He says we need a list of super foods.

"We need to start keeping a list of super foods," Ethan says. "What is a super food?" I asked. "You know, something that tastes good no matter what you do to it." So over the last few weeks, we have taken the task seriously.

Amid a pile of potato pancakes, we decided that potatoes are a super food. Roast them and the outside is crisp and the inside is creamy. Fry them in hot oil and they become an even better version of crisp and creamy. Then you dip them ketchup and it's a whole new experience. But what about boiled and mashed? Boiled, mashed and gently mingled with butter and heavy cream? Overwhelmed yet? We have just gotten started! Potato chips! Thinly sliced, fried, salted and sat next to a sandwich. Then you can have entire meal with a baked potato. Chewy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and then you embellish it in butter, salt and pepper and suffocate it in chili and cheddar cheese. All this and you can get a 5 lb bag of these beauties for under $2.

Potatoes are a super food, are they not?

After muddling over our first super food, we came upon another one a few days later. Bacon, glorious bacon. It makes anything taste richer, better and well, better. It never ceases to satisfy. Breakfast, next to eggs or even in them. Lunch, while getting cozy with bread, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes. Dinner, swirled into a tomato sauce. Then bacon shocks us all and shows off by tasting good with sweet. With chocolate in a candy bar! Who would have thought? Rubbed with brown sugar and then baked, yielding a surprising clique of sweet and salty. All in one bite, bacon is chewy, smoky, greasy and salty.

Bacon, a super food if I ever saw one.

We have now hit a dead end. Chocolate doesn't work because it's a combination of lots of different ingredients. Butter doesn't work because a super food entails being able to eat it plain. You can eat a potato or bacon plainly cooked, but not butter. So have we hit a dead end?

The Doldrums

My favorite books to read to Jack are anything Bill Peet. They are funny, sweet, creative stories and have great illustrations to go with them. The most recent one we read was "Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent" and it talked about the doldrums. Doldrums, a place in the ocean where there is no wind to blow the sails of a ship. The ship stands dormant until the wind comes. It could wait weeks for a wisp of anything. The ship's passengers can do nothing but wait. Wait, hoping they don't run out of food and water. Wait, while cabin fever brews.

And that is how January and February feel.

The snow is gray and ugly. The patches of grass that peek through are brown and dead. The children start asking when spring is going to come and you find yourself wondering the same thing. You have daydreams of lemonade, bicycles and fresh herbs. You wait and spring is months away. You wait, while cabin fever brews.


But last week, I decided to flip winter the bird. I made salsa that was so beautifully reminiscent of warmer days. And it was a double-fisted bird with the addition of mangoes and avocados. It was fresh, salty, acidic, sweet, creamy and dreamy. Cilantro is so underestimated in it's ability to brighten the most boring of days or even weeks.

Want some salsa? Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Black bean avocado salsa
Chipotle peach salsa
Cindy's avocado salsa
Mango salsa
Roasted tomatillo salsa

Thoughts on baby growing

I am 23 weeks pregnant with a baby girl. Did you know? I sure did, especially lately.

This pregnancy, like the other two, is uneventful. If there is anything I am good at, it's being pregnant. I only get sick for about a month and then after that it's smooth sailing. Having two other children to care for during the day doesn't give me much time to think about the fact that I am pregnant. But as it is getting harder to bend over to pick things up, I sure remember I am pregnant. Like if I bend over to pick up toys or socks, I feel like I am going to implode. My eyes feel like they are going to pop right out of my head. I truly cannot breath. My back hurts. Bending over is my reminder of being pregnant.

The end of the day is when I feel like I have been hit by a truck. My legs feel heavy when I climb up the stairs. My lower belly muscles are shot. My back feels stretched. And I happily peel off my Bella Band and my jeans and slip into my comfy pants. That is always the best part of the day.

I can feel my baby girl moving throughout the day. I feel her the most in the morning right as I wake up. If I am lucky enough to wake up before Jack summons me to get Van out of the crib, I can enjoy the first morning kicks and rolls in silence. She is starting to get big enough to where I can see her move if I stare at my stretch-marked belly long enough.

