What a wonderful day....

Our day began with Rob waking me up at around 7:30ish with a loud "HO HO HO, Merry Christmas", he said he'd been trying to wake me up for 1/2 an hour! LOL! I'm a HEAVY HEAVY sleeper. We went downstairs and noticed that Santa had been there...he'd eaten a bite of the cookie we'd left out for him. ;) We looked at and opened our stockings, I got a couple packs of earrings, we both got jolly ranchers, chocolate covered pretzel balls, thin mints, jelly bellys (sours & tropical), and a bananna. Then started the gift opening. Rob got the worlds 'smallest' remote controlled Helicopter from www.thinkgeek.com (if you have a person who loves gadgets and gizmos and an adult who loves 'kiddy' toys....I'd strongly suggest you visit this site) as well as a Carnivorous Plant Kit (venus fly trap), he'd been wanting both of those for quite some time. He also got a Cybook Book Reader (Digital Book Reader) from Santa, we both got one of those, they are AWESOME and actually look like a 'paperback' book on the screen. He also got an M&M's dispenser fortune teller (aka his new decision maker for work). He got an extra 2 Gig SD Memory Card for his new bookreader. He got some socks, then I got him some of his 'favorite' holiday traditions candies (lifesavers book, a pecan log). We both also got new computer keyboards as ours were both worn out. We also got a nice standing lamp for our Living Room...we are going to get another one as we like this one so well.

Rob got me a "Slanket' which is essentially a blanket with sleeves to keep me warm, yet 'functional'. It's really really cool! I am ALWAYS cold and Rob is ALWAYS making sure I am covered up. He's always so cute and 'tender' about it! He also got me a 'ped egg' as my feet are bad. I got a new electrical blanket, as mine has wires poking out of it and is no longer 'safe'. BUT I use it just about EVERY night, Rob sleeps with the window open essentially ALL YEAR ROUND! I also got some stamps for scrapbooking, a nice microplush robe, some slippers, socks, 2 really nice necklaces, 1 is a crystalish type with a cat in mother of pearl type stuff, the other is Cubic with 2 hearts intertwined as one. I also got a MUCH needed Coat, I only have a heavier type jacket, as I haven't boughten a coat since I got back from my mission in 2003. WOW has it really been that long? My new coat is AWESOME, definitely gonna keep me warm.

After we opened presents we called Rob's brother and sister and his mom. His sister Eva lives in Grantsville and told Rob she told her kids not to come because of the snow, I guess they were getting hit really hard out there. Where we used to live last year in West Jordan got 12" of snow and the power was out and roads were closed! The wind was blowing really bad out here around 20MPH and it was snowing, Rob had a bad feeling so we stayed home from Bountiful, both of us cried, we wanted our FINN & HADDY. Rob loves that! Which is saying a lot as he is NOT a fish person. We were watching Rudolph and fell asleep cuddled on the couch after that. We woke up, Rob played with his toys, we had leftover Chinese for lunch and then just surfed on our puters, and watched a couple more Christmas Shows. We watched The Christmas Card (tearjerker and VERY good show), and Chevy Chases Christmas Vacation. We spent the evening in each others arms just loving each other. Overall we've had the best Christmas yet that we've had together this year. The only thing that could have made it more perfect is if we were able to make it to Bountiful. We are planning on visiting Rob's mom and heading out to Bountiful on Sunday to deliver and get the rest of our presents.

We are truly grateful for this holiday season, and are in remembrance of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We have an ornament that one of the people Rob home taught made for him that has Jesus picture on it, at the top of our tree. Which helps us to remember the wonderful birth and life of our Savior.

I have pictures I will try to get them posted in the next day or so.

White Christmas

Well we DEFINITELY are having a WHITE CHRISTMAS. We had a nice morning, opened presents etc, and were going to go out ot Bountiful at 11:00am for Finn & Haddy breakfast (that was Rob's determining factor as to whether or not we were going...not really) but Rob LOVES Finn & Haddy (Smoked Haddock). He is NOT a fish person either. It is snowing so bad here that the roads would be hazardous to get past the point of the mountain here. So sadly we have to postpone our Christmas morning/presents at The Sims house. We both cried about it as we really wanted to go. Finn & Haddy is one of my 'FAVORITE' Christmas traditions. Rob says if the forecast is calling for bad snow in the future we're gonna have to get our own as that's one tradition he wants to continue with our family.

