Recipe of the Week: Triple Strawberry Shortcakes

For a delectable dessert, this is one of my favorites. It tastes delicious without being too heavy - very light and refreshing yet satisfying. It's from the Better Homes & Gardens website, another favorite of mine. I've only made it twice but it is fool proof and will garner accolades from all who partake of it.

Triple Strawberry Shortcake

Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 16 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter, cut up

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup diced strawberries

1 cup Strawberry Sauce (recipe below)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in buttermilk, egg and diced strawberries. Knead few times to blend. Drop batter by 1/3 cups in 8 mounds onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar.

2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16 minutes until golden. Cool on rack.

3. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce onto each of 8 plates. Slice each biscuit in half horizontally. Place bottom half on dishes. Spoon 1/4 cup berries on each. Dollop with whipped cream; cover with biscuit top. Garnish with cream and sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Strawberry Sauce: Puree 1 quart hulled strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor. Strain.

Nutrition facts per serving:
calories: 406
total fat: 18g
saturated fat: 11g
cholesterol: 84mg
sodium: 389mg
carbohydrate: 56g
fiber: 4g
protein: 6g

Reactions

After just four days, I already feel my hair growing back. I notice it gets darker every day. The very first day of shaved head, my hair felt like velcro and would catch on my clothes but it is already softening up. I'm afraid that I might get addicted to touching it because it feels so good right now.

There have been many additional, unforeseen benefits to shaving my head. Obviously, I don't have to spend any time doing my hair and it dries very quickly. No more going to bed with wet hair causing wet pillow and having hair stick to my face. But the feeling of taking a shower with shaved head is unsurpassed. I have just never felt anything like it and it is hard to explain unless you have actually shaved your head for the first time and taken a shower. My head must be very sensitive and I've always been a very tactile person.

The downside to all of this is that I am freezing. I love taking a shower but despise getting out of the shower because I get so cold. My head is really cold at work now too. I suppose shaved head helps me to stay cooler when I am outside in the heat but the majority of my time throughout the day takes place in air conditioned places.

When I am actually outside and do get to take advantage of the cooling effects of shaved head, I am suppressed with a great fear of mine - sun burns. I was so surprised by how white my skin naturally is (though I tan quite easily) and I just knew my ghost-white scalp was in jeopardy of burning like toast. The solution to this is easy (hats and sunscreen) but one moment of negligence will leave painful, burning memories. Has anyone ever had a burn in the part of their hair due to their carelessness - I have. It sucks. Constant vigilance is also part of my solution as well.

In terms of the reactions I have received, they have been surprisingly moderate. Initially, I was met with a lot of surprise and even some disbelief. But just a little more than if I had only cut my hair really short. Because anything would have been considered a drastic change with my boring hair before. But everyone gets used to it, eventually. I myself still get a little surprised when I look in the mirror and so does Brandon (when he looks at me - not in the mirror). Probably, by the time we get used to it, my hair will have grown out quite a bit.

Most people have thought my shaved head looked cool but there are a few who even though they don't say it, very obviously think I should have kept longer hair or that I look better with longer hair. I will be the first to admit I look better with longer hair. But I don't agree that I shouldn't have shaved my head at all. Life's not all about looks - it's about experiences too. And I wouldn't have passed this experience up for anything. I'm still glad I did it.

By the by, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I donated my hair to Locks of Love. If you are interested in donating your hair to cancer patients who have lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy, click here. Ten inches is all you need (it's not as much as you think) and it's been an added bonus to shaving my head, maybe even the reason why I thought of shaving my head in the first place.

Shaving Head

I don't think that there is any need to label these "Before" and "After" pictures. The above head shaving took place on Friday night, June 23rd at my brother-in-law's house in Murray. Several other people attended the event and had the opportunity to cut off a braid or two.

My hair had been growing pretty much since the summer of 2003 when I last received a pretty short hair cut (though not quite as short as above) minus the trims along the way. It got pretty long over three years and I was pretty sick of it. It had been fun but I was mostly wearing my hair in ponytails and felt like it was time for a change.

I had been mulling over the idea of shaving my head since around February or March and Brandon fully supported me on my idea, even encouraged it. But I felt like I needed a really good reason to shave it. Then came the going away party for Jeniece before she left for Botswana back on May 5th. She had chopped off the majority of her beautiful, curly brown locks and looked gorgeous. Then she revealed that once in Africa, she would shave her head. I expressed my interest in shaving my own head and my excitement grew. However, everyone at the party wanted to see some head shaving entertainment right then but I wasn't quite ready for it. I actually felt really pressured and didn't want to shave my head without really thinking about it just to look cool for everyone else. Jeniece offered that we shave our heads together once she was in Africa and she would e-mail me when she did.

The day after the party, I couldn't believe how close I was to shaving my head and decided that I didn't think I wanted to do it after all. Jeniece left for Africa and the idea was pushed to the back of mind, re-emerging every once in a while. I then received an e-mail from Jeniece with pictures of the shaved head - and she looked beautiful! I decided right then I wanted to shave my head too. But I needed a little moral support - enter SWAB thread. I just had to find a good time to do it.

