Sober Thoughts

There's nothing like having a birthday to remind you that you're getting old. I didn't want to ruin my actual birthday, so I scheduled my Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis) booster and my first filling ever the following days. I now feel much more empathy for kids getting shots as mine still hurts. The filling wasn't so bad, but all food has become unappetizing at the moment.

Therefore, I will focus on my favorite beverage: water. I don't drink milk (lactose issues), alcohol, or juice. Just water. It's one of those old standbys that's hard to mess up (although I do have a friend that was drinking too much of it - you know who you are). And, according to ChaCha, you can get drunk off water and even die if you drink too much. I don't recommend going there.

Once the numbness wears off, I may share more of my favorite recipes, but for now, join me by raising your glass of water to summer.

Stalking the Mail Man

I do not literally stalk the mail man. I don't care about him. I just want my mail! I hear the little car/van/shuttle (?) rev up and down as it starts and stops for each mailbox. Then I hear the crunch of rocks and it's here! It's here!

And it's junk.

Some days are obviously better than others. I shred junk mail. Pay bills. Thumb through magazines. And devour personal mail like it's homemade bread just warm from the oven. I love letters!

My husband gets excited about magazines. Wave The Marine Corps Gazette in his face and he's crazy happy. We also started resubscribing to The Economist, so that'll be some extra reading. The thing is like a short book and it comes every week.

But the letters. Seriously. I need some more. My best pen pal is my grandma, who is in her 80s. Don't let the art of writing letters die out.

Do you get many letters in the mail? Who do you write to?

Busy Bodies

My daughter is at that stage where she's into everything! I have done a pretty good job of babyproofing my house, but obviously not good enough because my beloved collection of tapes is lying on my floor at this moment, and I'm too lazy to pick them up.

My solution: Get out of the house! It's summer, so it's warm enough to take a walk. I don't have any huge projects going on at home requiring my attention. I always see people I know out and about. So, we go. She loves being carted around town in her stroller, and I love getting out of the house so I don't succumb to cabin fever. Everyone wins! Except those tapes, which I am not picking up. And that works for me!

Love & Logic Magic

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years

by Jim & Charles Fay

Every parent wants to be the best they can, even Bitterroot Mama. I recently heard of the Love and Logic approach to parenting through a different book I was reading. (Imagine that!) Love and Logic promises to take arguing, anger, and spanking out of your parenting routine and actually make it...fun.

I read the birth through age six book and liked the authors' approach. They suggst singing "Uh-oh," waiting to discipline until you're not angry, having kids help think of age-appropriate consequences (often having the kid "pay" you with chores or their belongings) and then resisting the urge to lecture. This only works for non-life threatening situations, of course. If your kid is running into the street, singing the "Uh-oh" song isn't going to cut it. For really young kids, like my one-year-old, they recommend removing the child from the situation where she's acting up (calmly, of course) and showing you're serious by your actions, not lectures or repeated warnings.

The authors state that children shouldn't be given multiple opportunities to behave because that's not the way it works in the real world. (Unless you worked for the government, like I did.) Also, this approach allows kids to help develop their consequences and remedy situations, like they will when they're on their own someday.

This approach also suggests giving kids choices all through the day, so parents have the upper hand when they ask the kid to follow their choices. Kids are expected to complete chores without pay. Parents are told to use enforceable statements. Instead of telling kids to finish their breakfast, they are told that their plates will be removed by 8:00 a.m.

In addition, authors of three books I've read recently stress the importance of (safe) roughhousing with kids. It shows kids that parents love them, are in control, and can be powerful and gentle. It's also a fun way to release energy and bond.

I enjoyed the book and am excited to try it out! I'm already feeling empowered and more calm. I'm interested if any of you have been successful with using Love and Logic with your children. If so, would you add any advice for the younger years? If not, are you using a different approach successfully? Leave lots of comments please! (Or I'll assign you extra chores!)

Chalk Fest and Daly Days

Daly Days is an annual event in Hamilton that celebrates Marcus Daly, the Copper King and founder of the town. A street fair and art in the park marks the occasion. I go because it's a good reason to get out of the house and I like to look through the discounted wares on the street.

In the evening, there is a huge Brew Fest, which isn't my cup of...ale. But in the heat of the day, one of my favorite garden stores, Sam's Spade, sponsors a Chalk Fest, in which our youth group participated. I actually missed the entire Chalk Fest, but I did manage to catch the drawings on the sidewalk and learned the winners. You can visit them too in real life outside of Sam's Spade on S. 4th Street, or see some of my favorites here. The Shalom art won the first prize in the adult category.

Modern art at its finest.