It is interesting to watch Ethan evolve as a dad with each pregnancy. With Jack, we had not idea what to expect. When he was born, Ethan was in love, but still apprehensive. With Van, he was nervous that he wouldn't love him as much as he loved Jack. But sure enough, he was just as enamored. With this baby, he is thrilled. He knows what to expect, he knows the late nights don't last and he knows he will love our baby girl just as much as his boys. I think a girl will be good for him. It will soften his rougher edges.

Amid the gaping stretch marks and uncomfortable sleep, I am profoundly grateful that I am able to get pregnant and be pregnant. In Relief Society a few Sundays ago, the teacher asked, "What shows you that God exists?" My answer was pregnancy. I do not know how you can be pregnant and not believe in a higher power. The way your body knows just what to do is amazing. As is your body knowing how to feed your new baby.

Pregnancy is a miracle and I am honored to have my body do what God created it to do.

Alton Brown minus 50 lbs.

Have you seen the "Good Eats" episode about Alton Brown's 50 lb weight loss? It is so interesting and I feel like I have seen it on a few times a week since the beginning of the year. In the episode, Alton talks about how he lost 50 lbs by following the food pyramid and increasing his physical activity. He gave himself a set of rules and guidelines to follow that would allow his body to have increased energy and operate more efficiently while cutting back on calories and fat. Here is a list of his rules.

Daily
-fruits
-whole grains
-leafy greens
-nuts
-carrots
-green tea

3 times a week
-oily fish
-yogurt
-broccoli
-sweet potato
-avocado

Once a week
-red meat
-pasta
-dessert
-alcohol

Never
-fast food
-soda
-processed meals/frozen dinners
-canned soup
-"diet" anything

Eat breakfast everyday, no matter what.

I thought this list was intriguing. It seems like a good outline to follow and easy to implement. After looking at the list and thinking about the things I eat, I can definitely make some improvements. Definitely more grains and nuts need to be added everyday. I happily can eat more yogurt and sweet potatoes. I don't mind not eating as much red meat and since I don't drink anyways, eliminating alcohol isn't hard. What I might be sad to see go is soda. I love a cold diet fizzy.

The fact of the matter is- these hips don't lie. Yes, these hips are about 5 months pregnant, but that just means that now more than ever, I need to be better about putting more leafy greens and nuts into my body instead of more Haagen Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

After reading through the list, what are your thoughts?

Relish Tray- Are we the only people that do this?

Every year my family has a relish tray at Thanksgiving. And it started with my mom's mom having it at their Thanksgiving every year. It's a platter of lots of cut veggies, all kinds of olives and pickles and a good dip to go with it. It sits on the counter and everyone eats throughout the food prep, after dinner and the next day. Ethan's family never does a relish tray and he thinks we are crazy. Are we?

Does anyone else have a relish tray at Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Delectables that adorned our trays this year- prepared by yours truly:
Celery
Carrots
Cucumbers
Grape tomatoes
Cauliflower
Green onions
Sugar snap peas
Radishes
Yellow bell pepper
Dill pickles
Sweet pickles
Pepperoncinis
Banana peppers
Black olives
Green olives
Marinated artichoke hearts

Isn't that a beautiful list? I hope that convinced you to add a relish tray to your holiday feasts if you haven't already.

Serial Satisfaction

Today, Giada made butternut squash risotto. It looked great, but she should have made Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

For dinner, I made red bell corn chowder. It was a creamy, sweet success, but I should have made Cinnamon Life if I wanted to be completely satisfied.

Ethan and my late night snack is usually ice cream. He likes Breyer's natural vanilla and I like busy ice cream, Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. But lately, my eyes have been opened. Cocoa Pebbles are where it's at.

For breakfast this morning, the boys had scrambled eggs, orange juice and grapes. Healthy and filling. But I started my day like a champion with Honey Nut Cheerios.

Do I eat nothing but cereal all day? Basically.