Good time came this past Friday and of course, was documented for friends and future posterity. It wasn't traumatic at all though I was slightly nervous. And finished results exceeded my expectations - I felt like all my features were accentuated a little bit more and the focus was completely on my face.

I won't kid myself and say I looked better with a shaved head. I actually prefer myself with hair but the experience was worth it. I'll probably never shave my head again but I am glad to have done it at least once.

Experiences that Enhance Balance

I attended this workshop at a conference for my work. It seems that I must constantly remind myself to relax, breath, and enjoy life. Here are some ideas that the keynote speaker brought up.

• Spend time with someone who makes you laugh.
• Instead of eating lunch inside, take a short walk and find a quiet place to sit outside and enjoy your meal.
• Ask someone to rub your back and shoulders.
• Put on your favorite music and dance until you can't catch your breath. Let your body find its own rhythm.
• Go for a walk. Alone or with a good friend you can be silent with.
• Buy yourself flowers the next time you are at the grocery store. Take a moment to feel gratitude for all of the ways that you show up for yourself and your beliefs.
• Think of ten things you are grateful for.
• Tell someone what you appreciate about them.
• Spend ten minutes finding shapes in the clouds.
• Take a long bath.
• Do something you've never done before.
• Learn one new thing about something that has piqued your curiosity.
• Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe.
• Watch a sunrise/sunset.
• Wear clothes that feel good rubbing against your skin.
• Give yourself a foot massage.

~ Cindy Ewing


"Every human being possesses an effective internal health maintenance system, one guided by pleasure. Indeed, there is good scientific evidence that we are built for pleasure. Deep brain centers respond directly to pleasure sensations. Many of us are not getting our daily requirement of sensual pleasure."
~ Dr. R. Ornstein

The Morning Routine

Our routine in the morning may not sound like the most exciting topic in the world, but we have found that how we start our day can make or break the rest of the day and sometimes even the week.

Since we have been married, Brandon and I have constantly been striving to get up earlier in order to get more accomplished. Once we got home from school or work, we were so tired and ended up in front of the television all night, getting nothing done.

We have started off slowly for the past two years, resetting goals about when to wake up and what to do. In the the old apartment, 6:00 a.m. was the goal and we would try to do ab exercises. This would perhaps last one or two days out of the week and we would fail the rest of the week and start all over again. Eventually, I think we just gave up and tried to get as much sleep as we possibly could.

That original goal has been reinstated and expanded since in our new house. Where getting up before just 7:00 a.m. was the ultimate (and often unacheived) goal in the apartment, our bodies have grown accustomed to the early morning and getting up at 6:30 a.m. has been the norm since we moved in. Our closer proximity to work has allowed us to get more done in the mornings than ever before.

However, we still needed more time in the morning to get all we wanted to get done. So the wake-up time was moved up to 5:45 a.m. This was mostly to accomodate morning runs because it is just too damn hot in Utah to exercise any other time besides early mornings.

The morning routine has been in effect for the past four weeks. Week 1, we successfully accomplished the task on Monday and failed miserably throughout rest of the week and was late for work Tuesday through Friday. Week 2 was similar. Week 3 brought renewed committment over goal and we successfully woke up Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Three out of five was marked as first success. We are currently in Week 4 and we are one for one - success on Monday, slight setback today. Brandon actually woke up on time but had some work to do and so skipped normal routine. I, on the other hand, woke up half an hour later and skipped out on exercise but followed remaining routine.

For those of you who are curious as to our rigid morning routine, here it is:

5:30 a.m. - Wake Up
5:45 a.m. - Run/Ab Exercises (we switch off every other day)
6:15 a.m. - Stretching (very important for Brandon who suffers from back problems since St. George Marathon '03)
6:30 a.m. - Breakfast
6:45 a.m. - Scripture Study/Sunday School Lesson Prep (Brandon and I both teach every Sunday at church - 14-19 year olds for me, 19+ year old men for Brandon)
7:00 a.m. - Shower/Get ready
7:40 a.m. - Leave for work

When we actually follow the schedule, it works out perfectly and though tired, our day goes smoothly. And before we even "start" the day, we already feel like we have accomplished so much. And mornings really are beautiful in Utah. How I wish I was a morning person! But it's never too late to train yourself to be one.

It's funny how your desire for something else can actually have a positive iinfluence in man other areas of your life. We commenced this goal mostly because we wanted to excercise more. The result that have stemmed from this also include more regular gospel study which in turn produces better prepared Sunday school lessons, better sleep and more energy among other things.

There are sacrifices involved - bedtime is a non-negotiable 10:00 p.m. which requires some coordination on our part of what needs to get done after work. There is no mindless tv watching allowed - TV shows that we desire to spend any time on are usually discussed in advance so we don't get into the habit of just turning on the tv and vegging out. We actually mark on our calendar when we want to watch a show. And we refuse spending money on tv - there is more than enough TV with bunny ears alone and I can't fathom spending money on cable or a dish. Evenings are often concluded with an evening walk in order to relax us before bed and clear our minds. Sleep doesnt come as easy after watching TV or playing on the computer.

