I Heart My Combs

"It's called ratting daddy, and our

first lady Jacki O does it!"

Traci Turnblad, "Hairspray"

You may recall last week I posted about my 13 year old stealing my favorite comb (bottom comb in the picture) and taking it to girls camp (she also took my mirror--and broke it--of course she did).

I must admit--I never knew how much I hearted that trusty (albeit rusty) comb until I was without it. That was one LONG week--with some bad hair karma.

Now, I'm no beautician (although I've tried to marry off each of my brothers to one--see item #71), but I have to say the key to good hair is a good ratting comb (unless you have thick hair--lucky!). I suppose I should add--for really good hair, you also need a good roundbrush, a flat iron--and lots of hairspray.

The top comb in the picture is a pin comb and is great for ratting because it gives you the volume without that fuzzy, ratted look. They sell them at Sally's for around $20. It is a must have.

My most beloved comb cost only $3 (the comb on the bottom--and I have searched high and low for another one--to no avail). I call it my dream team comb. I totally heart it. It gives me serious air for my hair. This comb (note the missing pieces) has been with me for many years--it may very well be as old as my teenager who stole it last week.

So what's your favorite all-time-must-have-hair-do product?

If My Life Were a Movie...Part Two

The Cast of Characters

Protagonist: Killer T

Antagonist: Antibiotic Ointment

Cheesy Sidekick/Victim #1: Sassy Mama

Victim #2: Ripped PJs

Victim #3: A spilled can of

Diet Coke

Victim #4: Cold Dinner {or as the kids now call it--

Chicken ala Trophy}.

...to be continued

If My Life Were a Movie...Part One

The Prologue

If my life were a movie, I'd be cast as the clumsy, inept

girl with bad karma. The Wile E. Coyote of the big screen. The Lucy in the I love.

If my life were a movie, I'd be cast as the kooky, but loveable character--who couldn't keep a secret--even if it involved something so embarrassing {about herself} that she vowed never to tell another living soul EVER {And then she'd spill her guts to the first available listener}.

{Let's face it, if my life were a movie--I'd be rich and famous and would avoid airing my dirty laundry at all costs unless I were Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears--then I'd obviously be missing the part of my brain that encourages decorum.}

But, for some reason, instead of guarding my embarrassing moment--like a mama hen guards her chicks--I have let my secret slip. Like 4 times. I have become that annoying sidekick who doesn' t have the good sense to zip her lips shut. Tight.

First, I told my good friend and neighbor, Rosie--because, well you'll see why soon enough. She laughed. Although, I think she tried not to {at first}.

Then, seeking some sympathy, I told my BFF, Jolene. She laughed. And laughed. {I'm pretty sure she is still laughing.}

Next, I sought absolution from my daughters-bike-riding-activity-days-leader {I had to explain why I was experiencing such discomfort in the bike seat didn't I?} Did she laugh? Yup. A lot.

Finally, Jay decided it would be funny to share my tender experience with her book club girlfriends today. {I mean, only 3 of them had actually read the book, so what else were they going to talk about?}. Seeing as I had a reputation to uphold with their mothers--I took it upon myself to tell the story instead--and made a bigger rufus out of myself than my own daughter would have.

And so now, loyal readers. I've come to the realization, that I need to share my embarrassing moment. Because, I too, am missing that part of my brain that encourages decorum the way I see it, this blog should be a place where we can share in one anothers burdens. Provide closure. Lift each other up. Give support to one another.

Don't you agree?

to be continued

Friday Gems

President Howard W. Hunter said,

“True greatness, always requires regular consistent, small and sometimes ordinary steps over a long period of time.”

I Heart July 24th!

Living in Utah, the 24th of July means one thing--celebration. It's the anniversary of when Mormon pioneers first arrived into the Salt Lake Valley. It's the day we rejoice in our pioneer heritage.

I heart everything about the 24th...the parades (including the small little bike parade we went to in our neighborhood--Savvy and Aussie were decked out like there was no tomorrow)...

...the fireworks (we're heading over to my sissies around 830 tonight to watch my bro-in-law's Costco inspired delight)...

...the part-ay (me & the kids, mom, dad, Ange and his cute fiancee had a little impromptu party today with pizza and rootbeer floats -- in honor of my Bro Z--who ran his first marathon--unfortunately, the guest of honor wasn't able to attend his own soiree as he was sufferin' from some fierce marathon aftermath)...

Yes, I am one of those heathen Mormons who hearts all of the fluff that surrounds pioneer day--but judge me not because I also heart the stuff behind the celebration...

...I heart the pioneers who walked and walked and walked as they faithfully trekked those many miles to follow the Lord's counsel...

...the pioneers who lost loved ones in the process...

...the pioneers who sacrificed their earthly belongings because they simply believed in the true gospel of Jesus Christ...

...and the pioneers who through righteous desires helped build up the kingdom of God.

Click HERE to read my favorite pioneer story.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Tales from the Old and Decrepit

Last night, I sent a cute birthday e-card to my fun friend Leslie. Les is in my ward, my craft night buddy, and a reader of my blog--I figured she deserved something extra special.

