tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86179206243501475362024-03-21T07:07:06.725-07:00SLCvegansa true story of vegan dreams and omnivore delights in salt lake cityJOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-41664340547642900572011-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:002011-02-12T19:01:29.267-08:00LOVE: Cinnamon Pie Crust Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGteWNLuZkDRwa9mLPIIlwjCZ6RHRx604ZJ2-LLcJa1dgppE0gTAZo6Dd5ovoVQUuGyCnDZsfiHo9v3h6d_JrF8Uz2mcwkImw0aqAlI7VFEQEgdFKZUvnFcdHgmr7FXTE9bdpcYEcMWbB/s1600/DSC01433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGteWNLuZkDRwa9mLPIIlwjCZ6RHRx604ZJ2-LLcJa1dgppE0gTAZo6Dd5ovoVQUuGyCnDZsfiHo9v3h6d_JrF8Uz2mcwkImw0aqAlI7VFEQEgdFKZUvnFcdHgmr7FXTE9bdpcYEcMWbB/s400/DSC01433.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Valentines Day is almost here, and so is spring in Salt Lake City. Or at least I'm telling myself that. When it's feeling warm enough to start thinking of sunbathing, I say spring. The night I made these quick and yummy little cookies was just the start of winter though, and our first snow storm of the winter. I took a couple quick shots outside our house and loved the glitter of the snowflakes in my camera. We brought these cookies over to <a href="http://silgeland.blogspot.com/">Julia's</a> house that night and when her 2 year old wanted another heart shaped cookie, she would ask for "love". I REALLY loved that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7arfDc0-JIdOviV_LIPdrRGRrMBgo3JhLuqdApA_RUWjTojJ8TIA2XJj43M6dY8Up_dbe6vEXovck6Wz93UvA_maA136YmyME6yNYLTngQRGXgG7hxtOCTxCMQ-xG8bY_cBI_iR6Hw5Ej/s1600/DSC01428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7arfDc0-JIdOviV_LIPdrRGRrMBgo3JhLuqdApA_RUWjTojJ8TIA2XJj43M6dY8Up_dbe6vEXovck6Wz93UvA_maA136YmyME6yNYLTngQRGXgG7hxtOCTxCMQ-xG8bY_cBI_iR6Hw5Ej/s400/DSC01428.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCblTWttunSZz2nhGm1QxYfhNsTlNpCClBY8VHsBNHswHNEEIJHODCIzCyHAKmpdFemXFkn1ev0LRPQVJjmd5ce3AMu4T4zkWgejiV00lSwBbdwi8QiEwpYObKgGTou2t5V_js0hwmlecN/s1600/DSC01431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCblTWttunSZz2nhGm1QxYfhNsTlNpCClBY8VHsBNHswHNEEIJHODCIzCyHAKmpdFemXFkn1ev0LRPQVJjmd5ce3AMu4T4zkWgejiV00lSwBbdwi8QiEwpYObKgGTou2t5V_js0hwmlecN/s400/DSC01431.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopRdAl2IzEaGUjHwzsRT6Evxzllmj2VlSyye-_IgSErUfaTNTaDonIlJnvWMDaKZwUr-cdCONL6m1YrxS9nzLp2b331lChX_W4O3hN0JmtZR1XA1Ida0yC02fzA8q36wLjyl6LS35Mybg/s1600/DSC01439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopRdAl2IzEaGUjHwzsRT6Evxzllmj2VlSyye-_IgSErUfaTNTaDonIlJnvWMDaKZwUr-cdCONL6m1YrxS9nzLp2b331lChX_W4O3hN0JmtZR1XA1Ida0yC02fzA8q36wLjyl6LS35Mybg/s400/DSC01439.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKvVQl8LLMVOk-OoVjDvX00JSrkW6ZiWP2ux7arn0nSakP7_NlPryaUiVhfsz6aQhMv06lOc0ce8Rs6oo4w0lAA6WK0XGaCt4-i6fTu28Os6z0fvq3EcaL2a4iomdzvOj6zxAE64FuFlI/s1600/DSC01443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKvVQl8LLMVOk-OoVjDvX00JSrkW6ZiWP2ux7arn0nSakP7_NlPryaUiVhfsz6aQhMv06lOc0ce8Rs6oo4w0lAA6WK0XGaCt4-i6fTu28Os6z0fvq3EcaL2a4iomdzvOj6zxAE64FuFlI/s400/DSC01443.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These cookies are a lovely cross between cookie and cracker and are just barely, yet perfectly sweet. They would also be great smeared with apple butter or drizzled with a little honey. You can find the recipe here at <a href="http://www.yumuniverse.com/2010/06/30/gluten-free-cinnamonpie-crust-cookies/">www.yumuniverse.com</a> . I made mine with spelt flour since I was on the nightshade free diet at the time, but the original recipe is both gluten and wheat-free.