Edward's Family Photo

My Aunt Melodie was in town last week. We had so much fun while she was here. We(I mean Gaye and Steph with a little help from me) threw her youngest daughter, Ali, a baby shower where in her sister Kara surprised her with an unexpected visit. So fun to see sisters re-united!! We also had a great time quilting, crafting, learning about nutrition, and just plain hanging out.

While she was here we let everyone know and had a family get together at my Mom's. There was a great turn out and I loved seeing all my Averett cousins. We took the opportunity to take one big family photo. I'm so glad we did, it turned out stinking awesome! Of course there were a few people missing, but that happens. Thanks to my Dad's shenanigans behind the camera, he got everyone to smile.  He's known for saying naughty words.  And apparently, it works every time.

I love big families.  I love being apart of a family that has tons and tons of cousins.  I hope my kids love being apart of a big family too.  They don't have near the amount of cousins that I had growing up.  As hard as it is to find balance in a big family, one day they will figure out how much fun it is.  At least, that's my prayer almost every day.  I just want my kids to be friends with each other and learn to support and rely on one another.  

Say Hello To Gandolf

Thursday was warm and pleasant. It was a toasty 44 degrees outside. That was the warm before the storm. We had a winter storm warning in effect for that evening. I wasn't even sure it was going to happen. I heard on the radio that meteorologist were so excited about this storm that they named it Gandolf. Awesome.

That night I had to take Jaren to the Jr. High for a Shakespearean performance. Let's just say getting to and from the school was pretty sketchy. I'm pretty sure Hannah was pooping her pants sitting in the back seat. We made it home without incident. When we pulled up to the house Brent was already shoveling the driveway. We probably shoveled 6 inches away.

We woke up to a total of 18 inches of snow. Brent went out to the deck and measured the snow that had fallen on the table. We opened the back door to let the dog out, he saw the snow and turned right back around into the house. It was a "had to be there" moment, cuz we laughed at him pretty hard, it was so funny.

I helped Brent shovel the driveway that morning. Lucky for us it was all powder, super light and easy to remove. Good thing too,  since we haven't invested in a snow blower yet.  I was quickly reminded of the snow storms I experienced as a child growing up here. I love snow storms. I don't like driving in them. But the quiet blanket that covers my world is magical. And then the snow plows come and the reality of life sets in and you realize what an inconvenience it all is. We watched a neighbor get stuck on the road in her tiny honda accord. Luckily Brent has a monster of a truck with 4 wheel drive and had no problem getting out of the neighborhood.

Later on the kids got all dressed up and romped around in it.  I also remember at one time in my life playing in the snow, and having a ball.  I even thought about how fun it might be to play in it.  But then my adult common sense kicked in and left the idea warm in my head.  

I made Grace get dressed up so I could photo her in the deep snow.

The table on our deck,

Proof of the 18 inches of fresh powder.

Too bad I'm not into skiing or snowboarding.

Good Health = Deliverance + Safety and a recipe using Popped Amaranth

Yesterday I had an amazing experience while reading my scriptures. I was going to keep it to myself but decided that I needed to share it.

While studying I was impressed to look up the word Health in the Bible Dictionary.  I was astonished at what I read. It read: In Old English this word denoted healing power, deliverance, salvation.   Just the other night I mentioned to a good friend, Rachel, how amazing it would be if I could heal myself with nutrition.  Is it possible for good health to deliver us from danger?  Danger of addictions, toxins, depression, or even hormonal imbalances?    Can good health deliver us from physical ailments as well?  And can good health give us added strength to do more physically demanding responsibilities?  And if that is possible, what does that kind of nutrition look like?  Nutrution that has healing power?

I made myself a list:
No refined sugars
Whole grains
Vegetables
Salads, dark leafy greens
Fresh fruits
What about protein?

I have a new goal for this year.  To discover what nutrition has healing powers.  I'm pretty sure my list above is pretty spot on.  Now my other goal is to start eating that way.


Not only does good health deliver us from danger, but it keeps us safe.  I understand that exercise is important to good health as well.  But the impression that I keep getting is that nutrition is far more superior in helping us gain optimum health.

So what is keeping me from doing this?  Nothing really except a tiny word, FEAR.  Fear of leaving my comfort zone and doing things that I am not familiar with.  But that comfort zone has gotten me no where.  It's just kept me fat and sassy, and yes sick.  So what am I really afraid of?  Not being sick?  Good health?  What is scary about that?  Oh ya right, the process of getting there.  This is where I need to replace my fear with faith.  Faith in knowing that the impressions I received yesterday were from a loving Heavenly Father who answered a prayer. 

