I forgot how to blog

Really,

I think I've forgotten how.

I'm not lying when I tell you I've been BUSY! All my extra efforts are paid to keeping the kids alive and the house in a livable state.

I really can't even think of anything worth blogging about.

I did, however, think of you all and made the effort of taking pictures of our dinner to share with you. This is a GOOD dinner, and healthy too! YES!

It's my experimental invention, though I'm sure there are tons of recipes out there just like it. So, there is no name.

First:

Saute zucchini, summer squash, and 1/2 diced onion in a teensy bit of olive oil. Add a decent amount of S&P and I like to add a healthy helping of dried basil as well.

Then:

Add a clove or two of garlic (or three if you're like me), give the pan a good shake, just to warm the garlic up and add a can or two of diced tomatoes and let simmer. Tell me that's not the most beautiful picture of a frying pan you've ever seen.

Serve on top of pasta with freshly grated parmesan:

DELISH!

My kids even ate this! Okay, the first time I made it, they made sour faces and refused to try, but tonight it was a huge success! If at first you don't succeed...

Four Eyes

This face just got cuter:

Still getting use to them:

Going, going....

If we get a good 10 min. run with them on we're doing good. Aye, this is going to be a long process getting him to keep these on. I wish he understood the "nerdy boy charm" he exudes when he wears them. Mom's will be fainting everywhere we go.

More about food...

As I paid almost triple the price for 2 whole organic, free range chickens on Tuesday as I would have for plain ol' Foster Farms, I wondered if the price was worth the quality.

I don't normally watch the evening news, but tonight was an exception and I was entirely gratified that my purchase was well worth the cost. I was also scared out of my wits...

This is something we all knew was happening, or was going to happen eventually:

CBS NEWS REPORT

(since I can't figure out how to post the video, click on the link to take you to the report)

Never again will I double think before buying free range and organic meats.

Health Nut

While my doctor strongly suggests that I begin taking a drug called "methotrexate",

 I feel completely unprepared to be taking such a pill and adjusting my life to the ill side effects. Though I understand this drug is most certainly going to be a part of my future,

  I'm not ready to take the plunge just yet. 

I am certainly not a healthy eater by ANY standards, but I understand and believe that healthy eating is the foundation to good health. I can preach this, but can't seem to dedicate myself 100%. 

(hypocrite)

I struggle with:

*Addiction. 

*Sugar. 

*Carbohydrates.

*Anything easy to cook for my family, which means preservatives, chemicals, white flours, sodium, sugar, etc. 

(that wasn't always the case)

I would love to be one of those people who eat to live. 

Unfortunately, I live to eat. 

On my slow pathway to healthful eating I've been trying to research and make good informed decisions on the foods I do bring into my home. Trying to change the things that are no big deal, that would easily go unnoticed by my family. 

I've been trying to purchase as many vegetables as I do fruit. Fruit is easy for my family to consume, vegetables are great at dinner, but incorporating them into the rest of the day has proven challenging.

Dr. Oz (love him!) suggested replacing all grains with broccoli and cauliflower for a week to get a jump start on a sugar detox. I'm rolling this one around in my head wondering if I could pull it off.  

Here are a few of the additions I've added to my pantry:

Coconut oil

This stuff tastes amazing on toast with a smidgen of honey. Plus, it's got so many health benefits I can't even begin to list. I've also exchanged it for shortening in my cookie recipe and they turned out great!

 For more info on coconut oil you can go HERE. 

Next up is:

 Kombucha. 

Say wha....?

I know. 

I don't give this to my children, nore does my hubby enjoy it, but I feel it working in my body and I love it! 

While Kombucha can be made at home....yeah right. Plus, the Synergy company adds great fruit juices to really give it a great flavor. You can read about Kombucha HERE.

Now, this is a little controversial:

Raw milk. 

I am convinced that by purchasing raw milk (aka: milk that hasn't been pasteurized) from dairy farmers who take good care of their pastures and cows will have many health benefits. 

My husband is not so convinced. Therefore, due to the extra cost and inconvenience of stocking up on this great stuff, I will probably not push the issue in my home. 

At least for now. 

My hope is that I will soften my husband's ideas and eventually  have his support on this issue. 

The fact that he is a stubborn lawyer will make this process next to impossible. 

You can find a plethora of arguments about raw vs. homogenized milk supporting both extremes of the spectrum. I have yet to find a good balanced article. 

To read about the health benefits of raw milk, go HERE. 

To read the "dangers" of raw milk, go HERE.

Cure for the common case of Cabin Fever

It better not snow much more this season...

The tramp is officially  up for business.

Because we're nerds like that, part duex

So, I realized after my last "nerdy" post that Scott and I watch a LOT of "nerdy" shows(aka documentaries). 

This is something the wonderful world of instant Netlfix has opened to us. 

So, I thought I'd share with you a few of our recent viewings. 

You may be interested...shhhh, I won't tell anyone! 

First up is this:

This movie was made about 20 years ago.

There are few crazy people who have chosen to live life "off the land" out hundreds of miles from another human. They have families, and frostbite, salmon and caribou as their staple nutrition.

There is a teeny tiny part of me that admires this lifestyle and even craves it. 

But, remember, I said "teeny tiny".   

