Read these old Posts!

Most of my blog is about cooking or photography. If you are new to viewing my blog, I thought I'd highlight some posts and favorite recipes. Note the link to the left called "Previously Posted Recipes". I have captured most recipes in this link which I have mentioned on my blog.

I'm all in the mood to cook some fresh, spicy, and/or flavorful foods since winter is mostly behind us, so here are some of my favorites:

Simple
Island Rice (Cooking Light)
Asian Barbeque Chicken (pairs VERY well with Island Rice)
Green Bean Salad with Mint Vinaigrette - Northwest Best Places Cookbook
Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes - Real Simple
Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup - Giada De Laurentiis

In Between
Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing - CL
Arugula, Roasted Tomato, and Goat Cheese Salad - CL
Chipotle Sweet Mashed Potatoes - CL

More Involved
Crunchy Shrimp with Toasted Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce - This was the Grand Prize winner and Entree Category winner from the 2006 Cooking Light Reader Receipe Contest. I can't wait to make this for Ryan!
Ancho-And-Coffee-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Ancho-Mushroom Sauce - Bobby Flay

There Is No More Cheese

It's usually a little sad when I use up the last of our supply of Tillamook Cheese. What's this cheese, you say? It's made in the coastal town of Tillamook, Oregon and growing up, we'd always get a 2lb loaf of "Oregon Cheese" from my grandparents in our Christmas box that came in the mail. Not only are we fond of it because it's from Oregon, but it's also a highly rated cheese for it's quality and taste (which I didn't appreciate as a child for obvious reasons: it was just CHEESE!!!). As an adult, I certainly appreciate it more, but I can't get it here in Pittsburgh without paying an arm and a leg for an itty bitty block at Giant Eagle. Tillamook ice cream, by the way, is the best I've ever tasted.

These days, since I only get it from Oregon, having Tillamook Cheese in our home means that I saw my family recently, either because I was there or they were here, ever since they moved more than a year ago to Oregon. My mom generously brought me not one, but TWO baby loaves of Sharp Cheddar Cheese when they came for our wedding about two months ago. We just finished up the last of the cheese last week.

At this point, the next time we'll have any Oregon cheese is when we visit my family over Labor Day. Labor Day! It's so far away!! Mom, can you send some more before it gets too warm to mail it? :) We miss you guys too, not just the cheese.

Photo from company website

Birthday Cake

Ryan requested that I make the Double Chocolate Torte for his birthday next month. He really enjoyed it last year, and I even went as far as freezing a couple slices for him to take to his family in Kansas. It went over EXTREMELY well, and I think I became part of the family at that point. I laced it with "We really like Alicia" dust.

For this year, I am happy to delight my husband this way, and I have no one to impress (and I really didn't back then either). I am very thankful to have a husband who loves chocolate like I do :).

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

I added a funny blog to my Google Reader feed. I haven't viewed all the posts to determine if there is questionable content, but the posts from the last few days have been humorous. You can get the jist of it just from the title: The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks.

Vaccines: Recent News

Excerpts from the National Vaccine Information Center this week:

"After nearly three decades of resisting public calls from parents of vaccine injured children for a formal investigation into vaccine safety, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has established the National Vaccine Advisory Committee Working Group on Vaccine Safety to review a scientific research agenda proposed by DHHS."

"Another panel participant, Peter Bell, of Autism Speaks, described his son's regression into autism. While making it clear he is strongly pro-vaccine, Peter gave an eloquent plea for credible scientific research into vaccine safety issues and asked Committee members and government officials to "not demonize parents who are asking questions and searching for answers" to outstanding questions about vaccine risks."

"SafeMinds board member Jim Moody, JD, commented that a lack of credible scientific studies demonstrating vaccine safety makes the application of one-size-fits-all vaccine policies on the entire child population an uncontrolled "scientific experiment."

"Only time will tell if the meeting on Capitol Hill last Friday was for real or for show. Three decades is long enough to wait for government to listen to the people and take action to find out the truth about vaccine risks so every child in America has the opportunity to grow up healthy."

It's my understanding that three decades is also how much time passed after the first studies came out (1939) about smoking for the government to start issuing warnings on cigarette packages that smoking "may" be harmful to your health (1969).

Vaccines: Article

Cluster of "SIDS" deaths in north Idaho prompt parents to blame vaccines; doctors, government deny vaccine link

The deaths of three infants in Coeur d'Alene in September and October, 2007, within a few days of their four- month vaccines, prompted one of the mothers to fight back.

By Ingri Cassel
Frontpage story

Shelly Walker's heart wrenching story made the front page of The Spokesman-Review newspaper on December 22, 2007, with the provocative headline, "Did vaccines kill?"

