Well, it's been awhile

So when I look at my blog, I realize it's kind of pathetic and not really living up to what I envisioned when I began. I also realized that my "Good Books" list on the side is pretty stagnant so I took it off. I guess I have to be honest and admit that I don't really read enough to regularly update my list. So now, I'll just make an individual post when I read a really noteworthy book. Then I'll figure out how to link them together with a label for good books.

Now, my blog may morph a little to become "The Good List" for my life - something a little more specific and personal than the general perspective I set out with in mind. I think I've been limiting my posts because I wanted this to cover the good in the world and didn't want it to be like a journal. Now I think I realize that it can be, and I want it to be, a combination of both.

So here we go, with a fresh start.

Story Time

We have some awesome free community activities.
One of them is Storytime at Three Little Monkeys. But it's not just story time. They pick a theme and read books relating to the theme and then there is a craft that goes with the theme. The kids get to sit at short little tables on tiny chairs and use markers,crayons,and glue with occasional other craft accessories to create art. It's fun!

Library Movies

I love checking out DVD's from the library.
*it's free
*you can keep them for 2 weeks
*sometimes you're pleasantly surprised at how good a "this might be okay" movie really is, and it makes you want to check out other similar movies :)
Some good ones we've had lately:
Carrie's War
The Journey of Natty Gann
Jane Eyre
Love Comes Softly series (for girls and pioneer lovers like me)

Let's Be Like These Boys!

This story is by President Hinckley. It makes me want to look for opportunities like these boys had. We can make such a difference to someone else by doing small, thoughtful things!

Who in the World Would........

......put fabric softener on a trampoline?

My husband.

Okay, here's the background:
When he was single, he loved playing, adventure, fun, entertainment, entertaining, and things that use a lot of energy.

So that's why he bought a trampoline.

Said trampoline has been dormant, stored away, until a spark of memory, accompanied by adventure ignited in Dave's head. All it took was a thought, and now, we have a tramp in our back yard. He came home and set it up by himself, lickety split, with Lauren watching every move with intense curiosity.

When they were jumping, he noticed the static. It's normal right? It goes with the territory. Jumping on a tramp = staticky (sp?) hair. Especially in little girls. Most people are fine with a little static, and deal with it. Dave doesn't usually "deal" with most things. He likes to fix them or improve them.

That's where the fabric softener comes in.

It fixes static in clothes, right? (then I get a scientific explanation of the physics of static electricity and what fabric softener does to prevent it :)

I say, "You're hilarious. Static is eternal on trampolines. No way."

Dave is undaunted. The tramp was dusty from storage and needed to be sprayed off anyway. But not just with the hose - with a solution of kitchen cleaner, water, and of course, fabric softener.

Okay, I admit, it worked for about one day. Now the static is back. :D But he's not giving up ~ I was just informed that his next idea is leather conditioner. :)

Who in the World Would......

.......Put Leather Conditioner on a trampoline?

My husband.

The Elimination of Leftovers

I don't quite know how to describe the satisfaction I get from purging the fridge of leftovers!
Not just cleaning it out and throwing stuff away, but actually eating it and seeing the stash dwindle and the fridge free space increase.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about?!
Eating leftovers saves you money!
It is so efficient!
It's easy - all you need is a microwave!
I admit, there are some leftovers that never make it to the stomach, but for the most part , I am good at using them up. (Thanks to Dave packing a lunch everyday - so wonderful of him - even though sometimes it comes back home with him because he got some sort of better offer. But then.......I get to send it back with him the next day and it's already packed! And he doesn't mind!)
I would have to say that my favorite thing about leftovers is that I get to postpone going to the grocery store that much longer :). I get to postpone the mental exertion of coming up with a dinner idea for one more night!
Yay for leftovers!
(I know for a fact that Dave would not necessarily endorse this post, despite his support of leftovers. He would not cheer "Yay for leftovers", unless it were lasagne. "That", he says, "I could eat every day".)

Ramen and Crepes for Dinner

.....that's what we had.
Ramen and Crepes.
There were no vegetables in the Ramen and the crepe filling consisted of:
2 remaining strawberries in our fridge, about 1/4 c. of blackberries, some blackberry jam, and some yogurt.
We topped the crepes with powdered sugar.
That's all I could get myself to fix after an afternoon of lawn mowing (Dave) and jumping on the trampoline with Lauren until 6:30.
Dave said, "I've never been so excited about such a random meal in my life!"
It was really good! We ate a batch of crepes and then made another 1/2 batch.
Simplicity and Satisfaction.
YUM.

