I'm still around!

Hi! Jennifer, I'm still here! Sorry I haven't blogged for awhile. You can always tell when I've got a lot on my mind because I won't blog anything for awhile. I guess you could say we're exploring the idea of relocating out of state. We leave for Oregon tomorrow after Nephi runs his 40 miler. Nephi is interested in a CHT (certified hand therapist) job in Bend/Redmond area. He has a pretty serious interview on Monday. We are all going to check out the area, look at housing, interview, and find out if this is the direction our life is taking us. I am a little stressed out about it. My family gives me pep talks on an almost daily basis which has helped a lot. I have to say that this whole thing feels kind of right, and at the same time I want to roll into a ball on the floor and just say that we're staying here forever. I'm pretty sure I can get over the whole rolling into a ball thing. :) Anyhow, Nephi hasn't even been offered the job yet so I'm prematurely stressing out. I just have a pretty good feeling they'll want him. So we'll see how it goes. If it's a go, the stress will continue so you probably won't hear much from me but I will be sure to post as soon as we know what anything either way.

I did it!

I ground my own wheat and made my own bread! I have tried more than once before and failed so this was a triumph for me. I made 4 large loaves, 4 mini loaves, and a pan of cinnamon rolls. It was awesome! I was totally stressed out the whole time actually because I was so scared it would be a failure. If I couldn't get it right this time I would've felt hopeless. Aunt Suzanne, these turned out just like your bread. I am so happy and relieved that I've finally kicked the brick of bread curse. (I took a picture but I couldn't get it to upload)

Whole wheat bread recipe

Okay, Melinda: Here's the bread recipe. It is a big batch...you may need to halve it for a kitchenaid. ? A couple of notes the teacher told us. Your dough should be tacky NOT sticky. Once you've added all the flour. Put it away. You should use oil on the counter when you knead it. NOT flour.
This recipe that makes 6 loaves of bread calls for 2 TBSP of dough conditioner so if your using another recipe adjust it as needed. You can add it to any dough recipe even if it isn't called for.
Also Melinda, at the class he used the same batch of dough to make a bunch of little loaves, a large pizza, and a big batch of cinnamon rolls. So all you need is good dough and you can bake to your hearts contents (and stomachs cravings!) The cinnamon rolls made with the wheat dough were really good. I never thought they tasted "off" at all.


100% Whole Wheat Bread

5-6 cups hot tap water (hot to the touch; not hot enough to burn finger)
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tbsp. Kitchen Specialties dough enhancer
2 tbsp. instant yeast ( we recommend SAF yeast)
2 tbsp. Salt
2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten
12-16 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour

Pour warm water into Bosch mixing bowl. Add approximately 6 cups flour on top of liquid. Then add dough enhancer, oil, honey, yeast, and gluten. Use the (M) momentary switch to mix well.

Add approximately 5 additional cups flour, and salt. Turn to speed 2. Continue adding flour � cup at a time until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading on speed 2 for another 5-6 minutes. NOTICE!!! If using a kitchenaid take out dough and knead by hand for an ADDITIONAL 6 minutes.

Oil or grease hands and counter. Divide dough into equal portions and shape into loaves. Put into well greased pans. Let rise until double in size. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack. Top of loaves can be brushed with water or butter for shiny appearance. Dough can be used for pizza crust or cinnamon rolls
The Preparedness Store � 208/ 524.8300 � info@thepreparednessstore.com

My educational Saturday

I went to a free class today at the Emergency supply store here in town this morning. It was a class about wheat bread. IT WAS AWESOME!!! The owner of the store has a kitchen set up cooking show style with an angled mirror above so you can see everything. I went thinking it may be real boring, you know like Enrichment or something :), but it was the most informative class I've ever been to regarding wheat. We watched the entire process of him grinding wheat into flour and turning it into all kinds of things. And we ate everything at the end!!! He made homemade wheat breat of course, cinnamon rolls, whole wheat pancakes, and pizza! I was in CARB HEAVEN!!! He made the pizza with pepperoni flavored textured vegetable protein. It sounds gross I know. I have never added any of that "fake" meat to my food storage. But I am SOLD. It was DELICIOUS! Everybody loved the pizza. It seriously tasted like real pepperoni. He simmered it on the stove with water for it to reconstitute and then used it as a topping. I realized that it would be great to add to any tomato based meal like spaghetti. At 13.00 per #10 can I couldn't pass it up.
I learned so much at the class that I can't regurgitate it all right now but here's some interesting points that stand out:

Wheat is a whole food. You could pretty much live off it. It is full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. That's why it's so vital to have enough in your food storage.

