After nearly 10 years, I think I have finally found the key to a happy marriage.
Note: this is not to mean that our marriage hasn't been a happy one for the past 10 years. Just hear me out, okay?
And the best part was that Wade has been telling me this key for a lot of those years.
So what is this magical key?
Laundry.
Yes, laundry.
You see, I despise laundry. I hate it with every fiber of my being. I hate having to gather it and sort it and put it in the washer and then move it to the dryer and then remember to get it out before it wrinkles and then fold it and I ESPECIALLY hate putting it away.
And so with most things that I despised to the extent I do laundry, I would put it off. I had no problem with not doing laundry for an entire week because I wore the same uniform every day--a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Sometimes, the same pair of jeans for a few days in a row. I could go WEEKS without doing laundry.
But Wade, who actually mingles with people outside of the home on a daily basis for hours on end, could not go weeks without doing laundry. And this issue was becoming a sore spot in our marriage.
(I mean sore as in toilet-seat-up-or-down sore. It certainly wasn't going to lead us to the courthouse to have our union dissolved or anything. (At least I don't think it was)).
So the issue was that the laundry piles would be overflowing and I wouldn't do anything about it and then I'd feel guilty because I spent the entire day inside, not really doing anything so important that I couldn't have thrown a few loads in. When Wade would get home and notice the lack of clean clothes and mention it I would sorta fly off the handle like he was making me account for my every moment of the day. Or so I'd say loudly to him. And it was really that I felt so embarassed that I didn't do any laundry. Or dishes. Or pretty much anything except for play with the kids and write funny status updates on Facebook.
A few months ago, I read an article that was probably written for me. The writer is a lady that is starting in on that second life that we all young mothers dream of where all her kids are in school and the youngest is going to be at an age where she can tend herself and so the mom's responsibilities are different. She talked a little bit about what she wished she would have done differently in the earlier years. Foremost, she said that she wished that she would not have resented her husband so much for his seemingly unwillingness to help around the house when he got home from work.
Sound familiar to anyone else but me?
So it got me thinking. And that's never really a good idea. But it did. And I thought of all the times I have felt that I was doing so much at home without really any help. I mean, if Wade needed clean clothes why didn't he just put in a load himself?
This author said that she had made the decision to make her home and family her full-time job and that her hours were different from that of her husband's. He went to work at 8 and came home at 5, but he did not have the luxury of long lunches or playdates or movies at grandma's. When the kids were all in school, he didn't get to spend entire days doing things he wanted or going shopping. Her main point was that she really wished she would have looked at it like that instead of realizing it 20 years down the line.
And that really resonated. I get to stay home. I have very few places I have to be at a certain time. I get to hang with friends and eat out and take naps in the afternoons when A.'s asleep and J is playing on the computer. I don't even have to get dressed most days of the week. So the least I could do is to make the house somewhat livable and make sure Wade has clean clothes.
Wade has been telling me for years that I should just pick two days a week to do laundry on and then I wouldn't have to think about it any of the other five days. I resisted on the basis that I didn't want to be tied down to a "laundry" schedule. But, after reading this article and then sifting through the mound of clean clothes on the bed looking for my favorite t-shirt and not finding it, I decided to give it a shot.
And guess what? It's been a miracle. There are no more late nights where I have to stay awake to move work clothes to the dryer for Wade so they're dry in the morning. No more "do I have clothes for tomorrow" reminders. No more arguments. The clothes are easier to fold and put away when you're only doing a load at a time. And best of all, no more feeling guilty. Even if there is a day where I got nothing else done, I can say that at least there are clean clothes.
The other thing I've come to realize is that I really don't need 90% of the clothes I have. I don't ever wear them because all my favorites are clean. Think of the money savings this could have been if I would have adopted this years ago.
So that's the key. Laundry. If I would have known it would be so easy, I would have started when Wade first suggested it.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Heidi
Author: Johanna Spyri
Pages: 188
This is kind of a weird book review, but hear me out.
We read this for book club this last month and I'll admit I thought it was a little strange of a pick. I mean, we probably all read Heidi as little girls, but we're adult women now. Yet, I went along with it because that's kind of the point of book club--to read books we wouldn't otherwise read.
I did read this as a little girl and I remember loving it. I wanted to be like Heidi and live in the mountains.
As an adult some other things popped out. Like how Heidi's grandpa isn't as mean as everyone in the village thinks. And doesn't come across as mean as I think the author intended either. And the improbabilities of miraculous healings and the intentions of old men. I guess, as an adult I've kind of grown skeptical and untrusting.
But, this review isn't so much about Heidi itself. But rather, that every once in awhile, you should take yourself back to your childhood and pick up some of those great children classics like Heidi and The Secret Garden and The Little Prince and relive those innocent years where miracles happened and old men had no other intentions than to befriend everyone, including young girls. It's a welcome reprieve from the murder and mayhem and awfulness that fills the books and the airwaves today.
Author: Johanna Spyri
Pages: 188
This is kind of a weird book review, but hear me out.
We read this for book club this last month and I'll admit I thought it was a little strange of a pick. I mean, we probably all read Heidi as little girls, but we're adult women now. Yet, I went along with it because that's kind of the point of book club--to read books we wouldn't otherwise read.
I did read this as a little girl and I remember loving it. I wanted to be like Heidi and live in the mountains.
As an adult some other things popped out. Like how Heidi's grandpa isn't as mean as everyone in the village thinks. And doesn't come across as mean as I think the author intended either. And the improbabilities of miraculous healings and the intentions of old men. I guess, as an adult I've kind of grown skeptical and untrusting.
But, this review isn't so much about Heidi itself. But rather, that every once in awhile, you should take yourself back to your childhood and pick up some of those great children classics like Heidi and The Secret Garden and The Little Prince and relive those innocent years where miracles happened and old men had no other intentions than to befriend everyone, including young girls. It's a welcome reprieve from the murder and mayhem and awfulness that fills the books and the airwaves today.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thankful Thursday
If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be on a bowling league, and loving it, I would have laughed. I'm no pro by any stretch of the imagination. My average is 124, and that's a 15 point increase from when I started three years ago. But I really look forward to going every Thursday.