Quinoa

Pronounced "keen-wah"

Quinoa happens to be featured in "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" and it has a star - meaning it's extra good for you.
I can't remember exactly how I found out about it - maybe from that book, but it's a staple at our house. We love it!

Here are some quick facts:
It's actually a seed, not a grain.
Gluten Free
Low glycemic index
One of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom.
Provides all of the 8 essential amino acids.
High in iron - more than any other cereal grain.
It's as versatile as rice - cooks up light and fluffy - can be substituted for rice in any recipe.

So fluffy!

I found this brand at Costco.

You can find it at any health food store, and some grocery stores carry it.
*Cook it as a side.
*Cook it for breakfast with milk, brown sugar and some blueberries.
It's delicious and healthy ~ If you haven't tried it already, try it!

Tiny Baby Grapes, Rocks, and a little Ingenuity

Look at these tiny grapes! They are called "Champagne Grapes" and I got them from Bountiful Baskets last Saturday. They're like the size of peas and came in a little package like berries come in - just a little bigger. They were all tightly bunched together, and actually, a little hard to eat, since they're so small.
(the picture pretty much represents actual size, so go ahead and put your fingers up to the screen and imagine plucking one of them off :).

But what a little novelty! :) We got to eat tiny baby grapes! They were so sweet!

And perfect for chicken salad! About the same size as my little celery dices.

Now - about the rocks.......

I'm annoyed because no matter what I tried, I couldn't get this picture to upload right side up!
Lauren is really into rocks lately. She picks them up everywhere she goes. They don't have to be cool or pretty or unique. Just rocks.
So one day, I decided to make a daddy rock, a mommy rock and a baby rock. I drew faces. But of course, it didn't stop there. Lauren wanted a turn with the marker. They got colored all over with black squiggly lines.
It kept us busy for a while.
Hmm........Rocks. Who knew.



Now this.......

It's always nice to have a little ingenuity around.

That's where Dave comes in.

He was working from home today and got sick of hunching over his computer.

(We're concerned about posture around here).

So he got up and went straight to the garage to create this 'laptop stand'.

It took him about 30 min.

Then back to work.

He's so amazing.

Not sure what to name this one....

So, I'm usually pretty aware of my posture.
I try to concentrate on being pulled up, with a long, straight neck, shoulders back, stomach and rear in. (ballet background)
But when Lauren is sitting on my lap and voluntarily cuddling and laying into my shoulder, my posture goes out the window.
Who cares about posture!?
I want to just curl myself around her and cushion her little head against my shoulder, lay my head on her head and revel in the moment.
It doesn't get much better......
I love being a mom.

A Good Laugh

A day at the beach. A yogurt. Stylin' sunglasses.

Look! A friend!

Here's a little taste.

And a little more.

Here! Take the whole thing!

Eghhhh!

See ya later!

A bit about Lauren Kate

Loves clips - any clips - in her carseat, other carseats, her bike trailer,

and clearly, on a life jacket too.

Loves water! On the Lake. Family reunion in July.


.....She's the joy of our life.

*She loves to play "peek-a-boo". Every time we get in the car and she has her blanket with her, it takes about 5 seconds and we hear her say, "Yauren go?". She pulls her blanket over her face and waits for us to respond with, "oh no! Where's Lauren? Did we leave her at Grandma's? Is she swimming with fishies? Did she hide under the seat?, etc. etc. And then she'll pull the blanket down and say "peek-a-boo" with a big smile on her face. Then the whole thing repeats as many times as we can stand it.

*The absolute cutest phrase is "oh my goodness!" She actually says "ah my ginness" and will randomly say it on her own. We can't stand it, it's so cute.

*She loves books.

*She has started recalling and singing songs on her own:
"impsy, impsy sawber....down washed sawber out"

"jumping on bed....bonk head (sad voice) no no jumping bed"
"ABCDE"
I started teaching her "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" and it was so cute as she repeated the words with me..."at home...at sool...at pay". Now she'll sometimes say, "Jesus....beam"

*She pretends a lot. She likes to say, "wrap banket - which usually means spread blanket- and then she'll lay out all her dolls and stuffed animals out to "rest".

*She's in kind of an aggressive pushing stage right now. heh... that's tricky. I have to watch her constantly when we're with kids smaller than her. I don't know how many times I've said, "we don't push - look she/he's sad. Pushing makes people sad."
She's also really possessive. I guess that comes with being the only one at home and always having everything to yourself. But she does know the word "share" and she knows what it means. Practice is always harder than theory, right?