Cereal is my gestating thing. It is crunchy and sweet and then paired with cold skim moo juice. It requires zero prep. I can go from bent-in-half-begging-for-my-innards-to-stop-churning to fed and revived in less than 5 minutes. Nothing brings me consistent satisfaction like it. Serial cereal satisfaction. It puts pregnancy nausea at bay and tastes divine.

What's your favorite cereal?

Conflicted In-N-Out

I am struggling to interpret where my loyalties lie. I feel so conflicted and confused and I need some help sorting out my values.

Rumor has it that there will be an In-N-Out in Orem, UT. Yes, Utah. Does that seem like a problem for anyone else?

Where are they going to put the palm trees? They don't grow here in the Frozen North and what is In-N-Out without palm trees? Not In-N-Out.

What about the quality. Will it be compromised with it's distance from Baldwin Park?

What about my penchant for breaking the sabbath for late night In-N-Out? They probably won't even be open on Sundays.

My main concern is how it will become a fad. All the sudden it will be cool to wait in line for 2 hours for one of the first In-N-Out burgers. That isn't cool people, it's stupid.

I feel like I would be cheating on my beloved California if I patronized the In-N-Out in Orem. I was raised in Utah, but I was born in California and I spent the last 6 years there. I have loyalties. It just doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem respectful. As you can see, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that I have lived in Utah for almost a year. A year. A year. A year. (sigh) I am still holding onto my California residency for dear life.

So what are your thoughts? Am I being an idiot? Is there some validity to my conundrum?

"Julie and Julia", again.

I saw "Julie and Julia" again. I had wanted to take Ethan and show him and have him laugh in all the same parts as me. I just couldn't wait! Yesterday I told him that we were going on a date after the boys were in bed and Aunt Lauren was available. And then he told me that he had already seen it by himself the day before. And then my upper lip started twitching. It does that when I get really mad. I just couldn't stop my lip. And if Ethan saw it, he would have pointed it out and I would have gotten even madder. My lip could have twitched right off my face. So I covered my mouth and said, "I am so offended. You were supposed to see that with ME!" He told me to calm down and we decided to go anyways.

Boys bedded and off we were for some diet soda and overly-buttered, greasy, delicious popcorn. We did end up laughing in all the same parts and were delighted in Meryl being Julia. At the end of the movie, Julie Powell makes this divine creation of a duck stuffed with something wonderful and then wrapped in pastry and cooked. Ethan bent over and whispered, "You need to make that." And I said, "I would, but remember Van? You know, Son Two that takes everything apart. I just don't have time to make something like that." Ethan sadly agreed.

Poor me. I can't cook all day like Julie Powell or Julia Child. I would. I totally would. But my sweet boys keep me busy. I love them and every bit of them, but gosh, they are busy little fellows. So maybe someday. Maybe when my children have gone and gotten all big, I will have the time for fancy stuffed duck for my husband. But for now, I will be content with how things are now. You know, how Van is throwing the springform pan around and Jack is asking me to find his cowboy hat while I try and saute some onions and garlic. I am sure is sounds familiar.

Sticky Bumper

If I am going to put a bumper sticker on my car, it will take months for me to put it through my steps of consideration. Bumper stickers say a lot about a person. Like if I see a bumper sticker that says, "I only golf on days that end with a Y", I assume they are on their way to hit the front 9. If I see a bumper sticker that says "Bush Cheney 2000", I assume they hate President Obama. Then there was the guy that had one that said, "I'm not bald, it's a solar panel for a sex machine." In my perverted mind, he is a sex machine and is doing the ditty all the time. Bumper stickers say a lot about a person. That being said, here is what graces my red car's rear.


When I saw this one on Jennie's blog, I considered it. I made my sister buy it for me and then I let it sit on my dresser for 4 months. I had to let it soak in. And then I put it on my car. I get a lot of compliments and a lot of squinting from drivers behind me. They either laugh, drive by and look in my back seat or roll their eyes. But at least it's completely true. My ability to manufacture children is quite crafty.

What is so special about free-range, organic eggs?

