tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39965178246024600012024-03-05T06:07:21.999-08:00Champagne wishes and coupon dreams...Picture this: June Clever in her kitchen. Now picture her in a pair of sweats, no shower, skipped the bra, hair a mess, two toddlers pulling at her apron, flour all over the kitchen, laundry piled up on the couch, two big kids that need a ride to practice and dinner in the crockpot. Yep, that's me. This is my attempt to share my daily chaos with you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-60327861213110825572011-06-17T08:28:00.000-07:002011-06-17T08:28:39.694-07:00miss me yet? I'll be extending that sabbatical<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8djIGP__HnJoax2h2f3_jXEHUipCLO0VjSZXGqGPXt5Jq7LQ7YG7KwIrl2mLgaMuGapwaHOM4b__TYP6hwFUqh50m2HandmJeFWxy5b7-TfUUD9KMUnKMvDAylUlkJJvJIXh1BDoYKgI/s1600/DSCN0128.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8djIGP__HnJoax2h2f3_jXEHUipCLO0VjSZXGqGPXt5Jq7LQ7YG7KwIrl2mLgaMuGapwaHOM4b__TYP6hwFUqh50m2HandmJeFWxy5b7-TfUUD9KMUnKMvDAylUlkJJvJIXh1BDoYKgI/s320/DSCN0128.2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've been missing for a bit. Working on some personal illness issues, and a few other things that have come up. I'm going to be unplugging for a bit. It's time for me to slow down again, re-evaluate where I'm at, and how that works with what road I want to be on.<br />
<br />
Am I crazy? Maybe. I can't imagine not being online. In fact, I don't even want to promise that I won't be here, facebook, or other blogs next week. I just feel the need to back away for a bit. I find myself sucked into the next best thing, every day. I love all of the information that is out there and I want to implement it all into my life. But, I've found that I'm "researching" more than I'm sharing. My bookmarks are out of control, seriously, <a href="http://tasteologie.notcot.org/">tasteology</a> is dangerous. I haven't the slightest idea what to write about for my next addition to <a href="http://homegrown.org/">Homegrown.org</a> even though I've tried many new things since my last article. I'm might take a break there too.<br />
<br />
I feel burnt out. My eyes hurt. My brain hurts. I probably don't remember half of the stuff that I've crammed in my mind over the last week. But it's all been amazing, I'm sure of it. <br />
<br />
Can I do it? Sure. Will I stick with it? Hopefully. If anything, I can re-evaluate what's going on with me and just slow down.<br />
<br />
much love -<br />
<br />
tory</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-73897202775169120472011-05-22T16:31:00.000-07:002011-05-22T16:31:22.192-07:00a new dinner plan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've found a new, free menu planning site. <a href="http://www.saymmm.com/">Say Mmm....</a> is my new go to and it's basic service is FREE! It has features such as meal planning, creating lists, and recipe organization. It's really easy to throw everything in one place and be able to print up your shopping list from your menu plan and your recipes-you can even adjust it for what's already in your pantry! Below is this week's dinner menu plan, which is almost guaranteed to change at a moments notice. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnPe2Bdva9M8Aoz0tmU9F9PjuuvLFnSoU9KVS6f3yPHrvGDxCcBeCWhE8RXj2KPhMNLYyF_GTDg6dPYXP4F8v783MemvLVFCSSlH7qlQYzCKd49mHgiV0I_fKTKuOk3eCbQH272KKN8Q/s1600/DSCN1927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnPe2Bdva9M8Aoz0tmU9F9PjuuvLFnSoU9KVS6f3yPHrvGDxCcBeCWhE8RXj2KPhMNLYyF_GTDg6dPYXP4F8v783MemvLVFCSSlH7qlQYzCKd49mHgiV0I_fKTKuOk3eCbQH272KKN8Q/s320/DSCN1927.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="left" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><th align="center" height="25" valign="middle" width="10%">Day</th><th align="center" height="25" valign="middle" width="90%">Dinner</th></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Sun 5/22</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Keilbasa, Potato salad, & rolls</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Mon 5/23</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Rice noodles w/ cabbage, Cilantro, & sprouts</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Tue 5/24</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Egg flower soup & rice</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Wed 5/25</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Scrambled egg burritos</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Thu 5/26</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Chicken & veggie skewers -stir fry veggies</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Fri 5/27</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Pancakes/pizza - crepes</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="middle" width="10%"><strong>Sat 5/28</strong></td><td align="left" valign="middle" width="90%">Leftovers/new recipe</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div><br />
<br />
and sometime this week I'll start entering my recipes for the above mentioned dinners and have links that you can print from! Oh, how dreamy and technologically advanced I'm becoming. I know, I'm a little slow. Hey, I've got dirt under my nails from digging in the garden -so much more satisfying than seeing my recipes on the internets, but I get asked enough and I do love to share. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgUpHA4c0t9KRNeyZoR3PNI5AJe8M6rhLfn1KaN7dq4vuevfCpIUr4Ul4gyBKQlRyQUd1lkZT-RMij-VIxXNmWII1WnlHoVumq8AoYqlT3MoEnFzMj2kPpxWQdtsgydT_7J_rp8Zaxmc/s1600/DSCN1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgUpHA4c0t9KRNeyZoR3PNI5AJe8M6rhLfn1KaN7dq4vuevfCpIUr4Ul4gyBKQlRyQUd1lkZT-RMij-VIxXNmWII1WnlHoVumq8AoYqlT3MoEnFzMj2kPpxWQdtsgydT_7J_rp8Zaxmc/s320/DSCN1151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-90279033152855548582011-05-06T21:29:00.000-07:002011-05-06T21:29:28.736-07:00I'm a mom. It's what I do.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV1hguR6XbFTbKFnNj8VvvlkQkLPkwKFtiWsd0RbGSoba6J8FdGL4UqZrl9Y641sLJgtVZHj8KbDisT9SIpcDjX0d6o8XotOXSX9JE60KlP9-jXSKwH2k1GJbIo4Tq1l49jg2S_-MRJ8/s1600/DSCN1577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV1hguR6XbFTbKFnNj8VvvlkQkLPkwKFtiWsd0RbGSoba6J8FdGL4UqZrl9Y641sLJgtVZHj8KbDisT9SIpcDjX0d6o8XotOXSX9JE60KlP9-jXSKwH2k1GJbIo4Tq1l49jg2S_-MRJ8/s320/DSCN1577.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8199297429528087" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kids. You got ‘em? I do, just a few. And one extra. My kids are a lot like me. They love to get outside. They love to get dirty. They love to see what they can do, how to do it, and how it will affect them and others. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes they get distracted. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s alright. I’m there to clean it up. I’m a mom. It’s what I do.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsu57UDAZ0Oto1myTrnDzDY7AuY4VcMEqLXAUpWOUlWOsnH0gSe507uKC5WwzWxYIqNti8Xdl8i2QkhH33I7oQSPOMccSXctDD00WNOGd3UT-CIQ4Vvevd50pakTy3baFtVkLm4vo-AA/s1600/DSCN8068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsu57UDAZ0Oto1myTrnDzDY7AuY4VcMEqLXAUpWOUlWOsnH0gSe507uKC5WwzWxYIqNti8Xdl8i2QkhH33I7oQSPOMccSXctDD00WNOGd3UT-CIQ4Vvevd50pakTy3baFtVkLm4vo-AA/s320/DSCN8068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes they forget.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s alright. I’m there to remind them. I’m a mom. It’s what I do.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDo2VVjHDG4ec6I68SkQt8CoA_kejXJEe6l3LOWOV-j_tF02cE2ukDQHQyM9IuRlofzpSdqkgi8t0V-tzMOLmoE6bzIdm_x3JRDAS-NYk_dJTQRDMf-4YC28A7vLvJl1k51rjs-ZaWZ-k/s1600/DSC_1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDo2VVjHDG4ec6I68SkQt8CoA_kejXJEe6l3LOWOV-j_tF02cE2ukDQHQyM9IuRlofzpSdqkgi8t0V-tzMOLmoE6bzIdm_x3JRDAS-NYk_dJTQRDMf-4YC28A7vLvJl1k51rjs-ZaWZ-k/s320/DSC_1753.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes they don’t want to do it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s alright. I’m there to do it for them. I’m a mom. It’s what I do.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KGMGQywpG95pU7ei3Iqfs7qVByoBSGdubcwhz9pvxMWP0PpTu42Jk1gOctoYIY3jhZEQ1bKnMFnBhp4E9B1JTrhuZB0nirhuuUXo0Nu55owaOtfhx4QeeJ5x37C5134kRWoP-OgIGs4/s1600/DSCN1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KGMGQywpG95pU7ei3Iqfs7qVByoBSGdubcwhz9pvxMWP0PpTu42Jk1gOctoYIY3jhZEQ1bKnMFnBhp4E9B1JTrhuZB0nirhuuUXo0Nu55owaOtfhx4QeeJ5x37C5134kRWoP-OgIGs4/s320/DSCN1690.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They love that we can grow our own food. That we can bake our bread from scratch. That we can eat as a family for dinner. They love learning about conserving, reusing, recycling, reducing, sustaining. Learning is what kids do. I’m a mom. It’s what I do. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArERjSpxAJuEzSANvjAFOrB9HQlh7NYxcHhrvENHbiOy5ODvbMlsW06wRt3wK2WYhLF4xukrL9EOWELQONSuyJ_nQaQSLK_5Wnq-61TWuU-izTFgv7PGEMV5FviVf4TbdNSI3WvLKkig/s1600/DSCN1748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArERjSpxAJuEzSANvjAFOrB9HQlh7NYxcHhrvENHbiOy5ODvbMlsW06wRt3wK2WYhLF4xukrL9EOWELQONSuyJ_nQaQSLK_5Wnq-61TWuU-izTFgv7PGEMV5FviVf4TbdNSI3WvLKkig/s320/DSCN1748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>happy mother's day friends</b></span></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-69948154519392803722011-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:002011-05-03T10:22:28.520-07:00More of the madness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">but I'm making my way back<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVqnHjdpZSxkRpgX_s-h2Ft8IICTGKLdmjcAsHN7WIbxFIHYWJi5ZjcTiyWL5F01w6ZzOFHfEf_mDaKdUgMY-INm3WOu69NvxpamR50O78k_Q6YdnTSEdwcp_TYIzDc_SMt15JCHGaqo/s1600/DSCN1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVqnHjdpZSxkRpgX_s-h2Ft8IICTGKLdmjcAsHN7WIbxFIHYWJi5ZjcTiyWL5F01w6ZzOFHfEf_mDaKdUgMY-INm3WOu69NvxpamR50O78k_Q6YdnTSEdwcp_TYIzDc_SMt15JCHGaqo/s320/DSCN1129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> natalie very proud of her seeds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM300_PO6o4N-VYffesVvJHB1GFBgAP9WTl4lZ0FNqmXbXSb2mJDt2iSG_0kmeddT2CKZ1TOi1C4o278IIrhJwFjiHg9B7gDaDV2sv4duKnV0eh-zVlwvx64g5luyGX0akA5RMi7Qmt6I/s1600/DSCN1150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM300_PO6o4N-VYffesVvJHB1GFBgAP9WTl4lZ0FNqmXbXSb2mJDt2iSG_0kmeddT2CKZ1TOi1C4o278IIrhJwFjiHg9B7gDaDV2sv4duKnV0eh-zVlwvx64g5luyGX0akA5RMi7Qmt6I/s320/DSCN1150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> chives doing well after being transplanted in the raised beds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPhqQm67YglW4Ck_wZBVUDS79CAxcM16lyOc33mAJ0r7Rn5ztYvAKghTOWsNcBAj387J1s6hG9XeqPDlv7x0-8Ffn5sCNjFG2xT75sm61zbPtnmy9FHKVUl-mMPoWhg-nmZp0t_yPr3Q/s1600/DSCN1148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPhqQm67YglW4Ck_wZBVUDS79CAxcM16lyOc33mAJ0r7Rn5ztYvAKghTOWsNcBAj387J1s6hG9XeqPDlv7x0-8Ffn5sCNjFG2xT75sm61zbPtnmy9FHKVUl-mMPoWhg-nmZp0t_yPr3Q/s320/DSCN1148.