to my veggie sister

http://cuisinenie.blogspot.com/

Good Food Friday- School Is In Session Edition

For those of you wondering, the fire is about out- thank goodness.

A friend of mine brought this yummy treat to a game night and we all enjoyed it- A LOT. The funny part was when some of us asked her for the recipe. She told us it was her mother-in-law's and she had recently been told that it was a family secret and couldn't be shared. Then she laughed and whispered that she had already had shared it in the Relief Society Recipe collection from our ward. So, here is a super glorified "Secret Family Recipe" for what she calls- O Henry's.

O' Henry's

2 C sugar
2 C White Karo Syrup
7 C Crispy Rice Cereal
2 C salted peanuts
2 c peanut butter
12 oz pkg butterscotch chips
12 oz pkg chocolate chips

Bring sugar and Karo just to a boil. Don't overcook or bars will be hard. Add peanut butter and peanuts and stir. Add cereal. Pour into large 12 x 17 inch cookie sheet. Melt both flavors of chips, blend and spread over the top of the mixture in the pan. Let set. Cut into bars.

O Henry- Oh Yummy.

Think About It

This will seem random- but I have started walking - a lot- at night around my neighborhood circle. As it gets darker, you can see more easily into every one's homes, and apparently a lot of my neighbors are doing laundry at 8:30 at night, because I can smell the various dryer sheets as I walk around- some of them need a different brand- their brand doesn't smell all that great. Anyway- walking over twenty laps by myself in the dusk and dark gives me a lot of time to think and actually my mind wanders. Other than watching the fire (every time I come around the top) that is rapidly consuming a mountainside to the east of us, I don't have much else to focus on. As I was walking last night(I walk to my ipod- when it is done, I am done- approx a lap per song-)I remembered a conversation that the DR and I had years ago.

The DR traveled a lot for his work in the past. For about five years, he spent large chunks of time out of town. The Outpatient and I would often go with him and live in hotels for anywhere from a few days to weeks. It was fun while it lasted, but one thing we thought about was how very much like a pond the different communities were. The "Fish" would be there, swimming about their lives, all but oblivious to our presence, we would put our hand in the pond for however long we were there, but then when we took our hand out of the pond, the fish went right back to swimming as if we had never been there. One such place that we had that conversation about, we actually ended up moving there for a little over a year. We became part of that pond. When we moved, I hoped that we left some trace of our having been there- and we did, through the friendships that we still maintain there.

Anyway- as I was walking, I thought about my various neighbors, how some of them I never see, whom I have no impact on their pond. And, other than seeing them drive in the circle occasionally, they have no impact on my pond either. That is not supposed to be how it works. As a small neighborhood, and if I was living the Gospel right, I would have them over, stop and chat, something to make an effect on their lives and vice versa.

Think about it- we have so many fish that come and go in our ponds, but do we let them leave ripples? In my blog walking, I have been amazed at the ripples left by Stephanie(nienie)and Christian Nielson- through the notices and mentions of them and their influence on people. If I were as open as I should be, I would have had a lot more ripples left in my pond by others.

Eventually, we learn the lessons-

Today, we heard from the Outpatient via email. Have I mentioned just how happy I am for email and Internet? I have? Oh well, I really, really am! Anyway, his letter mentioned shock at the growth his siblings have made, and how he almost doesn't recognize them now, how it is going to be with another year. These are all things I tried desperately to tell him and get him to understand BEFORE he left. That no matter how many of his high school friends he would hardly ever- if ever- see again, he would never see his brother and sisters in that time and place again, and not only that, but the time he would be gone would bring some huge changes for the kids. He now understands- but he also realizes that the time is gone. His advice to the kids made me tear up big time. I know he wishes he could go back, do things differently, but hopefully he has learned this lesson well, and will take it into his daily actions when he does get back. He will never really live with us again, we will be but a temporary stop as he will move on with his life. The time to live with his siblings is past. He wasn't a bad or mean brother- contrary to some reports :) It was just that he was always very busy with his much older life. We essentially raised (are raising) two separate families- although they got to follow him around for the bulk of their lives so far- and he will not experience that. They love him and have missed him a lot- especially the brother. If I could hope for one thing, it would be that both of my preggo sisters have boys- every boy needs a brother- and every girl needs a sister.

