What's In A Name

Takin' Time on Tuesdays with Joni

In Romeo and Juliet, the question is asked, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell so sweet." Possibly, yes, but a beautiful young woman named Dorkus might have a hard life. Choosing a name for a child seems like a huge responsibility. This will be the name they are known by their entire life. This will be the name that they are teased about on the playground. This is the name that will be yelled on a loud speaker at the beginning of their basketball game. IT IS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY!

I am now less than two months away from welcoming a little girl and I don't have a name. I have been trying to figure this out since I found out it was a girl, and I am having a hard time. When we had Vienna, my first, she was baby V for three days. We liked Victoria and Vienna so I knew it would start with a V, but we just couldn't decide. So we called her baby V until they made us choose before we left the hospital. We decided to name her Vienna because that is where my husband served his LDS mission for two years. We thought it would be nice to give her a name that has meaning behind it. I had a friend who after two months changed her daughter's name because she wasn't sure she chose right. Even after doing all that work, she was thinking about changing it again. It is so hard to decide. I hear some people say they need to see the baby to see if the name fits. I disagree. Looking at a smooshed red face does not help me know what they should be called for the rest of their life.

(Here is my little Vienna after waking up. If you know Vienna, you know she has A LOT of hair!)

For some reason, it was a lot easier for my second, Clark. We knew that was the name we wanted early on and so their was no question. He is named after Jaron's boss and mentor who was a major part of Jaron's teenage years. He was killed in a helicopter accident when we started dating. We loved the idea of naming him after this wonderful and generous man.

(My little Clark. This is my favorite picture. What a sweet face! I could just kiss those lips!)

Now we are to the third. I thought it was a boy. I had this deep feeling it was a boy. Again, early on we chose a name (I won't say what so you won't take it:) but we knew what we were going to call him. When the doctor said for sure it was a girl, my first words were, "We don't have a name!" He said, "You have time to figure that out." Well, we are now a lot closer to the end but not closer to a name. Maybe I struggle with girl names. I want a name that is beautiful but also fits a girl who is over six feet tall (my husband is six feet eight inches tall and I have a very tall family so there is no hope for my children. They will be giants.) Last night as we were saying family prayer my husband used the most favorite name of the day in the prayer and I didn't notice. Maybe I wasn't paying attention or maybe it just fit. I am not sure. But we will have to decide in two months because she can't be called baby forever!

Recipe of the day: Jennie-O Hot dogs Gluten Free

I looked on Jennie-O's website and most of their items say Gluten-Free. So we bought some hot dogs and roasted them over the fire. They were so yummy and it was fun to do as a family. Also, Great Value brand Marshmallows say gluten free, so have a hot dog over a fire and some marshmallows tonight! Happy Summer!

Freedom in the name of a Bottle

Takin' Time on Tuesdays with Joni

When I was pregnant with my first, I thought I knew a lot. For one, I had gone to school to be an elementary teacher. I had taken a lot of child development classes. Also, I had three months off before Vienna was born so I spent a lot of time reading books. I was well-educated when she came and thought I was well prepared. All that seemed to go out the window when they handed me this little package and expected me to know how to take care of her. There were a lot of phone calls to my mom and sisters asking about how to do this or what to do about this. Somehow we all survived and she is a happy, growing five year old.

Then came my second. I now really felt prepared on how to care for a baby. I had been doing it for 18 months and it all seemed so familiar. I had just done the baby thing. What I didn't know was how to do a baby and an 18 month old. That brought on a lot of new challenges, a lot of missed sleep, a lot of days with no shower, and a lot of days spent in dirty clothes. The one thing I did really wrong with my second, Clark, was I didn't teach him to take a pacifier or a bottle. I was just trying to survive. If he cried, I fed him. He also had reflux, so usually he would cry, I would feed him, he would throw it all up and I would feed him again. He wasn't interested in taking a bottle or pacifier and I was ok with it. I just did what I needed to to get through the day. I paid for this when he started to get older. I soon learned that I couldn't be farther than an hour and a half away from him because there was nothing for a babysitter to do to sooth him. Until he was one years old and I weaned him, we were tied at the hip. The only advantage we had was he went straight to drinking from a cup. We didn't have to stop a bottle addiction, but it was difficult to be his sole source of food and soothing.

Now I am pregnant with my third. I should know everything about babies, but I feel a little nervous. Clark is now 4 years old. It has been a few years since I did the baby thing and I am hoping it all comes back to me. Though I don't know everything, the one thing I do know is this baby is going to take a bottle and pacifier. I still will nurse the baby, but I do want to do a daily feeding from the bottle. Life is busier than when I had my first two little ones. I can't sit around all day feeding a baby. So I want my little one to take a bottle. Jaron and I went shopping for baby stuff and we went to the bottle aisle. There were so many choices. Ones that promise to be just like nursing. Ones promise to prevent colic. Ones with drop ins and ones that are cheap. Jaron said to just get the cheap ones but I said NO. We are going to be successful about bottles. We didn't get any because I want to be smart about my decision. So my question is, "What bottle have you had success with?" I want to make an educated decision because we will, we will be successful about the bottle! WE WILL!!

(And if anyone is counting, I have 8 weeks left! YIPEE!!)

Recipe of the Week: Pamela's Bread Mix (Gluten Free)

I have really struggled with bread since I have been off of gluten. It doesn't always taste good and I miss a yummy piece of bread. I tried this bread mix and really liked it. It felt like a nice loaf of wheat bread. It is kind of expensive, so I don't always have it on hand, but I have enjoyed some bread with jam and some sandwiches. I am excited to try her other products because I have heard good things!

Rain, Rain

Takin' Time on Tuesdays with Joni

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY! COME BACK ANOTHER DAY (like next spring!)