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaEoBx5-CY-2-rc2yv7mNSzmpKexM74Te45Zd7Q0HrXOy1S1fhQk6J63QK8WAGOb5soC6As7iDX5PnZIbi1dmaRYalfpbstDFDGhpOGoC2BWRzlS3tMPfx8adYpVE6Sc4aocDAkCVQqAa/s1600/DSC01430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaEoBx5-CY-2-rc2yv7mNSzmpKexM74Te45Zd7Q0HrXOy1S1fhQk6J63QK8WAGOb5soC6As7iDX5PnZIbi1dmaRYalfpbstDFDGhpOGoC2BWRzlS3tMPfx8adYpVE6Sc4aocDAkCVQqAa/s400/DSC01430.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-84771033334773595742011-02-03T12:11:00.000-08:002011-02-03T12:11:19.448-08:00FriendsI've been absent from my little blog for a few weeks now, as we've had lots of good friends visiting, and still many more to come. A couple weeks ago I went with my <a href="http://www.mylittlebuffaloblog.com/">blog designer</a> friend Lisa, of My Little Buffalo, to a party at the beautiful<a href="http://www.grandamerica.com/"> Grand America Hotel</a> in SLC for the Alt conference. We got the guys to join a little in the crazy fun.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYocuZ6eek3aD2fImddfAn2mMKj8CG1rE7y9yuEqjWQpe5L38OOxAna_Psas1lrLsk0Nnw353vhmurd0MLfl0LY5Cy4bDm9jV1f4V-CRwK35TNPVR4-aON17B1HAG58x1valvp7FbPNM_/s1600/5379507547_0607b44779_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYocuZ6eek3aD2fImddfAn2mMKj8CG1rE7y9yuEqjWQpe5L38OOxAna_Psas1lrLsk0Nnw353vhmurd0MLfl0LY5Cy4bDm9jV1f4V-CRwK35TNPVR4-aON17B1HAG58x1valvp7FbPNM_/s400/5379507547_0607b44779_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yx0NWKgKtT-0Re3bT801KxgJvuZMLGcacumWG9s19dyIQG9aXjBOB6qCirzwJqX6Z1LB5BPuOps2tLGSj9Jdb5QKLvRj4IZRwlH37fXhNevgikzB804HaK_KgFz314nxN8RzcWEFl-xx/s1600/5380110232_42a67d6c7d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yx0NWKgKtT-0Re3bT801KxgJvuZMLGcacumWG9s19dyIQG9aXjBOB6qCirzwJqX6Z1LB5BPuOps2tLGSj9Jdb5QKLvRj4IZRwlH37fXhNevgikzB804HaK_KgFz314nxN8RzcWEFl-xx/s400/5380110232_42a67d6c7d_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK5GLgck-2kxsCtM31vadAJ9tMFiWbk7kWyViwQGAbzI7O2KjAxm7zxIaVrBvIfdbhl0iuMcIaeEwGO1SjhK7c_Aoyyupmc7AInHLccC7B2SoTFHvMqKZxQK4JL-Nd5W-4q3iljZuQjvE/s1600/5379507921_4cd2119d82_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK5GLgck-2kxsCtM31vadAJ9tMFiWbk7kWyViwQGAbzI7O2KjAxm7zxIaVrBvIfdbhl0iuMcIaeEwGO1SjhK7c_Aoyyupmc7AInHLccC7B2SoTFHvMqKZxQK4JL-Nd5W-4q3iljZuQjvE/s400/5379507921_4cd2119d82_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-28109061061309623262011-01-20T13:23:00.000-08:002011-01-20T13:23:53.011-08:00Kyle, Joy, and Matt take on Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye!I have a love for singing that runs pretty deep. Growing up I would have chosen to be a singer over anything. I mostly made choices back then from my logical brain, which didn't think my voice would make the cut. Not that I feel any differently about my voice now, but there's so many more sides to being a good singer than just the sound of your voice. One of my favorite sounds in this world is a large group of people singing together acapella. Individually they may be lacking, but together something magical happens and the result is melodic beauty. <br />
<br />
So here's a little video my friend <a href="http://nicksandoval.blogspot.com/">Nick</a> captured...I don't participate in karaoke often, but we were on a cruise ship, it was our friends' wedding, and I love the guys I'm with (who are GREAT rappers). Good family fun (actually you might want to preview before you watch with your kids!). <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/61UibA305wI?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-29336989127056041382011-01-07T21:13:00.000-08:002011-01-07T21:19:10.363-08:00Holiday Food and Art CreationsA few pictures and recipes for fun and delicious things I made during the holidays.<br />
