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| String of Pearls |
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| Norfolk Island Pine - can become quite large; super soft needles |
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| Velvet Leaf Philodendron - vine-like; soft, velvety leaves |
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| Bromeliad/Guzmania |
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
My Favorite House Plants
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Awesome Tip from Ina Garten
No more brining! And always-moist meat!
Ina was on NPR today, and one of the tips she gave was to salt your meat when you first buy it, before you freeze it. It has the same effect as brining, w/o the effort! Ingenious!!
Ina was on NPR today, and one of the tips she gave was to salt your meat when you first buy it, before you freeze it. It has the same effect as brining, w/o the effort! Ingenious!!
So sad, so funny
Jason doesn't like it when I'm on the other side of the see-through baby gate. So he used to cry and smash his face up against the gate. I think it may have also been soothing for him to gnaw on the bottom of it at the same time. I died laughing every time.
Who knows why some things are funny to babies...
Jason used to laugh so hard when I'd put my chin under his chin. I have a video of it, but just so people don't get tired of seeing a million videos of Jason laughing, I'll refrain. I also have one of me holding his hands and pretending to punch me. He'd laugh and laugh and laugh. But this is not that video either.
We usually had to sneak the camera in so he wouldn't see us and stop being cute. (Please excuse the messy room.)
We usually had to sneak the camera in so he wouldn't see us and stop being cute. (Please excuse the messy room.)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Laughs
He laughs through most of this video, but don't feel like you have to watch all of it - you'll get the gist of it pretty soon into it.
Morning Stretch
Jason is always so cute in the morning. This is a video of his morning cuteness from way back when we swaddled him and he didn't get out of it w/in seconds.
Bang for your buck: 1:30 (min:sec)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Smiles
I think most people would rather see pictures than watch videos, but I'm posting some anyway.
For the most bang for your buck, just watch the beginning (about 20 seconds worth).
For the most bang for your buck, just watch the beginning (about 20 seconds worth).
Friday, November 12, 2010
"Yummy Veggies" shortcuts
1. Asparagus: plain rock salt is just as tasty.
2. Green beans: I usually use canned garlic paste (I have a huge jar of it that will last me through the millenium probably), instead of mincing a fresh clove. And I always use lemon juice concentrate (another large bottle). I don't think I've even once bought a real lemon. If gourmet chefs ever read this, they'd probably have me executed. So let's just keep it on the DL.
2. Green beans: I usually use canned garlic paste (I have a huge jar of it that will last me through the millenium probably), instead of mincing a fresh clove. And I always use lemon juice concentrate (another large bottle). I don't think I've even once bought a real lemon. If gourmet chefs ever read this, they'd probably have me executed. So let's just keep it on the DL.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Almost Vegetarian
Well, sort of. I still eat slices of genoa salami as a snack, still believe in the goodness of fish, can't live w/o cream, milk, cheese, or ice cream, and ate a hot dog today. :)
A former coworker of mine, Heidi Hunsaker, read a book called "The China Study" and would tell me all the stuff she was learning from it. It's about how the Chinese don't really eat a lot of meat or animal products and how much healthier they are than Americans. So many animal products in America are subsidized by the government that we're really lead to believe claims like, 'Milk is the best way to get calcium'.
All that info has been stewing in my brain for a year or so, and for a while, I weighed how much meat I used to make dinner and then cut back a little at a time. Then I started making Dave regular-size portions of meat and giving myself half-size portions. Then, my mother-in-law went to a class by a guy who, because of underterminable deteriorating health, tried implementing the life-style change that "The China Study" advocates... and it worked. He now has his own book out called "Original Fast Foods". I'm not exactly sure how the two books compare, but I think "The China Study" has more research and scientific info.
This has lead me to give it a try. I don't usually eat meat for dinner, now. And I'm surprised that it's not as hard as I thought it'd be. I eat a lot more vegetables, too, to make up for it. I try to put as many vegetables as I can (or as seem fitting) into dinner meals.
Soap box time: Before my friend Heidi even started telling me about this book, I had been wondering about the Word of Wisdom's council to eat meat sparingly, only in times of winter or famine. And I really think that it means sparingly. Who woulda thought that the scriptures actually mean what they say!
Anywho, take it or leave it. Just another update of what I'm doing these days.
A former coworker of mine, Heidi Hunsaker, read a book called "The China Study" and would tell me all the stuff she was learning from it. It's about how the Chinese don't really eat a lot of meat or animal products and how much healthier they are than Americans. So many animal products in America are subsidized by the government that we're really lead to believe claims like, 'Milk is the best way to get calcium'.
All that info has been stewing in my brain for a year or so, and for a while, I weighed how much meat I used to make dinner and then cut back a little at a time. Then I started making Dave regular-size portions of meat and giving myself half-size portions. Then, my mother-in-law went to a class by a guy who, because of underterminable deteriorating health, tried implementing the life-style change that "The China Study" advocates... and it worked. He now has his own book out called "Original Fast Foods". I'm not exactly sure how the two books compare, but I think "The China Study" has more research and scientific info.
This has lead me to give it a try. I don't usually eat meat for dinner, now. And I'm surprised that it's not as hard as I thought it'd be. I eat a lot more vegetables, too, to make up for it. I try to put as many vegetables as I can (or as seem fitting) into dinner meals.
Soap box time: Before my friend Heidi even started telling me about this book, I had been wondering about the Word of Wisdom's council to eat meat sparingly, only in times of winter or famine. And I really think that it means sparingly. Who woulda thought that the scriptures actually mean what they say!
Anywho, take it or leave it. Just another update of what I'm doing these days.
Fresh Ginger Tip
Great tips from Steamy Kitchen on what to do w/ fresh ginger.
1. Don't peel
2. Grate using a microplane zester
3. On plastic wrap, form zested ginger into thin rolls/logs
4. Wrap up like candy, tying or knotting ends
5. Freeze!
6. When you need some fresh ginger, simply break off a chunk :)
1. Don't peel
2. Grate using a microplane zester
3. On plastic wrap, form zested ginger into thin rolls/logs
4. Wrap up like candy, tying or knotting ends
5. Freeze!
6. When you need some fresh ginger, simply break off a chunk :)
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