I have never LOVED to cook. I wish I did. I love to eat, so why not love to cook too? I suppose if I love both, I would weigh much, much more than I do!
Since our move, I have been cooking. I kind of have to. There isn't much choice for eating out in Stonewall. Not a bad thing though. It definitely saves on eating out!
Before our move, I had unintentionally lost weight. I believe alot of that had to do with stress. It also had to do with our living room being located in the basement with new carpet. I didn't want food in the new living area. Not to mention, I was too lazy to go upstairs to get those late night snacks when watching television. Who ever said you can't lose weight by being being lazy??? ;-) I'm pretty sure I've gained back what I lost. And probably more. That's the way it usually goes. Hmpfh.
I have been going through my recipe book looking for different things to make. I am a boring, habitual cooker, and I seem to always make the same things. Over and over. I'm trying to broaden my horizons. It's a little difficult to do that here, as I don't have access to alot of the things that I did in Bismarck. I decided the other day, when I found a recipe in the newspaper, that maybe that was a good idea, to find local recipes. After all, why would they print a recipe in a local paper if they didn't have the ingredients here to prepare it? I found a recipe for Chili Con Carne that I want to try out. Preferably before it gets warmer outside. I figure I still have a couple of months to get to it.
The other night I was using up our over-ripe bananas and made some banana muffins. Emma wanted to help. Emma always wants to help cook, and I haven't always let her in the past. First of all, I didn't have alot of kitchen space to work in, or counter space to work on. I have no excuse here. She did help add the ingredients as I ran the hand mixer. I didn't alter the baking time enough to fit muffins versus loaf of banana bread. They were a little hard. Tastey, but hard. Butter was definitely needed on these muffins to help them slide down the pipe.
While we were preparing the muffins, Emma commented on my recipe book. I think I bought this recipe book when we lived in Mississippi? Maybe Tennessee? Anyway, I've had it for about 14-15 years and I use it all of the time. I am always adding new, favorite recipes to it. It's about as full (or overfull) as it can be. Emma was looking through the recipe book and made the comment, "Mom, when I get older, can we copy these recipes down so I can have them?" *smile* I told Emma that I most certainly would do that, and told her that when I die, she can have it. She said she didn't want that to happen for a very long time. I don't either!
I have seen different scrapbooking ideas on making Family Recipe Scrapbooks. I think I might try and do this. For Emma. As a secret. (I just thought about this, actually!) What a good idea. I am more likely to try a new recipe when I see a picture of it. What a neat gift for Emma to receive one day, A recipe book of her cooking with her Mom in her handwriting, and pictures to boot! I will start off with some of Emma's favorite foods. I should probably do this in double, as I'm sure Gage would like one too. We are having our favorite Garden Ranch Pizza for supper tonight. I think today would be a good day to get started on this project. ;-)
Just what I need.................another scrapbooking project to get started, then get behind on. Well, if it ever gets finished, it could end up being one of the kids' favorite gifts.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Pain in the Neck
No, no, I am not talking about Scott. ;-) I am talking about a pain in the neck, literally. I've had some neck problems for quite some time now. I have decreased neck mobility, which I learned a few years ago when I went to my first chiropractor visit. I'm not a big believer in chiropractics, but I do believe it worked, when I was going. I went for a few weeks when I started, and that's also when it ended. Not because it wasn't working, but because it just gets expensive and my pain had subsided. I don't know that it increased my neck mobility, but it did help with the headaches and stress/tension in my neck. If I were still in Bismarck, I would probably be making appointments for the neck pain I have going on right now. I trusted my chiropractor. First she was a friend, and then she became my chiropractor. She knew how I felt about chiropractors in general, so I trusted that she wouldn't take advantage of me, and she didn't.
I'm not exactly sure why I am having all of this neck pain. I'm using the same bed and same pillow as I always have. I don't know if I slept wrong, causing a cramp/kink in my neck and now I just can't get rid of it or what? I cried out on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and had some responses from friends who have had similar problems and have gained much relief by the pillow they changed to. Some suggested memory foam and another suggested a D-Core pillow. She said it changed her life. How could I ignore that? I decided I needed to give it a try because all of the anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers I was taking wasn't really doing it for me. I found the D-Core pillow online and decided to order it. It arrived yesterday.
Last night, I was actually excited to go to bed, so I could use my new pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable pillow and I wondered if I might have troubles going to sleep. It didn't take me too long, as it sometimes does, but I was quite tired. The pillow is designed for back and side sleepers. I am both a back and side sleeper. The wait it works is that it has a D-shape sewn into the pillow and your head is cradled in the indention and then your neck is kept in alignment by the cushion that is made at the base of the pillow. As you turn onto your side and your head rolls to the side, the cushioned area increases, accommodating your shoulder height, allowing your spine to stay aligned.