Yet, here I am, and I have to say I love it. My two teammates are in their 50's and 60's. Most of the ladies are stay-at-home moms, but we have a few who are retired or work part time. One gal my age has no kids, but made Thursdays her day off from work so she could bowl. I'm the on-call math tutor for about three teenagers who's moms are on the league and every once in a while one or two of them will skip out of school to hang out at the alley so I can help them in between frames. Crazy.
For $8.50 a week, I get three games and two hours where someone else watches A. It doesn't matter if you have one kid or three kids or no kids, it's $8.50 for everyone and someone comes in to watch the kids while the moms play. I told my teammates a few weeks ago that if something were to change economically in our household, bowling would be one of the last things I'd give up. It's something I do that is totally frivously for myself. It's completely selfish. There's no income potential. There's really no educational payout either. Just...bowling. It's something that gets me out of the house on those cold winter days where I just want to lay around and do nothing.
We only play during the school year and by the time May rolls around, I'm always ready to take a break, but during the winter I love having somewhere to go and play. So today, I'm thankful for bowling.
Yet, here I am, and I have to say I love it. My two teammates are in their 50's and 60's. Most of the ladies are stay-at-home moms, but we have a few who are retired or work part time. One gal my age has no kids, but made Thursdays her day off from work so she could bowl. I'm the on-call math tutor for about three teenagers who's moms are on the league and every once in a while one or two of them will skip out of school to hang out at the alley so I can help them in between frames. Crazy.
For $8.50 a week, I get three games and two hours where someone else watches A. It doesn't matter if you have one kid or three kids or no kids, it's $8.50 for everyone and someone comes in to watch the kids while the moms play. I told my teammates a few weeks ago that if something were to change economically in our household, bowling would be one of the last things I'd give up. It's something I do that is totally frivously for myself. It's completely selfish. There's no income potential. There's really no educational payout either. Just...bowling. It's something that gets me out of the house on those cold winter days where I just want to lay around and do nothing.
We only play during the school year and by the time May rolls around, I'm always ready to take a break, but during the winter I love having somewhere to go and play. So today, I'm thankful for bowling.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What's For Dinner Wednesday--Brie and Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Remember when you were first married and you would see recipes titled "Brie and Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts" and you'd just skip over it because you knew it would be too complicated?
Oh, that was just me?
Hmmm...
So, anyways, I came across this recipe on Facebook from Sunflower Farmer's Market, my produce mecca, and thought it would be an awesome one to try.
And it was. Though, in hindsight, I should have done things a little differently. But more on that later.
So here's the recipe: (Note: this really isn't a recipe for the health conscious, though you could probably change it up some to make it healthier. I burned something like 1300 calories today exercising, so I figured I was entitled to a little fat in my dinner tonight).
4 Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
4 T butter
1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
1-2 T flour
4 slices Brie cheese
2 C apple cider
2 C chicken broth
*Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm 1 T butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the apples and saute until softened. Set the saute pan aside. Tuck a slice of Brie and several slices of apple into the pocket on the underside of the chicken breasts between the breast and the tenderloin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pat a little flour onto both sides of each chicken breast.
Not being very familiar with the anatomy of a chicken breast, I cut a slit into the fattest area of the chicken breast and put my goods there. However, in hindsight, maybe I should have inspected the breast more. I couldn't fit very much in the little slit I made.
*In the saute pan, warm 1 T butter over high heat. When the butter foams add the chicken breasts and brown them on both sides. Transfer the chickento a sheetpan, stuffed side down and put it into the oven for 12-14 minutes.
If I would have done as above, perhaps I would have understood the part about putting the chicken stuffed side down.
*While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Pour the cider and the broth into the saute pan and boil it over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cup. Swirl in the remaining 2 T of butter . Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I would have preferred to have had a thicker sauce and rereading the recipe, I don't think I let enough boil off. And I omitted the last two tablespoons of butter.
Spoon sauce over the chicken breasts.
Despite all those things, it still turned out really well. I used a Rome Apple, and I think I would have chosen a different apple with a little more oomph to it. But for a recipe that sounds all gourmet-like and stuff and is sure to impress, it was easy peasy. On the table in 30ish minutes.
I served it with rice. It was going to be a risotto, but I ran out of energy and desire, so just plain rice. And sourdough bread, which will probably be my death. I LOVE sourdough bread. For dessert, we had blueberry cobler.
Oh. Yeah.
One of these days, I'm just going to pay homage to great desserts. And this will make it.
Nutrition for the chicken:
Calories: 465.7
Fat: 22.3
CHO: 2.4 g
Protein: 60.6 g (?)
Oh, that was just me?
Hmmm...
So, anyways, I came across this recipe on Facebook from Sunflower Farmer's Market, my produce mecca, and thought it would be an awesome one to try.
And it was. Though, in hindsight, I should have done things a little differently. But more on that later.
So here's the recipe: (Note: this really isn't a recipe for the health conscious, though you could probably change it up some to make it healthier. I burned something like 1300 calories today exercising, so I figured I was entitled to a little fat in my dinner tonight).
4 Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
4 T butter
1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
1-2 T flour
4 slices Brie cheese
2 C apple cider
2 C chicken broth
*Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm 1 T butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the apples and saute until softened. Set the saute pan aside. Tuck a slice of Brie and several slices of apple into the pocket on the underside of the chicken breasts between the breast and the tenderloin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pat a little flour onto both sides of each chicken breast.
Not being very familiar with the anatomy of a chicken breast, I cut a slit into the fattest area of the chicken breast and put my goods there. However, in hindsight, maybe I should have inspected the breast more. I couldn't fit very much in the little slit I made.
*In the saute pan, warm 1 T butter over high heat. When the butter foams add the chicken breasts and brown them on both sides. Transfer the chickento a sheetpan, stuffed side down and put it into the oven for 12-14 minutes.
If I would have done as above, perhaps I would have understood the part about putting the chicken stuffed side down.
*While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Pour the cider and the broth into the saute pan and boil it over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cup. Swirl in the remaining 2 T of butter . Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I would have preferred to have had a thicker sauce and rereading the recipe, I don't think I let enough boil off. And I omitted the last two tablespoons of butter.
Spoon sauce over the chicken breasts.
Despite all those things, it still turned out really well. I used a Rome Apple, and I think I would have chosen a different apple with a little more oomph to it. But for a recipe that sounds all gourmet-like and stuff and is sure to impress, it was easy peasy. On the table in 30ish minutes.
