Random Meme

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

I can't remember ever looking in the mirror. I did take a bath but I just put my hair in a pony tail after.

2. How much cash do you have on you?

Some change. I never have any cash.

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?

Core

4. Favorite planet?

Saturn. I wish we could look up in the sky and see those rings around our planet. Wouldn't that make for a cool night sky??

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?

Drew

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?

My Wish by Rascal Flats

7. What shirt are you wearing?

I have on jammies.

8. Do you label yourself?

Nope. 

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing?

No shoes

10. Bright or Dark Room?

Currently it's dark. I'm watching a movie while I type. I like dark better though.

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?

I have no idea who it is. I just googled to find a meme to do because I get bored if I'm not multitasking.

12. What does your watch look like?

What watch? I look at my phone when I want to know the time.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Sleeping probably. I went to bed around then.

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?

"Totally Creepy!"

15. Where is your nearest 7-11?

I have no idea. All the 7-11s turned to Kum N Go in Wyoming years and years ago. There is one just a few blocks from here.

16. What's a word that you say a lot?

What is wrong with you people??

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?

Leah & Hannah at the same time when they said good night to me.

18. Last furry thing you touched?

Peaches, my dog.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?

LOL that's funny. Celebrex, Claritin, Glyburide... other stuff. Crazy things like that.

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?

Film? Seriously? It's been a long time.

21. Favorite age you have been so far?

Just before I turned 30 - five weeks before - I became a mother for the first time. 30 was definitely a glorious year.

22. Your worst enemy?

Myself

23. What is your current desktop picture?

A Japanese Maple in bloom. It's gorgeous.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?

Good night Children.

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?

That's a tough one but as my being able to fly would give me children nothing... I guess I'll go for the million bucks.

26. Do you like someone?

Yes.

27. The last song you listened to?

Be Still by The Fray

28. What time of day were you born?

10:30ish in the morning

29. What’s your favorite number?

No favorite. I like them all equally. Well... hmm. that's not true. I like pi and e the most. Not much cooler than the natural numbers. e I guess. That's the best one. It does so many things!

30. Where did you live in 1987?

Claremore, Oklahoma

31. Are you jealous of anyone?

No one in particular. I'd like to be rolling in money though. That'd be nice.

32. Is anyone jealous of you?

That's funny. Maybe? My children are kind of awesome. haha. But I doubt it.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?

I was just getting up for the morning. I went to check the weather to decide what to wear to school that day. The weather channel was playing footage of the first plane crash and I watched as the second one happened.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?

Kick. Hit.

35. Do you consider yourself kind?

Yes.

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?

On my hip. Maybe my ribs. Something with white ink.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?

Spanish. My husband speaks Spanish and it would be lovely to be able to talk to him.

38. Would you move for the person you loved?

Yes. and I have.

39. Are you touchy feely?

Yes.

40. What’s your life motto?

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." -Mary Ann Radmacher

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?

I'm stymied. Clothes? That's all I can come up with.

42. What’s your favourite town/city?

That's hard! I love lots of places. Really it could be any city with good sushi, my children, and some family.

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

I can't even think of the last time I paid for anything with cash. Oh wait! It was a few Dora dolls I bought from a woman for Hannah. I had to go get cash just to do it.

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?

Last December.

45. Can you change the oil on a car?

Nope. Drew does that stuff.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?

I have no idea. That's a good question. (that took me about an hour to come up with...) Oh I know. It was a few years ago I guess? I got an email from him asking for my baklava recipe. I guess he saw a picture of it on facebook? That was so surreal. Random.

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?

Very very far back on several lines. I love doing ancestry work. Don't get me started.

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?

It's been a long time. I don't even know.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?

I have fibromyalgia. That's not a good question. Yes. That's all I have to say.

50. Have you been burned by love?

Sure.

Quick & Easy Tomato Soup

Pre-Puree

2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with basil and olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the diced onions. Saute until nearly done. Add the diced garlic. Continue to saute until the garlic and onions are both golden. 

Add the chicken broth, the 4 cans of tomatoes (with juice!) and the dried basil. 

Let simmer until the flavors have melded well. 10-15 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Puree it. Immersion Blender, Blender, food processor. Whatever tools you have. Blend it until Smooth. 

Enjoy. 

Creamy Chicken Tomato Spinach Stew

8-10 frozen chicken thighs
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp dried basil
1-2 tsp granulated garlic
4 tbsp dried minced onion
2 - 14 oz. can of coconut milk, lite
2 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and juice
1 - 14 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups of chicken broth
1 - 6 oz. can of tomato paste
6 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
1 - 1.5 cups of left over spaghetti sauce (optional but I always seem to have some around. Or you could use some from a jarred sauce)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add everything to the crockpot. Cool on high for 4-6 hours or low for 9ish.