The headline shook up many residents here as they prepared for Christmas with their families. The story highlighted Shelly's shock when she discovered her son Vance in his crib unresponsive and limp. Blood was crusted under his eyes and a bloody foam was coming from his mouth onto the blanket lying beside him.The following is from The Spokesman-Review story:

"My baby was so healthy," said Shelly Walker, 39, of Hayden. "He was extremely full of life, energy and vitality.

"In the early morning of Sept. 15, less than three days after Vance Vernon Walker received a round of vaccines at Lakeside Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in Coeur d'Alene, his mother awoke to a parent's worst nightmare. "It was about 5:15 a.m. I woke up and thought, 'He's not making any noise!' " Walker recalled. "I went to pick him up and then I screamed.

"Her 16 1/2-pound boy was warm and his lips were still pink, but he wasn't moving. Blood was crusted beneath his eyes and his clothes and toys were covered with a bloody froth. As her husband, Brian, 46, called 911, Walker worked frantically to resuscitate their child. But in the emergency room at Kootenai Medical Center, doctors said Vance had been dead for several hours."

Read the rest of the article here.

Vaccines 3: CDC Schedule

Background to this post
Resources I'm using (plus others that I will link)

Below is a link to a chart comparing vaccinations today versus in 1983. Those in my generation should keep in mind that it's not the same as when we were kids and received vaccinations. And even then, I do not believe they were very safe when we were kids because vaccines contained the preservative thimerosal during that time. Thimerosal's content is half mercury, and there was enough of an outcry in the 90s that thimerosal was removed from most vaccines...eventually (the existing shots with mercury were still administered until they were gone...hel-LO it's a poison...they should have been destroyed, not injected into kids!!). Some vaccines still contain toxic levels of thimerosal today (adult flu shots and tetanus) and I'll post about that and more about mercury later. Regardless of what is or is not contained in preservatives today, we are concerned about the vaccinations themselves (frequency, age given, necessity, etc).

Looking around at how many people I know who have immune system problems, I wonder about volume of issues (allergies, asthma, fatigue, arthritis, gluten allergies & celiacs) in adults today. While I am not ready to say, yes, these are caused by such and such (because I don't know), I do not believe it is all attributable to "greater capabilities to diagnose and learn". Take mercury poisoning from dental fillings - it's fairly widely known (I think) that the mercury in fillings can slowly poison people. In a couple cases of people I know, much relief was found by purging the body of mercury that had been built up over time (often from dental fillings) and had been slowly, daily, released into the blood stream. There has been a surge of poor health in recent years and I wonder how much, if any, can be attributed to childhood vaccines, resulting in a compromised immune system. Maybe the vaccines alone were handled OK by the body, but other factors hindered the body from resisting the effects. I believe there are other factors such as food and environment too.

Now for the chart. Here are the vaccines given today compared to vaccines given in 1983. Note the increase: there were 10 vaccine events in 1983 by the age of 6, and there are now 36. Looking at the chart, in 2007, at two months of age, an infant is injected with the following vaccines in one office visit:

1. Diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (DTaP)
   
2. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV),
3. Polio (IPV)
4. Rotavirus
5. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

Here is a color layout 2008 schedule from the CDC itself.

This totals 7 inoculations given in 5 injections. Thinking about that makes us uneasy, and we wonder what that does to a two-month old. We are looking at each vaccine and the related disease and will post here about them. Keep in mind how long it takes the government to finally admit something isn't safe when you look at their recommended schedule and their assertion that vaccines are safe and not harmful. They are just beginning to take the concerns of parents more seriously and conduct studies. Many studies in the past were promised, but not conducted. The studies will take years to complete. Don't wait for that. Take a look around now at the facts about vaccines and also growing number of testimonies of parent after parent who now have a vaccine injured child and trusted the word of their doctors to proceed with vaccinations. We certainly do not wish to tell you what to do or not do. We encourage you to look at this subject and consider the issue of vaccine safety for your children (or future children). We may look at the same research and draw different conclusions - I just want to put the information out there.

Books?

What books are you reading or wanting to read right now? I have several checked out from the library:

Supreme Conflict - started the other night
Thirteenth Tale - haven't started
Going Gray - 1/3 read
Omnivore's Dilemma - picking up from library today
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations - a couple chapters in

I chose the first four books from Catherine's year-end favorite books post.

Ryan and I started reading the Narnia books to each other a few months ago and need to pull them out again. However, instead of reading on Friday, it was pretty fun to kill each other at Monopoly. I won the second game with over $47 million. We have the new version of Monopoly with modern properties, and it was fun.

Great Sale on Makeup

UPDATE: I've read online that this company is a scam and never ships their products. I place an order last week and am now skeptical and advise not ordering anything.