I lived in Arizona for almost two years. I loved our time there. The one thing that almost never happens is a rain storm. Every day was beautiful warm weather. But, for a short time in August the monsoons come and I loved it. In the late afternoon the clouds would roll in and then it would pour. We often spent those evenings sitting on our back porch watching the downpour. It was warm outside and the fresh smell of rain was so nice. We loved these storms.

Well, I don't live in Arizona anymore, but Roy, Utah. And for some reason, we are getting so much rain. It feels like Washington or England or something. We are only days away from summer vacation and we have only worn our summer clothes a couple of times. All of my kids' winter clothes have holes in the knees but we still keep wearing them because I don't want to buy more winter clothes and I keep thinking summer will be here. Maybe it will never come.

(This is our backyard last week. It also serves as a retention pond, but still. That's a lot of water!)

The one hard thing about rainy days is they become inside days. After a long winter of being inside, it feels so nice to go outside. So what do you do on a rainy day? Build a fort and let the kids play and have lunch under there. I used to build a lot of forts as a child. They would include sheets draped over chairs with stacks of books to hold the sheet down. This meant at any moment the fort would fall and books would hit you in the head. Not until I included my husband in fort building did this problem get solved. He went and got our fitted sheet, the one with elastics on it to hold it to the bed. He wrapped this around the chairs and problem solved. No BOOKS! The sheet stays on its own! It is now so easy to build a fort, I am willing to do it every day! So, if you are stuck inside because of the rain, sickness, or whatever reason, grab some chairs, a fitted sheet, and have a fun day in a fort!

(I built this in 30 seconds and the kids are already to play!)

Recipe of the Week: Cheese Quesadillas (Gluten Free)

-I struggled with corn tortillas because I couldn't find one Gluten Free. Though the ingredients were gluten free, they were always made where the flour tortillas were, so they weren't gluten free. I finally found a way to make homemade corn tortillas. It is so easy and yummy they have become a weekly staple in my family.

-I use Maseca corn tortilla mix. I bought mine at Walmart and it was really cheap. Also, on the side it says Gluten Free! I follow the recipe on the back and mix a nice dough.

-I roll the dough into 16 small balls and cover them with a damp paper towel so they don't get wet.

-Then, I take a ziploc bag and I cut it down the sides so it opens like a book. I put a ball of dough in the middle of the ziploc bag so it is covered top and bottom with plastic. Then I use my rolling pin and I roll it into a flat circle. Because it is rolled inside the plastic, it doesn't stick and is easy to pull it off and put on the griddle.

-This is a two man job, so my husband and I have fun making these together. He cooks the tortillas on the griddle while I roll them out.

-After they are all cooked, we put them back on the griddle by stacking them: tortilla, cheese, tortilla. We cook them until the cheese is all melted and yummy.

-We serve them with sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, and avocados.

-They are so yummy! Enjoy!

Put on Your Dancing Shoes

(Vienna in her dance costume)

Taking Time on Tuesdays with Joni

This last weekend we were busy with my daughter Vienna's dance recital. It was quite the week. On Thursday we had rehearsals then the recital was on Friday and Saturday. It felt like much of the week was spent getting ready for the recital, curling hair, putting on making and going to the recital. I was worried that it might put me into labor but luckily we survived! Vienna did such a wonderful job and I am sure I looked like the proud parent. When she was walking out onto stage I was so nervous for her that I even crossed my fingers. I knew that she was scared but she did wonderful. She smiled so cute and did every step perfectly. I was in tears because I was so proud of her. It was so fun to see her and she looked so cute. Though it was a lot of work, it was worth it to see her up on the stage.

Seeing her dance brought back memories of my dancing days. Out of all my sisters, I was the dancer. I loved dancing and did it all the way through college. I miss dancing now. The difference with dancing and any other sport, is how often people come and watch you. With my sisters' sports teams, you could find the whole family going to the school twice a week to watch their games. My parents believed in us all supporting each other, so much of my after school activities were spent in a gym watching a sibling play. I always enjoyed watching them. For me as a dancer, the frequency of support wasn't so often. I went twice a week to practice and had a performance twice a year. We worked hard every week and were only able to perform every six months. That made it a big deal to have a recital. My family always came to the recitals and were very supportive. It was fun to have them there. One recital I had when I was in high school I will never forget. My dad had gone to the bathroom in the middle of intermission. As he was in there, he heard the dads complaining, "If I have to watch one more dance with kids throwing big beach balls, I will die." "I don't know if I can sit through this much longer" etc, etc. My dad won the super dad award that day. He said something like, "Hey guys. I don't think you would be complaining like this in the middle of your son's T Ball game or basketball game. You need to give your daughters the same support." I don't know if he made a difference to those dads, but to me he made a huge difference. He was showing the same support to me as he did to my sisters' sports. He showed me that it was worth it to sit through all the other dances to get to see my dances. I felt very loved that day.

Now I am a mom watching my daughter dance. And I now have a husband who had to sit through two hour recitals twice this weekend. Instead of complaining, he came and supported Vienna and even brought her flowers. He is a good man and Vienna is lucky he is her dad. And my dad was there, sitting through dance after dance of little kids. And I didn't hear one complaint! I am surrounded by good men. Thanks for the support!

Recipe of the Week: Tempura Vegetables Gluten Free

This is a batter recipe to make Japanese-style fried vegetables. It was so yummy and we had a lot of fun making it.

Ingredients:

1 egg well beaten

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sprite

3 cups of vegetable oil, for frying

2 cups of cut and washed vegetables (You can use mushrooms, sweet potatoes, zucchini, green peppers, onions, or any vegetable you choose, just cut them up in french fries size of vegetables)

Instructions:

-In a medium size bowl, mix up all the dry ingredients

-In a separate bowl, beat the egg up

-Slowly add the egg and sprite to the dry ingredients while mixing

-Whisk until well blended

-heat up the oil. We used a fry daddy and heated it to 375 degrees

-Dip the vegetable one at a time in the batter and put into the hot oil. Turn when golden brown.