So, I painstakingly okay so it took 5 minutes picked out a card that I felt exuded humor yet let her know that I thought she was fab (click here to view it.)

In the card, it has a crazy scientist who has created the amazing age reverser in which you push a button and it makes you 10 years younger. I thought it was pretty funny--I mean who wouldn't want to be 10 years younger right?

Ummm. Maybe a 28 year old?

I got an email back from my much, much younger friend, Leslie, saying, "Hehehehehe--of course I really wouldn't want to be 18 again--but still. You make me laugh! Thanks."

Sheesh.

I remember 28 fondly. It was a good year. Actually, it was a good couple of years. For two whole years I thought I was 28. People would ask my age (at 29)--I'd automatically say 28.

Then, all of a sudden I was 30. Man, did I feel old. Of course, I didn't feel as old as some of my 36 year old friends--now THEY were old.

Life Lesson #28: *I am 36 years old and I am that old lady.

*This lesson is not endorsed nor approved by the makers of Shenanigans by Nicole.

My Not-so-Uplifting Girls Camp Experience

It is summer. And if you are serving in the YW's program then you know that summer=Girl's Camp. I have had the chance to read numerous blogs about the glorious and uplifting experiences of gals who have been able to attend G-Camp this summer.

If you'd like to read their love and inspiration for Girl's Camp click here, here, here & here.

If you'd like to read my lack of love for Girl's Camp...read on.

Jay left for G-Camp on Monday. The night before she couldn't go to sleep till like 1 am because of her excitement. I was happy and excited for her to be going. I knew that this would be a great experience for her because we have fabulous leaders in our ward--and some fun girls.

Then I attempted to do my hair.

Now, I'm cursing her and her glamorous G-Camp experience.

Let's rewind to Sunday night. According to my DH, Jay had the absolute biggest bag out of ALL the YW. It was enormous.

Apparently it was filled with:

1) My mirror (so if you see the back of my hair looking like a rat's nest --you'll know why).

2) My hairspray (why she needs hairspray for a ponytail or braids I'll never know).

3) My ratting comb (Jay has super thick hair--unlike her mother. She does not-I repeat-does not- need to be ratting her hair to the sky whilst she camps--where does she think she is from? Texas? No offense to the Lone Star State or anything.)

4) My favorite Bath and Body Works body wash (at least their will be one Sweet Pea smellin' girl in the wilderness--let's just hope the mosquitoes don't eat her alive).

Grrr.

So much for my uplifting experience at Girl's Camp. Now I have to go through the week--with bad hair. Next year, I'm hiding the big duffel bag--and my hair stuff.

The G-Camp Funnies

(true story)

This morning, Savvy asked, "Mom, do you miss Jay yet?"

I answered, "Ummm. Sure. She has all my hair stuff."

She sighed, "I've missed her since yesterday."

Aussie added, "I'll miss her being gone when she gets home."

Ba-da-bump.

A Mosaic Meme

{I saw this on my good friend Jolene's blog and thought it was fun! So -- here's some more things about me you wish I wouldn't force you to didn't know.}

Questions and Answers:

1. What is your first name? Nicole

2. What is your favorite food? Lasagna

3. Where did you go to High School?

Delta High School

4. What is your favorite dessert?

Lemon Meringue Pie

5. What is your favorite color? Cranberry

6. Who is your celebrity crush? Patrick Dempsey {sigh}

7. What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke

8. What is your dream vacation? Europe

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

A writer

10. What is one word to describe you? Shenanigans

11. What do you love most in life? My Family

12. What is one of your hobbies? Crafting

C'mon! It's easy to play. Here's how to

make one of your own:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions

above into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images

into fd’s mosaic maker.

d. Save image to hard drive and post to blogger.

Batman, A PSA, and One Crazy Joker

After Relief Society on Sunday, I was talking to a couple of my girlfriends about...the lesson? No. Kids? Nuh-uh. Church stuff? Nope.

We were talking about Batman of course (our husbands would be so proud--at least until they found out we were complaining about how violent & dark the dang thing was).

On Friday, DH & I saw Batman at a Cinemark theater {which did not have assigned seating--what the? I didn't know that was even an option anymore Larry H has spoiled me rotten.}

We showed up to our 8 pm movie at seven--to get a good seat (along with about 100 other people). At about 730, a grown man {40ish} who works for Cinemark, stood in front of the movie screen and said, "I'd like to make an announcement." He then whistled to get everyone's attention.

As the crowd quieted down, he cleared his throat for his big speech. "We appreciate all of you who came early to get your seat for Batman. This is a great movie. You are going to love it. Now for my announcement--I'm sure in a few minutes many of you will need to tinkle {I promise he used that word}. Just so you know, the men's restrooms are just outside this door on the left and the women's are on the right. Enjoy the movie."

Now there was a PSA I wasn't expecting. Tinkle? Really?

