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1.30.2011

Feel Good Songs: My New Genre

Listening to Positive Life Radio, a local radio station that covers a large area on different frequencies, has really made a difference in my days. These are the ultimate feel good songs! I found some videos for the best feel good songs they have been playing. Enjoy!

The Afters: Light Up The Sky


Mercyme Beautiful



Third Day Cry Out To Jesus This one is dedicated to my brother who died too soon from leukemia almost a year ago now. I think he would have liked this one.




Mercyme I Can Only Imagine


Francesca Battistelli Beautiful, Beautiful


Jeremy Camp There Will Be A Day




Third Day Revelation

1.29.2011

A Few Nifty Potluck Ideas: Time for a Party!

A potluck is the oldest type of party. Anyone interested in having a party but doesn't have money to spend just needs to announce a potluck. Mormons are especially known for having potlucks. Here are some yummy and fun potluck ideas!

Crockpot Potluck Ideas
God bless the inventor of the crockpot! It is the perfect appliance for a potluck loving family. So many dishes can be made in a crockpot. Have all your friends bring their favorite dish in their crockpot and pass around the recipes! What could be better than having a taste test of a recipe before going to the trouble and expense of preparing it first?

Ideas for Potluck Dinners
If it's dinner your arranging try assigning different parts of the meal to each guest. One could bring a salad, another the rolls, another some baked potatoes. Choose monthly potluck ideas and farm out the different elements of the meal. Pass a sign up sheet around your group with each element of the meal listed. If you know the guests well enough to know what they make well they will feel flattered if you ask them to bring the dish they make the best. Potluck dinner ideas could even be themed around a certain ingredient or color.

Low Calorie Potluck Ideas
After the New Year everyone is looking for low calorie foods. How about a potluck spotlighting low calorie foods like salsa, sugar free desserts or a high fiber homemade bread? Find a good cookbook such as Weight Watchers recipes, or South Beach recipes, and have everyone bring something to try from the book.

Ideas For Potluck Themes

Holidays provide the perfect theme for potluck parties. You could also spotlight a specific culture or have everyone bring a heritage dish. Have everyone try a different cooking method like a waffle iron (but not traditional waffles) or a dutch oven dish. That would certainly provide some conversation starters! How about spotlighting what is currently being harvested locally, or the hottest sale item from your grocery store?
Choose a dish like freezer jam, lasagna or chili and have a contest to vote the best one?

Whatever you decide to do, having regular potlucks allows friends to get together, talk and of course exchange tested recipes! You will certainly have no trouble coming up with more easy potluck ideas!

I think I'll throw a party now! Potluck anyone?

1.28.2011

The Mormon Conspiracy This World Needs More Of!

This is an example of the extremes of the Mormon Conspiracy theories. Michael Medved accurately exposes the real conspiracy of the Mormons!



1.26.2011

5 Most Beautiful LDS Temples

See the poll at the left! If your favorite temple is not listed select other and leave your favorite temple in the comments section! Enjoy these awesome temple pictures!


#5 Hawaii, USA

#4 Nauvoo, Illinois

#3 Dallas, Texas

#2 Hong Kong China

#1 San Diego Temple

1.21.2011

Extreme Self Reliance?



I want to raise chickens. I don't know why really. I want to gather eggs. We don't really eat that many eggs. For a while I couldn't eat any. But since we have moved onto this half acre I have thought I needed to raise chickens.
When I was about eight-ish my family went to my Grandpa's house and watched him butcher a few chickens. I vividly remember the chickens flapping around headless. I think my mom and her sister picked the feathers off. I don't want to do that ~ that's what butchers are for. I just want eggs. Maybe I'm being to extreme?
I called my city and asked if I was allowed to have chickens. They said I could have 20 chickens! Now we are looking for plans for a chicken tractors, that's a mobile chicken coop, deciding where to put them and how to take care of them. I am fantasizing about an abundance of eggs, and watching my chickens do whatever chickens do all day.
All because I want chickens. But I don't know why....