-When nice and golden on all sides, put on a plate with paper towel

-You can dip in cocktail sauce, ranch, or a tempura sauce. I made a sauce with 1/2 c Soy sauce (gluten free, I got from a health food store) 1/3 c vinegar, 1/3 c Honey, 1 T Sesame Oil, sugar to taste)

-Happy Dipping!

Time Marches On

Takin' Time on Tuesdays with Joni

Time is an interesting concept. For thousands of years, time has consistently moved forward, one second at a time. There is no stopping time, no making it go faster, no slowing it down. No time travel back or forward. Often when we want the time to go by quickly, it seems to move by in turtle speed. When we want to enjoy a moment forever, before we know it, it is gone. When we spent a week at Disneyland and the beach, it felt almost like a day. It was so fun and I truly wanted to freeze time, but before we knew it, we were on our way home. That was over two months ago. When my daughter was 3 and my son was 2, I really, really wanted to freeze time. I loved those ages and did not want my kids to keep growing. But they did and now they are 5 & 4 and time keeps moving forward.

Right now I am in the dilemma of wanting time to speed up. Time seems to almost come to a stop when you are pregnant. Nine months feels like FOREVER. In relating time to experiences, if you had to spend nine months in a body cast without moving, that would feel like forever. But, if you were given only nine months to live, that would feel so short. I have concluded that the speed of time is majorly affected with what you are doing in that time. Spending each day getting bigger and bigger and more uncomfortable makes time slow down. The thought of welcoming a new baby makes that glorious day seem so far away. I thought this with my first two. I thought I would break the world record of being pregnant forever! But they came and now they are my big kids. So this baby will come and I will not be this clumsy and uncomfortable forever, but could we speed up time just a bit?

After the baby comes, I want to stop time, freeze it and never let it continue. The reason is, after my baby comes, my oldest will start school. NOOOOOOOOOOO! I know some moms count down the day until they send their first to school. Not me. I want my kids by me all the time. I am sure my daughter will do great in school but I don't want to let her go. It feels like the beginning of the end. It starts with kindergarten which will lead to her getting married and leaving me forever! OK, a little dramatic, but that's how I am feeling. So MR TIME, please speed up the next 11 weeks and then please, please, please freeze time for me. PLEASE?

RECIPE of the Week: Enchilada Salad (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

2 lb of ground beet

2 T chili powder

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

6-8 roma tomatoes

1 can of black olives, chopped

1 sp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 cups small curd cottage cheese (Great Value brand is gluten free)

1 egg beaten

8 oz of monterey Jack cheese shredded (Great Value brand is gluten free)

4 oz cheddar cheese shredded (Great Value brand is gluten free)

Tortilla chips (I buy a gluten free brand at Good Earth)

Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef

2. In the blender, add the cut up roma tomatoes and the seasoning. Blend to a puree and add to the cooked beef. Also add in the chopped olives.

4. In a seperate bowl, add the egg and cottage cheese

3. Layer the casserole with the 1/3 meat mixture on the bottom, 1/2 cheese, 1/2 cottage cheese, a handful of tortilla chips covering the layer. Make the next layer the same, with the 1/3 meat mixture, 1/2 cheese, 1/2 cottage cheese, a handful of tortilla chips covering the layer. Then top with the last 1/3 of meat mixture, and the cheddar cheese.

4. Bake at 350 Degrees for 30 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Thanks for Trying

Takin' Time on Tuesdays with Joni

When I decided to go off of gluten almost 9 months ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was I was sick all the time and I wanted to feel better. Now almost nine months later I feel great and am so grateful I found the solution. Eating gluten free is so easy at home. I can cook yummy foods and feel great. The problem is when I step out my door. Eating out to dinner is almost impossible. Going on vacation is a struggle. Being invited to dinner is embarrassing. And a lot of times I come home sick anyways! But here is my thanks to those who at least have tried to help those who are gluten intolerant!

One of the things about eating Gluten Free is that your food can't even touch the same surfaces that have prepared food with gluten. I don't think this is quite understood unless you or someone you are close to has this problem. A lot of times people will tell me that a restaurant has a gluten free menu and so I decide to try it. Always in fine print at the bottom is the disclaimer "We can't guarantee that this is gluten free. We cook it in our one kitchen, yada yada yada..." To me it feels frustrating that they would go to the time to say something is gluten free but not prepare it gluten free. In the last month I have twice been sick from restaurants claiming gluten free and one stomach ache lasted six days. But thanks for trying!

When Jaron and I were heading out to Disneyland we heard that it offered Gluten Free foods. I was so excited. When I got there, I was given a big packet of foods that were gluten free, but what was written all over the papers? The famous disclaimer of no guarantee. So I didn't eat any of Disneyland's food. I didn't eat the yummy frozen bananas, the hand dipped corn dogs, the giant turkey legs that makes people look barbaric. Nope, I ate my gluten free sandwiches for lunch and dinner. I can't even look at a GF sandwich since then. But, thanks for trying!

I have a very nice neighbor who lives in the apartment downstairs from us. When our fridge broke while we were out of town and we came home to no food and a stinky house from the rotten food, she thought it would be nice to bring us dinner. She thought bringing pizza would be easy. So she pulled out the phone book and started calling pizza restaurants asking if they served Gluten Free pizza. She called one place and they said yes. She loaded up her baby and went there. When she got there, she asked again, "Is this gluten free?" The man said, "Yes, I don't see gluten listed in any of the ingredients." She asked to see the ingredient list and the first thing listed was Wheat FLOUR. She smiled and said, "Flour has gluten in it." I hope that worker learned to not promise something gluten free without understanding. That would have given me a heck of a stomach ache. But a big THANK YOU to my sweet neighbor who really really tried to help. Thanks for trying!

