Elora Mae Jensen
born Thursday, May 22nd at 8:38 am
6 lbs. 10 oz. (a full pound and a half smaller than Jonah was!)
We're both doing well. We don't know where she got such fabulous dark hair and dimples but we love them!
Friday, May 23, 2008
More Velvety Softness
Elora Mae Jensen
born Thursday, May 22nd at 8:38 am
6 lbs. 10 oz. (a full pound and a half smaller than Jonah was!)
We're both doing well. We don't know where she got such fabulous dark hair and dimples but we love them!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Velvety Softness
This is what happens on a 3 minute car ride when you give a rose to a 15 month old.
Even though yellow roses are one of my favorite flowers (basically anything yellow or purple), when someone in Relief Society handed me this one on Mother's Day the look of facination on Jonah's face and his delight at the texture and fragrance made me give this one over to him (after removing most of the stem and all the thorns).
PS- C-section has been moved from Wed. morning to Thursday morning.
Even though yellow roses are one of my favorite flowers (basically anything yellow or purple), when someone in Relief Society handed me this one on Mother's Day the look of facination on Jonah's face and his delight at the texture and fragrance made me give this one over to him (after removing most of the stem and all the thorns).
PS- C-section has been moved from Wed. morning to Thursday morning.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Lately
Tues., May 6th - Zoo with Brandon, Jonah, and Andy. Hogle Zoo is tiny.
Sat., May 10th - ward baby shower:)
After opening all these gifts I have quite the fantastic baby girl wardrobe.
Deb, the fabululous hostess, Hi, and Melissa
Jen & I
Linda- my MIL 2- the bearer of wonderful gifts, Me, SIL Katie, and SIL Andy.
Sun., May 11th - Mother's Day. Slept in an hour longer than usual. Brandon made me a great breakfast. Had a nice time at church and spent the afternoon hanging out with my in-laws at the cabin. Watched the new 2008 BBC Sense & Sensibility; good one.
Tues., 13th - book club. Had barely started Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, have gotten a bit further into now, good book, just haven't been into a reading mode lately.
Wed., 14th - Heather (B's cousin's wife)'s baby shower. She is due a week after me with a boy:) Had fun hanging out with the Rowleys, especially Andy.
15th - Dr. appointment. Cessarian set up for Wed. the 21st, no amnio. Have only gained 2 lbs in the past 4 weeks, should have gained more like 5. Doc isn't concerned cause I'm still gaining centimeters on my fundus height and everything else is good.
Sat., May 10th - ward baby shower:)
After opening all these gifts I have quite the fantastic baby girl wardrobe.
Deb, the fabululous hostess, Hi, and Melissa
Jen & I
Linda- my MIL 2- the bearer of wonderful gifts, Me, SIL Katie, and SIL Andy.
Sun., May 11th - Mother's Day. Slept in an hour longer than usual. Brandon made me a great breakfast. Had a nice time at church and spent the afternoon hanging out with my in-laws at the cabin. Watched the new 2008 BBC Sense & Sensibility; good one.
Tues., 13th - book club. Had barely started Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, have gotten a bit further into now, good book, just haven't been into a reading mode lately.
Wed., 14th - Heather (B's cousin's wife)'s baby shower. She is due a week after me with a boy:) Had fun hanging out with the Rowleys, especially Andy.
15th - Dr. appointment. Cessarian set up for Wed. the 21st, no amnio. Have only gained 2 lbs in the past 4 weeks, should have gained more like 5. Doc isn't concerned cause I'm still gaining centimeters on my fundus height and everything else is good.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Girl's Night Out
Three drunks playing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (etc!) on one of the the pianos at the Tavernacle.
Sara Jane, Lisa, baby Nora, Sarah, Jen, Andy, and Raquel all showed up for dinner at Cinegrill with me Saturday, May 3rd in Salt Lake. Though none of us were especially impressed with the food, we had a good time together. SJ, Jen, Raquel, and I walked over to the Tavernacle afterwards and completely enjoyed ourselves singing along and watching the spectacle of others at the live piano show there. The pianists are highly entertaining and very talented.
