Halloween Dinner

It's a bummer that Halloween is on a Sunday this year.  That means no trick-or-treating for the May household because of a thing called "keeping the Sabbath day holy."  At least that will be our interpretation of it.  We will still pass out treats to kids that come knocking on our door.  We may even make it really fun and blast some spooky music through an open front window.  Oh, I know, we could blare some Motab music through the window to make it truly a Sabbath Day occasion.  Ha, that would be hilarious. I crack myself up.

But anyway, my kids have been asking me if we are going to do anything "fun" on Halloween.  I guess for some reason they don't want the usual Family Home Evening lesson of repentance or forgiveness or not borrowing their sister's things.  So I decided to plan something fun for dinner.  I don't usually do this because we are usually crunched for time on Halloween between the kids getting home from school, getting costumes on, eating dinner and getting to our destination for loading up on sugary treats.  But Sunday is different, we don't have the usual planned.  I'm beginning to think that this "bummer" Halloween is going to feel kind of special this year.


This is what I came up with.

For an appetizer:

Mr. Veggie Bones

For the Main Dish:

Mummy Dogs

One roll of biscuit dough will cover one 8-pack of hotdogs.

Mustard for the eyes.

For 

Dessert

Boo Jell-O Cups

3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Orange Flavor Gelatin
2 cups ice cubes
2/3 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
8 miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir 3 to 5 min. or until gelatin is thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Whisk in 1/3 cup COOL WHIP until well blended. Pour into 4 dessert dishes. REFRIGERATE 30 min. or until firm. DROP remaining COOL WHIP by spoonfuls onto desserts to resemble ghosts. Add chocolate chips for the eyes.

Reading, Writing and Sex Education

To this.

From this........

 When my children were younger I was involved in their schools doing things like teaching art, cutting, correcting papers and planning holiday parties.  I am realizing that those days are over.  In the past 2 months since school has been back in session I have dealt with more major issues than correcting an addition timed test.  I have dealt with trying to get one of my daughters to be able to take a district wide test over again.  The classroom management was poor during her test and she was unable to do her best for this reason.  This test happens to determine a few things for her as a 5th grader and I feel her testing conditions were unfair.  Then there is middle school sex education.  Yes, that topic. Well, after our then 6th grader sat through this unit in school last year she came home asking all sorts of questions.  I am not one to shy away from a good question but these questions were highly inappropriate.  I asked her why she would even be talking about these things.  Her reply was that they have a secret box where you can write any question down and the teacher will go through and read the question and answer it.  Wonderful, (not really). So now this girl of mine is in 7th grade and her health unit is starting next week. I wrote an email to her teacher letting her know that she would not be participating in this unit and what alternative assignments would she have.  When I saw the requirements for the 2 projects Emma would have during the 3-day period I was shocked.  She will only be missing class for 3 days and the kids in the class will not have any projects.  So I ask you this, is it fair for my daughter to have 2 pretty lengthy projects in place of sitting in class where the others will have nothing?  I think not!  So onward goes the emails until we reach a resolution.

To add on top of this is the recent National attention our school district has been getting over a claim that we fired a student teacher because they were gay. I think the whole thing is ridiculous.  One of my best friends is on the school board and I have seen first-hand what this has done to her.  She can't sleep at night, worrying about our schools.  She cares, which is why she is there. And it really shocks me to see that most of the people on that school board are only there for political reasons.  That is my opinion.  It seems that the schools have become this thing to manipulate for political agendas. The media twists stories to meet their own agendas and what happens is that innocent people end up getting hurt from it.

I used to think cutting and gluing was boring but I'll take it over all of this. I am seriously shocked at how involved I have to be in my child's education.  Gone are the days of our parents when they shipped us off on the bus to school with nary a thought. We need to be proactive in every way and watching what is going on.

End of rant.

Do You Care For Tea?

 Mad Hatter: "Do you care for tea?

Alice:  "Why, yes.  I'm very fond of tea."

The cooler weather has descended upon us and I start drinking tea a lot more. Three out of the five us in our family love tea. We drink it almost daily. I have discovered a new favorite that I've got to share with you.

Good Earth Original herb tea.

Man this stuff is good. You've got to try it.  I love sweets and I almost always add a tiny bit of sugar to my tea. But not this one. (well, actually I do. keep reading.) The blend of cinnamon and other spices creates this remarkable tea that is not too spicy as in "whoa, hold off on the chili powder" and it's not too sweet. I love Oregon Chai Tea. But it has become increasingly difficult to find their herbal blend. I don't have to look any further.  I plop my Good Earth tea bag in a steaming mug of hot water and let it steep for several minutes so that it gets really strong. I like strong tea. Then I add a splash of vanilla flavored coffee creamer (this has the sugar). Oh my, delish! You have created your own spicy chai tea to enjoy. It's so good and now we are going through the boxes of these like crazy because all three of us tea drinkers are having at least one mug of it a day. Each tea bag comes with a little inspirational quote to enlighten your day. Doesn't that make you feel good?

But the best part?  It's herbal!

Good Earth, I love you.