This morning I woke up with a headache. :( It could have happened regardless of which pillow I used. It happens frequently. I understand that it can take a few weeks for a person to see results. My lower back was bothering me a little too. Again, this could have happened without regards to which pillow I was using. I took some Excedrin Migraine and went about my morning. As I was backing out of the driveway to take the kids to school, I noticed it wasn't as painful as I was looking back to see if any traffic was coming. I don't know if that is a result of the pillow, or the Excedrin Migraine. As I sit here at the computer typing, I don't necessarily have as much discomfort in my neck. Again, not sure if that is because of the pillow or the Excedrin Migraine. I will continue to use the pillow and see how things go. I pray it works. It wasn't TERRIBLY expensive. I think it was about $40. I bought a couple of normal pillows at a home outfitters store for about $20, so I guess this was double the price, so maybe it was spendy. However, I don't care about the price if it works. What I didn't like about ordering the pillow was that I was charged $11.95 shipping charges on the initial order. Then, when it arrived yesterday, I had to pay $15.13 more for PST, GST and Brokerage fees (whatever that is!). So, I pretty much paid for another pillow just to get the dumb thing shipped to me, making the pillow total around $65. OUCH! I hope it works, because I can't afford to test out the different types available on the market.
I'm not exactly sure why I am having all of this neck pain. I'm using the same bed and same pillow as I always have. I don't know if I slept wrong, causing a cramp/kink in my neck and now I just can't get rid of it or what? I cried out on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and had some responses from friends who have had similar problems and have gained much relief by the pillow they changed to. Some suggested memory foam and another suggested a D-Core pillow. She said it changed her life. How could I ignore that? I decided I needed to give it a try because all of the anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers I was taking wasn't really doing it for me. I found the D-Core pillow online and decided to order it. It arrived yesterday.
Last night, I was actually excited to go to bed, so I could use my new pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable pillow and I wondered if I might have troubles going to sleep. It didn't take me too long, as it sometimes does, but I was quite tired. The pillow is designed for back and side sleepers. I am both a back and side sleeper. The wait it works is that it has a D-shape sewn into the pillow and your head is cradled in the indention and then your neck is kept in alignment by the cushion that is made at the base of the pillow. As you turn onto your side and your head rolls to the side, the cushioned area increases, accommodating your shoulder height, allowing your spine to stay aligned.
This morning I woke up with a headache. :( It could have happened regardless of which pillow I used. It happens frequently. I understand that it can take a few weeks for a person to see results. My lower back was bothering me a little too. Again, this could have happened without regards to which pillow I was using. I took some Excedrin Migraine and went about my morning. As I was backing out of the driveway to take the kids to school, I noticed it wasn't as painful as I was looking back to see if any traffic was coming. I don't know if that is a result of the pillow, or the Excedrin Migraine. As I sit here at the computer typing, I don't necessarily have as much discomfort in my neck. Again, not sure if that is because of the pillow or the Excedrin Migraine. I will continue to use the pillow and see how things go. I pray it works. It wasn't TERRIBLY expensive. I think it was about $40. I bought a couple of normal pillows at a home outfitters store for about $20, so I guess this was double the price, so maybe it was spendy. However, I don't care about the price if it works. What I didn't like about ordering the pillow was that I was charged $11.95 shipping charges on the initial order. Then, when it arrived yesterday, I had to pay $15.13 more for PST, GST and Brokerage fees (whatever that is!). So, I pretty much paid for another pillow just to get the dumb thing shipped to me, making the pillow total around $65. OUCH! I hope it works, because I can't afford to test out the different types available on the market.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
French Cultural Week
We did finally close on our house last Friday, March 4. What a relief! It was kind of bittersweet, however. I keep thinking about the new owners, and wondering what changes they might be making to the house. I hope they like the neighborhood as much as we did!!
This week is French Cultural week at R.W. Bobby Bend School. The kids were supposed to wear tuques (red if possible) yesterday. Of course Emma was all over that one! She wears her tuque 24/7. Although they won't let her wear it at school like she wears it at home. Today is outdoor races and wear a beard (face paint can do the trick!). Yesterday both Gage and Emma said they didn't really want to do it. So, I didn't bother tracking down face paint. This morning Emma pulled her hair into a ponytail under her chin and said she could wear a beard that way. WHAT A GREAT IDEA! One of Gage's friends from Bismarck had done this as a joke one day and took a picture, so that's where Emma got the idea. I had totally forgotten about it though, and was so excited when Emma thought of it. Of course she wouldn't do it. I kept telling her everyone would think she's a genius, hoping that would make her do it. Finally, on our way to school, she said that if other girls had beards, then she would do it. I highly doubt she will. She doesn't like to make a spectacle of herself, like her mother does. ;-) Tomorrow is crepe making and wear a plaid/flannel shirt. Thursday they are to wear a "ceinture flechee" (colourful sash or scarf around the waist will do). Then Friday they have French performers in the afternoon and they are to wear everything: tuque, beard, plaid/flannel shirt and ceinture flechee. They have all kinds of fun things like this going on at school. The winters are long here, so they have to do something to keep the kids excited!