*She sleeps 12 hours and night and usually 2-3 hours for her nap!! I am so lucky! She is an awesome sleeper! I am so grateful!

*She remembers to say prayer before we eat! Sometimes I'll quickly get her lunch and before I've had a chance to remind her, she'll say "payr" and tuck her little hands under her chin.
And at night, when we say bed time prayers, she'll say "kneel".

*She repeats daily, "taya batized!" (Makayla, her cousin, got baptized) and then she'll say "Jesus batized! Mommy batized! Daddy batized! and even sometimes, banket batized, pillow batized" :) We remind her that only people are baptized :)

*I am so impressed with her comprehension and retention! And I am humbled and amazed at how she absorbs information like a sponge!! How crucial it is to expose her to goodness and truth every day!

My love for Asian food is growing

I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef Cookbook - Wow!

The secret is the Thai Peanut sauce, which I was a little hesitant to buy - not sure I would like it, and it would just get wasted. But I'm so glad I tried it!

It is pretty spicy, but if you have plenty of milk or water on hand, to alternate with bites, it's bearable :)

Since garden green beans are plentiful right now, I added those in the mix (and omitted the baby corn, since I don't really like it)

"Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry Salad"

2 small carrots, peeled

8 c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I actually used breasts, since I had them)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 TBSP veg. oil

1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts

1 can (15 oz.) baby corn, drained

1 med. red bell pepper

1 med. red onion

4 garlic cloves

1/3 c. Thai peanut sauce (I used peanut satay sauce- it was all I could find)

1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)

Julienne carrots (or cut them however you want) and arrange them on plates over the lettuce.

Dice chicken into 1-inch pieces and combine with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet 1-3 min. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, chop peanuts (if you have a Pampered Chef food chopper, it's handy) and set aside.

Cut baby corn in half cross-wise. Slice bell pepper into strips; cut strips in half. Slice onion in to 1/2 inch thick wedges. slice garlic (I used my garlic press)

Add vegetables to chicken in skillet. Cook until vegs. are crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in peanut sauce.

Spoon stir-fry over salad, sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

*In the future, I think I'll just add more ingredients to make it a little larger dish and add the whole jar of peanut satay sauce - you're supposed to use it within 3 days of opening. And, the sauce seemed a little sparce when I originally made it.

*Oh yeah, and I didnt' actually eat it over romaine lettuce. We used rice. We didn't have lettuce when I made it, but I definitely want to try the salad. I think it would be so good.

*And I served it with baked potstickers and those other little tubes you see are just leftover wonton wraps dipped in water and cinn/sugar, rolled up and baked.

Silver Lining

I was preparing hard for a much anticipated, promising event at my house.
I painted patches on walls - painting that should have been done months ago.

I hung curtains on 3 windows.
I cleaned and organized my kitchen, family room and laundry room.

Dave totally scoured the guest bathroom.

I hand delivered over 80 invitations to said event.

No one came.

It was a sad night.

But look how much I got done! And my house still resembles the "show ready" state it was in over 3 days ago.

That feels good. I'm over the disappointment and it makes me happy to look at my curtains and my clean kitchen.

Addictions

...maybe that's a strong word.

But as I was writing the previous post, my hand kept finding it's way to a bag of "Guittard" milk chocolate chips - the big ones - and then a bag of whole almonds.

The two together are amazing.

(btw, the choc chips are straight from the freezer, so they're cool and crunchy)

The post took awhile. I ate a lot of chocolate chips.. heh. Oh well.

It's too good to avoid!

And here's something from my front yard.

....Good Things.

Oh My Goodness - I had a chubby baby!

So I was looking back at some pictures of Lauren from Jan '09 which are still, for some reason on my memory card. And I can't believe her roundness!

I guess I was just with her all the time and didn't realize just how chubby she really was!!

No wonder my sister named her "roly poly".

She has always been a great eater and I am grateful for that!

Now I see a little girl in her, and when I see her asleep in her crib, I can't believe that's a tiny little person laying there!

What thoughts go through her head?

How much does she really comprehend?

How can I protect her pure, joyful little heart?

How many pictures and video clips will I take before I feel like her cute little face and amazing personality are captured, never to be forgotten!?

I love this little girl!

Quiet Time

It's 9:28 p.m. and Dave and our Little Cutie are fast asleep.

The Little Cutie fell asleep at Grandma's at about 6:00 tonight, slept through the transfer to the truck and the transfer to her bed and keeps on sleeping.

