Finally

So I haven't posted for awhile. I have been stressed out at my job and have had a sourpuss attitude lately. Not much has changed but I have accomplished a few things that I wanted to share.

I tried something new for breakfast as a special treat for Mike and Olivia. I made vanilla crepes and they turned out fantastic. I was able to use whole wheat and I even used my powdered eggs. My next step will be to do it with powdered milk next time. We made a cream cheese filling with frozen berries topped with real whip cream. It was delicious.

I have wanted to try a tortilla recipe but I have had so many things going on lately. Today Mike wanted to eat fajitas and I had everything except tortillas and I didn't want to run to the store plus we already spend all our grocery money for the month. So I tried a recipe from everyday food storage and it turned out really good. I am super impressed. I usually don't fly by the seat of my pants like this and to some it might not seem like a big deal but I normally research recipes, read reviews and watch videos if they are available. The recipe I want to try is from this blog - Keeper of the Home. She is into soaking her grains so next time when I am prepared I will try her recipe instead.

Olivia is growing up so fast

I didn't think this stage was going to come so soon but Olivia wants to dress and undress herself all the time now. The other day I found her in the hallway naked trying to put on a new diaper. This morning she wanted to put on her socks and shoes all by herself and surprisingly she was able to get her socks on. I guess I can call her Miss Independent.

On a side note: I did so well on my exercise regimen from November to January then I really slacked off in February. Mike and I are still registered to run the half marathon in April so I need to get my but into gear. I was so happy that I lost weight and maintained it pretty well but for the last month or so I have had utter disregard to what I have been eating and how much which brings me back to trying to lose those few extra pounds. Just five but those five is like climbing Mt. Everest at this point. That is my boo hoo moment for today.

Pizza Dough

2 TBSP yeast
4 TBSP sugar
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups of flour

Mix yeast and sugar and let it sit until it gets frothy. Add flour and start mixing. Add salt after a few minutes. I knead the dough between 10-15 minutes because I am using whole wheat flour but if you are using white I think 7-8 minutes is plenty. I let it raise for 50 minutes and punch it down and roll it out.

This makes enough dough for 2 large pizzas. I make one and freeze the other after it raises the first time.

Pizza Sauce Recipe

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 Tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

Mix sauce and paste until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. I like to simmer mine for a few minutes.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling. Wow I never that I would be contemplating this topic. But now that I have a baby and have done some research maybe it isn't crazy at all. I am doing my research now so I can be prepared when Olivia is preschool age plus we could be moving somewhere where home school is not just an option but a must.

I would love to get some recommendations on good curriculums or maybe you know someone that would be willing to share their experience with me.

Clothes. What a hassle!

Blah! I have had a not so good week in terms of feeling good about my weight. I didn't go to the gym or run for over a week which is disappointing considering I should be getting ready to start a training schedule for my race.

Today I tried on this and that and nothing seem to fit right. The conclusion I came to is I have to wear clothes that are fitted to the current size I am. I have a bunch of work clothes that are so cute but I bought them when I was heavier and when I put them on now my chest looks deflated and there is too much excess material. Granted my boobs are much smaller than they use to be and a padded bra can only do so much.

Stretch jeans. Who doesn't love them. I can buy a pair and squeeze in when I am 150 and feel great but I can still wear the same pair when I am 130 and feel maybe not so great. Because I am thinking in the back of my mind "Shouldn't these be baggy?" I guess not.

And most of the work clothes I own need to be ironed. I hate ironing. I probably only hate ironing because I procrastinate and don't do it ahead of time.

Homemade Pizza

A couple of years ago we had a pizza party at work and I thought the dough was amazing so I asked my coworker for her recipe. It was white flour but I love to convert recipes for whole wheat. I finally tried the recipe and made the dough 2 weeks ago and froze it just to see how it would handle and it turned out fantastic. Saturday morning I thawed the bread and Mike rolled it out that afternoon and we made some awesome homemade pizza. I even made homemade pizza sauce and put cornmeal on the bottom of the pizza. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture but maybe next time since I have half of the dough in the freezer.

I tried my wheat bread recipe again and it turned out so much better. I had to use warmer water and after kneading the dough I shaped it and let it raise in the pan for 50 minutes then baked. After doing more research and tips I think I finally have a great bread recipe.

Great Deal on Diapers!

Check out this post if you want to save some money on diapers. It takes a little work but it is well worth the money.

http://lifeasmom.com/2010/02/a-great-diaper-deal-you-dont-want-to-miss.html

I am thankful for visiting teaching

So I haven't been the greatest visiting teacher. I converted to the LDS church 5 years ago so the visiting teaching thing was new to me and for someone that is shy it can be so overwhelming. I have been partnered with a very assertive and knowledgeable sister and she did most of the talking and scheduling. I have been partnered with a sister that I didn't know and a sister that I was slightly acquainted with.

Recently I was partnered with Amanda who was Olivia's babysitter for the past year and that was a huge relief because I didn't have the stranger anxiety with my partner. But sharing a message was something I have never done before but I tackled that in December and it wasn't so bad. We even went in January and Amanda has made appointments for us to go in February. Wow 3 months in a row. That is a record for me.

Last month Amanda shared the message and I thought she did a fantastic job. It was really touching and thoughtful and I am thankful that I was able to hear her message. It is nice because Amanda and I have a lot of similarities like we have been married for a few years and have a baby and our husbands are in school. It is nice having someone to relate too.

You can find the Ensign online here: http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pdfmagazine/0,7779,592-6-1,00.html#

The visiting teaching message was on being self-reliant but the article that Amanda also shared was Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord's way. The part that really hit home was "We live in a day when the adversary stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions ot our problems... It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal."