Not just another Monday...

It was a really good day for a Monday.  I had a doctor appointment in Great Falls so I took the day off and headed to town with Kelsey.  We don't go to the big city that often so when we do, we have a list and we're on a mission.  We left home at 8:00 this morning and got home at 8:00 tonight.
First stop was Home Depot.  It's rather overwhelming looking for lumber in a place that size.  I did the best I could on my own, then found someone to help me.  Once I decided to use the recommended cedar, it was simple.  They only had 2x4's and 4x4's, and knowing that I wanted the beds 12" high, I just quickly figured what materials I needed and had them pull it all.  I ended up needing 27 of the 2x4's and 3 of the 4x4's for the corner posts.  I didn't want to have the lumber in the back of Vince's pickup all day so I had them pull it and paid for it and told them I'd be back!  And because I was pretty excited about getting this project off the ground, I bought a small houseplant to pot for the kitchen.  I used to have a house full of plants but they didn't do well in the smokey environment (back when there were 2 of us smokers in the house) so when I lost them, I never replaced them.  As a part of my new attitude, I've decided that I want plants again.  So today I got my first.  I'll put it in a nice pot and show it off in a few days.
From there we went to the mall where I successfully grew my new earring collection.  That was so much fun. Kelsey was a big help.....the last thing I wanted was to buy too many "old lady earrings".
After the mall we had lunch at Applebees.  I love eating there because they have a house sirloin that is exactly double the amount I can eat at one meal.  For this reason I order it and take half home with me and have dinner half made.  And they always make me my special order of a double side of steamed broccoli and they always get it right.  I never end up have to push away another side, the medium rare steak is always just right, and they give me just right amount of broccoli.  So, as usual, lunch was great.  Kelsey's chicken caesar salad looked great and she really enjoyed it also.
After lunch we

My Next Project

I should change the title to My Next BIG Project because I have a feeling this is going to turn into a big project.  When Vince and I bought our house it had a nice big garden in the back.  Vince loved that about the place.  I thought I would love that about the place too.  As it turns out, I was not the avid gardener that I thought I might be and without any help from me or the girls (they adopted my lazy attitude toward gardening) Vince quickly lost the zeal that he first felt when tending the garden.  He kept the garden for a few years, mostly because every spring I would be very optimistic about my role in the caretaking of the thing.  And I'd zealously help with the planting and the first few waterings, then as soon as the weeds started growing and I realized that the future work would involve bending, squatting and working in dirt, I'd turn it over to Vince again.  God bless his soul.........Vince went through this ritual every year with me and ended up doing all the work while my only role would be some harvesting and of course, using the yield in my culinary creations.  Vince had tried to turn the garden into lawn for several years but I kept insisting that we would make it work "this year". Then it happened!  It was fall and we had a bumper crop of acorn squash that needed harvesting.  Kelsey was in grade school and eager to help out so he was asked to go out and pick the squash and bring them in the house.  We gave her a couple of large rubbermaid containers and in no time she had them filled.  Vince brought them in the house where I was going to wash them off before storing them for the winter.  I hadn't more than began when I saw it.......a huge black spider crawling from the tubs onto my counter.  I am not a fan of spiders and this one was a black widow......I just knew it!  Turns out I was right.  That red hour glass couldn't have been more clear!  That was the night I gave Vince the go ahead to turn that garden into lawn!
It wasn't until after the next spring, after Vince had planted the plot with grass, that he told me that we'd had black widows for years.  My dad had given Vince an old homemade trailer that was filled with lumber scraps and it was parked beside the garden........beside the squash patch to be more specific.  He had seen the widows in there nearly every summer since we moved the trailer there.  I couldn't get upset with him not telling me.....it would have kept me from being in that part of the yard all together if I'd have known!
So now we jump to 2012.  I'm feeling much more spry at my current fighting weight, and I no longer dread the hot days of summer.  I actually look forward to being outside in the heat and I'm letting myself think about gardening again.  You need to know........my best friend in an avid gardener and spends her winters just waiting for spring so she can get out and start playing in the mud again.  I love her garden and I'm jealous that I don't have that passion.  But I'm not fool enough to think that I can just jump right in there and instantly be a gardener like her.  I do think, however, that it's okay for me to give it a go on a small scale.
So I'm happy to announce that I'm going to give raised bed gardening a try.  I asked Vince if he would help me with the endeavor and he has agreed.  Well, his exact words were "By HELP, do you mean build the raised beds and get them installed and ready to plant?"  Oh, he knows me so well. 
I have been researching the raised bed technique and I think I have a good idea of what we need.  Tomorrow I am bringing the pickup to Great Falls with me so I can get my supplies.  I'm hoping to start out with 2 or 3 beds.  I'd like more, but as hard as it is, I am trying to keep my enthusiasm in check to keep from overdoing it.  That will increase my odds of success greatly!
So once I have the supplies for the actual bed I'll start looking for topsoil.  When we had the garden back there it was terribly weedy.  Seemed like it had been planted with a crop of weeds at one time and they just kept coming back.  I'm going to throw some landscaping fabric down to keep some of those weeds that are in the grass now out of my beds, so I am hoping to find some topsoil without too any weeds too.
And then I'll get to pick my crops..... feel free to give your suggestions.  With all the fresh produce we eat at this house, I can't think of one crop that we wouldn't love to have!
Here's how I picture it.  I'll be sharing pictures as we move along with this new endeavor.  And crossing my fingers that mine will look half as great as this!