We have been getting free-range, organic eggs from a farm down the street. They are the prettiest eggs I have ever seen. I always feel bad about using the green ones. They are just the loveliest shade of mint.

Living in a world where eggs are mass-produced and identical, one can easily be skeptical of "those brown eggs". I am here to clear the smoke.

What does free-range mean?
It means that the chickens roam their "home home on the range". They aren't kept in tight quarters with other chickens. That means less chance of them eating chicken poop. They can do what all chickens want to do and peck at the ground aimlessly.

What about organic? What makes eggs organic?
The chickens are fed whole chicken feed. They are not eating anything genetically altered. The ladies consume what they were designed to consume. No funky ingredients, no mystery meal.

What do free-range, organic eggs taste like?
The same as regular eggs, but with a fresher taste. How to describe "fresher taste"? Not sure, just trust me. Anyways, the yolk is more orange, but they are the same otherwise. I have noticed with the free-range organics, Van does get a little red around the mouth and he doesn't with regular eggs. So maybe the lack of antibiotics in the organic eggs makes him more susceptible to an allergic reaction? Maybe. But the redness goes away quickly so I am not worried.

Why buy free-range, organic eggs?
If you are buying free-range, organic eggs, you are mostly likely buying local. Buying local is a good habit to get into. Support your local farmers so they don't have to stop doing what they are doing.

I should probably credit the sources of my research, but I can't remember them. Probably a little Wiki and some other places. Sorry.

Some valuable information for mom bloggers

I thought it would be valuable for you mommy bloggers out there to know what people are Googling.

I have a Sitemeter attached to my blog. It tracks my hits, page views and referrals. And with the referrals, I can see where my hits are coming from.

Awhile back, I kept being linked to Google searches that were saying things like, "pictures of naked children" or "pictures of moms and naked children". The blog post it was being linked to was a picture of Jack sitting in the kitchen sink and I had written, "As a mommy blogger, I don't like to post naked pictures of my kids." That sentence was enough to be picked up my Google and used in a search for pictures of naked kids.

So as a tip, don't use the words "naked children" or anything like that in your blog. You will get crazies looking at your children.

Wow, I'm a mom

Brothers they be.

Do you ever have days where you say to yourself, "Wow, I'm a mom." It's those days when everything seems to go wrong at the same time and you find yourself knee deep in it. I have had a few of those days. And unfortunately, they always seem to involve baby bowel movements.

On Sunday, I had a "Wow, I'm a mom" day. First, Van had a major explosion all over his crib. I found myself washing, scrubbing, bathing and opening windows for fresh air. It seemed to catch me off guard, as most "Wow, I'm a mom" moments do.

Then after church, Jack's teacher had to pull Ethan aside and explain to him how wretched our child has been for months. I had been living in some separate dimension thinking he was singing and listening as he should. So on Sunday night, I found myself marching my little 4 year old up to his teacher's house so he could apologize for his poor conduct and leave her with a promise of better behavior. As we drove away, I kept thinking, "Wow, I'm a mom".

Do you ever have days like that? I find them valuable. They keep me on my guard and remind me to stay on my toes. Just when I think we are settling into a groove, we get a little jolt and hopefully someday, we can look back and laugh.

Sidenote: Advise needed. Van has this rash around his mouth from it being wet all the time because he chews on everything. Any tips on how to get rid of it?

New Eggies and Popsicles

Last week, Jack woke up and there was snow outside. He said to me, "Mom, I hate winter and I hate snow. I love spring, I love sun and I love Jesus."

I love Jesus too. And sun. I love driving with the windows down, while Van's blond hairs blow in the wind. I love pushing Van on the swings at the park. I don't love telling Jack to stop throwing bark at all the kids on the playground.

Today I have a new niece being born. Like right as I type this. When I go to Southern California in June, I will meet this new niece and another one. I hate that I am not there. Usually, I would have Ethan take the boys so I could go to the hospital and wait. But I very well cannot do that while I am two states away. Boo.

Besides today being New Niece Day, it is also Help Sister Clean Day. I have some sisters I owe favors to and one is cashing in today. I am actually excited to help her. She was incredible when I was moving and I want to be incredible while she is moving.