I also think I need to review the lesson learned myself. They will all be gone in such a blink of an eye. I love my patients!!!!!

Tender Mercies Tuesday

I have so many things to be grateful for, that I need to pay more attention to them. I read the phrase today- casual gratitude. Hum, am I too casually grateful? I need to think about that. I think we can most certainly be too casual in our attitudes towards just about anything.

Today, I am truly grateful for school. I had the house cleaner than it has been in quite a while, a cake baking in the oven, and had sat down to start work by 10:00 am.

A tender mercy that is occurring is that my very sad dryer is hanging in there, as long as I only make it work once in the morning and once at night. I know it is only a matter of time, but this gives us the chance to shop around and save the money for it first. Very grateful for that.

We also got a call that one of our several "adopted" kids is engaged!!! And she is moving near all the rest of our family, AND AND AND- she and her parents are coming this week so we get to see all of them!!! Fun!

And we should also be able to see our other great friends as they also have season tickets.

I am so very grateful for the crazy at the time- tender mercy that took us to that wonderful place in Oregon where we made some of the best friends of our lives!!!

Now, a tender mercy that I could use right about now is the reappearance of the charger for my Olympus camera battery- Anyone seen it? There is a reward- I am so very desperate.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's BACK TO SCHOOL They Go!

Today is the day I have been desperately striving for, for at least a month now. As the summer wore on, the kids just got way too cantankerous. So today- that stinking alarm went off at 5:45- I did hit the snooze, went back to bed for a minute and a half- said who am I kidding, and got up to start breakfast.

The Oldest Patient is now in middle school, and in true middle school style- did not want parental accompaniment to school, even if the building is completely foreign to him, and he has never before had to change classes or anything. Our baby is growing up- sniff, sniff.

Where was I- oh, yeah- The girls had to get up at the same time, and as soon as piano lessons start, we will spend that extra time in the mornings getting that done so we don't have it to do after school- for at least one of them. The Oldest gets home an hour earlier so he can do his then. Of course the girls were ready WAY early, and left for the bus at least 20 minutes too early, so they were just as excited to be rid of me for the day as I was to get rid- Oh I mean- have them experience outside distractions and growth experiences- yeah- that's it! Hurray For the end of Summer!!

Blessings I forget I have

I know it sounds strange, but sometimes I forget what amazing blessings my children are. Not a single one has come without a major struggle. Shortly after being sent to their beds for fighting, the middle patient said she wished the oldest patient had never come into our family. I know these are just emotional words from the mouth of an immature little sister, but it hurt my heart. I can't imagine what life would be like without him, or her, or their brother, or sister. I told her that I knew- absolutely-that he was meant to be in our family, just as much as she or the others, he may have had to take a different route, but the Lord absolutely guided, directed, prodded when necessary, and brought his spirit into our home. I need to figure out how to help them cherish each other for who and what they are, for their unique spirits and what they bring into our lives. Whatever is going on with them, is certainly not good, and it is not getting better. She is the stronger willed of the two, and the most vocal, but he shares pretty equally in the guilt of the contention. Not to mention the youngest patient putting her two cents in, as well. I have not been in a good place- mentally- lately. I can tell I am getting better when I start getting wild hairs about moving furniture, making things seem new. This place, I know, does not help my children, but I am powerless to control it once it has begun.

The outpatient sent us a challenge to work on one of several attributes, with scriptures and steps- in Chap. 6 of Preach My Gospel. This was not a random assignment- at least, I know that the Lord is trying to help me, and ultimately help them. The first time I read it, certain things jumped off the page. And so, I will put forth my very best effort to apply these principles, and try to follow what we are taught by the Lord in raising our children, and hope to keep the ugly place at bay-.

Thank you- Outpatient- for being the messenger- I love you dearly!


Notice the background of the picture? Where there is a rainbow, there is hope :)

Good Food Friday- Last Day of Summer Break Edition

Two super easy, super cool salad options. First one is compliments of J. H.