Spring Cleaning Saturday

It's just past noon and I've been at it for a few hours.  My morning started out in the sewing room.  It is where I quilt and so much more.  I use it for my office and with the completion of our taxes and two science fairs, the place needs my attention like crazy.  Add to that the fact that I have a hide-a-bed couch in here and last weekend I pulled it out and made the room into a bedroom for my granddaughters (age 4 and 7) and you have the makings of a mess.....a disaster......(Vince is giving me words to describe the place.)
And it's the room that Vince and Kelsey pile things in when they don't know where something goes....which means most of my stuff ends up in here even if it doesn't belong here!
So I'm taking a break for lunch and wanted to share what I've accomplished so far.  Maybe this will be motivation to keep up the pace once I've eaten.
Stay tuned for more progress!

TGIF!

Ladies and Gentlemen.........the weekend is finally here.  And this is the first weekend in a long time that we are not on the road doing business.  This is going to be a weekend of productive pleasure!  I'm planning a lot of spring cleaning and organizing and if I accomplish it.......that will be a pleasure to see! 
First off let me say that this is not going to be a business-free weekend.  I can't imagine not doing something, but all I have planned right now is a Saturday evening meeting.  The rest of the weekend is mine!
Besides doing the spring thing, I'm excited to do a couple of craft organization things. I have been seeing some great ideas on Pinterest for earring holders.  I want to try putting the screen behind the frame and hanging my earrings on it.  Looks like a great idea and there isn't room in my jewelry box now that I actually can wear earrings.  I have never been able to wear earrings.  I self pierced my ears when I was in high school only to discover that I have a metal allergy.  For years I put up with infected ears when I would try to wear earrings.  Years later I was told that my allergy was to nickel so all I had to do was find nickel-free jewelry.  Well, I found it and I bought it and I wore it.........and I broke out and was miserable again.
After I had my kids I had my ears re-pierced as they had closed up from all the problems I had the last time I wore earrings.  But alas, the allergy was still there.  It wasn't until this past year when I discovered this new medical breakthrough that my allergy actually went away.  I have been going to Walmart every time I'm in Great Falls and buying several pairs of earrings.  I just love wearing them.  I'm heading to the city on Monday and I'm planning on stopping by Claire's.............I just hope I can limit myself to a dozen or so!
And because I can now wear and collect cool earrings, I need storage solutions for my growing collection.  The screen frame is attactive and looks like it would work very well.  And it will look nice next to the shelf with the knobs that I hang all my necklaces on.   I'll keep you posted.  With all the other things that I NEED to accomplish this weekend, this project will likely wait until next week. :-(

My Movie Date!

