one.

My SONshine* turned one. He has flipped my feet up over me this last year, that's right, I am head over hills for this kid. I love all my kids equally, but a mama loves their boy out of special place in their heart.

We celebrated and welcomed in his new year with an unbelievable amount of superhero fun and excitement.

*I stole this adorable and true sentiment from this charming lady

If I had a million dollars...

I would buy a house for these lovely ladies right next to mine.

I had a week with my mama and sister, they are my best of friends. I feel the world is a little tilted when we live so far away from each other. This last week I found my equilibrium.

(The unsuspecting tourists that inevitably misjudge the distance of the wave--gets you every time)

Marathon

Our weekend had a theme... Marathon. Why? because Jeremy ran one and because our Halloween weekend, in and of itself, was a bit like an endurance sport. We drove to Greenville, South Carolina. It was a beautiful hip little place. A place that catered to hip single fun people. You can image the shock to see a mini van with a Thule rack on top drive along side the shiny little mini coopers and Saabs. We got to our hotel. It was amazing, water fountains inside along with a glass elevator. The girls thought we were in a palace. I told them we were. We had to be fancy the whole weekend because of it. When we went to park we were told we were too big. We couldn't fit inside the parking garage. We had to head to the misfit parking lot a few blocks away. Ha Ha our mini van was too big, it cracks me up every time I think about it. They just didn't know what to do with such a thing.

On Saturday because jer was running I had to check out as a lone adult. I had 3 kids, a double stroller, 2 pack and plays, 3 bags, 2 backpacks, pillows and blankets, and extra running gear. I had to take two trips. On my second one through a nice old gentleman told me his heart went out to me. To me? I gave him a weird look. Despite the spectacle that we are most places I really love that we get to travel so much with our kiddos. I told him where we go our kids go (except for my birthday rendezvous!!) and we really have a great time. He looked at me like I was lying and we skipped on our merry way.

Jeremy did very well. No, he did amazing. He ran the miles, finished and told me it wasn't that bad. He was nervous about the infamous wall. He had pain in mile 23 and 24 but other than that was fine. So I like to say he hit the fence not quite a wall. Afterward, we iced his knees jumped in the car, drove the hours back to North Carolina where Jer took the girls trick-or-treating, then home for a late night halloween celebration and movie, really quite impressive. You would have never known he had run 26.2 miles that morning.

Perfection

I went away. It was perfect. It was just what this mama needed to re-charge and re-fuel. My husband knows me so well. I flew to Georgia. There a shuttle picked me up and took me to my hotel. Then, this is the best part, I got picked back up and taken to a TOFW conference. I loved it. I gobbled up every little moment of it, every little bit of information, every bit of love. I even ran into a friend I went to high school with. What? Too fun (we went to school in Utah and there we both were, transplants to the South). We had lunch together. I was fed spiritually by our conversation. I can't ask for more in a weekend, than to be uplifted and refocused, well maybe a camera that I didn't have.

P.S. Jeremy and I have had a good laugh at my unbecoming birthday picture that I posted. So, to remedy that, I have declared a Glamour Shots day. We are pulling out the gloves, the amazingly red lipstick, the V-neck shoulder wrap that is suppose to make you look like you are wearing an evening gown and ringlets that will be brushed out. I can't wait.

P.P.S. I went to spin yesterday during Jer's lunch break. When I was done it looked like I had jumped into a swimming pool. Jer picked me up laughing. He informed me I was standing on the corner with a soaking wet WHITE t-shirt (apparently little was hidden). I informed him that I hoped his boss drove by and when he receives an early promotion he could thank me.

Because I am 29.

Because I turned 29 I got handed a white envelope. Inside a flight itinerary and a receipt for a hotel. I guess I am going somewhere tomorrow. P.S. the flight itinerary was for only one. I am going alone. I tried to act sad. I think my family bought it. Inside, though, I was doing cartwheels. I was prancing and singing at the top of my lungs. I do adore my family, but sometimes, just sometimes I like sleep a little more. This is a sweet birthday.

My not so little man

Today he played with giants.

Tricky Tricky

I put pureed cauliflower in my kids eggs. They don't have a clue. I love cleverness. I think I am funny when I can get away with things. Even if it is as boring as cauliflower in eggs.

You should try it. You will like it. Cross my heart.

oh dear

I went bizerk. I am telling the truth. There was screaming and shaking and managers involved.

I am a pleaser on a typical day. I like things to go smoothly and if they don't I usually just avoid it. But not the other day, it was not typical.

I had had it. They were right there, my emotions, ready to let loose. I didn't know this, of course, or I would have stayed home that not-typical day.

