deceptively delicious -- review introduction

I got this book for Christmas last year, and I have to say, I really like it. I've read some of the reviews of it, both good and bad, but I think it was helpful for me to even get inspired to try "sneaky" in veggies in other dishes. I know there's this huge thing about using this technique to get the kids to eat veggies without teaching them to enjoy them. I am blessed with a 4 year old who is bribed with veggies to eat the rest of his dinner, a 1 yr old who will eat every veggie but broccoli, and a husband, who says he loves veggies, but only if they're cooked until they're soggy, and dripping in butter/salt/pepper -- you get the idea. So, I still put veggies on the table -- and if I remember correctly, I believe the author said she did the same. I use these recipes as a way to get a little bit extra in our diet -- no matter how small it is. I would like to try the Sneaky Chef cookbook, and in fact will be borrowing from the library tomorrow to look at and try out.

Okay. Now that I have that out of the way. I've been asked by a couple people for my reviews on the recipes we've tried in our family. So that is what I'm going to do. For the sake of the copyright stuff I'm not going to post the recipes, but I will tell you which one it is, and on which page it can be found. Obviously, I've tried things I knew my kids eat normally.

The concept of this book is that you use pureed veggies, beans, or fruit in recipes to try to get extra nutritional value out of your family meals. Obviously, some value is lost in the steaming/pureeing part of it, but like a said before, any extra amount of nutrients I can get in my family, the better. I have found that it is easiest to do your cooking and pureeing all at one time. I buy most of the veggies in the fall -- when they're less expensive -- and I steam/bake them until they're tender-crunchy -- except the squash & sweet potatoes -- those I cook all the way through. Then I puree them, and divide them into 1/2 cup portions (most of the recipes call for 1/2 cup). I use Glad Press & Seal, but you can use freezer sandwich bags. I then label the package with the veggie name & the amount in the package. Then I stack them horizontally in the freezer.

27 Mormons in NFL

I just thought this was cool.

By Aaron Shill and Robert Walsh
Mormon TimesPublished: Sunday, Sep. 7, 2008
http://www.mormontimes.com/MITN_sports.php?id=3444


Week 1 of the regular-season schedule is under way, and Mormon Times counts 27 Latter-day Saints on NFL team rosters.

Among the most notable names are Baltimore tight end Todd Heap and nose tackle Haloti Ngata, San Diego safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Derek Smith, Philadelphia receiver Kevin Curtis, Pittsburgh defensive end Brett Keisel, Green Bay linebacker Brady Poppinga and Chicago offensive lineman John Tait.

Heap, who played college ball at Arizona State, is in his eighth season with the Ravens. He has started in 82 of the 88 professional games he has played and is a two-time Pro Bowl selection. His teammate, Ngata, has started every game the past two seasons since being a first-round draft pick out of Oregon.

Weddle, a versatile second-year pro from the University of Utah, will start at free safety for the Chargers this season, while Smith, who attended Snow College and Arizona State, gets the starting nod at inside linebacker in his 12th season. Former Nebraska defensive lineman Ryon Bingham is the Chargers' primary backup on the defensive line.

Curtis, a former walk-on at Utah State, is coming off a 1,000-yard receiving season with the Eagles. The South Jordan, Utah, native and returned missionary, however, is currently sidelined with a hernia.

Two former Cougars, Keisel and Poppinga, return as defensive starters for their respective teams. Keisel had 39 tackles and two sacks last year, while Poppinga had 50 tackles and an interception in 2007. Another BYU alumnus, Tait, is entering his 10th season in the league and has started every game he's played in since 2000.

Former BYU defensive lineman John Denney is the starting long-snapper in Miami, while seven-year pro Eric Heitmann of the 49ers starts at center. Edwin Mulitalo, in his 10th year out of Arizona, starts for Detroit at left guard.

Bingham, Buffalo offensive lineman Kirk Chambers, Bills defensive end Ryan Denney, Dolphins offensive lineman Shawn Murphy, Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco, Chargers tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke, Giants rookie linebacker Bryan Kehl and Jets nose tackle Sione Pouha are listed as primary backups on their teams' respective depth charts.

Former BYU offensive lineman Scott Jackson is on the Texans' injured reserve list.

Name, position, team, college

John Beck, QB, Dolphins, BYU
Ryon Bingham, DL, Chargers, Nebraska
Kirk Chambers, OL, Bills, Stanford
*Kevin Curtis, WR, Eagles, Utah State
John Denney, LS, Dolphins, BYU
Ryan Denney, DE, Bills, BYU
Aaron Francisco, DB, Cardinals, BYU
David Hale, OL, Ravens, Weber State
*Todd Heap, TE, Ravens, Arizona State
*Eric Heitmann, OL, 49ers, Stanford
Chris Hoke, DL, Steelers, BYU
Scott Jackson, OL, Texans, BYU
Bryan Kehl, LB, Giants, BYU
Brett Keisel, DL, Steelers, BYU
Spencer Larsen, LB, Broncos, Arizona
Brandon Manumaleuna, TE, Chargers, Arizona
*Edwin Mulitalo, OL, Lions, Arizona
Shawn Murphy, OL, Dolphins, Utah State
*Haloti Ngata, DL, Ravens, Oregon
Marvin Philip, OL, Browns, California
*Brady Poppinga, LB, Packers, BYU
Sione Pouha, DT, Jets, Utah
*Derek Smith, LB, Chargers, Arizona State
Naufahu Tahi, FB, Vikings, BYU
*John Tait, OL, Bears, BYU
*Eric Weddle, DB, Chargers, Utah
Scott Young, OL, Browns, BYU

