Ahhhh. I am in heaven. Tonight I snagged myself this cd whilst perusing the offerings at Barnes & Noble. I. Love. Christmas. Music. And I love well done choral music so of course I’m a Mormon Tabernacle Choir fan. These guys put the Joy in Joy To The World. So much satisfaction for only $6.98!
Tonight I am going to begin to tackle some of those questions my faithful readers have asked.
Sanisi asked:
Is there a meal you make that you think you make really well? (Your best dish.)
What’s your favorite boardgame/card game? Any related memories?
What was your first job?
I make many things very well, but this is the current big hit:
Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Soup.
It is a very simple recipe, and quick but it is a huge hit at our house. Here is the recipe; please note that I never measure, so these measurements are guesses and can be adjusted for taste.
Chop and saute 1 cup carrots & 1 cup onion in a few teaspoons of olive oil. Pepper and salt to taste.
Zest one lemon into the veggies while you are sauteing.
Add about 3 cups of cooked chopped chicken.
Add appx 2 table spoons of basil and 1 tablespoon of oregano
Squeeze 3 lemons over the veggies and chicken.
Add 3 cans of chicken broth and 2 cans of cream of chicken soup.
Bring all of this to a slow boil then add in about 2/3rds cup of rice.
Simmer all of it until the rice is cooked.
We really like to eat this with a dark rye bread.
Also, this makes a huge pot, and the leftovers freeze really well, so save some and have it again next week. (This is my improved version of a similar receipe by Pampered Chef to give credit where credit is due).
My all time favorite board game is Encore. If you like to sing or know the lyrics to lots of songs, this game is awesome! You divide into two teams and draw cards with different words on it, then you sing songs back and forth using that one word- whoever runs out of ideas first loses that round. Now, I used to actually own this game, but I had a kid disaster and the board broke, so now it is back on my Amazon wishlist waiting for me (or someone else) to buy it again. I also highly recommend Frog Juice and a family classic, Trivial Pursuit.
Trivial Pursuit is almost like a religion in my family. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where every holiday or family gathering meant that after we all ate really good food, we all pulled out games and played for hours. I used to live for Christmases with my Gramma Phyllis. Everyone would stay up until two or three in the morning playing games, eating M&Ms (usually tossing them into each other’s mouths from across the room!), and we always had so much fun. Some of my very best memories revolve around those games and the silly things we would say and do. What a treat to grow up not glued to the televison or dependant on materialism as so many people seem to be. I can’t wait until Jonas and Maggie are old enough for real board and card games. We are going to have a blast!
My first job was babysitting. My first real job where the government took a chunk of my paycheck was working at a TCBY selling frozen yogurt. It was mundane, but it kept my pockets padded during high school. It also kept my butt padded, and I am here to tell you today that even an ice cream treat that says 98% Fat Free will make you gain weight if you eat it nonstop.
More answers to come!
Posted by Lou on November 8, 2007 @ 8:40 pm | 2 Comments
Several months ago I sent a package of fabric to my gramma to make a quilt.
She just sent it back to me- isn’t it gorgeous? I am in love!
I thought I had a pretty solid idea of how the quilt would look, seeing as how I chose the material and Gramma sent me a block before she put them all together, but I was so unprepared for how gorgeous it was going to be finished and quilted. I opened the box and just kept saying, “Oh! Oh! Ohhh! Ohhhhh!”
Chris looked at me as if I had lost it and asked, “Are you going to have an orgasm over a quilt?”
“Yes, I just might!”
So there you go- my orgasmically stunning quilt! Made by my Gramma, who is better than your Gramma (unless of course you are my cousin reading this (Hi!) then you know we share in the coolness of the world’s best Gramma ever).
Posted by Lou on October 25, 2007 @ 11:05 am | 14 Comments
Today: I pack for a trip to Utah to visit the hubby’s relatives- in-laws, outlaws and the like. Many of whom I love dearly and a few who - well not so much I’m sure, heh. Such is life. Such is family. You love them, they love you, they get on your nerves, they judge you with the harshness and hypocrisy of a thousand burning suns and commentate on your lifestyle, parenting style, clothing style, hairstyle, lack of style. And through it all, you attempt to smile and remember that really, behind any family crap that can be thrown at you ( I HAVE FOUR SISTER IN-LAWS- there is always PMS going on in this family), you do love these people, and you love your hubby, who is a product of these good people. . .even when sometimes you fail to see the resemblance. . .see I’m totally psyching myself up. Family. WOOOOO! Bring it on. I always have a good time in Manti (after the fifteen freaking hour drive through the wasteland that is Nevada). I fell in love in Manti and I always feel GOOD in Manti. That’s just how that town is. It makes me happy. Plus there is the gorgeous Manti temple there, where Chris and I were married. And the family cabin, which is completely wonderful and so very, very Grandpa that you just have to smile and feel all gooey and sticky inside because people, don’t singing, plastic deer heads mounted on the wall do that for everyone? No? Just the Tibbs clan? Well. . .I guess that is why I fit in.