So today I jumped right in.  Last year I discoverd a tiny little seed called Amaranth.  For it to be consumed it has to be popped.  You'll need a tall pot.  I still get popped amaranth everywhere even with mine, but that's what makes it so fun!  Place the the pot on the stove on medium high heat, but not super hot cuz you'll end up scortching the seeds.  I add just a tablespoon at a time.  You don't add anything to the pot except the seeds themselves.  In a few seconds the seeds start to pop.  You want to constantly be moving the pot around to ensure optimum popping.  The seeds pop just like popcorn.  In fact my kids just eat the seeds like popcorn.

I've added popped amaranth to muffins, breads, even rice crispy treats. 

This is the size of pot I used.

Amaranth

This is what Amaranth looks like unpopped.

Popped Amaranth

This is what it looks like Popped.

With my popped amaranth I made a quick bread.  Zucchini, Carrot and Amaranth, I'll call it. 

 preheat oven to 300.  And yes, this recipe is my own, I just pulled it out of my cooking sorceress head this morning.

Cream together

1/4 cup butter, it needs to be at room temperature

1/4  cup coconut oil

1/2 cup apple butter, again at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

 Then add

2eggs

1 zuchinni grated

1 yellow squash grated

1 carrot grated

1/3 cup ground flax seed

1 cup popped amaranth

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup butterscotch chips 

Grease and flour 2 bread pans and divide the dough evening between the two.    Just for fun, and added crunch, I sprinkled Kashi Go-lean Crunch on top.  I baked both loaves for about 45 minutes.    I would let the loaves of bread cool completely.  I tried cutting into as it came out of the oven and it was so moist it just fell apart.  So be patient, and wait till it cools.  

DUMPLINGS!!

Last year our neighbor, who is asian, brought us dumplings.  I remembered seeing her recipe in the Ward Cook Book.  I made them for the first time last year on my birthday.  Happy Birthday to me! They were bit of a disaster, but still tasted good.  I've tweaked the recipe and there are never any of these left over.  This is one meal that I can honestly say that everyone loves.  We really fight for the last ones on the plate.  Here's the recipe.

1 package of round wonton wrappers.  (they have to be the round ones)

Filling  

2 garlic cloves

1 bunch of green onions, rinsed, trimed and cut into large pieces. 

1/2 bunch of cilantro

A peice of fresh ginger about the size of your thumb, peeled and cut into smaller pieces. 

1/2 head of cabbage, cleaned, and cut into smaller pieces. 

Putting the garlic, ginger and cilantro first into a food process, then the green onions and cabbage, pulse until it's all mixed and finely chopped.  Dump into a large bowl.
 

Next

Take 2 chicken breast that are still slightly frozen, cut them into large pieces.  Putting one chicken breast at a  time, place in a food processor with 1 tsp salt and pulse until it looks like hamburger.  Gross, I know, but you will love the result.  And so much better for you, calorie wise.

Next

In a large bowl combine the chicken and cabbage mixtures.  

Taking the wonton wrappers, with your fingers dip them into water and go around the outer edges of the wrapper.  Put about a tablespoon of filling in the center and seal the edges.  Crimp to make pretty.  It tells you how to on the package.  It does take some practice.   

Next

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat.  On my burner I place it between 6and7.  You want it hot, but not too hot.  Then add 2 tablespoons of either canola oil or I used coconut oil.  Let that heat up and then add as many dumplings as you can to the pan without crowding.  None of them should be touching.  Cook in the oil unil the bottoms are golden brown. Then, with a lid that firmly fits on your pan ready, pour 1/2 cup of water into the pan and place the lid quickly on top.  Let steam for about 3 minutes.  Remove cooked dumplings from pan.  Try not to eat these while repeating this process until the dumplings are cooked.  Serve right away.  

I entered all these ingredients onto myfitnesspal, and four of these are only 164 calories.  Ya, I could eat about 20. 

    

Our Christmas 2012

Several years ago I changed up how we do Christmas. I did this out of necessity(read finances). Just like the Savior only received 3 gifts, my children only get 3 gifts as well.  Our Christmas was pretty meager this year.  But something amazing happened, all of my children were happy.  Each of them received something they had desired.  I had a friend ask me what Santa brought me.  I told him nothing.  He looked at me with shock and asked again, no really what did Brent get you.  I told him nothing.  Some day we will be in a position where we can once again purchase things for each other.  I am grateful that we were able to provide our children with what we could.  We didn't go over board, we stayed within budget and within our means.  Even though they didn't get super expensive items, they got what they wanted.  I told my friend that my Christmas gift this year was happy kids.  Isn't that all a parent wants anyway?  When I told Brent about my exchange he quickly said, "Did you tell him we're going to Disneyland?"  I said No.

Our Tree Christmas Morning. 

Brent insisted on shoving all the presents "under" the tree.  

I would have done it differently.  But what ev.