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Calendula and lettuce starts in the new raised beds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqvFSrP9VH6ud22WKrIVcmvMrKG63fI_GrDKkSmDN0t9eComdFNfV04uOO3T8vfYokk2fn0p0RCvGBZhQSoILnFJuoIfTPWiEXSHPkfXeU2SAgoS3NSc5sTXPd0ilv9PbK1yhVrMNiPE/s1600/DSC_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqvFSrP9VH6ud22WKrIVcmvMrKG63fI_GrDKkSmDN0t9eComdFNfV04uOO3T8vfYokk2fn0p0RCvGBZhQSoILnFJuoIfTPWiEXSHPkfXeU2SAgoS3NSc5sTXPd0ilv9PbK1yhVrMNiPE/s320/DSC_3250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> lucy's artwork displayed in the front of the house</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zIeDSpKBHRc1nBGNO-BEHF7rY6J03cQlWfMRu0m5vJzP2qfWu9wyGe6DF5GQcvBjMYLY9gulRsNTwAp1Leldp3ARcyI9pPyk0LKYjCyVRTEJtEFL7hyphenhyphenNVmKEB24ip5sdWuENCCwAFm0/s1600/DSC_3052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zIeDSpKBHRc1nBGNO-BEHF7rY6J03cQlWfMRu0m5vJzP2qfWu9wyGe6DF5GQcvBjMYLY9gulRsNTwAp1Leldp3ARcyI9pPyk0LKYjCyVRTEJtEFL7hyphenhyphenNVmKEB24ip5sdWuENCCwAFm0/s320/DSC_3052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Jaguar at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXthOBOlBusLdg_JLnZzHRfSZCQHj8-6UZn5ZWUNfnG_f0w_dkhzyixahOuK3USOY6QS3dzBJSQMBvb2QX_5ZcKgqsb0oxodQMdjc422feWWG0D5cvixyJdg0xwzTay9hrWpbBAXAGtQU/s1600/DSC_3231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXthOBOlBusLdg_JLnZzHRfSZCQHj8-6UZn5ZWUNfnG_f0w_dkhzyixahOuK3USOY6QS3dzBJSQMBvb2QX_5ZcKgqsb0oxodQMdjc422feWWG0D5cvixyJdg0xwzTay9hrWpbBAXAGtQU/s320/DSC_3231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> baby jersey at <a href="http://www.dungenessvalleycreamery.com/">Dungeness Valley Creamery</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzChZGZTN0IR2JEgyyjjprMV7jMsnH2hPdsZiW6HPU3i7QKCkgdsTo4HFFqZJkK30NcjcxC-XvXBnHIVXYtR0QmA1uLJoKm-Bru7DduejP3tpKRSjw-AEHFhIA7g9ert9CN4LXjvOKN1c/s1600/DSCN1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzChZGZTN0IR2JEgyyjjprMV7jMsnH2hPdsZiW6HPU3i7QKCkgdsTo4HFFqZJkK30NcjcxC-XvXBnHIVXYtR0QmA1uLJoKm-Bru7DduejP3tpKRSjw-AEHFhIA7g9ert9CN4LXjvOKN1c/s320/DSCN1193.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">lucy & me at preschool</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-62215593554729603132011-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:002011-04-05T12:01:03.160-07:00we've been busy...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcGnsb6pnxZp6s0CzhDoZtnrPZg8XvVc4YhOmYz9bdSfr4K5pENhrnAQLAW84hDuoB7xngCMr3sDhLUYeqIFuMOUqaWgX8zP5AF-RFq3QS4pSd5Duoj4Ikf522WtJ5Eoge6evx2TGg0E/s1600/lunapic_130170761059217_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcGnsb6pnxZp6s0CzhDoZtnrPZg8XvVc4YhOmYz9bdSfr4K5pENhrnAQLAW84hDuoB7xngCMr3sDhLUYeqIFuMOUqaWgX8zP5AF-RFq3QS4pSd5Duoj4Ikf522WtJ5Eoge6evx2TGg0E/s320/lunapic_130170761059217_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> llama at the Olympic Game Farm </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLZfUpYxVcixy5V_Y80sNn8TvoD49DcgAhmdr7T253qK8iorhxZ0Gq7dOWICFoFNfrv_5m4DmOQnRkJNl3RasDQnsZpKguLyLHURndlQK8duWTKksnow__yyBypqMc_iQ1YCoe_DOZ0U/s1600/lunapic_130170761059217_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLZfUpYxVcixy5V_Y80sNn8TvoD49DcgAhmdr7T253qK8iorhxZ0Gq7dOWICFoFNfrv_5m4DmOQnRkJNl3RasDQnsZpKguLyLHURndlQK8duWTKksnow__yyBypqMc_iQ1YCoe_DOZ0U/s320/lunapic_130170761059217_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Lucy and Natalie's arm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK18VK3RP3dRvf6To9fk6iQqEEjv1NQ70fpH1vUhJHJzJDG1jQt8gNV_G2i1VkdjoczA2sxiMJvVg2dFvaKq5DxGk-MAaLJtDhBAwaHYXKh3wShlfa5K4Htaosbu2MLad00Yqncu9I_6w/s1600/lunapic_130170761059217_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK18VK3RP3dRvf6To9fk6iQqEEjv1NQ70fpH1vUhJHJzJDG1jQt8gNV_G2i1VkdjoczA2sxiMJvVg2dFvaKq5DxGk-MAaLJtDhBAwaHYXKh3wShlfa5K4Htaosbu2MLad00Yqncu9I_6w/s320/lunapic_130170761059217_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Mariah, Natalie, Lucy, and Zak ~March 2011</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCVb3LA62w4j2McEPWhgIOrbnnGV0KsnT5AmaXl4C022HZSOi39XHpssuKEclUH6mmQEzj3gEOfM2q38bNpV2VTzhRHIrQi9txkh87atUSKR3KFB5TMaO9dpVERce4XBqd_0u5EZrCS8/s1600/lunapic_130170982899046_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCVb3LA62w4j2McEPWhgIOrbnnGV0KsnT5AmaXl4C022HZSOi39XHpssuKEclUH6mmQEzj3gEOfM2q38bNpV2VTzhRHIrQi9txkh87atUSKR3KFB5TMaO9dpVERce4XBqd_0u5EZrCS8/s320/lunapic_130170982899046_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Days!</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-64979064769786040502011-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:002011-03-17T12:40:15.822-07:00my plans for the weekend -what are you doing?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm am super excited for the <a href="http://seattletilth.org/special_events/earlyspringedibleplantsale2011">Seattle Tilth Edible Plant</a> sale this Saturday. I have managed to talk (no pressure) my mom and mother-in-law in to attending with me -both huge plant lovers, like me. I've been drooling over the plant list for weeks and trying to figure out what I'll be bringing home. I'm definitely going to have a hard time not bringing one or two of everything home with me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://seattletilth.org/special_events/plantsaleposterimage2011/image_preview" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://seattletilth.org/special_events/plantsaleposterimage2011/image_preview" width="206" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This weekend we will be celebrating with family. My son's birthday was yesterday(the 16th) and my eldest daughter's birthday is the 28th. So, this weekend is when we can coordinate with everyone. We'll be doing the usual, dinner out, then to my sister's place in North Seattle to enjoy ice cream cake and prezzies. Then the next day is nothing short of epic. We are going to the <a href="http://www.pacsci.org/">Pacific Science Center</a> to see a special exhibit.... <a href="http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/starwars/">STAR WARS!!!</a> Everyone in this family is so excited and can hardly wait.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://starwars.intodit.com/uploads/page_images/0000/0094/694px-star_wars_logosvg.png&sa=X&ei=zmGCTYX9M4L0tgOwj5GCAg&ved=0CAQQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNEJkgEIy-qR1m1LGJAF9sW7mFlO8Q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://starwars.intodit.com/uploads/page_images/0000/0094/694px-star_wars_logosvg.png&sa=X&ei=zmGCTYX9M4L0tgOwj5GCAg&ved=0CAQQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNEJkgEIy-qR1m1LGJAF9sW7mFlO8Q" width="320" /></a></div><br />
needless to say it has not been the frugalist of weeks for dinners. We've had take-out pizza, and chinese buffet so far. Tonight, seeing that it's St. Patrick's Day, we're having a very traditional -although, not special according to the Irish, Irish dinner. Corned Beef and Cabbage with potatoes and carrots. I totally cheated and bought my brisket at Costco as a packaged Corned Beef. But I cut the damn potatoes, carrots, and cabbage myself! Then, I threw it all in the crockpot. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXK2RY4d1fvvjnns7v4ulYZSaW22FHTRTVpmOx1FZxJEnnMv-Fag&t=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXK2RY4d1fvvjnns7v4ulYZSaW22FHTRTVpmOx1FZxJEnnMv-Fag&t=1" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Happy St. Patrick's Day my friends!</span></i></b></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-79606919224345467382011-03-08T12:49:00.000-08:002011-03-08T12:49:17.289-08:00missing menu, missing camera, missing my laptop, and missing you.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Better late than never, right? Friday morning I awoke to a major disappointment. My laptop was dead. There is nothing. I power it on, and it's black. No noise. Nothing. Tears and sad clown faces. That's how I feel. So, what is an internet addicted mama supposed to do? Steal her teenager's laptop. Mah, she doesn't really need it. She's at school all day, and when she's home doing homework, I'm usually in the kitchen. It all works out eh?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS5mvTpQ_IUF-XzzGl-VuP7TTzl3rlazLHLKlIMjGBRtQjhZKy3amPALVzDmTD1gKfCc6x22emVrTcY_iI1UCRa2VvjYJHvZytsBstu1l8edJ7EbfAkiaNrDVHPzk4KKVZVu0MvF7XLA/s1600/DSC_1784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS5mvTpQ_IUF-XzzGl-VuP7TTzl3rlazLHLKlIMjGBRtQjhZKy3amPALVzDmTD1gKfCc6x22emVrTcY_iI1UCRa2VvjYJHvZytsBstu1l8edJ7EbfAkiaNrDVHPzk4KKVZVu0MvF7XLA/s320/DSC_1784.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I forgot about spring sports starting this week. Really, I don't know how anyone can stick to menu planning when you have a preteen and teenager that are both in spring sports. It's a good thing that we have one more year before the littles start spring sports. I don't know how we'll do it then, but we might be taking some friend's parents up on those ride offers. For now, we split dinner times. Kids eat when they can -either before or after practice.<br />
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Sunday: leftovers<br />
Monday: leftover sandwiches/pancakes/soup -Nice mashup? Not all together, but don't put it past us<br />
Tuesday: Spaghetti<br />
Wednesday: Quesadillas -chicken/cheese<br />
Thursday: steamed chicken, brown rice, and broccoli<br />
Friday: drive-thru :) -heading out of town for the weekend<br />
Saturday: eatin' out<br />
Sunday: eatin' out<br />