A big thank you needs to go out to my family. My mom is so amazing when she knows I am coming to eat. She cleans her already spotless kitchen, making sure no crumbs of bread are anywhere. She makes yummy food and is always so thoughtful. I have eaten at almost everyone's house in my family and they all have taken such care to understand what food I need to eat and how to prepare it. So a major THANKS FOR TRYING AND SUCCEEDING!

It isn't easy to eat gluten free but it helps when people around you are supportive and really try to help! My husband Jaron is amazing about being supportive. He is thoughtful and never complains about the expensive foods or missing out on some of our favorite restaurants. I have the best family in the world!

Recipe of the Week: Sesame Seed Oil Salad (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

SALAD:

2 heads of Romaine Lettuce, Chopped

1 chicken breast cooked and chopped up (optional)

1 red pepper chopped up

1 can mandarin oranges drained OR 1 cup strawberries sliced

1 handful of caramelized slivered almonds

1 cup drained cottage cheese (Great Value brand is gluten free)

1 large handful of Maifun noodles fried (optional)

DRESSING:

1/2 C White Vinegar (Great Value brand is gluten free)

1 C white sugar

1/4 C vegetable oil (Great Value brand is gluten free)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 T sesame Oil

Instructions:

1. I mix the dressing first and refrigerate while I prepare the salad.

2. Add all the ingredients to the salad.

3. Right before serving, briskly whisk the salad dressing until it is almost frothy.

4. Slowly add the dressing to the salad and toss. You might not need all of the salad dressing, so add a small amount at a time.

5. Enjoy!

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry If I Want To...

Spicin' up Saturdays with Joni Today is my son's birthday. Because we weren't able to be together on this day, (I am off on my sister's weekend :) we celebrated it on Wednesday. I woke up thinking I would make it a great day. I got him a hat that he could wear all day making sure everyone knew it was his birthday. I planned the day to decorate his cake, decorate the house, get ready for a fun party, have a fun party, and end the day with opening presents. It was going to be a great day and I was going to be a great mom. There was only one problem. The birthday boy was a grump! He didn't want to do anything. He would throw the decorations. I would set up a game for his party, only to find it messed up. Many times he was on the floor flipping around in anger. This was so difficult. By the time the party even began, I was ready for this birthday to be over! So I learned why we sing the song, "It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to" and why we give birthday spankings. After forcing him to bed and Jaron having to use some discipline, I was happy to conclude the day. As I reflected on the day I was almost in tears. This was suppose to be a great day. This was my celebration of bringing my perfect baby into the world. This was my celebration of enjoying the last four years of his life. Instead, it was a long day with many tantrums and lots of grumps. I don't know if being spoiled for one day is too hard to handle. Maybe it is an emotional overload. So I am glad we have that behind us. Hopefully my extremely sweet boy will return to me. Next year, I will hand him a sucker at the end of the day and say, "Happy Birthday!" Recipe of the Week: Hard Shell Tacos (Gluten Free) I haven't eaten Hard Shell Tacos since elementary school, but I brought them back when I found it was an easy meal to eat gluten free. Ingredients: 1 lb Hamburger Salsa (Pace Picante Sauce is gluten free) shredded cheese (shred your own, or Great Value brand says their shredded cheese is GF) shredded lettuce Sour Cream (Great Value brand is GF) Hard Shell Tacos (Ortega brand provides gluten free hard shell tacos, but not sold at my Walmart. I buy these at Maceys) Instructions: Brown the hamburger. When it is cooked through, add 1 cup of Salsa and heat up. I use the salsa as the seasoning since it is hard to find GF seasonings. Build your taco - add the hamburger to the bottom of the shell, put on cheese, more salsa, sour cream, lettuce and enjoy!

Shoes

Spicin' Up Saturdays with Joni

This next weekend my mom, my sisters, and I are getting together to enjoy some time off together. I am very excited for this. One thing we are planning on doing is going shopping. This sounds so fun to me. My dilemma is I am five months pregnant and really not interested in buying any clothes. I have already grown out of my smaller maternity clothes and am happily moving into the tent stage. I love pregnancy! Who knows how long it will be till I am back to my regular size, so buying clothes isn't too enticing for me. I do need a new wallet and purse, so those are on my shopping list. I was talking to my sister Stalee about this and she said to buy shoes. She said that it doesn't matter if your midsection is growing, shoes will always fit. That may be true for many, but not for me, especially when I am due in August. I normally wear an 8 or 8 1/2 shoe but when I was pregnant with Vienna, who was born in September, I wore a 9 1/2. I totally lost my ankles and feet. I was so happy after she was born that my feet and ankles went to their regular size.

This topic has gotten me thinking about shoes. When I was young and hip, (that seems so long ago!) I used to always have cute shoes. The shoes made the outfit. I remember thinking I would never become the mother in mom jeans (you know the ones, high waistline, high pockets, tapered ankle and floods) who wears jogging shoes all of the time. Thank goodness there are now more options for women jeans so I can still have style with my new motherly shape. But I have also realized why jogging shoes were and are the shoe of choice for mothers. In those shoes, you are ready for anything. You can chase your runaway two year old in the grocery store. You are always ready for a walk. You can jump, skip, clean, carry and so much more in these shoes. I feel more productive when I put my jogging shoes on. They say marathon runners' metabolisms rise when they put on their running shoes. I feel my energy level rises when I put on my jogging shoes, even if I am only going to vacuum. So I am now the mom who can be caught wearing jeans (stylish ones, I hope) and running shoes. And I like that style. I don't wear them to nice restaurants or to parties, but I definitely wear them to the park. I wonder what young teens are promising to never look like me :)

Last month Jaron and I went to Disneyland. Because our days were spent walking and walking, I wore my jeans and jogging shoes every day. By the end of the night, my feet ached. I would waddle home even though I was only 16 weeks pregnant. There was so much pain after a long day of walking. As I was waddling back to our hotel, I noticed the shoes that others had chosen to wear to Disneyland. I saw a lot of sandals with no cushion or support. I saw a lot of TOMS which looked comfy but no cushion between the foot and the ground. The shoes I couldn't believe I saw were the heels and platforms. There were quite a few women, who might be from a different culture or country than me, wearing nice dresses and skirts and fancy shoes. How in the world were they walking. I could barely take a step and they were tiptoeing around in those shoes! I finally decided that they must not have speed walked to every ride, climbed Tarzan's tree house multiple times, and stood in lines to ride the rides. If they did, they are more of a woman than I am. Personally, I was happy to be comfortable in my jogging shoes!