I read about a great sale going on at E.L.F. makeup. The company was bought by Nordstrom so many ELF labeled products are listed at $1. She also gave a coupon code (CAROLINA) for $7.50 off your first purchase of $15 or more, which ends up covering shipping costs.

Some things I saw for $1:

• Eyelash curler
• Travel mirror
• Pressed Powder
• Blush
• Nail polish
• Nail files
• Brushes

There are MANY more products for $1. Check it out and save!

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

It seems morbid and sad to post about this service, but I know it could possibly help someone: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a volunteer photography organization that provides professional photography to families facing infant bereavement, free of charge. I saw it mentioned on the blog of a family who lost their baby daughter hours after her birth last week (the father is a member of the Christian band Selah). They knew at 20 weeks that she likely would not live after birth, and they continued the pregnancy with trust in the Lord for His providence. (Read their story here).

I hope you will never need this service but want to mention this group in the event that someone you know could benefit from it. There are photographers all throughout the country who do this on top of their regular, paid business. I read a great deal of the website and appreciate their approach to capturing those precious moments after birth when a baby is not expected to live. Testimonials state that having the pictures helped them grieve and remember their child. The pictures are softer and warmer than the point-and-shoot or Polaroid photos taken by hospital staff and are more representative of the precious baby they remember.

Image from organization website.

Splurges

What do you "indulge" in? Especially if you work to be frugal and live on a budget - do you occasionally splurge? On what?

Ryan and I have made a tight budget for ourselves so that we're saving about 36% of our take-home pay every month. There are some things, however, that I love to buy, such as All-Clad stainless steel cookware & Le Creuset cast iron cookware. I don't buy these items very often either but have tried to obtain some classic, versatile pieces over the years. I often find it for less than full price, either with a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon or buying from eBay. I know they will last a very long time and are high quality brands. Ryan and I just used some wedding money to buy this beautiful 8-Qt. Stockpot, new from eBay. It ended up being about $110 lower than the full retail price after shipping. There is an All-Clad seconds sale coming up in a couple months at the factory south of Pittsburgh. Instead of buying a couple other items from our wedding registry at BB&B, I hope to find the pieces at the sale.

We also both love Starbucks Iced Mochas but usually use our blow money on them. It's nice that we save in many areas such as cutting Ryan's hair at home, CVS shopping, selling items on eBay and amazon, taking time to look through grocery store ads, using the envelope system, among other things.

What about you? What items do you really like buying?

Vaccines 2: Books and Sources

These have been recommended to me.

BOOKS

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What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations (Currently Reading)
By Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.R

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
By Robert Sears

Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives
By Aviva Jill Romm



WEBSITES

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Think Twice
National Vaccine Information Center
Vaccination Information & Choice Network
Generation Rescue

Pittsburgh!

This list was featured in the paper last year with articles surrounding the All-Star game.

Top 6 Things Pittsburghers apologize for in advance:

1) The Pittsburgh Left- If the first car in the opposing lane of traffic has its left-turn signal blinking, be careful. As soon as the light turns green, the driver likely will try to streak through the intersection before you do. Pittsburghers are, for the most part, wonderful people, but they can be awful drivers. [GUILTY!]

2) Liquor stores and beer distributors - You can't buy beer at liquor stores, you can't buy liquor from beer distributors and you can't buy any alcoholic beverage at a grocery store. Beer distributors are privately owned, but they're not allowed to sell you anything smaller than a case. And even though liquor stores are owned by the state, the state still charges an 18 percent tax on liquor. BYOB.

3) Road layout - The geography around here doesn't allow for a grid, but clearly the city planners could have done better than this. Streets seem to stop randomly or, worse yet, turn into a concrete staircase before continuing a block or two later as if this was completely normal behavior for a road. Right angle intersections are precious commodities, and roads have two or three names each, but that doesn't matter because they're often not marked.

4) Pittsburghers' casual relationship with stop signs, speed limits and turn signals - This comes from years of driving under the conditions explained above. It's sort of a passive-aggressive rebellion -- since they can't defy the roads, they defy the rules.

5) Directions from natives who use landmarks you only know if you live here - Nearly everyone who lives in Pittsburgh was born here. Not knowing the location of Gateway Center is as alien to them as not knowing where the sun is. Also, some residents take pride in having spent a lifetime learning the road system, and this sort of thing is their only chance to show it off.

6) Parking prices - Pittsburgh's 50 percent parking tax, increased two years ago when the city went broke, is by far the highest in the nation. When you pay your parking tab, think of it as a lesson in civic engagement -- when you go home, you'll know what happens if you let your local leaders spend every dime in the city's bank account.

---

For any of you who visit or used to live in Pittsburgh...can you identify?