The People's Choice Award

Bitterroot Drug and Hallmark sell it up. I found some great gifts!

It's a fun couple of days, and this year marked 5 years since I hit a deer on the way to work and ended up celebrating Daly Days out of obligation, since I couldn't do much else. Here's to you Marcus Daly. Hope you enjoyed the festivities.

Teddy Bear Cake (aka The Sugar Deterrent)

My brother sent me a build-a-bear cake pan for Christmas, so I just had to use it to make a cake for my baby's first birthday party. She turned one last Friday and I made these cakes for her.

You know how some kids want to try cigarettes or alcohol, so their parents buy the nastiest tasting brands to try to deter children from growing up getting addicted to those vices? Well, I inadvertently did that with this birthday cake. I think it was one of the worst tasting cakes I've made in a while. (Although I do think it's cute.)

I thought I'd follow the cake pan directions for the actual cake because you need a dense crumb for a 3-D shape. The batter tasted great, but the icing was a disaster. I tried making a buttercream frosting with butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, milk, and salt, but it turned out awful and very gritty. The little white cake was supposed to be a chocolate cake with white frosting. It was the most requested kind of cake, but it was also awful. (I'm sorry if you had to eat it.)

The good news is that the baby didn't shove it in her mouth and make a mess. She was much too dainty (and the cake much too bad) for that to happen. So, perhaps there will be one less sugaraholic now, thanks to the build-a-bear cake mold.

The recipe that did turn out great was the homemade cake batter ice cream. Follow this recipe from food.com (formerly recipezaar), but add a handful of sprinkles the last few minutes it's mixing. Enjoy!

Bindweed

Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) sounds like the awful plant it is, but its flower is so beautiful. It twines its greedy little tendrils all over unsuspecting plants, like my potatoes or flowering shrubs. It takes over lawns, small dogs, gardens, trees, homes, villages, etc.

Bindweed has taken a firm stake in my yard, but I will battle it to the death. Literally. The seeds can lie dormant in the ground for 60 years. So, the seeds will inherit the earth after I'm gone. If you try pulling it, you only get a small portion of the roots, which can grow 30 feet deep. When I tell you it's a problem, I'm not exaggerating.

Bindweed still thriving after a heavy dose of Round Up.

Attempts to reign in the bindweed have been meager at best. I do much hand-pulling in some areas, let my husband actually use Round Up in one area of the yard (guess what's still thriving despite his ultra strong concoction?) and have purchased enough landscape fabric and black plastic to cover my entire yard (slight exaggeration alert). The landscape fabric does actually work if there's enough mulch on the top to exclude any light and there are no holes in it. The holes I cut to plant my ornamentals sometimes provide enough space for the bindweed to take hold. The rocks in my front yard also cut holes in the black plastic, making ideal environments for them to grow. 

They also are drought tolerant and do great in the areas of my yard that receive little water. Sometimes I get so mad about it, I literally want to remove the entire yard, burn my shoes (which carry the seeds around), and truck in new soil from somewhere else so I can start over. I won't even mention my other ideas, which involve powerful chemical agents. This is the real Bitterroot Mama, on the warpath about weeds. 

What weeds are you battling?

Saving Money on Medical Bills

I tend to have heated conversations with health insurance companies. I look over every bill closely to ensure that I'm being charged fairly. I received a bill this week stating my health insurance company couldn't identify me. It doesn't help that I have changed insurance companies 8 times in the last 6 years. But, a quick call to the center resolved the issue and I ended up owing $9 instead of $45.

Our new insurance doesn't cover vision anymore, but sometimes your visits to an optometrist can fall under medical, especially if it's something other than a normal eye check (i.e. there's gunk in your eye or you injure it somehow). It doesn't hurt to ask them to run it through your insurance just in case.

I also found when I had my baby that the local hospitals offer a 10% discount on your bill if you pay it in full. This is often not stated on your bills, so ask! Saving 10% on a large bill can save hundreds of dollars. And that works for me!

Wheat Intolerance

I realized that I was eating wheat bread while reading my latest health book, Healthier Without Wheat, by Dr. Stephen Wangen. Oops! It states that up to 10% of people in the U.S. may suffer from some form of gluten intolerance and could display this intolerance (actually an autoimmune disorder) with over 100 common symptoms. After reading this book, I basically thought that anyone with a health problem has gluten intolerance, including family members and close friends. Vomiting? Gluten intolerance. Eczema? Gluten intolerance. Diahrrea? Gluten intolerance.