<div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkhPqIjLEix6dQio2dAjhWFznbRvo1CXfWBlG4QSBScLC9Az3CKqR9w76GGSYYdI25w7Q_sirIcukmtUuZryyJfhkWmf0CXQ-8fJzmNVAuiirUa4UCErxpvUqEpboDg6LGWjKcFuN2PgL/s1600/DSC01483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkhPqIjLEix6dQio2dAjhWFznbRvo1CXfWBlG4QSBScLC9Az3CKqR9w76GGSYYdI25w7Q_sirIcukmtUuZryyJfhkWmf0CXQ-8fJzmNVAuiirUa4UCErxpvUqEpboDg6LGWjKcFuN2PgL/s400/DSC01483.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine Cork Wreath </td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7wEE6oLDNq3f5nsfHBv1-VfQ_q_SLgGkztPYFEcklQcUQns1uVSW9YoglpQpjz0aSMGsYueUzD7j-dMA5IftLGrWVMXRkkeaFiUfIwyMKds0jutfJQGelI3DLgObBmIb2XP1sjn7c8fc/s1600/DSC01517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7wEE6oLDNq3f5nsfHBv1-VfQ_q_SLgGkztPYFEcklQcUQns1uVSW9YoglpQpjz0aSMGsYueUzD7j-dMA5IftLGrWVMXRkkeaFiUfIwyMKds0jutfJQGelI3DLgObBmIb2XP1sjn7c8fc/s400/DSC01517.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan English Toffee with Hazelnuts<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.divinerecipes.com/recipe.cfm/recipeid/16060/vegetarian-recipes/English-Toffee/">http://www.divinerecipes.com/recipe.cfm/recipeid/16060/vegetarian-recipes/English-Toffee/ </a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.veganpeace.com/recipe_pages/recipes/EnglishToffeeSquares.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.veganpeace.com/recipe_pages/recipes/EnglishToffeeSquares.htm</span></span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ5onlq7-V-c66WB1hwEgwdfB-f02_4JhwvqgQ_ssfm720f9ZCCUFNPEwFQWAjZQKdhIjJX6n7rWl_jdEiCOfNNKU6ub4-WDdZINmyNUvtA1JILno65kETtLubiLCZMyM1-63cbItx9MF/s1600/DSC01523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ5onlq7-V-c66WB1hwEgwdfB-f02_4JhwvqgQ_ssfm720f9ZCCUFNPEwFQWAjZQKdhIjJX6n7rWl_jdEiCOfNNKU6ub4-WDdZINmyNUvtA1JILno65kETtLubiLCZMyM1-63cbItx9MF/s400/DSC01523.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gingerbread House Dreams</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGteV65hvNz-shf0FYUX8pcu6G_5SKDNMibQTn3BQjWs4Wx0PAdP3ZKxiMiBiE1C6WPxoiP0SU6JWC3HAGaGyEUZYbrydJtU0s7Klj1xBbr-ZYL2ZIJPSE4V48NLicptEKp1vB3i4yBpy/s1600/DSC01543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGteV65hvNz-shf0FYUX8pcu6G_5SKDNMibQTn3BQjWs4Wx0PAdP3ZKxiMiBiE1C6WPxoiP0SU6JWC3HAGaGyEUZYbrydJtU0s7Klj1xBbr-ZYL2ZIJPSE4V48NLicptEKp1vB3i4yBpy/s400/DSC01543.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Fiesta Sangria</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JIyDn7Z6uFEElkOpTL0dumFVyRH066Yml4U-G46a1Tg4rsBuHZUkpZZoAMM5wLxTO4bpveWzAfQrfnqC_S2T24yZHFekkui9ghfVynWjBm3DuV6liS9g-V8dz9GIXMaEn4vobpMuy0Mk/s1600/DSC01590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JIyDn7Z6uFEElkOpTL0dumFVyRH066Yml4U-G46a1Tg4rsBuHZUkpZZoAMM5wLxTO4bpveWzAfQrfnqC_S2T24yZHFekkui9ghfVynWjBm3DuV6liS9g-V8dz9GIXMaEn4vobpMuy0Mk/s400/DSC01590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDsX1yM69nJ_sIIPsRPnoMaSll8wqHulB3ggfqHrT0w66pzmXL52O9izM7QNr49FAwW1Vv4Vz39PoKKdx4EUIcH7UkquqFDbZJHE6v5Vft8TRyxrXnDTEyWCXdlmLc7Yb5QkM9l7vqU8h/s1600/DSC01589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDsX1yM69nJ_sIIPsRPnoMaSll8wqHulB3ggfqHrT0w66pzmXL52O9izM7QNr49FAwW1Vv4Vz39PoKKdx4EUIcH7UkquqFDbZJHE6v5Vft8TRyxrXnDTEyWCXdlmLc7Yb5QkM9l7vqU8h/s400/DSC01589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOtyEqffvhrOKA1QLTJmgECccLs57_BDMH0EowUU7OCJM8Im_vbOgM4e4GC-1dWmXi08DSZnP2cH5RgVtMFrDe-Tn2QuNIsTOHUOjUvmfeaFLzFN9OD3Kf7qnnKO9VImUzbkdAUEbCbpu/s1600/DSC01604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOtyEqffvhrOKA1QLTJmgECccLs57_BDMH0EowUU7OCJM8Im_vbOgM4e4GC-1dWmXi08DSZnP2cH5RgVtMFrDe-Tn2QuNIsTOHUOjUvmfeaFLzFN9OD3Kf7qnnKO9VImUzbkdAUEbCbpu/s400/DSC01604.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas morning breakfast - Aebleskivers<br />