  

Our Annual Photo on the Stairs.

Man, my crowd is getting big!

 

Look at the sheer joy on his face!

I'm reminded of that shoe commercial, the one where the kids are explaining about how the parents don't get them and then they open the box up and the kids exclaim they are just what I wanted, and then streamers start shooting everywhere and the choir sings.  Yay, that's how this moment was. 

 

Isabel and her blessed MP3 player.

She could not stop talking about wanting an MP3 player.  It got so bad I had to ban her from even mentioning the word in my presence.  We found some we could afford and again, another moment that brought much joy to Isabel.

 

Beckham and more legos.

He disappeared for a few hours and all of his legos were put together. 

 

Grace modeling the headband Hannah made for her.

Hannah wanted to make each of her siblings a gift.  It didn't cost us anything since she found things around the house to make.  I was proud of her.  It really is so much better to give then to receive.  

 

Roman with his toy Grace INSISTED I get for him.

Grace and I were at a grocery store and she spotted these doggy toys.  She really, really, wanted to get one for the dog.  I figured, what the heck it's only a buck, why not.  When we got home Grace wanted to wrap it and a few other items.  It was fun to watch the excitement in her eyes as she wrapped them up.  I didn't help her one bit.  This demonstrates a change in my parenting.  When my older kids were younger I never would have let them wrap gifts on their own.  I would have had to have a hand it in.  To some degree I guess I'm a perfectionist, but not really.  In some way I regret not letting my kids do more things on their own when they were younger.  Kids aren't born with a manual and you just do the best you can with the knowledge you have at that time.  Right now I have an increase in knowledge about the capabilities of a 4 year old.  That, and it's okay if it doesn't look just so.  The fun she had doing it is what really mattered.

Later on Brent mentioned to me that I really must love the dog or else I wouldn't have bought the toy.  I said, "NO.  I don't love the dog.  I love our daughter." 

 

A new tradition: Gag Gifts

This year at Thanksgiving with the Wood's someone suggested that we do gag gifts.  This is something that Brent and his entire extended family would do when he was growing up in Rio Del.  Everyone would draw names and make something hand made for that person.  But you wouldn't know who made it, you'd have to guess.

The running joke about the gag gifts was "you make it out of card board and fill it with candy."  We would all start laughing, I know, it's one of those, "you had to be there moments".

My kids were full of all sorts of questions.  We had no idea what this tradition looked like, or it all goes down.  All but one of our gag gifts that came form our family was literally made from card board and filled with candy. 

I have to admit, when we brought our gifts in it was a huge surprise to see what everyone else had made and done for each other. 

All the GAG gifts.

Beckham made Brook her own Ipad out of cardboard.

And filled it with candy.

 

Alleah(with the help of Kelli) made Isabel something 

to hand her hair clips on.

There is a back story to this that I need to document.  Isabel was sitting at the table sulking away.  She is pro at the sulking.  I pulled her into the bathroom and asked her what was wrong.  She was upset that everyone else was getting gag gifts that had lots of candy on it.  I just happen to have a talk by Elder Uchtdorf titled the Gracious Receiver. I read to her about the girl her made her crotchety old Aunt a handmade bracelet which she so rudely dropped back into her hand without even acknowledging the little girls efforts.  I explained to Isabel that when Kelli asked Alleah what she thought of when she thinks of Isabel she said her long hair and how she likes to do it.  Alleah was spot on.  So they came up with this Rapunzel looking hair to hang and hold hair clips.  I tried to explain to Isabel that it's not about the candy, but the thought that is put into the gifts.  I left Isabel alone in the bathroom to think things over.  Isabel turned out to be a gracious receiver.  

 

Annika made Kelli a plate separater,

Made out of cardboard and filled with Candy.

Everyone in our family knows that Kelli doesn't like her food to touch on her plate.

 

 

I crafted a Tar-Hell for Cory,

made out of card board filled with candy.

Cory is a die-hard North Carolina fan.

Sean made me a garden,

Complete with Roman tirds

It was not made out of cardboard, but it was adorned with Candy.

 

Grandma Donna made Grace these Ginormous Glasses

Grandpa Woody made Hannah a house,

made out of cardboard and adorned with Candy

Hannah made Sean his very own pair of Skinny Jeans,

crafted out of card board and filled with Candy.

Cory made Annika a Soccer field.

It was her and Isabel against the rest of us. I'm pretty sure they won.

 

Beckham received lego Candy from Elsie.

This one made me laugh the hardest

Kelli made Jaren a Bieber Mirror.

Jaren is proud of his Bieber hair and even gives himself whip lash as he whips his head from side to side to get that perfect wave you see.

The mirror was made out of cardboard and filled with... a deck of cards.

Grace made a T.V. for Grandma Donna.

