I love Twilight, Mrs. Meyer, but you got it wrong.
Those weren't immortals you were seeing in your dreams. They were just born and bred Pacific Northwesterners. So here I am, a born and raised Oregonian, to clear up the confusion:
-We aren't vampires, we're just pale. Not "I need a tan" pale, but "gee, is the fair colored foundation too dark for me?" pale. This is because we have no sun for most of the year. When we do, we get so excited that we go to Target and buy SPF300, huge sunglasses and sun hats in order to make us feel all summer-like.
-We aren't vampires, we just run fast. You'd run fast, too, if you had to face torrential downpours anytime you got out of the car.
-We aren't vampires, we just have dark circles under our eyes. This is attributed to the fact that children in rainy climates stay inside often. Children who stay indoors often are kind of nuts. Parents of children who are kind of nuts are freaking exhausted.
-We aren't vampires, we just talk funny. But we won't admit it because, obviously, it is actually the rest of the country who sounds strange.
-We aren't vampires, we are just moody. You try living in an overcast climate 9 months out of the year, then act all Little Miss Sunshine.
-We aren't vampires, we just sparkle. This is caused by the makeup we wear in an attempt to distract you from the fact that if you look too closely, you'll see our veins through our deathly pale skin.
-And finally, we aren't vampires...we are just cold. This isn't because our skin is made of marble. It's because we spend most of our time as wet as a drowned rat, wondering if the sun exists and fighting wind- with no umbrella or coat (of course) because only tourists use that crap.
Sooo...while I am admittedly a Twilight girl, I have to disappoint. There are no immortal beings in the Pacific NW. There are only people who actually live in the PNW, and you can see how that gets confusing.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Our family's quiche. Gluten free and WW friendly!
So, here is a recipe that began as something from The Gluten Free Gourmet cookbook (by Bette Hagman, a gluten free genius). Then on top of gluten free considerations, we added my Weight Watchers needs. And my family's preferences. Here is the super yummy, gluten free, 7 Points Plus per serving quiche:
Crust:
Potaotes, 3 cups (sliced very thin- I use a food king with a madolin setting)
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Slice the potatoes very thin and line a large pie pan with them. Then I drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, and stick in the oven at 425 to bake for 30 minutes.
Filling:
4 oz. Pancetta
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1 leek, chopped
1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/8 cup gouda, shredded (if you don't have gouda, you can sub more parmesean here)
1/8 cup parmesean, grated
3/4 cup fat free milk
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Brown pancetta with leek in a pan sprayed with olive oil spray. Mix all ingredients in large bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer, because I'm too lazy to stir it myself :-). Pour in the crust once it's done the 30 minutes in the oven. Put the whole thing back in the oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes. I'd suggest wrapping the edges in aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes, so the outer rim of the potaoes don't burn!
This is a super yummy, make everyone happy, breakfast-for-dinner dish. Served with a green veggie side, it has all you need!
Serves 6.
Crust:
Potaotes, 3 cups (sliced very thin- I use a food king with a madolin setting)
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Slice the potatoes very thin and line a large pie pan with them. Then I drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, and stick in the oven at 425 to bake for 30 minutes.
Filling:
4 oz. Pancetta
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1 leek, chopped
1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/8 cup gouda, shredded (if you don't have gouda, you can sub more parmesean here)
1/8 cup parmesean, grated
3/4 cup fat free milk
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Brown pancetta with leek in a pan sprayed with olive oil spray. Mix all ingredients in large bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer, because I'm too lazy to stir it myself :-). Pour in the crust once it's done the 30 minutes in the oven. Put the whole thing back in the oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes. I'd suggest wrapping the edges in aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes, so the outer rim of the potaoes don't burn!
This is a super yummy, make everyone happy, breakfast-for-dinner dish. Served with a green veggie side, it has all you need!
Serves 6.
Wow, it's been a long time!
I thought I'd pop in and share some updates.
Dusty just finished up his first term in the EMT program at a local community college. He seriously ROCKED it! I am majorly impressed with his dedication, his grades, and the way that his brain works when it comes to math. Dusty going back to school has meant some serious changes in our family's life, but I think that those changes are great!
Skyler is about to begin football, which he is super excited about! He is loving Harry Potter, Star Wars and Beyblade Metal Fusion (which, ironically, is mostly made of plastic. Go Figure.). School has been a bit rough this year, but he is sticking it out and trying his best. Skyler has so many people in his life trying to help him through this rough patch that just thinking about them makes me tear up in a happy cry. This summer, Skyler will begin competing in golf tournaments- something he has been anxiously awaiting for years!
Alex is loving preschool and cannot wait for Kindergarten. He is about to begin a second season of indoor soccer, which has been his favorite sport of all. He has also played t-ball and basketball. Alex's favorite things at the moment include Christmas movies/characters (yep...in the springtime...), sports, homework (yeah- really), and Beyblade. Alex had an awesome time on St. Patrick'sDay! Leprechauns visited both his school and his house, making messes and leaving chocolate coins! At home, they also left glittery footprints...which Dusty is still unhappy with "them" about. Oops.