I am not proud, but I do admit I felt remarkably better. That is after the road rage incident. Yes, there was also the road rage incident that happened after the "manager had to get involved" incident (it was on the way home). Oh, they, my emotions, were definitely showing everyone who was boss that day. That is until I got home. It was then I remembered in today's world people follow people home to seek revenge from road rage. I also remembered that my husband wasn't home and wasn't going to be home for a few days. I remembered then why I am a people pleaser...I am not very strong. So, you know what I did? I parked my car by my neighbors house. That's really terrible. But I am pretty sure her husband was home and I think she is definitely stronger than me.

Has that ever happened to you? Build up. When things just stack right on top of each other until, well, you know, you go bizerk.

No. 7

We made it! Hello North Carolina (about 3 weeks ago!). Our number 7 move in the last 4 1/2 year is coming to an end. Wheew. But there is still more on the To Do master list.

adjust to the heat, still working on this one.

find a farmers market, done.

library cards, done.

find a house, found the most perfect house. In our price range. Southern style. on an acre of land with a fence. In a perfect neighborhood. done. Not quite, found out the elementary school isn't up to par. oh the sacrifice of a parent...

Find another house, with a good school. done. still in our price range. smaller town home. scrunched in with a million other people. no fence and hardly a backyard. But B's school is AMAZING!! well worth it! Can't move in until the 3rd--have been living in a hotel.

Move in.

Become a mama of a first grader, done. Oh, how sweet my B is.

make friends. Haven't totally gotten use to the "new kid in school" situation I am in all the time.

Decorate a house. We got rid of so much I am starting over. Lots of DIY projects in my future. Can't wait!!

Find camera cords off moving truck to post pictures of our cross country tour, talk about a party!

buy a car. done. not planning on it, and not ready to write that check out, but we had to, so done.

Find a local egg farmer. Apparently the demand for local eggs far outweighs the supply here. It's going to tricky, but I am up for the challenge!

Find a local goat milk soap farmer. DONE! I am so excited. I think I have made a best friend.

Find another mom that likes to work out so we can switch kid watching and I can hit the pilates class in town (I was so spoiled in Utah, every place accommodates having kids- I will miss you Utah).

A section of Saturday

My shopping day rotates. It depends on the local farmer's market. In California it was Tuesday. Here in Utah you can find me with my shopping bags on Saturday. For me, shopping takes up a good portion of the morning. Just like eating good food is an experience, so is shopping for it. In Monterey I would walk around the year-round market and would see all the produce. I wanted so badly to know what to do with all of it, but I didn't, so I would just walk by. I would pick up my usual few items and be on my way. Jumping forward to present day as I have my two huge shopping bags full and a stroller brimming with produce as I walk away from the market I have a little pep in my step. I think I have figured it out.




Now to make all this food applicable here is a great farmer's market meal.

Carrot Spaghetti with raw marinara
Serves: 1

3 medium carrots
2 small cloves garlic
1/4 of an onion, diced (optional)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

Directions:
Carrot pasta:

Wash the carrots well, especially if they are not organic. With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into long thing strips and sprinkle with salt. Finely dice the garlic and onion (if desired).

Coat the bottom of a large pan with the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. When hot, add the carrots. Toss frequently (this works well with tongs). When the carrots start to soften, add the garlic and pepper (add onion here too if you like). Keep tossing for a couple of minutes until some of the carrots get brown around the edges (don't burn!) and the garlic is golden.


Raw Marinara Sauce

1 ripe tomato, chopped (about 1/2 C.)
1/2 C. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked or oil-packed
1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/2 C.)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 T. minced fresh basil, or 1 t. dried
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. crushed garlic (1 clove)
1/4 t. & 1/8 t. salt
dash of black pepper (opt.)
dash of cayenne

place all ingredients in food processor fitted w/ S blade and process till smooth. stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Marinara Sauce will keep for 3 days.

and here are some other things we have been up to.



My little man and I have taken to wandering around really beautiful places.



Ms. G and I have participated in some wildly challenging hide and seek games. I don't know how she managed to do it, but she stumped me every time.





And Jer and I are in fierce competition in the hula-ing department.

BBQ...What to do.

We are heading to a family reunion. This means hamburgers and hot dogs. What to do, what to do. I am typically stumped by BBQ's. I usually end up making an entirely different meal. But who doesn't want to fit in? I don't want to be the weird family pulling out all of our own Tupperware. So, jer and I went to work. BBQ style food without the meat. And I might say, my cute little whole foods loving man impressed the heck out of me. He found this recipes on Alton Brown's website. We tried them out. And they were good. We definitely will be sneakily slipping these babies onto our buns!