The Movie

I thought it was good. I really liked it. I'll definitely buy it when it comes out on DVD {mostly because DH will want it}. It had amazing special effects--and I thought the storyline was fab (although my BFF, thought it was mostly pomp without much circumstance).

My only issue? I've already mentioned it a little bit. The violence! Man, was it ever violent! I'm not ashamed to admit I watched most of the movie with my hands over my eyes {I left little peep holes for my eyes to see--for some reason filtered violence doesn't seem so harsh.} By the end of the movie, I had grown so accustomed to the violence & bloodshed that I *almost* didn't have to shut my eyes at the man with half a face {how he avoided infection I'll never know}.

A Few Characters
The Batman:(Christian Bale)-loved him. What's not to love really? Hunk. Great acting.

The Batman's Girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal): When I saw the previews for the movie, I totally thought it was Spiderman's girlfriend (Kirsten Dunst). She could definitely be Mary Jane's older sister.

The Joker-- That Heath Ledger was either one great actor or one crazy dude. He was excellent. I totally bought into his wild-eyed-craziness. And I can't get, "Why so serious?" Out of my head.

Thumbs up?
I give it a couple. I'd even watch it again--possibly with my eyes open?

The Sunday Funnies

Last week, as we passed the bowl of watermelon around the dinner table--my DH commented that he was allergic to watermelon (taking a scoop anyway--if the watermelon is good enough he will eat through the pain).

Savvy said, "I'm not allergic to anything."

Jay added, "Neither am I."

I threw into the mix, "I'm allergic to watermelon, pineapple and canteloupe." (True story--by the way).

Aussie, not to be outdone, stated, "Well, I'm allergic to Catholics."

"WHAAT?" DH and I asked.

"Catholics. I'm allergic to Catholics," he answered.

Just as we launched into the lecture that we respect all religions...yadayadayada, Austin remarked, "Well, Mom's the one who said it. She told the doctor yesterday that I'm allergic to KEFLEX."

{an antibiotic that causes him to break out in hives}

Sheesh.

Friday Gems

I read a poem the other day and

loved its message.

Here's an excerpt from it...

"House by the Side of the Road"

"I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,

Both parts of an infinite plan--

Let me live in a house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man."

by Sam Walter Foss

{P.S. Click on this for the rest of the poem}

I Heart Good Deals

By nature, I am a cheapskate deal finder. I refuse to spend more for something if I know I can get it cheaper somewhere else. With higher gas prices and food prices, it has made it difficult to find many good deals. So, I decided to get creative with my shopping.

My sis-in-law is a professional coupon clipper--her grocery bill (for a family of 4) is around $250 a month much, much, MUCH less then what I spend. We visited her family over Memorial Day weekend--and she gave me some tips on how to shop the deals.

One of the tips was this website http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php --{which I totally heart} the people who run this website are hardcore couponers. {It took me a month just to figure out what their lingo meant.}

Being the newbie that I am, I pretty much stick with the hotcouponworld "Swinging Deals" section--focusing mostly on the grocery stores. It basically matches up your coupons to what is on sale in the ads.

A couple of weeks ago, I found this deal on their website: I was able to purchase at my local Albertson's; 5 jars of planters peanuts, 3 bags of marshmallows & 2 boxes of cereal--for around $9 {after coupons}. After my purchase--the cashier handed me a receipt with $8 off my next purchase--which I used on diet coke the next time I was there.

According to my sis-in-law, the key to couponing is to buy the random deals when you can get it--so you have it for later. I would not normally by 5 jars of peanuts and 3 bags of marshmallows--but I figured I'd just stick the 5 jars of peanuts in my food storage--and call it protein. Then my nutty kids found the nuts -- and are in the process of inhaling them daily. Who knew?

I've found a couple of more deal finding websites to heart--one of them is pretty localized to the state of UT. I heart the Grocery Guru http://www.utahcityguide.com/new/guru/index.asp. This dude plans out a weeks menu according to ONE store's ad. Pretty sweet.

The other website I heart is http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/. {Just click on your home state to find what deals are in your area.}

I totally heart good deals {and I'm learning to heart couponing}.

So, what good deals have you found lately?

A Crock without Proper Ingredients: Is Just a Crock

One of the hardest things about crocking is you have to prepare it so far in advance. If I'm not thinking about dinner by at the latest noon--chances are I'm not crockin' that night.

At about noon yesterday, I looked at the clock and realized if I didn't hurry myself up I wasn't going to have the crock ready in time for dinner

On the menu for last night's dinner-- was "Crockin' (chicken) Enchiladas". Mmmm--that sounded so good to me (this recipe specifically says NOT to cook on high or it doesn't turn out--so I had to get on the move).

I started the prep work--which involved cooking and chopping up the chicken into bite sized pieces, grating the cheese, adding sauce to the chicken, etc. etc.

The time came to layer it into the crock. The bottom layer was torn up flour tortillas, next layer--chicken sauce, next layer--cheese--layering it like 4 or 5 times. Yum!