1.18.2011

Why Everyone Needs Massage Therapy

Hot massage stones
If you are one of the people who thinks that massage therapy is for divas, think again! Massage therapy is amazingly therapeutic for many ailments. Some of the benefits of massage therapy include treating chronic pain conditions, auto accidents, L&I accidents, and in tandem with chiropractic care.
Massage therapy is the treatment of muscles and soft tissues that are causing pain. These muscles often tighten up causing or inflaming chronic conditions. Fibromyalgia and massage therapy go together well. Find a good massage therapist who can explain the benefits to you if you suffer from this painful condition.
There are many different kinds of massage therapies to choose from and a good practitioner will know which one you can benefit from. Deep tissue massage means that the therapist will treat muscles and soft tissues that are deep in the layers of the body. This doesn't always feel nice, but if you communicate with your therapist you will find that your painful spots can be made to stop hurting by manipulating your limbs or head to a position of less pain and forcing the muscle to relax. I love the feeling of the muscle relaxing under experienced fingers. The pain melts away like butter. Delicious.
I didn't think I needed a massage because I didn't know what a massage could do. I don't have any chronic conditions and I (thought) I was fairly relaxed. What I found was that I carry a lot of stress in my neck and shoulders. When I started working out again and my knee began to bother me, Rhonda Paredes was able to fix it lickety split! It has not bothered me since she did her magic a year ago. I have now become aware of when I carry a load of stress because I know how to feel it now, and what to do about it. It has been an invaluable tool in trying to read the messages my body is sending me.
Since I have a dear friend who is a massage therapist, we went to her after my husband was in a rear-end car accident. My husband thought chiropractors were quacks but decided to try one the day of the accident. He was open about doing massage in tandem with Dr. Child's treatment. He found that getting a massage before going to the chiropractor made his adjustments easier and last longer. The relaxed state of the muscles and the reduced inflammation helped the chiropractor made the needed adjustments to his back and neck, ribs, and (my new favorite word) his occiput (skull).
She was able to make significant reductions in his pain. One of the methods she used was called fire cupping. She has glass globes that she heated up and placed on the back of his shoulder. The cooling created suction and the suction broke the adhesions that were causing him pain.
Today I was a happy guinea pig when she used the hot rocks on me. Oh. Yummy.
Be prepared for a massage by being well hydrated and have some ibuprofen for the soreness that may come after a massage. It feels like mild soreness after a productive workout at the gym. If you are properly hydrated though you may avoid this. Look for massage therapist that is strong and can push hard. If you find one that thinks you are a diva who just wants an oil bath go elsewhere because you will not see the benefits of massage therapy there. Another important quality is finding a good communicator. Listening to your reactions and asking for your input is vital to getting a good result from your massage therapy.
I am a convert! And so is my husband!

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1.13.2011

New Food Obsession: Chico's Tacos


Yuuummmm.....
I met a friend for lunch yesterday at a taco place that I had not tried before, Chico's Taco's. I was immediately attracted to the spicy chicken tacos. (I love spicy) So I ordered two spicy chicken tacos with a hard shell. Guess what~ they have a salsa bar! (I love salsa!) Since they put a bag of chips on my tray, I got a small bowl of pico de gallo and a bowl of hot red sauce with some chopped cilantro added. (It had a fancy name but I can't remember what it was) Oh. MY. Gosh.....
While we waited for our food to be ready, we snacked on chips and salsa. The hot stuff cleared my sinuses! That's how you know a salsa is good and spicy. It makes your sinuses tingle. I mixed the hot with the pico and it was both fresh and sinus clearing! Wow!
Then they brought a plate with two freshly fried taco shells(with cute scalloped ruffled edges) stuffed with drippy chicken, sour cream, pico and lettuce. One bite and I was in heaven. They weren't particularly spicy to me but that's just me. But man it was flavorful!
Now two taco's didn't leave me stuffed but I can eat ALOT of food if it is this good and it didn't leave me hungry. So when I was craving them again today after leaving the temple,(conveniently close to Chico's....hmmmm.....need to go to the temple more right?) and being unable to get anyone to meet me there, I buzzed on over all.by.myself. I ordered the same thing (after wondering if I should order three tacos) and sat down to taco bliss.....
I dripped on my skirt and used up several napkins. (Remember the stupid Carl's Jr commercials about the messy burger? Not even close!) I dumped the remaining salsa mix on the little pile of lettuce and pico that garnished the plate, and scooped it up with the remaining chips. Sigh. (My mouth is watering and I'm hungry again now.)
Then I went home to work on copying them. It wasn't successful... Guess I'll have to go back tomorrow! Tomorrow I think I'll order three.
*****Update: I did go back with that very same friend and I did order three spicy chicken tacos. I decided that the reason mine didn't turn out so good was because I didn't make the pico. Three was just perfect. Then, I went back for dinner with my hubby and had more. Ahh. I'm all better now. And very full :-)