Tom Kah Gai

I love Tom Kah Gai.  I remember the first time I had this soup. My dad had just returned from his first trip to Thailand and had taken us to a Thai restaurant.  He ordered all the food and we watched in anticipation as heaping bowls of steamed rice, succulent cooked meats and crisp vegetables were placed in the middle of the table.  But first, there was the Tom Kah Gai.  It came in a large metal bowl with a burner underneath it to keep it warm. There were mushrooms floating in it. That's all I recognized.  The rest was a mystery. But when I took that first bite, I WAS IN LOVE.  The creaminess mixed with sweet and sour was a melody to my tongue. I want to eat some right now just thinking about it.  

What turned into a one-time trip turned into a yearly affair for him.  Thailand is as much a part of his life as the U.S. is. He ended up meeting a nice Thai lady where he lives in Washington and they have since married.  Having Ladda as a part of our family has been wonderful. She is loving, giving, down to earth and she knows how to COOK. So one of the first things I did when I met her was ask her to teach me how to make my favorite soup.  

First you will need a couple of stalks of lemongrass, some Thai basil and some Galangal root. Check to see if you have a Thai or Vietnamese market near you.  You will find great prices and the ingredients you want.  

 

Peel the outer layer of the lemongrass off and then cut the lemongrass into 1 inch pieces. Peel your galangal root and cut into thin pieces. Get a large pan and over a medium high heat put your 3 cans of coconut milk and 2 cans of water in.  Add your Tom Yum Paste.  

Here is what a heaping spoonful should look like more or less.  We were all laughing hysterically because it really looks like something else, huh? 

Whisk the tom yum paste and the coconut milk together until well combined. Now add your lemongrass, galangal root and your chicken. Don't freak out that the chicken is raw. It's just the way you do it.   Simmer it until chicken is done.  While the chicken is cooking cut up some mushrooms and onion.  

When the chicken is done, add them to the pot.

Cook for a few more minutes then add your Thai Basil. It's done. Wasn't that easy? 

I like eating my Tom Kah Gai with rice, Jasmine rice is my preference and the one that all Thai people eat.  So get yourself a bowl and put a heaping spoonful of steamed rice in the bottom of it.

Then ladle your soup over the top. 


Yum.




Tom Kah Gai
(Coconut Lemongrass Soup)

3 cans coconut milk

water

2 cups chopped uncooked chicken
2 stalk of lemon grass
1 3-inch piece of galangal root
Thai Basil (has purple stem)
2 heaping spoonfuls of Tom Yum Paste
2 cups sliced mushrooms

 1 small onion or half large

Pull the fiberous part off the outside of the lemongrass stalk then cut the stalk into 1 inch lengths.  Peel your galangal root and and slice into thin pieces.  Pull about 10 basil leaves off and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat add your coconut milk and Tom Yum Paste.  Whisk to combine.  Then use two of the cans and fill them with water and add to the pot.  Next, put your lemongrass, Galangal Root and Chicken and simmer until chicken is done.  When chicken is done add your sliced mushrooms and onion and cook for about four or five minutes.  Add your Thai basil at the very end and serve.  Very good served over steamed Jasmine Rice as well.

Why I blog

Through blogging I have learned that I am not a freakish sort of person.  My husband, at times, would like me to believe that I am.  I do things like starting a sentence and just stopping midway through.  Which results in him saying, "yes?" "Continue."  It frustrates him that I do this to him and to our girls.  But I have learned through blogging that I am not alone in this. 

Or there is the feeling of self-doubt that creeps up on me, making me feel that I am not as loved as others, even sending me in to a depression.  But, through reading blogs like this one, I have learned that I am unique. That just because I may not be invited to go camping with a group of friends does not mean I don't have something to offer in this world in the way of friendship.

And then there is the topic of housecleaning. Oh, I hate that word. It is something that I'm not really good at.  Always trying to be better and trying to not pass on the same dislike to my children.  Do you know how crazy it makes me to walk into all of my friend's homes and see them looking so good?  I rejoice when I see that they need to clean their toilets. How terrible is that?  But we all like to know that we are not alone.  So when I read this post from my friend Amanda I honestly understood her thoughts and smiled in the fact that I was not alone.

Our church is doing "Annie, Get Your Gun." Emma wanted to audition for it so before she did we rented the movie and watched it together. As I was watching the movie my eyes were glued to the t.v. set like I was watching a train wreck. I sat there in shock as I watched this musical glorify the cowboys killing the Indians.  Moreover, it made women look as if they had to downplay their skills in life in order to pad their man's ego.  I was a little surprised that our Stake had chosen this as a play. I took Emma to the audition anyway and while I was there a good friend tried to talk me into trying out myself. I squirmed at her invitation. How could I be part of a play that I saw as completely morally degrading and wrong?  Finally, after hesitating and making a million excuses to her I simply said what I was feeling.  I told her my thoughts and she shared with me, hers.  She later blogged about it.  I loved reading that blog. 

In short, what I'm trying to say is that blogging has helped me see that the things that I think make me different or the shortcomings I have are shared by many other people out there.  I am not a freak who suddenly stops mid-sentence.  Well, maybe I am, but I'm not the only one.  And instead of feeling bad about these things I think that we should be happy that they make us who we are. So keep on blogging all of you.  You know who you are. I love it, it helps me see my world through new eyes and to experience a feeling of relief when I find out that I'm not alone.

