's not going anywhere.
Our Audrey:
Our Kierra (I think she was getting tired of smiling):
Our Jacob (couldn't you just eat him!?!):
The kiss (which was immediately followed by Jacob pushing his sisters away):
Our girls:
Our boy:
Our kids:
Our selves:
Our family:
The kids have been looking forward to this for some time. Their grandparents came down just for the event, and we had some really great FHE's talking about temples and families. Audrey said she liked the room where brides put on their wedding dresses the best (always a princess), and Kierra just liked all of it. Jacob sat on Grandpa's shoulders most of the time, pointing at all the greenery (which was a lot if you slow down and notice it) and saying "Oh!" like an old Jewish man, the way he always does. And can you believe that after taking all those photos at home before we left that I forgot to take some of the whole family at the temple!!? Oh well, we can always get it later. It's not going anywhere.
Our Audrey:
Our Kierra (I think she was getting tired of smiling):
Our Jacob (couldn't you just eat him!?!):
The kiss (which was immediately followed by Jacob pushing his sisters away):
Our girls:
Our boy:
Our kids:
Our selves:
Our family:
Oh, I Just Came Back From the Windy City...
My lands, is it windy here today. And yesterday. The weatherpeople say they're have been gusts up to 45 mph the last couple of days. Are you sure? It feels like that number is too low. My house feels like it's going to just pick up and blow away. Or fall over in pieces and then blow away. We're not in the comfort of being nestled in next to the mountains to protect us anymore. Oh no, we are way out in the middle of things now, so we feel the brunt of the storms. Seriously, I'm afraid one of my kids will just blow away. And they wonder why we can't go to the park today. (Audrey said she'd be really careful to not get blown away, and if something flew towards her she'd duck so nothing would get in her eyes. Sorry, kid, but dust doesn't work that way). Sorry, kids, no park for a little while longer. As the great muppet bear would say, "Can't be too careful. Safety first." he he he. A favorite line of ours. 5 points goes to the person that can name the movie!
Wow, I ramble a lot. Sorry 'bout that.
Wow, I ramble a lot. Sorry 'bout that.
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