Tuesdays Tip - No waste Tomatoes

 

Just a quick note to say hi! and send a tip your way. We recently had to go out of town and I had way too much produce on hand. I gave most of it to my son, but I knew they couldn't use up 2 tubs of tomatoes so I tossed one tub in the freezer. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not one to let things go to waste. 

Last night we had halibut and shrimp tacos. I took the tomatoes out of the freezer and heated them up in a hot frying pan, no liquid. I sprinkled on some Old Bay seasoning, chili powder and cumin powder. When the tomatoes started to pop I let them simmer to reduce the liquid and then threw some already cooked and peeled shrimp as well as some leftover halibut into the pan. When it was all heated through we used it for taco filling that was so delicious. No fat, low calories, and no waste.....or is that waist? ;-)

Confucious say......

...people who own dogs should have tall fences..... Okay maybe he didn't but he would have if he lived in our neighborhood.
What is it about an early misty morning that is so refreshing?! I'm out plodding along on my morning jog, listening to Car Talk on my headphones. Hey, you can learn a lot from those two! Did you know that if your accelerator gets stuck you can do several things to prevent an accident, such as shift to neutral, turn the car off BUT LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, and hit the brakes. See, you learned something this morning. So here I am enjoying the drizzle on my face, the cool air and the quiet when it's shattered by a momma Labrador who charges me. She has been an annoyance in the past, and I really should be on the city about this one as they know she's a problem, but now that she has had puppies she has become very aggressive! I had happened to pick up a pipe from a neighbors trailor sitting out in the front as I knew the dog might be out and believe it or not there are no good throwing rocks along that stretch of road.
So I'm yelling at her to go home, and the owner, who I couldn't see as it's still semi dark yells at me, "Throw a rock at her!" What?!!!!! He's too chicken to come out where I can see him, but later on he passes me in his Union Pacific truck. So I'm thinking, okay, he probably put her back as I truck along down the road, and I reverse my circle to go back by. Well I get past their doublewide, and just as I'm ready to drop the pipe back in my friends trailor here comes the dog up behind me. I wheel around as she almost gets to me, and I see the UP truck is back at the doublewide with the lights on. The dog backed off as I turned around, but now I'm mad. The guy has the nerve to pass me again! So here's the deal, I called the police department and left a message. They will hear from me again, the city will as well as the dog catcher, until this nuisance is taken care of. I'm not really talking about the dog either. I wonder what the number to Union Pacific is....
Here's the deal. The first reaction to this sort of situation is to shoot the dog. Really, the owners should be strung up. Dogs are dogs and do what they do, where as humans know better.
Yeah, I will be creating a different running route as I don't need this. I really enjoy getting out in the morning as it's so lovely out. I have heard recently that wasp spray is a good deterrent so I'm off to the store!

Perfection?

The other day my husband had some dental work done. The comments from the dentist included what a big tongue hubby has and what a small mouth. Translation, what a pain to try and reach that back molar to prep for a crown....lol.
It's funny how we are all so different. I wonder if Adam and Eve had problems like we do today, or is it just that with the mixing of this family with that family, the physical traits get all muddled and we come out not quite how we would if we were Adam and Eve's children. My little sister had teeth so big they had to remove her canines in order for her front teeth to fit. She had a tiny mouth. My teeth aren't so big, but my mouth isn't as small either. Mom had a similar problem, but not like Elain. Funny thing is, Elain's dad had a small mouth and small teeth. I had very shapely curves at one time. Hey, I'm almost 54, I can be a bit fluffier than I was, I earned it! My sisters were both built like Foghorn Leghorn as Elain's friends dubbed her.
So Kent and I were talking about all this the next morning after his crown prep appointment. One of his favorite things is to say, "when we get to Heaven and they have the Q & A session I have a list".... the avocado pit is one. He says he will be looking for the spare parts department to call in the perfected body clause.....