We had a fun fun weekend - a full one - and I'm sure she's making up for all the missed naps and late bedtimes while camping, followed by the fireworks last night.

Dave fell asleep on his knees with his head and arms on the couch. When I got up and left the room, he was stirred to consciousness and went straight to bed. I could actually be sound asleep too, but I have to take advantage of this alone time! It's so rare :)

I am so blessed.

I love my family - a lot.

I live a peaceful life.

I have good health, a sweet and hardworking husband;

and I get to be a mom!

I love little kids - they make me laugh, they teach me,

and they brighten my life.

( I was around a lot of them this weekend and it was fun)

I really am blessed.

There are fireworks exploding now, and the sun is almost gone.

I think I want to be in bed by 10:00.

I have a lot of cleaning up to do tomorrow - the house is a wreck!

Back to "real life"

Summer!

In this post, I'm including pictures from 3 different events that show how our summer got started:

One day, early in June after a heavy rainstorm, Dave took Lauren out to do some puddle jumpin' in the street.

That led to shoulder rides, running around the yard. Lauren says "shodurs" and that's all it takes ~ Dave whisks her off the ground and off they go. She LOVES her daddy.

That was a little fun springtime activity, but now Summer has officially arrived and I could not be more happy!
On Saturday, we worked for hours in the yard. Lauren loved the hose and the shovel, her swing and slide. She didn't like the idea of keeping the hose in the garden. Her pants ended up soaked all down the front. :) I couldn't be mad - it was so refreshing!
Our neighbors had set up a huge bounce house with a water slide, for a family party later that day. Of course, it attracted all the neighbor kids, including Lauren, and they were nice enough to let everyone play for awhile. That was a fun distraction......and then, she discovered the next-door neighbor's wading pool, so I stripped her down right there in the back yard and put her swimming suit on. This kept her entertained until lunch, and allowed Dave to work hard, un-interrupted. Then after lunch she crashed and slept for 3 hours!!

Dave tilled the garden and a huge spot behind our garden, which was once completely overgrown with thick weeds up to his waist. (you can see it in the picture of Dave running with Lauren) I re-hoed (sp?) all the rows around the plants and watered everything. It's so fun to see the progress and growth! We have been loving the fresh spinach and are looking forward to the beets, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers and melons.
Our yard needs a ton of work, but we are encouraged when we think of all the potential it has. It's a little overwhelming, but when we feel so much satisfaction as we knock things off the list little by little. We are so grateful to have the space.

What defines summer better than eating watermelon up in the canyon? This was the Saturday before Father's Day - an evening up the canyon with Dave's family.

I love Lauren's hair in pigtails. It's finally coming in enough to actually style it :) I do have to sneak it in sometimes when she's distracted and she always pulls it out, so I re-do it at least 5 times a day, but it's worth it I think.

I love summer mornings with the soft sunlight coming over the mountains.

I love the sound of a watermelon snapping open after the first cut.

I love seeing Lauren in her hat and sunglasses :)

I love working hard in the yard and drinking fresh cold water.

I love smoothies made from milk, ice, blueberries, bananas and our own spinach and strawberries. (Yay for the Magic Bullet!!!)

A Poem about Prayer

"The builder who first bridged Niagara's gorge,
Before he swung his cable, shore to shore,
Sent out across the gulf his ventureing kite
Bearing a slender cord for unseen hands
To grasp upon the further cliff and draw
A greater cord, and then a greater yet;
Till at last across the chasm swung
The cable - then the mighty bridge in air!

"So may we send our little timid thought
Across the void, out to God's reaching hands-
Send our love and faith to thread the deep-
Thought after thought until the little cord
Has greatened to a chain no chance can break,
And we are anchored to the infinite!"
~ Edwin Markham

It doesn't get much healthier than this.......and it's tasty :)

I found this recipe on Jan 15th 2009. I know that because it's written down in my calendar in the square for Jan. 15th. Each time I want to make this soup, I have to go dig out my calendar and flip through it until I find the upper right hand corner that has a lot of writing on it - then I see the recipe :) I made it again last week during our "winter weather" and I've officially decided it's a "keeper". So maybe I'll finally write it down on a recipe card!