I've been reading the Janet Evanovich books about Steffanie Plum for a couple of years.  Actually, I was caught up in the series a couple of years ago and now I read any new ones that come out.  I've also managed to get both of my older daughters, as well as my mother, completed hooked on the series.  When we first heard that One For The Money was coming out in film, we made a date to go.
Tonight we had that date.  Mom, Ashley, Mallory and I went to the movies!  We pretty much had the place to ourselves since it's a Thursday night and all.  We all enjoyed the movie and we agree on a few other things too.  First of all, Ranger was not at all what we expected.  I pictured a Dwayne Johnson type (The Rock) as Ranger when I read the books.  Ashley was thinking someone with a similar frame.  And Joe Morelli wasn't what we expected either.  But the casting for Stephanie, her parents and Grandma Mazur was excellent.  Lula was perfect and they couldn't have found a more sleazy Vinnie if they tried!  It was a fun movie.
And now for a brag moment....I got right back at it today and did my walk after work.  I was a little worried that after missing yesterday's exercise I wouldn't want to go back today.  But I came right home after work, donned the walking shoes, and got moving.  Felt really good.  I'm planning on continuing the 30 minute brisk walk for this month and then I'll try to make it a little longer in April.  I don't want to burn myself out.  Remember, this is the first time that it hasn't been a chore and I want to avoid having it become that way again.  I drink 32 ounces of water while I'm walking, so I also get in some of that valuable hydration that I have such a hard time getting.  I'm not a big water drinker and while I usually have Diet Pepsi with me all the time, I drink them very slowly.  So I'm glad to be able to get that much water in while walking. 
On the subject of health, it was a great day for food.  I found some brussel sprouts in the fridge that I didn't realize I had, so I steamed them up and enjoyed them with a piece of grilled chicken for lunch.  Yum yum!  I so enjoy steamed vegetables because they have such vivid flavor.  None of the flavor or color is boiled out.  I'm sure you've noticed that after you strain the veggies out of the water you boiled them in, the veggies are pale and all the color is left in the water.  Well, so are a lot of the nutrients and flavor.  I want all the good stuff so I steam!  I'm a huge fan of the Ziploc Zip and Steam bags. My only complaint is that they get hard when they have been used a few times and then the ziploc seal is hard to seal.  But I still use one about a half dozen times before throwing it out and grabbing a new one. And there's no better way to cook frozen fish.  Just season your frozen fillet and steam for a couple of minutes.  I have a tendancy to bake fish until it's dry but it's always super moist when I steam it.
Yes, today was a success.  Lived healthy and spent time with the women in my family tonight.  The bar has been set high..........hope tomorrow can live up to it!

No exercise Wednesday :-(

I didn't have a chance to walk today.  I ended up working late and after getting home I put the final ingredients into the soup I made for the church's soup supper.  When I finished, it was only 30 minutes until it was time to take the soup and leave for church.  I didn't think working up a sweat and then going directly to a soup supper would be the best plan, so I decided to forgo the exercise.  I didn't do it after the supper and service because I was waiting for a business call and didn't want to have to take the call while all out of breath either. 
So after two successful days of walking, I took a day off.  The good news is that I feel kind of bad about it and I'm going to get right back at it tomorrow.  I'll have time after work before going to town for the night's entertainment.  (More on that tomorrow night!)
But as for tonight, the entertainment of choice was watching the new episode of Survivor.  Avid Survivor fans, we make time every Wednesday to sit down and watch the new show...and if we don't make time, we do have it DVR'd so we can do another day.  Tonight's show marked a milestone....the men's tribe won immunity, insuring that they would not have to go to Tribal Council and vote someone off the island.  But being men, they felt that one of their own had betrayed them, and as a result they gave their immunity to the women and went to council instead.  And they ended up not voting off the offender, but instead, the starving stand-up comedian.  Yeah, we kind of liked him and we'll miss him.....until next week when the new drama takes front seat. Meanwhile......the contestants that we have money on are still in the game, giving us a chance at the winnings!