Opening the windows of heaven

The following was written by me last October after my stepfather passed away.  I never posted it at the time because I didn't feel like sharing it.  In reflection over the past year I decided now was a good time.

There are many things I want to say about the past couple weeks and it's difficult to know what to choose to write about. There are things that I'm feeling that I have not shared with anyone. Do I open up on the worldwide web and put it all here? I have learned about myself these past two weeks that I'm not as open a person as I thought I was. I have kept it all inside. Now, before you start worrying about me, don't. I am okay. As with any life changing event, like a death of a close family member, you tend to learn things. These things you learn can be good or bad. And the things you learn about yourself in the process are the most interesting.

I learned that I am okay with death when it is someone old. As in older than me. After having all my grandparents pass away and now my step father I can say this seems to be true. I shed many more tears over a young man in our ward who drowned in the ocean than I did over my own father's death. I barely knew this young man but I cried for weeks when it happened.

I learned that my spirit is stronger than I knew. The day after Ben died there were several times that I felt him near. I knew it but didn't say anything to my mom or Krista because I felt dumb. Felt dumb? There was no way to explain what I felt so I just didn't say anything. Plus, I didn't want to make my mom cry anymore than she already was. What I was feeling was confirmed to me that night as a good friend of my mom and Ben's said that as he neared our home he felt the spirit really strongly and knew that Ben was there. Two days after he died I had to leave and go home to Portland to get my family packed for the funeral. I felt sad, withdrawn and lonely and realized that my spirit was feeling a let down from not feeling the presence of other spirits so intently. It was an interesting experience.

I learned that I feel cheated. As I learned many different aspects of his life and saw the outpouring of love from ward members, co-workers, family and friends I felt like it wasn't fair. I saw my girls standing there at the funeral and knew that they had very few fun, positive memories of their grandpa Ben. The children in the ward loved him, he would give them candy every Sunday. They would sit on his knee and he would smile and talk with them. He didn't do that with my girls. But maybe I am the reason for that. And for that, I'm sorry. I may have changed the course of a relationship without even meaning to.

That is what I wrote a year ago. 

As for now, life is good.  Mom is doing well, she is happy and feeling fulfilled i believe.  On Tuesday night I was laying in bed and someone whispered in my ear to go to Coos Bay.  I believe it was Ben.  I haven't felt his presence since I was in Ukraine and near his family.  I went to Coos Bay and spent a couple of days with my mom. 

It's nice to know he's still watching over her.  I know she feels it as well. And I'm thankful for the things I've learned about myself. 

Each morning when the sun comes up

I've been getting up at 4:45 a.m. for 5 weeks now to go to the gym.  Does that make it a habit yet?

I am on week 5 of my Couch to 5k training program and I don't look like the lady runner above. For one thing, when I run, I think my feet are barely leaving the ground.  My husband reminded me the other day that I don't need to run, I can just jog.  I looked at him like "what's the difference?"  My jog is my run and my run is my jog.  It's all the same in my book.  I have 2 speeds.  I have my walking speed and my running speed.

She makes it look effortless, with the birds in the background it gives her an appearance of flying, that she is light as one of them birds.  I, on the other hand feel all 200 + pounds of me every time a foot hits the tread on that treadmill.  It's not easy.

And let's take a look at her attire.  If I wore something like that the people at the gym would probably assume that I was part of The Biggest Loser. We've seen what they have to wear for those weigh-ins.  They are brave. That's what I have to say about that. 

Despite the comparisons, I am feeling great about my accomplishments over the past 5 weeks.  I have done this program before but never got to the point where I could actually run 3 miles without stopping.  This time I am doing the program for distance not time and I think it is making a difference.   Earlier this week I had to run a half mile without stopping.  I had to do that three times with a 1/4 mile walk in-between.  I couldn't finish the last 1/2 mile.  It was so hard, I almost made it but my legs hurt so badly.  Today I did it again and I completed it!  I felt a lot stronger today.  I have increased my weights since I started five weeks ago as well. 

So I may not look like the runner above but we do have one thing in common; we like to run when the sun is coming up.

I hope there are others of you out there preparing for your Thanksgiving 5k.  I want to hear about it, what are you doing to get ready?  Maybe you are already ready.  Then tell me what 5k you are going to do.  And if you are not going to do a 5k, that's okay.  Just tell me what you are doing for Thanksgiving.  Where will you be spending it?

The Lower Lights

Have you heard of them?

The Lower Lights?

I just did. And it was very moving.

He says in this clip that people want to hear hymns in a way that they haven't been able to before.

That resonated with me, a whole lot.

About 7 years ago a young lady that had recently been baptized in our ward played the piano and sang a hymn in sacrament meeting.  She didn't sing it in a traditional way though.  She had changed the arrangement and her voice was smooth and sweet with an edge of bluegrass.  I got a prickly feeling on my arms listening to her.  The same feeling I got just now when I watched this video.

The Lower Lights // A Hymn Revival from The Lower Lights on Vimeo.