Today I am also going to try some of the popsicles I made yesterday. Popsicle Week is coming up and I made most of them yesterday. Last night I tried the Oreo chocolate pudding pop. Swell, that one was. I think for breakfast, I will have a strawberries n' cream popsicle.

Well, off to feed to children breakfast. No popsicles for them. It will probably be scrambled eggs. Jack calls them "new eggies" because I hadn't made eggs scrambled in a while and then when I did again, he would say they were the new eggs. Makes sense to me.

Creating

Do you read Design Mom? I don't think anyone doesn't. Her Guest Mom this last week was Amy Smart. On her last day, she posted about creating something, anything. She creates things with her sewing machine and they are lovely. While I read that post, I was reminded of a talk (a.k.a. sermon) by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a very compelling talk for women all around the world. Click here for a little video of the highlights of the talk. Very inspiring. I hope it will change the way you feel about your influence to those around you.

Reading Amy's post and watching that video again got me thinking. Thinking about creating and what it does for me. What do I create? I create in the kitchen. I create dinner for my family. I create a snack for a hungry toddler. I create a chocolate cake for someone's birthday. I create dinner for a family with a new baby. I even create a warm bottle for a fussy baby. Getting into the kitchen does a lot for me. I get excited to develop a new recipe and have my family try it out. The kitchen is familiar to me and I am able to create and be inspired.

For some, the kitchen might not be a familiar place. But maybe the familiar place is outside in the garden among the tomatoes and the zucchini. Maybe you are familiar with being behind the lens of your camera. Maybe familiarity lies with sewing your daughters new Sunday dress or being behind a canvas with a paint brush. Wherever familiarity meets creativity, let it make a home in your heart.

I think it is vital that we as women do not compare our creative abilities. While some can sing beautifully, I most definitely cannot. But I don't let that get me down. There are so many creative and able women out there. Each has their aptitude for certain things, just like me. I am profoundly grateful that I have found my aptitude that gives me an outlet.

Creating something doesn't have to be a hobby. In fact, I am creating all day. I create an organized sock drawer for my husband. I create a comfy, warm spot for my son to watch a movie. I create a song to sing to my baby to occupy him while I change his diaper. I create an outing for me and my boys. I am creating all day and trying to remember to do it with care and flare.

So create. Make something that benefits you and those around you. Uplift and inspire with your talents. Don't listen to that little naysayer inside of you.

To blog about or not to blog about

Today I'm talking about blogging. I promise I will get back to food. I have some seriously awesome food coming soon. But for now, let's talk about what it is we do.

There are a few blogging questions I ask myself periodically.

1. What should I blog about?

2. How much info should I throw out there?

3. Should I use my family's real names?

I have ask myself these questions so that I stay on course. It is easy to sway back and forth as you cruise through blog world. Consistency is on my Top Ten All-Time Favorite Things List, so I ask myself these questions.

My blog genre is food so I have to stick to the subject matter. Occasionally, I get off course but I mostly don't.

How much info should I let others in on? This is definitely a troubling one for me. Like the sweet stories about my children. Should I let everyone know stories I hold dear to my heart? What about my husband? Do I talk about our relationship and put it out there for others to read? For the most part, I do not. There are memories about my children and my husband that are all mine and I don't want to share. They are kind of sacred. So I keep them to myself.

photo by Ashley Thalman

As for my family's name, that one was easy for me. I use our real names because I just love them. I want people to know I picked cool names for my kids, because I am prideful and showy like that. Jack's name is special. He is named after his Grandpa Jack, Great Grandpa Jack and Great Great Grandpa Jack. So cool. And Van's name was one we never questioned ourselves using. We always loved that name because it is cool, old school and no one else has it. I also use Ethan's real name because not too many adults are named Ethan and I think that's unique. And I use my real name because I like it too. I am proud that I like my name because not everyone does. I would tell you the names of my future children, but then you might steal those names from me and then I would have to hate you. And I don't want to hate you.