We are at 15 days until our Disney vacation! Emma is getting SO EXCITED. This morning she was full of questions about riding an airplane. I just can't wait to see the smiles on their faces as we board the plane. I don't think we all have seats together though, so I'm hoping it works out that people will trade seats with us to allow us all to sit together. I definitely will have my camera in hand taking pictures of them and the smiles on their faces!
It's a cold one out there this morning! I'm ready for some warmer weather!
This week is French Cultural week at R.W. Bobby Bend School. The kids were supposed to wear tuques (red if possible) yesterday. Of course Emma was all over that one! She wears her tuque 24/7. Although they won't let her wear it at school like she wears it at home. Today is outdoor races and wear a beard (face paint can do the trick!). Yesterday both Gage and Emma said they didn't really want to do it. So, I didn't bother tracking down face paint. This morning Emma pulled her hair into a ponytail under her chin and said she could wear a beard that way. WHAT A GREAT IDEA! One of Gage's friends from Bismarck had done this as a joke one day and took a picture, so that's where Emma got the idea. I had totally forgotten about it though, and was so excited when Emma thought of it. Of course she wouldn't do it. I kept telling her everyone would think she's a genius, hoping that would make her do it. Finally, on our way to school, she said that if other girls had beards, then she would do it. I highly doubt she will. She doesn't like to make a spectacle of herself, like her mother does. ;-) Tomorrow is crepe making and wear a plaid/flannel shirt. Thursday they are to wear a "ceinture flechee" (colourful sash or scarf around the waist will do). Then Friday they have French performers in the afternoon and they are to wear everything: tuque, beard, plaid/flannel shirt and ceinture flechee. They have all kinds of fun things like this going on at school. The winters are long here, so they have to do something to keep the kids excited!
We are at 15 days until our Disney vacation! Emma is getting SO EXCITED. This morning she was full of questions about riding an airplane. I just can't wait to see the smiles on their faces as we board the plane. I don't think we all have seats together though, so I'm hoping it works out that people will trade seats with us to allow us all to sit together. I definitely will have my camera in hand taking pictures of them and the smiles on their faces!
It's a cold one out there this morning! I'm ready for some warmer weather!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Closing Date set!
FINALLY! We are scheduled to close on our house in Bismarck TOMORROW! Whew! It is definitely easier (and more fun) to buy a house than it is to sell a house. This process wasn't fun, and when you add on top of that not being there to make sure things are going okay, it adds stress to the equation. Thank you, thank you, thank you goes out to my old neighbors, Dave and Maggie Anderson. Dave has done an AWESOME job at being my eyes and hands. It is definitely true that the process was made easier with his help and I can't thank him enough for helping us out in this way. I'll have to send him a pair of Canada mits (mittens) as a souvenir to remember me by. ;-)
I am also anxious to see where we will sit, financially. We likely won't really know the answer to this until the end of March or most likely the start of April. Especially since we have our big vacation planned near the end of March. Twenty days from now, to be exact!!! We are so excited and it will be a MUCH NEEDED break from all the stress from moving, selling our house, settling into our new house and figuring out our day to day routine.
It snowed here last night! Woo Hoo! Boy am I tired of the cold and snow. I have always liked winter but I am ready for it to be gone. I am anxious to see what our yard really looks like. I did, of course, see it when we bought it, but it has been covered with a thick blanket (mountain) of snow since we've been here, so it will be nice to see that green grass! Speaking of the snow melting, it sure does bother me to know that the new owners of our old house will likely have a mess in their new backyard. Melting dog poop is not a pleasant thing, especially when you aren't prepared for it. Hopefully it isn't too bad. I don't know how well Scott picked it up before it snowed. I can make a guess though! :(
This weekend the kids and I will be enjoying the Winter Carnival at Stonewall Quarry Park. Scott will be out of town all weekend for work, so it will be nice to have an activity to keep us busy on Saturday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
I am also anxious to see where we will sit, financially. We likely won't really know the answer to this until the end of March or most likely the start of April. Especially since we have our big vacation planned near the end of March. Twenty days from now, to be exact!!! We are so excited and it will be a MUCH NEEDED break from all the stress from moving, selling our house, settling into our new house and figuring out our day to day routine.
It snowed here last night! Woo Hoo! Boy am I tired of the cold and snow. I have always liked winter but I am ready for it to be gone. I am anxious to see what our yard really looks like. I did, of course, see it when we bought it, but it has been covered with a thick blanket (mountain) of snow since we've been here, so it will be nice to see that green grass! Speaking of the snow melting, it sure does bother me to know that the new owners of our old house will likely have a mess in their new backyard. Melting dog poop is not a pleasant thing, especially when you aren't prepared for it. Hopefully it isn't too bad. I don't know how well Scott picked it up before it snowed. I can make a guess though! :(
This weekend the kids and I will be enjoying the Winter Carnival at Stonewall Quarry Park. Scott will be out of town all weekend for work, so it will be nice to have an activity to keep us busy on Saturday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
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