Crumbled Feta Cheese- 1 sq pkg






1/4 purple onion, thin sliced







1/2 bag sliced almonds




grape tomatoes- sliced in half






1 Avocado- peeled and diced





1 head green leaf lettuce- torn to bite sized pieces.





serve with dressing of choice-


Salad Option #2


1 bag of spinach













half a bag of original Craisins











5-6 mushrooms- sliced ( or to taste)










1 - cups of SLIVERED Almonds








Serve with ranch, or my personal favorite- poppy seed dressing-



This one is great for when you have a food assignment on the road- no individual prep if you use the pre-sliced mushrooms-

Happy Birthday to Becks-

Today is my SIL's birthday- my first SIL on my side. I married into quite a few, but this one choose to be related to me by marrying my brother- the one who the outpatient resembles in an almost amazing fashion. She is mom to three- one has already beat them to the finish line, but we can all hardly wait for the day they get to have him back again. She keeps the floating head of my brother a bit more grounded than he otherwise would be. They live far away, so our time with them is rather limited, but we have fun when we do get to be together. In one week, it will be their anniversary- so happy birthday, and happy anniversary- early.

Think About It Thursday

I have been thinking a lot about modesty. My beliefs are that regardless of age, we are expected to dress modestly at all times. Years ago, when I was newly married, my husband bought me a bikini. Now, I wore it a few times, but felt very uncomfortable in it and with the attention it brought. I got rid of it.

I have two sons and two daughters. When my oldest started dating, he asked a cute girl, not of our faith, and we expected that she would probably not wear a particularly modest dress. While it wasn't bad, he decided that he would not ask anyone who he knew would not make modest clothing choices. He took another friend, also not of our faith, who doesn't wear immodest clothes.

My question is this- for those of us who profess membership in the same church, why are our interpretations of modesty so very different- especially when it is spelled out pretty darn clearly. Many times my daughters have asked me why cousins or friends of theirs are dressed immodestly, do radical stuff to their hair, or get tattoos. What can I say,- they have their free agency- but it really bothers me the example people who my children look up to are setting.

When talking to a sister in law about this subject- she was recently called to YW President- I told her my feeling is that, like I said in a recent talk I gave, our trials today are not the wilds of Wyoming in freezing conditions, or the ocean waves. Our trials today are in living by the standards found in the For The Strength Of Youth Pamphlet, in fulfilling our church callings to the best of our abilities- no matter how badly we dislike it. How will our children know how to live the right way if we set a hypocritical example.

And most importantly, what makes us think that our children can face the "WILDS" in bikinis, tank tops, or short skirts, without getting frost bite on their souls.

I am off the soapbox now- for a minute. If this subject gets under your skin- then I ask that you think about it.

Tender Mercies Tuesday- EDITED

Today- one of the biggest tender mercies in my life is having a birthday! You know who you are- and you will ALWAYS be older than me- My super awesome sister is having a mirror birthday- 44! She has had a really rough year and a half. I have mentioned before- she was in a bad accident, then diagnosed early with an aggressive breast cancer. All while getting her oldest out into the mission field. She is one tough cookie. Now that the cancer is behind her- she found out that not all her pain was from the chemo- so she just had her 5th surgical procedure done in barely a year,to fix her messed up shoulder. Some of the blessings she has brought to my life- and believe me- I could go on for a very long time- are as follows:

She was the "big" sister, and for the most part, did a good job of it- although I remember this one time, involving a broomstick, and another involving a heavy goblet (what were you thinking?). But seriously, she didn't like to play with dolls- but every year around Christmas, she would sacrifice and play dolls. We would have five dolls (she made me limit mine) and they would exchange presents around her triangle shaped chalkboard (it was green :) ). She helped me steal my Mrs. Beasley doll back from that mean "friend" who stole her- I solved the problem in the future by writing my name all over my doll's blue polka-dotted body.

She went on dates with my friends and I when she was already in college. Remember the muskrat incident? Then she watched while I dated her ex-boyfriend (only for a little while- ick)

She put up with my lecture on who she should marry- (admit I was right). She tried to break my face open by letting those idiot drivers wreck into us.

We shared a room, a bed, and late night giggles for a lot of years. She was my very best friend, and although we didn't always get along, we did most of the time. When I was with her for her major surgeries in Dec, she said we needed to find a better reason to get together than cancer. I agree, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere than right there with her, just like she has always been right there for me. Through my years of infertility, to my badly timed hysterectomy- she has had my back. She has favorite Aunt status locked up tight- except Xan the Man likes me better for now.