Here are some pictures from our backyard...you can see how much snow there is here: It's still coming down and the wind is blowing it everywhere too. We know why the SR92 had such a disastrous storm/problem here last year the night that it took Rob 5 hours to get home from Orem to West Jordan (it normally took him 1 hr), but here in Lehi on the 'off' roads they don't exactly plow them the best. It's been an adventure trying to get up the hills and stuff. Especially in our complex, they don't 'salt' the roads so it's like trying to drive on an ice skating rink when there is snow out.

Low Carb Pancakes (Pork Rhinds)

Ewww...gross was the comment my hubby made when I told him I wanted to try them...my curiousity got the best of me and I made them tonight, they aren't half bad...actually I like them better than regular pancakes (I have to be in a 'mood' for pancakes to actually enjoy them). They puff up just like regular pancakes and to me are more 'moist' they have a nice flavor. Here's my picture:


Low-Carb Pancakes (Pork Rinds)


(1 serving) Printable Version

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup HEAVY Cream
• 1/2 of a 3-oz bag of unflavored pork rinds
• 3 packets of Splenda (or other sugar alternative)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 dash nutmeg

Crumble pork rinds until they resemble bread crumbs.

In a seperate bowl, beat eggs until frothy then add remaining ingredients and continue to beat until well mixed. Add pork rinds to the egg/cream mixture and set aside for 5 minutes to allow batter to thicken.

Cook on a lightly greased skillet as you would any pancake recipe. Drop batter on surface large spoonfulls. Cook until each side is lightly browned.

Serve with butter and a low-carb store bought syrup. Or for an interesting low-carb topping, mix 1 Tablespoon of sugar-free jam with 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons water and microwave for 45 seconds.


These pork rinds are surprisingly low in fat and have zero carbs. They may sound pretty crazy, but these little pancakes are fantastic! For more low-carb recipes try Mr Breakfast's Low-Carb Breakfast Index.

WHY JESUS IS BETTER THAN SANTA CLAUS

Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year ...
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy
Or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name. He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS offers Health, Help and Hope.

Santa says "You better not cry" ...
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas,
Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Who Started Christmas?

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas
shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row
of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her
children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally
made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of
the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming,
taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every
single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on
our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who
sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car.
She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all
the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and
stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung
up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't
worry we already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator
it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas
thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it,
just think of how different this whole world would be.

-- Author Unknown

Our Tree

Sprite Floats

My husband and I are 'equals' in every way....we are the only ones that can 'get each other' i.e. play practical jokes on each other. He made some "Sprite Floats' and the one on the left is the one that he brought me....the one on the right is his.



He was 'hiding' the 'real' one, yes he did make me a 'normal sized one and 'hid' it from me, till I tickled it out of him.

Baby Birds 5 weeks old

They are really changing now:
http://setarehpets.net/babiesdec1.html

So far we have:
1- Boo
2- Samantha Opaline not sure on color variety yet
3- Freddie: Jade Double Violet (Green Single Dark Factor, Double Violet Factor)
4- Casper: no sure on color yet

Update on my weight loss...

Today I hit another milestone! I'm down to 215# Which is a loss of 35# total since July of this year. I am also down 2 sizes from a 22 down to an 18. I am SO psyched. I have hit my 'New Years Resolution' to lose at least 2 sizes! I've still got a long ways to go (about 65 more #) until I am 'happy' with my weight...but I'm making progress. I couldn't have done it without the support of my hubby nor the support of my friends at www.choosing2lose.com which is an AMAZING weight loss support forum with TONS of amazing ladies who are all in the same boat, yet are VERY super supportive. Anyways just wanted to 'toot' my horn!

What I've Learned from Santa

Encourage people to believe in you.
Always remember who's naughty and who's nice.
Don't pout.
It's more fun to give than it is to receive.
Some days it's ok to feel a little chubby.
Bright red can make anyone look good.
Wear a wide belt and no-one will notice how many pounds you've gained.
If you only show up once a year, everyone will think you're very important.
Whenever you're at a loss for words, say:
"HO, HO, HO!"

Working at moving our blog

We are working on moving our blogs to our own server so we will be able to have more things on there, more pictures etc.....so I've been using that for the past few days here are some of the entries, So come on over and see our new blog...it's still a work in progress as I will be 'moving' everything over there.