<a href="http://www.karenblixen.com/aebleskiver.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">http://www.karenblixen.com/aebleskiver.html</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBFc40Vpbgdj0LWn7kGDwAPnrsByUDrBK9fxv-j4I7fvA_vAk1DiEBsC_e3c3qb9ZR0Jf9yW-ajQ3KZd1n9S3yM2PDXOnzTsP8lgPXqT36NIpFJe0BkCdZ3TLlSEc2ufSS-IyN3FKmjbz/s1600/DSC01549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBFc40Vpbgdj0LWn7kGDwAPnrsByUDrBK9fxv-j4I7fvA_vAk1DiEBsC_e3c3qb9ZR0Jf9yW-ajQ3KZd1n9S3yM2PDXOnzTsP8lgPXqT36NIpFJe0BkCdZ3TLlSEc2ufSS-IyN3FKmjbz/s400/DSC01549.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baklava Joy<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u><b>Baklava Joy</b></u></div><div>1 Package Organic Spelt Phyllo Dough</div><div>6 1/2 Cups Soaked and Chopped Walnut/Pecan Mixture</div><div>1 1/2 Cups Turbinado Sugar</div><div>2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon</div><div>1/2 Tsp Salt</div><div>1/4 Cup Melted Vegan Butter</div><div>1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil</div><div>3 Cups Honey </div><div>2 Tbsp Lemon Juice<br />
<br />
Finely chop nuts and soak overnight. Drain water, then mix soaked nuts in a bowl with cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Grease 13x9 inch pan. Melt butter and coconut oil on low heat in a pan.<br />
<br />
Cut phyllo dough sheets in half (approximately 13x9 inches) and cover with plastic while using. They will dry out quickly if not used right away. The sheets must also be defrosted according to instructions on box or they will stick together.<br />
<br />
Place first phyllo sheet in the greased pan and brush melted oil mixture over it with a pastry brush. Repeat 9 more times with phyllo dough and oil layers. Sprinkle ~2 cups of the nut mixture over these layers. Repeat 2 more times with oil and phyllo layers and nut mixture.<br />
<br />
For the very top, place as many phyllo sheets as you have remaining, brushing the oil between each layer. Using a sharp knife, score/cut the baklava into whatever shape you like in the pan. <br />
<br />
Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 300 degrees until lightly browned. Before the baklava is done, combine the honey and lemon juice in a pan over low heat until runny. Remove the baklava from the oven and pour the honey and lemon juice combined completely over it. Let the baklava cool and then cover and let sit for a few more hours before you enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-58703273790924616492011-01-06T09:19:00.000-08:002011-01-07T09:02:24.087-08:00Christmas Eve and Mexican Fiesta Dip Recipe<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKN1_PO0L9kcNAoMEyCdyLKfX0QcJX1lP8ZnL4taSSdDNd4VNwPOL3xrsc18-41AHiWgFFcoOCiW9Loc4xZs_Uqp4SEGm6O7lgN1JJlCFdsm5a1iLdfWgs_tqxkR91RbadiOED69alvgf/s1600/DSC01558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKN1_PO0L9kcNAoMEyCdyLKfX0QcJX1lP8ZnL4taSSdDNd4VNwPOL3xrsc18-41AHiWgFFcoOCiW9Loc4xZs_Uqp4SEGm6O7lgN1JJlCFdsm5a1iLdfWgs_tqxkR91RbadiOED69alvgf/s400/DSC01558.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One Christmas Eve, eleven years ago, at the Snug Harbor apartments in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Costellos and the Sandovals started a yearly tradition. I remember the first night had lots of mexican food, family and close friends, and the gift of an electric back massager from Matt and Nick to me, so that I wouldn't have to ask for massages from them anymore. The tradition has continued every year since, moving from Las Vegas to Portland to Salt Lake City. This year we were missing the Sandovals for the first time ever, but got to spend New Years Eve with them instead. And we added some new dear friends to the list, including </span><a href="http://www.thevintagemixer.