*Starters

new title

Dallin thought we should change our blog name. So, I have. We'll see how long it lasts. I may change it again. :)

preschool, walking, and a scooter trick

Tyler started preschool this week. He wasn't too sure about it at first and was mad at me because he wanted preschool at home. I told him just to try it out for a little while, and if it was really something he didn't like, we'd look at doing preschool at home. We were able to go in the day before he started and meet with his teacher and have a tour of his classroom, so I think that helped a little. When I picked him up that first day the first thing he said was, "Mom, I LIKED it!" Now he gets up every morning happy and ready to go to school. He often waits by the door until it's time to go!

Adeline has been walking now for 3 weeks. She is getting pretty quick on those little legs of hers. I've realized, however, that she has a hard time walking in her sock on the wood floors upstairs. So, either I need to get her the no-slip socks or put her in her shoes all day -- which is easier said then done. She loves shoes, and loves to put them on, but loves just as much to take them off again!

This is Tyler's "trick." He has another one he can do on the deck in the backyard.

more pictures

The same weekend we moved was my brother's Iowa wedding open house. Here are some pics of the happy couple. They are a super awesome couple. They helped us move into our home just days before the open house. Thanks, you two!

Lauren & Mark

Addie and Grandma at the open house.

I've had Addie's chair on the floor the last couple of days because I haven't had a place to put it at the table. The last few days Tyler has decided to join her there.

Addie's personal space. She's trying to climb out here because she saw the camera. But I have actually caught her inside just sitting there.

Trying to get the kids to sleep in their own beds has been slightly difficult this week with the move and all. Dallin found us like this Saturday morning.

pictures...finally!!!

Here are the much anticipated pictures of our new house! Mind you, I took these pictures the day we moved in so things were not absolutely perfect!

Front of House

Back of house with L on deck

kitchen

living room

Master bedroom

Tyler's room


Adeline's room

upstairs bathroom

our utility room. it now has a washer and dryer in it.

yes. this is our downstairs bathroom in the utility room.

more utility room

play/game room

basement guestroom

basement office/scrap/craft room

connected to the outside world

We're here! Our move went smoothly, and we have settled in nicely in our new home. I love living in a house..finally! It still feels like we're just on vacation in someone elses home, but the more we unpack and set up rooms the more it feels like ours. We got internet and phone yesterday -- it was supposed to happen Monday -- the cable guy swears he came and no one answered the door. I don't buy his story, and after yesterday he knows I don't buy his story. Anywho. We are finally connected to the outside world! We bought our first washer and dryer yesterday Wednesday night. They will arrive tomorrow afternoon! I'm so glad because we are running out of clean clothes! I'm hoping to get on tomorrow and finally get some pictures posted! It's been forever since I've done that.

tagged

3 joys:
1. my family
2. alone time
3. shopping

3 fears:
1. creepy crawlies
2. rodents
3. falling from anything high

3 goals:
1. get a teaching license
2. finishing upgrades on our new home
3. having patience

3 current obsessions:
1. packing
2. getting rid of stuff
3. agatha christie novels

3 facts about myself:
1. i hate cleaning
2. i love cooking. i find it relaxing.
3. i've only been admitted to the hospital because of pregnancies

i tag shelley, rachel, tya, thais, and jamie.

in progress

We're still waiting for our loan to clear the bank, but that should happen any day now. Dallin leaves for Fort Dodge this Sunday. We won't see him until we move out there -- and working that out is proving harder than we expected! Hopefully, we'll get it all worked out. I'll keep you updated.

what color?

You Are a Purple Crayon

Your world is colored in dreamy, divine, and classy colors. You hold yourself to a sky high standard, and you are always graceful. People envy, idolize, and copy you without realizing it. You are an icon for those who know you. And while it is hard to be a perfectionist, rest assured it's paying off! Your color wheel opposite is yellow. While yellow people may be wise, they lack the manners and class needed to impress you.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorcrayonareyouquiz/">What Color Crayon Are You?

home sweet home

We have bought ourselves a house! We still need to do the inspection, appraisal, and have our money clear the bank, but we are on our way! It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with a finished basement, a fenced in yard. It is near all the cities amenities without being too close. We are on a quiet street near the high school and in the boundaries of one of the better elementary schools in town. We'll be about 5 minutes from church. We close on the 20th of August if all goes as planned, and we'll move that weekend. It is the same weekend as Mark & Lauren's reception, but we're hoping to make it work! It's going to be a crazy move -- but we're kinda used to that.

memories

Nearly every blog I visited today had this little game on it. I thought I'd try it too.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you! Reminisce away…

computer woes

I know I haven't posted pictures from our trip. Our computer is dying a slow and painful death, and shuts off on us randomly. If I upload or download anything it shuts off. It has taken nearly all week to get the pictures off our computer and in an online album to protect them should we lose them like did all the others on our external hard drive. We've also been busy getting approved for a home loan, and searching for a home online. So any computer time is used sparingly and on the most important things first.