I found the premise interesting. The doctor also tackled Irritable Bowel Syndrome in an earlier book and runs The IBS Treatment Center in Seattle, WA. The book describes how testing for celiac disease (which is merely one symptom of gluten intolerance) is different from testing for gluten intolerance. His center also offers allergy/intolerance testing for all kinds of other possible allergies. You think it would be worth it to spend the money to find out what you're allergic to before having a life-threatening situation or other less serious, but still bothersome, symptoms. Referring to wheat, he stated that humans don't have to eat wheat (or lots of grains) for that matter. It was largely during the agricultural revolution that wheat became a huge crop, able to sustain population growth due to its ease of cultivation.

He also included these happy tidbits:

• We should eat more vegetables.
• Fruits should be enjoyed in moderation because they're so sweet.
• Human adults don't need milk.
• Many people with a gluten intolerance also have a lactose intolerance.
• Blood tests for gliadin antibodies can determine gluten intolerance.
• The only way to "cure" celiac disease is by avoiding gluten.

After reading this book, it looks like my diet should be down to meat and vegetables. Guess that whole meat and potatoes thing was right on!

Montana Is...

Montana markets itself as this really great place to vacation and live. Its tourist shirts reflect this same ideal - that Montana is a hunter/fisher/hiker/outdoorperson's paradise. My mother-in-law even got my husband this shirt implying that Montana is this nature preserve with eagles flying overhead and a river running through it. Is Montana really this great?

Yes and no. If you're visiting in the summertime, then it is all of that and a bag of organic chips. If you're retired and have gobs of money you made in (gasp) California, then you'll have a great time.

If you're not, well, you don't have much free time to spend enjoying all of the local amenities because you're trying to make a living. Even before the recession, the economy here wasn't great. We have been fortunate enough that for most of our time here, we've had jobs and health insurance, but over 20% of the people in Ravalli County don't have health insurance according to this 2005 survey. Local politics are divisive and heated, and we are suffering from an infiltration of noxious weeds. Plus, you have to shop at K-Mart if you want most anything.

Montana may seem idealistic in your romance novels, but the reality of life here is (and has always been) rough. If you're envisioning a cowboy riding off into the sunset through a beautiful prairie, reenvision a real estate agent driving through a new real estate development (often that same prairie) in a SUV.

If you don't live here, how do you imagine Montana? If you do live here, do you agree or was I too harsh?

Keeping it Real

I hope you don't think that people with blogs have it all together. We don't! If I interact with you at church or some other public venue where we both come across as polished and always say we're "fine," there's probably more to that story than we're telling. This week's posts are dedicated to keeping life real. I'm not perfect and chances are, you aren't either. Here's a little window into my prim-and-proper-looking life.

I'm an Aunt (Again)!

I wanted to say a big congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law, who welcomed a wonderful little baby girl into the world on Saturday morning. At 10:03 a.m. on July 17, 2010, David and Amanda welcomed little Cali Lynn, who weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz., and was 19" long. Mama and baby are doing great! In a few days, I think a picture will pop up here so you can see the little cutie!

Note: Cali was born one year and one day after her cousin Laurel (my baby). They just missed having the same birthday.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake

I can't tell you how sad I was when I finished the last little bit of this for breakfast this morning. This recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures lasts a long time, uses only oats for the grain (no wheat) and is incredibly tasty. I also like the addition of peanut butter to pack in that protein. If you want a great addition to your next brunch, try this!




Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" x 13" pan. Mix all ingredients together and stir well. (I just mix it in the pan to save on dishes.) Spread flat in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Lynn suggests serving it with warm milk on the top, but I like it plain with a few eggs and bacon on the side.

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

I tend to be skeptical of books advertising themselves as "amazing." However, I deeply enjoyed this true story about a friendship between a homeless man raised in poverty in the deep South and a white man from Texas who became a rich art dealer. The story alternates between the past and present of Denver, with his raw speech, and the more polished life of Ron. At some points it wasn't clear who was telling the story, until I looked at the dialect. Although the story centers on the men's friendship, it also is the triumph of Debbie's faith (She is Ron's wife.), who had a deep heart for the Lord.

Reading this book, I had to keep an open mind. The book included many references to dreams and visions, which some people might meet with skepticism. I loved the raw, gritty story, the vulnerability of the men in telling it, and the mission of the men. At some parts in the story, I started to tear up. Like The Glass Castle, it made me think about the homeless in a different light. It also showcased how deeply God can change people. I enjoyed it and think you will as well. (PG-13, recommended) [Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for an honest review.]

Why You Need a Neti

I still remember the time my husband went to the doctor with an awful head cold. After seeing the urgent care doctor (whom he called a hippie), he headed home with his prescription: Use a neti pot.