I am busy at work, but absolutely loving what I do! I feel so lucky to have an awesome job! Outside of work, the fam keeps me busy and content, and when they are all asleep books and HBO/Showtime series via Netflix keep me happy! I began Weight Watchers in September and lost 28 pounds! Now I am just working to maintain that loss and feeling seriously awesome about it.
Spring has sprung and life is good!
Dusty just finished up his first term in the EMT program at a local community college. He seriously ROCKED it! I am majorly impressed with his dedication, his grades, and the way that his brain works when it comes to math. Dusty going back to school has meant some serious changes in our family's life, but I think that those changes are great!
Skyler is about to begin football, which he is super excited about! He is loving Harry Potter, Star Wars and Beyblade Metal Fusion (which, ironically, is mostly made of plastic. Go Figure.). School has been a bit rough this year, but he is sticking it out and trying his best. Skyler has so many people in his life trying to help him through this rough patch that just thinking about them makes me tear up in a happy cry. This summer, Skyler will begin competing in golf tournaments- something he has been anxiously awaiting for years!
Alex is loving preschool and cannot wait for Kindergarten. He is about to begin a second season of indoor soccer, which has been his favorite sport of all. He has also played t-ball and basketball. Alex's favorite things at the moment include Christmas movies/characters (yep...in the springtime...), sports, homework (yeah- really), and Beyblade. Alex had an awesome time on St. Patrick'sDay! Leprechauns visited both his school and his house, making messes and leaving chocolate coins! At home, they also left glittery footprints...which Dusty is still unhappy with "them" about. Oops.
I am busy at work, but absolutely loving what I do! I feel so lucky to have an awesome job! Outside of work, the fam keeps me busy and content, and when they are all asleep books and HBO/Showtime series via Netflix keep me happy! I began Weight Watchers in September and lost 28 pounds! Now I am just working to maintain that loss and feeling seriously awesome about it.
Spring has sprung and life is good!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Buzz Lightyear and the Comcast man.
Whew, am I glad that the Comcast repair guy has young kids of his own! Otherwise, I'm pretty sure he'd have run screaming out the door.
Imagine being a guy going to a house to fix a faulty cable box. The door opens slowly and...Buzz Lightyear (a.k.a. 4 year old Alex) answers the door. In August.
Yep, that's how we greeted the cable guy. He took it in stride, said "Hello Buzz" and got to work on the cable box. No sooner had he said up shop, the questions from Sky began.
"What are you doing?"
"What is that screen?"
"Why doesn't it work?"
"Can you fix it?"
The great part was that the repair man was very quick on his feet and had awesome, sarcastic answers to all these questions. He told the kids that the box had a sensor that notified Comcast when kids hadn't brushed their teeth, and then Comcast called parents. Sky laughed, undetterred, and kept up the constant interrogations. Alex got nervous and asked every few minutes how they knew if his teeth weren't brushed, for the duration of the visit.
It REALLY got exciting when, because of his good mood and willingness to banter, the kids decided the cable guy was awesome. This meant that they MUST show off. So Skyler starts jumping up and down and spouting random knowledge. At this point, I'm heading back in to the living room to shoo the kids off (of course he came right in the middle of my dish-doing), and I hear Alex say "WATCH THIS!". Note: In the case of children, this typically means some rule is about to be broken.
Apparently, Buzz Lightyear can fly. As I round the corner I see Alex, all coiled up like a tiger about to pounce on the coffee table. At the same time, my ears are registering "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND", and Alex is leaping off the coffee table....and straight in to the tv screen.
Holy cow. Thank the good Lord that Comcast hires people who had a good sense of humor, a "kids will be kids" attitude, and the ability to at least mask their judgements of moms with crazy kids until they get in the van.
Someday they will be old and grown and I'll miss the Buzz Lightyear/20 questions phase. Until then, can I have a glass of wine?
Imagine being a guy going to a house to fix a faulty cable box. The door opens slowly and...Buzz Lightyear (a.k.a. 4 year old Alex) answers the door. In August.
Yep, that's how we greeted the cable guy. He took it in stride, said "Hello Buzz" and got to work on the cable box. No sooner had he said up shop, the questions from Sky began.
"What are you doing?"
"What is that screen?"
"Why doesn't it work?"
"Can you fix it?"
The great part was that the repair man was very quick on his feet and had awesome, sarcastic answers to all these questions. He told the kids that the box had a sensor that notified Comcast when kids hadn't brushed their teeth, and then Comcast called parents. Sky laughed, undetterred, and kept up the constant interrogations. Alex got nervous and asked every few minutes how they knew if his teeth weren't brushed, for the duration of the visit.