I reached into my fridge to grab the flour tortillas--and came up empty handed. How could I not have flour tortillas? I always do. I looked under everything I coulda sworn I had some expired ones under the eggs.

Finally, I realized that I was missing a key ingredient--and by the time I ran to the store to get it--dinner would not be ready in time.

Curses!

Luckily, I had some tostada shells in the pantry. So I threw my chicken and sauce into the crock and turned it on low for some good simmerin'.

When the dinner hour arrived, I grabbed my shells, and layered refried beans, shredded lettuce, chicken & sauce, cheese and topped it off with some ranch dressing (because everything tastes better with ranch).

EASY Chicken Tostadas: Crockpot Optional

(5 out of 5 Hansen's heart this recipe--although Aussie preferred just the beans, shell and cheese)

2 lbs of chicken (cooked and chopped into bite size pieces)

1 can of "Hatch's Green Chile Enchilada Sauce" (my preferred brand)

1/2 container of sour cream

1 clove of garlic

shredded cheese

Hard Tostada Shells

refried beans

lettuce

tomatoes

salsa

ranch dressing

*any other tostada toppings your family will like

Directions: Cook and chop your chicken. Add a can of Hatch's Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, 1/2 container of sour cream, & garlic. Mix together.

Serve on tostada shells, layering lettuce, cheese, chicken & sauce, and your favorite toppings.

Yum!

A Lion and A Lamb

Last night, I went to book club. Our book for the month was called "A Lion and Lamb." It was such a good book. I loved it. It was a quick and easy read, yet it had such great messages of service, love and missionary work.

It's about the LDS church in the early 1900's. The Mormon's had been driven out of Palmyra, New York years before this--but the sentiment of the New Yorkers was still anti-Mormon. So, church leaders called Willard and Rebecca Bean to be missionaries (for 5 years) and live in Joseph Smith's old house.

Well, 5 years turned into 25 years and the trials and historical events that this couple lived through was so amazing to me. When the Bean's first move to Palmyra--they are chased off with a gun. But, after 25 years, when the church finally releases them from their mission--the entire community is sad and throws a big party for them--they had become loved and valued members of the area.

As a bonus, the gal that hosted our book club had her husband stoke the fire pit in the backyard -- so we went out to our own personal grove of trees and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. It was lots of fun sitting around the campfire--visiting, laughing--oh and the s'mores were delish. A good night was had by all.

{Next month, I host book club at my house--so I get to pick the book (I was actually supposed to tell them what it was last night--but I couldn't decide!). I'm struggling! I want to pick something light and fluffy that I would enjoy reading but the last time I did that I was the only one who liked the book (Austenland). When it was my turn the second time, I let someone else pick the book (and did not enjoy it--can't even remember the title to be quite honest). So here I am faced with the quandary of picking a book for women ages 36 (I'm the baby) to over 60 (which makes up half of our book club).

Any Suggestions? Ideas?}

A Carniverous Crock

Things are still crockin' around here. Sunday's Roast Beast was divine. Monday I crocked Sloppy Joes--and last night's Meatloaf was delish (Aussie was eating it like it was dessert--DH had to cut him off after his 3rd trip). You can see we've been a little heavy on the red meat--tonight I'm looking for something chickeny, I do believe. Here's my recipe from last night (I combined 3 different recipes from "Fix it and Forget It").

"Crockabelly Meatloaf"
(5 out of 5 Hansen's heart this recipe)

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg of crushed saltines
1/4 chopped onions
1/4 c chopped yellow peppers (it called for green --but I had yellow-and it was still yum!)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (pretty sure I used 2 lbs)
6-9 medium potatoes
4-6 medium carrots, cut in chunks

1. Beat together eggs and milk.
2. Stir in crackers, onions, yellow peppers, salt and pepper. Add beef and mix well.
3.Shape into loaf that is about an inch smaller than the inside of your crock pot. Place loaf into crock.
5. Place carrots and potatoes around Meatloaf.
6. Cover. Cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low. Cook 7-8 hours longer (Okay- so I didn't actually get crockin' till 1 or 2 -- which didn't leave time for 9 hours of shenanigan cooking. I just threw it in and cooked it on high till about 6 pm. By six, my taters were ready and my loaf of meat was 180 degrees in the center--so I called it good.)
7. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup ketchup--to spread on top of your meatloaf at the beginning of cooking -- but that sounded kinda gross to me (besides, my kids enjoy slathering their own food with gobs and gobs of ketchup daintily applying their own ketchup afterwords).

Crockpot tip (from Fix it and Forget it): Don't peek. It takes 15-20 minutes for the cooker to regain lost steam and return to the right temperature.

My Personality Test

ESFP - "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. 8.5% of the total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

{Obviously, if this personality test had said I was messy, unorganized, obnoxious, and beyond kooky--I would've filed it away under 'Well DUH'!}

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

{Yay! My favorite only sister, Jilly, had her baby yesterday. He is a week early--but we are so glad to have Baby M here (name is still under discussion--but my vote is for Carter!).}

Last night, my DH and I went to visit Jilly at the hospital. Security has been seriously upgraded since I had my babies almost 10 years ago. In my day, you walked to the hospital uphill both ways in a snowstorm the only security they had was the volunteer lady at the front desk who would gladly share your personal information with anyone who acted interested.