1.12.2011

Love of Home School





Through writing about home schooling topics on BrightHub, I have rekindled the flame for home schooling. I've written about history, online classes, composition and literature programs, and AP courses. All the research into programs leaves me with the nagging feeling that there is a better option than public school out there. It nags at me because it didn't work out for us, but it also makes me feel good that so many families are succeeding. I believe those kids will do great things someday.
I listened to a podcast by one of my favorite curricula writers Andrew Pudewa about the Parental Rights movement and committed to supporting that effort. I renewed my love for Teaching the Classics, a literary analysis curriculum from Adam Andrew fanning my book-loving flames as well. And I learned that my ambitious daughter could do so much better if a little less worried about a government sanctioned high school diploma.
So, I work with what I have and right now I am having a ball writing about my passion for homeschool and good curriculum. At first I was concerned about running out of things to say and whether I was getting enough money for my limited supply of thoughts. But when I told my friend and my husband about this concern, they both let out a loud laugh. Then I realized I would never run out of words! My husband used to tease me that he only allotted me a certain number of words a year and when I was out he or I had to stop talking. (He stopped but I didn't) Over the years that pilot program was ruled ridiculous when I refused to comply. I literally cannot restrain myself sometimes, although I do try to use proper tact. I don't think I have a quota for writing articles either. I've even had an idea for a book!

1.03.2011

Dishes with Grandma



Grandma made homemade noodles in gravy on Christmas Eve. She wore herself out making all kinds of food just for us. We returned on Christmas to give our gift. She fed us again. Since she was the last one to eat, I started cleaning up while she sat down. She has learned to accept that others will do the dishes but sometimes still feels compelled to tell you that you don’t have to do that. I had already rinsed all the plates. I clean out the sink wondering if some of the trash should go in the compost bucket. Once the sink was clean I fill up one side with straight hot water. Grandma does it this way. I submerge the stack of plates and begin to wash them in the soapy water, rinse them and place them on the large beige drain mat she uses to drain the dishes. And then I got caught. After reminding me that I didn’t need to do that, she grabbed a towel and started to dry them. I told her I really like her sunflower decorated plates and she quietly shares the secret. They are a dollar store find! She began giving them away for wedding gifts and now doesn’t have a full set. Anyway, Grandpa doesn’t like them because they are heavy. I smile knowing that Grandpa has definite opinions. I scratch at the melted black spots on the Tupperware bowl and ask if that was going to come off. She reports that someone had used it in the microwave when she wasn’t looking. Apparently, old Tupperware wasn’t made the same back when she bought this bowl in pre-microwave days. It’s a shame since she really likes that bowl. I quickly remember when my family brought home a microwave. What a wonder that was. Grandma microwaves by setting the time on 9 minutes and opening the door to stop the time, until it all runs out and she has to remember how to reset the time again. As I wash the pan with the stuck on noodles she tells me she’s had those pans for so many years and how they are good pans. I complain that you just can’t find good pans anymore. They hardly last a year. She can’t comment on that though since she hasn’t experienced it. My hands are burning from the hot water in the sink and it matches the warmth swelling in my heart. I rinse in cold water just to cool off. I finish the dishes and she thanks me for doing the dishes. I think about how much I love her company and how pleasant it is to work with her and I tell her I like doing the dishes with Grandma. She receives the love in my voice. We exchange mutual looks of knowing and nurturing as we smile at each other; smiles that say so much more than our voices could ever say.
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