So let me know how you roll. What is your take on these questions?

Six

Six years ago on this very day.

In sunny Los Angeles, California.

It rained the entire week and then on my day, it didn't.

Click here ------>

I know there are a bunch of people that read this here blog by the light of the glow of Google Reader. I do that with almost every blog I read regularly. It is just plain efficient. I think highly of those who do that. I think they run a stream-lined life. Organized even.

But Google Readerites, your stream-linedness is causing you to miss out on my glorious blog and how adorable it is. You are just not getting the full effect. Yes, I am coming out with it, my blog is beautiful. Call me prideful, but you are dumb. Just look at it! It is a work of art! A happy medium of function and form!

If you are a Google Reader of my blog, you don't know that my look has changed in honor of St. Valentine. So click that little arrow next to the title of this post and go see how charming I am. Simply adorable.

Thank Megan.

Plugging Link

I have two links to plug.

Did you know I am now a published author? I want the world to know. It takes my pride levels to a new high. Click here for the new blog book "Something Cleverish", benefiting Stephanie Nielson.

Is your blog ugly? Mine isn't, because of Megan of Knuckleheaders. She isn't some hack graphic designer. Did you know she is my sister? Amazing huh? Entertainment is reading her blog and enjoying how outspoken she is. Then the other fun part is reading uptight people's comments. Some people need to loosen up a bit.

She isn't that bold in real life. In real life, she is quiet, reserved and doesn't have an opinion on anything. She actually has five kids and she does cloth diapers. And she eats LOTS of meat. It's actually all she eats. We can't get her to stop.

I love you Megan Magillicutty.

And his name shall be...

Let it be known far and wide that I do not ever want pets.

With that being said, I can now tell you that divorce is on the table if we never get a Labrador. Yes, Ethan will throw in the towel if I renege on my promise to be cool about our family having a dog just like he did when he was a kid. His last dog was Black Jack and he was murdered. Okay, he wasn't murdered. He was put down because he was dying anyways. But Ethan still claims he was murdered because Black Jack didn't want to die.

I see a dog as just another child that needs to be fed and cleaned up after. As far as I am concerned, I already have two dogs, Jack and Van. And Van isn't even house-trained yet.

Although I hate the idea of a dog, I know it is inevitable and I need to start getting used to it now. While we wait for the time to get a Labrador, we are constantly on the lookout for dog names. Here are a few from over the years.

Danny Zucko
Bobby Kick (Jack's first imaginary friend)
Dude (the most recent one)
Pork Chop (my favorite)
Solomon
Brian

I think that since I am the one who doesn't like dogs, I should get to choose the name, right? See, I knew you would agree.

I am posting this earlier in the week and just scheduling it. On Christmas Day, I am not blogging. I am opening toys and installing batteries. I am eating Christmas morning scones and candied bacon. I am also sledding. But most of all, today I am celebrating the birth of my brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. How am I celebrating? Mostly by reflecting.

I have had the wonderful opportunity of having two beautiful, healthy boys. Labor and delivery is a rough process, but the result is a miracle of your own brand. Bringing a child into this world is something I put on my list of favorite things. I truly love bearing and delivering a child.

During the Christmas season, I often think of Mary and her own pregnancy and delivery. Did she have morning sickness? What helped her bear the pain of contractions? Did she get really chatty after delivery like I do? How was that first night with her new bundle?

When I had Van, my first night with him was one of the most magical experiences of my life. The nurses respected my experience as a second-time mom so they left me alone. And no one slept at the hospital with me. So all night, I stared at Van. I nursed him and stared and didn't have to share him with anyone. I remember being so thankful for him and this moment we were able to have. It was a time that I was able to feel so peaceful and calm. It was a time I felt the presence of the Holy Ghost so strongly.

I can imagine that Mary's first night with her baby was very similar. Peaceful, calm and sweet. As she stroked His head and nursed Him, I wonder if she knew of His future. What a special night that must of been for her.

I hope that you are able to reflect as I do. May you and yours enjoy this day and remember the perfect infant we celebrate.