A meal we BOTH love

Kevin and I don't exactly have the same tastes in food. He would call me picky. I say that I'm allowed to not like things. But, we both really like this meal and it is pretty easy. It is directly from an issue of Cooking Light magazine several years ago (the only one I tried.) Anything from me is in italics.

Pork Chops with Country Gravy
3/4 tsp salt, divided
4 (4 ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
1 tsp butter
Kevin and I like to have extra gravy so I usually 1.5x the stuff for gravy.
1 1/3 cup milk (~2 cups)
3 T all-purpose flour (4 1/2 T, and I used whole wheat flour and it turned out fine.)
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning (1/4t + 1/8t)
1/4 tsp black pepper (1/4t + 1/8t or to taste)

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon evenly over both sides of pork. This doesn't seem to be enough, so I just use what it takes. Add 1 tsp butter to pan, stirring until butter is melted. Add the pork to pan, and cook pork for 3 minutes on each side. Remove pork from pan, and keep warm (not really an issue if everything is all ready).
I try to do stuff and get stuff ready in the next step while the pork is cooking or ahead of time. I tend to get stressed if I'm not prepared ahead of time with the ingredients.)
2. Combine low-fat milk and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add the milk mixture to pan, stirring with a whisk. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp (3/4 tsp for 1.5x gravy) salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Return pork to pan. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer for 7 minutes or until gravy is thick and pork is done.

This recipe usually says to get some refridgerated mashed potatoes, but I just make them with real potatoes. So I even have nutrition information, but it includes the refridgerated mashed potatoes. Let me know if you are interested in that part. It is a 'light' recipe, so supposedly not too bad for you.

Tonight we are also having cooked butternut squash how my mom likes to cook it. BTW, I am adding lots of details because that's how I would need it. You expert cookers out there probably don't, but they are there. We both love this way to eat squash - too bad it's not fresh from Gayle's garden!

1. Cut butternut squash in half and scrape out seeds.
2. put one half (or both if your microwave is big enough) in a microwave-safe bowl face up with a little water in the dish and cover the dish with saran wrap.
3. microwave for 5 minutes, let sit for a few minutes. Microwave again for 5 minutes and let sit for a few minutes covered again. Repeat until squash is cooked. Test through the saran wrap for tenderness. (Beware hot steam! Letting it sit covered in the microwave just continues to cook it for a few minutes.)
4. When both sides are cooked and cool enough to work with, scrape out middle into serving bowl.
5. Rinse some frozen peas under hot water to thaw a bit.
6. Mix the peas in with the hot butternut squash - the squash will thaw and warm them the rest.
7. Add extra virgin olive oil and garlic salt to taste.

YUM!

Amish Friendship Bread: The Lowdown

The lowdown is: this bread is cake, not bread! Just be prepared to pull out the B-day candles. But it's a fun try if you can stomach twenty-year old starter.

A week after we moved to Colorado in '08, my neighbor gave me a bubbling Ziplock containing "Amish friendship bread starter." I hate to admit it, but I threw it away. A couple months after moving here, another neighbor gave me the same thing. By that time, the guilt had set in from the first rejection (it was "friendship bread," after all) and I felt obligated to give it a try.

My boys and I diligently squished and squashed the Ziplock every day for ten days. I dutifully added milk, sugar, and flour on day five.


On day ten (an eternity), we finally mixed up the bread into two loaves. The starter smelled appropriately sour, so I assumed it was safe to eat but harbored lingering doubts. After all, according to Wikipedia it could have been festering for a few decades.


Kids and J LOVED the bread cake! It was a little too sugary for me. If I ever get a starter again, I'm going to create the first ever sweet sourdough loaf.

The Green Smoothie

I'm probably the last person on the planet to find out about green smoothies, but just in case I'm not here it is:

Orange juice

Frozen strawberries

Fresh Spinach

You can really pile up the spinach and it tastes absolutely delicious and refreshing. For real. Go and make yourself a green smoothie and give yourself a pat on the back for eating a veggie for breakfast.