It REALLY got exciting when, because of his good mood and willingness to banter, the kids decided the cable guy was awesome. This meant that they MUST show off. So Skyler starts jumping up and down and spouting random knowledge. At this point, I'm heading back in to the living room to shoo the kids off (of course he came right in the middle of my dish-doing), and I hear Alex say "WATCH THIS!". Note: In the case of children, this typically means some rule is about to be broken.
Apparently, Buzz Lightyear can fly. As I round the corner I see Alex, all coiled up like a tiger about to pounce on the coffee table. At the same time, my ears are registering "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND", and Alex is leaping off the coffee table....and straight in to the tv screen.
Holy cow. Thank the good Lord that Comcast hires people who had a good sense of humor, a "kids will be kids" attitude, and the ability to at least mask their judgements of moms with crazy kids until they get in the van.
Someday they will be old and grown and I'll miss the Buzz Lightyear/20 questions phase. Until then, can I have a glass of wine?
Friday, April 2, 2010
How children are like dogs.
It's all in good fun, people. All in good fun.
How are children like dogs?
-They often smell funny, and you can't usually figure out where the smell is coming from.
-Children whine a lot.
-Children pee on carpets.
-The best way to get a child to stop peeing on carpets is to give them food treats.
-Either you have a leash for your child, or it has crossed your mind in at least one desperate moment that it sure would be nice.
-Children will eat the strangest s***.
-Children often greet eachother in ways that make you wonder what planet they are from.
-Children know how to make you SOOOO mad...then give you that face that says "but I'm so cuddly and cute, you know you love me".
-A child's best command is usually "ignore me".
-Go ahead and try to get your kid to clean his room. Then ask your dog to clean it. See which one gets done first. (Note: if you try this, you'll probably eventually wind up giving up on both of them and doing it yourself)
How are children like dogs?
-They often smell funny, and you can't usually figure out where the smell is coming from.
-Children whine a lot.
-Children pee on carpets.
-The best way to get a child to stop peeing on carpets is to give them food treats.
-Either you have a leash for your child, or it has crossed your mind in at least one desperate moment that it sure would be nice.
-Children will eat the strangest s***.
-Children often greet eachother in ways that make you wonder what planet they are from.
-Children know how to make you SOOOO mad...then give you that face that says "but I'm so cuddly and cute, you know you love me".
-A child's best command is usually "ignore me".
-Go ahead and try to get your kid to clean his room. Then ask your dog to clean it. See which one gets done first. (Note: if you try this, you'll probably eventually wind up giving up on both of them and doing it yourself)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
It's been a while!
But here I am!
These last few weeks have been rewarding but challenging. We are really trying to stay healthy 'round here, which is sometimes easier said than done!
So here are some basic updates:
-Both boys are signed up for baseball/t-ball. Alex is so excited! He just wants to be on a team- any team! Games and pratices won't start until April, and I'm not 100% sure that the Y won't call and say Alex is too young, but I sure hope they don't! He is so ready to play ball!
- Both Nemo and Franklin have adjusted to life in our house and are loving it. Franklin got a new cage which makes it much easier for him to avoid being eaten by Dillon. Dillon seems to have gotten the idea that he isn't supposed to threaten to eat the guinea pig. Georgia still rules the pet roost 'round here, especially if you ask her.
-Dusty and I are feeling good about life, and are adjusting to our new schedules, especially with help from Mom, who is around to make life less crazy!
-I have given up Starbucks and fountain drinks for Lent, and am putting the money I would have spent on those things towards a project that is building wells and taps for clean drinking water in Haiti. Today I'm donating $20 to the fund, and aside from a massive mocha craving, I am thrilled about it!
I am so sorry I've been a bit non-existant lately in life outside of work and my house. I am really trying to catch up! I'm sure some day this whole working mom thing will feel like the norm. I'm just not there yet.
These last few weeks have been rewarding but challenging. We are really trying to stay healthy 'round here, which is sometimes easier said than done!
So here are some basic updates:
-Both boys are signed up for baseball/t-ball. Alex is so excited! He just wants to be on a team- any team! Games and pratices won't start until April, and I'm not 100% sure that the Y won't call and say Alex is too young, but I sure hope they don't! He is so ready to play ball!
- Both Nemo and Franklin have adjusted to life in our house and are loving it. Franklin got a new cage which makes it much easier for him to avoid being eaten by Dillon. Dillon seems to have gotten the idea that he isn't supposed to threaten to eat the guinea pig. Georgia still rules the pet roost 'round here, especially if you ask her.
-Dusty and I are feeling good about life, and are adjusting to our new schedules, especially with help from Mom, who is around to make life less crazy!
-I have given up Starbucks and fountain drinks for Lent, and am putting the money I would have spent on those things towards a project that is building wells and taps for clean drinking water in Haiti. Today I'm donating $20 to the fund, and aside from a massive mocha craving, I am thrilled about it!
I am so sorry I've been a bit non-existant lately in life outside of work and my house. I am really trying to catch up! I'm sure some day this whole working mom thing will feel like the norm. I'm just not there yet.
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