From Cowboy Poetry to Rosa Parks

This weekend a childhood friend of mine will be showing her wares at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. I was telling my husband that I would love to go. He asked why so I told him it sounds intriguing in a romantic old west sort of way. He says, "Will they have trains?" Which I can't answer because we've never done a thorough exploration of Elko.
So he says to me, "You know the trains are what determined whether you were a pioneer or not." I didn't know or remember this but President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Bill back in 1862. It appears that you weren't considered a pioneer if you took the train to get out west. As a descendant of Utah pioneers and a history major as well as former teacher of history I will give him that one.
Kent had been back to Washington DC last week where he got to go on tours and see some things such as the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. From our talk on railroads we went to Lincoln and then Dr. King, where we got on the topic of peaceful versus passive aggressive protests. I think that what Dr. King promoted was peaceful protests as opposed to the passive aggressive type which stop folks from getting to a certain place, or stops a business or clinic from doing what it does. Yes, it's a fine line, but he didn't promote anger, he tried to show the importance black people have in our society. He tried to equal the playing field so to speak for everyone.
And you can't talk about Dr. King without mentioning Rosa Parks and her bravery.

It's nice being married to a historian and all round smart fella! We have the most interesting conversations sometimes that lead from one trail to another.
I still want to go to Elko and see the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, so I can find my friend and her booth as well as checking out the food, art, and shows. If you are in Elko this weekend, look for the Calamity booth. Teri has some very fun and unique vintage cowgirl style jewelry and home decor. She weaves gorgeous saddle cinchas as well for all you horse owners out there.

The Games We Play..... the life of a grandma

Today I've been cursed by a wizard, saved by super heroes, found treasure with pirates, took a ride on a motorboat and played "ring around the roses" with a queen. I've worn a sweater with touches of blended fruit and mashed peas, cleaned several sets of hands, and wiped a few fannies over and over again. I've been hit, hugged, slobbered on, and kissed. An adventurous life for sure, and I'm grateful for every moment I have that I can spend with my grandson and the babies I tend.

Elephants in the Oatmeal.....

Dreams often feel so real and yet they can be total nonsense. We often dream of things that scare us or bother us, mixed with things we see on TV or on the internet. Maybe it's something we read, or heard about from someone else that conjured up images in our minds that return in the night. I wonder if snoring has an effect on what you dream or are the dreams caused by the snoring? As in the Christmas Carol as Scrooge is talking to the ghost of Christmas past he says, "You could be a bit of undigested roast beef, or mustard."
Last night and early this morning the windows rattled from the sound of my dear hubby's snoring as he dreamed of elephants in Utah. He lost his elephant and was out to find it, but ran into his wife (not me) who had been in a car accident and let the guy go even though it was his fault. Hubby says he reamed this woman out unlike anything he would do to me. Snoring, fajitas, or what?
So I tortured my hubby this morning was oatmeal and steel cut oats made with a smidge of peach preserves and a handful of walnuts. Topped with about a teaspoon of maple syrup and then low fat milk, it was actually quite good. Part of the heart healthy diet we are trying maintain for my husbands health. I thanked him for not being a brat about the oatmeal as it's not his favorite, and his comment was, "Thanks, my heart feels better already" ....lol. I'm glad he can find the humor in this, but then I get a call a moment ago where he tells me he will be stopping for a burger on his way home from meetings in town and I say no! He asks about a fish sandwich and of course I have to nix that, to which he says, "I will work it out". He was in a good humor, but I wonder how long that will last as I keep having to say no. He's trying though. We had chicken fajitas last night and he agreed to corn tortillas warmed up over a burner as opposed to flour tortillas. Tonight we will be having leftover Fajita stuff. I wonder if he will be dreaming of elephants in the oatmeal....

Let Virtue Garnish Your Thoughts

Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 - "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God".
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and doing good to all men: indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. Articles of Faith 1:13
In a talk given by Bishop H. David Burton last October he pointed out that the spelling in English of many individual virtues concludes with the letters ity: integrity, humility, charity, spirituality, accountability, civility, fidelity and the list goes on. The suffix ity means quality, state or degree of being. He talks about the decline in society today as we push aside these virtues. He quotes President James E. Faust who suggested that integrity is the mother of all other virtues. President Faust also suggested that "integrity is the light that shines from a disciplined conscience." From both of these good men, the thought is that as we promote the "ity" virtues within our homes, families, communities and institutions will be improved and strengthened, and faith and integrity will bless individual lives. In closing Bishop Burton states, " I testify and declare that our Heavenly Father expects His children (you and me) to exercise integrity, civility, fidelity, charity, generosity, morality, and all the "ity" virtues. May we have the humility to take the opportunity to act upon our responsibility to demonstrate our ability to do so, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I hope this touches your heart as it did mine.