She has struggled with depression, and come out the winner. She has now courageously faced cancer. She is my hero! My example, my confidant, my concience, and most importantly- the best little "big" sister a girl could have.

Happy Birthday D- we will take a girls vacation soon! Oh, and I will still turn out the light for you, ya big baby :)

They are the Champions, my friends-

This weekend's tournament was GOLDEN for the Attitude girls. They played a game late Friday afternoon, winning 4-0, then about an hour later, played and lost, 1-0. Saturday morning, they played the top team in the other division, winning 1-0, which set them up for a rematch with the team from Friday night- this time the score was in their favor- 3-0. A fun way to end the season. They made a tunnel for the other team- and then in time honored tradition (orange instead of bright pink)got to run through their fan tunnel- oh the memories! Way to go, Attitude!










We girls got lots of shopping and errands in, were able to watch the Aunts and Uncle play softball, got to visit and have lunch with Aunt D and Lindibug. Grandma- like the awesome grandma she is- spent the entire day with us at the soccer fields, lunch, quick stop at I K E A, then build a bear. The girls and I then spent quite a bit more time shopping (hope we are finally ready for the back to school). Thanks to Aunt JuBu for the hotel and dogsitting- sorry we didn't hang out more- Special Thanks to "sister" Mickie and Matt for flowers, apples, and peanut butter :) It was so nice of you to come to the games! Should have taken pics-

Good Food Friday-Riverton Edition

Soccer Tournaments this weekend- plus the opening of the Bow hunt has our family split with the girls in the city and the boys playing hunter on the mountain. The DR asked me what kind of deer I wanted him to shoot. I told him one that looked more like an Elk ( he can't- no tag for that - bummer). I have no DEER recipes- but I love Elk or Beef Stew- and although it is a bit warm for stew, you could make it on a rainy evening.

1 to 2 lbs of beef (or elk) steak, cubed
1/2 C Flour for dredging the meat,
butter and shortening for browning the meat- approx 4 TBSP each.
Salt & Pepper
Carrots, Potatoes,& Onions, peeled and chopped.
3 C or more Water
Beef Bouillon

Heat butter & shortening in pot, season meat with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Place floured meat cubes and remaining flour (for thickening)in melted butter and cook until browned. Add water- depending on how many servings you want- three to four cups is about 6 servings. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add bullion to taste.

You may need to adjust the liquid and thickening to your own needs and taste, but this should serve 6 good sized helpings.

It's a Diva thing-

For the middle patient's birthday this year- she wanted very badly to go to this spa/party place- which is out of town. However- we just so happened to be out there the weekend before, plus several cousins from the other side were available, so the girls went and had their manicures, pedicures, pink hot chocolate and the best darn cupcake ( I don't like cake even) I have ever snuck bites of. The younger girls had a great time dressing up and being pampered. Would I take them again? Not likely. It ended up being more than I thought, and lots more than if we had done it ourselves, plus the polish came off the next day- no top coat. SO- we have been there, done that, learned our lesson- but the girlies have fun memories- and they certainly know how to Diva with the best of them.

Tender Mercies Tuesday

The Lord blesses us in so many ways- just to lighten the load, protect us from danger, make our lives or selves better, bring blessings into our lives. Many we don't even recognize at the time, if ever, so I challenge each of us to start really looking.

1- having everything I needed on hand to throw together a quick pasta salad for the neighborhood potluck last night- the way things were going, I was lucky to get dressed yesterday.

2- the youngest patient deciding she wasn't going to run away after all.

3- Getting to see what we hope is a future outpatient before she took off for college. She texted one hour before we left for the reunion

4- getting to the reunion late enough that the spot we thought we wanted was gone- which meant we ended up with a much better spot for me personally- (although that caused some contention with the DR at first- he did come to agree with me, I think)

5- getting out of town before the storm hit- thereby missing the flash floods that came through the road we travelled on- WOW to that! only missed by half an hour.

6- the lodge having plenty of alcohol and cotton balls to get through the bug bitten days up there-

7- finding out that both of my younger sisters are in the family way- which is truly a blessing that neither of them has had to go through what I have in order to get patients in the looney bin.