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The week before last, the kids and I decided to try out a new cookie recipe. Family Circle's <a href="http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/cookies/double-chocolate-cookies/">Double Chocolate Cookies</a> um. Yeah. These were great to work up with the kids - all four of my crazies helped out. We made them exactly as the recipe said - no substitutions needed. And they were great! They were quick to put together and pretty darn good. One comment was heard, but it was minor. The big kids wanted chunks in their cookies. So next time we make them, we'll definitely leave some of the milk chocolate in bigger pieces. If you have trouble viewing the recipe link let me know, I have no problem writing it up. Also, sorry no pictures. They're on the missing point-&-shoot Nikon. *sad face*<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-44677633937200605692011-03-01T10:19:00.000-08:002011-03-01T10:19:12.186-08:00Wa ha what?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTQY0v4_mi_dv-X-PIbV61_e2N5gqEfFs-YqwcsEPJz4Q-g9T2c-7m8H5LTjrpKsFnHXwqI9vVtmR9lK2r0esN-EJVRMvinXRJC8TAIRhFz-9U-92Q96qy3Abz7KdYIfJF1e9y3INYcs/s1600/DSC_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTQY0v4_mi_dv-X-PIbV61_e2N5gqEfFs-YqwcsEPJz4Q-g9T2c-7m8H5LTjrpKsFnHXwqI9vVtmR9lK2r0esN-EJVRMvinXRJC8TAIRhFz-9U-92Q96qy3Abz7KdYIfJF1e9y3INYcs/s320/DSC_2040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, we're going down in a blaze of glory my friends. First, last fall my laptop crashed for the umpteenth time. Then, it came back to life after a few months of being idle and me hijacking my teenager's laptop, it miraculously came back to life- and I didn't lose anything! Now, my little Nikon point-and-shoot has gone and disappeared on me. Seriously. I took a couple of blackmail pictures of my sister-in-law, sat it down and it's gone. We looked everywhere for it and a week later it's still MIA. Shit.<br />
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However, I do have our faithful 2006 Nikon D70 DSLR. And while it is a lug to pack around, and rather funny to say "oh! hold that crazy messed up face just a moment longer so I can take this bad boy out". I still love it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFArDyVXjxH8vFxIn9GTpMjWNZKZJstvoAa5tHDsvR2DwoqFvS2FjT1aL4QiIkRZMJE8Q-9KOH892a1yVX2qpnYe9m_5oZeloXlUCNrM9HWon2-oWOar8FS6HypTuyJR3UfGqUNZzvXk/s1600/DSC_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFArDyVXjxH8vFxIn9GTpMjWNZKZJstvoAa5tHDsvR2DwoqFvS2FjT1aL4QiIkRZMJE8Q-9KOH892a1yVX2qpnYe9m_5oZeloXlUCNrM9HWon2-oWOar8FS6HypTuyJR3UfGqUNZzvXk/s320/DSC_2131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We had a crazy few days of snow, no snow, more snow, freezing icy snow, rain, then freeze and more snow. Now. I declare. Spring can arrive. ANY. DAY. NOW. Really, I miss dirt. I miss digging in it, picking it out of finger nails and my kids hair. I want to see green poking through the ground with the hopes of it bringing food to our table. I can't wait. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNdSXb6QjP40hDusi6WTbzh84EaftbAFIS8mXQza4tI5Jz7YoOatt-Y-Ba_AnkQh8ggzOqE7OVgRseaPvZefa49VmFatS6HmgAwTFhPonOLTQGKra1gU4Ry5dX0C_tPiDIRrPoRr21qI/s1600/DSC_2136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNdSXb6QjP40hDusi6WTbzh84EaftbAFIS8mXQza4tI5Jz7YoOatt-Y-Ba_AnkQh8ggzOqE7OVgRseaPvZefa49VmFatS6HmgAwTFhPonOLTQGKra1gU4Ry5dX0C_tPiDIRrPoRr21qI/s320/DSC_2136.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC7_oWeWp4JD8ezXCxDptxpC6AiHH5pV3eFfkEZum5tXSFE_vgFuTR16M__m-PK3nQ-iDvc8pH3zSXyjeTdN398j1d39PgK7tWELaC7S_hmWHAT8d4PbBdPmj33cqxlcIFIGFNMuJ2C8/s1600/DSC_2107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC7_oWeWp4JD8ezXCxDptxpC6AiHH5pV3eFfkEZum5tXSFE_vgFuTR16M__m-PK3nQ-iDvc8pH3zSXyjeTdN398j1d39PgK7tWELaC7S_hmWHAT8d4PbBdPmj33cqxlcIFIGFNMuJ2C8/s320/DSC_2107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Menu monday was a fail. Two weeks in a row. I tell you, weather messes me up. I can sit here and surf the internet and yet I can't focus five frickin' minutes to type up a menu. Menu Monday will return next week with a vengeance. Seriously. Charlie Sheen serious -like. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.celebritywatercolor.com/cw/charliesheen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://www.celebritywatercolor.com/cw/charliesheen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.celebritywatercolor.com/">photo credit</a></span></div>Speaking of my main batshit crazy man Charlie Sheen, I have to share a couple of links with you. My favorite crazy, say it like is, cross stitcher over at <a href="http://www.subversivecrossstitch.com/">Subversive Cross Stitch</a> has some frickin' awesome new products listed on her website. Charlie Sheen quotes. Yes, she has the PDF's for sale on some rockin' quotes from our favorite rockstar from Mars. Check them out and MORE <a href="http://subversivecrossstitch.bigcartel.com/product/pdf-charlie-sheen-rock-star">here</a>. So give her a high-five for putting these on paper and sharing with the world. We all need a little Charlie in our lives and why not have it framed on the wall for all to see. Enjoy my friends.<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-58038052930140586722011-02-17T21:20:00.000-08:002011-02-17T21:20:30.230-08:00More information to share on URBAN HOMESTEAD(ing)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This was recently posted on a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Take-Back-Urban-Home-steadings/167527713295518">facebook page</a> that I happily support. This is, for now, the only way I know how to support and share their struggle and others affected by The Dervaes Institute's recent trademarking "scandal". Please consider supporting the effort or at least help by spreading the word. <br />
many thanks,<br />
tory<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">URGENT PROPOSAL (1) My wife and I own Denver Urban Homesteading and our Facebook page was shut down by the Dervaes Institute. THIS FB page on which we are communicating could be taken down and as insurance against that we want anyone who is interested in helping to continue our struggle and that of other homesteading groups and auth<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">ors affected by the Dervaes Institute takedowns to email us now at trademark@freethechickens.com so we can remain in contact in case we lose this page. (NOTE that this is for storage of emails only and I will not respond. If you need a response from me my email address is below.)<br />
<br />
(2) We plan to file a petition to cancel the trademarks of the Dervaes Institute and we want to find others who can simultaneously file petitions. We believe this is necessary because (a) Dervaes Institute is shutting down internet access for us and for others and because (b) if their trademark which is currently registered on the Supplemental Register remains for five years it may become registered on the Principal Register after which time it will nearly impossible to challenge it. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office “A petition for cancellation may be filed by any person who believes that he or she is or will be damaged by the registration of the mark.” Since the Dervaes Institute has stated that anyone using these homesteading terms must acknowledge their trademark, it seems that a petitioner could include anyone. Thus, we would hope to see petitioners fit into the following categories:<br />
(A) Parties who used the terms “urban homesteading” and “urban homestead” commercially prior to the date of the trademarks, which is November 10, 2007.<br />
(B) Parties who used the terms “urban homesteading” and “urban homestead” commercially after the date of the trademarks, which is November 10, 2007.<br />
(C) A nonprofit group of homesteaders to be formed, perhaps here in Colorado, perhaps elsewhere, that would include any person who believes that he or she is or will be damaged by the registration of the mark.<br />
<br />
I have been an attorney for more than 25 years, although currently I do not make a living practicing law - I run an urban homesteading center! If other attorneys show up and want to help, that will be great. While I will represent my company, other attorneys could represent other parties. I will make my filings available to all.<br />
<br />
(3) I understand that some people are interested in helping contribute so we will set up a paypal account to receive funds in my attorney escrow account or the account of a nonprofit corporation that I will use to pay for the costs or expenses of the legal filings pro-rata with any others filing concurrently and any excess to be used as directed by the nonprofit.<br />
<br />
Any comments, suggestions or other proposals are welcome. My wife and I – indeed the entire City of Denver, Colorado – have a lot to lose if we are unable to refer to our business as one that promotes urban homesteading.<br />
<br />
James and Irina Bertini<br />
Denver Urban Homesteading<br />
<a href="http://www.denverurbanhomesteading.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span>www.denverurbanhomesteading.co</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>m</a><br />
<span>james@denverurbanhomesteading.</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>com<br />
200 Santa Fe Drive<br />
Denver, CO 80223</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-24526152239183537412011-02-16T16:34:00.000-08:002011-02-16T16:36:52.390-08:00I AM AN URBAN HOMESTEADER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
I was an urban homesteader at the ripe ol' age of 9. I built my first veggie garden to prove that I could grow one. I begged my parents to help me out. We tilled up the yard in the backyard, they helped me build up my raised garden, because after all, our neighborhood was built on an old arsenic site. I grew veggies, I shared my veggies, and I even sold some of those veggies. I had rabbits for many years. I even tried my hand at chickens and ducks only to have to give them up because of city ordinances at the time. All before 1985. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFWBW0Pwy7ZDlj3yb-jQzyjmA8umr3UTYinvQR-Csk7UsR_ymfWzMZEm42rzCX8ZmD4foCA2uBVU1WYaPfGVmsGyokBaVDoM3yxp49j0y4ng_-dCVlbRbxYxHq_ZImRtawI2EL7NCSjM/s1600/DSCN7518.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFWBW0Pwy7ZDlj3yb-jQzyjmA8umr3UTYinvQR-Csk7UsR_ymfWzMZEm42rzCX8ZmD4foCA2uBVU1WYaPfGVmsGyokBaVDoM3yxp49j0y4ng_-dCVlbRbxYxHq_ZImRtawI2EL7NCSjM/s1600/DSCN7518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I was an urban homesteader. I am still an urban homesteader, even though my urban homestead is located in a very rural community. I live in a community with an homeowner's association, with strict rules. I homestead my .66 acres like there is no tomorrow. I will stick up for my fellow homesteaders, whether they are rural or URBAN. Why? Because I was an URBAN HOMESTEADER long before someone decided that they needed trademark the term. Claim it for themselves, claim they were saving it from big companies. Saving it for the true homesteaders. Yet, anyone who uses the word or phrases must refer back to the them. And they must state that it is a trademarked phrase. You can't trademark a lifestyle. And you can't trademark mine. I AM AN URBAN HOMESTEADER!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_cpem7SiDsEDA25SEVssTEd4pMp8FEw9NYrYFxf79AqgID8k-39st5QtMB_vIJPMYCsCzXT91nF83wBKauLxeVb_jjiSpzHmzoIS4J-16WCUtqgehFv-CX8lCJzLAi3VxqF8ZTLmRlo/s1600/DSCN4289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_cpem7SiDsEDA25SEVssTEd4pMp8FEw9NYrYFxf79AqgID8k-39st5QtMB_vIJPMYCsCzXT91nF83wBKauLxeVb_jjiSpzHmzoIS4J-16WCUtqgehFv-CX8lCJzLAi3VxqF8ZTLmRlo/s320/DSCN4289.