A Week or So Ago
Something else Jonah figured out how to get into. Usually he's standing in it now when I find him there. He likes to stand there so he can better see the things he pulls out of the drawer above or to attempt to grab things off the counter top. Ther is also a smallish drawer in our coffee table I found him in today. He's finally big enough to get up on the coffee table and he really likes it.
A couple days ago he flipped over his little plastic toy box/bin in his room and pushed it up next to his dresser to get things off the top of it. When he saw me watching him he clapped and cheered for himself!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tragedy
I can't even imagine the pain and heartache my mom and her family are feeling right now. When I called to say Happy Mother's Day to my mom yesterday I could tell immediately that something was wrong. Mom didn't sound well and the more we talked the more I could tell she isn't herself right now, she is deeply depressed and in shock. She told me her baby brother was killed on Friday. Mom always thought Richard was so incredibly handsome. I know brothers aren't the best at keeping in touch, but that doesn't sever the bond you feel with them. I imagine that losing a sibling would feel like loosing part of your childhood, part of yourself.
I feel even worse for my grandparents. They had eight children together and five of them have died. The horror of outliving even one child is almost unbearable, but to lose so many is absolutely tragic.
I've never been very close with my mom's side of the family. Most of them live in Florida and I don't see them very often. I didn't even meet my uncle Danny until three summers ago at a family reunion. I knew uncle Richie as a kid when he lived in Arizona near us for a couple years. When he moved back to Florida I didn't see him again for something like 15 years. When I did see him we didn't really talk much or bond, but I'm still sad that he's gone. He left behind a wife, four daughters, and four stepsons. He loved Nascar. I don't know much else about him but I know he'll be missed by a lot of people.
He was killed instantly when he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle. Richard was 48.
Uncle Richie, my mom, and Grandpa Bob.
My mom, her parents and all of her living siblings. These pictures were taken June 2005, since then, the two brothers on the left have died.
Uncle Richie and his wife.
I feel even worse for my grandparents. They had eight children together and five of them have died. The horror of outliving even one child is almost unbearable, but to lose so many is absolutely tragic.
I've never been very close with my mom's side of the family. Most of them live in Florida and I don't see them very often. I didn't even meet my uncle Danny until three summers ago at a family reunion. I knew uncle Richie as a kid when he lived in Arizona near us for a couple years. When he moved back to Florida I didn't see him again for something like 15 years. When I did see him we didn't really talk much or bond, but I'm still sad that he's gone. He left behind a wife, four daughters, and four stepsons. He loved Nascar. I don't know much else about him but I know he'll be missed by a lot of people.
He was killed instantly when he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle. Richard was 48.
Uncle Richie, my mom, and Grandpa Bob.
My mom, her parents and all of her living siblings. These pictures were taken June 2005, since then, the two brothers on the left have died.
Uncle Richie and his wife.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Names
This evening we worked on our baby name list. We have it narrowed down to 12. That is much more manegable. It's funny how many of the names were similar to each other. I don't think I'll share the names with you all just yet (if ever). But we have four that begin with Ms, two that begin with As, three that begin with Es, a C, an L, and a K. Three end with "lyn" and three end with "a" and two end with "ie". Six have three syllables, four have two, and two have one. Why the cryptic hints? Dunno, just for fun.
P.S. - Jennie, Gracie is not on the list. Did you get the note I left for you at Fotogenix? I have no contact info for you...
P.P.S. - I hate the Sandy Fotogenix. The printers, the finishers, the checkers do a crappy job. The photographer was pretty good and the people are all very friendly but I will never go there again, even though I have a card for two free sitting fees ($55 value each? and one for outdoors even) and two free 8x10s (a $35 value each). I have had to have parts my order reprinted four times, different problems every time.