So as I go shopping next week for some summer sandals, my criteria is they must be cute. They must allow for much swelling. And most important, they must be comfy, because beauty is not worth sacrificing comfort!

Recipe of the Week: Jello (Gluten Free)

I love Jello. I think it adds a yummy dish to almost any meal. I have found that Great Value Brand is Gluten Free. Jello is so easy to make, but must be done by lunch time if you want it for dinner.

For One Box of Jello, add 1 cup of boiling water. Mix well. When disolved, add 1 cup of cold water and put in the fridge. Allow atleast 4 hours to set.

Variations:

-Add whipping cream to the set Jello and blend.

-Cut up bananas into slices and add when still liquid. They usually float to the top to make a pretty dish.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Spicin Up Saturdays with Joni

This last month my family visited the "Happiest Place on Earth." We spent four wonderful days at Disneyland. Every day was perfect. There were so many smiles and giggles. The kids were in constant happiness. One time we were standing in line, I think for Peter Pan, and Vienna asked me, "Mom, is Disneyland called the happiest place on earth?" I told her yes, it was sometimes called that. She said to me, "I know the real happiest place on earth. It's our home." I looked at her in surprise. Here we were having so much fun and she thought home was better than this place. I stopped and reflected what our home life had been like the few months prior to our vacation. I had been morning sick (yet it lasted all day!). I had felt like a dark cloud was hanging over me and had trouble handling anything. In the month of February we had had some minor financial setbacks and felt the stress of that. Also, I manage storage units in an office that's down stairs from where we live. The kids and I spend 3 1/2 hours a day in an office helping customers. They often get cranky near the end of my shift. I couldn't believe that Vienna would call home happier than DISNEYLAND! But then I looked between the stresses and bad moments we had been experiencing and thought of the good things that happen in our home. I thought of the times that I was feeling sick and we all cuddled on the couch to watch cartoons. I thought of Family Home Evenings that we have every Monday and Family Fun Nights we have on Fridays. I thought of the nights I spent in their room reading Junie B Jones and laughing at that crazy girl. I thought of the hugs and kisses and loves that were given. I thought of the family prayers and scriptures study that happen daily and most important, I thought of the good spirit that flows through our home. Yes, Disneyland was a great place to be, but our home is the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

Recipe of the Week: Sweet & Sour Chicken (Gluten Free)

(This recipe comes from our family cookbook.)

2 Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped up

1 Can of Pineapple

1 green pepper

2 T Soy Sauce (I bought this at a health food store)

2 T Corn Starch

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup White Vinegar (Great value brand is gluten free)

2 C cooked rice

Drain the pineapple juice into a measuring cup. Add water to make it total 1 cup. Pour into a large pan. Stir in the cornstarch. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Add the pineapple, green peppers and carrots. Cook and stir until liquid is clear and thickened. Add chicken and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

To Be Alone or Not To Be Alone

Spicin' up Saturdays with Joni

The other night Jaron and I were flipping through the channels when we came across a movie. I don't even know the title or story line but a husband and wife were driving in the car having an argument. The husband asked the wife, "Do you ever fantasize about leaving me for another man." The woman answered, "No, but sometimes I fantasize about checking into a hotel and spending some time alone." I laughed out loud because that was so true. Being a wife and mother can sometimes be taxing. We are being pulled in many directions and needed by others all day long and often through the night too. Often times I day dream about having some relaxing time for just me. Today I had the choice to spend most of the day all by myself or go to the Sportsman's Expo with my husband and kids. All week long I planned on staying home, going grocery shopping alone (sounds great huh?), taking a nap, etc. I woke this morning to get my family ready for a day with dad and my kids kept asking why I wasn't coming. Over and over they said they wanted me to come. Though a day alone would have been nice, I decided to spend the day with my family. It turned out to be a great day filled with being with the ones I love. It is late Saturday night and my house isn't cleaned. My laundry isn't folded. I grocery shopped with my two kids. I didn't get a nap, but I had a great day. I spent it talking with my husband, holding hands with my kids, cheering them on as they caught a fish from a tank, and enjoying a good Saturday with the family. So though I may fantasize about a day alone, in the end, I would rather be with the greatest people in the world, my family!

Recipe for the Week: Shish-kabobs Gluten Free

(I am so ready for warm weather. Seeing all the grills and camping stuff today made me want to get outdoors. So even though it is cold outside, I am posting a good summer recipe.)

2-3 Chicken Breasts

Wishbone Italian Dressing (Gluten Free!!)

Green Peppers

Red Peppers

Mushrooms

Onions

Tomatoes

Shish-kabob sticks

In the morning, cut the chicken into large cubes. Put in a gallon bag with 1-2 cups of Italian dressing to marinade. Seal and put in the fridge.

Cut the vegetables in large cubes. Put in a gallon bag with 1-2 cups of Italian dressing to marinade. Seal and put in the fridge.

60 mins before grilling, put sticks in water. This helps them to not burn. Leave them in for about 20-30 minutes.