Take the chicken back out, remove the skin if it has skin, shred the chicken and pour it back in.

You can eat this as a soup or our preferred method is a scoop of rice, a little shredded cheese, and a lot of the stew on top of that.

Delicious! Way more delicious than you would think. Next time I think I'm going to add a cup or so of really finely shredded carrots.

Interview with Hannah

Hannah - 2 years 10.5 months old

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"don't get in leah's makeup"

2. What makes mom happy?
"by giving kisses!"

3. What makes mom sad?
"by don't giving kisses"

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?
"Make silly faces!"

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"When you were a baby you were supposed to have a toy" (She looked so serious I decided not to push that any further)

6. How old is your mom?
"I don't know. Twenty ten? And I'm two. How old ARE YOU?"

7. How tall is your mom?
"You're short down here but I'm shorter down here." (all with hand motions)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Put make up on" (huh? I do that maybe once a week probably less lol)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"Look for me" (haha)

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"opening candy!" (I am pretty awesome at opening candy....)

11. What is your mom really good at?
"going to bed" (I totally rock that. She's right.)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
"not eating sushi" (Truth.)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
"to take care of us & my tiny bum"

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
 "Shrimp" (It's crab & sushi but shrimp is a high up there.)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"putting make up on" (I'm sensing a theme here...)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"a woodpecker" (huh. who knew.)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"watch Diego!"

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"our skin looks the same"

19. How are you and your mom different?
"You have boobies" (nice)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"you give me hugs"

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
"giving him hugs!"

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"Sushi Hut!" (She means Tokyo Bowl. I never have figured out why she calls it Sushi Hut!)

My Paper Towel Moment

A few months ago I was getting ready to wipe up a stain. I had that moment where you decide "dish towel or paper towel". A moment mom's have all over the world 100 times a day. It happens in a split second of course but that particular time I actually thought about it.

Self: Why do I ever pick paper towel? Hmm.

Self: I do it to keep the kitchen washrags and towels looking nice.

Self: Wait. Why do I care about that?

I am here to happily report I have not bought paper towels in months. And... my dish towels and rags look like crap. I'm not worrying about stain removal. It's not like they still don't clean everything up. They just don't look as pristine in the drawer.

That's my little contribution to less waste in the world.

And evidence that I have whole conversations with myself. 

Simple Woman

(I want to start blogging again. This seems like an easy
start again. I used to like doing these.)

Find it here.

13 Jan 2013

Outside my window... It's cold. Oh so freaking cold. The first I looked this morning it was -6. I didn't open it to find out the windchill. I didn't want to know.

I am thinking... It's almost nap time for Hannah. Which is wonderful but it seems likely she'll stop hand feeding me candy when she goes - that part is sad.

I am thankful... that it's so warm inside my house!

In the kitchen... It's clean (yay me). Yesterday I made some wheat free, corn free, dairy free bread. It's delicious as it always is. I love Pamela's bread mix! I also made some cookies. Ground almonds, coconut, dried apricots, and fresh apples. Ridiculously good. No flour involved. Double yay.

I am wearing... PJ pants and an inside out t-shirt. The seams were bugging my fibro skin. lol

I am creating... Nothing particular at the moment. Aside from this blog post.

I am going... to make myself something yummy for lunch after this.

I am wondering... about the path some choices set us on. There's no changing some things, eh?

I am reading... A Memory of Light (Book 14 of the Wheel of Time Series), Fablehaven Book 3, Misquoting Jesus (that one is slow going) and I just bought Rough Stone Rolling (a book about Joseph Smith)

I am hoping... that Drew gets to move back home soon! I'm really not a fan of doing all of this on my own.

I am looking forward to... making something yummy in a little bit. lol

I am learning... patience? maybe.

Around the house... things are good. I decided to start doing Motivated Moms again this year and everything is staying caught up - a miracle really.

I am pondering... lots of things. Most of them religious this morning.

A favorite quote for today... “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

One of my favorite things... Sushi. I wish that is what I was having for lunch.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Just getting through it so far!

A peek into my day...

Hannah hanging out in her bathrobe, watching Barbie's Princess and the Pop star while I write this post. She refused to smile though.

Pants

I just wanted to state - for the record (even though I never blog anymore haha) - if I owned a pair of dress pants I'd have worn them to church on Sunday. My husband told me to go out and buy some but I didn't want to drag my children around with me to find them as he was out of town.

Reading some of the reactions I wish very much that I had. I didn't see anyone in my ward wearing pants and I wished there had been someone so I could go hug them!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, feel free to ignore this post.

Pants on Fire

Why I wore pants on Sunday

Wear Pants to Church - Pictures

Why Pants Matter


That's all.

Just wanted to put that out there.

