Thursday, September 6, 2007
Ride 'em, cowboy!
Our Spencer has long been an avid fireman fan. He dresses up in his firehat and shouts, "TO THE RESCUE!" then races along on his little red bike to visit the fire hydrant up the street and make sure all is in working order.
However, his attention has turned to cowboys as of late, thanks to an introduction by Uncle Rick - the bank president/cowboy. Uncle Rick has horses and let Spencer ride Pinto. He got all gussied up in the cowboy duds: boots, hat, chaps, coat, and he even had a lasso to carry along. This boy was utterly happy and SO proud of himself as he strolled up and down the gravel driveway. Thank you, Uncle Rick. Even now, Spence loves to review the pictures at the computer (my version of scrapbooking = scrolling through iphoto) and talk about when he rode the horsie. Yee haw!
*Note: this is Marie typing. I just used Adam's flickr account to blog away.
However, his attention has turned to cowboys as of late, thanks to an introduction by Uncle Rick - the bank president/cowboy. Uncle Rick has horses and let Spencer ride Pinto. He got all gussied up in the cowboy duds: boots, hat, chaps, coat, and he even had a lasso to carry along. This boy was utterly happy and SO proud of himself as he strolled up and down the gravel driveway. Thank you, Uncle Rick. Even now, Spence loves to review the pictures at the computer (my version of scrapbooking = scrolling through iphoto) and talk about when he rode the horsie. Yee haw!
*Note: this is Marie typing. I just used Adam's flickr account to blog away.
Daisy chain
I just had to put this photo up. Isn't our sweetheart precious??? Grammy made this daisy chain for Emma when we were taking our siestas (see Gpa Bezzant in the background) after a picnic lunch along Kings Creek in Lassen Volcanic National Park back in August.
Teriyaki Beef & Vegetables - YUM!
I always appreciate it when friends post recipes that have been successes in their kitchens because I am always looking for good dinner ideas. Here is one we had tonight. I am so pleased that I can make my OWN teriyaki sauce and am no longer tied to the bottle. Here are the goods. Cooking time is really quite fast; it's just the chopping that takes some time. Maybe you all out there in the blogosphere can wield a knife against the carrot foe faster than I. Happy cooking!
1 lb. top sirloin steak
4 carrots
2 medium zucchini
4 green onions, sliced
2 T oil
1 tsp. beef bouillon
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1 T red wine vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 cup water
4 cups cooked rice (2 dry, 4 cups water)
Cut meat, carrots, zucchini and onions in thin diagonal slices. Heat 2 T oil in large skillet. Add meat slices and cook, stirring constantly, until meat is no longer red, 4-5 minutes. Remove meat to bowl. Cover to keep warm. Add carrots. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
In saucepan, combine brown sugar, beef bouillon, cornstarch, garlic powder, and onion salt. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce and water. (I whisked this so there wouldn't be any lumps). Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Add meat and vegetables. Serve over rice. YUM!
1 lb. top sirloin steak
4 carrots
2 medium zucchini
4 green onions, sliced
2 T oil
1 tsp. beef bouillon
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1 T red wine vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 cup water
4 cups cooked rice (2 dry, 4 cups water)
Cut meat, carrots, zucchini and onions in thin diagonal slices. Heat 2 T oil in large skillet. Add meat slices and cook, stirring constantly, until meat is no longer red, 4-5 minutes. Remove meat to bowl. Cover to keep warm. Add carrots. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
In saucepan, combine brown sugar, beef bouillon, cornstarch, garlic powder, and onion salt. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce and water. (I whisked this so there wouldn't be any lumps). Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Add meat and vegetables. Serve over rice. YUM!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
First Day of School
Today I have not had time to feel the usual pangs that accompany back-to-school time. I am a teacher at heart, and I love the first day of school. I love smelling school supplies and freshly-waxed tile floors, helping kids find their next class, explaining the lunch schedule, figuring out how to pronounce each kid's name (kudos to creative Utah spellers on that one), and launching into another year of learning. This year, in conjunction with everyone else's first day of school, we have started POTTY TRAINING SCHOOL!
And, as always, it is the "teacher" who learns the most. Here are a few of my insights.
1. Procrastination can be retranslated "preparation" when it comes to potty training. We've been thinking about potty training for months. It started by taking the contents of diapers and flushing them down the toilet. That got old fast, but it introduced the topic nicely. Next came sitting on the potty. But that was a bit overwhelming to one so small - so we invested in the Safety 1st 3-in-1 potty. (If I knew how to post a link, I would...maybe later when I am less tired). Then we postponed until after our trip to Utah...and again until we had readjusted to the East Coast time zone and recovered phsically from our trip. As a result, we've been actively talking about potty training for weeks. We were ready.
2. Candy and stickers make for excellent motivators. Perhaps too good. As the day wore on, the trips to the potty became more and more frequent in search of these rewards. But I can't REALLY complain about that on the first day, can I? Spencer got to choose his candy. What was his selection, you ask? After dinner mints. I picked up some Skittles in case those didn't do the trick, but the combination is now a favorite of his. Spence gets one of each with every success.