Of course, I hurried off to Walgreens to get him a neti. When I was sick with a terrible cold last year during my pregnancy, I used it too. It consists of a little plastic pot (much like a watering can) with a hole in the top. You pour hot water into the hole and add a little saline packet. Then, you insert the nozzle into one of your nostrils and pour. It is the craziest sensation. I was so stuffed up, it wouldn't even work for awhile. However, eventually salt water does come pouring out the other side of your nose. You have to breathe right so it works and doesn't go down your throat. However, it works and provides a little relief when you have a virus and don't have any "real" medicine.

My husband eventually recovered but still refuses to see the hippie doctor. For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

The Drug Deal

Have you ever sold anything on Craigslist and felt like you were conducting a drug deal? You're on a first name basis, you meet in a neutral location, the buyer inspects the goods, and then you accept cash. It's legitimate, like an off-site yard sale, but it still feels weird.

I thought that the days of that feeling were behind me until I went to pick up some prescriptions from the pharmacy. When I was at the doctor's office, I told her I didn't care which pharmacy she sent the prescriptions to, but I didn't want to get the sick baby out of her car seat. The doctor said that a local pharmacy had something similar to a drive-thru, so she phoned it in there.
It wasn't exactly a drive-thru. It was an alley. I pulled up and called the pharmacy to let them know I was there. In a few minutes a pharmacist appeared.

"I'm just here to get the money," he said, as I handed him my debit card. A few minutes later, a young lady delivered a bag of prescriptions. I didn't have to sign anything or put in my pin number. Granted, I didn't have to get out of the car, but I don't think I'll be doing that kind of exchange (drug deal) again.

Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

I needed something to bring to my husband's work picnic (which was rescheduled due to June gloom), and ran across these yummy muffins at the joyofbaking.com. They are currently being frostbitten in my freezer. I need to rescue them, warm them up, and find a new home for them. That new home might be my belly. Enjoy this yummy treat.

Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 cup (half a normal bag) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 16-18 muffin pans with paper liners or spray with Pam.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and cooled and melted butter, mixing well. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add the ricotta mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined and then fold in the chocolate chips. Do not over mix this batter or the muffins will be tough when baked.

Divide the batter amongst the 16-18 muffin cups using two spoons or an ice cream scoop.

Place in the oven and bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Depending on the amount of batter you use per cup, this recipe will yield 16 to 18 muffins.

Garden Showcase

Today I'm happy to display the blossoming gardens of two of my friends and readers. First, here is an update from the Gentleman Gardener. As you remember, he started his garden when I was visiting in mid-May.

The Gentleman's Garden right after planting.

The crazy jungle garden it is now.

Look at the size of those zucchinis!

Pretty peas. They've eaten quite a few peas already.

Now, here is a garden you haven't seen before from my friends Jen and Jacob in Indianapolis. Jen sent some commentary to go with her photos.

Hi from Jennifer and Jacob in Indianapolis! We've been married for 2 years and this is our first real garden. We started a garden on our apartment porch last summer, but it didn't get much sun. We transplanted the buckets to the ground when we moved into this house, but the plants went through lots of trauma and didn't yield much produce. This is our first real garden (my husband knows FAR more about gardening than I do, but I've been so excited about our garden). We planted on Memorial Day weekend and began harvesting on July 4 weekend. We spread grass clippings when we planted the garden to keep the weeds down, which has been highly successful. We ran out of clippings around the zucchini and squash, but weeds haven't really been much of an issue. My husband borrowed his dad's tiller in early spring and then tilled again right before we planted the garden. We've had lots of rain and hot sun in Indiana and our garden is so happy! 

I'm shocked at how big our zucchini plants are. You can see my husband kneeling down by one.

From left to right: 2 cherry tomato plants and a pile of mulch, 17 green pepper plants, 6 big boy tomato plants, 2 hills of yellow squash, and 2 hills of zucchini.

We didn't put baskets on our tomatoes soon enough, so they are growing wildly.

We have harvested 7 zucchini and 17 bell peppers so far. I wash, dice, and freeze green pepper to use yearlong to save money.

Thanks to these budding gardeners who sent pictures of their produce! I will be posting another garden gallery the Thursday after next, so let me know if you want your garden to be included.

Summer Sweetness

Today's Works for Me Wednesday theme is favorite summer foods. This is my favorite. My mom started making this one back when we lived in humid Georgia. It's easy to make and serve.

