Meal Plan Thursday

I am aching to get back in the saddle. So I didn't want to wait until Monday for this. When I post it for you it is also so nicely laid out for me.

With school starting, I am having to be more careful about how I manage my time. Especially if I still want to do fun stuff with my kids. Which I do. Also, my two oldest boys start their college schedule again next week and I won't be seeing as much of them so want to make the most of these next few days.

As I have said many times before, things always run so much more efficiently when I have a plan.

Being Purposeful.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Come back Monday, for lots more meal ideas, when I hope to be back in time for orgjunkie's linky.



Thursday (that's today):
Dinner-
Zucchini Potato Pancakes with toppings (sour cream, cheese, green onion, ranch)
Fried Eggs

TO DO:
Soak grains for pancakes

Boil Eggs, Cook bacon for sandwiches

Soak grains for buns (possibly)

Soak beans for Tortilla Pie and thaw ground beef (if decide to add)



Friday:
Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

Lunch - Bacon and Egg Salad Sandwiches, possibly on homemade buns (which I have to let rise longer than this recipe calls for)

Dinner - 7 Layer Tortilla Pie (This is my link to another link. I wanted to make sure I include my special instructions for how I make it)

TO DO:
Soak grains for muffins
Sugar nuts for salad
Thaw pork for Sunday

Saturday:
Breakfast -Ultimate Muffins (my adaptation)

We will probably grab something quick for a light lunch. The rest of the day will be at a family event for my MIL's birthday. I am bringing a yummy salad, my favorite potluck item to eat and to bring.

TO DO:
Soak beans for Chalupa

Sunday:
Breakfast - Granola
Lunch - My version of this Chalupa served with brown rice, corn and flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, avocado
Dinner - Light snacks and popcorn for Family Time

Hiker Chicks:Adventure One, The Rest Of The Story

Sorry I cut that last post off so abruptly. I had just realized the time and knew my son needed to be picked up in less than 10 minutes…

So anyway, as I was saying, I was pretty worried about the weight of my pack. For good reason. It was heavy. But I think most of us ended up with packs that heavy. And I can’t say that next time it will be any lighter, because I can’t think of anything I could have left out!

 

Something very remarkable about our group is that none of us is particularly known for our current athleticism. We are all moms, of varying shapes and sizes and fitness levels. Some of the ladies were sick, or had been sick, or recovering from injuries. Several of the ladies have suffered heartbreaking losses over the past few years, one of them just in May.

This trail has some very difficult trails, switchbacks which were very steep for 2+ miles. Add that to our packs and we were working really hard to make it all the way up.

Much of the trail was very dense, but then it would open up to beautiful vistas, as far as the eye could see. 

These glimpses of God’s creative genius stirred in us again that knowledge that there is Someone bigger than we are, and gave us the wherewithal to keep moving UP (thanks Daniele for  nagging cheering us up there). Isn’t that something -- that He gave us this strenuous physical exercise, somewhat symbolic of something each of us was, or had been, facing? Once we got up there we marveled in the beauty that we got to enjoy all by ourselves ,

  

…then we started setting up camp by pitching tents, refilling our bottles with filtered water and gathering wood before it got dark. Then we settled down for our meals of rehydrated food (augmented at times by wild huckleberries as big a huge blueberries!). That packaged food was a taste adventure in and of itself. We definitely have a list of the good and the bad! (Hint: Stay with the Mac and don’t do the Kung Pao).

We had some heartfelt sharing times around the fire, a little futile unsuccessful fishing, some icy cold swims and alot of giggling in our tents about how awkward it was to get dressed and then comfy in such a small space. I tell ya, the expectation by REI that anyone can sleep all tangled up in a twisted mermaid cocoon inside a cocoon sleeping bag is waaayy off. That’s what we were laughing about in my tent. Mer-Cocoons. 

We had a beautiful day hike to a lower lake, and some of us took an icy swim (you might guess who by the fact that there are no pictures displayed here).

Some even thought they saw a bear. But we were not afraid (see below). Can you see the Bible on one side and the pistol on the other?

Nope. We were not afraid!

 

The hike back down was much easier. It was fun to get to enjoy the different terrain and water crossings in a way we did not get to on the way up.