P.S. - Jennie, Gracie is not on the list. Did you get the note I left for you at Fotogenix? I have no contact info for you...
P.P.S. - I hate the Sandy Fotogenix. The printers, the finishers, the checkers do a crappy job. The photographer was pretty good and the people are all very friendly but I will never go there again, even though I have a card for two free sitting fees ($55 value each? and one for outdoors even) and two free 8x10s (a $35 value each). I have had to have parts my order reprinted four times, different problems every time.
Jonah's Favorite Books
Jonah loves to read. If I am sitting on the floor he will often get a book and then back up into my lap to have it read to him. When I am busy with things like blogging, he is often sitting somewhere "reading" to himself (like right now). Occasionally when reading a paper book I have seen him lick his pointer finger before using it to turn the page (talk about mimicking his Mom's behavior!).
I decided to make a Top 10 list of books we like to read together and let you know why. Hopefully this will be amusing to all my readers and useful to readers with kids Jonah's age or younger who are building up their personal libraries or need suggestions on what to check out at their local library. I will also include a separate list of our favorite Dr. Seuss books for this age.
Possibly all of these books were gifts. A huge thank you to those of you who give such great gifts!
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
A classic for a reason, although on my first reading of it I thought it was kind of dumb. It has since become a favorite of both Jonah and I. It rhymes and I think I have it memorized. A few times when I have chosen something else to read at bedtime, Jonah will go over and get this one out of his stack and bring it to me. A favorite since birth.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, illustrations by Eric Carle
Animal books feature prominently in Jonah's current favorite books. I do sound effects on every page of this book and he loves it. He can do a lot of his own animal sounds now too (Bear growl, cat meow, dog woof, duck quack, frog ribbit...)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Not just a good story and illustrations, but nostalgic for both Brandon and I to read to Jo since we had it as children. Plus, any excuse for Jonah to do lots of growling makes him happy.
Good Night, Mr. Night by Dan Yaccarino
We love the illustrations and the clever story. I have been reading this to Jonah since he was born and I never tire of it.
Dinner Time by Jan Pienkowski
A pop-up book full of predators. Very short. Can hardly pry this one out of Jonah's hands even after reading it several times in a row. Have to be careful that little ones don't tear the pop-ups but well worth it. Again, lots of growling. My younger siblings had this book as children and I loved reading it with them when I was younger.
Who Says Quack? by Jerry Smith (with photos of baby animals)
A short board book that always elicits squeals of delight with the pictures. Plus Jonah has always been fascinated by my duck noise and all duck toys.
BIG Little by Leslie Patricelli
Funny, cute. I admit I like this a little more than Jonah does and I can't wait to buy Quiet LOUD and Yummy YUCKY.
Perfect Pets (Bright Baby Touch and Feel) by Roger Priddy
A short touch and feel board book with photos of pets, always a hit. It is often in the car or the crib.
So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC & Counting Book by Rick Walton, illustrated by Paige Miglio
Charming in every way and it rhymes, which I always love.
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Great rhythm and a funny story. Good illustrations. This is a fairly new one for us and I think it will be a favorite for years.
And an honorable mention to A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle.
There are so many good Dr. Seuss books out there. Many of them I have never seen until I had Jonah. Here are our favorites for toddlers:
The Tooth Book illustrated by Joseph Mathieu
We'd love this even if Brandon weren't a dentist! Jonah will sometimes have to open his mouth and say "ahhh" during this and sometimes has to tap on my teeth now when we read it. Some moms won't like this book because it uses the phrase "don't be stupid" at least twice.
My Many Colored Days illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
We just discovered this one thanks to Auntie Lisa. Jonah especially LOVES the page with the owl on it. Sometimes "reading" this book consists of just doing the sound effects for the animal on each page or just the blue bird and the owl. What does a flamingo sound like anyway?
Ten Apples Up on Top illustrated by Roy McKie
Good story, good rhyming, all that good stuff.