Don't Put All Your Veggies in One Basket....Unless it's a Bountiful Basket!

What contains lots of fresh healthy produce and can be yours for just $15.00?  What provides you with an opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables you normally wouldn't try?  What gives you wonderful recipe ideas for healthy living?  Bountiful Baskets!
And Bountiful Baskets has finally come to Sunburst.  Starting last Saturday, people in the our area can get in on the best buy in town, every other Saturday.  The truck rolls into town around 10:30 and volunteers unload the truck and then break down the case goods into individual baskets.  It looks like a lot of work but it's more like a lot of fun.  It's great to see the satisfied and sometimes surprised look on our participants' faces when they see for the first time what is in their new basket.  Participants can then pick up their baskets at 11:45.

Here's what a row of filled baskets looks like after the sort.  This photo was taken in Shelby when I was training to open our own site.  As you can see, that's a lot of fresh food for what you spend.  And you can't get fresher than this.  The coop strives to find produce as close to home as possible.  Since getting our first basket we have tried some great items we would never have selected at the store.  Persimmons were in the first basket and we had to look them up just to see how to prepare and eat them.  Turns out they are pretty good.  The next new item was eggplant.  I have always loved the way an eggplant looks but I've never had the guts to buy one and try it.  Part of that hesitation is the fact that I hate to spend money on anything that's not a sure hit.  And I can't stand to see food wasted. I'm so thankful that eggplant appeared in that basket.  We looked up several ways to prepare it and found some wonderful recipes.  Vince sauteed it with cauliflower and peppers for a delicous side dish. I'm saddened that we haven't discovered this great veggie before now.  It reminds me of another favorite of mine...asparagus.  I never tried asparagus growing up.  I remember once when I was young and my parents were invited out to dinner by their close friend, Mac.  Our family never went out to eat as we just couldn't afford it. Asparagus was served at dinner that evening and when I asked my parents what it was, I was told that it was yukky and I wouldn't like it.  I'm pretty sure now that they were telling me that just so I wouldn't start asking for it since they couldn't afford to buy it for our family.  When I did finally try it as an adult, I felt the same way that I did when I first tried that eggplant..."Why have I not tried this before?"

And here is what that basket contained:  5 ears of corn, 1 pineapple, 1 eggplant, 1 bunch asparagus, 7 bananas, 7 oranges, 2 huge lemons, 4 pears, 6 gala apples, 1 large head romaine lettuce, a bunch of broccoli, celery and baby portabella mushrooms. I mentioned recipes before and I've been browsing some great ones since joining Bountiful Baskets. Pinterest even has some recipes specifially appropriate for Bountiful Produce.  

We have tried several of these recipes and I'm happy to say that they've all been pretty good.  Kelsey made a smoothie this evening with fresh pineapple and mango and she couldnt stop talking about how good it was.  If she doesn't eat all the mangos in good time I'm going to cut them up and freeze them in a bag so she can make a smoothie out of them at a later time. Most recent, and one of the best recipes we've tried is Cauliflower Crust Pizza.  Vince is the pizza chef in this family and he eats low carb most of the time.  So when we discovered this recipe it was a must-try.  Vince whipped it up last night for dinner and reports that it was not only delicious but also very filling.  He used the chile peppers from the basket, along with sausage, for the toppings.  Kelsey is not a fan of either peppers or sausage, but he did make her a piece with only cheese and she put in a bid for the next pizza to have the same crust but with lots of pepperoni for the topping.  That, Ladies and Gentlemen, makes it a hit!  I'll try to keep showing you our successes and hopefully I won't have any failures to report!