Sweet Potators

It's beautiful here in Utah... land of the Mo Tab, excellent skiing, a salty (but drought-ridden and smelly) lake, the U of U, breathtaking scenery, but best of all, family... ...and the ground is covered in sparkly white snow.   "... the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." Psalms 33:5  Though, I am sort of looking forward to this^^... SOON .

Tenderness of heart , overly rueful, *pitifully bad* (my favorite), zealously penitent, eyes downcast, woefully regretful, "I messed up", remorseful... It's funny, as I practice each one, I can't help but say "I'm sorry" before or after the phraze.  This could be daunting. Stressful... *sigh* Should have listened to Grandma Shirley... ~ Dedicated to the 'shedder of light' ;-P ~

Taking this to Utah this weekend and plan to watch it and several other old flicks with my Momma... she got sick at the end of the Aloha trip and needs to take it easy-peasy.  So, while not out tackling wedding details, we'll curl up in blankets and I'll make my new killer 'caloric intake 50> caramel salted hot chocolate'... Yay for mom and daughter time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX0NhHtFEqk&feature=related <3 this: Paul:  When was I proper and dignified? Corrie:  All the time.  You're always dressed right.  You always look right.  You always say the right thing.  You're very nearly perfect! Paul:  That's a rotten thing to say! Corrie: Before we were married, I thought you slept with a tie. Paul: No. Just for very formal sleeps. Corrie:  You have absolutely no sense of the riciculous.  Like last Thursday night, you wouldn't walk barefoot with me in Washington Square Park.  Why not? Paul:  Simple answer.  It was 17 degrees. C

A few months ago a cute friend and neighbor, Heather H. stopped by with a big container of soup for our family (swapping favors).  We ate (possibly lapped) it up in a heartbeat.  Heather graciously emailed me the recipe and I made it again before I started in on the whole gluten-free dealio.  So, as much as I hate to, I'm going to have to tweak it a bit... always been a "tweaker" but there are just some things you are very sorry to change. Anyway, below is Heather's recipe and while I'm in Utah this weekend, I think I'll make the tweaked version for my family and edit it in later (will have to see how it turns out). African Chicken-Peanut Soup From the kitchen of Heather H. Makes 11 - 1 cup servings Ingredients: Cooking spray (I use about 1 T. oil) 1 1/2 c. peeled, cubed sweet potato 1/2 c. chopped onion 1/2 c. diced red bell pepper 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 2 garlic cloves 2 c. cooked and cubed chicken breasts 1 c. salsa 1/2 t. gro

Can't stop listening...  ;-D   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOByH_iOn88   I've loved this song since I was a wee one... before I could even talk.  My mom played it all the time and what I wouldn't give to have that album cover again... same goes with seeing my mom after her 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' themed Christmas wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and strummin' her new guitar.

(6:00 a.m.) You know, where you're really really hoping for something to happen... but it's not just wishful thinking.  It's like you "command it to happen"... no, that's not it.  "Wield it to happen" ...nope, doesn't make sense.  I'm pretty sure it starts with a "w" though. Anyway... I'm just gonna say it.  The last few days have been pretty *beep* (insert whatever word you like... though mine's a negative 10-4).  I think it's that time where it's the end of winter and to add injury to insult (or is it "insult to injury"?), it really IS *that time*... and you just need that one really incredible and ultra bright sunny day. Ugh... just checked the weather; gray skies, cloudy, windy and some PM showers. --------------------------------------- (8:30 a.m.) The above entry is what happens when you post and really have no business being awake yet.  Dutch Boy hollered in a whisper, down the hall to "

Am reposting this from my old blog...  Have had several people ask where it went and want the recipe again.  Here you go... Harvest Chicken Salad From the kitchen of Carol B. Salad 1 pkg. green leaf lettuce (or 1 small head) 1 pkg. romaine lettuce (or 1 small head) 1 c. sliced celery 4 green onions, sliced 1 avocado, diced 1 sm. can Mandarin oranges, drained (I use 'Clementines', freshly peeled and sectioned) 1 apple, diced 1/4 c. dried cranberries 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese 1/2 c. sliced, honey roasted almonds 3 chicken breasts - fried, grilled, roasted or poached Combine above ingredients, except chicken breasts. Dressing Whisk the following ingredients together: 1/2 c. oil 1/4 c. white wine vinegar 1 t. salt 1 t. pepper 2 T. chopped, fresh parsley Along with chicken breasts, toss dressing into salad. Enjoy...

The past few days I've been dreaming of Starbucks 'salted caramel hot chocolate', but as I've said several times on this blog lately, I'm off sugar, gluten (wheat)  and most dairy products.  So, I have to think up ways to sub some of our favorite things w/o all the extra calories and fat.  As far as the dreamy hot chocolate goes, this is what I came up with: (Makes 1 mug) Hot water 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli dark ground chocolate) 1 T. non-fat, non-dairy creamer Splash of sugar-free Torani caramel syrup Splash of sugar-free Torani vanilla syrup Couple of dashes of course sea salt Mix all together and YUM! *Drum roll... duh duh duh duh...  caloric intake: <50 freakin' calories!  It's by and far not as pretty as the pic, but my family said it was the best hot chocolate they'd ever tasted. Score one for me.  = D

Checking out the 'gluten free' aisles/shelves at all the stores lately and man is most of it $$$.  Oh well, nothing beats great health and feeling fantastic. Found the 'Riceworks' brand chips yesterday and although they don't differ much in calories from regular chips, they are made with brown rice and natural ingredients which leaves you feeling energized, instead of blah after eating them... just have to remember, "moderation in all things".  The 'Salsa Fresca' are to-die-for.... yummmmm.  Of course, I bought them in every flavor. Then, the other night at bookclub, my cute friend who was hosting had a tea party, since we'd read the book 'Major Pettigrew's Last Stand' (VERY English).  She went all out; cucumber sandwiches, biscuits, tarts, little cakes... so much fun.  Anyway. she served the most delicious herb tea... 'Tazo Rest Herbal Infusion' described as: A lulling blend of rose petals, valerian root and citrusy