Didja follow any of that?
Today: I am restraining myself from diving headfirst into the next two books in the Twilight series. I keep telling myself that packing is important. Clean underware: IMPORTANT. Having a thousand pages to read on a fifteen hour car ride: IMPORTANT. But I so want to know what happens next!
Today: My baby brother enters the MTC (Missionary Training Center). After three weeks there he will be off to Melbourne Australia to do missionary work for the next two years. Last night, as we chatted on the phone for the last time for the next two years, he thanked me for beating him up when he needed it. I said you’re welcome. I cannot believe he is growing up. It is good. I am really excited to watch him do this and someday get married and bring home some girl who can feel the way I feel when he brings her home to meet her new sister in-laws, “Welcome to our alien planet- yes, we really are that weird!”
As soon as he gets to Australia, my siblings and I will all be on different continents. I have no idea how my parents raised such independent children. They both live in the state they were born in, married someone from a nearby small town, and live only an hour from their parents, which is beautiful and sometimes I’m extremely jealous, but seriously- why do their offspring feel the need to leave the country? I have no idea. I can say, with all honesty, that after college and marriage and babies, I am ready to move back home for awhile. Take a little reprieve from the moving. Only one year and eight months of the Air Force left for us, and then really, who knows? Chris is finishing up his degree, and in a little over a year he starts applying for jobs. Anyone want a really gifted computer networking guy working for you in that time frame? A hunky guy who enjoys long walks on the beach, good books. . .wait. . .that was the resume that won me over- he’ll need a new strategy for the civilian job market.
Today: I have a mountain of laundry. I have cereal to vacuum off of the carpet. I have luggage to locate and then pack. Today I’m procrastinating. Typical. Better get off my butt and start making things happen.
Posted by Lou on September 27, 2007 @ 12:11 pm | 7 Comments
My parents put my childhood dog, Lizzy, to sleep yesterday.
She was almost 13 years old and her health was failing; my parents put her down right before things really got bad- so she didn’t really suffer much.
This was seriously the best dog ever. She was a gorgeous English Springer Spaniel who we rescued when her owner died from cancer. She was so friendly and sweet. She slept with me every night when I was a kid- and when I left for college- she didn’t know where to sleep.
She was super protective and loyal to me. Once when my little brother and I were play fighting he lunged at me and she bit him in the butt!
She would also sit at my feet adoringly and listen to me sing whenever I had to practice for a competition. Sometimes she would sing along.
She always cared more about her people than about herself. One time my brother was rollerblading and Lizzie was running around with him and she got hit by a vehicle that just sped away. My little brother freaked out and crashed on his roller blades and Lizzie ran over and checked on him, on a BROKEN FOOT. Even though she was really hurting- she had to make sure he was alright.
My mom says that in the past few weeks Lizzie had looked like she was in pain, and she’s almost completely incontinent. But, every time she thought that you were looking at her she would sit up and look as happy as she could and wag her tail- but when she thought you looked away she would relax, tired and in pain. Her “job” was to make everyone else happy, and she took it seriously.
Yesterday morning, amid all the chaos of Jonas’ birthday party and people coming over, I had the urge to go look at her picture, even though I had no idea that it was her last day. My mom says maybe that was Lizzie’s gentle way of saying, “Remember me.” I know I always will.
Posted by Lou on June 18, 2007 @ 1:22 pm | 4 Comments
Bernie is going to be serving in Melbourne Australia for two years!
I’m so excited! He leaves on September 26th!
For those of you who are totally unfamiliar with what I’m talking about- young people in our church have the opportunity to serve full time missions when they are 19, as long as they have upheld certain moral codes (basically being a superb kid- no drinking, being chaste, etc) and have a testimony of the gospel and a desire to serve. Bernie will be teaching the gospel to those interested in our church and serving the people in the area. These missionaries pay their own way- all of their work is on a volunteer basis. We belong to The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints.
I’m SO EXCITED for him! This does mean that my parents will now have all three of their children in different countries though - ha!
Here’s a layout of Bernie:
(My little sister Janice did this awesome layout)
Posted by Lou on June 16, 2007 @ 1:22 pm | 5 Comments
Jonas has started school, and is loving it. He wants to tell everyone he talks to about his teachers, so in the past few days I’ve heard this quite a few times:
“I have school now! My teachers are Miss Carla and Miss Boobie!”
This statement is always followed by confused silence. Jonas is clearly still in speech for a reason. I’m just wondering if he has called his preschool teacher, Miss Barbara, Miss Boobie to her face yet. I’m tempted to volunteer more hours in the classroom just so I can be the fly on the wall that gets to witness it.
Posted by Lou on September 23, 2006 @ 10:01 pm | 9 Comments
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