3. Everyone likes to share their successes. "Let's call Daddy!" I said it the first time, and Spencer took up the exclamation the second time. We both needed a little "hurrah!"
4. The potty trainER deserves treats just as much as the potty trainEE. Suffice it to say that if we DID have ice cream in the house, I would feel completely justified in having consumed it all.
5. Buy underwear BIG; it's easier to pull down in a pinch. 'Nuf said.
More on all of these items later. For now, let me just say that we are finding success - little by little. We are just a day in, and Spence managed to be in the same undies (he says "and-ies") from 9:30-5 or so. Then he got busy playing, and...well, you know how that goes. He was in route, just couldn't move quite fast enough (a few times over). Still...I find myself optimistic for tomorrow. He woke up dry from his nap and ready to go. We'll see if our luck continues to the morning.
And, as always, it is the "teacher" who learns the most. Here are a few of my insights.
1. Procrastination can be retranslated "preparation" when it comes to potty training. We've been thinking about potty training for months. It started by taking the contents of diapers and flushing them down the toilet. That got old fast, but it introduced the topic nicely. Next came sitting on the potty. But that was a bit overwhelming to one so small - so we invested in the Safety 1st 3-in-1 potty. (If I knew how to post a link, I would...maybe later when I am less tired). Then we postponed until after our trip to Utah...and again until we had readjusted to the East Coast time zone and recovered phsically from our trip. As a result, we've been actively talking about potty training for weeks. We were ready.
2. Candy and stickers make for excellent motivators. Perhaps too good. As the day wore on, the trips to the potty became more and more frequent in search of these rewards. But I can't REALLY complain about that on the first day, can I? Spencer got to choose his candy. What was his selection, you ask? After dinner mints. I picked up some Skittles in case those didn't do the trick, but the combination is now a favorite of his. Spence gets one of each with every success.
3. Everyone likes to share their successes. "Let's call Daddy!" I said it the first time, and Spencer took up the exclamation the second time. We both needed a little "hurrah!"
4. The potty trainER deserves treats just as much as the potty trainEE. Suffice it to say that if we DID have ice cream in the house, I would feel completely justified in having consumed it all.
5. Buy underwear BIG; it's easier to pull down in a pinch. 'Nuf said.
More on all of these items later. For now, let me just say that we are finding success - little by little. We are just a day in, and Spence managed to be in the same undies (he says "and-ies") from 9:30-5 or so. Then he got busy playing, and...well, you know how that goes. He was in route, just couldn't move quite fast enough (a few times over). Still...I find myself optimistic for tomorrow. He woke up dry from his nap and ready to go. We'll see if our luck continues to the morning.
Monday, August 27, 2007
grilling is not the same as asado
We invited the three Argentine BYU MBA '09 students and their families over to Grandpa's house for an American bbq (sorry, no asado). I knew Nelson and his wife Lorena on my mission where he was a branch president. I met Dario and Luis this March during a GMAT class in Buenos Aires. They were nice to eat the burgers and chicken I grilled and seemed intrigued by the pink "salad". Weird place this Provo.
grilling is not the same as asado
Originally uploaded by Adam W.
a fish!
Spencer did his first fishing at Round Valley lake, one of many reservoirs in the Lassen National Forest (a note, I finally figured out the difference between a National Forest and Park, the forests are bigger and free; the parks have the more interesting sights and cost a bit, but only a bit). We figured Spencer was legal to be fishing without a permit since he's under twelve. We just had to keep some other people from doing the same. The Blue Gill in this water were quite obliging as the hooks didn't stay down too long.
Marie's note: The fish basically jump out of the water and onto the line. We also had a fishing pole going for Emma some of the time, since you don't need a permit to fish if you're under 16. It was a wee little pole, but there was generally a bigger person on the other end of it "helping" her to go fishing. I caught my first fish in a LONG time and while posing for a picture, that same fish was unceremoniously flung back and forth in an attempt to get me close to it. I was no good at watching a fish on a hook - one I had lured him with, no less. It made my stomach turn a bit. Learn something new about yourself every day, don't you? Maybe I'm this much closer to being vegetarian...or I'll just continue letting someone else capture (etc.) my food.
Marie's note: The fish basically jump out of the water and onto the line. We also had a fishing pole going for Emma some of the time, since you don't need a permit to fish if you're under 16. It was a wee little pole, but there was generally a bigger person on the other end of it "helping" her to go fishing. I caught my first fish in a LONG time and while posing for a picture, that same fish was unceremoniously flung back and forth in an attempt to get me close to it. I was no good at watching a fish on a hook - one I had lured him with, no less. It made my stomach turn a bit. Learn something new about yourself every day, don't you? Maybe I'm this much closer to being vegetarian...or I'll just continue letting someone else capture (etc.) my food.
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