Needless to say, times have changed. Boy howdy! have they!

At my sister's hospital, upon exiting the elevator--you must approach doors to the wing you are wanting to enter, pick up a phone, give the room number, the name of the patient, and chase it all down with a secret code. At that point, the nurses will buzz you in--if you passed the secret combination test, that is.

When I called my sis and told her we were on our way to see her and the bambino, she informed me of this ritual. Naturally, she didn't know the secret code.

What's the big deal? I thought. We'd figure it out. Then she told me to be sure and park and enter in the South Entrance. Go to the 4th floor. And she gave me her room number.

We entered the South Entrance of the hospital, got on the elevator, went to the 4th floor, found a door with a phone outside of it--and just as my DH picked up the phone to call the nurses station with our info (we were just going to fake it on the code)--I got the brilliant idea to ask some guy sitting on a bench outside of the secret doors--if this was the labor and delivery wing.

"This is the Psychiatric floor," he answered.

He didn't appear to be joking.

What the? {Not to judge or anything--but, I was hoping he wasn't waiting for an evaluation.}

DH and I speedily made our way in the opposite direction of that door mostly because we were afraid we might run into Lindsay Lohan or some other nutty celeb--as Utah is the new hot spot for rehab.

Minutes later, we were stopped by a big, burly male nurse--who asked us what we were doing. I'll admit we were looking pretty ridiculous suspicious at this point.

We told him we were looking for the labor and delivery wing. He chuckled. Yes. Chuckled. And told us we should have gone in the west entrance. Then gave us picture perfect directions.

We finally reached our destination, picked up the phone, called with the room number and still no code--and the nurse proceeded to give my DH a hard time about letting him in {under the direction of my bro-in-law, Rob, who had no idea we had almost been admitted into the psyche ward.}

We told Rob & Jill of the shenanigans

we encountered in the

psyche ward.

Rob said, "Oh, you shoulda gone in the

West Entrance."

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda.

The Sunday Funnies

DH decided to set up the twins their own Internet accounts {one with parental controls} so they can access their Webkinz, Disney.com, Cartoon Network, and the like without having to log into my account to do it.

So, today as he was setting it up--DH asked each of them what they wanted for their screen names.

Aussie went for, "Auzyboy @ whatever.com". {His soccer coach gave him the nickname Ozzie--and we thought it was so fab we've started calling him that over Aussie}.

Savvy told dad that she wanted, "A girl with animal instincts @ whatever.com". (DH steered her away from it as this is precisely the type of website we want the kids to avoid -- can you imagine what you'd get if you typed that into google? YIKES!).

So, with a little assistance from dad, Savvy decided on "dogandcatgirl @ whatever.com". Unfortunately, after that decision had already been saved and thereby made unchangeable--Savvy decided it sounded too much like a superhero.

Being a G-Rated kinda gal--I'd choose a superhero over a girl with animal instincts any day.

What a Crock

Tonight's Menu? Chicken Crockatore

(5 out of 5 Hansen's like this meal--but only one gave it a 10--me)

1 onion, sliced and diced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (or 12 chicken tenderloins from the package of frozen Costco chicken)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
3 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
4 oz can sliced mushrooms (I left this out--there is only one person in my family who likes mushrooms--and it ain't the chef)

Place onions in bottom of crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over hot spaghetti. (There were actually 4 Chicken Cacciatore recipes in my "Fix it and Forget Cookbook". So, I've combined the recipes using what I thought sounded like a good mix (2 recipes had tons of ingredients and 2 had very few). I also decided to throw in some Parmesan cheese and more pepper (it only called for 1/4 tsp)--I may add in another jar of spaghetti sauce if it doesn't look saucy enough later in the day--I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out).

Friday Gems

"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead."

--Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I Heart Crockpot Dinners

I heart my crock pot. I have a great love for the fact that I can crock it out earlier in the day when I'm not as busy. I also love that my house smells yummy by 4 pm.

But, I think what makes me truly heart crocker dinners is that it does not heat up my house. {My house has a tendency to heat up during the day--curse you east/west exposure}--and by dinnertime I DO NOT want to add another 350 degree oven into the mix}.

Here's my "Cowboy Casserole" recipe from yesterday.

Cowboy Casserole

(5 out of 5 Hansen's heart this recipe)
1 onion, diced
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (it called for 1 1/2 lbs--but I went with what I had)
6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can of kidney beans (any beans will do--I used chili--cause it is what I had--walmart brand in the canned pinto bean section-green can)
15 oz can diced tomatoes mixed with 2 tbsp flour--next time I'm using a jar of salsa
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1. Layer onions, ground beef, potatoes,

garlic and beans in crocker.
2. Spread tomatoes/salsa over all. Sprinkle

with salt and pepper.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours or

until potatoes are tender.