When sticks have soaked, push them through the vegetables or chicken to make a stick full of food. We like to make sticks that only have chicken and sticks that only have vegetables then we don't overcook the vegetables to make sure the chicken is done. Put the prepared sticks of food on the grill, turning often. When all cooked, ENJOY!

Can You Beat This?

Spicin' Up Saturdays with Joni

We are home from our wonderful vacation to Disneyland. My previous post about getting ready for a vacation was written a few weeks ago, before we left. Now we are home, dealing with the after vacation blues and with colds :( Here is my challenge to all those reading. I want to see if anyone can beat this experience. So here we go... I thought I would share about coming home. We got up last Sunday morning and headed home from St. George around 9:30am. We wanted to get home early so we could rest and get settled before we got back to life on Monday morning. My mother in law called and asked, since they were on the way, that we stop for lunch. I didn't want to. I was SO tired and car sick and I just wanted to get home. We stopped for a short visit and got back on the road. The whole drive home I was giving myself the pep talk of, "Life is good. I can be happy even if I am not at Disneyland, etc." When we pulled into the parking lot of home, I was happy to be there. I was going to rest on the couch and make dinner and that was all. As I was slowly making my way into the house, Jaron came down the stairs with a horrified look on his face. I quickly asked what was wrong. He said our fridge broke while we were gone and everything inside was bad. I quickly knew what he meant because there was a smell of DEATH coming from our apartment. We quickly went inside to assess the situation. The fridge was so hot inside. The freezer, which was full of deer meat had all thawed and gone bad. The smell was so bad and there was blood oozing everywhere. We got to work right away. We cleaned out the fridge and all the meat. Good thing I don't throw up easily or we would have been cleaning that up too. Once we had the fridge emptied, we cleaned up all the blood. We decided that the blood was in every crack and we would never get the smell out. We decided to take the fridge outside. We were the only ones home in our apartment complex so I had to help Jaron. Since I couldn't lift it, we decided to turn it on its side and slide it down the stairs. The problem was, we didn't know there is a pan at the bottom of the fridge that catches liquid if the fridge defrosts. So as we turned the fridge on it's side, blood came pouring out all over the carpet in the stairwell. It was horrible. I yelled to just hurry and get it out, so we pushed it down the stairs and outside. Now we had a bigger problem. The carpet was covered in rotten blood. With tears in my eyes I tried to clean the blood up. In my head I was thinking, "I was supposed to be resting on the couch, not cleaning up blood. I came home with a good attitude that life was good. Life wasn't good. It was horrible." After attempting to get the blood up, we went back to our apartment to start airing it out. With all the windows open and fans going, it was so unbearable. I called our repair man and told him we needed a new fridge and carpet cleaners first thing Monday morning. All night long Jaron and I tossed and turned as we tried to sleep with the smell of death in the house. My entire Monday was spent spring cleaning my kitchen, hoping to get the smell out. After of full day of cleaning and windows open, and after THREE carpet cleaners came, we can breath again. It isn't perfect, but it is SO much better. Carpet cleaner #2 came and said, "Wow, that smells bad." I told him he should have put his head in the freezer where it came from and then he would have understood how bad it smelled.
Sometimes it feels like when we are trying to improve something in our lives, like trying to be more content with our situation, some unseen force pushes us down and makes it even harder to do better. Its like someone was saying, "Joni, You are going to try to be happy? Well, try being happy when you are cleaning up rotten blood and your house stinks!" Luckily, it is a new day. My house smells better. My kitchen is spotless. I have a new fridge and I don't have to eat deer meat until next season! So I guess there is silver lining in all situations. I hope your life smells better today!

So, see if you can beat that! Have you come home from vacation to find something happened? I would love to hear!

Weekly Recipe: I can't even think about food after writing that post, so until next week...

So Much Work But Its Worth It

Spicin' Up Saturdays with Joni

I love vacations. There is nothing greater than looking forward to a vacation and then it comes and it is so fun! My dad loves vacations and so our family was the benefactors of many wonderful vacations. Our two favorite spots were Lake Powell and Disneyland. When I think about these vacations, my heart swells with happiness. If I could choose to live one day over and over, it would be at one of these places. When we would go to Lake Powell, we always ate good food, did water sports most of the day, and spent a lot of time laughing and having fun! At Disneyland, we ran around trying to go on as many rides as possible and enjoyed yummy treats like frozen bananas. What a great childhood I had. Now that I am a mother, I realize that this was amazing that we did these vacations. We had eight kids so prior to our vacation, my mother had to pack eight kids up for a week, pack enough food for a small army, and leave the house in good order. I can't imagine how hard she had to work just to get us on the vacation! Then she had to feed and clothe and care for that many kids during the vacation. And after all that, she had to come home and do laundry and clean up from the vacation! That was a lot of work! (I am sure my dad had a lot to do also, but I can only see it from the woman's perspective.) My mom was often quoted, "You guys go on the vacation and I will stay home, read a book, and eat sandwiches and soup!" I now understand why. She was exhausted before the trip even began, but as a child I didn't know this. All I knew was vacations were awesome and they all went perfectly! Thanks Mom and Dad for making them so great.

Now I am the mother preparing for a vacation. Jaron and I decided that since we will have a baby this summer, Vienna will start school this fall, and we won't have such a care free life as having a 5 year and 3 year old, we decided to fit in a family vacation this month. I am so excited to go to one of my favorite places - Disneyland. All I can think about is how fun it is. But in reality, there is work to be done before we can go. Luckily I only have to pack for four, only bring food for four, and only leave an apartment in good order, but this is much to do. We leave this week and my to-do list is quite long. It doesn't help that I also have to register the van, get its oil change, and vacuum it out (who likes to start a vacation with a dirty vehicle? Not me!") The other challenge I am struggling with is eating Gluten Free while on vacation. I can eat Gluten Free without batting an eye at home, but what about when I don't have my kitchen? I am bringing a cooler or two full of food for me. Disneyland claims to be really good for people who are Gluten Intolerant, so hopefully I can eat there. I just don't want to spend this week sick with a sour stomach. So I hope that by Friday at 3pm, my house is clean, the laundry is done, the garbages are empty, the dishes are done, the toilets are flushed, the van is packed, the kids are buckled in the boosters, and we are on the road! Though I have a lot to do - Disneyland with my three favorite people is totally worth it!