She was ecstatic to give it to her. 

It was made out of cardboard, and filled with cuties(Grandma can't eat candy).

This was probably the most creative gift of the entire night.

Brooke made a football statium for Brent. 

It really was amazing, good job Brooke.

 

We all thought the gag gift idea was a blast.  I think we will do it again next year. 

Christmas Quilt, Ornaments, Paleontology, and Progressive Dinner

First I thought I'd show you the photos of this year's quilt. Probably my least favorite of them all. I wasn't even going to do a quilt and then thought twice about it.  Although the tradition was very difficult to do this year, the kids still loved having it rotate from bed to bed.  I feel as though this tradition is going to have to morph into something different.

Alleah's Birthday Party:
Another tradition we have each year is to celebrate Alleah's birthday.  Her birthday falls on the First day of Christmas.  Unfortunately schedules as they were this year, the party was delayed.   We still have a good time gathering, talking and preparing for our annual Progressive Dinner.

I couldn't resist this cute face squished by 

ridiculously large headphones.

It's Tradition:

All the cousins hold up Alleah. 

Making and Delivering Ornaments:

Another one of our fun 12 Days of Christmas traditions is to make home made ornaments.  We started out just making them for Grandma Donna, since she makes so many for us we thought we'd return the favor and help decorate her tree. This year her tree was extra bare since Aunt Brooke decided to take her ornaments with her this year.  The ornaments we made this year were ribbon candy.  Special thanks goes out to Snefalie.  She called the day I was to do this craft, and I needed her help.  Even when the kids get older, it's hard to be a helper to 6.  Thanks Snefalie for making this craft a success.

Photo with Grandma Penny

I neglected to get a photo with Grandma Donna.  I was a hot mess emotionally and was trying to keep everything inside.  The result was a Mother whose anxiety was shooting through the roof and worried about the kids touching both Grandma's work desks, and things, and asking question after question.  When we got to Grandma Donna's work, the recreceptionist told her that a small crowd was there to see her.  In my worrying about the kids I completely forgot to get a photo.  My apologies to Grandma Donna.  

View from my Mom's office.  

BREATHTAKING!!

Meseum of Paleontology :

After we were done making our special deliveries, Grace requested to go to the Dinosaur Museum.  My heart went out to her.  When my older kids were younger we were frequent patrons of the Museums on BYU Campus.  To protests from the other kids, I battled my inner hot mess and drove to honor Grace's request.  Once inside the other kids remembered how much they love this Museum.  In fact they didn't want to leave when I said it was finally time to go.  

  

Wood Family Progressive Dinner:
We started this tradition before I had Grace and Kelli had Alleah.  In fact I think we had our first or second dinner just days before Kelli had Alleah.  This year we started at Kelli's.  She made(Cory) made salsa and bean dip with chips as an appetizer.  Next stop was our house.  I made a soup that everyone could enjoy, even Grandma Donna being allergic to wheat.  I came up with a recipe that morning and it was a big hit.  I made a sausage, potato and leek soup.  It really was good.  I almade home made french bread.  I found the recipe for it here on Pinterest.  It's never failed me.  People, I'm not a baker.  So for me to be success with this recipe 3 out of 3 times, is saying something.  For my family here is the recipe for the fabulous soup I made:

 Sausage, Potato and Leek Soup
1 package jimmy dean mild italian sausage
1  package jimmy dean lite sausage
1 onion finely diced
1 cup chopped carrots
3 leeks, rinsed, halved and thinly sliced
4 potatos cleaned and diced
12 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoon butter
1 small container of heavy whipping cream  
salt and pepper to taste
1. Over medium heat place a large dutch oven.  Cook sausage until fully cooked.  Remove from the pan.
2. Melt butter in same pan, add carrots, onion and leeks.  Cook until just softened.  
3. Over with 12 cups of chicken broth(I just used better then boullion and water)
4. Add Sausage and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are tender.
5. Add cream. Serve when ready.  

The last stop was at Mike and Donna's for dessert.  Hannah mentioned that Grandma was going to have hot chocolate and maybe one other item.  I told her, knowing Grandma Donna it's not just going to be one other item.  Let's see?  She and Brooke made a chocolate bundt cake, tapioca pudding, chocolate chip cookies, I know I'm forgetting something(or maybe two).  It was a sugary feast.
   

I love watching Brent with Babies.

Cory, Alleah, Kelli and Elsie
I think Cory hates taking pictures even more then his brothers.

My Small Crowd.

Notice all the teeth showing!! 

Sean, Brook , Mike and Donna

Our Babies:

5 years ago Kelli and I were preggers at the same time in December.  We got photos of us and our big bulbous bellies.  I thought it would be fun to continue to see how our babies grow each year.  It' been fun to see how much they've changed from year to year.