Great Day for Up! illustrated by Quentin Blake (who illustrated many Roald Dahl books)
A fun morning book.
The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
All outline/shadow illustrations, really great.
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
Kind of exhausting to read, but lots of fun. So many sound effects! We don't own this one yet but Jonah can still find the owl in it.
Hop on Pop
I like the board book version better for Jonah's age, even though I'm not sure it's any different.
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?
I always feel bad for Marvin.
There's a Wocket in my Pocket
My personal favorite as a kid.
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
Reminiscent of a couple of his other books and features the Cat in the Hat.
I decided to make a Top 10 list of books we like to read together and let you know why. Hopefully this will be amusing to all my readers and useful to readers with kids Jonah's age or younger who are building up their personal libraries or need suggestions on what to check out at their local library. I will also include a separate list of our favorite Dr. Seuss books for this age.
Possibly all of these books were gifts. A huge thank you to those of you who give such great gifts!
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
A classic for a reason, although on my first reading of it I thought it was kind of dumb. It has since become a favorite of both Jonah and I. It rhymes and I think I have it memorized. A few times when I have chosen something else to read at bedtime, Jonah will go over and get this one out of his stack and bring it to me. A favorite since birth.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, illustrations by Eric Carle
Animal books feature prominently in Jonah's current favorite books. I do sound effects on every page of this book and he loves it. He can do a lot of his own animal sounds now too (Bear growl, cat meow, dog woof, duck quack, frog ribbit...)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Not just a good story and illustrations, but nostalgic for both Brandon and I to read to Jo since we had it as children. Plus, any excuse for Jonah to do lots of growling makes him happy.
Good Night, Mr. Night by Dan Yaccarino
We love the illustrations and the clever story. I have been reading this to Jonah since he was born and I never tire of it.
Dinner Time by Jan Pienkowski
A pop-up book full of predators. Very short. Can hardly pry this one out of Jonah's hands even after reading it several times in a row. Have to be careful that little ones don't tear the pop-ups but well worth it. Again, lots of growling. My younger siblings had this book as children and I loved reading it with them when I was younger.
Who Says Quack? by Jerry Smith (with photos of baby animals)
A short board book that always elicits squeals of delight with the pictures. Plus Jonah has always been fascinated by my duck noise and all duck toys.
BIG Little by Leslie Patricelli
Funny, cute. I admit I like this a little more than Jonah does and I can't wait to buy Quiet LOUD and Yummy YUCKY.
Perfect Pets (Bright Baby Touch and Feel) by Roger Priddy
A short touch and feel board book with photos of pets, always a hit. It is often in the car or the crib.
So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC & Counting Book by Rick Walton, illustrated by Paige Miglio
Charming in every way and it rhymes, which I always love.
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Great rhythm and a funny story. Good illustrations. This is a fairly new one for us and I think it will be a favorite for years.
And an honorable mention to A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle.
There are so many good Dr. Seuss books out there. Many of them I have never seen until I had Jonah. Here are our favorites for toddlers:
The Tooth Book illustrated by Joseph Mathieu
We'd love this even if Brandon weren't a dentist! Jonah will sometimes have to open his mouth and say "ahhh" during this and sometimes has to tap on my teeth now when we read it. Some moms won't like this book because it uses the phrase "don't be stupid" at least twice.
My Many Colored Days illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
We just discovered this one thanks to Auntie Lisa. Jonah especially LOVES the page with the owl on it. Sometimes "reading" this book consists of just doing the sound effects for the animal on each page or just the blue bird and the owl. What does a flamingo sound like anyway?
Ten Apples Up on Top illustrated by Roy McKie
Good story, good rhyming, all that good stuff.
Great Day for Up! illustrated by Quentin Blake (who illustrated many Roald Dahl books)
A fun morning book.
The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
All outline/shadow illustrations, really great.
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
Kind of exhausting to read, but lots of fun. So many sound effects! We don't own this one yet but Jonah can still find the owl in it.