I served it with rice. It was going to be a risotto, but I ran out of energy and desire, so just plain rice. And sourdough bread, which will probably be my death. I LOVE sourdough bread. For dessert, we had blueberry cobler.
Oh. Yeah.
One of these days, I'm just going to pay homage to great desserts. And this will make it.
Nutrition for the chicken:
Calories: 465.7
Fat: 22.3
CHO: 2.4 g
Protein: 60.6 g (?)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happenings
I'm in ADD mode right now, which means that I'm not really focusing on anything. It's a little scary because the last...29 years have been spent focusing on something. And right now...nada. No races. No school. No dreams to fulfill. Just...existing.
It's been kind of nice. I do what I want, when I want. Well, as long as it fits within my employers parameters. Those parameters can be a little stifling too. But I make do.
I finally went in to see a doctor yesterday about this persistant cough I've been dealing with for three weeks. I think he was very excited to see someone hacking up a lung because maybe it would spruce up his otherwise boring Sunday morning full of run-of-the-mill colds, flus, and pink eye. But I was only a disappointment. I could tell in how his voice fell when he said he thought it was only the beginning of either bronchitis or pneumonia.
Yeah, only.
But he gave me some antibiotics, so hopefully that will jumpstart me back on to the road of healthy.
And I'm really excited about this week's What's For Dinner Wednesday entry. I hope it turns out.
Plus I'm back to exercising on my usual routine, minus the swimming and running, so basically not my usual routine. But at least it's something. I've been reving up my punching bag routine and I have definitely felt the burn there. I've also been doing my Insanity DVDs and can almost make it through the warm up without stopping. I've been doing them off and on for about four months, and still haven't made it through the whole 60 day program. I figure once I can do the warm-ups without stopping, then it will be time to move on to the next month's routine. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to make it through the whole dvd without stopping. A few days a week I bike for 30 minutes or walk/run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I've also been doing kettlebell exercises, which are an incredible way to scorch an insane amount of calories in a short amount of time.
zzzzzzz...huh, oh yeah, I was boring you all with my workout regimen....
Anyways, the point being that even though I haven't been running, I've certainly been filling the bucket with other stuff and it's been nice. Though, I do miss the stress release of running with my posse and venting my frustrations out loud instead of internalizing them.
J. has been sounding out hymns at church and even managed to sound out the word T-A-M-P-A-X on a box in the linen closet. Made my heart swell with pride, you know, after I adequately explained, without explaining, what it meant. I'll catch him reading books out loud when he should be sleeping, but how do you punish that? His creativity knows no bounds when it comes to Legos. This weekend, he and Wade fashioned a zip line that runs from the coat closet door to the food storage door at the bottom of the stairs using fishing line. Then he and his friends have been constructing robots and superheroes and rocket ships to send down the stairs. It's all very nice until I go to walk upstairs and about get my nose sheared off by the nearly invisible line. His teacher thinks he's a delight to have at school. He's becoming more of a delight at home. He's even tried new foods the last few weeks. Nothing that would amount to much nutritionally, but, it's a start. Life is definitely looking up on that front.
A. is a bubbly, happy two year old. She's so smart for someone who hardly talks. I gave her the silverware from the dishwasher the other day to put away, fully expecting to follow behind and rearrange her work, but she had successfully sorted out the forks, spoons and butter knives and put them all where they belonged. What a cutie! She wants to read so badly and whenever she sees the commercial for the product that promises your 3 year old will read, she points at it and says something akin to "mine". She'll sit in her crib and "read" until she falls asleep. I love that she holds full on conversations with us, including hand gestures and voice inflections, and we can't understand a word she's telling us, but she doesn't seem to care. As soon as my energy levels return and I'm over this nasty whateveritis, we're going to start potty training in full force. I figure if you can lead me to your changing table to change your pants, you can lead me to the bathroom so I don't have to wipe your bum. I was hoping that by leaving the potty set up, she would just get the hint like J. did, but so far that method hasn't been working.
I wish the two of them were getting along better, but they aren't. Some days are better than others, but I think once J. is in school full time, it won't be as bad because he won't be taking out his boredom on his little sister. I'm a little nervous about summer. I need to research things to do with them so that we aren't playing host to a multitude of little neighborhood boys who roam the streets during the endless summer months. Oh, and so they don't get bored and take out their frustrations on each other.
Life for Wade and me has been pretty status quo. Wade gets up, goes to work and comes home. I fill the day with cleaning, playing, reading, writing, and exercising. It hardly seems fair, right? But he does it all without complaining much, which is a good quality to have.
And that's what's going on in my neck of the woods.
It's been kind of nice. I do what I want, when I want. Well, as long as it fits within my employers parameters. Those parameters can be a little stifling too. But I make do.
I finally went in to see a doctor yesterday about this persistant cough I've been dealing with for three weeks. I think he was very excited to see someone hacking up a lung because maybe it would spruce up his otherwise boring Sunday morning full of run-of-the-mill colds, flus, and pink eye. But I was only a disappointment. I could tell in how his voice fell when he said he thought it was only the beginning of either bronchitis or pneumonia.
Yeah, only.
But he gave me some antibiotics, so hopefully that will jumpstart me back on to the road of healthy.
And I'm really excited about this week's What's For Dinner Wednesday entry. I hope it turns out.
Plus I'm back to exercising on my usual routine, minus the swimming and running, so basically not my usual routine. But at least it's something. I've been reving up my punching bag routine and I have definitely felt the burn there. I've also been doing my Insanity DVDs and can almost make it through the warm up without stopping. I've been doing them off and on for about four months, and still haven't made it through the whole 60 day program. I figure once I can do the warm-ups without stopping, then it will be time to move on to the next month's routine. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to make it through the whole dvd without stopping. A few days a week I bike for 30 minutes or walk/run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I've also been doing kettlebell exercises, which are an incredible way to scorch an insane amount of calories in a short amount of time.
zzzzzzz...huh, oh yeah, I was boring you all with my workout regimen....
Anyways, the point being that even though I haven't been running, I've certainly been filling the bucket with other stuff and it's been nice. Though, I do miss the stress release of running with my posse and venting my frustrations out loud instead of internalizing them.