Once ground, wheat oxidizes and loses 70-90% of its nutrients within 3 days. So that whole wheat flour you can buy at the store is pointless. Kept cold, it stays good just a little longer. You really have to grind it fresh and use it quickly to reap the nutritional benefits.

Wheat is graded by the growers determined by its quality. The VERY low quality is sold to the companies that produce white flour. They don't care...they're stripping it down to nothing anyways. PLEASE do not buy white bread for your family. It's garbage.
the mid level wheat is sold to cereal companies and the best wheat is sold in bulk unprocessed to people like us. The wheat we are buying these days for our storage is very nutritious and high in protein.

Weavils are a big problem with wheat. That is the main reason why we need to seal it up so tight. There are already weavil eggs(?) in your wheat. If you don't store it properly you give them the right environment to grow and take over. yuck....

Add dough conditioner to any whole bread recipe you're using. I can't remember everything it does but it makes your bread much softer in the end.

Rumford baking powder is the BEST baking powder. It is aluminum free and for whatever reason makes the best bread. He said to use Rumford in every recipe that calls for baking powder.

Anyhow....that's just a few tidbits....the class had such an effect on me that I went home, talked to Nephi, and then got online and found a great price on a Bosch mixer. I ordered it! I have a kitchenaid already but as he demonstrated he showed how wonderful a Bosch is and I was sold. It's true. I've tried to make bread in my kitchenaid. It just can't handle it well. Nephi made me promise that if I bought it I would actually start making bread. That has been an empty promise for me in the past but for the first time I actually feel like I can do it.
Nephi's mom is on a mission and she said awhile back that I could go to her house and pick up her old HEAVY wheat grinder to use. We picked it up this evening and I am ready to get to work. I even have an open bucket of white wheat.
Oh yeah, he demonstrated whole wheat pancakes where all you have to do is throw a cup of wheat kernels in with milk, eggs, salt, oil, and honey into the blender and it makes yummy, nutritious pancakes. If you're a pancake family then I guarantee no one would think these taste strange. I'm tired of typing so if you want the recipe leave a comment. After this class I strongly suggest that everyone 1)get wheat 2)store some 3)keep some on hand (to at least make healthy pancakes for your kids if not a lot of other things) 4) check on getting a grinder, they're not cheap, or at least having access to someone else's.

Flashback Friday: Who was your best friend in your neighborhood?

Back in the "old days" it was Minette Faught. She lived in the next house down and her and/or her brothers would be knocking at our door first thing in the morning. This was in the days when half of Mesquite was still dirt and shrubs and there were so many places to use your imagination. Minette's mom was grouchy so we mostly played at our house. They did have a small camper trailer though and we spent many an hour playing house there. Wow, my memories are really vague. Oh, I remember the above ground swimming pool. Remember Marta? We thought it was so amazingly cool and we could've had so much fun in it but they wouldn't allow anyone else to get in it. how rude.. I guess now I can understand that her mom who never paid much attention didn't want anyone else's kids drowning on her property. Smart. Oh yeah, and the chickens....they were running loose everywhere! They would literally kill their own chickens for dinner. Behind their house they had a basement dug that they always swore they were going to finish and they never did...they just always had this huge hole in the back. Did I mention they also had a ton of junk cars, a whole lots worth, piled on top of each other that their dad Charlie (a mechanic) would get parts from. Wow....what more can I say... We did run into Minette just last month and had fun reminiscing with her. She even remebers things about our grandpa that we don't.