Hop on Pop
I like the board book version better for Jonah's age, even though I'm not sure it's any different.
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?
I always feel bad for Marvin.
There's a Wocket in my Pocket
My personal favorite as a kid.
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
Reminiscent of a couple of his other books and features the Cat in the Hat.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Quickie
It snowed yesterday, yup, on May first. At least it's gone now.
Just got back from Jonah's doctor appointment. He is almost 30 inches tall now and 22 1/2 lbs. He's practically perfect in every way.
We have our baby name list narrowed down to 32 names now. Yes, I said narrowed down to 32.
Fiascos with my birthing plans: O.R. is full on the days we wanted to schedule a c-section and VBACs are not allowed at this tiny hospital since their O.R. is not fully staffed 24 hours a day (just on-call). Will let you know...
Just got back from Jonah's doctor appointment. He is almost 30 inches tall now and 22 1/2 lbs. He's practically perfect in every way.
We have our baby name list narrowed down to 32 names now. Yes, I said narrowed down to 32.
Fiascos with my birthing plans: O.R. is full on the days we wanted to schedule a c-section and VBACs are not allowed at this tiny hospital since their O.R. is not fully staffed 24 hours a day (just on-call). Will let you know...
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Private Bloggers
For those of my friends who are private bloggers and are not listed on my sidebar and are wondering why I haven't visited your blog lately, I can't. As most of you know, my laptop died a couple weeks ago and so now I have to use Brandon's PC in the non-babyproof basement whenever I have a moment (that Brandon isn't already on the computer). All of the links to my friends and relatives private blogs were saved under Favorites on my laptop and I don't have them anywhere else. If you want me to keep up with your blog, please email me the link to your page.
Thank you.
And as an added note, I have a policy of never letting my yahoo inbox have more than 100 messages in it. Due to my now limited computer time for responding to emails, etc. it is now close to 300 and making me freak out a little. If you haven't heard from me in awhile or much, you know why. I've got to clean out that darned inbox for my own personal neurotic sanity!!
Thank you.
And as an added note, I have a policy of never letting my yahoo inbox have more than 100 messages in it. Due to my now limited computer time for responding to emails, etc. it is now close to 300 and making me freak out a little. If you haven't heard from me in awhile or much, you know why. I've got to clean out that darned inbox for my own personal neurotic sanity!!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April 30th
Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks along (just over 8 months) and Jonah will be 15 months old. Here is a little update on the both of us.
Me: I have gained 25 lbs. so far this pregnancy. My cervix is softening but not yet dialating. I am tired (and today also emotional) and achy but overall pretty great. I have been taking walks everyday now that the weather is warm (It's been in the 70s, though it's going to be signifigantly cooler for the next week). I am so excited to meet my little girl! I am nervous about being a mom to two young children. We still have yet to decide on a name for our new arrival.
Jonah: I swear he gets cuter and funnier everyday. He goes to the doctor for a check up tomorrow so I can tell you even more then. For now I'm getting a big kick out of him practicing walking backwards, which he does at least twice a day with a very serious look on his face. He hasn't been crying at all when he goes down at bedtime this week (something totally new for him) but he's been getting up a half hour earlier in the mornings. He is teething on at least one back tooth which means he is gnawing on a finger most of the time and gets rather fussy sometimes, but overall he is an angel.
Other good news: My sister, Robin, who has a little boy 6 months younger than Jonah is expecting a baby girl 4 months after me. It will be so fun to have close cousins!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April in Photos
My boys, watchin' a little Baby Einstein.
Who has the cutest hair ever?
Playgroups make Jonah squeal with delight.
I eat my veggies.
Nacho Libre (my good friend, Ryan) cruisin' our street.
Spend a weekend hanging out with Elaine, one of my dearest friends (she lives in Houston).
My good friend Avalie meets us for Brandon's birthday lunch. Hadn't seen her in almost a year, she's just as funny as ever.