8- having a Mom that is such a great Grand Mom that the youngest asked for permission to go live with her when she was running away yesterday (too cute- even in the midst of drama)

9- having a father in law that fills a special hole in my life. He has always been so good to me- and after his health scares- his support and presence mean that much more.

10- My outpatient's challenge for each of us- which I need to email out. The timing is amazing- at least for me.

At the reunion-during the family devotional, many times the phrase-"the Lord knows each person individually- cares about each one" was a recurring thing. I know this to be true- He may not be able to keep all trials out of our lives- this is our earthly experience after all- but He knows and blesses if we are paying attention. My sister in law mentioned to me that right before they came to reunion she felt impressed that she should grab more repellent- she ignored that prompting- and was sad about that later- there was no such thing as too much repellent this weekend.

Join me if you like- here in the comments, or in your own blogging corner of the internet world-

August Birthday Bashes

Aside from my own darling middle patient, August is the birthday month for several family members- lots more if you go out to the extended family. Here is a Happy Birthday Wish for Ky, Christopher, Lindsey, Kaylen, Jeff, Haley, Dawn, Becky, Radford, Rony, plus a few Happy Anniversaries too!

Gnats, NOTS, and Family Ties

I should be working right now, but in trying to get back in the swing of life after the long weekend, I am putting it off- I guess in the hopes that it will get done by itself? Right.

GNATS! We were introduced this weekend to a lovely beast that makes mosquitoes look tame. Buffalo Gnats. THEY. EAT. YOU. ALIVE. My girls were apparently the main course, while everyone else at the reunion were the snacks. I escaped with just one of the bites on me. You might ask why they are worse than mosquitoes- Well, number one, you don't feel them biting you. Someone else has to notice the trails of blood running down your neck or face, or back. The bites, if not treated at least twice a day with rubbing alcohol can stick around for SIX. MONTHS. I am not kidding. They only are annoyed by FRESHLY applied repellent. Citronella doesn't bother them. They crawl up your clothes and bite you- again, you can't feel the buggers! They like hairlines, armpits, unmentionable areas- they really aren't all that particular. The youngest patient has a wide band of them across her lower back- clear across and at least two inches tall.GROSS!

My poor Sophie had her belly attacked, so she got in on the treatment too. Hers are clearing up quite nicely, but so far, my kids'- not so much. Although they are better than they were.- This was taken after 72 hours.


NOTS- I am NOT going to make stuff for the auction while on the mountain ever again. I missed out on pretty much everything- with the one super positive of also missing out on the gnat bites. I am also NOT going to keep being the cooking maniac while camping. Love the eating, but the cooking, the cleaning and time spent- not so much. I am NOT going camping again without a lifetime supply of alcohol and cotton balls and gallons of repellent. I am NOT bringing sand filled clothes home to wash again- I will rinse them out in the mountain faucets first.










FAMILY TIES- As interesting as the DR's extended family is, I wouldn't want to miss the reunion, unless I was in one of my major issue times. My kids have a great time, it is low key- but well done with just the right amount of scheduled activities. Lots of bonding over bug bites (sharing of alcohol and cotton balls). Because we go about every year, my kids have formed relationships with their second cousins three times removed best friend's dogs sister- not really but you get the point. The reunion is every year. It is camping over several days, but with the option for one night or just coming for the main events. This is great because you can visit and get to know the other people. One of my nephews was there for the first time in a really long time, and he came to sit by me because I was the only one he knew :). As I went through the group, pointing out who was who and how they were related, I realized I couldn't do that with my own family.
This is quite sad. The last (only one) reunion since the death of my grandma, was when my grandfather was killed. We had a reunion the next summer- 2002- organized by my mother for my father's side of the family. I am suggesting that maybe we should pick up the ball- since no one else is- and plan another for next summer. My preggo sisters will be so thrilled to read this, I know- but you won't be preggos then- Around the 24th of July- so my kids can make the BUZZ reunion. Any takers?