{I served it on a tostada shell--which may be weird because of the potatoes-but I wanted a little crunch. Sprinkle cheese on top--serve with a side of corn and some fruit--and you've got yourself a great meal for your little cowpokes. hehe}

So, crock a meal today!

A Shenanigan of a Crock

This past month of summer, I think I have averaged making some sort of breakfast food for dinner at least 1/2 of that time. Most of the other nights have been filled with fast food or pizza--and a few nights of me actually cooking something worthwhile.

My excuses are abundant--but the biggest one is soccer and swim are 4 nights a week right during the cooking of dinner hour. So, by the time we get home--it's too late for anything but a bowl of cereal, pizza or french toast.

Saturday I decided enough was enough. I got out my trusty never been used since I got it for Christmas "Fix-It and Forget It Cookbook" and began planning out my shopping list according to meals I thought sounded easy to throw in the crockpot--yet tasty for my family. I call it, "A Crock of a Week."

Monday, as you well know, I was at scout camp from morning until night--and so we had leftovers. Crocking requires some availability around 12 pm.

Around noon on Tuesday, I got my ingredients going for "Chicken ala Coco" (I have renamed some of the crockpot meals so my kids will think what they are eating is cooler than it really is).

On Tuesdays, the twins swim from 5-6 and have soccer practice from 630-730--which doesn't leave much time for cooking dinner (on the way home from soccer, Aussie actually asked if we were having pizza or cereal). As we walked in the door around 745 pm, the house smelled great and the kids were excited to try "Chicken ala Coco".

DH and Jay had already eaten and said it was great. DH actually raved on and on about the gloriousness of it and even gave it an 11 out of 10--and if you read my post about DH's rating system--you'll know this is a rare treat.

I got the kids' plates ready--serving the "Chicken ala Coco" over rice with some veggies on the side. It did smell divine & look good too.

Before I had even sat down to take my first bite, Aussie said, "This tastes weird--can I just have cereal?"

"Give it a chance," I answered.

I took my first bite. Aussie was right--it did taste kind of weird. But, I gave it a chance. Still weird. I gave it so many chances that I lost count--and it was still weird tasting to me.

As I was cleaning up dinner, DH came in the kitchen and said, "I think I have a new favorite meal! That was the best chicken I have ever had--did I tell you I give it an 11 out of 10?"

"Yes, you did," I answered, thinking, too bad I'm never making it again.

"Did you not like it?" DH asked increduoulsy.

"No, it was weird tasting," I answered.

"You've got to be kidding me! That's like the best thing you've made in months!" he replied {bordering on a compliment turning into an insult}.

DH continued to try and convince me of its fabulousity--and I continued to try and tell him that the Chef didn't like it--and what the Chef doesn't like, the Chef doesn't make. And so it goes.

{By the way, I've decided the weird tasting ingredient may be the cloves--so when I make this on March 5th, 2009 (DH's birthday)--I think I'll omit that ingredient.}

Recipe for Chicken ala Coco

{3 out of 5 Hansen's LOVE this recipe}

(I modified the recipe out of the book--so you are getting my take)

1 c coconut milk
1 c water
24 chicken tenderloins (from the frozen bag at Costco--the recipe called for 8 chicken thighs, skinned)
1 c brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1. Combine coconut milk & water. Pour into greased slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients in order listed.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

P.S. I thought last night's "Cowboy Casserole" was a whole lot better--but DH only gave it a 8.5--and then when he had his second plate--bumped it up to a 9. The kids all liked it too.

P.S.S. Tonight I'm crockin' "Chicken Cacciatore"--wish me luck!

Draper Temple, Angel Moroni, and One Sheepish Mama

I got an email yesterday (after the fact--or I would've gone up to watch the action)---that said, "A gold-leafed pedestal and statue of the angel Moroni were hoisted atop the single central spire of the Draper Utah Temple today. The Moroni raising marks an important milestone of construction and coincides with completion of the exterior granite facing of the building."

Click on this link if you'd like to see pictures of the event.

So, the twins & I went up after soccer practice and saw Angel Moroni, high up on the temple, with the sun setting behind him--in all his glory. What a sight! It was awesome to see.

Savvy said, "Wow, he's golden. I always thought Angel Moroni was silver." {what the?}

Aussie said, "Mom, what if someone tries to steal Angel Moroni. People like to steal gold." {I told him it would likely be a hard thing to steal.}

Then they asked me who the "Moroni" was in Angel Moroni. I thought he was Captain Moroni--the title of liberty Moroni--but the twins disagreed wholeheartedly with my answer.

Aussie said, "Mom, you know how there are like 5 Nephi's in the Book of Mormon? Well, there is more than one Moroni too."

Aussie wanted me to call the Bishop and ask him. Savvy thought I should call & ask my friend, Mary.

Yes, loyal readers, I finally figured out (on my own--well with a little help from lds.org hehe) that it was Mormon's son, Moroni (cut me some slack--he was named after Captain Moroni) who is the one that buried the gold plates in the first place.