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-14317819448786910972011-02-14T16:47:00.000-08:002011-02-14T16:47:45.309-08:00Happy Valentine's day! and a Monday MenuWell, we had a successful Valentine's Day at the Cross compound. The festivities started last Thursday with Lucy's preschool party -and while she had been counting the days until her party, I believe she was a far from impressed with how it turned out. For one thing she was under the impression the Valentine's Day party would focus on her, not the other six kids in her class too. And secondly, she thought that it would continue on forever. She felt that EVERY DAY should be Valentine's day. Bring on the chocolate! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkn6oBpLlPHaAL510Wt6qVkuNF-SGClCyrzCmgSmx0wNgz5uAbJE2E_FVnvpKYYt_sR6cCbDgSJPsgeFZa7U1bGr8faxe3_IBUzCfxkmnGX52pxGgtAgAFrE7V8Vu054oRCnxzfxRnxA/s1600/DSCN8603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkn6oBpLlPHaAL510Wt6qVkuNF-SGClCyrzCmgSmx0wNgz5uAbJE2E_FVnvpKYYt_sR6cCbDgSJPsgeFZa7U1bGr8faxe3_IBUzCfxkmnGX52pxGgtAgAFrE7V8Vu054oRCnxzfxRnxA/s320/DSCN8603.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Today was Natalie's preschool party, as it should be, on Valentine's Day. I must say, since when did Valentine's Day cards/candies turn in to full blown gift/swag bags??? Hello, a four year old does not need, nor should anyone receive this much candy. I'm trying to get away with a few chocolates and an itunes card at home and you all are sending full size candy bars, toys, baskets, jewelry, spa days and Starbucks gift cards home with my kid(okay, slight exaggeration there at the end), but seriously, how can I compete with that? Oh, and guess what the camera battery died. Who knows when, but obviously sometime after Lucy's party -it was probably shocked by all the shit they received.<br />
<br />
Tonight we take it easy, and will not be eating the traditional Valentine's day grub for dinner. We won't be indulging in filet mignon, baked lemon herb crusted salmon, or even heart shaped pizzas. Nope, it's our Meatless Monday night and so we are having a giant delicious SALAD! Hmmm.... hear my heart singing? Yep, really it's singing, and those are tears of joy, not sadness.<br />
<br />
As for the menu... here goes<br />
<br />
Monday: Big ass salad!<br />
<br />
Tuesday: Ham & Cheese Panini's and soup<br />
<br />
Wednesday: Chicken Quesadillas & salada<br />
<br />
Thursday: Lasagna & salad<br />
<br />
Friday: Pizza or Pancakes<br />
<br />
Saturday: eating out with family -we'll be out of town through Monday :)<br />
<br />
Peace and love my friends. Lots of dancing hearts -with hoola hoops.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-72196882413286159262011-02-07T10:16:00.000-08:002011-02-07T10:16:56.230-08:00I'm calling it Menu Mondaybecause I don't have anything better. <div><br />
</div><div>It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted and I'm getting back into the groove of things. Not quite what I used to be, but closer. My nasty, quick wit is still lagging. I blame the multitude of experimental PRESCRIPTION drugs I've been on over the last year. But I believe we've (my doctor and myself -I've haven't been diagnosed as having multiple personality disorder yet) finally found something that works good with the lupus, fibromyalgia, and alopecia that doesn't totally fuck me up. *Insert huge fake smile here*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE05kRuvOibk4yv8GVt7ORuFVBGr0eYWxM-ISqK32jqt_PxkKUSSiqXpg7GSZON8qnakzff6rBE0G9kQi90EqdewzxEAlcaWW4SMv_D1Db5ONBK614IHQVB1xIg_iBxdRDre4otG1wjfI/s1600/DSCN8571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE05kRuvOibk4yv8GVt7ORuFVBGr0eYWxM-ISqK32jqt_PxkKUSSiqXpg7GSZON8qnakzff6rBE0G9kQi90EqdewzxEAlcaWW4SMv_D1Db5ONBK614IHQVB1xIg_iBxdRDre4otG1wjfI/s320/DSCN8571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>The hubs and I took our first trip together, sans children, last weekend. I'll repeat that. Sans children, and by that I mean ALONE. It. Was. Fabulous. And even though we never slept in, we didn't stay up late, and we called to check on the littles several times, we enjoyed ourselves so much. We definitely needed the time away together. We ate fantastic food. Discovered cool, moody coffee shops. And in China Town, found out that there was more than chicken and pig on the menu. Dog. Barbecued, strung up, and ready to eat in hanging up in the window of a bakery. Um....yum? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLBZ8Ohxe5vCY0kGo1Vv0TBh_neRB5eLr44q86XnqYsYTaUBwOsg-eY2rDQeOt17haTS7QYjGLWxo9f0QSWngci9N6_JeB55_Bkakv2MiIHTSxY589qifp26J_Td8FJMpa2_4-ixuDt4/s1600/DSCN8501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLBZ8Ohxe5vCY0kGo1Vv0TBh_neRB5eLr44q86XnqYsYTaUBwOsg-eY2rDQeOt17haTS7QYjGLWxo9f0QSWngci9N6_JeB55_Bkakv2MiIHTSxY589qifp26J_Td8FJMpa2_4-ixuDt4/s320/DSCN8501.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>We've already planned and booked our return trip for the end of April and this time we're bring all the kids. Yikes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESq3TpssTUzJPguJOmnqf3mpBGH5OLWLopNhQ06Z9tNuwNga9cbp5U7EyO81azR1SMLEC6lgGfp3RXb71ZEjk2tcdAoDwNv1cw56J0_ksISRUEBZx2d4CR-hv_7IUnNgrPpUqLhZFAM8/s1600/DSCN8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESq3TpssTUzJPguJOmnqf3mpBGH5OLWLopNhQ06Z9tNuwNga9cbp5U7EyO81azR1SMLEC6lgGfp3RXb71ZEjk2tcdAoDwNv1cw56J0_ksISRUEBZx2d4CR-hv_7IUnNgrPpUqLhZFAM8/s320/DSCN8573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>This week's menu will be a lot of the usual suspects: no imagination here</div><div><br />
</div><div>Monday: Salad day! Lots of green to recover from football food</div><div><br />
</div><div>Tuesday: Chicken noodle and grilled cheese sandwiches</div><div><br />
</div><div>Wednesday: Spaghetti, bread, and salad</div><div><br />
</div><div>Thursday: Broccoli Beef over rice</div><div><br />
</div><div>Friday: Homemade pancakes</div><div><br />
</div><div>Saturday: Leftovers or new recipe night</div><div><br />
</div><div>Sunday: crockpot beef, potatoes, and veggies</div><div><br />
</div><div>That's it! If there's a recipe that you'd like to have and can't find it on a search -I'm working on getting this organized- just send me a message, I'd love to share!</div><div><br />
</div><div>You all have a fabulous week!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-36353799426659502922011-01-23T14:06:00.000-08:002011-01-23T14:06:00.596-08:00menus and why we plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OYxIBH4iPX52283OWM50Ff8m-s-PY5Z4sCh6BmpUs3qSDTTvnl1G1zcXoMF3fS3MqSk5FOyZLTAex_RpElDosiNzX0m9iHyAmTy5Y9i7Oh30yRiJ4cpsj-zh1Y0N4iYq97PqtagEvQ0/s1600/DSCN8449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OYxIBH4iPX52283OWM50Ff8m-s-PY5Z4sCh6BmpUs3qSDTTvnl1G1zcXoMF3fS3MqSk5FOyZLTAex_RpElDosiNzX0m9iHyAmTy5Y9i7Oh30yRiJ4cpsj-zh1Y0N4iYq97PqtagEvQ0/s320/DSCN8449.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We're sitting here watching football. Yes, we watch football occasionally. Me? Not so much. I'll sit here and pretend like I'm into it, I'll snack on the mass amounts of football food that I've prepared, and I'll surf the internet, because really anything on the internet is more interesting than football on Canadian television. Today, I was bad. I went with prepared food. We were at Costco and I couldn't help but think of the things that I could be doing, rather than sitting in the kitchen slaving away over greasy, fatty, stomach turning football food. So, I picked up and heated up some Hum bao, vegetable spring rolls. Set out a plate of crackers, warmed pita, and Spinach Artichoke Parmesan dip. Mixed up some salmon and mayo. Opened a couple of bags of chips and called it good. Oh, and "football" food isn't complete without a Corona. Personally, I would have paired this all with a Session, but I'm not into football and the man get his choice today.<br />
<br />
I've been picking away at weekly dinner menus and probably next month I'll line it up for a few months like I usually do. But for now, I will lay out what we had last week for ya, and then throw together the upcoming week's menu. I found that with planning our menus out, I make fewer trips to the grocery store and I don't have that last minute panic attack over what to cook for the gang. So not only is it going to help save money, but your sanity as well. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjnqg57wuX8f6HUEuH7OWD3Tb7ATCuCtB3iTdR5xSd5U_RecAUcV5zY0wAx4qVwQZnpId8jlOm_UU9IHs3QnJCS6-raH_Ai9YTp0CbnKXDfQ6Ny3dPwjUQTrM7WCY97TgIjY7lW26bk8/s1600/DSCN8402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjnqg57wuX8f6HUEuH7OWD3Tb7ATCuCtB3iTdR5xSd5U_RecAUcV5zY0wAx4qVwQZnpId8jlOm_UU9IHs3QnJCS6-raH_Ai9YTp0CbnKXDfQ6Ny3dPwjUQTrM7WCY97TgIjY7lW26bk8/s320/DSCN8402.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I usually have the kids (yes, all four of them) write out (the youngin's with the help of the older kids) their top seven favorite dinners to have at home. I then mark off the repeats and work out a menu for the week with what we already have on hand. Checking the refrigerator and freezers to make sure that we have enough to accommodate a meal or more. I like to make extra for lunch for the next day, but it doesn't always work out that way. Usually, someone finishes it off by the end of the night. We rarely deal with leftovers, and if we do, it's gone within a few days.<br />
<br />
Last weeks menu:<br />
<br />
Monday: Chicken vegetable stir fry over rice<br />
Tuesday: Crockpot shredded beef sandwiches<br />
Wednesday: Spaghetti<br />
Thursday: Hamburgers & salad<br />
Friday: Pizza<br />
Saturday: Mashed potatoes, ground beef gravy, steamed broccoli with mizithrah cheese<br />
<br />
<br />
This coming weeks' menu:<br />
<br />
Sunday: Leftover hangover from football food<br />
Monday: taco salads<br />
Tuesday: grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup<br />
Wednesday: Beef enchiladas<br />
Thursday: Tuna noodle casserole<br />
Friday: Children will fend for themselves. Gma & Gpa will feed them, 'cause me & the hubs are heading to Victoria, BC ALONE. For the weekend!<br />
<br />
<b>Crockpot shredded beef sammies</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
