Organize, Organize, Organize

Organize Yourself; Prepare Every Needful Thing! (D & C 109:8) Shelley invited mom and I to a class a few weeks ago, it was taught by Anitra Kerr who started the company simply living smart. The class was all about meal organization and organizing your pantry. She is big on premixing some of the food you use on a regular basis and storing it. She gave us recipes for some pre mixed rice, biscuit mix, pancake and waffle mix, onion soup mix, basic cookie mix, cake mix etc. The big benefit to making these mixes...ONE, it's less expensive and TWO, you are leaving out all the bad stuff....the fillers, MSG etc. Anitra goes into homes and charges quite a bit to organize pantries, storage rooms, offices, or pretty much anything you need. I didn't want to pay someone to get me organized and thought I probably could handle this on my own. I came home anxious to get myself and our pantry a little more organized. Nicole is always up for a new project so the next day we were off to gather containers and ingredients that we might need to make some of these mixes.



The pre mixed rice takes the place of buying rice a roni....etc. it is really quite tasty and so easy to make!! How about some fresh ground cornmeal? You then use the cornmeal with your pre mixed bixcuit mix to quickly make fresh cornbread!! Yummy! Use the onion soup mix just as you would Lipton Onion Soup....sprinkle on your Sunday roast etc. It is so much cheaper. Easy as that!



These containers help keep the cereal fresh and its great because know exactly how much you have left......besides it looks much nicer and organized don't you think? Those cereal boxes take up so much room.



I think this is my favorite thing I did. I always have a hard time grabbing the right tool for the mixer. I found some little hooks and decided this was the answer....it will be so much easier to grab the one I want.

Just in case anyone is interested I thought I would share one of the rice recipes with you. This is probably my favorite one. Give it a try!

Chicken Tarragon Rice Blend

4 Cups uncooked long grain white rice
4 Tbl. instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried tarragon
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Add all ingredients in a container and mix. Bingo you are done!! Now just cook it like you would any rice..... 2 cups water to 1 cup rice, add a little butter. Put the recipe on the container so that when you run low it is right there to look at and mix up another batch.

I worked really hard on getting this all organized. It made me want to cook and find new ways to use these mixes. Megan's response to the new look in our pantry....." The food doesn't even look appetizing anymore..it looks too healthy like we just eat powdered food!" WHAT?? After all that hard work... It may not look appetizing to her but it seems like she doesn't have a hard time cleaning her plate. Healthy is good!!

AHHHH Fresh Air

Who wants to breathe this air? YUCK!! A blanket of filthy air........The Salt Lake Valley currently has the worst air in the Nation... per the Nightly News!! A Winter inversion has set in......the perfect time to make a get away to the Mountains!!



How lucky are we that we can drive 40 minutes and have the beautiful Uintah Mountains at our finger tips!! Katie had the day off work and had the grand idea of going Snow Shoeing. AHHHH Crisp Clean Air, a Great Workout, Awesome Company and Beautiful Surroundings who could ask for more?






Mark suggested that we take a gun with us. You never know when you might run into something scary....especially in the Uintahs! It was a little frightening....we kept watch both in front of us and always behind our back, you know those little (or, ok BIG) paws can be very quiet and sneaky!! Mark is usually around for our protection!!We left the gun at home and decided to brave it, I was lucky enough just to get myself up those monster hills let alone carrying a gun. I probably would of blown my leg off!! We had a great time.



Here's to a wonderful day!! YIPEE FOR FRESH CLEAN AIR!!

Bucketful of Tears

So SAD!!!! We had to put down our favorite horse. Dolla Reid has been a part of our family for 25 Years. Dolly was the leader of the herd.....she grew up with the girls, she was the horse everyone wanted to ride!!








Mark, Megan and I went down to Mark's cousins place where we had Dolly in a stall. She had not been eating very well and we were keeping her indoors out of the cold. When we saw her my heart ached. Dolly had laid down and wouldn't/couldn't get up. I am a little more timid with the horses....I didn't realize I was so attached to her. When Mark is with the horses he talks to them just like they are carrying on a conversation........I swear sometimes they know just exactly what each other is saying. Poor Megan was so sad....she cried, we all cried buckets of tears. When Dolly saw us she neighed so excited that we were there. She struggled to try and get up to greet us but it just was not going to happen. Boo Hoo it was sooooooo sad!!! We knew at that point we could not just go home and leave her like that...we had to call a Vet to help us out and to put her out of her misery!! I am in hopes that there is a big green mountain pasture in heaven that she is running around in!! We all love her and will miss her!!

Reflections

This past Christmas I had many overwhelming thoughts and memories of Dad. I have been helping mom with some Genealogy..... I was typing up a document Dad had written and ran into this paragraph. I was smiling and crying all at the same time!!

"The Schaar Christmas Eve started at noon with a great lunch with all the kids. We opened gifts as a result of drawing names. I always give a prize for the best homemade gift. You can’t imagine the gifts that these girls come up with. I want it in writing how very proud as their Father I was of them for their efforts that they put forth on them. Outstanding!! Kathy always does such a splendid job. I thought she was going to be the only one that would follow her Mother in home talents. Debbie you can’t believe what she came up with. The article isn’t important. The thought and workmanship were so very fine. Alice has been so very busy getting thru school and as just being married April 1977 hasn’t gotten the self confidence yet. She made herself a Christmas tree skirt and copied one that Linda had done. It was a masterpiece. Linda is so talented and is such a dear. Mark her husband is so good for her. She got a sewing machine for Christmas and already she is off and running. Debbie won the prize. I truly must watch this prize situation to not hurt anyone’s feelings. They are so very precious to me. I love them all so much."



I have such fond memories of our Christmas outings with dad. He was so proud of all his girls. What choice memories mom is documenting for us all!! Thanks mom sure love you!!

Dear Mom......

I just wanted to tell you that Grandma is following all the rules you gave her when you left............

Grandma was second in line to get me at school so we wouldn't be late to get Jake from his school.

Each morning we would sit in the car and watch Jake on the playground until the bell rang....we were sure he got into school safely.

Jake did his homework, read for 25 minutes, practiced his words and even remembered his Show n' Tell on Friday.

We always brushed our teeth and said our prayers.

After we were finished with all the rules Grandma said it was time for some fun.......YIPEE!!

Don't worry about us here at Grandma's cause she said that we could stay for as long as we want...I think sometimes she gets lonely and needs someone to play with.

Jake and I are pretty pooped at night and we fell asleep very fast.

I hope you are having as much fun as we are!!

*****************************************************************

I Love you more than all the fish in the sea...Jake

I Love You More than PB & J sandwiches....Josh

PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN AND QUILT!!

It is only fitting that the first post of the New Year be about QUILTING!! Mom needed some fabric for a few bindings so off we went to Elaine's. It was our Lucky Day, or so I thought.........30% off all Moda Fabric and Fat Quarters were $1.30!! Could you just turn and walk away from that? I found myself making every excuse of why I should buy fabric for a new project with great prices like these. After waiting in line for 45 minutes....which was not even enough time to talk myself out of this purchase.... I walked out the door with enough fabric to make 2 quilts!!




I have no willpower, Dang It, he he he!! Here is the loot.....I do have a few patterns in mind, so we will see what becomes of this new purchase. Gosh I love to keep looking at these fabrics...it brings such satisfaction...*SIGH*








Oh HAPPY DAY.....let the QUILTING of 2009 BEGIN!!