How to Get Desitin Out of Hair

If you ever hear your children yelling thirty minutes after bedtime and upon checking out the situation find your toddler looking like this, know that there is a solution.

First, do a quick clean up job (meaning wipe desitin off the face, dresser, blanket, laundry basket, sister's face, and door).

Second, send guilty toddler directly to bed upon realizing that desitin in hair is not an easy clean up job.

Third, the next morning wash toddler's hair with dish soap (like Dawn) to get the greasy desitin to come out of hair. Then rewash the hair with shampoo and conditioner. The dish soap works great to get the greasy ointment out of the hair.

Fourth, hide the desitin very high out of reach of toddler. Note: Hiding desitin in back of sock drawer does not constitute a good hiding place.

When I figure out how to get the desitin out of the carpet, I'll share that tip on here as well. I'm still working on that one.

The result of being single on Valentine's Day

So last Valentine's Day I was walking through the bookstore (probably to buy one of those delicious cookies from the candy corner) and couldn't help but notice this book of a compilation of BYU Speeches about love/relationships/marriage. Granted, I was single (and not actually feeling particularly bitter) but I could use all the help I could get. And I was wearing pink. And I do love love. So I cracked open the book and, a couple hours later, left having read the entire book. I don't think buying the book is necessary because you can look them all up on the BYU speeches page. These talks have helped me a ton in the past few months and in general; I find them to be really helpful in building and maintaining good relationships. Here is a list of the talks:

"And the Greatest of These Is Love"
"How Do I Love Thee?"
Celestial Marriage
Hanging Out, Hooking Up, and Celestial Marriage
Marriage and Divorce
Ten Keys to Successful Dating and Marriage Relationships

Another good talk (per Angela's request) is one about seeking Christ daily. You can download a free pdf to it here.

How to: make perfect PIE CRUST

B loves pie. He really, really loves pie. As a matter of fact, if you ask him what the most feminine quality a woman can posses, he would probably tell you that it would be to make a killer pie (but that's mostly to get out of helping on the process).

Well, if there is one thing that I canNOT stand to make, it's pie crust. It is finicky, touchy, picky and delicate. But, I do think making a beautiful pie is an art, a challenge and almost patriotic (what's more American than Apple Pie?). My friend Leslie shared the secrets to amazing pie crust and while I still hate making it, at least I'm proud of the finished result (I just wish the photo was scratch and sniff). Here we go:

Recipe (the same as mom's, but add the water 1 Tbs at a time):

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/3 c + 1Tbs shortening

Ice cold water 1 Tbs at a time

425 degrees, 40-50 mins

1)First combine flour, salt and shortening and mix it with a fork until it forms into pea-sized lumps (don't use your hands to mix it and don't over mix it).

2)Next add the ice cold water 1 Tbs at a time. It usually ends up being around 3 Tbs or so. You want the water to be ICE cold (with ice cubes floating in it) and the dough should barely hold together. This is key-- don't add too much H2O, otherwise it won't be flaky and delicious.

3) Roll the dough between two pieces of wax paper-- this makes transfering it so much easier and you don't have to add any extra flour. When its flat enough, peel the wax paper off the top and place pie dish face down and centered on dough, then flip over.

Cut off excess, but leave a little hanging over the edge of the pie dish to fold under first, then press with your fingers or a fork to make the edges real perty.

SAVE the excess and make tarts!

Roll them out, fill with jam or berries,

press with a fork and bake them along with the pie for 15 mins (the pie will cook for another 30mins).

Roll them in sugar and enjoy! I like these almost more than the pie. WARNING: jam will be the temperature of boiling magma when removed from oven. If you absolutely cannot wait until they cool, you won't be able to taste for a week (not that I'm speaking from experience).