Jer's Burgers (originally called Pea-burgers, but I thought that name was gross and totally turned me off, this way it does the opposite; especially, when he makes manly Vanna White poses for the camera.)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 to 2 additional tablespoons for sauteing
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry split peas, picked and rinsed
1/2 cup dry brown rice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup for coating
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper along with a generous pinch of salt. Sweat for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.

Add the broth, peas, rice, coriander and cumin. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer for 1 hour or until the rice and peas are tender.

Remove from the heat and gently pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process until just combined.* Do not puree. Pour this mixture into a bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of bread crumbs. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shape the mixture into patties and dredge on each side in the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 burgers at a time and saute until brown on each side, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. To grill, cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes per side as well. Serve immediately.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Food: cherries, peas, eggs

Now that the hubster is home I can move on. So, let's talk food. The cornerstone of eating well is knowing your food. Let's get acquainted with my most recent purchases at the farmer's market and find out why we love these things.



Cherries. These are super foods. Living here in Utah there is an abundant supply of them which makes these even more fantastic. Here is one food that is easy to eat locally. One of Cherries biggest claims to fame is the role they play in reducing inflammation. I became interested in cherries when my brother-in-law started battling gout. A great food to eat when battling swelling. I try to eat cherries daily as my family is genetically prone to arthritis. They are packed with antioxidants. We see a lot of sweet cherries available here. Tart cherries are a little richer in nutrients, but both are still healthful. They also have beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate. Additionally, cherries can be consumed in a juice form, dried or frozen with much of their nutritional value retained.




Who doesn't love fresh peas? They taste great and can keep the kids entertained. Peas have a great secret. Maybe this is well known, but I remember learning this and was amazed. Peas are full of vitamin K! Another great food for bone health. Frozen peas are a better option because of the sodium content of canned. Also, fresh peas should be refrigerated within a day of purchase as their sugar content turns into starch after that.




Have you noticed how many egg options there are in the grocery store? What do they all mean? There are a lot of hidden meanings behind the labeling. When you read "free range" what do you think of? If you are like me, I imagined these happy healthy roaming chickens outdoors for the majority of their day. By FDA standards, though, it means the chickens just need to have access to the outdoors. This could mean a small window, still never actually going outside. As I have learned more and more about eggs I have come to one conclusion: if possible, buy local. They are a little more expensive, but in the long run worth it. I can ask the farmers the conditions of the farms, if they really are free range, what they eat, sanitation etc.I know what we are consuming. It was eye-opening to see a documentary on chicken factories. The sanitation alone was awful, I actually felt bad I was feeding that to my kids. This is not a blanket statement about all egg producers. For me, It became hard to know which is the good and which is the bad. When buying locally you know. And here is a plug. I get my eggs for 3.00 a dozen at the Provo Farmer's Market, which is a great price. And if you get to know the farmers after the market is over you can go and pick up eggs in Payson for even less.

sabbatical

Jeremy is home. We have anchored down. got all nesty and achieved that equallibrium that was a little off the last few months. How nice it is to retreat the last few weeks and achieve "normal" again. To walk down stairs and hear the dryer going and know that I didn't do it. really. little things like that make my heart race. It has been full. And it has been good. Here are a few things that makes things great.



Ms. G protecting us from all evil. And protecting herself with a bike helmet. She also wears a watch to make sure these good doings are a timely pursuit.



fixing and riding on a bicycle made for two. Ms. G also played a part in the repairs. Nothing sweeter than a daddy daughter tandem bike.



Hanging out with good friends that have mad sushi making skills.



And heading out on our own couples retreat. Oh, the unplanned adventure we had know idea that was ahead of us.

Food: Tahini...Tahani

I love seeds. Really, anything made from them or with them, I love. They are versitile and packed with nutrients. Because we are talking Tahini, we will talk sesame seeds. The makeup (about 3 1/2 oz. serving):

Protein 17.730 grams
Iron 14.550 milligrams
Calcium 975 milligrams

Just that makes me love this seed. I won't lie you pay for what you get. I don't buy Tahini because it's expensive. Sesame seeds are also expensive. The difference? You can use sesame seeds when you want, instead of opening a container and needing to use it up before it spoils, like store bought tahini. I also use the seeds for a lot of differnt things, tahini, breads, stir-fry, snacking, trail mix.