Recipe of the week: Dessert - Muddy Buddies (Gluten Free)

This recipe is found on the back of Chex cereal boxes

Ingredients:

9 cups of Chex cereal (any kind)

1 cup chocolate chips (Kroger brand says Gluten Free)

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (Kroger Brand of Peanut Butter & Honey is Gluten Free)

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp Vanilla (Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract is Gluten Free - I have found it at Smith's or Maceys but could be in other stores)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Put cereal in a large bowl, set aside.

2. In a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Cook for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until mixture is stirred smooth. Don't cook longer without stirring or it will burn a hole in your bowl (trust me, I know). Once it is stirred smooth, add the vanilla.

3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir until evenly coated.

4. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and stir until all of the cereal has been covered.

Enjoy - Easy and very yummy treat!

My Walking Infomercials

Spicin' up Saturdays with Joni

In a perfect world with a perfect me, my children would not watch TV. I would be supermom and would be able to get all the demands on me accomplished without using the TV as my babysitter/entertainer. But this isn't a perfect world and I am not the perfect mom (though I try) and so my children watch TV. Luckily most of the children shows on PBS are very educational and my children have learned many things from these shows. Sometimes they need a break from PBS so we switch to Qubo, another free channel we get. These shows are a little more entertainment base, so we don't watch them too often. For about 25 minutes of the segment there is a cartoon. Then for five minutes there are infomercials. If anyone in the advertisement business is wondering if there commercials work, just ask my children. At any moment I hear, "Mom, come quick! You can buy this blender that blends in 5 seconds!" My children want to get life insurance, retirement funds, identity theft protection...the list goes on. I was on the phone the other day and Clark was yelling at me, "It's only $14.99! $14.99!" Once Vienna asked me, "How many hours is the sun up?" I made it easy and said 12. She asked how many hours is the moon up and I said 12. She asked if that made 24. I was so impressed and said it did. I asked her how she knew that and she said, "In just 24 hours, you can have a thousand dollars in your checking account!" An infomercial had taught her how many hours are in a day while scamming us to take out a quick loan! My favorite is this little square vacuum that runs on its own. You just turn it on and all day long it drives around vacuuming. One lady said, "It saves me so much time, now I have more time to be with my children." My kids were so excited about this. "Mom! Now you can have time for us!" My reply was, "Oh goody since I never spend time with you - just the entire day!" Yesterday I bundled my kids up to go play in the snow. Vienna asked if I would come and help them make a snowman. I should have said, "I am sorry honey. I have to spend so much time vacuuming, I don't have time to play!" Luckily, I answered that plea with an OK and we now have a very nice looking snowman out our door.

Little minds are so impressionable. They really can be swayed by a commercial or what is on TV. I try really hard to teach them that commercials aren't always what they seem. I also make sure what they watch is putting the correct information in their little minds because if they are watching, they are learning. For family night, Jaron wanted to talk about work. So he started the little Red Hen story. Both kids quickly expressed that they knew the story. He asked how and they both said, "It's on Super Why!" (a kid show if you aren't up to date on kid's cartoons.) I am often reminded to be careful what my children are watching and hearing, because they are like a sponge. They are soaking it all up and I only want good things going in!

Recipe for the Week: Creamy Italian Chicken with Rice (Gluten Free and inspired by Judi)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (I buy all natural, nothing added chicken to make sure it is Gluten free. If it has chicken broth in it, it could have gluten. I like the 100% natural chicken from Costco.)

1/2 cup Italian Dressing (Wishbone brand is Gluten Free and very tasty)

1 cup Sour Cream (Great Value brand Gluten Free or you can substitute this with plain yogurt or Judi uses cream cheese.)

2 cups prepared Rice

Instructions:

Start the rice cooking.

Cube the chicken and cook until cooked all the way through.

A few minutes before serving, add the Italian dressing and sour cream with the chicken. Continue cooking until the mixture is warmed up.

Serve over Rice

Variations: In the summer, when vegetables are in harvest and plentiful, I add zucchini and yellow squash with the chicken. Also, I serve this mixture over noodles.

I Thought I Was Ready!?!

Spicin' Up Saturdays with Joni

Monday is usually a day that I dread. That is the day that my mom has trained her girls to get up, clean the house, scrub the toilets, mop the floors, vacuum really good, and end the day exhausted but with a very clean house. Call my sisters on Monday morning and most times you will find us all doing the same thing, cleaning. Though Mondays can cause Sunday night blues, I have come to look forward to Mondays because I change how far along I am on that day. Right now I am 14 weeks pregnant, but in just two days, I get to say I am fifteen weeks along. It feels like such an accomplishment when I get to say that I am one week farther. It is like, "Yes! I made it! One week done!!!! Only 25 more to go!!!!" I usually don't think the last part because that seems overwhelming.