This is our "Animals" Blogs
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php

Baby birds at 3 weeks:
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php/title-1
We've got a new 'FID'...new budgie/parakeet
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php/we-ve-got-a-new-fid-maybe-1
My Daddy's boy...Sebastian our chihuahua with Dad
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php/my-little-daddy-s-boy
Pictures of my Budgies:
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php/title-3
Pictures of Baby Lovebirds at 4 Weeks
http://blogs.rnht.net/zoo.php/pictures-of-the-baby-birds-week-4

This is Rob & Heather's New Blog:
http://blogs.rnht.net/robnheather.php
Come read about Thanksgiving!

New Pictures of baby birds!

The oldest is now 3 weeks old! They are getting so big! "Boo" who is the oldest is starting to get colored feathers. Boo likes to be held which is good. I was worried about how 'tame' they'd be seeing as how they are 'parent' raised. But they seem to be doing good with the daily handling I am doing with them.

Another niece or nephew!

Danny called us last night, Kristy is expecting their 6th child in April! Since they don't find out what it will be before it's born it will be a surprise! Rob's comment was "Give us one We'll take Nate!" (Specifically he was meaning Nate....Rob just loves his "buddy Nate".)

It's funny because Rob has a 'buddy' at work named "Nate" too :)

We are still trying and although it is painful to deal with we know that when the time is right we will be blessed with a child of our own. It seems like everyone around us is being blessed with children right now. Family & Friends. Congrats everyone!


It is a challenge but I know (both our Patriarchial Blessings) that we will have children in this life, It is hard to be patient and accept things according to the Lord's timeline but I know it will happen.

Addendum: I forgot to mention that Danny surprised me by telling me how bonded his family is to Duncan, the little toy poodle we gave him a couple months ago. He said that he didn't know what they'd do if anything happened to him. Which made me feel really good. He came for a visit at the Clinic when Danny & his family went to Disney Land and he was excited to see me, but Danny said he was excited to see them when they got back which really makes me happy. Danny also said he is 'mellow' Rob and I just chuckled at that, he was in constant motion at our house, but Danny has the advantage of having 5 kids to tire Duncan out...and one more on the way! I don't think we could have asked for a better home for Duncan! While it was hard to give him up, I know he's in a GREAT place and is doing great in his new home!

My Mom & Dad's Blog

My mom and dad now have a blog if anyone wants to see it:
http://danjanicesims.blogspot.com
Go leave a comment or two :)

Miracles of Modern Medicine

Meet Meiko aka Pipsqueek. He is an adoption kitten at Camelot. He was born with a bad heart, he had/has Patent Ductus Arteriosis We have had him on Enalapril, a special heart diet, and Rimadyl (Prostaglandin Inhibitor) since Sept 27th. We researched it and someone on one of the groups I am on suggested the Prostaglandin Inhibitor as it is tried in children with PDA before surgery is considered. Pipsqueek was rechecked last Friday and we can't hear a heart murmur or rapid heart rate any longer. (Well we had to 'distract' him with alcohol on a cotton ball so he would quit purring so my dad could listen to his heart) He is doing better! We are going to recheck it again in a week to make sure, but he may not need the surgery after all! Rob is in love with Pipsqueek. He has a cute personality is a little bit nervous, but is a sweetie, and loves attention. He is 6 months old right now and is just the size of a 10 week old kitten.

Update on the Baby Birds

4 out of the 5 eggs were fertile: They are now 10-14 days old. The one on the right is the oldest the one in the upper middle is the youngest. It appears that we have 1 blue factor bird and 3 green factor birds.



Dad and Mom enjoying their daily greens. They LOVE getting their daily greens. I give them broccoli, kale, red & green leaf lettuce, carrots, and a 'cooked' birdy mixture of nuts/beans. The African Grey only really devours the broccoli and carrots. The Lovebirds and Budgies (Parakeets) like just about everything except the rice in the birdy mixture.

What is a natural Dr?

In layman's terms, they tend to lean more towards diet/exercise adjustments as well as 'neutraceuticals' instead of 'pharmaceuticals'. Rob calls them a 'witch' Dr. but I don't think they are. His comments on my loving my new Dr is "Of course you love them, you're the supplement queen." Yes I take a LARGE handful of vitamins/supplements each day/night but I know they help me (glucosamine/chondroitin, vit e, flax oil, fish oil, vit c, prenatal vitamins (in case we do get preggers), Magnesium, vit d....yah the list goes on but I know they help me. When I don't take the glucosamine I can feel a difference. I think they also help my energy levels etc. I do a lot of research on the internet, and a lot of the 'supplements' I take for more than one of my list of ailments, such as the PCOS, Arthritis and Depression ones tend to help other ailments besides the main one.