How do I do it? I start with putting about a cup of sesame seeds on a cookie sheet. Spread them so it is just one layer. Put them in a hot oven of 350 degrees and let them roast for about 10 minutes. Check on them often in that 10 minutes. The darker they get the more bitter they become. I like them so they are a very light golden brown with speckles of darker seeds in the mix. If you do like a more bitter tahini keep them in longer. Put them in a magic bullet, food processor or blender. Start with a table spoon of olive oil and blend. It will most likely be thick. Add more olive oil to your desired consistancy. And wa-la. Tahini! So simple.

Notes.
-Instead of olive oil I use Udo's 3-6-9 oil. It is a whole foods oil that is made up of a blend of the 3, 6, 9 omega fatty acids. Here is the big fat note on that though, it runs about 45 dollars per 32 oz. I use it because I have taken my kids off of fish oils. The amount evens out for me.

-I have made tahini very thick with seeds still formed in it. I have made it very smooth and creamy. It all tastes the same. There doesn't need to be much attention on the consistency, the thing to watch is the bake time. It really can make a difference.

- Cost cutter. Some things are just more expensive. seeds tend to be one of them. I have learned though, if you get to know your local health food store owner or manager sometimes they will buy things in bulk per your request for a better price (my mom gets her chia seed this way). Also, I have used Azure standard. It is a co-op out of Oregon. But be careful, with every purchase with them they tack on a 15.00 shipping cost. It is worth it if you are doing a massive order or if you have a friend to combined orders with and split cost.

-Hulled or unhulled. Sesame seeds come hulled or unhulled. A white sesame seed is most common. However, if it is white that means it has been hulled. Hulled is the process of stripping off of the natural skin of the seed Unhulled is, obviously, the seed in it's natural state (they are a light brownish color)and the most nutritious. When shopping for sesame seeds the most bang for your buck will be unhulled!
That is all things Tahini! Enjoy.

Summer

The time has finally come. Time for chlorine, sunburns, days that last deep into the night, and times that are spent just loving what is. Welcome.

Friday was especially summery last week.

Ms. G enjoyed eating.



Our little man sported highly fashionable swim wear.



And Ms. B miraculously turned into a fish before our very eyes.

Food: Veganism, a soap box

All of our airport outfits are purchased. Signs are made. Food is stocked. We are ready, so I am loving this little distraction on the food topic. I really only can practice my "surprised, excited, supportive, loving," facials in the mirror (for when he walks off of that plane) so many times! So before food became the topic, I really was just watching the clock.

The topic was raised,Why Vegan, or my take on it? To be completely honest we are not 100% vegan. I think whole foods is a more appropriate term. While Jeremy is gone I have to be somewhat flexible. How we got to this way of eating was actually years of evolution (hold on tight, it's going to be a long post). When we arrived it was just a natural step. My undergraduate is in community health. I have always been fascinated in health and the way the body works. A quote that I love that has summed it up for me is, "with health you can do anything." And think about it, when your mind, body and spirit are healthy you truly feel unstoppable or living with purpose and energy. In that, how you treat your body is your number one defense and what you have control over, not to mention, your own responsibility. Food is so connected with all three of those facets.

Because of consciousness of health I started becoming a conscious eater. I learned about my food. I learned about the fuel I was putting in my own personal vehicle for life. I didn't want unclean or dangerous or unhealthy things in my body that wouldn't take me the places I wanted to go. First things to go, red meat and pork (I stopped eating white flours as a teenager). Next was minimizing things out of boxes and cans, then fast food then chicken, then eggs and then fish. The interesting thing is I have never told myself I wouldn't or couldn't eat something. I don't have nonsustainable rules for myself. I eat what I want when I want. But education is a grand thing. I don't eat things because I don't want to, pretty easy.

At 24 I found out I had a cancerous tumor in my lung. I was side swiped by this. A real sense of responsibility came over me at that point. The way I treat my body is my first line of defense against the elements. Can I expect to fuel it with crap, refined sugars, meats including all the hormones and antibiotics, processed stuff and preservatives; and then when an illness hits expect it to recover and take care of me? I founded an equal partnership, at that point, with my body.

I have had the opportunity to visit and live in a few different countries. Some of these countries include Africa and Mexico. The lessons I learned from these places are, less truly is more. I have a deep appreciation for non-indulgent people, that live with the bare minimums and don't take more than they need. These are, also, some of the happiest people I know. That lesson I took with me in my food (and other parts of my life as well). I eat simply and yet it is some of the most richly flavored food I've ever eaten.

My oldest girlie has Celiac's Disease. Well, she is sort of a phenomenon. She carries the gene in her blood samples and yet her intestines are healthy. Technically, she can eat gluten. My second oldest girlie and my boy are lactose intolerant.

