Postcard from Deseret

Dear Family and Friends:

We have arrived and are having a great time. Wish you were here.
Love, Me

P.S. I left my camera memory card safely tuck into my computer !@@##^&#&^#(&^

A Choice Land

"And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord hath spoken it." Ether 10:28

I'm grateful to live in a country where I can worship as I choose, live where I choose, work how I choose, raise my family as I choose.

I'm grateful to my ancestors who came to this land, fought for this land, and in some cases died for this land. I'm grateful for their sacrifices that I may have the life I live today.

I'm grateful for the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers, who were inspired and directed by God to form this country.

God Bless the USA!

New Layout

New Layout courtesy of Allie Brown's layouts

Headin' Narth

Well, I'm outa here in a couple of days.....Headin' Narth (do you get the accent?)
I'm headed to my roots......to feed my soul...I think Utah is imbedded in my DNA..

For those of you who live in this fair state, you may think I am nuts but ever since I was an infant, every summer, my family headed north to the Mother Land. We made stops beginning in Payson, next to Provo, Murray, Salt Lake, Bountiful, Roy, ending in Logan and then reversing the process all over again, heading south. If I had a chat with any long-time resident of Utah-we would probably be related.....(I'm descended from the 2nd wife of course)......But I dearly adore going to Utah and these days I try to head there at least once or twice a year. To visit family and be restored... I don't have a lot of photos of those travels, but this photo to me epitomizes those yearly treks.

The aunts preparing food. Never ending food......and one of my uncles strolling in the background looking for wildlife or other interesting biological bits of information.....As I said before, we started in Payson and ended up in Logan......with a never ending buffet of hamburgers, potato salad and beans (old family joke). As I married and started my family, we too began the almost yearly trek to Utah and I have passed down the Utah DNA to my posterity......

Make fun of me if you like-but I will always reserve a piece of my heart for the Beehive State.....

So it's EFY at BYU or bust!

Recipe for Disaster

114 degree predicted high temperature today
1 AC unit gone wacko-
1 non-committed AC repair service (can't give me a service time/date yet)
3 days until I leave town

Mix together thoroughly and you have one crazed, frustrated Matriarchal Madwoman!
**Edited....it was a tiny little part that needed to be replaced and no-it didn't get hot but I was very nervous worrying that my compressor would blow any minute!

Green Stuff

I was intending to post something else today but I just HAD to share my smoothie this morning:



Look at that pretty green color! This tastes absolutely awesome but it is guaranteed to gross your kids out! I ran out of grape juice for my usual smoothie so I substituted orange juice. Here's my crazy, fly by the seat of your pants recipe:
1 c. orange juice
4-5 chunks of fresh pineapple
Handful of fresh spinach
1/2 banana
Generous splash of coconut milk
Handful of ice cubes

Turn that blender on and enjoy.......
This could be titled: "St. Patrick's Day pina colada" or "Kermit's Hula Juice"

Phytonutrients for Breakfast

Being the sneaky, devious mom that I am, I try to slip in a few fruits or veggies into the family's diet without them taking too much notice. I have had a couple of requests for these recipes, which are kid and teenager approved-even the 17 year old Bubba D grudgingly admits that they are "good." So here's for some delicious, nutritious phytonutrients for breakfast!!

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1 3/4 c. flour (i use 3/4 whole wheat)
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk ( i buy powdered buttermilk and use 2 T with 2/3 c water)
1 egg
1/2 c. salad oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. pecans, 1/3 c. raisins (opt) (my family doesn't like raisins...sniff...sniff. but I sprinkle the pecans on top of each muffin before baking)

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Fold together. (remember you don't mix muffins to death)
Bake for 35-40 min at 350 degree oven. Watch them come running when they smell these!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. fresh gingeroot, finely chopped
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. sea salt
1 c. low fat milk or soy beverage
1 egg
1/3 c. canned pumpkin
2 T. canola oil
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. unsweetened dried cranberries

Again, mix dry ingredients together first, then wet. I sprinkle the cranberries and walnuts on the top of the pancakes as they are cooking. We had these for breakfast this morning. YUM!


Banana blueberry pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine all the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients-including the bananas. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients-don't overmix. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle and then sprinkle the blueberries on top.

There you have it-a painless way to add extra yummy nutrition to the morning!