Chefs Catalog Free Shipping

Today and tomorrow only, you can get free shipping on any sized order at ChefsCatalog.com using this link. If you have never shopped there, they have an AWESOME selection of kitchen items. There are items you can't find at BB&B, and items that are cheaper than Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table.

We're looking to replace our digital thermometer (maybe with this one?) and may take advantage of this offer. Check out their extensive array of sale items. You can narrow down easily by price or category. This $10 egg plate is pretty and holds more eggs than most egg plates I've seen.

Mother's Day is next month!

Item pictured: Ceramic bowls

Vaccines 1: Intro

A few years ago, I heard that a mother of six typically opted out of some vaccinations for her children and spaced the shots over time. I also recall reading on a message board that a woman was checking out pediatricians for her unborn child, and she asked about vaccinations. The Dr. rattled off something about how the CDC recommends shots at such and such an age, etc. The mother was going to accept the Dr.'s opinion at that but decided to ask the Dr. what she did for her own children. "Well, I skip this one and space these two out..." or something along those lines - it wasn't what the CDC recommended or mandated. It was intriguing.

Fast forward to the present day. Ryan and I would like to have children someday, and I recall hearing about vaccines a little more recently. If we have children and we do nothing besides what the doctor's office routinely administers based on CDC policy,

• What injections will our children receive?
  
• What are they?
  
• Why are they given?
  
• How many diseases are contained in the shots?
  
• What are the side effects?
  
• What warrants each vaccination?
  
• Is there a neurological or developmental affect on the child from the shots?
  
• What are the dangers of the diseases themselves if they are contracted?

I was struck with the need to look into this more and do some research and decide if we would refuse or put off some vaccinations for our children. I've done some reading online, have talked to some friends who have done careful research, and I am reading a couple of books (this and this). There can be too much information on the Internet, and there can also be false information. I hope Ryan and I will be able to make the right decision for what we will do in our family. So far, if we had to draw a line in the sand, we are leaning towards selective vaccination and are not against all vaccinations. In short, what is "recommended" seems to be too many, too soon.

My intent is to blog periodically about what I learn, and there is a two-fold purpose for it. I'd like to sort my own findings and thoughts as Ryan and I work through this, and I'd also like to provide that information to encourage those who read my blog who have young children or may have children someday to consider their understanding of vaccines. I wondered at one point if it was too "early" to look into this since we are not parents-to-be, but I don't believe it is. We'll need to make this decision someday, and I have resources now which can help us. This can be a sensitive subject and I don't intend to tell you what decision to make regarding your family. I will probably ask a lot questions and leave many unanswered, mainly to raise them for consideration. We are looking at this from a Christian perspective, that our kids will be entrusted to us by the Lord but belong to Him, that God has redeemed us unto salvation and gives us wisdom to make decisions.

Stay tuned.

Photo credit.

Farm Share

Ryan and I are thinking about joining a local farm share this summer. It goes into the fall and you can get either weekly or bi-weekly shares of fresh produce. We'd choose the bi-weekly share and get 8-9 varieties of fresh produce every two weeks. I think it will help to increase our vegetable intake!

The farm we are considering is the Dillner Family Farm. I've been interested in this for a little while and was glad to find one fairly close to where we live. We're looking forward to having very fresh produce which will last longer than grocery store produce. The Farm is a CSA farm (community sustainable agriculture). We'd pick up our [already washed] food every two weeks on Tuesday afternoons. There are some friends from church who are doing this farm share too, so maybe something can be coordinated for the pick-up.

This will be a great move for us if we:

1. Eat all the food and don't let any/too much go to waste.
   
2. Lower our regular food budget by the amount per week by the weekly cost (paid up front): $14 a week.

I hope we like everything that comes in the share. Looking at the harvest calendar, I don't care for beets and eggplant, and neither does Ryan. I like almost everything else though and could surely make do with what we don't like. Ryan will become giddy over the sweet corn, especially if we make it with Chili Lime Butter (I always work LIME in somehow....I know, I know!!).

Have you tried something like this or are you considering it? Do you like LIMES? lol.

Dear Deer

This deer has a floppy ear and I can't quite tell what is up. I don't usually get very good close-ups of deer, but the second one turned out well.

Bobby Flay's Pork

The recipe I mentioned last week was a hit!! Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Guava Glaze and Orange-Habanero Mojo is full of heat and flavor. Instead of making it with Island Rice, we had Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and it was the perfect accompaniment. My mom also made the pork and enjoyed it.

Additional notes: I used guava jelly which I found at Giant Eagle. The brand is Crosse & Blackwell with a jar like this. The price was about $3.59. I also brined the pork tenderloin which is my standard practice, and it involves submerging the trimmed tenderloins in a solution of 4 cups water, 3 Tbs Kosher Salt and 3/4 cup sugar, for at least 45 minutes. We cook our tenderloins to 145 degrees and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting. The interior should be a light pink for optimal tenderness.