When I was pregnant with my boy and vegetarian I was really overwhelmed at meeting all the food needs of my family, including a very temperamental third trimester. The easiest thing I came up with to make everyone happy was fruits and veggies, whole grains, and legumes, no lactose, no gluten, no meat; it was perfect.

All of this, with the upbringing of loving the environment, as lead to my lifestyle now.

oh, wait, motherhood. Motherhood is a big one for me. I want to give all of this to my children. I put them in car seats and make them wear helmets. I protect the outsides of their bodies like crazy, why would I not protect their insides too? I am my kiddos protector. Why would I feed them harmful things? I sort of get nervous here because there are so many opinions on what is "harmful," I get that. but I am talking the basics, refined sugars, preservatives and so forth. I want my kids to be strong, spiritually, mentally, and physically. In addition to other things, I feed them well, as part of their temporal and spiritual preparedness. Don't get me wrong, we have treats. My kids are typical. They get to eat whatever their friends are eating. I don't pack them their own little bag of "good" food. I think social etiquette and graciousness are equally important. I also don't want them to be self-conscious I want them to be wise. So the foods we eat in our house are a little different than what we eat outside of it. When we go out we are flexible and we are especially appreciative to meals that friends have offered and homes that have been open to us. We eat up everything there, even if it is a steak breaded with ground beef deep fried with cheese sauce. The friendship is of equal priority.

Ok, I think I will stop now. This is not meant to be offensive these are just my own little tidbits. And believe it or not I still have more, maybe tomorrow we will get into the cost of it. I can feed my family for 2 days on a bag of lentils that cost 76 cents! I was going to get into Tahini tonight as well, but I am little long winded already...maybe tomorrow. Another thing I may cover is kids treats. We eat yummy treats like the next person, they are just made a little differently. And probably a post dedicated to protein. Number one question asked to someone that doesn't eat meat is about protein. Very fun this will definitely keep me occupied for the next few days. And if I don't post that means there's a husband around that I need to get reacquainted with.

Food

I was reminded that I was, at one point, going to start posting more recipes. I am not good at this, even when I commit it deep down in my heart. But I don't know, I am kind of liking blogging more and we will go with that until I get distracted with something else, maybe this will be a fun topic. Because I don't have a binder of recipes or any real "go to" place with all of my recipes. I am going to start with a few things I have eaten in a day. This will help simplify. Here are a couple of things from yesterday. Today we went to costco,so my meals consisted of samples, very non-vegan and not that healthy. About my recipes. If ever there is a question about what something is or the best place to buy it or so on, please let me know. I remember when I was getting into eating this way. I spent half the time figuring out the ingredients. I asked and still ask a ton of questions!

Quinoa and spinach.

So simple and my two year old licks the bowl clean.

1/2 c. quinoa
1 1/4 C. veggie broth
handfuls of spinach

Put quinoa and broth in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach, let wilt to desired consistency. Serve.

I was going to add pecans to this, but was out, hence the trip to costco.



Here is a sandwich that I could eat for almost every meal.


White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme and Basil

Recipe from eat, drink & be vegan.

MAKES 6–7 SERVINGS (ABOUT 2½ CUPS). WHEAT-FREE

2 cups cooked cannellini (white kidney) beans (drained and rinsed if using canned beans)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
1 small to medium clove garlic, sliced
1 – 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (see note)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (see note)
½ tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt
2½ - 3 tsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, torn or roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp water (may not need, just to thin dip as desired)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except water, thyme, and basil. Purée until smooth, gradually adding water as desired to thin dip and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add thyme and basil and purée briefly to incorporate ingredients.

I spread this pretty thick on a piece of Wasa bread and then put grated carrots on it. I love hummus and think this type of sandwich is the perfect quick picnic food.
Also, I use Great Northern Beans because I usually have those on hand. I make the tahini from scratch for all my hummus recipes. The taste, in my opinion, is so much better and it is more cost efficient.

celebrate

A-hem, if I could get your attention...Jeremy has left Afghanistan.

Appreciation

My heart swells a little on this day.

Move over Albert

With all due respect Mr. Einstein, I think there's a new age genius on our hands. I took my little man to the doctor yesterday. He was in the 1 percentile for weight and 5th percentile for height and 61st percentile for head circumference--that's a whole lot of smarts in just one cabeza. Just think of the things that will be invented, prevented or cured with stats like that.

Flirt

I was driving yesterday. In my rear view mirror I saw a soldier on a motorcycle. He pulled up next to me. He had his ACU's on and a helmet, so I pretended it was Jeremy. When he wasn't looking I mouthed, "I think you're hot," and then I secretly blew him a kiss.