My SIL, Katie's and her boyfriend, Jason, head off to her senior prom.
Lisa dressed him...
This was Jonah's first trip to the zoo where he is old enough to appreciate it. It was so fun to watch him watch the animals!! I got season passes if anyone in UT ever wants to join me, I've got a ticket for you.
One of less than 10 white (not albino) alligators in the world. See it now at Hogle Zoo.
Has it Really Been Three Years??
Lisa and I have been friends since 6th grade. She lives in New York, I live in Utah. We talk on the phone almost every week. It's been three years since the last time we saw each other (I visited her at her home on Long Island). She now lives in Westchester County, has a new job, and a puppy and I have almost two children. Lots has changed, but some things never do.
Lunch on Saturday with the Jensens after Katie's half-marathon at Red Butte Cafe on Foothill Dr. Tasty! (I need mascara).
We went up to the cabin for a BBQ on Sunday.
She arrived Thursday afternoon. I showed her son, my house, my cats, etc. We stayed up late talking. Friday we had a girl's night out. We went and got massages in Provo, went out to dinner at Carrabba's (delish), and saw 27 Dresses (fun chick flick!) at the dollar theater. Saturday we went to the zoo with Brandon and Jonah and to lunch with the Jensens. Spent the evening watching Scrubs mostly. Sunday we hung out at home and then went with my boys up to the cabin to make some burgers and check out how spring is coming along up there (the snow is starting to melt). Monday her flight was cancelled and she had to leave two hours earlier than planned. It was a very nice, relaxing trip. We had a great time together, we always do.
Lunch on Saturday with the Jensens after Katie's half-marathon at Red Butte Cafe on Foothill Dr. Tasty! (I need mascara).
We went up to the cabin for a BBQ on Sunday.
She arrived Thursday afternoon. I showed her son, my house, my cats, etc. We stayed up late talking. Friday we had a girl's night out. We went and got massages in Provo, went out to dinner at Carrabba's (delish), and saw 27 Dresses (fun chick flick!) at the dollar theater. Saturday we went to the zoo with Brandon and Jonah and to lunch with the Jensens. Spent the evening watching Scrubs mostly. Sunday we hung out at home and then went with my boys up to the cabin to make some burgers and check out how spring is coming along up there (the snow is starting to melt). Monday her flight was cancelled and she had to leave two hours earlier than planned. It was a very nice, relaxing trip. We had a great time together, we always do.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
April?
(photo from earlier this month)
It's snowing here. It's almost May. Somethin' just ain't right.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Barefoot and Pregnant
This captures a pretty typical moment in my everyday life; using the electric broom to tidy up around the highchair while Jonah follows me around in my cluttered kitchen.
Happier Birthday
Here's some pictures of Brandon on his birthday weekend looking a bit more chipper. He did have a ridiculously high fever in the evenings though.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
7 1/2 Months Along
I realized that compared to my last pregnancy, I have taken very few pictures of my belly. Here's a few shots of me on Saturday (thanks to Elaine) wearing my tight non-maternity top that got me a lot of long stares at The Cheesecake Factory.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Yesterday
Brandon's 31st birthday was yesterday. I made him a chocolate stout cake with coconut pecan frosting. Our best couple friends, the Pettits, were in town all weekend and we had a ball together. More pictures and stories to come.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
The Ultimate Food Survey
What is your favorite cuisine?
Nepali, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese - in that order
What is your favorite dessert?
I'm not real picky, I love the sweet stuff. Homemade cookies (no bakes, choc chip, oatmeal, etc.), ice cream, rootbeer floats, pie, cake, creme brulee...
What is your favorite breakfast?
.good blueberry muffins, pine-orange banana juice, bacon
.french toast, bacon or sausage links, oj
.my homemade banana bread in a bowl with milk poured over it and heated up
(Can you tell I'm a carb lover?)
I love hash browns too!
What is your favorite dinner?