Thomas Jefferson -

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

Egg Fried Rice

Another old post...
 The only thing I change now for this one is to use GF Soy Sauce/Tamari. Easy enough.

*****

As per requested...

Okay not really.

I mean it was requested but I don't really have a recipe. I keep rice cooked all the time. Jasmine Rice, Sushi Rice, Basmati Rice - whatever I'm currently in the mood for. Right now it's sushi rice.

Rice is the safest food on the planet for me and my digestive system so I like to keep it around all the time. I don't have it with every single meal but... pretty dang close!

Anyway - sometimes I turn it into fried rice but since for an IBSer anything high in fat is a no-no fried rice could be a bad thing. So here's what I do.

There are no measurements - sorry.

Ingredients:

• Cooking Spray (I use butter flavored)
• Cold Rice
• Soy Sauce
• Onion Powder
• Egg Whites (remember that two egg whites equal one whole egg)
• Salt
• Pepper
• a little bit of veggies - normally I try to include something that involves insoluble fiber since it'll be all wrapped up in the soluble fiber of the rice - peas, green beans, carrots

I heat the pan on medium high heat. Spray it with cooking spray fairly thickly (not like an inch of anything - just more than a passing spray), add cold rice, stir with spatula gently until rice warms and starts to break up, add soy sauce to taste, sprinkle with onion powder, and pepper - add the veggies you want at this point too if they're frozen or fresh.

When that mixture is to the taste you'd like - push it out in a circle and make a big hole in the center of the pan. Drop your egg whites in the middle, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scramble. Just as the eggs are done stir them in with the rice. If you have warm/cooked/canned veggies to add do it now.

Done. Low Fat Egg Fried Rice.

*Sometimes I chop up a few pieces of turkey bacon and fry that first in the pan. Bacon Fried Rice. Sometimes I might pound a chicken breast really thin, season it with something, pan fry it with cooking spray really quickly then chop it up and add to the fried rice. Chicken Fried Rice.

After you do it a couple times the amount of seasoning becomes rather second nature.

Oh - and I really think this is the best with Sushi rice that's been cooked just right. But of course that's the one I'm in the mood for at the moment...

Meatloaf

This is a post I wrote a long time ago before I knew I shouldn't have all corn or no gluten/wheat.

Years and years ago Drew wanted me to make meatloaf. I'd never done it and I only had a few cookbooks at the time. One of them was this Campbell's book that had a "Best Ever Meatloaf" recipe in it. So I made it, it was a simple recipe and as it turns out it was SO GOOD. I've never even bothered to try another meatloaf recipe.

But now I have IBS and I can't have a million different things. A few days ago I decided I'd try making an IBS friendly meatloaf - a version of the Campbell's one we know and love.

The Original (should you be so inclined...)

• 1 can condensed Tomato Soup
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 pouch Dry Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup water

My IBS Version/Wheat free/Corn free

• 1 can condensed Tomato Soup (no hfcs! if you can't find that get some canned tomatoes, puree them and simmer until the right thickness - go from there - I'd guess about 1.5 cups worth)
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 4 tsp beef bullion or veggie bullion (make sure it's safe)
• 8 tsp onion flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (preferably with no dairy)
• 2 egg whites or 3 TB egg whites (from a carton)

1. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup of tomato soup, meat, spices/bullion, bread crumbs, egg. Shape into a loaf and put into a loaf pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Spoon off or drain fat, reserving 1 - 2 TBSP.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining tomato soup, water, reserved drippings. Heat through, stirring occasionally. You can just serve this with the meatloaf or I just slice the meatloaf in the pan and then dump it all over the top of it.

Drew says the new version is better then the original. I say both are delicious. Just different with the turkey. I think I like the texture better with the turkey.

Mock Cornbread

This is wheat free, corn free "corn"bread. It can also be dairy free or even vegan if you use an egg replacer.

Really it's millet bread but it tastes so much like cornbread it's absolutely amazing!

I found the recipe at Ginger Lemon Girl - here.

I'm in love with her - just for this recipe.

I'm putting my adjustments here so I can stop refiguring them out every time I make this.

Dry Ingredients:
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon tapioca startch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (She used 3. I wanted to see if this would work for savory dishes and I loved it with 1 tablespoon. I will do 3 when I'm wanting sweet cornbread!)

Wet Ingredients:
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice

I replaced the baking powder as I always do. I have yet to find any corn free baking powder here so it's just easier to use my own substitutes.

Also I have twice forgotten to the the lemon juice to the almond milk and the bread turns out fine. So if you don't have any - that's okay!

I only had some whole millet so I ground a cup worth in my little magic bullet thing and that worked perfectly. 

You can read the rest of the directions back at the original post.

Thanks again to Ginger Lemon Girl. I'm so happily eating "corn"bread as I type this. YAY!