Happy Feet

We had no choice. They saw the sun and they started to run, jump and dance. All we could do was follow.
P.S. we ditched the numbers and made a rainbow hopscotch.

emerging

The other day I got a glimpse of her. You know, that girl i use to be, the girl that has been dormant for the last 9 months. Well, I saw her, it was sort of like seeing a unicorn. magical.

Sometimes life's seasons are stressful and doesn't stress make a person do funny things? Hmmm? I have been on survival mode that's for sure. I have been sloppy and unfun all in the name of surviving. Which, unfortunately, has meant I have had to put a large part of me in the closet to hang there until another season. I will admit it, I'm a little tired. I'm ready for this deployment to be in the past and I am ready for the sun to shine.

But she has emerged a few times in the last week. I was so excited to get reacquainted. I wanted to snag onto her and put a padlock on the closet where she has been quietly waiting, but I knew this was premature, so I just whispered, "welcome back."

Completely and totally an inside joke

When email is secure and internet websites are controlled there is always a way to get inside jokes to your husband. The blog.

Hey Clint,

There will always be the need for a swagger, even when arriving home. Long live the V device!

A little bit of sunshine

There was a surprise waiting for me today.

I walked out my door and there it was.

A little bit of sunshine.

Looks like a soldier's getting ready to come on home.

{and to be totally honest, I wanted to hug these huge ugly boxes full of my husbands stuff. I wanted to stand on top of them and yell for everyone to come over and celebrate, but instead I smiled and had extra spring in my step all day long}

blog carnival 5/6

I am chiming in when I can with the WOF blog carnival. Today's topic, what's cooking. This is a fun party dish as well and fun to make with little helpers!

Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
•2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, & diced
•4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
•2 tablespoon minced red onion
•1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
•¼ t. salt
•6 egg roll wraps
Method:


Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up over the filling.
Fold side corners in and roll toward the top corner. Wet the edges of the top corner with a little water. Then fold top corner over and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce.

Honey Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
•3-4 teaspoons white vinegar
•1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
•1/2 cup honey
•1/2 cup chopped cashews
•2/3 cup fresh cilantro
•2 garlic cloves
•2 green onions
•1 tablespoon granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon ground black pepper
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/4 cup olive oil
Method:


To make dipping sauce, use a blender or food processor to puree all listed ingredients except olive oil. Blend until well pureed. Then stream in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Blog Carnival 5/3

I decided to join the wives of faith blog carnival. I am late. That is not too unusual. I am picking up on today's topic. Ten great things about being a military wife.

1. discounts. who needs coupons when you got military discounts.
2. military ID. I keep it in the clear covered pocket in my wallet, secretly hoping everyone will see it when I go to get cash. It is a statement. I am in a club and this is my ticket in.
3. Military Balls. It is the only group of people I know of that can go to "prom" until they are 60 and not have the pity and reaction of "bless their hearts" (not to mention, they are super fun).
4. Military names. We get together and all the parents are shouting their kids names. It sounds like a speech given at an inauguration. There is always a Freedom, Justice, Liberty, or America running around and my personal favorite to date is little Auto, as in, semi AUTOmatic. What can I say, patriotism and weapon fascination ooze out of us.
5. The commisary. Enough said.
6. We can uproot our families, pull them away from friends, schools and routine and we are not looked at as irresponsible parents, but honorable and adventuresome.
7. The honeymoon. We are always in the honeymoon stage. When the honeymoon starts to wear off he leaves for 12 months and then we start all over again. It really is lovely.
8. Other military spouses. kindred spirits. inspiring women. a group of women that can laugh and stay steady even through some of the darkest hours. Women that have a keen sense of perspective and hearts bigger than themselves.
9. Seeing and experiencing the world.
10. I think this might by my personal favorite and I have yet to hear an argument about it. There is nothing quite so sexy as a man in uniform.

Bonus: I have to add a bonus to my 10. "Attagirl" moments! You never know your own person strength until your husband is no where around and you are left to do everything. That's right. At-ta-girl!

Where'd ya go

Goodbye April. You win. You were quick and full of greatness. In a nutshell...

-Diamond Days
-Ms. G 2 year old birthday
-Earth Day, my favorite
-We got a job! (we usually find out a few weeks to a few days where our new job will be, so I can almost not trust it- 2 1/2 months notice really? the military was generous this time around).
- a quick trip to Las Vegas this weekend. I flew out Friday and flew home Saturday. It was perfect.
-I got to see my Bestie! I haven't seen my bff for 9 months. It was truly wonderful to spend time with her. Thanks Kong!

