3

I got tagged by Becca, so here it goes...

Post these rules on your blog: List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 regrets, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 facts about yourself. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

3 Joys
-playing in the dirt
-the smell of good things baking in the oven
-being with my family

3 Fears
-phone calls (I hate talking on the phone!)
-having a child or my Mister die
-that kids at school will be mean to my kids

3 Goals
-learn about taking better pictures
-finish crocheting the blanket I'm working on
-finish/start CP's baby book

3 Regrets
-kissing one of the boys I kissed in college, and dodging two others
-not treating some people the way that I should have
-trading in our passat for the van when we did (at the time we didn't see another option, but I miss that car)

3 Obsessions/Collections
-food storage
-getting rid of stuff we don't need
-buying (or looking for stuff to buy) on ksl classifieds and ebay (which doesn't match up well with trying to declutter)

3 Facts about Myself
-my first kiss was as a toddler at hogle zoo- a giraffe leaned over and licked me
-i make terrible pie crust, but am trying to improve
-i love watching movies and eating popcorn from the comfort of my own bed

I tag Criscell, Kari and Emily S.

What I like

I like nice dirt.

I didn't realize how much I like digging in nice dirt until this morning as I buried several hundred bulbs in the new flower bed that was my birthday present (thank you to parents, grandparents, and in-laws who gave me money for my birthday!).

Saturday my Mister dug out the front flower bed. It was filled with gravel and clay. We brought home several plants and a truck load of soil/compost, but didn't have enough to fill the bed, so yesterday my Mister got another load of topsoil. We got all the plants planted and the bulbs placed, then it was time for dinner, and the mosquitoes were out so we didn't make it back out.

This morning, I walked A to preschool, put CP down for a nap and got to work. I buried all the bulbs (crocus, daffodils, tulips, and freesia), the dirt was nice dirt. Soil. Black with a nice earthy smell. That's what soil is supposed to be like, I had almost forgotten what real soil was after a summer of trying to work with the slimy clay stuff found naturally around my yard. Then I mounded the beds to create a ledge around the edges to hold the bark in. Then I covered the whole thing with bark mulch. I'm excited for spring when I can plant some of the perennials that I'm going to grow indoors from seed this winter.

I like Fall. The air is cool, and inside the house, it's cool enough to really need your blankets in the morning. Outside everything feels crisp. I think last spring someone asked me what my favorite season is and I said spring, because everything is new and alive after a long cold winter, but right now I love fall the best. I'm tempted to haul in leaves to dump in my front yard. It's the only thing I don't like about my new house- the trees are babies. I miss our big old trees that dumped huge piles of leaves for the kids to jump in, and to use as a winter mulch in the garden beds.

I like the smell of good things baking in the oven. (I saw a picture of a carrot cake yesterday and had to make one- now I just have to decide if I should do a quick frosting job so we can eat it sooner- or if I should make little carrots with leaves for each piece.... The dilemma I tell you... If only I could upload smells, it's a good one.

I like rows of newly canned fruits or vegetables lined up on the shelf.
I love the colors of fall and pulling out my "fall" decorations. Home starts to feel a little more homey (just wait for the christmas decorations- those are the best!). I like my front door. Stop by sometime.

If you were wondering, after my last post. I found a cure (temporary or not, we'll have to see) for the spending bug. Being content with what I have (and getting some dirt and/or cake batter under my nails doesn't hurt either).

The Spending Bug

Sometimes when I'm disappointed about something, or bored, or for any other unknown reason, I get the urge to spend money. My preferences are ebay, ksl classifieds, and shade clothing.

I'm doing really well sticking to my budget so I can save up for a new washing machine (mine is still dying slowly), then save for a new car (we're looking at a Rav4 in 4 years, unless something better comes along). The long-term things I'd like to save for are somewhat helpful to avoid online shopping binges, but don't get rid of them altogether.

Currently I'd like to buy some bulk legos on ebay for the kids for christmas, and some wood working tools for A for his birthday or christmas, a bike from ksl classifieds for J, plus the Kiva micro loans are a little addicting, so it's not like I'm wanting to spend money on wasteful things. I guess when I can get those things they'll be even more meaningful.

How do you avoid online shopping binges?

Kiva Microloans

If you are interested in donating, make sure to join the Feminist Mormon Housewives team first, so your donation counts on their total donations.

Happy Birthday to me!

A birthday card from my brother... Rather fitting considering my birthday always came first! hehehe.

Break the bottled water habit...

We have some water bottles that we use in our food storage- and then rotate by using while camping (we recycle the bottles), but other than that, we use reusable bottles or just cups for drinking water around the house. I like things that are environmentally friendly and financially friendly at the same time!

A cool website if you have kids...

A loves "building" things- so we're thinking for christmas we'll get him some real tools and wooden building kits- while searching for things I stumbled across This Montessori website.

I love this hand drill.

Recipe

Yesterday my sister in law called wanting my vegetarian lasagna recipe. She and her husband are trying to cut down on the amount of meat they eat.