I am pregnant with my third. When I was pregnant with Vienna, my first, I spent so much time researching stuff. I wanted a good car seat and stroller. We looked for a good crib. I studied bedroom sets for hours. When she finally came, we were pretty set. Then comes my second, Clark, and we had to get more stuff because he was a boy. Luckily the main expensive things we had purchased were gender neutral so it was mostly clothes and blankets that we had to stock up on. Thanks to my sister Katie for donating her boy stuff, so again we were set. Now comes baby number three. Since I have had a boy and a girl, you would think we were set, right? WRONG! My oldest is now 5 1/2 years old, so I bought her car seat like six years ago. Which means it is expired. So we need to get a new car seat. Then somewhere after I had Clark, my crib was recalled. Since I haven't been in the baby scene for a few years, I didn't realize this. Our crib, which I love, has a drop down side which are no longer safe. Then the frame where the mattress sits on can collapse. So pretty much it would be irresponsible to use it. Darn it! So again we are looking into getting more stuff!

A friend told me that Babies R Us is doing a special in their stores if you bring your old baby item in, you can get 25% off a new item. Since this deal ends on Monday, we went last night with my old car seat. As Rindi shared in her blanket post, we moms get attached to our things when they are associated with our babies. I didn't want to give up the car seat that I had lugged around for two babies, where my babies had slept, or screamed as we drove places. As I handed it to the guest service worker, I said, "I have had two babies use that thing." She looked at me like, "So." To me, it was hard to part with, but I did. Then we went to look at new ones. Ouch! They are expensive. We spent some time trying to breath as we realized how much we would be forking over. As I was walking around, I noticed another customer walking around with MY car seat. I quickly grabbed Jaron and said, "That lady has our car seat!" I asked a worker if they resold the car seats and he assured me they recycle them. But still this lady was walking around the store carrying my car seat. When we checked out I asked the front desk what they do with the car seats. Again they said recycle them. I asked why a customer was walking around with my car seat. They said they put them on a cart to be sent to recycling, so it was possible she stole it off the cart and left with it. I was so upset. As we were driving home and I was still talking about this, Jaron said, "I can tell this is really bothering you!" I said it was because that was my babies' car seat and I did not give that woman permission to have it, especially since it is unsafe to use. I finally had to give up on it since there was nothing to be done, but I was sad that a part of my babies' memories was stolen. The good news! I have a new cute car seat that in 25 weeks (but whose counting) will be filled with a beautiful new baby. I can't wait! On to find more stuff!

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Chicken (Gluten Free)

I got this recipe from crockpot365.blogspot.com

4 Chicken Breats (or 2 lbs)

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Kroger makes a Gluten Free PB)

1-2 Red Peppers cut into chunks

2T ground cumin

Juice from 2 small limes

1/2 cup soy sauce (I bought this at a health food store)

2 cup chicken broth (Gluten Free Brands: Kroger, Progresso, Pacific)

Combine all ingredients minus the chicken in the crock pot first. Mix best you can with the peanut butter. When mixed, add chicken to it in the crock pot (cook 4 hrs on high or 6-8 on low). One hour before serving, shred the chicken and put back in mixture. Serve over rice. Makes a lot - good for left overs!

Kiss the Cook

Spicin' up Saturdays with Joni

When I was a young teen I was known for my cooking abilities or my lack of. One time my parents were going out of town and I was assigned to make the dinners. My mom had prepared the meals ahead of time and all I had to do was defrost the casserole and put it in the oven. Simple enough? Not for me. One night it was after 8pm, my younger sisters were crying, and the darn meat loaf was still pink in the middle. Who knew putting a frozen meatloaf in the oven would take so long to cook? Anyways, I was branded as the girl who couldn't cook. Then I married a giant of a man. Jaron, at 6 feet 8 inches tall, was 22 years old when we married. He was still a young man with a large appetite and I could cook two meals well - french toast and pasta salad. I would make a large pasta salad on Sundays and that would be our lunches and sometimes dinners for the week. When we would both come in after a long day of school and work, I would whip up some french toast. This worked for the first 6 months of our marriage but it became apparent that I would have to learn to cook. So one meal at a time, I figured out how to prepare edible food. Luckily, I had a husband who would eat about anything. Many times I ended up eating cereal as he ate my dinner and told me it tasted good. His taste buds must have been better developed than mine or more dull because he endured this learning curve better than I. But as most things goes, I figured it out and I became a good little wife who would make dinner and make it pretty well, if I may say so myself. Than my life changed. In the fall of 2010 I learned that I was gluten intolerant. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye and most all other foods! It is used a lot as an additive and so it is hidden into a lot of foods where it should not be. Because of my discovery of what had been making me so sick, I again had to learn to cook. The foods I loved and thought tasted good, I no longer could eat. My first week of eating gluten free, I ate meat and vegetables. By the end of that week, I was so sick of meat and vegetables. But again, each day I learned how to cook in a new way and I can now cook gluten free almost without thinking. Because it is important for me to not get any gluten in my food even by it touching something with gluten, it isn't easy to go out to eat. I make every meal now. There is no, "Honey, I had a long day. Pick up a pizza on the way home." As many people are discovering their need to cut out gluten in their lives, I am going to include a recipe with my weekly post. A lot of times people associate Gluten free with bad tasting. I will say there is some gluten free food out there that tastes bad, but it doesn't have to be. The recipes I will include have been approved by others and so I say, give them a chance. They are yummy! Here is my first recipe and I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to KISS THE COOK!
Joni

Joni's Salsa Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth (gluten free chicken broths: Progresso, Kroger brand, Pacific)
1 cup Pace Picante Salsa (gluten free)
1-2 cans of canned corn
1 can of black beans
shredded mozzarella cheese
tortilla chips (gluten free brand Food Should Taste Good, found at Costco)
1/2 cup sour cream (great value brand is gluten free)

Instructions:
1. Put chicken and chicken broth in the crock pot and cook all day (4 hrs on high or 6 to 8 hours on low)
2. One hour before serving, shred chicken and add to broth. Add the salsa, drained corn and beans. Cover and let heat up for the last hour. Right before serving, add the sour cream.
3. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top of soup and with chips on the side for dipping
*note - my mom likes to add rice to this mixture. Both ways, easy and yummy!