-And it went so quick that it is already May 3rd and I am just now saying goodbye to April. Bliss. Pictures to come.

It's all I really need... well, almost.

Diamond Days. It's our holiday. We are in harmony. And we love every minute. We climb. We hike. We eat. We shoot. We dig. We get dirty. And secretly we all wish we could pitch a tent and live outdoors for the rest of lives. And wear gigantic sunglasses to make us feel chic in the woods.




gettin 'r dun (must be said with backwoods accent).



that's how we do it. we start 'em early (this one too).


And as for Ms. G, she really isn't that interested in anything that doesn't include her yellow bucket.

I am happy to say goodbye

March, you are over. Thank you. To be honest I really thought I would see my 90th birthday before I saw the end of you. I am sorry to inform you that you are now officially out of the runnings for my favorite month. February, in it's swiftness, still takes the cake. Let's hope the following months did not take to heart your example. Instead, let's all work together(are you listening April and May?)to get the time bracket months (June-Aug) here quickly and flawlessly. I would really appreciate it.

Ok March you do have a saving grace. My Ms. B. turned 6 with your help. I will applaud you for that.

Here is to my B. 6 things that I truly adore about her.

1. She can hip-hop like nobody's bizz-nass.
2. She is truly tender-hearted
3. She gives the best compliments, such as, "mom you really don't sing that well, but you have a really really nice talking voice."
4. She is unstoppable when it comes to anything math
5. She has a knack in the kitchen. She tastes, she spices up and she can perfect most meals.
6. She is, quite possibly, one of the bravest people I know.

Yes, there are kids there. I am slow on the up-take sometimes. It is war and there are kids there. I've known, I just didn't get it before. Jer took these. Maybe it is those little girls eyes that got me.

What?

Is it seriously still March? It's killing me. Really.

Celebrate your Second Shifter today

My sister and I were on the phone. We were discussing our husband's jobs. Hers is a commercial airline pilot and mine, well you know what mine does. Both of our husbands are gone for significant amounts of time. We started fantasizing about our men, our second shifters. Fantasizing about them taking over the kid duties at the end of the day so that we could sit down, lie down or run away, taking care of that second shift. We got giddy with the idea of sleeping at night. If we could hear a child cry and gently tap our Second Shifter and let them know we were up for the first shift and so inevitably it was their turn. Our dreams went on and on as we talked. Sick kids, no prob; discipline issues, not an issue; needing to be in two places at once,too easy when there is a Second Shifter around. So today is Celebrate your Second Shifter Day. Take the time today to give the second shifter in your life an extra squeeze when he takes the kids so you can make dinner. Give him a high five as he crawls out of bed at 3 AM to take on the crying child. Give him a little bit of extra love today on Second Shifter Day!



Here is my Second Shifter Day 2011 hopeful. It doesn't look good folks, it doesn't look good.

I forgot one thing

In my "formal" recipe below I forgot a couple of things (yes, more than one-I am trying to minimize my mistake in my title).
First, In the puree I also put frozen onions in it. My family likes onions, but not that much. I usually put maybe 1/2 cup in. For everyone that has not been introduced to frozen onions-they are a gift and should be used often.
Second, the amount of spices used are most definitely not enough. I just start with that amount and as I taste I add more.
And third, I just cook it on medium the whole time.

I am going to work on my recipe creating skills. I get that they are less than impressive. Or I can say that it makes my blogging skills stellar. I can make 2 blog posts out of only one recipe. I only see half full glasses at my table.

all in one

I have been asked for recipes. I swear I plan on sending emails chuck full of ways of making delicious food. I haven't done it. Today I came across this, 21kickstart.org, full of menu plans and recipes. My job just got easier, thank you. And here is a a recipe for Kristi. Quinoa Chili that my kids ate up and begged for more the next day. Let's see how well I do at making a formal recipe. I usually just figure things out as I go.



In a food processor I sliced
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 roma tomatoes.
I put all that in a pot along with some
olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp coriander
1 can of drained black beans.
While that was cooking I pureed
2 cans of no salt added diced tomatoes
a clove of garlic
I added the puree to the pot and cooked about 5-7 minutes to thicken it up.
I then added to the pot
32 oz of broth--whatever broth works for your family would work here, veggie, chicken, maybe even mushroom.
I then added 1/2 cup of quinoa. This amount makes for a really thick chili. We like it like that, but maybe adding less for those that are less enthused about quinoa is a good idea. Quinoa will take about 15 minutes to become tender so gage that with your carrots and celery. At this point I start adding pinches of more cumin and chili powder and some sea salt to fit our taste. the end result should just taste like chili nothing special, but this is the gluten free vegan (if veggie broth was used) dish with over 37 grams of protein in it.