---

We also greatly enjoyed another new recipe, Thai Chicken Saute, which we had with Island Rice. That also was the perfect side dish. According to previous recipe reviewers, I halved the chili sauce. The resulting heat level was ideal for me, and Ryan added a few extra drops to his own dinner. In addition, I added snow peas with the onions, and it rounded out the meal really well. I found the Sriracha sauce at Target for $3 or so.

Two Things

Two foods I greatly enjoy are Iced Peppermint Mochas (Iced Double Tall Nonfat 2-Pump Peppermint Mocha, no whip) and Chili N Lime Almonds. Together? Not so much.

If you like Starbucks or another coffee shop (even if it is your house), what is your favorite drink?

Also, money Saving Mom posted about her favorite frugal blogs. Check it out.

Lastly, ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

Equipment Corner

America's Test Kitchen has a lot of free content on their website, including equipment reviews. They are really interesting to read if you are keen on cooking or kitchen things(especially when the product you currently own comes out on top!). You may need to register with an email address, but it is free.

Go here to see free current season equipment reviews. I was intrigued by the test results of baking/cooking sprays.

There are also recipe tests for free, here, including:

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Green Beans
• Kansas City BBQ Sauce

Lastly, the Science Desk is also interesting. "What Happens to Alcohol in Stews?" was intriguing.

Picture Post (10)

Anne's son

My sister-in-law, Lori

Steps at The Plaza in Kansas City, MO.

More cool tile at The Plaza

Reflections (with Lisa and Ryan)

March madness

My sister-in-law Liana

The sky really was falling. Or so Ryan said.

Lastly, my husband and his blue, blue eyes

Yams or Sweet Potatoes?

I purchased yams last week to make Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I became curious about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams; I figured there was some sort of variance but never really knew what it was. From what I found online, what I bought last week were not actually true yams but sweet potatoes. These two "flowering plants" are not related botanically, and most stores sell a variety of or two of sweet potatoes, with one of the varieties being tagged as a yam. The terms are often used interchangeably, but yams are less common in the US than sweet potatoes. Apparently, the USDA requires that produce labeled "yams" must also have "sweet potatoes" on the label.

A summary of the description of yams:

• starchy in taste, like a baking potato
• dry in texture
• the skin a brownish, almost black color
  
• non-tapered ends
  
• the flesh is usually off-white
• requires a year of frost-free weather before harvest
• most commonly available in ethnic markets
• Yam Dioscorea Species
  

A summary of the description of Sweet potatoes:

• sweet in taste
  
• more moist in texture
  
• can have a skin that is thin and smooth
  
• can have a yellow or orange flesh and can have slightly tapered ends
• requires 100 to 150 days to harvest
• some varieties remain firm when cooked; some soften. It is the soft variety that is often sold as a yam in the US.
• Scientific name: Ipomoea batatas

The potato in the second picture, based on the above descriptions, is a sweet potato. That is what I purchased last week from a bin that said "Yams $.99/lb."

In conclusion, you are most likely buying sweet potatoes at a typical grocery store, even if they are labeled yams. It seems not all stores adhere to the requirement to include the label "sweet potatoes" with the yam label. Or, I just missed that part when shopping.

An aside: I was doing internet searches for information and came across this picture on flickr that I think is captioned incorrectly. Someone also left a comment saying so, and I found the pictures above from the link in the comment. I believe the commentor is correct in saying the potato on the left in the photo is not a sweet potato but a yam.

Recent Recipes

Moroccan Chicken Thighs: These were very good. I almost substituted chicken breasts but decided to stick with thighs and was glad. It's a flavorful meal, and based on the reviews, I decided to up the spices by half. We ate it with plain couscous, and it yielded three meals for us over the course of the week. Picture from Cooking Light.

White Bean & Tuna Salad: This is a quick, healthy, zippy recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis. We had it last night for dinner along with an oldie but goodie, Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter.

Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce: This is also a recipe from Giada. I made it last minute one evening since I had everything on hand, and we both liked it. I froze the remaining sauce.

I'd like to try the following two recipes sometime soon:

• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Guava Glaze & Orange-Habanero Mojo by Bobby Flay. I think my favorite rice dish, Island Rice, would pair very well with this dish.
• Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Mango Basil Salsa & Lime Jasmine Rice. His rice recipe is very similar to Island Rice except the liquid is less (maybe because it's Jasmine rice?) and there is no pineapple. I'm sure it's still very good.
  