I'll be honest...I'm not sure how to title this post

When I was in Mesquite we went to the ring ceremony for one of my cousins on my dad's side. It was nice and we saw family we hadn't seen in awhile. This is my half brother Cesar. He lives in town (Mesquite, that is). When we were kids my dad dropped a bomb on us that he had other children. That was interesting. We met Carlos first, who didn't speak english at the time, and years later, Cesar. It's very wierd talking about him because I don't know what to say. We never developed a relationship with them, it's not our fault, that's just how it was. We were just kids, there was a language barrier, years differences in ages, seldom saw each other, and complications that we had no control over. So now as adults it is very awkward. I can only speak for myself but I think my siblings feelings are similar. We love our half siblings. It's hard to explain why but there's a force beyond explanation that binds blood relations. And yet it is so awkward. Painfully awkward almost. I can't explain it. It doesn't help that dad has left messes behind him everywhere he's been in life awhile. Dad created an environment that made healthy relationships very difficult. So I guess I'm not surprised that it's hard to have much of a relationship with our half brothers as adults. We were all victimized by dads poor choices and now as adults I guess we should feel contented with the friendly awkward relationships that we have.

Flashback Friday

okay, Maggie gave me a jar with Flashback Friday questions I'm supposed to answer. So here I go...opening the jar....pulling out a strip of paper....and the question is.....

WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER?
hmmm.... I'd have to say Mrs. Bearden in 1st grade. We earned stars for good behavior, good scores, etc. on a chart and then at the end of the year we used those stars to buy things from her store. She filled a long school table with all kinds of prizes like toys, inexpensive jewelry, notepads, candy, bubble gum, etc. For whatever reason I was the last or almost the last person to go. Probably because my last name started with Z. (Darn that was a curse) But I managed to score something I've never forgotten! I picked a set of erasers that looked and smelled just like oreos. People that have lived with me know that I have always loved playfood, tiny food, anything like that. So it's no surprise that in first grade that's what I picked. I remember stressing over whether someone would pick those but apparently no one shared my zeal for fake food. I still remember how they felt in my hands, how they smelled, how I loved them. Strange I know, but hey, that's me! I think I also picked up a package of grape hubba hubba which besides being my favorite flavor was especially cool because mom didn't allow us to have gum. Side note: Purple is still one of my very favorite colors because it reminds me of grape hubba bubba. I even have a "grape" colored kitchenaid mixer.

kids are funny

Tonight is the father and son campout. Nephi is exhausted so he decided he would go for the campfire time and then come home before the actual camping begins. He should be home anytime. Anyhow...when I was in the car with the kids earlier today Brigham said he was scared to go camping. This is what he said (I'll try to remember how he said it):
"Mom, I'm scared to go camping."
"Why?"
"Because on that show 'Animals Worst Attacks', Deers beat up people."

ha ha! I think he was thinking of moose but the mental image that conjured up was hilarious. Of course I assured him that 'deers' would not beat him up.

Wow, I sound illiterate when I write (type)

I just have to tell anyone reading my blogs that I'm fully aware that the way I write makes me sound unintelligent. I think it's because when I type I'm concentrating on a sentence at a time and it just doesn't flow out of me naturally. My last sentence is a good example. It goes on way too long. oh well, hope you can put up with it.... :)

Nephi's race

Nephi ran in a 50k this weekend. I'm spacing the name...Red Rock 50k (or something like that) It was down in Ivins (by St.George) so we were in Mesquite for the Memorial Day weekend. He did really well. He took 3rd overall. This picture was taken by the newspaper there. I actually liked this picture since it's pretty scenic. Ususally his race pictures are close ups of him running past the photograper soaking wet sweaty so we never buy them. He runs so many races that those generic sweaty photos are not cool. This one has great scenery and you don't have to look at how sweaty he is, I'm bad I know, so we actually ordered a print that we'll frame.

Joy School Graduation

We just had Joy school graduation tonight for Laci. It was a fun way to end the year. I can't believe it's really over though. Laci will really miss it as it gave her something to look forward to. The girls sang some of their songs from class. Laci refused to sing but she did stand with the girls. They also recieved "report cards" and graduation certificates. Laci plays like she's miserable but I think she enjoyed it a little. Laci's growing up. sigh.... well, she does have one more year of joy school.