I ate it with a slice of grain bread (not gluten free)and earth balance, which is a vegan equivalent to butter. It was pretty darn good.

Goodbye February. You were lovely while you lasted, and thank you for not lasting long. Jer celebrated his birthday in February so happy birthday.


Here is the other "woman" in our relationship. It's ok. It gives me a challenge.

A train of thought led to this...Valentines Day.

I have been reminiscent lately. I love my memories. I reflect often about the life I have lived. It allows me to appreciate the now. The few days prior to Valentines Day I was thinking of when I lived in Europe. A friend from the states and I decided to meet up in Spain. We had a theme for our travels. A line from a Rusted Root song, "all I need is food and creative love." What a fantastic time we had. You can see why this particular memory came creeping up on me around the day of love. I remember being in Segovia in a little restaurant. We had become a part of a tribe of backpackers. We had known each other for maybe 2 hours and there we were at a farm style table eating as the locals. We didn't have our separate meals on separate dishes everything was shared (I know you're probably gagging, right?). I remember the sense of love and community that was there. With this, I wanted to create a similar type of meal for my girls this year for Valentines Day, something away from the traditional red food cut in the shape of hearts. I was stumped though because there would be no way I could have pulled off such an amazing European meal. This led me to another memory (I am not joking when I said I have been reminiscent)hot pots, the memory of hot pots. In my single days one of my favorite dinners I would have with friends were hot pots, think the Melting Pot. A whole dinner fondue style. I loved it. We would all sit around and have our dinner cook infront of us and eat right out of the electric wok. Same sharing and community, same love. So that is what I did. My girls and I pulled out the electric wok and had so much fun having dinner cook right on the table as we sat around laughing and talking. Hooray, We had such a great day of love!


Here is another memory. Last Valentines was definitely one of my favorites. My sister so kindly came out to CA to watch our kids so Jer and I could have a weekend getaway. We spent the weekend in Santa Cruz, hiking through redwoods and trying to fit in to a much cooler crowd than we actually were/are.




I know the blue coat is a little distracting, but don't stop there, the tree behind us is amazing.

Texan Pow Wow

We went to Texas. A little family getaway which was much needed. It served two purposes. Yes, a getaway and military family time. I got to meet and mingle and be enlightened by other folks like us. I did however only take 'some' of my kids. Am I a bad mother? Only two were allowed. I couldn't possibly juggle more. I already looked like a circus. One adult, two kids tied to me, all the luggage, a stroller and a Dora roller suitcase. We had a great time! Our hotel had an outdoor pool on the roof which was heated. We swam. At night. I went to bed one night at 10:30, that in itself was worth the trip. I loved spending big girl time with my B and having nothing to do. Well sort of nothing to do. My boy is a fussy baby as is and come to find out he is a homebody (we are going to work on that). He started crying on the plane and still hasn't stopped--we have been home a few days now, he might have PTSD. It still was an absolutely fantastic time. Here are pictures, hurry and look before I panic and take them off because of over protectiveness.

Alright, I just tried to post pictures. They didn't work, it's a sign.

Goodbye January

The first month in 2010 down, Hooray!! Now that we are in the year that Jeremy is coming home I am feeling like we are in the home stretch. I am celebrating saying goodbye to January and moving onto the next month to get through. We go month by month...baby steps. And to help the celebration I got a package in the mail from Jer. It was full of juice box straws that he had been collecting for Ms. B, so adorable. It also had vegan candy and, the best part, Latino dance exercise DVD's. Man, he knows how to swoon me.

And for pictures. I know I have not been posting them lately so I thought I would post some from my facebook account. I don't get on facebook very often but last night I was looking at the like 6 pictures I have on it. I noticed something, let's see if you notice it too.


picture A: a cap worn to keep polar bear fur like hair from flailing in the wind at high speeds.


picture B: a cap worn to keep hot humid sun from getting me and shade me by a 12 inch circumference.


picture C: a head wrap worn to keep loose straggly hair from falling into a goat meat stew. I didn't want to make it any more hairy than it already was.

Did you pick up on it? That by my facebook photos one would think I am completely void of any and all fashion sense (even if there is functionality). If you are still a fence sitter on this theory, I think after this next picture there will be no question.



Picture D: there is absolutely no explanation for this one. I would like to think I had just gone swimming or maybe I had just gotten a perm, but no. This is in the category of "some one should have pulled me aside and gently broken the news that this was not working," unfortunately, that did not happen and I have a picture on facebook now to prove it.

Goodbye January and goodbye all head wearing accessories.