Sadness-

My dryer is dying- has probably completely died actually. It has been being temperamental for a while now- refusing to do more than a couple of loads without a nice long break. Today- however- it did one little load of whites and has refused to turn on ever since. Woe is me. I really don't want to buy a new one right now- but to replace the motor is about 200- plus labor, not really worth it when a brand new one is about twice that. I am going to have to do the drying at a Laundromat today. Now this brings up a fun memory- for me and one of my sisters anyway- probably not our mom- but at one point in our life, we spent a large amount of time at laundromats. My grandparents even owned a laundromat. We kids had fun at the laundromat. The basket races, the big dryers with windows- what was there not to love? I now have a different perspective. I do not want to haul laundry anywhere- especially not wet laundry. Oh well, what's a nurse to do?

On a side note- the DR decided to try to sand off the tip of his thumb yesterday. Apparently he can't use power tools unsupervised. When he was cleaning the wound- it was a good thing he is not a swearing person. If it had been me- a few might have slipped out.

Tender Mercies Tuesday

A couple of years ago, I was blessed enough to be in the audience of the conference center to hear Elder David Bednar's talk on the Lord's Tender Mercies. I was profoundly touched by that address and it gave me a name for the many blessings that I have noticed in my life. One of the things we are encouraged to do is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. So, I want to list at least 10 tender mercies every Tuesday to help me recognize and acknowledge the blessings that the Lord has given me. If you would like to join me either here in the comments or on your own corner of the blogging universe- please do.

Some things that may not seem like a tender mercy at the time can become so blatantly obvious later.

For today, I may go back in time a bit- but I really want to focus on the weekly occurrences.

1- My son's mission call to Brazil- which has it's own MTC (CTM). We had the opportunity to take a dear friend to the one in Provo a year earlier- and I said to the DR that there was no way I could take the outpatient there. The Lord heard and answered. As hard as it was to let him go through security, I can't think about letting him go one direction while I turned my back and went the other way.


2- My sister's many, many blessings throughout her cancer diagnosis and treatment. She and I had several discussions about different "Miracles", from working at church with a lady involved with the cancer center there who did tons of research for her, to her son's mission being moved up so he was all ready, and gone before treatment started, her amazing co-workers and double insurance coverage- I could quite seriously go on and on with this one.


3- The tender mercies that came into play with the birth and consequent adoption of the oldest patient- too too many to count- and what an amazing thing to look back on and see the intricate tapestry of blessings.





4- Through unusual circumstances, attending the Vernal Temple Dedication, in the Temple, in the presence of the prophet, and within a short time-finally after 10 long and difficult years, being able to have another child. Think woman touching Christ's robe in the crowd- I can relate.


5- The Lord letting me know that I was considering marrying the wrong person. I can't imagine not being married to the DR- we have been through many trials and hardships. He is so good to me, and a wonderful father. I tell my kids A LOT how very blessed they are to have him as a father- too bad they got such a cranky mom to balance that out.

6- My sister calling to see if the middle patient could spend a few days, which set off a chain reaction with the end result being me with a much needed break from my blessings for a couple of days, and the added blessing of them getting to spend time with my family whom I love dearly.

7- the above mentioned break meant a quiet house for payroll deadline after being out of town and not working for a few days.

8- Being from a family with a history of depression, suffering personally, and being aware of the symptoms in someone close to me, so that the help could be given.

9- Having extra food on hand in my trailer to feed the many surprise meal guests.

10- My Sophie- so I am not completely alone in my house this week.

I have so many blessings, and I need to acknowledge them. Thank you, Heavenly Father- you know just exactly what I need.

BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!!

Today, the middle patient is officially in double digits. My, how time flies! She came into the world 5 days late- 8 lbs, 8 oz. and 21 inches long; and that is about the only time she has been in the top weight bracket. She is not too skinny- just petite. She has beautiful brown eyes, light brown hair- and a beautiful smile. She is growing up too fast. Just two years ago, she was baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by the outpatient- one of the most awesome experiences in her life. She is a good hockey player,
soccer player, dancer,
and singer, she would be good at piano if she practiced a bit more- and she is going to be a pretty good seamstress too. This weekend, her Uncle named her the human metronome- as she was kicking his rear playing the drums on Rockband. She is independent, loves to do things herself, and has very little fear of trying new things. She can be compassionate and worries about the feelings of her friends. Someday, she will be a great mom-

The Dr and I are very proud of her, and love her immensely. We miss her already as she is spending time with her cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandma Bunnie. Hope you have a great birthday Sister!