The difference I've noted is instead of saying "You have allergic rhinitis, maybe I should add a steroidal nose spray that's addicting and if you stop it it makes it 10 times worse" They say
"You have allergic rhinitis, I would recommend that you flush your sinuses with a saline solution twice a day" I haven't been told that by ANY of the Dr's I've gone too, not even the ENT I went too. Guess what I'm 10 times better since I've been doing that. Or even telling me about the fact that Prevacid (Gastric Reflux Drug) causes Osteoporosis. I've been on it almost every day for the past 3 years. NOT a good thing!

To explain more about what a 'natural' Dr is, I'm going to 'borrow' what is in my Dr's brochure/website:

Our Approach:
The human body is capable of healing itself if given the proper direction. This is accomplished by supplying missing biochemical intermediates (usually derived from nutrients) and avoiding interfering substances.

The increasing amounts of toxins in our environment (food, water, air) act as interrupters in our bodies and are primary contributors to the heavy burden of chronic disease in our society.

We believe that patentable pharmaceuticals act to block normal physiological pathways in a variety of ways, producing changes in symptoms. Sometimes these effects are needed for acute problems. However, because drugs are foreign to the body and do not support normal physiological pathways, they do not lead to true healing.

We focus on the contributions of 7 factors related to health which may need to be balanced or corrected.

1. Nutrient sufficiency
   We want to make sure the body has the raw materials to heal, and that nothing is missing. This includes adequate protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, oxygen and pure water.
   
   
2. Muscle strength
   Loss of muscle mass as we age has the highest correlation to declining health. Exercise is indispensable.
   
   
3. Neurotransmitter balance
   The loss of this balance plays a big role in many of the functional problems that interfere with living a happy, energetic and pain-free life.
   
   
4. Hormonal balance
   We look at gonadal, thyroid and adrenal hormones to see which may need to be supported, replaced or tempered.
   
   
5. Toxins
   We have recommendations on limiting exposure to environmental toxins such as plastics organophosphates and heavy metals. We also recommend protocols to help the body detoxify.
   
   
6. Allergies
   Food and environmental allergies and sensitivities often are greatly responsible for common uncomfortable symptoms.
   
   
7. Infections
   Bacterial, viral and fungal organisms may be important triggering factors in persistent symptoms.

Update on Heather (Natural Dr Visit)

I had my follow up visit with the Natural Doctor today. I am still very i impressed with him. I weighed in at 231 there today which was depressing but I know on my scale at home I weighed in at 219.8# this morning.....so that's keeping me happy. I am down 4# according to their scale (which is one of those inaccurate sliding ones). He was happy with that. I know I'm down as I had to make a new notch for my belt this morning and my pants are practically falling off...yet I'm still not 100% ready for the next size down...at least in my levis.

He actually took the time to discuss all my lab results and explain what they meant. He was a little concerned with my Glucose as it was 94 normal is 65-99 however since I was fasting it should have been down around 70. I do have PCOS/Insulin Resistance so that is what is causing the elevated Glucose. He discussed more about my diet and really wants me to cut back on the carbs by quite a bit, increase protein and vegetables. He doesn't want an extreme low carb diet but I need to do 'lower' carbs. Which is gonna be tough for me as I LOVE my pasta. I have done a low carb before and did quite well on it (lost 70#), so we'll see....my problem is the funding for the low carb diet...it's expensive to eat lots of meat and veggies. ARGH So I need to go research low carb I guess....if anyone has any good website feel free to share

We discussed my Vit D deficiency as well. My levels are at 30 normal is 32-100 he likes to see it at 80 so it's got to come up quite a bit. Right now he wants me on 5000 I.U twice daily for 2 months! So I'm taking 5 pills twice a day.....trying to find a higher dose Vit D pill.

My gastric reflux is doing AWESOME! I'm only taking 1 Prevacid a week now and going to try and get off of those this month. I take DGL Licorice Root after meals, and before bedtime and for flareup, but I'm down to just 1-2 flares a week and that is because I love my tomatoes. The local college (BYU) is doing a study on the risks of osteoporosis from taking longterm Acid Reducers. Here is something I found on that: http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/heartburnosteo.html SCARY Stuff...glad I am getting off of it! I've never had a broken bone and don't plan on it! Knock on wood So in one month I've gone from 1 Prevacid and several Ranitidine Tablets as well as tums as needed and puking about 1-2 times a week to not puking at all and only having the DGL Licorice Root. YEAH!

