Monday, November 24, 2008

From Shenpa Warrior

My little brother has really grown up to be someone I admire, I'm reminded of how wise he is by a recent post on his blog.

Shenpa Warrior

He quotes Spencer W. Kimball:
Jesus saw sin as wrong but also was able to see sin as springing from deep and unmet needs on the part of the sinner. This permitted him to condemn the sin without condemning the individual. We can show forth our love for others even when we are called upon to correct them. We need to be able to look deeply enough into the lives of others to see the basic causes for their failures and shortcomings.

I had an experience a few years ago that forever changed my views on repentance, which goes along nicely with what Adam said- repentance isn't about being punished for our sins. It's about being able to move past the things we do that halt our personal growth.

It's not a crime and punishment sort of thing. I don't think God's laws work that way. It's about healing and growth so that we can become happy, fulfilled people.

I really like the Kimball quote because THAT is exactly why we don't judge other people. If someone is struggling in some way, instead of looking at them and saying, "well, I need to stay away from them, they're doing bad things", we say, "how can I help this person get through this challenge".

Jesus taught us to love, not judge.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Pizza Crust Update


Tiffany posted a link to this pizza crust recipe awhile back, and I finally got around to trying it. I highly recommend it. My Mister thought the dough smelled way to garlic-y but we both thought it was really good crust. If you're making dessert pizza leave out the garlic and herbs. We topped our pizza with sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and fresh spinach (we usually use tomatoes and olives also but we're out of those). I almost missed taking a picture because the kids were eating it up so fast. I might have to buy another pizza stone one of these days.

Cooks.com

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm water (110
degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour I used whole wheat, but you could also do 1/2 of each
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine water, olive oil, sugar, salt in pan of bread machine Add flour, then sprinkle garlic on flour. Lastly add yeast.
2. Turn machine on dough cycle. As the dough mixes, sprinkle on oregano and basil until it suits you for color and taste. Let mix for about 15 to 30 minutes. Let the dough rest from 5 to 30 minutes. The longer it rests, the thicker and more tasty the crust. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Spray a large pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough on pan and add your choice of pizza toppings. I toss the dough to mostly get it shaped, put it on my hot pizza stone and hurry and mush the rest of the edges the fill the stone- hot pizza stones make a big difference in the crispy-ness of the crust- then add my toppings.
4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Last night for dinner I made chicken noodle soup. From leftover chicken from a dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ, but you could also make it with any other chicken you have (it works really well to use the leftovers from those roasted chickens you can buy at the grocery store- two meals for the price of one). I put the whole pieces of cooked chicken in a pot with water, added two stalks of celery and two carrots, chopped, and 1/2 an onion also chopped. I simmered it until dinner time, then removed the chicken, picked the remaining meat off the bones, put the meat back in and discarded the bones, added a little more water, some salt and pepper, and 2 bouillon cubes, and homemade egg noodles.

It was really good, and I thought I'd share the noodle recipe, it was really easier, and much better than adding store bought noodles to a soup.

This recipe is from Cooks.com, I cut the recipe in half and it was still plenty of noodles for the soup. They fatten up quite a bit, so roll them as thin as you can.

2 c. flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
Make hollow in 2 cups flour. Put eggs in. Add salt. Stir until well mixed. If not rollable add flour until it rolls easy. If too dry add a little oil or water. Let dry and cut.

I cut them and immediately put them in the soup.

Friday, November 21, 2008

10%

Buy Local Week starts next saturday, November 29th and runs through December 6th. Local First, a non profit organization supporting local businesses suggests shifting just 10% of your purchases to locally owned stores. That 10% can make a huge difference in our local economies.

Why is shopping local so important?

From the Local First website:
Locally owned, independent businesses reflect the character of our communities. Owners of local businesses live here. They are our neighbors. Their products and services support and sustain the needs of our residents, and they play a vital role in our social networks. In fact, local businesses mirror who we are and what we value as a community. They help to create a sense of place. Emerging research demonstrates that local and independent businesses generate more than three times the return to our local economies than do national chain stores. This is because business owners typically purchase support services (marketing, accounting, legal, design) from local firms and are often better employers, who pay living wages and offer benefits. Additionally, profits from local businesses tend to stay in our communities. Local businesses offer the greatest opportunities for jobs, innovation, and other community contributions, which improve the quality of life for local residents. Over the last several years, global trends and market forces have resulted in consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions in many business sectors. Growth among mass merchandisers, internet retailers, and big-box stores, ultimately reduces the selection and diversity of products and services available in our communities. With such intense competition, the market share of goods and services sold by local and independent businesses has eroded, in some cases, dramatically. Many communities and countless urban and rural main streets that only a few short years ago featured thriving local- business districts are now in decline. The result is less choice for consumers, a growing sameness of design, of products, and of services, less opportunity for innovation, fewer living-wage scale jobs and reduced reinvestment back into our community. Decaying main streets and homogenized neighborhood commercial zones are blighting many communities and taxpayers struggle to reclaim the vitality and the culture that these businesses helped to support.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Shop Local

This past Saturday my Mister and I did a little shopping. We needed some tools, so we went to Ace Hardware in North Salt Lake. They had just about everything we needed, and what they didn't have, they ordered for us, no extra charge. Plus, they gave us the online price on one tool, which saved us nearly $10 on it.

In talking to one of the owners, we learned that sales are down $50,000 this month compared to the same time last year. Partly the economy, people just aren't spending as much (which is a good thing, IMO) but largly because of Lowes. I've been to lowes, but when I think about what kind of community I want to live in, I picture small, locally owned stores where people know what they're selling.