LDS.org says, "Moroni is a Book of Mormon prophet who was the son of Mormon. He received the record of his people from his father, and after writing a final message he buried the gold plates in a hill until they could be brought forth and translated. He appeared as a resurrected being to Joseph Smith and gave him the gold plates for translation, as well as instruction pertaining to the Restoration of the gospel. A statue of Moroni, with a trumpet to his lips, appears on almost all temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has come to symbolize the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ in latter-days to every creature."

Feeling sheepish, I told my kids they were right! And they graciously gloated all over the place.

I guess it's true what they say...

...And the children shall lead.

The Scouting Chronicles

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

Dear Diary:

Went to Cub Scout Day Camp with Aussie and 11 other 8 & 9 year old boys today. It was a good time. I liked it better than last year--the theme was a kick--Superheroes. Best of all, there were only a few shenanigans to speak of.

Shenanigan #1--Missed out on doing the ever-important head count BEFORE we left the church. The gal I was carpooling with (forgot to bring her cell phone) -- pulled alongside me ON THE FREEWAY at 65 mph -- during rush hour -- and yelled through open windows. "Do you have *Eddie?

Quickly checking my boys, I yelled back, "No!"

"AHHH!" we both yelled.

I made a frantic phone call to one my girlfriends and asked if she had seen said *Eddie. She had seen him at the church.

I thought about it and remembered seeing *Eddie climbing trees in the church parking lot. As I pictured our lost cub scout crying in a tree--the boys in the back seat said that they saw Eddie get in my carpooling companion's (CC) vehicle. So, I pulled up alongside CC--and at the same time we both yelled--

Me: "You've got him in your car!"

CC: "I've got him in my car!"

Whew. That was a close one. Thank goodness the only witness were the 12 cub scouts--and who's going to believe what they say anyway?

Shenanigan #2-- Gotta love that canyon dirt. It provided better coverage than the sunblock our scout moms so fastidiously applied to their young. Of course, I remembered the dirt from last year--so I opted out on the sunblock and went straight for the dirt block. "Aussie! Stop! Drop! and Roll!" I yelled. He complied along with 11 other freshly oiled boys.

Shenanigan #3--They turned me loose with a BB gun. We had two fun Boy Scouts leading our group around the day camp. One of our rotations was a BB gun shooting range. Secretly, in my head, I wanted to shoot the guns. But, I tried to play it cool. Then, during the last rotation of boys there were two spots open--and our Boy Scouts asked if me and CC wanted to have a turn on the range! I locked, loaded, and pumped that gun like there was no tomorrow. {I only shot 6 out of 11 targets--don't tell my brothers!} But, it was the most fun I had all day. {And when our boy scouts said--time to put the guns down--I pretended I didn't hear and shot off another round. Aren't I a good example to our scouts?}

Shenanigan #4--Flies like me. With my new do, I have to use this stuff called hair wax. Who knew that flies would think my hair was honey--and get stuck in it a couple of times. NASTY!

Shenanigan #5--Cub scouts lose things. Note to self: next year tell parents not to send hats with their boys. Only 4 boys out of our 12 wore hats (mine was one of them--but he never lost his)--and I think I retrieved the same 3 hats at least 10 times each!

Shenanigan #6--Port-a-potties at scout camp. Do they ever empty them? Oh man! They were soooo bad that even the scouts didn't want to use them--and what do they know about sanitary conditions--they were covered in an inch of dirt? One of our scouts said to me, "I need to use the bathroom." I offered to walk him up to the portapoopies. He said, "No, those are gross. Can I just go in those trees?" We informed him that if every boy went in the trees then the trees would smell like the portapoopies. He opted to hold it for 2 hours (as did the rest of us). P.S. To the pregnant scout leader of troop 201--you are a brave and courageous woman. Every time I took a scout to the nasty portapoopies--there you were--exiting the nasty place--with a horrified look on your face. You my sista have earned a place in the celestial kingdom.

Shenanigan #7--Cub Scouts need a pack mule--and I'm a good one. At each station our scouts would get something to take home with them--a homemade map of their neighborhood, their fingerprint, an emergency number list, etc. As we walked away from each station, they'd hand them to me to carry (CC was smart and said no to the first request). By the end of the day, I was wishing I was a mama kangaroo with a pouch to put everything in.

Shenanigan #8--A twenty minute ride to the scout camp will turn into an hour long ride home if there is an accident on the freeway. Plan for a marathon game of I-Spy--and be sure to have extra snacks in the car.

As you can see dear diary, a good time was had by all. (and it only took 2 showers to get the dirt off of me and 3 showers for Aussie).

Sincerely,
One Sassy Mama

*names have been changed to protect the innocent...

...well mostly me

Ode to Cubscout Day Camp

Dirty, Dusty

Smelly, Musty

Filthy, Messy

Grimy, Grubby

Fun

Friday Gems

"If we would maintain the independence and freedom the Founding Fathers intended, we must work to preserve and protect the moral foundation upon which they built the U. S. government. We must stand boldly for righteousness and truth, and must defend the cause of honor, decency, and personal freedom..."