Just one way to make vegetables taste good

Delicious Sweet potato fries
4 sweet and sour potatoes
1 T water
Italian spices (marjoram, thyme, oregano, basil)
lemon pepper and lime pepper and and mango pepper and banana pepper and bell pepper and cayenne pepper and jalapeno pepper
salt
Preheat oven to 4000 degrees F

Peal and cut up sweet potatoes into strips. Microwave for 5 minutes with the 1 T of water. Then
toss with olive oil and spices. Bake for 30 minutes. ENJOY

A great mileage measuring tool

I learned about this website several years ago when I was running a lot more. I was keeping a running log and wanted to know EXACTLY how far I ran. This website allows you to use a satellite image, so I would zoom in so I could see the sidewalks and manually trace how far I went. I figured that using a car speedometer would give me a bit more or less than I actually went and hand-held pedometers aren't accurate if your stride isn't exactly right. Anyway, I started using it again recently and love it. I can log my meagre mileage into my running log again and know that I'm getting the exact credit that I deserve. I know some of you are a lot more hard core runners than I am, so maybe you already know about it, but I thought I'd share just in case. It is a great tool for keeping track of mileage for any kind of distance exercise (except maybe swimming).

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

(Zoom into the location that you want, and then I switch to the satellite option at the top of the map and use the "manually (straight lines)" option for Draw route. Click on Start recording at the top left and double click on the place you want to start your route. Double click each time you want to curve the line. It will show how far the route is on the left and mark the miles on the actual map.)

ps. Can I change my picture on the blog? My face is huge.

Seeing the Everyday

I took a watercolor class in college that met in the early evening. As I left class one evening, I noticed things I had not before: rainbows in the water droplets under a streetlight, the curve of the moon tracing the outline of Squaw Peak, and the sound of my wheels treading in rhythm with distant laughter. In art class, I could not trace a line without studying its curves and shapes intently. In so doing, I began to see it for the first time. Those skills transferred to all that my senses took in on that night.

I have thought about that experience again and again. If only I could Learn to See. Always. All the time!

A year ago, I received a random magazine in my mailbox. It was called "Seeing the Everday." The editorial intent is to educate people to see the extraordinary in their seemingly mundane interactions. It was filled with quotes like, "It's not about making a cake, dinner or any other number of important things we can spend our time doing. It is, however, about making a child. A unique, one-of-a-kind, significant, individual." It drew me in with articles entitled, "Blessed weeding" or "Old, used grain bags" or "Going the extra 30 miles."

Shortly after this unexpected gift of sight, Elder Uchtdorf gave a talk called "Happiness, Your Heritage." He said, "The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter." . As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you." He inspired me to Learn to See creation in the small things I do to beautify my home, my children, my life.

For me, this blog is a challenge to see anew. Not that I don't love being a mother, but I often slump into thinking my life consists of breakfast, dishes, lunch, dishes, dinner, and dishes, punctuated by Dora, diaper changing, and refereeing fights. If I am going to share "poetry in the prosaic," or find life in my lettuce pots, I too must Learn to See! With this blog invitation, I feel the challenge to see all the beauty in my children, even purpose in paint pots and peed out beds. So if you feel like me (that you don't have anything to share and you are not a creator), I issue this invitation to you as well: Learn to See with me!

what to do when the weather is 99 degrees

Buy a nice big fan at Home Depot.

Go barefoot.

Stay hydrated.

And the best for last...

Make the EASIEST HOMEMADE ICE CREAM EVER! (no ice cream maker required):

1 pint whipping cream (don't cringe - it's worth it) - whip with mixer until it's nice and fluffy

Add 1 can condensed milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla - beat it just until mixed

Now, add whatever suits your mood. Here are a few ideas:

- fresh strawberries (be sure to either blend them a bit or mush them really small or they'll freeze in a big clump

- chopped walnuts, coconut and nutella (all three make a splendid combo)

- cinnamon (goes great with apple pie)

Then, toss in a large container and freeze overnight (or maybe about 4+ hrs if you're in a rush).

Enjoy!