A quickie and simple dinner idea is the Crockpot shredded beef sandwiches. I take a frozen beef pot roast. sear the sides of it in a cast iron fry pan. I then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and douse it with worcester sauce. When the outsides of the roast have a nice crisp brown to it, remove and put in the crockpot. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSaWLiB_g2AzmpfCs-vnulLeiaASwp5gXKRUh-WrDcwkoiYLpeeBsSXkx0D1Tq0lQrwJW2F8O2WD0LG7cWBvECllGfaLhwQBz5c21it3o7FNuiQnFdB8CcrrHKhQjsxet_W_c9Nl35xo/s1600/DSCN8393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSaWLiB_g2AzmpfCs-vnulLeiaASwp5gXKRUh-WrDcwkoiYLpeeBsSXkx0D1Tq0lQrwJW2F8O2WD0LG7cWBvECllGfaLhwQBz5c21it3o7FNuiQnFdB8CcrrHKhQjsxet_W_c9Nl35xo/s320/DSCN8393.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuxlAUpd60HuLZbr_uKF8QFicAHg0U71HPOCDk45F4mCCiax2-Pnp1FsUOvfBOq25WUXRha5HVJ1egGnOpKEX_RVPGejnGrgkqaNS2khf8CbWlLuhd9yqS-Q12EHuZ7xkafJUOtjReik/s1600/DSCN8395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuxlAUpd60HuLZbr_uKF8QFicAHg0U71HPOCDk45F4mCCiax2-Pnp1FsUOvfBOq25WUXRha5HVJ1egGnOpKEX_RVPGejnGrgkqaNS2khf8CbWlLuhd9yqS-Q12EHuZ7xkafJUOtjReik/s320/DSCN8395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I then add some onion (dried or fresh chopped), more worcester sauce, and a package of (dare I say it's processed) au jus gravy mix. Yep, I do keep this on hand. The flavor is one that I haven't been able to reproduce and we all just love it so much.... sorry. Add a cup of water and close that puppy up, set it to low for at least six hours. The aroma that is about to fill your home is mouthwatering and coma inducing. Come dinner time the family is practically climbing the walls and I have to slap their fingers/hands to keep them from tasting too early. Here is where I like to remind my husband how much I like jewely, his eyes are always glazed over and he nods his head a lot. I think bits and pieces get through, but time will tell. <br />
<br />
I pull it out and put it on a plate to sit for about 20 minutes before shredding it up with a fork. I put out hoagie rolls, mayo, worcester, and A1 sauce. I personally only need mayo on my hoagie. A delicious side to go with this and on your hoagie is COLESLAW! I have yet to find the perfect recipe, so if you have a favorite, send it my way. But I definitely love the crunch that goes along with my sandwich. YUM!<br />
<br />
Here is where I lack in my commitment.... I always forget to take pictures of the finished product. I will I promise. It's a favorite here so I have many more opportunities.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-42711122853965294462011-01-11T12:17:00.000-08:002011-01-11T12:17:33.148-08:00a rambling, outright, nonsense post filled with fantastic informationBTW.... there are no pictures in this post. gasp. <br />
<br />
I had given myself a break from blogging, baking, and all around domestic duties for a couple of weeks now, and it has been pointed out to me that I better get my ass in gear before it all takes on a mind of its own. <br />
<br />
<br />
Over the break I baked many dozens of my infamous <a href="http://champagnewishesandcoupondreams.blogspot.com/2009/01/two-words-cinnamon-rolls.html">cinnamon rolls</a>. I made mucho amounts of no bake cookies -aka Gramma Lamb-a-Ding-Dong's Oatmeal Fudgies -recipe to come. Not to mention secret recipe banana bread and lemon poppyseed loaves of bread for gifts. My husband even got involved and prepared many loaves of his buried family secret Cardamom Bread -to.die.for. Really. So, now that we have finally come off of our sugar high, it's time to get back to work. Woo hoo!<br />
<br />
As I type this up, I am munching on a simple snack. Simple. Cheese, crackers, and apple slices. I bake and cook up crazy amounts of food, some that take all day. And yet, we are eating cheese, crackers, and apple slices. It really is amazing how the simple things are most satisfying. <a href="http://keepyourdietreal.com/food/news/7-simple-snacks/">Keep your Diet Real</a> has some fantastic ideas on simple, good for you snacks. I worked up a quick easy dinner menu for this week, so I'll have that at the end of this post as well as a new recipe, because I love you. Really. Deep, I know. <br />
<br />
Now that my husband and I are finished with our downstairs remodel, we have been going through things that just don't have a place anymore. For some reason I want to hold on to things that I feel would have a purpose in the future. I'm not up for the next episode of <a href="http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/video/index.jsp">Hoarders</a> or anything that extreme, and I most certainly don't have any problem throwing things out -unless, I feel that it could be recycled by us or someone else. I'm a huge fan of <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites">Craigslist</a> and <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle</a> - I use both sites almost weekly, but as much as I send out I also bring home. I might send out a bag of infant toys only to replace them with a bag of Barbies for the little girls or a few cookies sheets for the kitchen. Needless to say, I've got several bags, boxes, bins to go through in the garage and I'm dragging my feet. No reason other than I've been putting these particular ones off for quite awhile. They are the little girls' outgrown clothes and shoes. Yes, I still hold out hope that we might actually be able to add on to this family even more someday. I've taken step one and that was load three bags of clothes into the back of the van for donation. Next is going through the shoes. Baby steps I tell ya, baby steps.<br />
<br />
Have you ever rolled a hula hoop across your waist? Not, with your kids' Walmart hoop. A seriously large, purpose made hula hoop? I can now check it off my list. My husband bought me my first hoop for Christmas. I ordered it from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoopMamas">Hoop Mama</a> on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>.com. A customized 40 inch, collapsible, Happy Hippie. The day it arrived I stalked our mail lady. When she pulled up the house, I could see it in the back. As she walked up giggling, she said that she had to fight everyone off because they all wanted to give a spin before she delivered it. I was so excited. I unwrapped the bubble wrap and tape and place it on my hips to give it a whirl. That fucker fell to the floor. I picked it up and whipped it again. Floor. What was I doing wrong? I got on the internet and brought up many of my favorite sites. First <a href="http://www.hoopcity.ca/main">Hoop City</a>, I watched a few videos. Not much help. Then, <a href="http://hoopaholics.ning.com/">Hoopaholics</a>. Yikes, I was beginning to think I was in serious trouble. I kept at it. Then my big kids got home and had to try it out. Sure as fuck they got it right off the bat. I started to think that I got the wrong size or that I just wasn't cut out for it. Then I remembered a couple of blogs that got me hooked in the first place. Sara over at the <a href="http://thehappyhoop.com/">Happy Hoop</a> and Rebecca over at <a href="http://hoopenanigans.blogspot.com/">Hoopenanigans</a>. They both had posted about their earlier experiences and it gave me that little bit of confidence that I needed. I know I'm not going to be doing any isolations or shoulder rolls anytime soon, but if I could just get the core going, then I'd be happy with that. <br />
<br />
I did it. It was awesome. Now I can keep it up and move it up and down from my waist to my chest with little effort and it's only been just over a week. I think I'll be just fine with daily practice and when spring arrives we'll move it outside. yes.<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, I made this: <a href="http://www.mastersinpublichealth.net/top-50-urban-farming-blogs/">Top 50 Urban Farming blogs</a> from <a href="http://www.mastersinpublichealth.net/">Masters in Public Health</a>. I thank you and graciously accept my place on your Top 50. I have been placed among the best. *bows and dips head*<br />
<br />
Our dinner menu this week is very simple and quite honestly if you can't come up with six days worth of dinner meals on your own, you are better off eating out.<br />
<br />
Sunday: Hamburgers & green salad<br />
<br />
Monday: Broccoli Beef with rice<br />
<br />
Tuesday: Soup & Salad<br />
<br />
Wednesday: Tuna noodle casserole<br />
<br />
Thursday: Buttermilk pancakes<br />
<br />
Friday: Pizza -either homemade or Costco :)<br />
<br />
<br />
And now without further adieu.....<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Grandma Lamb-a-ding-dong's oatmeal fudgies</u></b><br />
<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 cup margarine (I use butter)<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used hershey's baking cocoa)<br />
<br />
Combine in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for a 2 minutes then remove from burner and add:<br />
<br />
2/3 cup peanut butter (I use chunky, cause I can)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla (please don't use imitation, you're so much better than that)<br />
3 cups rolled oats (not instant -sick)<br />
<br />
Stir it up all together and drop by the spoonful (or 2 tablespoonfuls) onto a preppped cookie sheet -greased, wax paper, parchment paper, silpat, what have ya- and chill until set.<br />
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Simple. Delish. Gone.<br />
<br />
much loves, toryAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-70172074292749665802010-12-20T13:57:00.000-08:002010-12-20T13:57:27.632-08:00slow. Christmas is quickly approaching and I feel as if I've missed the boat. Really. I mean, I've had a really had a tough year physically. I feel as though I've been in a fog, and here we are just days before Christmas. I've got a list of things to do in just a few days and I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlgCMbRBot13RwYRfB-xozJlEmbAxcRsyJizXDiS1U3EgbeMmsFNNs02wxRdkb7zRP1VWyLWN0KpcZ8_aV95pDhVCGOHYUMU34pfQ49z6-bYMJoINiV-0Qg9t0rGpMEOfOFN1BGKyQy8/s1600/DSC_1885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlgCMbRBot13RwYRfB-xozJlEmbAxcRsyJizXDiS1U3EgbeMmsFNNs02wxRdkb7zRP1VWyLWN0KpcZ8_aV95pDhVCGOHYUMU34pfQ49z6-bYMJoINiV-0Qg9t0rGpMEOfOFN1BGKyQy8/s320/DSC_1885.JPG" width="227" /></a></div><br />