Lime 'N Chili Almonds

Ryan and I have recently been hooked on the delicious Lime 'n Chili Almonds from Blue Diamond. In fact, I might buy case of 6 from amazon since the per unit price is about $2.69. I would like to compare the Target price first. There are also other bold flavors such as Jalepeno Smokehouse, Wasabi & Soy Sauce, and Maui Onion 'n Garlic. They also have Salt & Vinegar which might be really good if you like salt and vinegar potato chips (I do).

The nuts have a great kick, and if you let them sit in your mouth for a moment before munching on them, the lime flavor blasts through. And you all know I love me some lime!

Photo from the Blue Diamond website

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Ryan and I had a new chicken recipe tonight and really liked it. You can find the recipe here from Cooking Light. The chicken had a good kick, and thigh meat is always moist and flavorful. This was actually my first time broiling chicken, and it worked great. The time it took to trim the six thighs was worth it, though if I had less time, it would be good to trim them ahead of time. We also had Chipotle Sweet Mashed Potatoes and a Ceasar salad (from a kit...very good!). Photo is by me since Cooking Light didn't have a photo with the recipe.

Recent pic

Travel Coffee Mug Success

Back in December, I posted about a review by America's Test Kitchen rearding Travel Coffee Mugs. A couple weeks ago, we bought one of the recommended mugs for each of us, made by Oxo. We really like them!! The seal is great, drinking is a breeze, and the beverage remains pretty warm for a while. Ryan has been filling the mugs with boiling water for 5-10 minutes in advance of pouring the coffee. That way, the mugs are heated by the water, and the heat from the coffee doesn't dissipate as quickly. The other day, however, we were getting ready to leave in the morning and I was hurrying. I grabbed my mug to take a drink, thinking Ryan had prepared my coffee. He said "it's not done yet" or something close to that, so I moved quickly to empty the mug of what I thought was the hot water in order to pour in the coffee. Oops!! There was not water, but coffee in it, and I had just dumped my coffee down the sink. There wasn't enough for a second mug so I went without. It wasn't a big deal since I don't have to have coffee every day but it was an interesting moment of wondering who "messed up". I was hurrying and assumed Ryan meant something he hadn't.

Back to the mug itself, we particularly like the locking button to seal the mug closed when not drinking. ATK's complaint over cleaning hasn't been an issue for us. Ryan was content to get any old mug from Starbucks but I of course had to get a well-rated rated mug and had to buy with knowledge, lol, so he patiently waited for me to buy them. I got them both for less than $30 total and saved about $5 off the regular price of each after a 20% off coupon and a mislabeling of the price at Bed Bath & Beyond. (photo from amazon)

Speaking of coffee, Money Saving Mom referred her readers to an opportunity for a free sample of Starbucks coffee. Check it out. I don't know how large the sample is or if they are beans or ground coffee.

Wedding Slideshow

Here is a link to our wedding slideshow!

Sweet Potato Fries

Have you ever eaten Sweet Potato Fries? The first time I had them was when two friends took me out to lunch a few weeks ago. We ordered them at Mojo Bistro here in Pittsburgh and they were fabulous! They were crispy on the outside with a smooth, mellow sweetness on the inside.

Fast forward to my honeymoon in Colorado a couple weeks ago, and sweet potato fries appear to be a staple in that area. I ordered them with nearly every meal and really enjoyed them. The next step is to find a great recipe to make them at home since they aren't as common at restaurants here. If you live around Pittsburgh, do you know of any other restaurants that serve them? (update: a quick search yielded a sandwich shop near us that serves sweet potato fries. It'll be fun to go there with my husband)

I hope to share an online wedding slideshow in a couple of weeks! Ryan and I had a wonderful wedding day with each other and our friends and family, and our honeymoon was all that we hoped it would be. We are thrilled to be married to each other!

Some more honeymoon pics here.

Stuff

I used to be better at blogging. I'd post photo quizzes, recipes, etc. Where have I been you might ask? Well, I am getting married in 23 days!! Wooooooooohooooooooo. That doesn't really answer the question but I'll pretend it does. Ryan and I are going downtown today to apply for our marriage license. Ryan is working hard to wrap up this quarter seminary despite some major setbacks. God is good.

• There isn't a single presidential candidate I like
• I can't wait to marry Ryan and see him EVERY day
  
• Work has been very busy and very frustrating at times, all stemming from the purchase of Benshaw by Curtiss Wright last summer. God has convicted me about my attitude and it's getting better.
  
• I'm excited to see my family in three weeks when they come for our wedding
• I can't wait to marry Ryan
• The salsa from this taco recipe is still my favorite, and it's really easy, and I cannot wait to bite into a Thai Burger again someday. They will be on the menu very shortly after Ryan and I return from our honeymoon. We hope to have his old roommates over for dinner so Ryan can brag about the upgrade in his living situation and I'll probably make those.
  
