There's been a lot going on the last few weeks.
Josh and I have attended several ward family home evenings, giving lessons, hosting, etc. for the singles ward.
We celebrated our fourth anniversary with Gyros and hair dye (which turned out much subtler than expected).
We ditched the wedding reception of a good friend since our kids would. not. go. to. sleep. and went mini-golfing once they were unconscious since we had a babysitter already.
I read a bunch of magazines. I read Emma (and loved it).
I dyed my hair again, and like it a lot. It's kind of a dark blonde/light brown, and I think it's gorgeous. I'll post pictures soon.
Leo is sick, and woke up with a fever last night poor kid. He woke up this morning, and then after nursing dozed a bit. Then I sat him on the floor to play, and looked at him a few minutes later to see him laying on his stomach with his bum in the air, asleep on the floor. He's back in bed now. But he's been sleeping through the night lately, all 12 or 13 hours! Heaven.
Josh and I have been planning a trip next summer. If we end up working or going to school in the east, we'll drop the kids off with his folks and younger sister for a few days and go explore Toronto and Niagara Falls (so exciting!).
Oh, and Josh is considering taking a few years off of school to work before we head the PhD route. Who knows where we'll be in a year? Not me!
Ooh, and I made Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan bread last night for dinner. Holy cow, it was incredible. If you like Indian food and want the recipe, let me know. Because while it took an hour and a half of hands-on time to make, it was really amazing. Amazingly amazing. I'll never eat takeout again amazing.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Pooped
Literally. 17 poopy diapers in 36 hours.
And Leo needed 80 minutes of help to go to sleep tonight. I've got four loads of laundry left to fold, no clean silverware or plates in the house, and am in desperate need of chocolate.
Some days have moments where I feel like I'm just barely hanging on.
I'm going to eat a cupcake now. And then watch some mindless reality TV. And contemplate doing the dishes that so desperately need doing.
And Leo needed 80 minutes of help to go to sleep tonight. I've got four loads of laundry left to fold, no clean silverware or plates in the house, and am in desperate need of chocolate.
Some days have moments where I feel like I'm just barely hanging on.
I'm going to eat a cupcake now. And then watch some mindless reality TV. And contemplate doing the dishes that so desperately need doing.
Homemade Pitas
So good, so cheap, that I see no reason to ever buy pita bread. Ever.
Pita Bread
Makes 8 breads
1 cup warm water (not hot or boiling)
2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)
Mix the water and yeast together and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough is formed.
Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes total, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and film it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, 1 - 2 hours.
I cooked these on the stove, over medium/medium high heat, 30 seconds on one side, flip for a minute 30 seconds, and then flip once more to the original side for another minute 30 seconds. SO AMAZINGLY TASTY.
Here's the link for the original recipe, if you want directions for how to make them more like pockets, in the oven.
Nicole--I have no idea. I've never seen pita bread in our stores, only pita pockets, which are usually dry and gross.
Pita Bread
Makes 8 breads
1 cup warm water (not hot or boiling)
2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)
Mix the water and yeast together and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough is formed.
Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes total, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and film it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, 1 - 2 hours.
I cooked these on the stove, over medium/medium high heat, 30 seconds on one side, flip for a minute 30 seconds, and then flip once more to the original side for another minute 30 seconds. SO AMAZINGLY TASTY.
Here's the link for the original recipe, if you want directions for how to make them more like pockets, in the oven.
Nicole--I have no idea. I've never seen pita bread in our stores, only pita pockets, which are usually dry and gross.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Shauna, you have GOT to try these
We had these for dinner Thursday night, for our anniversary. And for lunch Friday afternoon. We figured, because we ate 5 of them, that we saved approximately $29 over getting gyro's from our favorite Greek restaurant.
RECIPE AS I READ IT:
GYROS
4 large 8-inch pita breads (5 if not pocket type)
½ med onion, chopped coarse
4 tsps lemon juice
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP minced fresh oregano
2 med. Garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. Ground lamb (or beef works fine)
2 tsp veg oil
tzatziki sauce:
½ c. greek yogurt
½ med. Cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced fine
3/8 tsp table salt
1 TBSP juice from 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dried dill
Combine cukes, 1/8 tsp salt, and lemon juice, over colander, let stand 30 minutes and drain. Oven, middle rack, pre-heat to 350. Cut top quarter off each pita, tear into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup). Stack pitas and tightly wrap with foil.Process onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and pita pieces in processor about 30 seconds to make a smooth paste. Add to meat and gently mix until combined. Divide into 12 pieces, roll into balls, gently flaten. Place pitas on oven rack and heat for 10 minutes. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add patties and cook until well browned and crusty, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip patties, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 5 minutes longer. Combine yogurt and cucumber, remaining salt, garlic, and dill in clean bowl.
Spread ¼ c Taztziki Sauce inside each pita, put in pitas with tomato slices, ½ cup shredded lettuce, and 2 TBSP feta. Serve immediately.
