Product Shout-Out

So, if there is a product that I just LOVE I'm going to tell you about it. I WISH that these companies were compensating me, but they are not. Not too long ago there existed a particular frozen pasta meal made by a particular brand. This pasta was amazing! My daughter and I loved it! Easy fast lunch, tasted homemade. They must not have heard many shout outs about it because that product no longer exists and my daughter and I lament about it all the time. So here are two products I hope will be around forever, because I love them...

 

These are called "Monkey Hooks". Now there are actually a few different brand names out there and my dad says they are all the same. Basically instead of drilling a large hole for a screw you drill a tiny little hole and insert this hook (the big long part)into the drilled hole. That is it! No stud necessary and it can really hold a lot of weight! I think they are very clever and if you decide that you don't like the picture where you hung it, you are not left with a large hole to patch up. Nice!

 

(Just turn your head like you're eating a taco. I'm not sure why this photo rotated on me. I swear it is right side up in Picassa. So strange.) ANYHOW.... I love Indian food. In fact I'm hoping to eat at one of my favorite Indian Restaurants this weekend!

The Amy's brand is sort of a hit or miss with me. Some of it I really dislike, others I absolutely love! This is a yummy curry wrap filled with potatoes, peas and tofu. Tofu takes on the taste of whatever it is cooked with/in. It is basically there for protein. If you have been wanting to try tofu, this is an excellent quick lunch. Two minutes in the microwave and TONS of yummy flavor!

A little bit of Spidery Cuteness

 

Yesterday, I got to spend a little one-on-one time with myself! After Scotty's trip to Africa to help the team Biketown and then his business trip to Dallas, Texas, I was so ready for some time alone doing something fun. I signed up at the local scrapbook store for a fun class involving a bit of wood, paper and paper mache. I made this cute little spider, there are other little wood pieces to display during other holidays or months. In fact, Nicole, the genious behind this cute little guy, said she would cut out a CTR emblem for me. (Of course, the wheels are turning in my head, and I'm thinking of even more things)

Check out Nicole's blog and her cute crafts!

...mmmm mmmm good, SOUP!

 

I actually didn't think the day was that cold, but the morning was a bit chilly and put me in a soup mood. I invited mom, dad and Katie over for some corn chowder. It's very tasty and easy to prepare...

Deluxe Corn Chowder
(an adaption of "Grandma's Corn Chowder" on allrecipes.com)

1/2 c. diced bacon (optional)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped small
2 c. water
1 large Knorr vegetarian vegetable boullion cube
(or chicken flavor)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 c. cream-style corn (about 2 cans)
2 tsp. salt
2 c. half-and-half
black pepper to taste

Mix potatoes and onion into a large cooking pot with 2 Tbsp. of oil. Cook and stir for five minutes. Pour in the water, boullion cubes and corn; stir. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover cooking pot. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender.

Warm the half-and-half in a small saucepan removing from heat before it boils, add to chowder just before serving.

KIDS and their STUFF!

This article caught my eye today. Organization being my ambition lately, having just moved and having lost some pretty important stuff in this clutter I'm surrounded by.

I liked this idea the most:

...invite your child to pick a few toys that he has outgrown. Together, pick a charity or friend who will be your beneficiary. If saying good-bye is hard, take a picture so that your child can preserve the memory in an album of outgrown toys. Let giving away toys be a ritual by which you celebrate your child's growth.

My oldest is a memory keeper. My youngest is just in denial about thinking he still plays with certain toys. I have already started an album of artwork/schoolwork through Shutterfly. I take the photo, add it to the album and toss the paperwork/artwork. GASP!! Well, I do save a few favorites, but MOST has to go! I just don't have the space to store a box for each kid, each year of elementary school. That would be about 24 cubic feet.

... I LOVE the idea of adding photos of beloved toys/stuffed animals/memorabilia. Easy, relatively cheap, and it will sure weigh a lot less and be easier to pack up for the next move! I mean think about it: you return to your parents home for a visit and mom hands you about 16 large boxes of all the stuff she's saved for you. Wouldn't you rather have a book with photos and stories of the beloved items. I am so all over this!

Preparing for General Conference

I am really looking forward to the spiritual nourishment of General Conference. I saw something on SugarDoodle.net that I thought would be a great way to have my kids participate more fully in General Conference. It should also help them remember the names and faces of the Twelve Apostles. Have you seen this? Now, if only I could find my printer in this mess...

MOVING.... so fun!

 

 

So, THIS is my mess... at least a tiny part of it. Moving is always a lot of work, this move has seemed like twice that for a variety of reasons. Of course this is the first move we have done ourselves since being newly married. We've accumulated a LOT of stuff. To complicate matters, although I labeled boxes very well (if I may brag), we have opened them all and rummage through looking for missing items. Items are scattered, boxes are no longer as stackable. Chaos.

I am making some progress. These photos are of the downstairs of our house, and I will post more when I'm done. The good thing about moving is that you have the perfect opportunity to purge unneccessary stuff. I've already had a large garage sale and hauled off 3 van-fulls of stuff to GoodWill or the DI Truck at the S.J. Stake Center. Now, for another round...

In a JAM...

(pun intended) Jam is suppose to be easy to can. I'm thinking that it may be IF one were to follow the instructions that come with the box of Pectin. Those instructions were NOT the way that my mom has always canned or the way her mom taught her to can. So, when we called Mom (who was out of state for her sister's wedding)- we took a detour on the instructions and tossed caution to the wind. Needless to say my sister, Mirriam, and I are feeling pretty lucky that the jam indeed tasted yummy and even more fortunate that all ten jars seemed to seal well. Sorry for the very unprofessional recipe that follows. This is what we did:

Plum Raspberry Jam (one batch= 5 pints jam)

5 3/4 cup fruit: (3 lbs. plum, pitted and peeled + 18 oz. frozen raspberries)
1 pkg. Pectin
8 1/2 c. sugar (measure out into a bowl so it can be dumped all at once)
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. butter

DO NOT DOUBLE THE RECIPE

Instructions: Put jars in dishwasher to sterilize and heat. Put the seals in a small pot of water on the stove, so they are ready when it's time to heat them. In a large pot mix fruit, pectin and lemon juice. Cook over high heat stirring constantly, until it comes to a full, rolling boil. Turn heat on underneath the pan with the seals. Dump the sugar into the fruit mixture and stir quickly. Let the fruit mixture come to a rolling boil again, stir constantly. Boil for exactly 4 minutes. (Meanwhile: keep an eye on the saucepan of seals- heat to a boil and turn off) Remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp. butter and then skim off the foam. Pour the jam into hot or warm jars. Clean threads and top of jars with a damp towel to remove any jam residue. Top each jar with a seal. After seals are on you can screw on a lid. Try not to move jars. They should seal on their own, if they don't you'll have to do a water bath.