• CVS has been good to me (see here) with their Extra Care Buck deals and store coupons. Thanks to Crystal at Money Saving Mom for her regular posts on sales.
• The Bible study I was in just finished a 13-week series called The Truth Project, and it was very good.
  
• The Starbucks card I signed up for arrived this week.
• I can't wait to marry Ryan
  
• I complained in the past about airline delays. My last two trips went very smoothly with no delays! I went to Oregon with Ryan for Thanksgiving, and I went by myself for Christmas to Oregon.
• Yapta is a great tool. The price of our honeymoon flight dropped by nearly half over the last three months since we first purchased, and I have travel vouchers coming from United. I wouldn't have known about the price drop if Yapta wasn't tracking the flight for me.

This is a pretty cool video. You can't help get choked up (if you're a woman).

Copycat Recipes

My mom found a delicious recipe that copies Max & Erma's Tortilla Soup. The site also has many other copycat recipes from various chain restaurants. Check it out.

I'm Lost

Is the writers' strike over or was the new Lost season written previously? ABC has a trailer for the new season which doesn't appear to be a preview at all, and there is also a rapid fire, 8m15s recap of past seasons, and it's actually kind of funny with the way the narrator talks quickly and succinctly. Check it out.

Also, this baby is funny and cute.

Merry Christmas! I was in Oregon and am sad to be back since Ryan is still in Kansas through Saturday. I had a good time with my family though. We were apart this year since Ryan's family hadn't been all together for several years and finally were this year, and this was my family's first Christmas in Oregon. How was your Christmas?

We marry in 58 days!

Free $10 Starbucks Gift Card

Go here and fill out the information for a deal that was mentioned on this blog. I used an email address that I use for online things, and I put zeros in for my phone number.

Pumpkin Rolls

This is a recipe I must try. But when???

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

The recipe yields a lot of rolls (48) and it would be a risk for me to have so many delicious rolls in my home, so maybe I'll do half or less of the recipe.

Prince Caspian

Here is a trailer for Prince Caspian, which will be released May 16, 2008. I look forward to seeing it.

Cooking Stuff

• In September, I posted that I wanted to make Mexican Pot Roast Tacos by Tyler Florence. I've made them twice, including while I was in Oregon last week, and they are fabulous! The eight different people who ate them also thought the same. I really enjoyed Tyler's salsa in the recipe and was impressed with it coming from canned tomatoes. It is absolutely a keeper, and I made no changes to it. It's quick too if you don't do the tacos. I used my own guacamole recipe but Tyler's is pretty similar to mine. I used flour tortillas instead of corn, and they were awesome fried the way he instructs.
  
• Two must-haves for these tacos: queso fresco cheese (Costco and Sam's usually has it) and Cholula hot pepper sauce. Most grocery stores have it for $2-3, and it's the kind with the round wooden cap. I love that stuff.
  
• The second time making the tacos, I used the leftovers on nachos using Lime Tostitoes. Excellent.
  

• Looking for a new cheesecake to try? A friend (hi meg!) gave me this cheesecake recipe by Nigella Lawson and it is also AMAZING. I couldn't find custard powder when I made it, so I used 1tsp cornstarch and a little vanilla. Also, My aunt just sent me this cheesecake recipe which I'm dying to try, maybe for the next fellowship dinner. Because it received a 4-fork rating after 145 reviews, you can tell it's a winner.


• Other new recipes I've made recently include Caesar Club Sandwich (a "make again" recipe, was really good), Creamy Red Pepper Soup (pretty good - I added heavy cream to it). My friend who doesn't like soup liked it (I didn't know he didn't like soup when I planned the food, oops).


• I must rave about some Award-winning Thai Burgers - an explosion of flavor! My mom made them for us in Oregon, and she found the recipe in the paper. The creator is from Portland and she won $50,000 for the recipe. If you're interested, here is a video of her making the burgers on TV. My mom read elsewhere that lime juice loses most of its zing 40 minutes after juicing (is that the right time, Mom?) so add the lime juice to the topping and mayo just before assembling. The rest can be made ahead. Also, the burger mixture is best if it sits and chills a few hours or overnight before grilling. The flavors are more developed. Pic from the KATU website.

Updates

I haven't posted in a while...but I knew I had an excuse :-). Things to update:

• I'm getting married! (duh). Ryan and I are getting married February 23, less than three months from now! We are thrilled at God's timing and can't wait to be married. Pre-marital counseling is well underway, lots of wedding details have been settled so far. Ryan will have a quarter break for seminary, and we're honeymooning to Estes Park, Colorado. I'm honored to have Ryan's three sisters along with Erin and Danila as my bridesmaids.
• I was thrilled and thankful that Ryan and I didn't have any delays flying to and from Oregon last week for Thanksgiving. I head back for Christmas in three weeks. We had a great time with my family, and it was a delight to see my nephew Cohen grin and coo all throughout the week. Adam loves being an uncle. The misty waterfalls were beautiful and wet. The food was fabulous and abundant. God is good. More pictures here.
  
