Cooking Beans the easy way

As per Amy's request, here's the recipe for cooking beans in the crock pot. So easy!

1 (16-oz.) package of dried beans, rinsed and picked over
5 cups very hot tap water

1. In a 3-1/2 quart crock pot, combine the beans and hot water.
2. Cover and cook on the high heat setting 3 to 4 hours (or on low heat for 5 to 7 hours), until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
3. Drain the beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well before using.

The cooking time can vary depending on the size and age of the beans.

If you don't want to use the cooked beans all at once, you can put them in ziploc bags and store them in the freezer. Then just pull them out and toss them in your soups, salads, whatever!

There you have it! I'll post a regular update soon, but until then you can read my dh's blog and find out about our CRAZY weekend!

Musically,
Alberta

Deaf Video

This youtube video is awesome! I think even people who don't know ASL would appreciate it.
Let me know.
Alberta

Humor Break

I laugh hysterically every time I watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP7tgFBYoMg

Or read these:
http://www.engrish.com/

Especially late at night.

Enjoy!
Alberta

Life in SoCal

It's the season of vacationers! My dh's sister and her family visited us last week and some of my family are visiting us this week. Whew! And I'm sure our primary will have many visitors on Sunday, though not as many as if we were still at the 11am block. And, of course, our dizzyland passes are blacked out for the next two weeks because of vacationers. So it seems that everyone is on vacation except us! Actually, I don't want a vacation so much as I want to MOVE..... but that's a post for another day.

We actually took our vacation a month ago to Utah, and while we were there my bil asked about my favorite bread recipes. I thought I'd post my favorite here. It's for my bread maker and he doesn't use one so I'll just post the ingredients without instructions.

"Bran Bread"
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter
3 3/4 flour (divided however. I like 2 cups whole wheat, 1 3/4 cup white or white whole wheat)
1 1/4 cups bran flakes cereal (Kashi "Good Friends" or AllBran "Buds" have the most fiber)
2 Tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast OR 2 tsp. bread machine yeast
I also like to add a 1/4 cup or so of flax seed meal for flavor and texture.

For more great bread recipes visit breadworld.com and join the "Bread Brigade"! Once a month they'll send you an email with four recipes to try, one for each week.

Resolution Update:

1. Keep up with my exercise routine
I did okay. I missed several days due to visitors, but that's pretty typical of my routine. ;)

2. Eat more legumes.
Great! I added beans to all the soups and they were very good. The best was the green garbanzos in the broccoli cheese soup. They thickened the soup nicely and added a vibrant green color. I am right now cooking some garbanzos in the slow cooker to freeze and add to soups later. Next I want to find this book so I can hide beans in my meals and the kids will actually eat them.

3. Write in my journal once a week.
Very bad! I missed three weeks in a row! But I did write yesterday, so this month is starting off right.

4. Write in my blog once a month.
Perfect! I even had an extra post last month.

5. De-clutter one room a month.
Last month's room was easy. I cleaned and organized the cupboards under the sinks and even found some stuff to get rid of. I've started Freecycling it too. For April I'll be organizing the porch. Yikes! It's a mess out there. But it's a good time since I've been thinking about using my grow light to start some seeds and it's sitting out there. There are also two of my younger ds' old bikes out there that need to be freecycled. Unless any of you want them!

As far as "The Compact" is concerned; I still haven't completed our official exception list but we have done very well at not buying "stuff", even things that could be considered exceptions. It has not been easy, but it's easier then I thought it would be. And actually liberating! But then I don't like shopping in the first place. I may actually buy some stuff this week. The boys are growing out of their Sunday clothes and I figure sales will be good for Easter. (Kids clothes are on the exception list, within reason of course.)

And finally whale watching pics! They are still sitting on my camera! Sorry! Maybe I'll do a mid-month post....

It's all good,
Alberta

It's official!

My older ds has learned to ride his bike! A few days ago, we removed his training wheels and his pedals so he could learn to balance without the added difficulty of pedaling. Yesterday he told us that he had learned to balance and that he wanted his pedals back on. I though no way did he learn to balance so quickly, but we put the pedals back on for him anyway. Well, he just took off! Today he's riding like a pro! I think my greatest joy as a parent comes as I watch my children learn new things.

I just had to share!
Alberta

Here there be whales!

Hello March! So far it's come in like a Lamb. Does that mean it will leave like a lion? I actually hope so; we could use some extra rain.

Resolutions Update: (really, this is mostly for me so if you find it boring, feel free to skip it!)