It was sweet and sweaty, alot of laughter and some tears, and a reminder of why I say “DO HARD THINGS”! It was truly one of the most difficult physical things I have ever done, but I am so glad I did it.

And we got to share it together.

Good job ladies. I am so proud of all of us!

Hiker Chicks: Adventure One, Part One

If you know me very well, you know I’d much rather be doing something out of doors than inside. Especially if that includes water, the scent of pine needles and good company. And I don’t mind roughing it. I mean, I like to look pretty and do my nails and stuff. And I prefer to be clean. But I can handle the rough stuff too. In fact, I really do enjoy it.

I live in a state that is known for it’s diverse and beautiful surroundings. Within a couple hours, I have desert or beach or mountains. I love them all, but especially the mountains with the forest scents and wildlife -- and lots of natural bodies of water.

I had been discussing this interest with a couple friends all year. We had been discussing organizing some kind of an active activity for awhile. We discussed camping and white water rafting, but, with busy mom schedules, neither one seemed to work out this year. But, thanks to my two gal pals, it finally worked out, and they organized a backpacking trip for us.

Ohhh, the anticipation!

A 3 day, 2 night adventure taking us up a trail that was somewhere between 6.5 and 8 miles long (depending on which routes we took), each way, up into the mountains.

I mean backpacking. Trekking. Hiking with a pack that weighs more than it should, out into the wilderness. Pitching tents, sleeping in the woods. There are no sinks, no toilets, no hair dryers. Just lakes and trees and bears and stuff. And us. Girls.

Here we are at the trailhead

Now, I have hiked before. And I have camped aplenty. But I have never hiked with a pack carrying all of my camping gear, into the middle of, well, nowhere. I did not have a pack.

Nor a backpacking kind of sleeping bag, cuz it all has to be light and compact.

Nor a sleeping mat. Not an air mattress, but a light mat rolled tightly.

Nor a tent.

Thank Heaven REI has a rental program! And I guess that’s another nice thing about friends. You are all different, with different experiences. And those other two ladies have had this experience and had equipment for me to borrow. And we each had another friend or two. So there were eight ladies planning to go, and equipment to borrow or rent or buy.

We had to each figure out what we were going to eat – and pack it in our packs.

And what we were going to wear (do I want to make sure I am warm? But if I bring warm clothes my pack will be heavier)…

and sleep on…

and wash with…

and I wanted to fish…

and our Bibles and journals…

and cameras of course…

and, and, AND….MY PACK IS TOO HEAVY!

The night before we left I kept packing and repacking my backpack. I was trying to find more stuff to take out. Cuz it sure seemed heavy. I really did try to get it down to the bare necessities. Which ended up weighing somewhere between 30-35 pounds when all was said and done. Which I was going to wear on my back. All the way. Up, Up, UpthEmoUntAinTrail. On my back, connected to my hips and my shoulders. Which are still all wiggly and loose from childbirth, even now almost three years later (that’s another post for another day!).

Oops, just ran out of time for this post. Duty calls (and I don’t mean I have to go to the bathroom!). I will have to tell you more in my next post! I will have to scroll up and add “Part One” to my title. Good night…

Take Heart Oh Ye Of Thunder Thighs

Did you hear the news? Having Thunder Thighs may be good for your health.

“In a study released Thursday, men and women whose thighs measured less than about 24 inches in circumference were found to have an increased risk for both heart disease and death, Dr. Berit Heitmann of Copenhagen University Hospital and colleagues reported online in the British Medical Journal.

"Smaller thighs are a disadvantage to health and survival for both sexes," the researchers said.”

Hey, I don’t make the news, I just tell you about it.

I amused myself thinking of my own thighs and all of the smart quips I could make to my skinny friends. Or to my fat friends with skinny thighs.

Almost as entertaining to consider is that I looked up Thunder Thighs on Wikipedia to get an actual definition. It was listed as a musical group! I could speculate on what their top five songs might be…or maybe you can leave ideas in my comments.

The actual definition and sample sentences are hilariously funny.

“A pejorative term for a person with large thighs, alluding to the sound of thighs hitting against each other.