Last summer, I thought that I would enjoy the <a href="http://www.slowmovement.com/">Slow movement</a> . I longed for connection. I wanted my kids to feel the connection to the land, the people, our food. And somewhere along the road I lost sight of this. I don't know if it was my physical illness, or that life just got busy. I'm uncomfortable, I feel like everything is moving at warp speed. I feel like I'm really missing out. I have the desire to slow down, to see and feel moments for all that they can bring and give to me. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4ZTNo2yk3lxc9c1082_UlmqyCtDvtTVNDuz9PMZZfnjPGIO_B_jcGlryVqTYbSYt2FGSX1C348KJfycZTqp2QLlhiJgwlsPE3eBwOBPG97G152usg3Eqp9L_EnQ7ydELtW0-Lr8nw2I/s1600/DSCN7243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4ZTNo2yk3lxc9c1082_UlmqyCtDvtTVNDuz9PMZZfnjPGIO_B_jcGlryVqTYbSYt2FGSX1C348KJfycZTqp2QLlhiJgwlsPE3eBwOBPG97G152usg3Eqp9L_EnQ7ydELtW0-Lr8nw2I/s320/DSCN7243.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Slow down. Listen to the water splashing on the shoreline, the boats in the Strait, the kids asking me to come with them outside. The wind blowing through the trees, the neighbors chickens, ducks, and goats chattering. Feel the sun on my face, the kids blowing kisses, and the grass in between my toes. I need to slow down and focus on being still.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyHC1ASQodhtx0XImCDRzpEokA75CXajJVX8Ibn0DZ17W9Qp6jhP-86qOuHEUm52ZCkSOytJeKpoSS2SSONCqOHdioou2E8crAwSeKBZsNe32XoKaCIXjX4AZB3W_720IH_0a2Dfv7jc/s1600/DSCN8139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyHC1ASQodhtx0XImCDRzpEokA75CXajJVX8Ibn0DZ17W9Qp6jhP-86qOuHEUm52ZCkSOytJeKpoSS2SSONCqOHdioou2E8crAwSeKBZsNe32XoKaCIXjX4AZB3W_720IH_0a2Dfv7jc/s320/DSCN8139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm going to learn meditation. I always thought that I knew how to do this, but little did I know exactly what meditation is. I can't sit still for two minutes, let alone ten. I can't not focus on anything, my mind is constantly running. I need to slow down. I need to try a be in the present with a clear mind and focus on the silence, the silence is a killer. That's where I fall. I have learned that meditation is not self learned. You need guidance, I have found someone who wants to guide me in meditation. Yeah! I'm ready. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM10EAGZgEfYUL56LzACQmysr7gWp9bTyV4Hv1ZRvXdWTStGPopU2ZhcEDiAjRHNnhd825eP6AmUNCgJfuLBBx4W0oL6nUFPqCXpWYeufMP9kwLxqawnUz6AmLKmCAQIcqi4ODcjMfzI/s1600/DSCN8205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM10EAGZgEfYUL56LzACQmysr7gWp9bTyV4Hv1ZRvXdWTStGPopU2ZhcEDiAjRHNnhd825eP6AmUNCgJfuLBBx4W0oL6nUFPqCXpWYeufMP9kwLxqawnUz6AmLKmCAQIcqi4ODcjMfzI/s320/DSCN8205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I am looking forward to Christmas, albeit a busy holiday for us, I'm going to focus on the moments. As each one comes. I'm going to enjoy now and not rush to what's next. I'm going to slow down.<br />
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peace and happy holidays to you all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-41750796511108375652010-12-09T13:49:00.000-08:002010-12-09T13:49:10.725-08:00'tis the season...for sharing, because that's what I do.<br />
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I have to share <a href="http://thebambooman.com/TheBambooMan.html">this website</a> with you.<br />
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Everything is beautiful an incredibly inviting. <br />
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Santa, for Christmas, I want it all. Thank you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-5600694260363698632010-12-09T13:06:00.000-08:002010-12-09T13:06:57.181-08:00in absence there are cinnamon rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6YYYurOw4pADIDA74-P8IBzVjl9xODzy6E2Sd0vFl6h_648o9GtXpcV-qUL_CC1PKKWTdZa0naaT6P9yaA5GYVSbr2rghY_np7TMPTORR76LFyX1s8aEgncdLIK7Wbc3rYOYUq0abKE/s1600/DSCN8235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6YYYurOw4pADIDA74-P8IBzVjl9xODzy6E2Sd0vFl6h_648o9GtXpcV-qUL_CC1PKKWTdZa0naaT6P9yaA5GYVSbr2rghY_np7TMPTORR76LFyX1s8aEgncdLIK7Wbc3rYOYUq0abKE/s320/DSCN8235.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I could hear your gurggling tummies crying out for some attention all the way across the webisphere. I know you've missed me and perhaps wondered why I haven't been here. Well, I turned some much needed attention to myself and did a bit of healing. So that's my faboosh update and I'll leave you with a picture that will have everyone wondering....What the hell?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGk0DFWdLJHgJfWencmFF6XwlkpjIelbX5tyLliihaEFzVprdth6tzmbEbtJwn4xWBW03lq58kn7ugjNEUSoAJ1LTC-8ooKoTuKQ6rmlA9quFwnQP91VrySM_8-oL_xZGju5TrLu2wXfw/s1600/DSCN8245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGk0DFWdLJHgJfWencmFF6XwlkpjIelbX5tyLliihaEFzVprdth6tzmbEbtJwn4xWBW03lq58kn7ugjNEUSoAJ1LTC-8ooKoTuKQ6rmlA9quFwnQP91VrySM_8-oL_xZGju5TrLu2wXfw/s320/DSCN8245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHzCXoMD8g5JCPcYWU4BPUsPc7myXgJHBCea5HO1Y4BpHZgYzGHJCq6WbPte1bj4vKKrVxzkw367pm3m3kEdSpDtU0fS-9QL4MyjUnOeFkr-u5WyallX3jFIy-hVqz0qdb6sI1S0sZJA/s1600/DSCN8247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHzCXoMD8g5JCPcYWU4BPUsPc7myXgJHBCea5HO1Y4BpHZgYzGHJCq6WbPte1bj4vKKrVxzkw367pm3m3kEdSpDtU0fS-9QL4MyjUnOeFkr-u5WyallX3jFIy-hVqz0qdb6sI1S0sZJA/s320/DSCN8247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Yes, what you are looking at is my famous cinnamon roll (muffins). If you take a closer look, all of these have lots of nibbles or chunks taken out. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tn7z-ME1R7UgtdBUT2FD11ZcO7D2wBjS9OfrSxr9Ub9R5GSfvubYCUdkjff5_FVM6vWH1EQW_iMjWg5-gRJFEGLpo1T7qF8D-JucMggtRR0aGtLBagKhJewUlS4EN29SUzUC-BoLOD0/s1600/DSCN8214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tn7z-ME1R7UgtdBUT2FD11ZcO7D2wBjS9OfrSxr9Ub9R5GSfvubYCUdkjff5_FVM6vWH1EQW_iMjWg5-gRJFEGLpo1T7qF8D-JucMggtRR0aGtLBagKhJewUlS4EN29SUzUC-BoLOD0/s320/DSCN8214.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This child, unarguably, is the culprit. Really. She even admitted to it when asked as if it were no big deal. The sticky hands, frosting covered hair and face were also a let on. Yes, she is eating grass in this picture. It just goes to show you, she'll eat anything.<br />
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If you're looking for the cinnamon roll recipe you can find <a href="http://champagnewishesandcoupondreams.blogspot.com/2009/01/two-words-cinnamon-rolls.html">here</a> - it's faboo and after a few years it gets tweaked a bit everytime, but no matter they are pretty much THE BEST.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-1183984001223145562010-11-09T13:32:00.000-08:002010-11-09T13:43:26.319-08:00Happy Birthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsc-hf_xCvlBPotgDZSUFT27fyd8pqRKEjOmkSr5ABZGdDKF5xejzEPjGe_YpWSEsSOhtsS2D7tlYyHMMqzRNOUfRkeXHYcKPSALtvT7s1a8CDAjfQAXirDYhLiPh2ZxNkLxAa7T7dFA/s1600/DSCN7869.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsc-hf_xCvlBPotgDZSUFT27fyd8pqRKEjOmkSr5ABZGdDKF5xejzEPjGe_YpWSEsSOhtsS2D7tlYyHMMqzRNOUfRkeXHYcKPSALtvT7s1a8CDAjfQAXirDYhLiPh2ZxNkLxAa7T7dFA/s400/DSCN7869.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537667965465244978" /></a><br />You old fart!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-18455293069981817662010-11-09T12:40:00.001-08:002010-11-09T13:31:24.387-08:00sickness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeJ2rw-VFKvoeP5NXTCTWupvOH3hie5UApNnxXITE-EpBiVz4-sdL5bFW-pX6nW88a6VeAMB3Ys0v0ja_KjL4X385n65eQN_xJGujgGlwJEFvtiO1P2wX6V1kNZDxUk2ROuSF1SmuSrQ/s1600/DSCN8083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 252px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeJ2rw-VFKvoeP5NXTCTWupvOH3hie5UApNnxXITE-EpBiVz4-sdL5bFW-pX6nW88a6VeAMB3Ys0v0ja_KjL4X385n65eQN_xJGujgGlwJEFvtiO1P2wX6V1kNZDxUk2ROuSF1SmuSrQ/s400/DSCN8083.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537660677134401314" /></a><br />I've been a little sick as of late. Actually, for the past two years, it has it's ups and downs. I've been diagnosed with many an illness and only then to have it retracted and called something else. I've been on a multitude of supplements, vitamins, prescription drugs, therapies, and treatments. I've been to many doctors and even been referred out to the big city a couple of times. I'm tired. My body aches. I feel deprived. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSxaKsgMUe96jqmhC6PvHkIXC80KtpJKYu6A5BqhmFVK2PoVPsX7F6AtpdkGC0gOlqh99ZySHYZ6lmEbH77vvO2bqEvybXgKaPXFwBp47BiinfiT9yAIbOHJOnATq4cp7eo-2miOyq2o/s1600/DSCN8084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSxaKsgMUe96jqmhC6PvHkIXC80KtpJKYu6A5BqhmFVK2PoVPsX7F6AtpdkGC0gOlqh99ZySHYZ6lmEbH77vvO2bqEvybXgKaPXFwBp47BiinfiT9yAIbOHJOnATq4cp7eo-2miOyq2o/s400/DSCN8084.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537663711523309266" /></a><br /></div><div>I paint myself up and pretend everything is great. I put on a great face and just deal with how I am. I find myself obsessive, pill popping, and eating to suppress the pain, the exhaustion, and the depression.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know soon, I'll find someone who understands, knows how I feel, and will listen to what I have to say. Until then I will march on to my own beat, trying what I can to stay sane and comfortable.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fO3UvO1Dx7RE2n2lu48on3Q4f05cSznpWaPS2mEz4AW9VSEwdVxAHSbdVDKJxU3C21aVcVbXzGnBXP-dyprF4NazKFu33Nny9iMLaYGGCNWof3iOt-oVOJa1w2eFdWKXuQgJy6ZztrA/s1600/DSC_1845.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fO3UvO1Dx7RE2n2lu48on3Q4f05cSznpWaPS2mEz4AW9VSEwdVxAHSbdVDKJxU3C21aVcVbXzGnBXP-dyprF4NazKFu33Nny9iMLaYGGCNWof3iOt-oVOJa1w2eFdWKXuQgJy6ZztrA/s400/DSC_1845.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537665329131187778" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-23041697243593478432010-10-21T12:59:00.000-07:002010-10-25T17:52:59.498-07:00Fermenting -Part 1: Homemade Yogurt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRHt6V6KGsxTsb5zpO-ywOaYDod1-mYTCab-tW7OJ3NKpwEQXyx8Hgo3vkWOO25axFygF99x7NxRrRcT6Fb42zlPUS0hwGJv1sEXGacnK61nVEzf9oqqpHw9GzkU331Auv0ZBdXq6S2A/s1600/DSCN4758.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRHt6V6KGsxTsb5zpO-ywOaYDod1-mYTCab-tW7OJ3NKpwEQXyx8Hgo3vkWOO25axFygF99x7NxRrRcT6Fb42zlPUS0hwGJv1sEXGacnK61nVEzf9oqqpHw9GzkU331Auv0ZBdXq6S2A/s400/DSCN4758.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532143394673330898" /></a><br /><div>I have come to the conclusion, that after many months/year of researching homemade yogurt techniques and recipes, that they are pretty much all the same. Some are super technical and strictly to the book and other recipes are just throwing stuff together and waiting for the natural fermentation process. </div><div>I do not own a yogurt maker, and quite frankly, glad I don't. I've made runny yogurt and the super thick shit -both massively tasty and always just right. All are relatively easy once you've got the basics down and I hope my clumsy tutorial helps.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCKHRHPWWW_Bd0O29IK_ocTZl6z5NK2gKhQKI8SCx1vzr-QdsuPpCyfS5N3Ui2b-QK-yqxryFWWkany6NN60c3H0Y9A6jNzt8C2CSIY2X9vCrtLqwAGGFzxvvLyvkmO9zOVvxWfAgBAg/s1600/DSCN4757.