More basement progress

I didn't think it was possible but I now have my dryer next to my washer. Out is not totally set up yet - the guy wants to redo a lot of the plumbing still. Amazing I tell you. Amazing. Plus there are now no light bulbs hanging down to hit your head on. He put in recessed lights in places I didn't think it was possible. Next week the dry wall should be going in.

Mint ice cream

Well it is like ice cream. It is frozen banana blended with frozen spinach and a bit of cocoa powder. Oh and peppermint extract to give it the  minty flavor. All on top of whole wheat oat pancakes. I call it a delicious breakfast. 

Inspiration

That last post didn't turn out as cute as it was in person. Sorry. So here's something new. Wish I had a good photo to go with it. Instead, I pulled an old photoshopped photo of myself as a Pioneer Woman. It kind of goes with the quote. I think this may be my new mantra.

~Our God is a God who uses broken things: broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength." -Vance Havner~

Dog love

We are house/dog/child sitting this weekend at my sister's house. Her dog, like all dogs, can't get enough love. Here she is dozing next to Bret ready for a belly rub. Too cute. 

Kale powder

I used my fancy dehydrator and then crushed it in my cuisinart mini-prep. I hear it is ready to add to smoothies and muffins and soups and sauces without compromising flavor. We shall see. Now I want more kale! I hope the community garden grows more than it can distribute. 

Yum!

I can't resist sharing the haul I just brought home. By price matching I spent $25 on 54 pounds of food. I got 8 avocados, 6 mangoes, 10 grapefruit, 2 asparagus, 2 red  leaf lettuce, pineapple, mushrooms, broccoli, 2 cauliflower, 2 celery, cabbage, book Choy, and tons of apples. I wish I had added it up first to know how much I saved. My sister says I am the lucky one to have a Walmart so close but also so many ads for affordable produce oriented stores. I couldn't agree more. You should see hire many apples we go through in a week more that we don't eat meat. 

Remodel

Look at us! We are making a mess! A friend in the ward is redoing the electrical in our basement. We have beautiful new lights throughout and switches in logical places. We also finally emptied out the rafters too! Old dusty wood scraps be gone! Any one out there want any? Can't wait for neighborhood cleanup! Next up is dry wall. 

Salad love

I am totally in love with this salad these days! I am sad for Bret that he is not a fan but happy to have it all for myself. This is actually my second batch I love it so much. 

3 shredded carrots

1/2 head of shredded napa cabbage (I will have to try regular next time to see if it is just as good.)

1/2 c raisins

1 lemon's juice

2 Tbs sesame seeds

Touch of sesame oil if you dare.

Pink flowers

I don't know the type of plant this is but I love how every February it blossoms. I was given one as a gift when my father died from the English department at work, but it quickly died. The next year my friend gave me this one for my birthday and I am proud to say it is thriving. I love it. I wish the pink showed better but such is the cell phone camera. 

Snoring

Yes I have become one if THOSE pet owners. If I were a face booker people would block me. don't worry, I only have him a couple more days. I just had to share another sleep photo. He snores. Not as loudly as my husband used to, but in a cute way. I hear he is on the heavy side for a shih tzu. 

Chocolate pudding for breakfast

WOW! I am living this! 1/4 c Chia seeds, 3 tbl cocoa powder, banana (1 mashed and 1 as topping), 1 cup soy milk, 2 tbl maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 c oatmeal, and leave in fridge over night. Breakfast for two! Or one if you don't like to share. I think I will use more oats next time.

Tired Twix

After a rousing game of catch he just wants his belly rubbed. He got a new owner today. She paid for him but will pick him up Friday afternoon. They had a play date today. I enjoyed the freedom of a few hours. I love his new owner. She is perfect.  But I will miss his cute face in the morning begging for a walk with his little excited dance. 

Saying good bye

Twix is going to a new home tonight. I have done a fair amount of crying in anticipation. Weird how attached I found myself. I am not a pet person yet if I had to have one he was perfect. I only hope he is loved and petted and taken on lots of walks in his new home. 