J. has been sounding out hymns at church and even managed to sound out the word T-A-M-P-A-X on a box in the linen closet. Made my heart swell with pride, you know, after I adequately explained, without explaining, what it meant. I'll catch him reading books out loud when he should be sleeping, but how do you punish that? His creativity knows no bounds when it comes to Legos. This weekend, he and Wade fashioned a zip line that runs from the coat closet door to the food storage door at the bottom of the stairs using fishing line. Then he and his friends have been constructing robots and superheroes and rocket ships to send down the stairs. It's all very nice until I go to walk upstairs and about get my nose sheared off by the nearly invisible line. His teacher thinks he's a delight to have at school. He's becoming more of a delight at home. He's even tried new foods the last few weeks. Nothing that would amount to much nutritionally, but, it's a start. Life is definitely looking up on that front.
A. is a bubbly, happy two year old. She's so smart for someone who hardly talks. I gave her the silverware from the dishwasher the other day to put away, fully expecting to follow behind and rearrange her work, but she had successfully sorted out the forks, spoons and butter knives and put them all where they belonged. What a cutie! She wants to read so badly and whenever she sees the commercial for the product that promises your 3 year old will read, she points at it and says something akin to "mine". She'll sit in her crib and "read" until she falls asleep. I love that she holds full on conversations with us, including hand gestures and voice inflections, and we can't understand a word she's telling us, but she doesn't seem to care. As soon as my energy levels return and I'm over this nasty whateveritis, we're going to start potty training in full force. I figure if you can lead me to your changing table to change your pants, you can lead me to the bathroom so I don't have to wipe your bum. I was hoping that by leaving the potty set up, she would just get the hint like J. did, but so far that method hasn't been working.
I wish the two of them were getting along better, but they aren't. Some days are better than others, but I think once J. is in school full time, it won't be as bad because he won't be taking out his boredom on his little sister. I'm a little nervous about summer. I need to research things to do with them so that we aren't playing host to a multitude of little neighborhood boys who roam the streets during the endless summer months. Oh, and so they don't get bored and take out their frustrations on each other.
Life for Wade and me has been pretty status quo. Wade gets up, goes to work and comes home. I fill the day with cleaning, playing, reading, writing, and exercising. It hardly seems fair, right? But he does it all without complaining much, which is a good quality to have.
And that's what's going on in my neck of the woods.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
- I love a clean house.
- I hate cleaning the house.
- I love my basement. I love the projector and the awesomeness that it is. I love the couches. I love the office with the two computer screens. I love the tv room for the kids.
- I hate cleaning the basement. I hate cleaning the office with the two computer screens. I especially hate cleaning the tv room for the kids.
- I love going for a run outside.
- I hate that, until yesterday, it had been two weeks since I'd been outside running. And I hate that 3 measly miles pretty much put me out of commission for the rest of the day.
- I love taking it easy.
- I hate that the reason why is because of the cough from hell.
- I love long weekends.
- I hate that Wade doesn't get to relish in the long weekend with me.
- I love that Wade is such a good provider.
- I hate that Wade isn't a self-made millionaire and thus home all day working on his next big idea.
- I hate that I have not had very good luck with Bountiful Baskets. I end up throwing away the majority of my produce. Is it me? Is it that you guys don't know what good produce is? Is it where I'm located? What's the deal?
- I love that Sunflower Market, my go-to produce store, is opening a store downtown and will be so much closer than the current one in Murray.
- I love when people have opinions that differ from mine.
- I hate when people are so stuck in their opinions that they can't seem to see other points of view.
- I love that my 30th birthday is approaching fast and there's not really anything I regret not doing.
- I hate that my 30th birthday is approaching so fast because it means that I'm getting old.
- I love hanging with friends.
- I hate that I have to talk myself in to doing it. I'm such a homebody. :/
- I love my low-mainetance friends.
- I hate drama and all of it's associated cousins. Stay away from me, you energy suckers.
- I love book club.
- I hate that I'm in charge of one of the book clubs.
- I love speaking my mind.
- I hate walking on eggshells.
- I love tax refunds.
- I hate that the government is making interest on my money. And I HATE the tax system. But that's for another day.
- I love my Bug.
- I hate that I'm not smart enough to put his Legos together how he wants me to.
- I love my Chipmunk
- I hate that I can't understand anything that she's telling me. Except for "I'm stinky". Which is loud and clear.
- I love soup and bread.
- I hate that I could eat the whole loaf of bread.
- I love to write.
- I hate that I'm so insecure about it.
- I love stand up comedy
- I hate that I'm too chicken to try it myself.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Happiness Money Can Buy
Man, I've kind of fallen off the wagon this week. I'd apologize, but I'm thinking that the only person who really cares is me. So, well...that's it.
There are a few items in my household that are worth their weight in gold. Take for instance, the carpet shampooer. It was a buy that was neither discussed or planned with Wade. I decided one day that my carpets were HIDEOUS and this very thought permeated my brain until I could no longer think about anything else. And so I went to Wally's and bought one. Mainly, so I could start thinking about other things. Then I cleaned the carpets with it, and it brought some relief. But, a few weeks later, it paid for itself when A. figured out how to take her diaper off and then proceeded to smear the contents of said diaper all over my bedroom floor.
I'm pretty sure that purchase was a direct result of divine inspiration.
Another item I can't imagine life without is the spot cleaner. I bought this after A. spilled chocolate on a friend's beige colored carpet and she pulled hers out and it cleaned up so nicely. This thing is heaven-sent. It has helped me in countless scenarios, including kool-aid, tomatoes, vomit, pee, and chocolate milk, just to name a few.
Looking back, I didn't need all these carpet cleaning tools BEFORE I had A. I think I've found my problem...
So our lastest purchase was actually Wade's idea. He took off for Wally's last Saturday, acting somewhat suspicious. I didn't think much of it until he showed up at home with a large piece of plastic. He then proceeded to put it on the table.
I'll admit. I was a little horrified. Say it with me folks: tacky. But it turned out to not look so bad, and it's removable for those rare occasions that we actually have people over for dinner. And at $6 it was super cheap. But the biggest payoff is that I don't have to listen to the daily new scratches total that seemed to dominate our dinner table conversations.
As in, "look, here's another scratch. Where's this one from? Look over there. Another one."