 So, recently I removed wheat, sugar and (mostly) dairy from my diet.   Can I just say, I've NEVER EVER EVER felt better.   I've had some quiet/slow time for the past few days now,  so I've spent them searching everything on the web from health sites,  to blogs dedicated to these areas, to recipes... ANYTHING I can find.  So far, my fave sites are: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ http://www.elanaspantry.com/ http://glutenfreegirl.com/ & http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/gluten-free.php   (though we STILL don't have a 'Whole Foods' in Boise ... waaa waaa... apparently, there is one coming: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/07/1295046/whole-foods-boise-plan-revived.html ) The 'purely elizabeth' products sound deliciouso, but I'm not paying 8 bucks for a packaged mix that ONLY makes 24, freakin', mini... yes, mini ... muffins. This is one recipe I can't wait to try (raved about and forwarded to me by my friend Kristin

Sarah's latest fb status: shovels broken... i AM my fathers daughter.... new shovel :) March 8 · Like Unlike · Dina and Kristine like this. Elizabeth   Truer words were NEVER spoken... LOL!!! March 8 at 10:35am · Like Unlike Ally   Genius, Sari, absolute genius! Monday at 6:34pm · Like

  I know you love the Islands... but seriously, it's going on a  month a half and now ANOTHER tsunami warning?  Hopefully it  fizzles out before it gets there like last year... it'll be interesting  to see where you get evacuated to this time (I know your retreat to the  mall was heaps of fun... at least it was warm, dry and there was  loads of ice-cream... sounds like good times to me ;-D). Anyway, we love and miss you... <3 <3   Post from Dad around 2:00 pm our time on facebook : Chip   Thank you for your concern, but after we were evacuated last night (morning) @ 12:30-a, I had thrown blankets, pillows, beach towels, etc., in the back of the SUV. After finding a quiet spot, I made your mother a bed fit for Queen Victoria, said a prayer for our family, then I put her to sleep. She was so out of it, the car was filled with: ZZZZZZZZZZ's & then more: ZZZZZZZZ's. Now, we are back in our condo, unpacked again, and prepared for another

Since this blog seems to have replaced my journal, I'm about this close *pinches fingers* to setting it at private.  Can I just say that today has been a terrible horrible no good very bad crappy sucky icky *beep* day (I'm not apologizing for my lack of commas... live with it)... I'm ready for it to end.  I wish I were tired enough to go to bed, but along with taking care of oneself (eating right, keeping busy, always going) comes EXTRA energy.  So much for feeling so good... can't drown the out the bluck with sleep, chocolate, being a couch potato. Things could be worse^^^... they can ALWAYS be worse. I'm going shopping.

“It's spring fever....  You don't quite know   what it is you DO want,  but it just fairly makes  your heart ache,  you want it so!”   ~Mark Twain~    

Sarah... "who woulda known that all along my only true friends were actually my family <3 " Saturday August 7 at 10:39 am/facebook =D

http://grilledcheeseacademy.com/ Not that I can eat anything like this for the next six weeks...  Oh well, one can dream of wintry nights, cozy sweaters, tomato soup and one of these ^^ grilled heroes.  I'll keep this website in mind for next brrr season. *EDIT* [sigh] Did I really make a post about "cheese"?  Say it isn't so...  :-l

Get into the habit of completing these basic tasks daily. With just a few minutes’ work, you’ll easily be able to keep chaos at bay. □ Make the Bed Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you’ll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it. □ Manage Clutter Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn’t where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same. □ Sort the Mail Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing. □ Clean as You Cook Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal. □ Wipe Up Spills While They’re Fresh Whether it’s tomato

Wow... just ... wow .  Coming home from shopping with Ally tonight and what an incredible view!  Ally and I used about every exuberant adjective there is.  Ally started getting phone calls (my cell's STILL lost) and texts... "Can you see the sky?" "Have you looked out your window?" Anyway, so far the only pic I've found online is this one (which does NOTHING for what it really was... just one of those "guess you had to be there" kind of things): Ally tried to take a photo, but couldn't, and when I asked her again to please try, she said, "lets just enjoy it and hope it stays engraved in our minds".  Hehehe....

http://www.r-word.org/ The word 'retard(ed)' hurts millions of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.  Take the pledge and help promote the new R-word: Respect . An email I received from my cute cousin (and close enough to be a sister), Dana, who has a sweet boy, Michael, with Downs Syndrome: "I admit that I silently cringe every time I hear someone use the words “retard” and “retarded” to negatively describe someone or something extremely disagreeable or offensive.  In truth, Michael and those like him are diagnosed as mentally retarded, so to those who love and care for people who have intellectual disabilities, it feels like a swear word when used in a harsh and negative manner.  I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for those who are truly “retarded” for all they have sacrificed to give the rest of us “normal people” so many incredible opportunities for learning and growth in this life.  Maybe we can all encourage others and ourselves

  One of the most unique restaurants in Boise... a friend took me to dinner here for the first time a few years ago.  The food is delicious, fun and has an eclectic flair to go along with it's theme.  From the booths that slide around easily on wheels, the ancient car you can eat in and the weeds growing near the ceiling, to the sweet potato fries with out-of-this-world dipping sauce (found out it's sour cream mixed with brown sugar) and a plate piled high with 'Nasty Nachos'.... it's all a visit of funky ambiance and happy times.  I LOVE this place!  A big thanks to Ruth for the introduction.  Here's to many more visits over the years!   http://donniemacgrub.com/