We made homemade pita bread on the stove, and omitted the feta. The 12 patties were too large, and our pita breads a bit too small, as only 1 fit in the bread and the recipe specifies 3. So the second time around I made smaller patties.
I think if you used regular yogurt (plain, full fat) instead of Greek yogurt, the sauce would be just fine and cheaper.
RECIPE AS I READ IT:
GYROS
4 large 8-inch pita breads (5 if not pocket type)
½ med onion, chopped coarse
4 tsps lemon juice
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP minced fresh oregano
2 med. Garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. Ground lamb (or beef works fine)
2 tsp veg oil
tzatziki sauce:
½ c. greek yogurt
½ med. Cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced fine
3/8 tsp table salt
1 TBSP juice from 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dried dill
Combine cukes, 1/8 tsp salt, and lemon juice, over colander, let stand 30 minutes and drain. Oven, middle rack, pre-heat to 350. Cut top quarter off each pita, tear into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup). Stack pitas and tightly wrap with foil.Process onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and pita pieces in processor about 30 seconds to make a smooth paste. Add to meat and gently mix until combined. Divide into 12 pieces, roll into balls, gently flaten. Place pitas on oven rack and heat for 10 minutes. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add patties and cook until well browned and crusty, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip patties, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 5 minutes longer. Combine yogurt and cucumber, remaining salt, garlic, and dill in clean bowl.
Spread ¼ c Taztziki Sauce inside each pita, put in pitas with tomato slices, ½ cup shredded lettuce, and 2 TBSP feta. Serve immediately.
We made homemade pita bread on the stove, and omitted the feta. The 12 patties were too large, and our pita breads a bit too small, as only 1 fit in the bread and the recipe specifies 3. So the second time around I made smaller patties.
I think if you used regular yogurt (plain, full fat) instead of Greek yogurt, the sauce would be just fine and cheaper.
Monday, August 10, 2009
This is what happens
When I try to get them to sit together for a picture. Awesome! I love the look on Leo's face in the second picture. So determined!
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Little Melancholy
Josh is home, hooray! Although being jet lagged and exhausted means he's spent most of the day relaxing in bed.
However, as summer days pass and I start looking to fall I'm feeling a brush of melancholy begin to color my moods. Having lived in Wymount for four years, I've seen lots of families come and go. Now as Guy gets older I feel even more keenly as my friends and his playmates depart, moving on to the next stage in their lives.
I am constantly reminded of the joy of having even a few good friends, but the playground that was once overwhelmingly full of children's bodies flying in dizzy patterns is now nearly empty most mornings. I'm blessed that I'm quite close to the mothers in the ward who remain, but that delight is still overshadowed by the disappointment that as Guy asks to go to Allie's house, or Addie's, or Tyrus', or Jaxon's, he'll always receive a gentle explanation that his friend no longer lives or plays here.
Transitions seem to ceaselessly strike me, almost as though I were the rock upon which the flint strikes; eventually something will start to smoulder. I'll hope that from the ashes will arise a phoenix. I could use an alter ego. :-D
However, as summer days pass and I start looking to fall I'm feeling a brush of melancholy begin to color my moods. Having lived in Wymount for four years, I've seen lots of families come and go. Now as Guy gets older I feel even more keenly as my friends and his playmates depart, moving on to the next stage in their lives.
I am constantly reminded of the joy of having even a few good friends, but the playground that was once overwhelmingly full of children's bodies flying in dizzy patterns is now nearly empty most mornings. I'm blessed that I'm quite close to the mothers in the ward who remain, but that delight is still overshadowed by the disappointment that as Guy asks to go to Allie's house, or Addie's, or Tyrus', or Jaxon's, he'll always receive a gentle explanation that his friend no longer lives or plays here.
Transitions seem to ceaselessly strike me, almost as though I were the rock upon which the flint strikes; eventually something will start to smoulder. I'll hope that from the ashes will arise a phoenix. I could use an alter ego. :-D
Thursday, August 6, 2009
How awesome is that?
Just about the only friend I still have from high school (one of two, actually) is coming through Provo today! I had no idea until I saw her post something about SLC on facebook last night, and she and her friend have decided to take a detour through Provo to come and say hello!
I'm super excited to see Caitlin. She and I did theater in high school together, and thoroughly enjoyed our silliness and our Theater and French classes.
"Est-ce que ton homme ressemble un homard? Ne t'en fais pas! Beaucoup d'Hommes peut t'aider!"
Good times. I'll post pics if I remember to take any.
I'm super excited to see Caitlin. She and I did theater in high school together, and thoroughly enjoyed our silliness and our Theater and French classes.
"Est-ce que ton homme ressemble un homard? Ne t'en fais pas! Beaucoup d'Hommes peut t'aider!"
Good times. I'll post pics if I remember to take any.
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