Because that was driving me BANANAS. And I can put up with a plastic covering over my new table if it means I don't have to account for every nick and scratch in the table.
This was definitely, definitely a splendid idea. Who said that money can't buy peace and happiness anyways?
There are a few items in my household that are worth their weight in gold. Take for instance, the carpet shampooer. It was a buy that was neither discussed or planned with Wade. I decided one day that my carpets were HIDEOUS and this very thought permeated my brain until I could no longer think about anything else. And so I went to Wally's and bought one. Mainly, so I could start thinking about other things. Then I cleaned the carpets with it, and it brought some relief. But, a few weeks later, it paid for itself when A. figured out how to take her diaper off and then proceeded to smear the contents of said diaper all over my bedroom floor.
I'm pretty sure that purchase was a direct result of divine inspiration.
Another item I can't imagine life without is the spot cleaner. I bought this after A. spilled chocolate on a friend's beige colored carpet and she pulled hers out and it cleaned up so nicely. This thing is heaven-sent. It has helped me in countless scenarios, including kool-aid, tomatoes, vomit, pee, and chocolate milk, just to name a few.
Looking back, I didn't need all these carpet cleaning tools BEFORE I had A. I think I've found my problem...
So our lastest purchase was actually Wade's idea. He took off for Wally's last Saturday, acting somewhat suspicious. I didn't think much of it until he showed up at home with a large piece of plastic. He then proceeded to put it on the table.
I'll admit. I was a little horrified. Say it with me folks: tacky. But it turned out to not look so bad, and it's removable for those rare occasions that we actually have people over for dinner. And at $6 it was super cheap. But the biggest payoff is that I don't have to listen to the daily new scratches total that seemed to dominate our dinner table conversations.
As in, "look, here's another scratch. Where's this one from? Look over there. Another one."
Because that was driving me BANANAS. And I can put up with a plastic covering over my new table if it means I don't have to account for every nick and scratch in the table.
This was definitely, definitely a splendid idea. Who said that money can't buy peace and happiness anyways?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Droid Fever
Valentines Day is funny at our house. Wade goes all out every year. Like, beyond anything I can compare to. And out of every gift giving holiday in the year--like Christmas and anniversaries and birthdays--he ALWAYS manages to surprise me on Valentines Day. On this arbitrary day in February designated to pay homage to a saint that got imprisoned and stoned to death. And this year was no different, except for one thing:
When Wade is excited about a particular gift, he will bug you and bug you and bug you until you go ballistic. Two weeks (!) ago, I was searching for something in the closet and he casually asked if I was looking for my Valentines present. I wasn't. But I said something like "I bet you hid it here." and lo and behold, there it was. It was all wrapped up of course. So I begged to open it and he wouldn't let me so I made him take it to work the next day so I wouldn't be tempted to open it.
And then I promptly forgot about it.
But Wade didn't. He came home and bugged me about it all night. And then the next day he went to work and I promptly forgot about my present again.
Until...he got home from work. By that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to endure two more weeks of him taunting me. So I went out to the car and brought it inside and opened it. It's his fault really. And there it was, my new toy. A Garminfone, which is an Android phone that also has all the Garmin navigation tools on it. So no more printing off instructions and then dodging traffic while reading them. Step by step directions to get anywhere, read right to me from a pleasant sounding English woman. And my favorite feature is that it will show me the nearest grocery stores and gas stations and restaurants where ever I happen to be, so no more driving around trying to find those things. And the android phone is awesome. Like a little computer where I can update my facebook status and my blog while sitting at the dinner table. And I can read books on it. And count calories. And so many crossword puzzles at my fingertips. And so many more things that I have no idea what they do. It's so cool that I even had a friend go out THAT WEEK and get one.
Like I was telling her, it's something you didn't know you needed until you got one. Then you wonder where it's been all your life.
It was a complete surprise and I'm happy that even after 10 Valentines he can still surprise me. And he still wants to. I surprised him on our first Valentines Day together when I drove 2 hours home from college just to sit in his bedroom and do homework next to each other. Then I've sorta struck out the last 8 years. But this year, I cooked up a good present by surprising him with U2 tickets. He didn't see that coming at all.
Man, I LOVE this guy!
For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard
When Wade is excited about a particular gift, he will bug you and bug you and bug you until you go ballistic. Two weeks (!) ago, I was searching for something in the closet and he casually asked if I was looking for my Valentines present. I wasn't. But I said something like "I bet you hid it here." and lo and behold, there it was. It was all wrapped up of course. So I begged to open it and he wouldn't let me so I made him take it to work the next day so I wouldn't be tempted to open it.
And then I promptly forgot about it.
But Wade didn't. He came home and bugged me about it all night. And then the next day he went to work and I promptly forgot about my present again.
Until...he got home from work. By that point, I knew I wouldn't be able to endure two more weeks of him taunting me. So I went out to the car and brought it inside and opened it. It's his fault really. And there it was, my new toy. A Garminfone, which is an Android phone that also has all the Garmin navigation tools on it. So no more printing off instructions and then dodging traffic while reading them. Step by step directions to get anywhere, read right to me from a pleasant sounding English woman. And my favorite feature is that it will show me the nearest grocery stores and gas stations and restaurants where ever I happen to be, so no more driving around trying to find those things. And the android phone is awesome. Like a little computer where I can update my facebook status and my blog while sitting at the dinner table. And I can read books on it. And count calories. And so many crossword puzzles at my fingertips. And so many more things that I have no idea what they do. It's so cool that I even had a friend go out THAT WEEK and get one.
Like I was telling her, it's something you didn't know you needed until you got one. Then you wonder where it's been all your life.
It was a complete surprise and I'm happy that even after 10 Valentines he can still surprise me. And he still wants to. I surprised him on our first Valentines Day together when I drove 2 hours home from college just to sit in his bedroom and do homework next to each other. Then I've sorta struck out the last 8 years. But this year, I cooked up a good present by surprising him with U2 tickets. He didn't see that coming at all.
Man, I LOVE this guy!
For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Daughter of Helaman
Author: Misty Moncur
Pages: ??