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Becky</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and Josh, who sweetly said they want to be a part of this tradition with us for the long term. Really nice to have new close friends who want and plan to share life with you like that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfVCNw9bxK_9zwbh5jVe61TZ3hiz89t-e1egzpFgWf3fNtmDaNvIaUfNniqSU8DeaIeMsw2KRGVDWLP3vdCopIKj3QMGewieySelEY2nWIauH5uI-IyaNxFPtqj5-ZDybm2t9t55krdgp/s1600/DSC01563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfVCNw9bxK_9zwbh5jVe61TZ3hiz89t-e1egzpFgWf3fNtmDaNvIaUfNniqSU8DeaIeMsw2KRGVDWLP3vdCopIKj3QMGewieySelEY2nWIauH5uI-IyaNxFPtqj5-ZDybm2t9t55krdgp/s400/DSC01563.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tradition is Kyle makes chicken and vegan enchiladas and I make sangria and baklava. The Sandovals normally make homemade tortillas and vegan taco meat. This year Becky added homemade churros to the tradition's list. We had about 28 people over, after an awesome worship service with <a href="http://missiodeislc.com/">Missio Dei</a>, and the fiesta lasted late into the night. Because I am eating nightshade-free this year, I couldn't have the usual enchiladas. So I decided to try my first attempt at a Mexican nightshade-free dish. I came up with a delicious dip that turned out great, as did the whole night. Very thankful to celebrate our Lord's birth together.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rYqor2LZzhX9xwU_iZl472RKVyP3E3yh_5vjVw3bkCXWLwqNFbMZ_-GS1E8dxoxI6Zg2AzLNMHls9ArKR765zpf7vwQbeVSOJjipAxHjIGHPxeZ6p-8gfT6BHiG4oMsqParlI-uA9pDW/s1600/DSC01567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rYqor2LZzhX9xwU_iZl472RKVyP3E3yh_5vjVw3bkCXWLwqNFbMZ_-GS1E8dxoxI6Zg2AzLNMHls9ArKR765zpf7vwQbeVSOJjipAxHjIGHPxeZ6p-8gfT6BHiG4oMsqParlI-uA9pDW/s320/DSC01567.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fiesta Dip</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the layers (bottom up):</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shredded Cabbage</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinto Beans</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt/Pepper/Cumin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corn</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shredded Rice cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopped green onion</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avocado Mashed with Lime Juice, Garlic, Onion, and Salt (2 avocado: 1 lime: 4 cloves: 1/4 onion ratio)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopped Cilantro</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serve with corn tortilla chips</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAiEYCbsEz0VzCJ-MhMLNAd3Ao9pc1uGXPiPvhohzYMwaTiMSRpOJvMUu0WVD0hCMcStfEv3xijTGaD0tU-NR9kQX9sNb9a28eiyZvjxH2fkeKvdZqmOXofPaAkwzHDcKc1i19e6PkpK1/s1600/DSC01557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAiEYCbsEz0VzCJ-MhMLNAd3Ao9pc1uGXPiPvhohzYMwaTiMSRpOJvMUu0WVD0hCMcStfEv3xijTGaD0tU-NR9kQX9sNb9a28eiyZvjxH2fkeKvdZqmOXofPaAkwzHDcKc1i19e6PkpK1/s400/DSC01557.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-63825218982584721492010-12-13T12:02:00.000-08:002010-12-13T12:21:56.921-08:00How We Got To Salt Lake City...<div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillQVrDsMPpLzFxxdpFUi0yc4n6JBxCcr_NXTMeWHX-ouqEtjAD1mcMJ7PQZY7ixAFF5MgoeUEwafbPzoORz5ZbqmQ98aKV2V_YirpMgEE2np9LRUVNVylt3gaznnI0DSLRuBamUH48OIH/s1600/DSC01473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillQVrDsMPpLzFxxdpFUi0yc4n6JBxCcr_NXTMeWHX-ouqEtjAD1mcMJ7PQZY7ixAFF5MgoeUEwafbPzoORz5ZbqmQ98aKV2V_YirpMgEE2np9LRUVNVylt3gaznnI0DSLRuBamUH48OIH/s400/DSC01473.