Dhal bhat, a fabulous pasta dish, chicken tikka masala, green thai curry, La Puente or La Frontera's smothered burritos with cheese, Thanksgiving (smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, Jen's cornbread sausage & cranberry stuffing with pinenuts added, a cranberry dish, etc.) ...
Favorite lunch??
.a pint of great homemade salsa, chips, and homemade refried beans
.a great burrito
Comfort foods?
.canned Campbell's cream of tomato soup with pepper and tons of saltines (preferably while watching Perry Mason)
.fried corn tortillas
Other favorite foods unmentioned?
french fries, fruit, mashed potatoes, italian vegtables (tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes), my tomato crab bisque, Mom's cranberry orange jello salad, Linda's carrot cake and a variety of her other dishes, Lisa's cranberries n' cream, Michael's caesar salad, Alisha's black bean soup, Pawena's green curry, anything Nepali that Smeeta makes... (I like not having to cook even though I enjoy it)
Favorite spices?
Curry, cumin, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, basil...
Travel food experiences:
.Pretty much every plate of dhal bhat I had in Nepal was pure heaven, the momos there were fantastic too.
.The tortilla soup they serve at the poolside restaurant at the Girasol Sur condos in Puerto Vallarta was incredible as are tacos and tamales from street vendors everywhere I've been in Mexico.
.New York City and San Francisco were all around culinary delights.
.The Tony Newcomb Chili Cookoff in Oklahoma City in August is one of my all-time favorite events as well as the Clam Chowder tasting festival on Nantucket island in fall.
.Our trip to Louisianna brought us the delights of dirty rice, meat pies, red beans & rice, etc. I'd never had authentic southern food before and I enjoyed it:)
Once in a lifetime food experiences:
.The inside out german chocolate cake that Alan & Linda had at their wedding (I got the recipe but it is something I know I will never take the time to make)
.Nepal
Cooking fiasco story?
I can't think of a particular one (feel free to remind me), but pretty much every time we invite someone over for dinner the meal is taking longer than I expected
Most memorable meal you ever made?
.Possibly the time I made Sara Jane's Sour Cream Chicken (a favorite for company) and Sarah's Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Carmel Sauce (everyone asked for the recipe) for three couples without little kids at our apartment on halloween night
.Thanksgivings are always memorable too (with McBrides, Jensens, Pettits, Rajaratnams, etc.)
.fondue night with Lacey
Favorite Restaurants?
I'm not really sure, I just don't like eating at chains. I like Ajanta in OKC as well as Bravos there. I don't eat out all that much. Spicy Lady in Heber has great ambiance but Snake Creek Grill has much better food.
I tag you all!
Nepali, Italian, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese - in that order
What is your favorite dessert?
I'm not real picky, I love the sweet stuff. Homemade cookies (no bakes, choc chip, oatmeal, etc.), ice cream, rootbeer floats, pie, cake, creme brulee...
What is your favorite breakfast?
.good blueberry muffins, pine-orange banana juice, bacon
.french toast, bacon or sausage links, oj
.my homemade banana bread in a bowl with milk poured over it and heated up
(Can you tell I'm a carb lover?)
I love hash browns too!
What is your favorite dinner?
Dhal bhat, a fabulous pasta dish, chicken tikka masala, green thai curry, La Puente or La Frontera's smothered burritos with cheese, Thanksgiving (smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, Jen's cornbread sausage & cranberry stuffing with pinenuts added, a cranberry dish, etc.) ...
Favorite lunch??
.a pint of great homemade salsa, chips, and homemade refried beans
.a great burrito
Comfort foods?
.canned Campbell's cream of tomato soup with pepper and tons of saltines (preferably while watching Perry Mason)
.fried corn tortillas
Other favorite foods unmentioned?
french fries, fruit, mashed potatoes, italian vegtables (tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes), my tomato crab bisque, Mom's cranberry orange jello salad, Linda's carrot cake and a variety of her other dishes, Lisa's cranberries n' cream, Michael's caesar salad, Alisha's black bean soup, Pawena's green curry, anything Nepali that Smeeta makes... (I like not having to cook even though I enjoy it)
Favorite spices?