So this week, I cheated. I'm trying to catch up on novels I need to read for my writing group and I thought I'd give a shout out to the person who got a signed deal. Her book should be out in May. And it's SO good. It's about a young girl who joins the Army of Helaman. Of course, there's love and romance and all that gushy stuff involved too. Plus there are 2 more books from her point of view and another two books from other characters' points of view in the works.
It should be noted that this is not my usual preferred genre. I tend to shy away from "churchy" books. But Misty definitely did her research and the storyline is very compelling. I was hooked from the first chapter.
It's a young adult read and a great girl-power novel set during the Book of Mormon times. It will be a good way to introduce teenage girls to the stories in the Book of Mormon by putting one of them as the lead character.
Awesome job, Misty!
Author: Misty Moncur
Pages: ??
So this week, I cheated. I'm trying to catch up on novels I need to read for my writing group and I thought I'd give a shout out to the person who got a signed deal. Her book should be out in May. And it's SO good. It's about a young girl who joins the Army of Helaman. Of course, there's love and romance and all that gushy stuff involved too. Plus there are 2 more books from her point of view and another two books from other characters' points of view in the works.
It should be noted that this is not my usual preferred genre. I tend to shy away from "churchy" books. But Misty definitely did her research and the storyline is very compelling. I was hooked from the first chapter.
It's a young adult read and a great girl-power novel set during the Book of Mormon times. It will be a good way to introduce teenage girls to the stories in the Book of Mormon by putting one of them as the lead character.
Awesome job, Misty!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thankful Thursday #6
Food. I really like food. And I'm grateful there's plenty of it in my life. Maybe a little too grateful...
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What's For Dinner Wednesday--Doritos and Animal Crackers
Well, it was bound to happen. My first true failure on a What's For Dinner entry. :( The recipe had promise. It was a chicken dish that was baked in pineapple juice and orange juice and an array of spices. But, the recipe called for dijon mustard and since I'm not a mustard fan, I just omitted that and that may be why it was an utter fail.
We suffered through the meal. Wade said it was good, hesitantly, and then left most of the chicken on his plate. He's wisening up. I tried to eat mine, but I only ate about half.
So for dinner, we each snuck back into the kitchen and snacked on doritos and animal crackers.
Eh, you win some. You lose some. Oh well.
We suffered through the meal. Wade said it was good, hesitantly, and then left most of the chicken on his plate. He's wisening up. I tried to eat mine, but I only ate about half.
So for dinner, we each snuck back into the kitchen and snacked on doritos and animal crackers.
Eh, you win some. You lose some. Oh well.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Picture Perfect Tuesday
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Sunday, February 6, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Heart in the Right Place
Author: Carloyn Jourdan
Pages: 297
This was such an interesting find, I can't believe my good fortune. I literally ran into the library one Wednesday afternoon while my mom sat with a sleeping A. and a talking J. in the car and grabbed this off the nearest shelf. I love it when a gamble plays off.
At first, I thought the book would be a snoozefest. Another memoir proclaiming how "changed" someone was because they returned home. However, I was quickly chastised.
What this turned out to be was a rare gem. Jourdan, an attorney on Capitol Hill, has been called home to the hills of East Tennessee to help her parents out for what she thought was going to just be the weekend. Her dad was the only doctor in town and her mom, receptionist and aide to Jourdan's father, had just had a heart attack. Jourdin prepared to take over receptionist duties until her mother was released from the hospital.
However, nothing could prepare Jourdan for what laid ahead. The cast of characters that come through the revolving doors of this one-man outfit is something straight out of fiction. Everything is represented in full force; hypochondriacs, cancer, geriatrics, workplace hazards, pysche problems, drug addiction.
Days stretch into weeks then months and Jourdan grapples with the desire to return to the life that she left behind in DC or to stay at her childhood home, where she was needed the most. There was some criticism on the goodreads.com site that maybe she spent a lot of time grappling with what seemed like an easy decision, but I personally felt like it gave it some credibility. What might seem like an easy decision between the pages isn't always that clear cut when played out in real life.
My most favorite character of the book was Jourdan's dad's best friend, Fletcher. He always seemed to be waiting at the family barn with some gem of wisdom to bestow upon Jourdan after a tough day at the office. One thing he shared was very profound:
"You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, the first thing he always says is, 'Fear not!'"
"Yeah."
"Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he's not trying to comfort us when he says that. He's giving us an order. It's a command given more than 300 times in the Bible. The Lord's telling us not to let ourselves be afraid. We can't afford to be scared. It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is that we're suppose to be doing."
Bingo! Wow. What an eye opener.
This book saw it's share of tragedy. How to do know how much to charge someone for telling them they're going to die? But, amidst the tears, there were laugh-out-loud moments and you saw a resounding theme emerge:
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone else is to just show up.
Author: Carloyn Jourdan
Pages: 297
This was such an interesting find, I can't believe my good fortune. I literally ran into the library one Wednesday afternoon while my mom sat with a sleeping A. and a talking J. in the car and grabbed this off the nearest shelf. I love it when a gamble plays off.
At first, I thought the book would be a snoozefest. Another memoir proclaiming how "changed" someone was because they returned home. However, I was quickly chastised.
What this turned out to be was a rare gem. Jourdan, an attorney on Capitol Hill, has been called home to the hills of East Tennessee to help her parents out for what she thought was going to just be the weekend. Her dad was the only doctor in town and her mom, receptionist and aide to Jourdan's father, had just had a heart attack. Jourdin prepared to take over receptionist duties until her mother was released from the hospital.
However, nothing could prepare Jourdan for what laid ahead. The cast of characters that come through the revolving doors of this one-man outfit is something straight out of fiction. Everything is represented in full force; hypochondriacs, cancer, geriatrics, workplace hazards, pysche problems, drug addiction.
Days stretch into weeks then months and Jourdan grapples with the desire to return to the life that she left behind in DC or to stay at her childhood home, where she was needed the most. There was some criticism on the goodreads.com site that maybe she spent a lot of time grappling with what seemed like an easy decision, but I personally felt like it gave it some credibility. What might seem like an easy decision between the pages isn't always that clear cut when played out in real life.
My most favorite character of the book was Jourdan's dad's best friend, Fletcher. He always seemed to be waiting at the family barn with some gem of wisdom to bestow upon Jourdan after a tough day at the office. One thing he shared was very profound:
"You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, the first thing he always says is, 'Fear not!'"