Also discussed Caffeine, and I told him I am cutting back, told him yesterday I did not even have 1 Diet Coke and haven't today so far either. He was excited. He told me that In order to prevent the caffeine withdrawal headaches I needed to make sure to drinkof lots and lots of water. He was saying it simulates the dilation of the vessels/flow that the caffeine causes....I can't remember exactly what he said.

Overall I am VERY happy with this Dr. He knows his stuff and is into full education of the patient something that I've NEVER had before. He shows genuine concern. Also I'm feeling better so that's good too. Now if I can just find something good for my arthritis/joints I'll be in great shape. He said the Vit D will help with that some, rechecking me in 2 months and at that point we will see how I am doing, but may find something to add to help joints.

My next plan is to find a Podiatrist, I have an toe nail that's been bothering me off and on for the past 3 years, but now it's persistant painful and swelling....

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I got this recipe from www.choosing2lose.com (a weight loss forum that I am on). It is VERY simple and REALLY yummy and for those watching the points it is only 6pts for each muffin. Which I think is really reasonable. The original recipe called for Devils Food Cake 1 Box and 1 15oz Can of Libby's Pumpkin. Since Rob has asthma we have to really watch the chocolate so we opted to make it with Spice Cake. Heres the recipe:

1 Box Spice Cake (or Devil's Food Cake)
1 Can Libby's Pumpkin 15oz

Mix 2 ingredients together. Then put into Muffin cups/tin. Makes 12 Muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 18 minutes. (we had to add about 7 minutes to this time because our oven isn't 100% accurate---just do the toothpick test on them).

These Muffins are literally TO DIE FOR! They are VERY VERY TASTY! To make a special treat we added Cream Cheese Frosting to a couple of them. Which only added 1.5 Pts to the muffin.

We've got babies!

Well my lovebirds have started hatching! So far we've got 2 babies, one born on the 29th, and one today on halloween. Aren't they the cutest? I LOVE the 2nd picture!

We're gonna be 'grand--feathered--parents'

We have 5 Birds right now (1 Congo African Grey, 2 Lovebirds and 2 Parakeets), well October 6th, my lovebird Kira whom is 2 years old decided to start laying eggs, so every other day for about 10 days she laid an egg, so we've got 5 eggs. We are hoping they are fertile as both my lovies are both DNA'd sexed 1 Male 1 Female.
Here are the pictures:

This is her nesting box, his and her feathers, and then lots and lots of shredded paper towels, they shred their cage lining EVERY day. Thinking gonna have to get something else for the bottom of their cage! They've got about 4 or 5 large piles around their cage. BUT it's best not to disturb them too much or mommy will get really upset!

Here's the happy couple. Kira (mommy) on the left she is a Sea Green Lovebird, and Kai is on the right he is a Green Violet Peach Face Lovebird. They both came from the same breeder in West Jordan. Kai is fairly recent addition after Kira's '1st Mate' had an unfortunate accident with my cat DeeJay.......Kermit was 6 years old. But Kira and Kermit weren't bonded very well. But Kai and Kira are VERY VERY close! He takes her food into the nesting box so she doesn't have to leave the babies for very long! What a sweetie....wish all men were like that :)

The eggs have to incubate for about 23 days, so beginning on the 29th of October we will begin watching for hatchlings! I'm so excited, I've never really dealt with baby birds before other than the baby sparrows/robins that have been brought into the clinic. So this is a DEFINITE learning experience. Rob has had lots of birds...so this is one 'animal' species where he 'dwarfs' my knowledge :).

I'm Deficient LOL!

Well I got my blood test results back yesterday...WOW only 1 week! I STILL haven't heard from my other Dr other than that my pap was normal. Anyways I'm Vit D Deficient. Normal ranges are 32.0-100.0 My level was at 30.3. It says Recent Studies consider the lower limit of 32.0 ng/ml to be a threshold for Optimal Health. So I guess I need more sunshine :). He wants me to start taking 5000mg twice daily for 2 months then down to 1x day with rechecking levels in 6 months. It explains some of the bone/muscle weakness/pain I've been experiencing while exercising.