Next time you need something for a home improvement project, or a kitchen item (they have an impressive selection of kitchen tools), or if you want to take a class on decorating or cooking, check out Ace before you try a big box store. Support our community.

(I also have to add, that I saw a special brownie pan that makes every piece an edge- I've said for years that there ought to be one, and now there is. I almost bought it (two actually), maybe next time.)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Edible (Delicious) Asparagus

I've never been a huge fan of asparagus, I thought it was okay, but never sought it out to cook it myself. Recently, I've been buying one "unusual" fruit or vegetable each week or so to help my kids appreciate a wider range of foods. I don't want them growing up thinking that peas, corn, and broccoli are the main sources of vegetables, or that the only way to eat them is out of a can or a freezer bag.

We've tried pomegranates (big hit), artichokes (bigger hit, which makes me happy because I love them but my Mister is lukewarm about them, now I have two more fans), kiwi, and last week, asparagus.

My mother loves asparagus, and would feed it to us at least a couple of times a year. The best I ever ate as a child was fresh picked and uncooked from my great-grandparents' ranch.

This asparagus was nice and slender (the best way to get it).

Here's the recipe (as much as you can call this a recipe):

Melt a chunk of butter in a sautee pan. Add sliced mushrooms and onions (this is essential, I tried again without the shrooms or onions and it was not the same) and garlic. Saute until mushrooms shrink a bit and onions have turned translucent. Remove from pan (keep the butter). Add more butter if necessary, add asparagus (with the bendy parts snapped off the bottom) and saute lightly, add a little water, cover and steam for a few minutes until the asparagus starts to darken a bit. Salt to taste.

Enjoy.

You can either put the mushrooms and onions back on top of the asparagus, or you can use them in something else. I was making stroganoff that evening which was why I just happened to have a pan of buttery mushroom and onion juice that I thought, hey, I could cook the asparagus in that.

Happy accident.

We'll be planting asparagus in our garden next spring.

(photo credit),

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Change comes slowly, but it does come

Elder Wickman: If you have some legally sanctioned relationship with the bundle of legal rights traditionally belonging to marriage and governing authority has slapped a label on it, whether it is civil union or domestic partnership or whatever label it’s given, it is nonetheless tantamount to marriage. That is something to which our doctrine simply requires us to speak out and say, “That is not right. That’s not appropriate.”

I can't find a date on that interview, but I know it has been around for at least a year, probably more than that.

On November 5th:Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.

From the November 11th Tribune: Just last week, Elder L. Whitney Clayton stated the LDS Church does not oppose 'civil union or domestic partnerships

I haven't been able to find a transcript where Elder Clayton stated that, so I wonder if that is an exact quote, or if it is an interpretation of the previous paragraph I quoted which talks about rights for same sex couples that the church doesn't oppose. Either way, the church seems to be softening it's stance.

Edit: Here's a link to the Des. News article: He said in general, the church "does not oppose civil unions or domestic partnerships," that involve benefits like health insurance and property rights. That stand was outlined in a statement the church posted on its Web site earlier in the campaign.

I'm glad to see that Equality Utah wants to find common ground rather than point fingers. Even though they as a group have to be feeling discriminated against, they are taking the high road, which I appreciate. Stephanie Pappas stated: While we disagree with the LDS Church's position on Proposition 8, we respect that their position is based on the guiding principles of their faith.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Be Prepared

My Mister built some great shelves under the stairs to store some of our food storage- previously it was sitting in boxes in the garage. Who knew we had so much?

I took a bunch of pictures as the project progressed last saturday, but the pictures have all somehow disappeared, so this is what you get.


He also wired a phone from the "all things wirey" box (he calls it his "SMC" or Structured Media Center) so that if the power goes out we still have a working phone.

Friday, November 07, 2008

My Mom is Awesome

Who knew she had a bit of snarky-ness in 'er.

(well, I knew, I just don't see it often)

Letter to the Davis County Clipper

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Emotions from the SL Tribune

Amusement (with a pardon to my Mister)

From the comments on this editorial:
Utah is no longer the reddest state in the Union; that honor now goes to, I believe, Idaho (whose new state slogan is "Utah's Slow Cousin To The North").

Disgust

Letter to the Editor

Overheard on the FrontRunner commuter train the day before Halloween: "There are so many non-LDS in our neighborhood - in fact, we're the minority - that our ward decided to sponsor a trunk-or-treat."
Would someone please give me the scripture reference where Jesus teaches fear and intolerance?


and finally....

HA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA

link

"As he tries to bring us closer to socialism," Chaffetz warned, "I will be a strong voice in opposition."

Congratulations to My Mister

Congratulations on running a clean campaign, and working so hard. Congratulations on the 3742 people who believed in your honesty, dedication, and desire to make a difference.

I am so proud that you were willing to step up, and get involved.

I love you Mister.

(I'll also add a congratulations and thank you to Becky Edwards. It has been a pleasure, where so many campaigns get nasty, you were above that, which I think says good things about you.)

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Impressionable Minds

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. My impressionable mind has now decided that I want to grow asparagus, even though I don't particularly love it (it's okay). I ought to learn to love it, because I love the idea of asparagus ferns poking their way up through the soil heralding the first edible of spring.

I also want to experiment with cheese making.

(And I'd like to have more chickens and turkeys, and maybe milk goats (drat my milk issues))

My dream home is turning more and more into a farm. My Mister says we were born in the wrong century. Unfortunately, had I been born in an earlier century, I'd have been condemned to an insane asylum or at least a life confined to my home because of the big strawberry hemangioma that I was born with on my forehead. I'll take this century (and plastic surgery and indoor plumbing). I'd still like the farm.