 Second up is this documentary:

I admit, I groaned and whined for a good 15 minutes when Scott turned this on. 

I hate politics. 

Unfortunately, after the first 15 minutes of protesting, I was hooked. 

I am undoubtedly one of those "stupid" people who knows absolutely nothing about politics and government. I don't claim to be anti-or pro-Obama, neither do I like Sarah Palin, but the circus rings the media throws in the name of politics are astounding. If anything else, this documentary planted in my mind the need to research for myself candidates in political races. I don't blame either party for issues, I blame media. 

So, there you have it: 2 Adam's family endorsed "nerdy" documentaries to fill your quiet evenings. 

On a few random notes, 

I taught classes back to back this morning for the first time in several months. I was terrified of passing out or looking like a weak fool getting through my second class, but did fine! Serious confidence booster right there.

&

It's been seriously 2 weeks since I've blown my hair dry and let it down for a day. Today I did,

 and my hair seems super long. :)  Yippee! 

The igloo that almost was...

My husband is ambitious and fun. 

At the beginning of this winter he had a dream. 

That dream was to build an igloo the way the real Eskimos do and spend at least one night in it's warmth. 

He did good. 

He did his research. 

He worked countless, back breaking hours; slicing, and packing, and stacking snow. 

I on the other hand was laaaaammmmmme. 

I wanted nothing to do with cold temperatures, and bundled layers, and snow. 

I did not help. 

He needed help to finish the top...curvature of the cave. 

I did not help.

Poor igloo: 

(I realize this may look like nothing to you, but imagine what it WAS)

The bittersweet end to this story is that the temperatures up here in the arctic have been reaching the

 mid 30's during the day. 

This is HUGE people. 

 It's so sad to see the dream melt away:

But hey, I am NOT complaining about a sliver of an idea that spring is on it's way. 

On other important notes,

Henry has joined in to our family game of BINGO each time we are driving in a car. 

(BINGO is the first person to see a yellow car)

He's a VERY competitive opponent:

For the record.

I just want to put it out there that I'm having extreme emotional issues and/or jealousy pangs as I stalk 

Design Mom and her new life in....

in...

I can't even say it.  

I may need therapy. 

Oh the shame!

Zeus is a fantastic dog. 

We had a two month period where we were not the best of dog owners.

Scott was busy, I was sick, Zeus did not get much attention or love. 

But we've made ammends. 

Scott has been listening to Marley and Me on cd as he commutes to work. 

It's made him a better doggie dad. 

We've discovered that you get out what you put in to a dog. 

As much as we love him, he must still undergo bathes regularly. 

He's is a good boy for the bath, but the shakes he gets after leave for gross water spots on my walls and hair...

Meet Scott's fix:

He walks around so ashamed:

And I say, "Hey, at least you don't have a cone on!"

Because we're nerds like that.

The last week or so Scott and I have been gearing ourselves up to be big Iditarod fans and supporters. 

We watched this show on Netflix:

When Scott first proposed that we watch it I was annoyed and had a bad attitude. 

But after the first episode I was secretly looking forward to the next...then the next and so on. 

We are now big fans of Lance Mackey, Martin Buser, and Dee Dee Jonrowe. 

Today was the "ritual" run through the city while tomorrow the official start of the Iditarod begins north of Anchorage in Willow. 

We arrived in our designated viewing spot early just to make sure we didn't miss our favorites. 

Gracie and Henry were not happy campers. 

But Scott and I are now star struck groupies.

 We were staying to "high-five" those guys no matter what the kiddies said.  

Woot! Martin Buser!

Henry got a "high-five" and Gracie got a handful of doggie booties. 

Next:

THE Lance Mackey:

I had to hurry and take a picture before he got too close, I didn't want to miss watching him slide by. 

Henry is refusing to smile for a picture. 

Stink. 

Gracie perked up after a hot dog. 

And that's about it for our Iditarod quest. 

Now we just sit comfortably in our warm home and watch the stats on t.v. 

Hey Baby, Baby

As we were sitting in Henry and Lydia's bedroom saying our nightly family prayer I was studying one of my favorite pictures hanging on the wall:

And then it hit me. 

I see a remarkable resemblance to this guy:

(or at least this picture)

I may be way off here, but I'm not. 

I seriously saw Pitbull in my son tonight. 

Just added some manhood and look:

Okay, so it's just the buzz and the shades, but go with me on this, okay.

I seriously don't know how to use Paint. Where the heck is the "undo" button? 

As I was trying to fix some hair growing into his lip I had issues, okay?

Yay me!

I just want to throw it out there that I have been pleasantly productive the last few days. 

Today I did :

*laundry

* painted over the gashes in my walls

* cleaned my blinds

* vacuumed 

Yay Me!!

Prednisone has made me feel good. Though as I'm tapering down on dosage I can feel little aches coming back. The fatigue in the evening is returning as well. I've gotta do as much as I can while I feel good!

Plus,

Last night was such a magical experience. 

It only lasted about 3 minutes, and then they were gone. 

But Scott and I watched the northern lights right out our front window. 

I was so sad when they disappeared, I didn't get a picture myself. 

But the picture above is roughly what we saw. 

My time in AK now feels complete. 

(on a certain level)