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Our new community <a href="http://missiodeislc.com/">Missio Dei </a> in SLC</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">edited from a post written on Dec 13, 2009</span></span></i></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></i></span>Not long before we moved to Portland, Kyle told me he was feeling his heart shaped to being part of a church plant. It was a slightly surprising thought to me, mainly because I didn’t feel like we had enough experience. But it also made sense that this was something God would call us to do somewhere in the future, so I allowed myself to remain open minded about the timing. We really only knew how to do church one way and a large part of coming to Portland was our desire to live out the Gospel differently. Part of that difference was the desire to enter into an intentional community where those same values were being lived out. We had all these ideas, pretty radical ideas - ideas we felt were Gospel inspired and that God had been placing in us and shaping us with over the previous few years.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">So we followed God and moved, anticipating what He would show us. And as God does, He answered our prayers beyond what could have ever been expected with a new church family at Imago Dei Community. From the start we were given humble and hardworking volunteer groups to serve with, loving pastors and staff to meet with, tightly knit home communities to visit and participate in, strong leaders and teachings that challenged us, vision and mission and core values that genuinely guided and artfully were woven into every ministry that was birthed out of the church.</span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">And the people! All of the people and friends and best friends and community who’s love and total dependence on Christ their Savior was so raw and beautiful, that it poured out and into our lives in a way that only God could provide - all of these are just a glimpse of the what and who God gave us in Portland. In the midst of two of the roughest years of our lives surrounding the loss of my dad and dog, these were two of the most wonderfully filling ones I can imagine.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">So when Kyle told me that one of our best friends from Vegas had felt led by God to tell Kyle about an upcoming meeting in Salt Lake City to discuss future church plants, my feelings were a little rocked. Because of his background, Kyle told me he was only going to give perspective on the area and just be open to what God might, in the smallest chance be calling us to, and I agreed he should go. So starting that night, I told him I needed to get out all the reasons why I didn’t want to leave Portland, just in case. I wasn’t verbal with my fears, anxiety, and confusion when we moved to Portland, so I wanted to do it differently this time. I have learned that the more honest I can be outside of my head with everything going on inside of my head, the more healing and forward progress seems to occur. God seems to bless my honesty, transparency, and vulnerability with his Truth. Not just knowledge of his Truth, but the actual feeling, believing, and indwelling of his Truth. So Kyle went to the meeting and after the fact it didn’t seem like anything was happening. We prayed through it, but felt uncomfortable and no leading to move forward. </span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">So