Dallin has a teaching job!!!

We got the call this morning. He was offered a position at the Rabiner Treatment Center in Fort Dodge, IA http://www.rabiner.org/ teaching middle school social studies. If he signs a 5 year contract with them they will pay for him to get a Special Ed license. So, we will come home from vacation, and start getting ready to move -- have to find a place to live. We've decided that this is just the way it works with us. We take a cross-country vacation and we're blessed with a job, and then we have to pack up and move right away. LOL :)

the countdown begins

11 days and counting until we leave for Utah! We are so excited to head west and visit family and friends. There is so much to do, and I just know as much as I plan to get it done well in advance, I will still be running around the night before like a chicken with its head cut off! I'll post more info about our trip and the plans later.

cool sunset

worn out

I love afternoons like this!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

new camera

My new camera is great! The best part is IT WAS FREE!!! Here's the story:

Dallin mentioned he needed to pick up something from work yesterday, so on the way to the library we stopped by Loras. When he got back into the car he tossed something on my lap and said, "Happy Birthday." I looked at what landed on my lap, and saw this little camera! He has been bidding on things on EBay with a guy from work, and so I assumed that's where he got it from, so I asked him how much he paid for it. He said it was free, and I was astonished! I asked him how that happened, and he said that it had been in the lost and found, and at the end of the school year all the big expensive items at put up for drawings. Dallin put his name in for the camera -- knowing that I wanted a small camera that would fit into my purse/diaper bag & I had mentioned Canon or Nikon -- and he won the drawing! We do need to buy a charger for it because it doesn't have batteries -- you charge the whole camera & I need to find the instruction manual online, but we have a new camera -- it's nicer than our Fujifilm, but I'll still use that one, especially for the kids' portraits. I'm so giddy! I can't wait to figure out how to use it!

Tyler's View

Tyler took a few pictures this weekend. Thought I'd share some with you. All of these were taken by Tyler -- by himself.

ward picnic

Our ward had a picnic Friday evening. After a hot and muggy and rainy Thursday, I was worried about the weather for Friday. But it turned out to be a beautiful day! It was warm, but dry and it was windy, so that helped it not feel so hot!

Every park in town has a sand pit with these 2 of these tracker things. And Tyler has played in every single sand pit in town, and has ridden at least one of the trackers in each pit.

Adeline and Uncle Brian. I honestly think he's her favorite uncle. I can count on one hand the number of people Addie gets excited to see -- and will put her arms out to go to -- even if I'm holding her. Brian is one of those people. This is most interesting when you consider that just a few months ago she would always cry anytime Brian took her from me -- and she never did that with anyone else!

bike riding

2 days after buying our van, we bought Tyler a new bike. He had started to out grow his little trike, and we thought it was time to get him a new bike. We bought the bike at Wal-mart -- I figure if the kid's going to out grow it in a summer or 2, I don't want to pay top-dollar for it. I'll wait and fork out the big money when he's stopped growing! Anyway, so the bike was inexpensive as bikes go, but I didn't want to get his helmet at Wal-mart, I wanted to get his helmet at a bike store in town because they do helmet fittings -- and that's what I wanted. So we went to the bike store to get the helmet. Dallin and I did not purposely match the bike and the helmet, but these are the colors Tyler was into that day -- a departure from his usual "every must be green" mode -- and since he has to ride the bike and wear the helmet, I think his opinion here matters more than Mom's or Dad's.

I got the idea of going to the church parking lot for some quality bike riding. I thought he would love being able just to ride all over without any restrictions imposed on him by riding on the sidewalk. Yeah. Not so much. My kid is a conformist. He rode on the sidewalk -- and at the church he has less sidewalk to ride on than on our little street! I mean, I'm really okay with him feeling uncomfortable riding in the street -- but he does it at home all the time, and I tell him not to, and here was his chance to do it because Mom said it was okay. Oh well. He had fun.

Random Shots

One of the things I love about summer are the summer showers -- bursts of torrential rain while the sun is shining. Tyler and I saw this rainbow that stretched across the sky one day during such a shower.

On Memorial Day we had FHE in the basement of my parents' home. As we were heading towards the stairs to go home, Adeline started to crawl that way, too. I didn't think anything of it because she usually just goes to the bottom step and then puts up her arms to be carried. This time, however, she headed straight for the stairs and didn't stop until she was at the top of the stairs! Now anytime we go outside she dives out of my arms and wants to climb either up the stairs, or down the stairs -- head first. I will take her down the stairs, follow her up the stairs and to the front door -- which she will go through, and then she turns around and heads back to the stairs to do it all over again. Here she is climbing the last couple of stairs -- out of about 15. I didn't think you'd be interested in watching all 15 stairs. It gets monotonous after a while! ;)

Here are a couple shots I got while Tyler rode his bike at the church.