Confessions of a closet gardener.

Dear Ms. Hatch,

Two days ago I awoke to a constant drizzle. It was misty, green and hushed; you know, the kind of morning where you feel like you need a cup of herbal tea and a big robe? I had gotten in the habit of checking on my plants and that morning found the green little buds greeting me "good morning."

For the past several years I've felt very much like Mary Lennox asking her big scary uncle for "a bit of earth" -- a little spot of my very own where I can grow whatever I want (keeping climate in mind of course). Except I'm not approaching my big scary uncle, I'm approaching my big scary Bureaucracy who unlike Sir Craven, replied with a big fat "no." The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi, my name is Angela and I'm calling about growing a garden about 20 ft from my cabin on the south side in an already disturbed area where they installed the new water system and the native vegetation was destroyed and hasn't had a chance to recover-it's the perfect place (yes, I use run-on sentences when I talk. Especially when I want something).

Housing Official: Yeah, I heard the message(s) you left me. I talked to Kay who is our Wildlife Brigade manager and she said that growing a garden is a bear food-storage violation.

Me: So that's a no?

Housing Official: (stutters) uh, yes. That's a no.

Me: Thanks. [click]

Okay, now my question. I failed to mention that I had already planted a garden in pots that are currently soaking up rain (yet another day of constant drizzle) and beginning to sprout. My little beauties. I've had this goal to make a meal with things I've grown completely with my own hands and I have yet to realize it. I don't think lettuce smells too entirely strong, nor do I see how it is any different that people keeping their beer bottles on the back porch for recycling (or Liesel's diapers for that matter). Is this one of those times where I "take no for an answer" by discreetly moving my pots out of view to the backyard? Please say yes.

Your truly,

Lettuce have a garden.

How to: Make Baby Food

I started making our own baby food after checking out a book from the Library on, you guessed it, making your own baby food! It was so much easier than I expected. It goes like this:

1) wash very well

2) peel it

3) chop it

4) steam it

5) puree it in the blender (for this step I usually added some already pumped breast milk to make it easier to blend, for an added nutritional boost and to offer a familiar taste in addition to something new).

6) pour it in ice cube trays

7) once frozen, run the bottom under warm water, then they fall out in nice neat little 1 oz. brightly colored cubes.

8) label the zip lock with what it is and the month/year and pop it back in the freezer.

I think its a good idea to have a few glass baby food jars for defrosting (in the microwave or fridge) and for storing any leftovers (for no more than 2 days).

Easy Peasy! (get it? Peas-y?) Or at least its easier than loading up baby, umbrella, diapers, keys, wallet, udder-cover and driving a total of 1hr to the grocery store, only to forget to go down the baby isle (and your umbrella soaking baby and mom) and instead get distracted by the delicious looking free cookies that they would only have in a place like yuppie Jackson Hole. . . not that that happened yesterday or anything.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Hi ladies,

I have a movie recommendation. Emily and I watched this BBC series during the course of numerous evenings over the past 2 weeks. The 4 DVDs were complimentary from our own Miss Angela. We found them to be quite addictive and finished in record time!

Love, Mom

Great day for a Picnik

Brian and Liesel walking in front of the Matriarch, an old growth White Pine (that are now endangered b/c of beetle) in Grand Teton National Park (6/1/11).

I wanted to pass along this gem of a photo editing program: www.picnik.com-- I tried it today and was amazed at how easy and awesome it was! Seriously a fun place to play around . . . and its totally free and safe since its from Google just like gmail, blogger and the search engine (Google is on its way to total world domination. Well, at least digital domination). You just upload your photos and play away!

Then you click "save" and make sure you click "save a new copy" so that you can maintain the original photo still.

This is Liesel on top of the Grand in a 1970s magazine add for Patagonia. Not really. . .This is actually Liesel in a photo I took yesterday on top of Table Mountain. I used "reverse process" and then added a rounded boarder in Picnik. F-U-N.

Have fun photo editing!