Kindergarten Graduation

Brigham graduated from kindergarten yesterday. It was really sweet. I've been going in every other week to help so I knew all of the kids a little. His teacher was Mrs. Briggs. Brigham did great this year. He had perfect scores on his report card so we are proud of him. He can't wait to be finished. He says he won't miss school. I'm not sure how we'll keep busy this summer.
Here's what Brigham says about school:
Favorite part of school: "going out to recess"
Least favorite part of school" "doing centers and math."
Riding the bus: "A little bit fun"
Longfellow: "I liked it"
Best friends from school: "Bracken and Liam" "and Ashton"
my teacher: "I liked her a little bit"
What are you excited for in 1st grade: "getting two recesses"

I've been wanting a firebowl for a few years now but have kept putting it off because of the prices. Well, last week Kohls had these cute little ones on sale for $39.99 and I could not pass them up! It is quite small but I think it will serve our needs well. I also thought my kids might enjoy it a little but I was shocked at HOW MUCH they loved it. Their enthusiasm far surpassed mine. I had bought hot dog and marshmallow roasting sticks so we had a full on cookout. Nephi was at scouts so I was on my own. It was borderline out of control. I wasn't prepared with good chopped wood. Nephi had managed to split a few skinny branches before he had to leave and I had a big old log. It was so smoky and newspaper ash was blowing everywhere. I needed John at that moment. But hey, the kids were loving every second of it and as they were roasting their ash covered hotdogs over a lukewarm fire they kept exclaiming that they couldn't believe they had a campfire. All night long they marveled over that fact. When it was time to eat the hot dogs I zapped them in the microwave when they weren't looking. I don't think they even actually like hot dogs really but they were eating them with their camper enthusiasm. Before we do this again I need to have Nephi split me some wood so I'm prepared. It was fun!

Happy Mothers Day to me!

Nephi was out of town the four days leading up to Mothers Day so on Saturday, in an effort to do something fun with the kids, I took them to Fred Meyer to decorate a cake. They do this every year. You pay $3 for a cake and they have a table set up for the kids to decorate them. They thought it was really fun and you can tell from the picture they're proud of it!

Laci hamming it up

What can I say.....

We live in a zoo

Tonight when the kids and I got home there were ducks sleeping in our front yard. A mallard and gray one ( I'm not educated about ducks). The kids were pretty interested. Brigham had to chase them up the street a little bit just to check them out. After Brigham returned they turned around and waddled all the way back. They stayed in my yard for some time. I think the main attraction was the fallen berries I have in my yard.
There's also about 20 vultures that are in and around our neighborhood. When they first arrive it is very exciting. The neighbors all get out their binoculars and we watch them land high in our trees and circle above our heads. They are very large so it's quite spectacular. Apparently they come through for a few weeks in the spring and then come back through in the fall.
We also watch 4-5 rabbits that roam the connected backyards. They don't really belong to anyone and they have survived 2 winters now. I had no idea that rabbits were so social. They run and chase each other all the time. I feel bad for all the rabbits that are caged in the world because when they're free they are very happy and playful animals.
On nice days we can often hear monkeys. That may sound strange but the zoo is close by and monkey noise seems to carry very well. I get a kick out of it.
Our next door neighbor swear they had a porcupine in their backyard last fall but Nephi doesn't believe it.
Last of all, birds and chipmunks are our constant companions. Birds of course are always fine, but those pesky chipmunks drive everyone a little crazy. They are a little agressive when they want something and they're noisy little things. Oh well, I wouldn't give any of it up, I love our little wild kingdom.

Laci making her daily visits

Laci has begun making it a daily ritual to go across the street to our neighbors, David and Karen. She likes to go and "visit". If they're outside she just hangs out with them and if they're not she stands at the door and knocks. She will stand at the door until they come. I mean that literally. The other day nobody was answering and I started feeling sorry for her so I started to shout to her to come home. She shouted back that she was just going to keep knocking. And that she did. For some time. Eventually the garage opened up and they came driving home. I think they played frisbee with the dog, Jack. Today, I was doing lawn work in the back yard and she left to go visit. Brigham was at school. She went in their house and was gone for some time. It was so long that I started to feel guilty about it. Just as I was about to head over, out comes Laci with souveniers and all. She'd had a great time. I always feel a little guilty but I know they like my kids. They have no children of their own so obviously no grand kids. Maybe Laci and Brigham actually irritate them and I'm clueless but I don't think so. David got my kids a bird feeder, filled it, and hung it up in the tree for them, and when they went on vacation they brought my kids money and souveniers for "picking up the mail". (I mostly did it) So I think it's a genuine affection. Thank heavens for good neighbors. They make life for young families at home so much more enjoyable.

Twilight

This is a little long, but if you're interested in Twilight, this is fun to watch. I can't wait! I will actually pay for a full price movie ticket to see this. Now that's unusual....

Oh yeah, I'm all over this...

I'm pretending to be a photograper