My weight loss journey

I work as a Vet Tech and I LOVE to wear different designer cute print scrub tops. I always try and get some for the Holidays. Well I have a Halloween one that I loved but it was a size Lg so I couldn't wear it last year well guess what! I can wear it! I have been wearing 2X tops! My butt still needs to shrink but other than that it fits GREAT! Excuse the hair; I only had 4 hours of sleep the night these pics were taken:

Here is a before picture back in July do you think I'm making progress? This picture was with 12# extra in WATER WEIGHT!

I know I can see a difference in my thighs and my waist line. Hmmmm gonna have to have hubby take a pic of my butt LOL, no really, A LOT of my weight is in my butt and thighs. He's told me it's getting smaller though.

For anyone wanting to follow my journey: http://notime2weight.blogspot.com I am doing online Weight Watchers/Slim Fast have lost 28# so far and hope to lose about 70# more.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ever since I saw the movie way back when I've wanted to try some and have just never gotten around to it. Well here in Utah we had SNOW this weekend....and this weeks forecast is 71! LOL! You know you live in Utah if you have SNOW and 70's in the same week :). Anyways my mom and dad had a TON of tomatoes and a lot were green so I picked some up and made some Fried Green Tomatoes tonight!
YUMMY! I really enjoyed them! Here's the Recipe I used:

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES from Southern Living

Yield

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
• Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.

Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.

Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt

***IMO they could have used a little more flavoring in the breading...not sure what though.

Natural Medicine?

As many of you who know me know, I have a lot of different health issues (PCOS, Arthritis, Gastric Reflux (GERD), Allergies, SEVERE Dry Skin & more), anyways I was looking for a new Dr here in Lehi, and called one that my insurance was good with, they told me the next opening wasn't until February with the Dr but their Nurse Practitioner (her hubby) could get me in sooner. BUT they were a more Alternative/Natural Medicine Philosphy. So I weighed my decision and decided what the heck, I already take a bazillion supplements so why not give it a try!

Wow! I was SOOOOOOO impressed! They took a THOROUGH history of all the medications/supplements I'm taking right now, then the Nurse Practitioner spent OVER AN HOUR with me going over my issues, the different meds I currently take, and supplements, what to change, what to discontinue and what to add, as well as doing a full blood panel with some vitamin levels as well. He also informed me of the risks of the GERD drug Prevacid I take, it depletes your calcium as well as you become 'addicted' to it because it stops you from forming acid, so therefore if you ever try and go off of it, you produce acid in WAY EXCESS....so we are trying to wean me off of it using Licorice Root (DGHL) on an alternating day schedule. So far the Licorice Root seems to be working GREAT. EVEN with the Prevacid I am BAD Refluxy right now no matter what, and the Licorice Root seems to be helping and can be taken every 15 minutes with no side effects if needed. It just upsets me as my Dr nor Pharmacist has EVER mentioned the problems with the Prevacid.

Then I am adding some 'mood' supplements as soon as we can afford them ($65/month), and added a cheaper one that will help with my Mood issues. We also scheduled an appt in 3 weeks for a followup/discuss results of the bloodwork (my previous Dr I have to call and BEG the results out of them!). He is also going to send me a copy of all results. He thinks that if I lose weight, a lot of my issues will be lessened/dissappear, which is true as a lot of them are aggravated by weight loss, he also commended me on the weight loss so far. I also added a steroid inhaler as if you have to use the rescue one more than once or twice a week you should have that one too. And discontinuing a nose spray that my other Dr put me on as it causes Reverse Congestion. I am doing saline rinses instead now. I feel somewhat better

Although he did tell me that my issues would probably be pretty bad for a while until we got things stabilized going off of some of the drugs/supplements so it's gonna be a rough ride, but I think it will be worth it! SORRY if TMI for people, I know some people have some similar issues so wanted to try and be 'helpful'. Let me know if you have any questions.

We also made Apple Sauce & Apple Jelly

Rob decided that since we were going to be canning might as well do some apples too. So he picked up 3 different varietes of apples and we peeled them using our nifty apple peeler

We got it from Walmart last December and LOVE it! Picking up some applesauce after it's been cooked. We left some chunks in there, it's pretty good!

Putting in some of the apple jelly. Again we used Splenda/Sugar mix and it was 1/2 of what the recipe called for and was still GREAT!

You can see the chunks in this. The Applesauce is almost the consistency of apple butter but not quite.

And of course Quality Control at it again:

BTW....it was DEFINITELY DeeJay Approved! She went NUTS for it kept pawing at my hand to get more!

It's hard work being the supervisor! DeeJay asleep on our Satellite Receiver....it's warm and one of her FAVORITE spots!