• I continue to be amazed at the work of God in His church in Airdrie, Scotland - He has been bringing many new members this year. Many. Praise be to God for building His church. He said He would do it.
  
• Ryan's sisters are visiting from Kansas this weekend. I'm so excited to spend more time with them! (We really like each other :-)). My menu plan is:
  
• Tuscan White Bean & Garlic Soup by Giada (make ahead) for lunch Saturday
  
• Cranberry Pot Roast (unbelievably fabulous roast....oh my) with some sort of made up Smashed Red Potatoes with chives for dinner Saturday, and green beans (probably with toasted pine nuts and garlic - an easy way to step them up). Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes are for dessert. I only have the Pot Roast in Word, which I can email. The recipe originally came from a NW B&B cookbook, and I adapted some pot roast techniques from America's Test Kitchen, including a roasting temperature of 300 instead of 350 and only bringing liquid halfway up the sides of the roast. I've cooked the roast for 4.5 hours in the oven that way and it really gets to the wonderful fall-apart melty stage. I also nearly doubled the cranberries.
  
• Lunch on Sunday will be the award-winning Thai Burgers I raved about in a post to follow soon.
  
• My recipe links became funky since I last checked. I revised the links, so they should come up cleanly now. I might revamp the way I share the links because I have many non Cooking Light recipes I like to keep handy that I have online elsewhere. I learned I can make free webpages using Google - maybe I'll try that.
  
• I have succeeded twice in cutting Ryan's hair. I think I'm too impressed with myself, according to Ryan.

A big cooking post to follow. . .

He Asked! I said Yes!

San Diego

I finished my photos from San Diego put pics in an album here. The surfer is Andy - he's good!

Airline Delays

I spotted an article about the increasing volume of airline delays which have occurred this year. They say 25.2% of flights have been delayed. I must be picking the wrong routes because 30% of my flights have been delayed this year (not all that much more, I know). Or, to put it another way, three out of four trips have been affected by delayed flights, where I got home late or arrived at my destination late (1 am instead of 9pm for example...). When you have no choice but to connect in another city, delays can mess you up big time. Fortunately, I never had to stay overnight anywhere, but I enjoy flying a whole lot less this year than I have in other years. The flights are packed, I get stuck in the middle seat, a plane I'm getting on hasn't arrived from another city, I run to another terminal to catch a flight I to which I was bumped (original connection already missed) only to have that one delayed 3 hours, having to change planes once boarded because the radio doesn't work, and more. When flying to Oregon, the plane Ryan and I were on was 14th in line to take off because of runway construction in Minneapolis. I now avoid Chicago and would rather fly in the morning than evening. It seems there is a similar trend with flights as there is in doctor's offices - the afternoon appointments are nearly guaranteed to be late because they are behind from the morning. It seems weather-wise, spring and fall are best because there are no snow storms or thunderstorms.

What's the solution? I don't know - the whole industry is a mess with unions, legislation and more. A handful of customers who are upset enough to avoid certain airlines won't make much of a difference. Passenger traffic is continuing to increase, of course. My best bet is to take direct flights when possible, but there are none to Oregon at this point from Pittsburgh. I'm flying to Oregon for Thanksgiving and Christmas and should be prepared to be delayed. What has your experience been?

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

I saw Tyler make these tacos on TV today and they look fabulous! I hope to try them soon.

The Exploding Whale

My aunt found this video for me after telling Ryan and me about a story from the 70s of a dead whale which washed up on shore at the Oregon Coast. Officials' best idea for disposing of it was to blow it up. Here you have it, Readers! Do watch.

"Well, I'm confident that it'll work..."

Oregon Photos

Here are a few more photos from Oregon. More may be found here.

Oregon!

Ryan and I went to Oregon for a few days to spend time with my family. It was perfect. I am now back and wish I was still there. Pictures will come. For now, some highlights:
- Ryan is so "in" :-)
- We looked at old "us" videos from my childhood, including hugely embarrassing footage of my awkward teenage years (attitude + perm + braces = _____ ). The funniest (and well, scariest) part was when Ryan told us about the dream he had after that about me, as a teenager, running in a race with one leg and being disqualified because I lost my shoe, wore a flip flop instead, jumped in the race later and won. Fortunately, Ryan did not run away.
- the dogs still rock
- the coast was gorgeous.
- my mom's BBQ ribs are soooo good
- much laughter was had by all for all kinds of reasons
- I wore comfortable shoes to the airport. No running was necessary this time.