M. Russell Ballard, “Religion in a Free Society,” Ensign, Oct 1992, 64

I Heart LDS Gems!

For the past year, I have subscribed to a fabulous email from LDS.org called LDS Gems.

They have various themes--Family Gems, Daily Gems, Youth Gems, & Family History Gems. I receive the emails almost daily and each gem contains an inspirational quote on various topics from prophets & general authorities.

But, what made me Heart LDS Gems all the more--was when I got an email a few days ago informing me that I could now access LDS gems via my

google reader.

The best part about having the Gems on my googler is now I have tons and tons of inspirational quotes on many gospel topics saved in one easy location to use in talks, family home evenings & lessons (which by the by I should be working on right now instead of singing the praises of LDS gems).

A Gem Sampling...

I loved this quote so much I used it in

my talk on Sunday

...from Family Gems.

"Perhaps most significant of all classrooms is the classroom of the home. It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deeply held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are the laboratories of our lives. What we do there determines the course of our lives when we leave home. Dr. Stuart E. Rosenberg wrote in his book The Road to Confidence, 'Despite all new inventions and modern designs, fads and fetishes, no one has yet invented, or will ever invent, a satisfying substitute for one's own family.' " Thomas S. Monson, "Precious Children--A Gift from God," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 68

I really liked this one too...

Talking with God Personally

...from Daily Gems.

"It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our solicitation can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer."
Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer," Ensign, May 2007, 8.

So sign up for LDS Gems today! It's easy--Just click on the giant LDS Gems above. (And if you don't have Google Reader shame on you yet--then be sure to sign up for the Gems via email.)

P.S. I heart LDS Gems so much...I feel a theme day coming on--watch for "Friday Gems"--starting tomorrow--{after I've finished my lesson of course}.

A Repeat Performance

You know how they say history repeats itself?

Well, unfortunately so does procrastination.

In my last post, I mentioned how my talk didn't get itself written until the night before. Well, I'm headed down the same path with my RS lesson for Sunday.

Is it really already Thursday?

Or have I stumbled into a time machine and ended up 3 days further into the future than I wanted to be?

I was going to get my lesson going on Sunday night. Really, I was. But, c'mon I'd just given a talk--didn't I deserve the night off?

Monday. I had to clean the house. Then I sent a carefully crafted email to the RS ladies. Re-upped my subscription with Paper Crafts Magazine. Took the kids to the Library. Swung by Albie's for some smokin' deals on groceries. Dropped Jordyn off at swim team. Family Night. But, I promised myself I'd get to my lesson on Tuesday.

Tuesday. Time for the monthly Sunrise Temple group. We left at 4:30 am for the 5 am session and if that isn't going to put a kink in my cog I don't know what will. After the temple, we headed to Mimi's for breakfast and a meeting. Got home around 9am. Picked Jay up from swim team and dropped the twins off at swim lessons at 930 am. Registered the twins at Summit (their new charter school--also the home of my new TA job in the fall). Picked the twins up at 1015 and headed home for some summer slavin'. After the slavery, sent Jay off to the movies with some friends. Picked up Jay at the movies. Took the twins to swim team from 5-6 and then soccer practice from 630-730--tried to read over my lesson but instead of bringing May 2008's Ensign--I brought May 2007's Ensign. Made a late dinner. Went to bed around 915 {I'm telling you, that 345 am rising is for the birds--and maybe my Grandpa}. As I drifted off to sleep, I promised myself I'd get to my lesson on Wednesday.

Wednesday. Went to a swim meet {I have the sunburn to prove it} with Jay. We left at 715 am and got home at 130 pm--on the way home we stopped at imitation Inn-&-Out burger Chadders & a quick stop to buy a couple of birthday presents for Savvy's drive-inn birthday party she had been invited to that night. Tried to take a nap (me+sun=not a good thing), tried to read a book, tried to blog, talked on the phone, tried to clean the house {and with the assistance of the slaves succeed on that goal}, went to the twins soccer game from 530-630 pm (curse you summer soccer league!), did visits with the RS presidency, visited some more in my driveway with the RSP till 11, fell asleep quickly at 11:30 on black beauty. But, I promised myself that I'd get to my lesson on Thursday.

Thursday. Got DH and Jay off at 715 for another day at the pool. Checked some emails. Blogged. And now I'm headed upstairs for some whip-crackin' -- this house will be shining like the top of the Chrysler building by 11 am--cuz I've got a Family BBQ here tomorrow night!

And then? I'm pretty sure. Almost positive. That I will start my lesson for Sunday.
{P.S. My lesson is from April's General Conference. It is on Cheryl Lant's wonderful talk on Righteous Traditions--one of my favorite talks from GC. If you have any fabulous ideas, object lessons etc--and I use it--I will send you a fabulous prize that has yet to be determined...Promise! }

{Fine Print: Please allow 10-12 weeks for the crafting of and mailing of said item--or just come and visit me and eliminate the tricksy & troublesome post office step.}