Last night it was 5pm and I hadn't figured out what to make for dinner yet, and I had to leave at 6:30. It was time for a throw-it-together dinner using things from my food storage, and it just happens to sort of be vegetarian- you can make it totally vegetarian by using vegetable soup base. But if you're just looking to cut down on the amount of meat you are eating, then this is pretty tasty.

All canned foods should be added with their liquid- don't drain them first.

1 can tomatoes (chopped or just mush them up with a wooden spoon)
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
3/4 C or so lentils
1 TBSP or so of Beef Base (I think it's the same as using bullion- but I use the kind from costco that you keep in the fridge once it's open, because it's MSG free and I think it tastes better.
Garlic, salt and pepper to taste
Water if it cooks down too thick

Simmer until lentils are soft.

The lentils would probably be better if they were soaked overnight first- I simmered my soup for 45 minutes or so, and the lentils were a little on the crunchy side.

I think it would also be good with a little fresh spinach tossed in at the end.

Feeds 1 Mister, one me, three small kids who thought I was trying to poison them so they didn't eat much (I wasn't here when they were eating but I'm guessing that quite a bit was left in their bowls), and enough leftover for my lunch today. I recommend serving with some warm bread or rolls (if you plan ahead).

Variation: Tonight I am making the lentil soup again (maybe if I feed it to them often enough, my kids will start to like it?). I ran out of beef base, and instead added cumin. I also added garbanzo beans. I'll have to report back on how it compares to the previous soup.

Tonight I planned ahead and made rolls (and I soaked the lentils overnight). The rolls are a recipe I got from Becca. They're fast and easy, and you can put garlic salt and cheese on top and shape them like breadsticks to go with a pasta dish.

Sixty Minute Rolls
1 C Milk
1/2 C Water
1/4 C Margarine
4-5 C Flour
3 T Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 1/2 tsp Yeast

Combine milk, water and margarine & heat to warm (butter does not need to be totally melted). Add 3 C flour, sugar and yeast. Mix. Add salt and remaining flour until you have a good texture. Knead lightly. Cover and raise for 15 minutes. Shape as desired, raise for 15 minutes (on greased bun pan). Bake for 12 minutes at 425 F.

(Photo Source Germes-online)

Happy Birthday to ME!

Last night I arrived home from the young women's activity that I was helping with to discover my sweet Mister had build me a compost bin. A BIG compost bin.

I was using a ring of chicken wire, but taja dog kept pushing the chicken wire over and digging in the pile. My Mister smuggled 4 pallets home without me noticing and bought a latch and two hinges at the hardware store. The front opens to the side to make turning and harvesting compost much easier.

It's an awesome compost bin.

If you have any spare leaves this fall, or bags of grass clippings let me know, I have plenty of space.

My sad news this morning was finding Mario (our only hen of the original 4 chicks we bought from the feed store this past spring) dead in the hen house. She seemed fine yesterday, so we don't know why she died. I'm especially sad because she had just started laying the cutest light blue eggs.

Hey, I know her!

My college roommate Charlotte was on 20/20 this past friday, talking about an eating disorder that has been labeled Orthorexia. Charlotte talks about her experience with the film crew Here. And you can watch the 20/20 clips Here.

Vrroom Vrroom!

CP says "Vroom Vroom" from Alice Roberts on Vimeo.

I haven't figured out how to edit the video clip, so you get the whole thing (including some light saber wars!)

Friday Movie Recommendations

Earlier in the week we rented Miss Potter (Rated PG). When it came from netflix in the mail, I kind of regretted renting it because it had "animation" throughout the movie and I pictured something very childish.

From Netflix...

Blending lush animation sequences with live-action drama, director Chris Noonan constructs this biopic about the personal life of beloved children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Featuring the Academy Award-winning Renee Zellweger as the title character and co-starring Emily Watson and Ewan McGregor, the film traces Potter's private life as well as her contributions to literature such as the timeless "Tale of Peter Rabbit."

I Say: I loved it. I shouldn't have worried about the animated sequences, they fit into the movie very nicely. It was sweet and funny, and made me cry a little.

My Mister's Says: "I liked it, it was okay!"

The second movie I'm reviewing today is one of my new favorites. It is a BBC period drama based on a book by Elizabeth Gaskell. North and South(Not Rated) (the link is an amazon link, so scroll down to read the reviews).

From Netflix (although we loved this move so much that we bought it):

When her father uproots his family from their serene rural burg for an industrial mill town, parson's daughter Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) struggles to adapt to her harsh new surroundings in this BBC series based on Elizabeth Gaskell's novel. As her mother's health fails, Margaret throws herself into the fight for workers' rights and clashes with mill owner John Thornton (Richard Armitage). Sinead Cusack and Tim Pigott-Smith co-star.

I Say: Everything about this movie is well done, I've searched for the soundtrack, but it hasn't been released. The cinematography is beautiful. The only downside to this movie is that it is four hours long, and you can't watch it all in one sitting (unless you have a lot more free time than I do).

My Mister Says: "I like North and South a lot".

FYI

Read this and let me know what you think. It makes me wonder how people can read things from church leaders and come away with such extreme interpretations. I suppose they think I'm too loose in my interpretations...

The Rights of an Embryo

Enjoy.

What are your thoughts about birth control and the church?