Dog sitting

I am tending my sister's dog for her while she is in Vegas. She wants to sell him, though. Anyone interested in a cute well behaved shih tzu? She may even give him away at this rate. I might keep him but I am not a dog person and I worry he needs more petting than I like to give. 

Moderation of Food

You may have noticed lately that I'm eating a lot of plant based meals. At the end of July we read The China Study and ever since have given up meat (completely) and dairy/eggs (at home). We've also significantly reduced the amount of added sugars and oils and salt in our diet. The coolest thing I've noticed since this change is how much dairy and sugar and oil and salt I used to eat. Seriously, my sugar supply is no longer a year supply but a life supply. I'm worried my oil may be going rancid and finally put it in the freezer to store until I need to refill my little jar. We were talking about our new diet with some friends who also chose to go plant based about that same time. We talked about how lots of our family members brought up the phrase "moderation in all things" as a way to warn us against the decision we made. Dan (our friend) pointed out that he thought the phrase was being misused so he went and looked it up for us. Here is what he shared:

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1994/10/our-strengths-can-become-our-downfall?lang=eng&query="moderation+in+all+things"+oaks

Preventing Strengths from Becoming Our Downfall

As I conclude, I need to caution myself and each of my readers that the very nature of this message could tend to the same downfall that it warns against. The idea that our strengths can become our weaknesses could be understood to imply that we should have “moderation in all things.” But the Savior said that if we are “lukewarm,” he “will spue [us] out of [his] mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Moderation in all things is not a virtue, because it would seem to justify moderation in commitment. That is not moderation, but indifference. That kind of moderation runs counter to the divine commands to serve with all of our “heart, might, mind and strength” (D&C 4:2), to “seek … earnestly the riches of eternity” (D&C 68:31), and to be “valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:79). Moderation is not the answer.

Interesting even if it is maybe referring more to a "testimony of Jesus."  Back to food, though.

Today on the FB one of the pages I "like" shared a really cool article also about "moderation." Apparently it's not just the Mormons that like to talk about it. I think what I liked is how it explained the exact phenomenon I have experienced: my supposed moderation of the past 30 years wasn't really moderation after all, but now I may be truly practicing it. Maybe. The honest truth is, though, the holidays were terrible. We totally ate way too much dairy and sugar. First there was a niece's wedding which involved a road trip. Then there was Christmas which involved homemade treats. Then there was New Year's which involved a few parties. Maybe now I can be more disciplined. I still get major chocolate cravings and sneak a handful or two of chocolate chips when I'm near them. I know - I should just get rid of them - but sometimes treats need to be made for others. Or something. Anyway, here's a link to the article. I really liked it. I really like the author, too. He does a good job of advocating for a plant based diet. I watched a few of his YouTube videos and liked his style.

What do you think? Any plant fans out there besides Tracie?

2012 in Review

In the past I've posted a "review" of the year. I like it as a way of summing things up. A few years ago, though, my husband and I started a different blog specifically for the year in review. It was shared with various friends and family as a Christmas card. I know, I could just send them all here, but the truth is, I'm not sure I want all of them seeing the minutiae of my life. You guys, however, are the lucky ones! You get minutiae and my year in review!To save some time, though, I think I'll just share a link to my 2012 Year in Review post.

Christmas

We slept over at mom's last night so we could watch my nieces open gifts. They were pretty entertaining. On the way home we visited a couple friends. Finally it was time to open our gifts. I got an excalibur dehydrator. That was way exciting! Bet got some old socks turned into soap crumb holders. Yes. He loved them. He also got a new belt and some nuts. And an album of love songs. In total I spent probably less than $30 on him. I think that was what he liked best. In some ways that makes him easy to shop for and in some ways a pain to shop for. It has been a great Christmas for us both so far. Now to visit the in-laws.

Annual nativity

Here we are once again with a lot fewer children than normal. At least the adults get to participate. I dibsed piano like usual. 

Sweet potato chips

Sliced as thin as possible (#1 on my mandolin slicer) then sprinkled with salt and pepper and finally baked at 350 for 15 or so minutes. 

Christmas for Marshall

Since the brother was in town we had a but of Christmas early.