Curry, cumin, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, basil...
Travel food experiences:
.Pretty much every plate of dhal bhat I had in Nepal was pure heaven, the momos there were fantastic too.
.The tortilla soup they serve at the poolside restaurant at the Girasol Sur condos in Puerto Vallarta was incredible as are tacos and tamales from street vendors everywhere I've been in Mexico.
.New York City and San Francisco were all around culinary delights.
.The Tony Newcomb Chili Cookoff in Oklahoma City in August is one of my all-time favorite events as well as the Clam Chowder tasting festival on Nantucket island in fall.
.Our trip to Louisianna brought us the delights of dirty rice, meat pies, red beans & rice, etc. I'd never had authentic southern food before and I enjoyed it:)
Once in a lifetime food experiences:
.The inside out german chocolate cake that Alan & Linda had at their wedding (I got the recipe but it is something I know I will never take the time to make)
.Nepal
Cooking fiasco story?
I can't think of a particular one (feel free to remind me), but pretty much every time we invite someone over for dinner the meal is taking longer than I expected
Most memorable meal you ever made?
.Possibly the time I made Sara Jane's Sour Cream Chicken (a favorite for company) and Sarah's Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Carmel Sauce (everyone asked for the recipe) for three couples without little kids at our apartment on halloween night
.Thanksgivings are always memorable too (with McBrides, Jensens, Pettits, Rajaratnams, etc.)
.fondue night with Lacey
Favorite Restaurants?
I'm not really sure, I just don't like eating at chains. I like Ajanta in OKC as well as Bravos there. I don't eat out all that much. Spicy Lady in Heber has great ambiance but Snake Creek Grill has much better food.
I tag you all!
Engagement Announcement
My brother Teddy (8 years my junior) got engaged on Friday night to his adorable Lauren K. Congratulations! The wedding date is set for Sept. 18th (two days before my birthday). I will be there! Ted leaves for a money-making summer in Seattle in three weeks and will be gone for four months - poor Lauren.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The Omnivore's Dilema
Everyone should read this book!
Here's a quote from the last page that kind of encapsulates the whole thing, "But imagine for a moment if we once again knew...these few unremarkable things: What it is we're eating. Where it came from. How it found its way to our table. And what, in a true accounting, it really cost."
It took me exactly 30 days to read this book (411 pages). It was facinating and engrossing. It moved more quickly for me after the first section.
The book is divided into three sections, here is a little of what I learned from each:
Section 1: Corn
We grow a ridiculous amount of corn in this country because the government subsidizes farmers for it.
We eat a lot more corn than we realize and Americans use corn for all sorts of things.
There are 38 ingredients in a McDonalds chicken nugget. Thirty-eight!
Cows are not meant to eat corn, but because it is a rich, cheap source of calories, we feed it to them anyway.
If you are what you eat, Americans are processed corn.
Personal goal:
I am going to start eating only grass-fed beef instead of grain-fed whenever possible.
Section 2: Grass
I learned a lot about organic farming.
Americans don't seem to care where there food comes from, they just want it cheap and not because they couldn't afford to spend a little more on it.
Sustainable farming is facinating.
I seldom notice how unseasonaly we eat these days (lamb in spring, asparagus in winter, etc.).
Great quote:
"For example, if the sixteen million acres now bing used to grow corn to feed cows in the United States became well-managed pasture, that would remove fourteen billion pounds of carbon from the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road."
Personal goal:
Support local farmers, meat producers, etc. (I joined a CSA).
Section 3: The Forest
Facinating section, especially if you like to cook.
Mushroom hunting would be fun to try sometime.
Personal goals:
Eat meat only from humanely treated animals.
Continue buying eggs only from free-range chickens.
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