We are in the constant process of recommiting ourselves to this goal but the hope is that it will eventually stop being a goal and become a way of life. We're constantly struggling on this one and the rules are never hard and fast - some flexibility must be maintained in order to accomodate other things like social endeavors, work at times, and bad days.

Brandon was telling me that there is an old ranch saying, "One hour before 9:00 a.m. is worth two hours after it." Never were words so true.

Recipe of the Week: Addicitive Sweet Potato Burritos

This was actually a recipe that I made last week for Meatless Mondays (I'm not vegetarian and Meatless Mondays isn't a regular occasion in our home but I like to experiment with vegetarian dishes).

It sounds so weird to have beans and mashed sweet potatoes but the fusion of flavors was very good. It's for those of you who like salty/sweet.

I'm always trying to integrate more beans and lentils into our diet for the nutritional benefits and great source of fiber. However, be warned - if your suffering from irregularity, this will make you regular really fast. And if you are already pretty regular, make sure you have access to the bathroom all day long. I really felt like it helped to clean my system out though.

The recipe is from All Recipes which is a great website for those who like to try new recipes but want to make sure you don't get a stinker. Ratings make it very easy to guarantee you'll have a winner.

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Submitted by: Karena

Photo by: Allrecipes

"Once you've had one - you'll want another. The recipe is a little different from most burrito recipes, but I've had many, many requests for it. Serve these with sour cream, chopped green onions and salsa. For vegan burritos, omit the cheese and sour cream. These may be made ahead of time, individually frozen, then heated. For an interesting variation, try deep frying these tasty burritos." Original recipe yield: 12 burritos. Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 12

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
   
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

V for Victory - The Dayton Victory Garden

We started work in our soil slightly late in the season so we didn't have many options. The final decision was to dig up as much soil as we could throughout the week, dispose of it in our trash can, and replace it with store bought topsoil. This took a matter of weeks (mostly because I could only fit so much in my trashcan) and lugging that trash can was one of the hardest physical feats I have ever had to overcome. Because we live in a townhome, we were very limited in what we could do with our extra soil/clay and the only option was to dispose of it in the trash.

In the beginning, we were slightly naive in understanding just how much work (and money) would be invested in our small little garden. Our soil was atrocious - almost pure clay. We thought adding 6 bags of topsoil would do the trick but alas, in a few days, the sun continued to bake the soil to a crisp.


But the results have been well worth all the effort. After killing off one of my cucumber seedlings by leaving it in the sun too long without enough water (a small failure), I took what had survived and planted my 4 remaining cucumber plants. By this time, I had already planted my kabocha plant which was doing extremely well. Lettuce and spinach had already been thriving in the shady corner despite the poor soil quality. And store bought tomato plants (two DX 5212, one Sweet 100), zucchini, and summer squash rounded out the mix. And last but not least, some edamame was thrown in, compliments of my mother who also supplied the cucumber, kabocha, and herb seeds.

Needless to say, it has been truly been a labor of love and the sunburned back was totally worth it. And we have already enjoyed some of our labor with delicious lettuce and spinach for salads. I just can't wait for all the rest.

Home, Sweet Home - The Lodge

Brandon and I moved into our house (affectionately nicknamed, "The Lodge") on December 31, 2005. After an exhuasting day of moving, we didn't even have the energy to stay up for the New Year. Since that day, we have fallen more in love with the home that we have created and feel very blessed to have found something that fits our needs so perfectly.

Our criteria for the home we wanted may seem sparse to some but we felt somewhat demanding considering the budget we were working with. The secret to finding a house is knowing what you want and these were our non-negotiables:

• 3 bedrooms - We definitely wanted an office and guest room.
  
• Master bathroom - After sharing a bathroom most of my life, some privacy was in need.
  
• One car garage - Couldn't stand to scrape another windshield in the cold.
  
• At least 1200 square feet - Everyone needs this much space to breathe.
  
• Air conditioning! - With Utah summers, you should know why this wasn't optional.
  

We found all this and more within a month of searching (feeling divinely directed in a way). The other perks included that added a major bonus was a small yard (in which we could have a garden, per approval by our HOA, of course), pool, and clubhouse with fitness facilities. The location was optimal for both of our work situations and shopping was right around the corner at Jordan Landing.

And the price was just right - our phenomenal real estate agent was able to knock $10,000 off the asking price. And thanks to the kindness and generosity of Brandon's parents, we were able to put 10% down and save up closing costs on our own (no small feat when living on our salary).

First home buying experience = great experience.

What it's all about...

This blog is devoted to all things wonderful in life, from favorite recipes to the experiences that make us grateful for life, love, and good friends and family. The "lean years" is the all encompassing term describing those first years of marriage where we live, love, and learn.

Brandon and I have found that we have grown incredibly together as a couple and individually as well. We don't really mean to impart the wisdom we have learned, but rather to share the experiences that have brought us joy and happiness in our lives.

Some of these experiences may seem mundane to some but it is the simple things in life that usually bring the greatest joys and pleasures.