Cookie/Cool Whip Dessert
30-32 chocolate chip cookies (about 2/3rds of a regular bag)
12 to 16 oz. Cool Whip
About 1/2 c. milk
A handful of chocolate chips

Grab a clean 9" x 13" pan. Pour the milk into a little bowl. Dip each cookie in the milk until it's saturated (but not falling apart) and then place in rows all over the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of Cool Whip (about half of your tub). Add another layer of cookies and Cool Whip. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Add a handful of chocolate chips on top before serving. (If you put them on too soon, they start to sweat in the fridge.) Keep refrigerated.

The Necklace

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Transformed Their Lives by Cheryl Jarvis

What happens when 13 women in Ventura, CA, go in to buy a beautiful diamond necklace? Some cat fighting, fundraising, and friendship forging. This true story picks up on the gals three years after Jewelia was purchased. Each chapter follows the saga of the necklace and includes the history and thoughts of one of the women in the group. I enjoyed hearing their real issues and what the necklace meant to them. One lady goes to a pistol-shooting class with it on, one lady goes skydiving, another wears it to her yearly exam (and gets a picture of herself wearing it during the exam). Another starts lending it out to the people in her office. The feminist in the group wants to use it for serious fundraising, which they do, earning more than they paid for the necklace in a short time. It's loaned out to so many brides that one of the women's daughters doesn't want to wear it to her wedding because it's so commonplace. (I told you it was in Ventura. This was one of the catfights.)

I liked the book overall, but sometimes felt that the stories about each women took too long. It was hard to keep them all straight. I did enjoy what happened to the necklace, but the story felt like it took place in another world, perhaps because the people in Ventura seem so much more affluent than the people I enjoy. My favorite part was that women from so many different backgrounds were able to spend time with each other despite disagreeing on so many other things. They had to work out their issues on the book and realize that the group was more important than their own issues. Their friendship was inspiring, reminding me of the friendships that I've been able to make in my book club and at MOPS. I recommend it. (PG-13 for discussions of marital relations - apparently the necklace does wonders in bed)

Fireworks

There are only two times a year that fireworks can be legally sold in Hamilton: around New Year's Eve and the 4th of July. You know these holidays are approaching because trailers appear overnight in shopping center parking lots. Retailers like Beijing Bob's drag out their banners and begin to sell their fiery wares. Firecrackers go off in the streets after dark, all leading up to the big summer finale: July 4th. For some reason, the City of Hamilton thought it would be a good idea to allow people to set off fireworks from 10am on July 4th to 1 am on July 5th. As you may remember, I'm a party pooper. I have a particular dislike for fireworks that people set off themselves for the following reasons:

1. Serious injury. We're talking about everything from singed eyebrows to death.
2. The emotional harm they cause to animals. Too often you hear of people sedating horses because it makes them jumpy. (Oh, and I'm sick of barking dogs.)
3. Safety to property. We're pretty close here in town and fireworks could cause fires.
4. The biggest reason is because I like my sleep. It's hard enough trying to get sleep with a baby that still wakes up at all hours of the night. She needs to sleep and I need to sleep.

My recommendation: go to the show at the fairgrounds and save yourself the time and expense of setting off you own fireworks. (Note: My husband said that I have ruined his family's tradition of setting fireworks off every year because of my repeated protests to watch. I believe in family traditions. However, maybe we could do something different - like playing a game or having a water fight. Or SLEEPING.)

Snickerdoodle Bars

If you can imagine the goodness of cinnamon in a bar, this is it. It's better than brownies. It's better than blondies. It's a Snickerdoodle Bar. I have adapted it slightly from this recipe (since I am a nutmeg hater). You should make some today!

Snickerdoodle Bars (makes 24 wimpy or 12 hearty servings)
2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line a 9"×13" baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly into prepared pan with a greased spatula. Combine topping ingredients and evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over top of batter.

Bake 25 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool. Eat. Bring Bitterroot Mama some.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I talked to my dad (aka the Gentleman Gardener) the other day and he said he's been eating fresh peas and green beans from his garden. (Hint: Boil the green beans in chicken broth instead of just water for more flavor.) My own garden is finally starting to sprout with our warmer weather, but I haven't tasted of its bounty yet. I just weeded a few days ago, but the warm weather has hastened their return. Don't mind them. Here are a few pictures of my little garden.

The boards are for walking - and drying out weeds before I dispose of them.

Corn - and weeds

Onions and carrots grow together on the left. Yellow squash and cosmos seeds are newly planted in the middle. On the right are lettuce and garlic.

Yay for potatoes and green beans. I really did try to mound the potatoes but it didn't work and I gave up.

I'm not quite sure what's here because I lost my planting guide. There are sunflowers, broccoli?, spinach, and probably some other goodies I forgot about. Surprise!

That's my garden! If you have pictures of your garden, I'd love to post them here. Leave a comment and I'll contact you to post them up next Thursday!