Person 1: Whoa, check out thunder thighs over there. EARTHQUAKE!
Person 2: Actually, I think thunder thighs and wide hips are kinda hot.

An extremely overweight individual who cannot walk without their thighs making a thundering clap. “

Oh, the wonduh of the thunduh!

Clap On Sistuhs !

P.S. If any of you read this earlier, I did change the photo. Though it was accompanying one of teh articles about it, I felt it looked too much like I was laughing at someone. I do not want to ever come across that way. So now you get the pic of the girl who barely even has thighs, pinching her fat that is not there.)

Back On The Grid

 

After I posted my last post, I had the appointed phone call with AT&T where they were supposed to finish some paperwork and mail me my new aircard.

It was not simple. I went through the gauntlet. Again.

They rewarded me by telling me I did not have to wait for my aircard to arrive in the mail, but that I could go to a corporately owned AT&T store and, after the customer service person on the phone made a few notes on my account, I could walk away with my free aircard.

As it turned out, it was not quite that simple. I had to make yet another phone call and I still need to send in a rebate card, and check to make sure they credit my account $95.00. But I did walk away with my new aircard, which is compatible with my NEW HP laptop.

Could I be any more excited? My very own, brand new, not refurbished, not pre-owned computer!  It is beeeyoooouuutifullll!!!

I sure hope I can stay on track and write new posts at least a few times per week. More than that, I hope I can get caught up on all of your deep thoughts on your blogs and by your comments.

Honorarary Countdown…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Hard Drive

A couple of months ago,


This boy

threw one of these

into one of these

With


To which I had added
and

which spilled on this


and ruined this


The only other computer at my disposal is a very old one.

We live in the country, so it is also on dial up. It takes a month of Sundays to get signed in, not to mention writing new posts and adding pictures.


That is one of the several reasons I have not yet gotten back to my blogging routine.


Neither have I been reading the blogs of many of you, my treasured bloggy friends.




HOWEVER,

I recently received this in the mail...



will soon be receiving this...

and, yes, THEN

I shall blog again.

I am looking forward to it and have begun a (hopeful) countdown.

6 Days... and counting...

P.S. Sorry for the sorta dorky layout, etc. Takes too long to try to make changes on this PC and dial-up.

Taking The Iced Tea Plunge

Are any of you old enough to remember the 80’s commercial featuring “The Nestea Plunge”? It was one we always reenacted anytime we were at a swimming pool. Over and over and over and …

I’m not sure a powdered drink can be all that refreshing, but they were pretty successful in getting their point across – iced tea is one of the most refreshing things you can drink, especially on a hot day! (This is not the actual commercial I watched, but you get the idea).

We try not to consume much sugar in our house. Not to mention, since when do sugary drinks really actually quench your thirst? With so many people around here who would like to have something to drink besides water, we drink alot of iced tea. It is the only other drink besides water I have found that actually quenches a thirsty mama’s dry mouth. My kids still sometimes sweeten it with sugar. But a half cup of sugar to a whole gallon of tea isn’t too bad. If I am making it, I sweeten it with pure maple syrup (no, it does not taste like maple), or with honey. You could also use agave nectar. I like about 2 Tablespoons per quart, but my kids like it about twice that sweet.

I have been experimenting with various teas and tea combinations just to give us some variety. I have discovered that I most enjoy black tea flavored with a fruit tea. I’ve mixed and combined and mixed some more. So imagine my delight when I discovered that one of my favorite tea companies has created a tea, meant to be iced, just for me. Okay, so maybe they didn’t create it just for me. But they must have had me in mind.

Recipe:

Put 1 bag Zhena’s Strawberry Osmanthus Iced Tea into 1 quart canning jar

Pour boiled water over tea bag to fill jar almost to very top

Let steep 5 minutes, remove bag

Add 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (from a maple tree, with nothing added) and stir

Let cool and serve over ice.

I sometimes put my jar in the freezer and let it partially freeze. This morning I had a partial jar that had completely frozen so I poured some of my fresh batch over it and enjoyed it nice and cold right away. Later, I poured some over one of my favorite mugs which had been left in the freezer. Mmmm, frosty!

I’m keepin’ cool, cuz in my neck of the woods, it’s a hot one out there today!

Cheers!