GOLDEN SQUASH SOUP
1 med. butternut squash, cubed (abt 3 cups)
1 med. onion, chopped
3 med. cloves garlic
1 TBSP chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
2 3/4 c. chicken or veg. broth (plus about 2 TBSP to saute the onions & garlic)
6 oz. can coconut milk
2 TBSP fresh cilantro

Saute the onion and garlic in 2 TBSP broth, add ginger, turmeric, curry.
Add squash and broth - bring to a boil, reduce & simmer 10 min+ (to soften squash)
But in a blender - puree til smooth.
Return to pot, add coconut milk and cilantro, salt and pepper to taste - reheat.
Eat.
I know it sounds like a weird combination, but it's so good! Onions, Garlic, Ginger & Turmeric are all listed with stars (meaning they have extra special nutrient power :) in one of my favorite books, "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth".
Anything that has coconut milk in it is good - and what a great way to use up some squash! :)
Lauren even loves this soup. She asks for seconds! (which isn't a shocker - she asks for seconds of everything)

A Miracle and a Blessing

I have to take a minute and celebrate the fact that our '96 Honda Accord is still running perfectly with over 233,000 miles on it! The cruise control, A/C, power windows and locks and sunroof still work and Dave installed keyless entry and remote start for me for Christmas 4 years ago and that still works! It has been a miracle car! Every time I drive it and see the odometer I am filled with gratitude. We will drive this car until it dies. I can't wait to see how many miles we can put on it! :)

Inspiration

I am inspired.

One day my coat closet will resemble this:

The closet now:

I'm really embarassed to admit ownership of this closet, but hopefully now that it's public, I will be more motivated to reach my desired end.
You all understand. It's just one of those things you deal with every day, vowing that one day you'll get organized and make it look better.

Sometimes I do take the time to organize the shoes, but today I just got sick of them laying all over the house and I was sweeping and vacuuming so I threw them all in. It's a good catch-all place that is hidden by a closed door :)

That baby bouncy chair you see? That broke when my husband let our almost 30 lb toddler sit in it. Somehow it ended up here! What? Why?!

And the strand of christmas lights........they've been there since before we moved in. I think the previous owner left them.

Okay, so I've really put myself out there, admitting laziness and procrastination. Watch for an update. :) I can only take the humiliation for so long.

(not to mention the unsightly clutter!)

A Few Things

~Oatmeal with apples and blueberries

~Lauren on my lap reading stories

~Freschetta Pizza

~Natural gas - under $1.00/gallon

~Tasteful, decorative toilet brush holders - YES! I finally found one. (one of my worst pet peeves: gross, disgusting used toilet brushes floating around with no really good place to store them!)

~Two hours to myself to browse the library, uninterrupted; and then Target, until closing! (where I found the toilet brush holder) Bliss!

~My wonderful husband who allowed the above mentioned 2 hours and bathed Lauren and put her to bed! :D

~Cold milk when you're really thirsty

~Strawberries and kiwis

~A new haircut and fresh color. Yay! Finally!

~Lauren's vocabulary and love of books.

~Flip flops

~Salmon and quinoa

~A family night together getting ice cream and then browsing children's books at Barnes&Noble.

Summer Dresses - no onsie - no undershirt - no tights. THAT means warm weather!

On Saturday, we went to Dave's nephew's wedding and the day was gorgeous! Lauren was in Heaven (literally?..) running around on the grass, free and easy in her cute pink dress. I actually pulled out the sunscreen! It was a great day.
Some really good advice was given to the new couple during the ceremony:
"Love at it's root is a decision" It's not just a deep, passionate feeling that transcends all conflict and frustration :D It's a choice.
I liked that.

A Toddler with Burnt Fingers is NOT a good thing

Obviously, allowing your little cutie to burn their soft fingers is not a good thing.

So, it follows, that it's good advice to avoid it at all costs!! (this is of course, clear to most of you who are reading )
DON'T LET YOUR CHILD BURN THEIR HANDS unless you want to spend your afternoon holding them with their hand in a cup of cool water, which apparently is the only way to relieve the pain.

Can they take a nap with their hand in a cup of water? No.
Can they play on their own with their hand in a cup of water? No.
Can you clean your house, make the dessert mentioned in a previous post, in addition to a double batch of home-made rolls, do dishes, water plants, vacuum, take a shower, do your hair, set up tables and chairs, set the table, place centerpieces, all while letting your sick husband rest with your child's hand in a cup of water? NO!

Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad. But it did throw a wrench in our schedule, and Lauren did not have a nap, and she was sad and had a hard day :(
It all started so innocently - she was having a blast riding around on the "trAter" with daddy while he mowed the lawn. Then, she got down and curiously reached out to touch the searing hot grill covering the engine. :( I feel guilty talking about it. Poor Thing!
She's fine now, thank goodness, but is it possible to VOW never to let it happen AGAIN?!!!!