"Yeah."
"Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he's not trying to comfort us when he says that. He's giving us an order. It's a command given more than 300 times in the Bible. The Lord's telling us not to let ourselves be afraid. We can't afford to be scared. It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is that we're suppose to be doing."
Bingo! Wow. What an eye opener.
This book saw it's share of tragedy. How to do know how much to charge someone for telling them they're going to die? But, amidst the tears, there were laugh-out-loud moments and you saw a resounding theme emerge:
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone else is to just show up.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Clothing Malfunction
Okay, I think I'm ready to talk about it.
So, a few weekends ago, I traveled down to St. George with my posse. We had signed up to run a half marathon and, though I wasn't really all into it, I was still going to run it anyways. Mostly because I had encouraged the wife of Wade's cousin, who unexpectedly passed away in November, to run it as well and I'd feel really dumb if she ran it and I didn't.
Besides, it was becoming a yearly tradition. And this year, instead of it being cold and 20 degrees, it was pleasant at 50 degrees. Much more pleasant than the 10 degrees that it was up here. And I could endure a few hours of pain to spend a few hours away from the smog and the mounting laundry piles and the dirty dishes.
But, I knew I was going to be in trouble because I definitely did not put in the training that I had last year. Last year, I was at the fittest I have ever been. I was 15 pounds lighter and faster and had more motivation going into the race. This year was all about just surviving.
We stayed at C's dad's house again. They are the greatest hosts and always so enthusiastic about our runs. We ate a lovely meal at Texas Roadhouse. And I slept pretty good considering I was on the floor. That morning, I got dressed in my usual running attire.
Pay attention here because this is where it all starts to unravel. I put on my long sleeve undershirt that helps wick moisture away and keeps me somewhat warm and then a long sleeve technical shirt on top of that. I DO NOT like to be cold when I'm starting out on a long run and I figured I would just take the undershirt off when it got too hot.
(Warning: foreshadowing).
At the starting line of the race, I happened to run into Michelle, Forrest's wife, right before the gun went off. Figuring she had new tales to share that I haven't heard before from my two running buddies, I opted to stay with her. She had coerced two of her sisters to run the race as well and the four of us had a jolly time. We talked through the first six miles and the miles seemed to go by really fast.
As a sidenote: Michelle is doing awesome. She's seems to be holding up really well and I admire her courage and fortitude in carving out a new life for herself and her two girls in light of this unexpected curve ball that was thrown into her life. She wasn't afraid to answer any questions I had and we talked about Forrest and his passing for a good two miles. Then we talked about other things. Fun, interesting, dopey things that had nothing to do with the tragedies of life. I'm glad that I at least got to spend the first hour catching up with her. We'd all be better people if we could emulate change in our lives the way she has.
There was a big hill just after the sixth mile marker and I decided that there would be the place I would shed my undershirt. It had begun feeling like I was running in a sauna and besides, I had to pee. I said goodbye to Michelle and her sisters and jogged to the portapotties.
I did my business and then tried to take off my shirt. Which had, somehow, adhered itself to my body. As I was struggling to get this off, I could see the time on my watch clicking away. To make matters worse, I had ill-fatedly decided that I was going to choose this moment to be modest by not taking the top shirt off first. Nevermind that a month before, while out on a 10 mile jaunt I peed inside a three-sided structure that was meant to wall of utilities of some sort--in plain view of the highway. I just stood as far in the corner as possible and closed my eyes. If I can't see them, they can't see me, right? Besides it was that, or peeing my pants. And I definitely didn't want to run 5 miles back with wet pants.
So I was tangled up inside two shirts and then FINALLY, I was able to rid myself of the undershirt. When I glanced back at my watch, I realized that I had burned SEVEN (yes, 7!!!) minutes in that little exercise.
I started back off, but all the wind had left my sails. I passed the finish line at about 7.5 miles and stared enviously at the elite runners who were turning off towards the food and cheering spectators. I really considered quitting. I was in a lot of pain and I was tired and didn't feel good. But, I kept slogging away.
Eventually, I finished and then crawled to where I could see Michelle and her family. We talked for a little while and then my running buddies found me. C. had posted her best time EVER in a half marathon, knocking nearly 10 minutes off of her half marathon PR. H. had paced her the entire way and another lady from the neighborhood had ran with them, finishing a minute ahead.
If the shirt incident deflated me, then this about killed me. As to not take away from C's impressive finish--and to be honest, she did put in more training time then I did--I won't dwell on the inner workings of why this would cause me such angst. You'd have to be inside my head to understand it anyways.
Let's just suffice it to say that for the first few days, I couldn't talk about it without welling up with tears. In fact, I had practiced my "I'm going to do my own thing for awhile now" speech to give H. and C. when they called to resume running. Gratefully, though, I was able to snap out of it and we've been running again. Albeit, not fast by any means. But we're out there. And maybe now, I can just chalk the whole thing up to being a learning experience and move on.
So, a few weekends ago, I traveled down to St. George with my posse. We had signed up to run a half marathon and, though I wasn't really all into it, I was still going to run it anyways. Mostly because I had encouraged the wife of Wade's cousin, who unexpectedly passed away in November, to run it as well and I'd feel really dumb if she ran it and I didn't.
Besides, it was becoming a yearly tradition. And this year, instead of it being cold and 20 degrees, it was pleasant at 50 degrees. Much more pleasant than the 10 degrees that it was up here. And I could endure a few hours of pain to spend a few hours away from the smog and the mounting laundry piles and the dirty dishes.
But, I knew I was going to be in trouble because I definitely did not put in the training that I had last year. Last year, I was at the fittest I have ever been. I was 15 pounds lighter and faster and had more motivation going into the race. This year was all about just surviving.
We stayed at C's dad's house again. They are the greatest hosts and always so enthusiastic about our runs. We ate a lovely meal at Texas Roadhouse. And I slept pretty good considering I was on the floor. That morning, I got dressed in my usual running attire.
Pay attention here because this is where it all starts to unravel. I put on my long sleeve undershirt that helps wick moisture away and keeps me somewhat warm and then a long sleeve technical shirt on top of that. I DO NOT like to be cold when I'm starting out on a long run and I figured I would just take the undershirt off when it got too hot.
(Warning: foreshadowing).