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCKHRHPWWW_Bd0O29IK_ocTZl6z5NK2gKhQKI8SCx1vzr-QdsuPpCyfS5N3Ui2b-QK-yqxryFWWkany6NN60c3H0Y9A6jNzt8C2CSIY2X9vCrtLqwAGGFzxvvLyvkmO9zOVvxWfAgBAg/s400/DSCN4757.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532143388016389970" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>milk, raw milk yogurt starter, quart jars</i></div></div>~non reactive pot -enamel cast iron dutch oven, stainless pot<div>~food themometer -</div><div>~wooden spoon/high heat spatula -I've used both</div><div>~2 quart jars with lids-sterilized and prepped<br /><div>~1/2 gallon milk -I've used everything from 2% to raw, unpasturized whole milk</div><div>~yogurt starter -my fave is a plain greek yogurt starter or some leftover yogurt from thelast batch</div><div>~dry milk powder -</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBgpFVB0LdehdQin6pEYQewjjzyp080sV24DFqV70g0H2a0cOKIzyGKiQe-HSpFr3aPgYcZZgmNK4IudG6p20Yy6VnVBdPNRdqjNkbL2OSO6DwvsnX_crd2j7mPCRBpwRmprZKO9KeTw/s1600/DSCN5705.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBgpFVB0LdehdQin6pEYQewjjzyp080sV24DFqV70g0H2a0cOKIzyGKiQe-HSpFr3aPgYcZZgmNK4IudG6p20Yy6VnVBdPNRdqjNkbL2OSO6DwvsnX_crd2j7mPCRBpwRmprZKO9KeTw/s400/DSCN5705.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532140578656443138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>milk -in this case I used whole raw jersey milk</i></div></div><div>1. Pour milk into pot and bring to a steady boil. Add powdered milk sometime during this process, I usually do around 160-170*F. I've read it helps thicken it up. Milk should be warmed to 180*F. Turn on oven to 350*F for one minute, turn off and turn on oven light -it shouldn't be 350*F, but more like 100* or less. I like to put the jars of yogurt in the oven for a bit and then move them to a cooler for the night or afternoon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMnLNLCgDLkSf_t7OHyGp_QN62wLhgw5aRoL5re5VV15VpjHNYyw41qPpj3XUDIjyQJMPJwWwDMjFnBhcu2jMlqS84xJjEbgBB_RNnk2TW6C7FmJ8pcCX7lxzRJDARRhvQe6FQGaZXaQ/s1600/DSCN5706.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMnLNLCgDLkSf_t7OHyGp_QN62wLhgw5aRoL5re5VV15VpjHNYyw41qPpj3XUDIjyQJMPJwWwDMjFnBhcu2jMlqS84xJjEbgBB_RNnk2TW6C7FmJ8pcCX7lxzRJDARRhvQe6FQGaZXaQ/s400/DSCN5706.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532140574394649202" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>milk, slowly brought to 180*f</i></div></div><div>2. Immediately move pot to a sink filled with ice cold water(add ice if needed). Cool milk to 110*F. Drain sink. Pull out a cup or so of the heated milk and stir in the yogurt until dissolved. Approximately 2tbsp. of yogurt starter per 1/2 gallon of milk. Then add milk/yogurt mixture to heated milk and stir to completely mix in the yogurt mixture.</div><div> <i>sorry that I don't pictures of this process for some reason</i></div><div>3. Pour your yogurt into the sterilized jars and screw on sterilized lids.</div><div>4. Put your jars of yogurt in the oven and cover with a towel. An hour or so later I usually put them in a cooler with the jars wrapped in many towels for 6-8 hours (really, this can be anywhere from 4-24 hours depending on your taste).</div><div>5. Pull the jars from the oven/cooler, and take a peek to make sure they have thickened up a bit. Put in the refrigerator for overnight or 8-10 hours, this will help thicken up even more.</div><div>6. DONE! </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSsdKgeUnkqTcYYy37yNtApdRPXK0pfuodxW6J00aX_DyKrHNjsJKtXFqf3bCsJ9ttFX4BhNOV0NCjdUpAFlA1mLWkTkXqYTe9WkGZIvBE3PzmVsFyusHG8AGQqPT-L6RrNfH69bxMc8/s1600/DSCN4759.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSsdKgeUnkqTcYYy37yNtApdRPXK0pfuodxW6J00aX_DyKrHNjsJKtXFqf3bCsJ9ttFX4BhNOV0NCjdUpAFlA1mLWkTkXqYTe9WkGZIvBE3PzmVsFyusHG8AGQqPT-L6RrNfH69bxMc8/s400/DSCN4759.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532143402579228946" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>finished product! Your own yogurt</i></div></div><div>We love to add a bit of sugar (shh...yes, white sugar), brown sugar, honey, granola, jam, or fruit to ours. Yogurt is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and the health benefits have been lauded world wide. </div><div><br /></div><div>For more information on the benefits of making your own yogurt check out this article on <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1980-03-01/How-To-Make-Yogurt.aspx">Motherearthnews.com</a> or some of the other books I used for reference over time are listed below.</div><div><br /></div><div>Look for part 2 of fermenting on <a href="http://homegrown.org/">Homegrown.org</a> in the next couple of days</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.homegrownevolution.com/">The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen</a></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Traditional-American-Skills/dp/0895779390">Reader's Digest Back to Basics</a> </div><div><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603421386">The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan</a></div><div><a href="http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/more/index.html">More-With-Less by Doris Janzen Longacre</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-75817560779908837252010-10-12T15:04:00.001-07:002010-10-12T15:26:11.297-07:00absence of mind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8dGRjFfJkm4zpV4F5YDGgSxFBUdhnpMKN11HTAoRYNLlI_Chis0I9SXd1E-v8feHXl-C5DV5qUd7PD_Ef3EKDaFMubsx7sq-7HFue5ZQnko_sD9mDYYhmq_Op9wQ2kX-ZdPm7a50LH4/s1600/DSCN0486.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8dGRjFfJkm4zpV4F5YDGgSxFBUdhnpMKN11HTAoRYNLlI_Chis0I9SXd1E-v8feHXl-C5DV5qUd7PD_Ef3EKDaFMubsx7sq-7HFue5ZQnko_sD9mDYYhmq_Op9wQ2kX-ZdPm7a50LH4/s400/DSCN0486.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527287550391356978" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I'm really am feeling a bit of writers block. I think it's more so that my beloved laptop has passed on to the electronics afterworld, then a humanly brain fart though. It isn't to say I haven't been doing stuff around the homestead or coming up with crazy shit in my head. It also doesn't help much that when I take an ambien with a pain pill, I have some messed up dreams and those become my writings. Everything of course, is in pencil and paper form and doesn't make much sense to anyone, but me. Dammit for being a creative, lead smearing lefty.<div><br /></div><div>I'm going to leave you with a post I did a while back on granola within it contains the recipe that I swear by. When I'm feeling an urge to make a major sweet mistake of snack, I just dip my hand into the granola jar for a handful and it's enough to curb. Awesome eh?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://champagnewishesandcoupondreams.blogspot.com/2010/03/easy-homemade-granola.html">Easy Homemade Granola</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', lucida, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 68); line-height: 18px; ">No excuses! Granola is incredibly good for you and easy to make. It is versatile, delicious, and completely customizable. My family likes it as a snack and I love it as a cereal too -toss some nanners on it and hmmmmm...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', lucida, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 68); line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', lucida, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 68); line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', lucida, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By the way... ugh I hate this text size and color, what the hell happened? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: tahoma, 'Trebuchet MS', lucida, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You have some stuff to look forward to. I'm working on a fermenting post that will be in two parts. The first part will be here, and you'll have to catch the second part on </span><a href="http://homegrown.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Homegrown.org</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> when I do my monthly post there on Wednesday, October 27th! Thank you and I bid you adieu - bowing out.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-52573207259878580982010-09-24T19:05:00.001-07:002010-09-24T19:18:29.201-07:00death of a laptop... my day jobIt was beautiful. It gave life to Facebook, Craigslist, Twitter, and Homegrown.org. Hundreds of favorites bookmarked. Blue on the outside, covered in My Little Pony stickers. The occasional sticky keys from cracker crumbs, spilled coffee, or syrup. Smudged screen from sticky fingers, sneezes, licks. Rarely was it ever idle unless I was chasing down kids. Perhaps it was jealous.<div><br /></div><div>Sadly, my laptop has died. The black screen of death came again and it could not be revived. No CPR. No jump drive with special coding and updates. Nothing. An untimely death. And of course a deadline was looming and pictures needed to be edited. I'm sad. I cried. I'm still mourning. You may shed a tear for me.<div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, I was able to copy my pictures, recipes, and notes to the external hard drive. Now I'll be camping, temporarily, on my daughter's laptop. She's glaring at me as I type.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Now, I'll be saving my tips for a replacement. Sigh.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-16405479318358153712010-09-12T14:18:00.000-07:002010-09-12T17:35:01.254-07:00Weekly dinner menu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdtMS7pCdp05Iw8bXkfY_i4ogdn20C5q508fmMt8Hu-4fXfG6FocaZghsx-MamF8v87kXXKBVcbhWHI7lmORefWj0cY94TpKks3_x5pWh9jLlDN_Ygmyss42gWmNar7zBKz94K0hp7nI/s1600/DSCN7514.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdtMS7pCdp05Iw8bXkfY_i4ogdn20C5q508fmMt8Hu-4fXfG6FocaZghsx-MamF8v87kXXKBVcbhWHI7lmORefWj0cY94TpKks3_x5pWh9jLlDN_Ygmyss42gWmNar7zBKz94K0hp7nI/s400/DSCN7514.