Mother's Day Desserts

These almost look better than they tasted :D

I made the trifle, and my sister made the "tart". They both drew out gasps and groans of delightful anticipation from our brothers, but we had to have a photo shoot before we dug in :).

The trifle involved making lemon custard from scratch (have you ever tried to pass egg yolks through a mesh metal strainer?), a lemon pound cake from scratch, berry syrup from scratch and whipping the cream. I'm surprised my fingernails survived all the grating for "lemon zest"!

And I think the recipe used a pound and a half of butter and like 12 eggs (I did double the cake recipe), not to mention a whole quart of cream :D YUM!

It was a lot of work, and maybe the 5 minutes it took to clear my plate of 5,000+ calories wasn't really worth it, but it was quite satisfying to put it all together and stare at it for awhile :) And how many calories in the tart????? Smooth rich cream, chocolate and raspberries.....YUM! Who really cares. We don't eat like this every day.

These were dang good desserts! And fun subject matter for pictures! (I think the tart was a 'Pampered Chef" recipe and the trifle came from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/)

THANK YOU to our WONDERFUL mom, who is more than deserving, and graciously appreciative of our efforts; and who taught us how to cook! (lest the focus of Mother's Day becomes the dessert and not the mom ~ oops. Sorry mom :)

Priorities

A good thought by Julie B. Beck from our regional conference today:

"When our priorities are out of order, we lose power."

Purposeful Pitter-Patter

I love listening to Lauren's little bare feet run along the hardwood floor in the hall from our room to hers.
She's usually running to get another book from her shelf so she can bring it in and plop on the floor with it while I do my hair.
Then, when she has flipped through one book and vocally acknowledged the kitty's, the balls, the daddy's, the ducks, the puppy's, the "bishy's" and the stars, she'll get up and run down the hall again for a new one.
I love the purpose in her pace and the intent look on her face. What a joy to see the application of a smart, healthy developing little brain!
And if we could all approach each daily task with the same amount of enthusiasm!..........

Sunshine!! Spring!!! Warmth!!!!!!!!!

I don't use the word hate very often.

I used it on my mission when referring to the numerous, ever-present, barking, disease-ridden, hairless, 4-legged animals that so many people love. (One bit me, completely unprovoked!)

(but now I try not to say it because Lauren loves them and I do recognize they can be good pets......)

And I use it when referring to being cold.

I hate being cold.

Dave tells me I have reached a professional level of whining on the subject - that I could market my whine for voice-over work. I guess I shouldn't be proud of it, but it's true. I would rather be miserably hot than cold.

So, these last two days have been HEAVENLY!! I think we all agree.

Here are the good things about the last two days:

• Flip flops
• Picnics two days in a row
• Getting flowers at 1/2 off and planting them!
• Using my little green watering can
• Capris
• Wearing just a t-shirt!
• Digging in rich, dark soil
• Being outside with Lauren when Dave came home from work
• Breaking out the sunscreen and Lauren's hat
• Blossoms on trees
• Feeling the sun on my back
• Playing at the park

YAY FOR WARM WEATHER!!!

Granola

I love Granola. I love it plain by the handfuls, on yogurt, or with milk. I love it! I love nutty crunchy things. But the issue with granola is that it usually has a lot of oil in it.....aka: a lot of fat.

Here's a recipe that I found in a "Martha Stewart Living" magazine.

It uses olive oil instead of vegetable oil. So at least it's a healthy fat ;)

Then there are walnuts, which are a great source of Omega 3's.

And unsweetened coconut flakes - another good fat.

And the unique flavor of nutmeg.

I admit that at first, I thought it tasted strange with the olive oil and nutmeg, but now I'm hooked. Try it!!

MAPLE GRANOLA

from Martha Stewart Living

3 c. rolled oats (I like old fashioned)

1 c. dried unsweetened coconut chips (usually found at a health food store)

1 c. pecans or walnuts

1/2 c. pure maple syrup (I just used honey)

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix everything together (all dry ingredients first) then spread on a cookie sheet.

Bake, stirring every 10 min for about 40 min. ( I usually do less than that - just watch it closely)

Take it out when the edges start to brown slightly - the coconut looks slightly toasted.

It will be soft, but as it cools, it will crisp up.

*I also like to add flax seeds - you'll for sure chew a few of them and get some more omega 3's.

YUM!!