At the starting line of the race, I happened to run into Michelle, Forrest's wife, right before the gun went off. Figuring she had new tales to share that I haven't heard before from my two running buddies, I opted to stay with her. She had coerced two of her sisters to run the race as well and the four of us had a jolly time. We talked through the first six miles and the miles seemed to go by really fast.
As a sidenote: Michelle is doing awesome. She's seems to be holding up really well and I admire her courage and fortitude in carving out a new life for herself and her two girls in light of this unexpected curve ball that was thrown into her life. She wasn't afraid to answer any questions I had and we talked about Forrest and his passing for a good two miles. Then we talked about other things. Fun, interesting, dopey things that had nothing to do with the tragedies of life. I'm glad that I at least got to spend the first hour catching up with her. We'd all be better people if we could emulate change in our lives the way she has.
There was a big hill just after the sixth mile marker and I decided that there would be the place I would shed my undershirt. It had begun feeling like I was running in a sauna and besides, I had to pee. I said goodbye to Michelle and her sisters and jogged to the portapotties.
I did my business and then tried to take off my shirt. Which had, somehow, adhered itself to my body. As I was struggling to get this off, I could see the time on my watch clicking away. To make matters worse, I had ill-fatedly decided that I was going to choose this moment to be modest by not taking the top shirt off first. Nevermind that a month before, while out on a 10 mile jaunt I peed inside a three-sided structure that was meant to wall of utilities of some sort--in plain view of the highway. I just stood as far in the corner as possible and closed my eyes. If I can't see them, they can't see me, right? Besides it was that, or peeing my pants. And I definitely didn't want to run 5 miles back with wet pants.
So I was tangled up inside two shirts and then FINALLY, I was able to rid myself of the undershirt. When I glanced back at my watch, I realized that I had burned SEVEN (yes, 7!!!) minutes in that little exercise.
I started back off, but all the wind had left my sails. I passed the finish line at about 7.5 miles and stared enviously at the elite runners who were turning off towards the food and cheering spectators. I really considered quitting. I was in a lot of pain and I was tired and didn't feel good. But, I kept slogging away.
Eventually, I finished and then crawled to where I could see Michelle and her family. We talked for a little while and then my running buddies found me. C. had posted her best time EVER in a half marathon, knocking nearly 10 minutes off of her half marathon PR. H. had paced her the entire way and another lady from the neighborhood had ran with them, finishing a minute ahead.
If the shirt incident deflated me, then this about killed me. As to not take away from C's impressive finish--and to be honest, she did put in more training time then I did--I won't dwell on the inner workings of why this would cause me such angst. You'd have to be inside my head to understand it anyways.
Let's just suffice it to say that for the first few days, I couldn't talk about it without welling up with tears. In fact, I had practiced my "I'm going to do my own thing for awhile now" speech to give H. and C. when they called to resume running. Gratefully, though, I was able to snap out of it and we've been running again. Albeit, not fast by any means. But we're out there. And maybe now, I can just chalk the whole thing up to being a learning experience and move on.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thankful Thursday #5
Man, I'm so happy for low maintenance friends. You know the type. Ones you call on occassion yet it seems like you just talked yesterday. Friends that don't care that you haven't showered for three days and don't care that you don't want to play today. They'll catch you tomorrow.
I have a nice crop of low maintenance friends at the current time and I'm loving it. I may never go back to the high maintenance route.
Today, I'm definitely thankful for those friends that make my life easier, more fun, and happier.
I have a nice crop of low maintenance friends at the current time and I'm loving it. I may never go back to the high maintenance route.
Today, I'm definitely thankful for those friends that make my life easier, more fun, and happier.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
What's For Dinner Wednesday--Tomato-Herb Focaccia
There's this restaurant--Sweet Tomatoes--that's basically a salad bar, with soups and breads. Lots and lots of bread. It's in my list of top five restaurants EVER. A salad bar is a salad bar and Sweet Tomato doesn't necessarily have anything over any other salad bar EXCEPT for they have focaccia bread. Very, very tasty focaccia bread. And I've always wanted to try to make it. So, fast forward to Monday, when I received my bi-monthly Taste of Home magazine and what should appear on the cover? An answer to my desires.
At first glance, this looked to be really easy, but turns out it wasn't so much. For starters, I needed to leave more time for rising because it took a lot longer than I expected. About 2 hours in total rising time alone. Also, I have never been able to "shape" my dough--any dough--into anything other than "blob". I'm not sure how to go about doing this. I should probably read up on it. Do other people have a special skill that allows them to "shape" their dough into rectangles and circles?
So without further ado:
1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 C warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 T olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp basil
Dash pepper
2 to 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 C mozzarella cheese
1 T grated parmesan cheese
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 T oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape(???) into a 13 in. x 9 in. rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough.
4. Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes our until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.
This turned out really good, but I used beefsteak tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes and it made the top of the bread soggy. Definitely use plum tomatoes. Other than that, I think it was another winner. This would be the perfect summertime meal paired with a pasta salad.
And the best part was the nutritional data:
Nutritional Data (The loaf I made I cut up into 8 (good sized) portions)
Per serving:
Calories: 233
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 7.4 g
At first glance, this looked to be really easy, but turns out it wasn't so much. For starters, I needed to leave more time for rising because it took a lot longer than I expected. About 2 hours in total rising time alone. Also, I have never been able to "shape" my dough--any dough--into anything other than "blob". I'm not sure how to go about doing this. I should probably read up on it. Do other people have a special skill that allows them to "shape" their dough into rectangles and circles?
So without further ado:
1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 C warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 T olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp basil
Dash pepper
2 to 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 C mozzarella cheese
1 T grated parmesan cheese
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 T oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape(???) into a 13 in. x 9 in. rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough.
4. Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes our until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.
This turned out really good, but I used beefsteak tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes and it made the top of the bread soggy. Definitely use plum tomatoes. Other than that, I think it was another winner. This would be the perfect summertime meal paired with a pasta salad.
And the best part was the nutritional data:
Nutritional Data (The loaf I made I cut up into 8 (good sized) portions)
Per serving:
Calories: 233
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 7.4 g
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Picture Perfect Tuesday #3
J.'s camera is still out of commission, but lucky you, you get two weeks from my camera!
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