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516189999397286978" /></a><br /><div>Below I've included our dinner menu plan through Sunday, September 26th. I won't claim that we stick to this exclusively, sometimes something like a volleyball game, soccer, or life gets in the way and we have to switch things up for convenience, but I'm hater on drive-thru so usually it's exchanged for some breakfast dinner or snack night. </div><div><br /></div>Sunday, Sept. 12 - BBQ Salmon with steamed baby reds and green beans - or it'll be pancakes<div><br /></div><div>Monday, Sept. 13 - steamed veggies with rice noodles</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday, Sept. 14 - minestrone and fresh whole wheat bread</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday, Sept. 15 - Chili dogs and home fries</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday, Sept. 16 - baked macaroni & cheese with green beans</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, Sept. 17 - homemade personal pizzas</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, Sept. 18 - leftovers/new recipe</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, Sept. 19 - keilbasa, potato salad, & homemade rolls</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday, Sept. 20 - rice noodles, with cabbage, cilantro, & sprouts</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday, Sept. 21 - won ton soup and cabbage salad</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday, Sept. 22 - scrambled egg burritos</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday, Sept. 23 - chicken/beef/veggie skewers</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, Sept. 24 - Crepes! Sweet or Savory</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, Sept. 25 - leftovers/new recipe</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, Sept. 26 - Turkey Dinner!</div><div><br /></div><div>If ever, you have a question about how I do my menus or recipes just send me a message. I'm more than happy to share.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-25557197018810081402010-09-07T18:51:00.000-07:002010-09-07T19:55:37.017-07:00Doh! part deux & a recipeSince I've clearly been neglectful to this blog, I have decided a recipe is in order. Something I haven't done in ages, therefore, it should be a treasured treat for you all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2fHD2SDZSjUrjNz9vX8QKJZ8yZUQxqsJ_YUOsP63S-U2f6Ue3rSSu0UXIv144eOruTrzDsiBIfe48ozVkOm5bMo-vbEPqfCNjOlCrJLj_R_Qqx0zoMdwGq0U68P8P0PGAMx5fi3lUGs/s1600/DSCN7461.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2fHD2SDZSjUrjNz9vX8QKJZ8yZUQxqsJ_YUOsP63S-U2f6Ue3rSSu0UXIv144eOruTrzDsiBIfe48ozVkOm5bMo-vbEPqfCNjOlCrJLj_R_Qqx0zoMdwGq0U68P8P0PGAMx5fi3lUGs/s400/DSCN7461.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514355755882114930" /></a>COWBOY COOKIES dude!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oXg14kf9ZgAwRDsZMcd3lZSftDGGZe7LuimAiVcZFU00m1wLnP-nexJsW_dQb_kyCTdzgrolwWPPpLWAL7_CIE0FDUpKHaC9BLlrEAIGV2z7I6quUBGKcaTBT4Vj1s1aCtKFahR9o_4/s1600/DSCN7454.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oXg14kf9ZgAwRDsZMcd3lZSftDGGZe7LuimAiVcZFU00m1wLnP-nexJsW_dQb_kyCTdzgrolwWPPpLWAL7_CIE0FDUpKHaC9BLlrEAIGV2z7I6quUBGKcaTBT4Vj1s1aCtKFahR9o_4/s400/DSCN7454.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514355491080885346" /></a>So simple a four year old can do it or George Bush's wife -what's-her-face, Barbara. No. Laura. That's the right Bush wife, Laura.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglRbJcc5kRp4FaPwGBEh5iWOaC788jDfx1KlA0YCeYEhFsoQIu_K9baFsYdzlCWHiWytAn0ohJ_r-L3Ay8FMEmFIGuxlETFOtFSrxcGRkoush7Jseqm-NLG-MZzizbl5W8sCububEJKg/s1600/DSCN7456.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglRbJcc5kRp4FaPwGBEh5iWOaC788jDfx1KlA0YCeYEhFsoQIu_K9baFsYdzlCWHiWytAn0ohJ_r-L3Ay8FMEmFIGuxlETFOtFSrxcGRkoush7Jseqm-NLG-MZzizbl5W8sCububEJKg/s400/DSCN7456.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514355471667484930" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs97lP1e98KuuZJ7MTQZ3LsYNvycFLR4JL8oKC7WFw6VQkKS6lKoYShCSmMpknXV5XrpBw38Y1k4A_ivtBjvBRvd5FQX_Ug5HH57PatXTshjIJz8dzl_tIdyWicTabH2HbCAwRNciU5bY/s1600/DSCN7460.JPG"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs97lP1e98KuuZJ7MTQZ3LsYNvycFLR4JL8oKC7WFw6VQkKS6lKoYShCSmMpknXV5XrpBw38Y1k4A_ivtBjvBRvd5FQX_Ug5HH57PatXTshjIJz8dzl_tIdyWicTabH2HbCAwRNciU5bY/s1600/DSCN7460.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs97lP1e98KuuZJ7MTQZ3LsYNvycFLR4JL8oKC7WFw6VQkKS6lKoYShCSmMpknXV5XrpBw38Y1k4A_ivtBjvBRvd5FQX_Ug5HH57PatXTshjIJz8dzl_tIdyWicTabH2HbCAwRNciU5bY/s400/DSCN7460.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514355451673190290" /></a></div><br /><br />Cowboy Cookies<br />(recipe adapted from Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies)<br /><br />makes about 3 dozen large cookies depending on size<br />prep time: 15-20 minutes bake time: 12-14 minutes<br /><br /><div>ingredients - adapted for what we had on hand<br />3 cups all purpose organic flour<br />1 tbsp. baking powder<br />1 tbsp. baking soda<br />1 tbsp. ground cinnamon -this is too much for us, so I use just a bit less<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp.<br />1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar<br />3 large eggs<br />1 tbsp. vanilla<br />3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips<br />3 cups organic old fashioned oats<br />1 1/2 cups organic flaked coconut<br /><br />1. preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Cookie pans should be coated with parchment paper or silpats<br /><br />2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt<br /><br />3. In mixer bowl, cream butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Beat in sugars, scraping sides until fluffy for about 3 minutes. <br /><br />4. Add the eggs, one at a time, cream well after each egg. Add the vanilla.<br /><br />5. While reducing the speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture gradually, until just combined.<br /><br />6. With a big spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.<br /><br />7. For each cookie drop 1/4 cup of cookie dough onto the cookie pans, about 3 inches apart. Bake until the edges are set and browned, and the middle is still fluffy looking. Baking about 12-14 minutes. Cool on the pans and chow down baby!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3996517824602460001.post-31480839202889576932010-08-12T08:41:00.000-07:002010-08-12T19:13:45.522-07:00Happy AUGUST! and where did our summer go?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFsT2nNeiA0vdOW6FdTsCw2j7zGyy7WIwhfrLS5NRb4dZN_qW1BenXeFwNj_0QZ41Qq7OY3RYyvSaOdtdoEDyua2Tm7AgnevH6m5Mj3gTx0fXzZQpNV0XUYb1Iodr-lLYAC-LuJONcww/s1600/DSCN7169.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFsT2nNeiA0vdOW6FdTsCw2j7zGyy7WIwhfrLS5NRb4dZN_qW1BenXeFwNj_0QZ41Qq7OY3RYyvSaOdtdoEDyua2Tm7AgnevH6m5Mj3gTx0fXzZQpNV0XUYb1Iodr-lLYAC-LuJONcww/s400/DSCN7169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504710512383595618" /></a><br />I've been contemplating a boring blog post for a while now. You know the kind that really has no meaning or benefit to anyone except for the writer? Yep, that's the one, and this may be it. I usually enjoy the month of August, but we're coming up on the half way point and I feel like it hasn't even begun. Blame it on our lack of a summer season, me feeling under the weather, or just that life is going by too fast. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OzM_77KUa4IQgxXo6OolIENX43Ss7UtyGnkrDui_Tzkhejm4G1IjhpG3Sdpjhv3jNcHI7edS6tdAifaG2E62aVWKj4VJvyBPxGdCRfSjC5ad9T90uiGGtLAq-v-ZpJt7AMInS1FlY-k/s1600/DSCN6945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OzM_77KUa4IQgxXo6OolIENX43Ss7UtyGnkrDui_Tzkhejm4G1IjhpG3Sdpjhv3jNcHI7edS6tdAifaG2E62aVWKj4VJvyBPxGdCRfSjC5ad9T90uiGGtLAq-v-ZpJt7AMInS1FlY-k/s400/DSCN6945.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504711174222870578" /></a><br /></div><div>My oldest two children have been gone since the fourth weekend in July and don't return until this weekend. I have missed them so incredibly much. I may have days were I am beyond frustrated with a certain teenage girl or the tween boy who on occasion likes to press my no-no buttons. I've been doing this shared summer for the past ten years and it hasn't gotten any easier on me. The day they leave, I begin my countdown until their return. To top everything off, Zak broke his hand right before he left. So, I haven't even got to see him in his cast yet. Mi so sad.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z8G-ytbddxGom2kg4rmXYRCZ2ciH1ZpnbnPpR764S3-WsH72dBL_Loc_GlmMAaS_A06ejMUIrlVJoFHXrhLF0WNbRFPsAEm_vR8wZ69PCnisb0DIgu_mulp7YOwCK7QPDY72NCxl8uc/s1600/DSCN7160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z8G-ytbddxGom2kg4rmXYRCZ2ciH1ZpnbnPpR764S3-WsH72dBL_Loc_GlmMAaS_A06ejMUIrlVJoFHXrhLF0WNbRFPsAEm_vR8wZ69PCnisb0DIgu_mulp7YOwCK7QPDY72NCxl8uc/s400/DSCN7160.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504710180248241826" /></a><br /></div><div>It's been rather depressing, the weather and all. We had a few awesome days at the beginning of July, and then gloomy. I mean, we live in Sequim and really we did okay for the sunshine part of it, but no where it usually is. My garden is suffering hard from it too. Well, either it's the weather or that my black thumb of doom has returned.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWA1sHGqO49CBpN_nXGZyGWVq-K7neIuSq362P9JLHVnh9EQmBySUUUBk-9M72GVI299SeUR0FDWhyk2NAuFK2jqk3RWcL2Dwx2XgXxk4jtF4MswQoSw8JkdAfLiuL0auOIhi3sMlOnT0/s1600/DSCN7063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWA1sHGqO49CBpN_nXGZyGWVq-K7neIuSq362P9JLHVnh9EQmBySUUUBk-9M72GVI299SeUR0FDWhyk2NAuFK2jqk3RWcL2Dwx2XgXxk4jtF4MswQoSw8JkdAfLiuL0auOIhi3sMlOnT0/s400/DSCN7063.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504708026872748386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>our sad, sad garden</i></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXV2A_LAWcTkozBqji0tQtnB_yP2ru6_XEbf2yIx-aZauyWOMqGRZ3V-vnnw79pD4SxLCADncB0eKXE2IyFTtWsl-h7dqdGfyI4hQJXlNwuBRBvYsDhx2D6mGJBUG3-xYPoA3TeR127rk/s1600/DSCN7061.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXV2A_LAWcTkozBqji0tQtnB_yP2ru6_XEbf2yIx-aZauyWOMqGRZ3V-vnnw79pD4SxLCADncB0eKXE2IyFTtWsl-h7dqdGfyI4hQJXlNwuBRBvYsDhx2D6mGJBUG3-xYPoA3TeR127rk/s400/DSCN7061.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504708018892902546" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>one of many sad tomato plants -it did give two beautiful tomatoes before dying back</i></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>And I discovered this blessed soul. More to come on this little piece of heaven.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSAtPg8Jfl7J3uh2Uqj7lrDc9YgnvyBkdV4yCv2O-YqfoosiNe3rDcYsBUPQ_hhyS3IsBHQ5E3HdtZAvgFkTxvf-PqbFYe-pzc-fcHJUkitebBTwJJRupZaMLAshwmcB4wgSAoyo13vc/s1600/DSCN7144.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSAtPg8Jfl7J3uh2Uqj7lrDc9YgnvyBkdV4yCv2O-YqfoosiNe3rDcYsBUPQ_hhyS3IsBHQ5E3HdtZAvgFkTxvf-PqbFYe-pzc-fcHJUkitebBTwJJRupZaMLAshwmcB4wgSAoyo13vc/s400/DSCN7144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504709158394737778" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>hello beautiful</i></span></div></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243308363590713321noreply@blogger.com0