1. Keep up with my exercise routine
We actually went walking in the rain one day. Now that's dedication! (In SoCal anyway, in UT it would have to be snow.)

2. No buying sugary snacks.
Okay, story time. I decided that this resolution was setting up a bad relationship with food for me. Have you ever tried to NOT think of something? Try it. It's like when someone says "Don't look!" what's the first thing you do? Look, of course! So I found with the no buying sugary snacks resolution, I spent more time thinking about snacks so I actually ate more. Therefore, I'm scrapping this one. However, I will replace it with another. I seem to respond better to positive goals, so this one will be changed to "Eat more legumes." Right now we have two dishes with beans in our menu rotation, hearty vegetarian chili and minestrone soup. So to begin with, I will add beans to two more dishes, making one dish a week that includes legumes. I could easily add beans to the chicken and salsa soup and I could use pureed green garbanzos to thicken the broccoli cheese soup. For ease in starting off, everything will be from cans (except the lentils and the frozen green garbanzos) but once the menu is established, I'll start cooking dry beans in the crock pot and freezing them for later use. So there it is. I'm actually pretty excited about this change!

3. Write in my journal once a week.
This month was great! I wrote every week on Sunday. The difficulty will come next week when I'm in Utah. I think maybe I'll give myself a vacation.

4. Write in my blog once a month.
Not as good as last month, but still within the first week!

5. De-clutter one room a month.
I did awesome with this one! I'm so happy with how the boys room is organized now, and it stays much cleaner. I should post a picture! I moved all my stuff to the less accessible side of the closet and put the boys craft shelf inside the closet. Then I added another small bookcase for all their games and I got more plastic storage for some of their new Christmas stuff. The only things left to do are to get rid of the pink plastic Ikea chairs and the gigantic bookcase that is sitting in our room (sighhhh). This month I'll organize the bathroom. That will mostly involve clearing out the cabinets under the sinks and throwing all the old stuff away. Hopefully not too difficult.

Whew! Not bad. Of course if we end up moving, it's all off!

I've decided it would be better to have a specific list of exceptions for the compact rather than a few all purpose, free for all exceptions. I don't have a good list made up yet, so I'll have to post it later, but it will definitely include HP7!

Tomorrow we are all going on a two hour whale watching excursion on a tall ship! I'm so excited!! I'll post pics next month.

Hope no one falls overboard...
Alberta

Resolutions Revisited

Yay! I'm actually keeping my blogging resolution! Here's an update on my 2007 resolutions so far:

1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
No sweat. But that's only because it's too cold! (haha) This is my easiest resolution ever! Though I could probably stand to add another 1/2 mile or so to my walk.

2. No buying sugary snacks.
Not as good. I messed up in the first week by buying doughnuts because I forgot! But since then I've been really good. Of course I allow myself the exception of ice cream as long as I eat it at the store. I just can't give up my Stricklands! (I don't get it that often, especially in the winter.)

3. Write in my journal once a week.
I started out alright, but then I started forgetting. Last week I forgot to write on Sunday, but remembered on Monday. So far this week I haven't written, but I hope to remedy that tonight! You'd think this wouldn't be so hard! Trouble is I try to do all my Primary stuff on Sunday so I have the rest of the week for my kids, and it overruns journal writing time. Plus I can never seem to get it all done on Sunday so it spills into the week anyway. Sighhhhh. I think once I get used to the journal writing schedule, it will be easier to remember.

4. Write on my blog once a month.
100%! Wahooo! On the first day even!

5. Declutter one room a month.
I made a really good effort on this one, but I think I choose a bad room to start with. My room is the repository for everything that doesn't have a place, so no matter how hard I try it never seems to 'declutter'. Oh well, I'll get another chance later this year! On to the boys room! I think this one will be easier because everything HAS to have a place or it won't get put away. Since Christmas, there are some new toys and things without places so it has been very hard for them to keep it clean. But I have a plan that I hope will help! Hmmm, I'd better write it down someplace...

There it is! Not too bad, if I say so myself.

In other news, Harry Potter 7 has a release date! Finally! I'm severely tempted to preorder it from Amazon. We'll see what my dh says.

I almost forgot! February marks the beginning of a year long consumer "fast" for us. I got the idea from a group called "The Compact". Basically you refrain from buying anything new for a whole year. Of course there are exceptions, like food and shampoo. To get items you need you borrow, barter, or buy used. (You can read the details here.) We probably won't be as strict as the original folks (they probably didn't have kids!) but we're going to make our best attempt! Today is our 'kick-off' day. I'll let you know next month how it's going!

Here's hoping nothing big breaks this year!
Alberta