on an afternoon walk in Lents park by our house, Kyle and I discussed all of this for a final time and felt the great sense of relief believing we were going to stay in Portland. But it was far from final time, as later that day Kyle got a call from Paul. He had met Paul at the SLC meeting a couple month before and had told me when he got home how he had resonated with Paul's philosophy and personality. Paul happened to be the president of the Orchard Group, a church planting organization from the New York. He told Kyle he’d really like us to consider partnering with them and leading a plant in Salt Lake City, or wherever we felt God was leading us to go. So just hours after what we thought was the decision to stay, we both decided we needed to start praying about going.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">So we prayed and that led to us feeling like we needed to bring our church leaders into the praying with us. We had shared it from the start with a couple close friends in our community and the coming response from our church leaders was nothing short of God’s work. They had been building up Kyle from the start to plant a church, and although we all thought that would be in Portland, it made no difference to their support that it would be in SLC. </span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"></span></span></span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">It wasn’t surprising to me that they would respond in this way given the way they had lived their faith out to us in the previous year, but it was still amazing and did not go unnoticed. Our church has been closer than family to us, and so the love, protection, and guidance they gave us, was exactly what we desired. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">We believe that Jesus is the Light of the world, and He commissioned the church to also be that Light, and so practically to have them journey along with us in the searching and seeking of God’s will was a picture of this Light lived out. And so we journeyed. We prayed and we read and we talked and we continued to feel like God was leading us more and more to SLC. The Orchard Group came out to meet with our Elders and it went better than well. There were so many places this all seemed to have the potential for stopping, like in this meeting, but instead it just launched us forward. </span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 36px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">We continued to pray as we enjoyed one of the best summers of my life in Portland, and amongst the summer concerts, beach and mountain hikes, and the PSU farmers markets, it became crystal clear and undeniable that God was indeed calling us to Salt Lake City. I continued to mourn the loss of this city, and felt the need to tell everyone just how much I loved it here. I’m an intensely loyal person, and when a city has felt more like home to me in 2 short years, compared to the city I lived in for 29 years, it’s got my heartstrings attached. Portland is my people. But so far more than that is my desire to follow God. I came to terms with that fact that staying in Portland would only be to gratify myself, and moving to Salt Lake City to plant this church is what God was asking. And if He was calling us elsewhere, than He would provide all that He was asking for and would bless me so much more than what I could get ever from Portland alone.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">In September we prepared and went to a church planting assessment center in Baltimore, MD. It was grueling to prepare and we had only 2 weeks to do it. Preparation encompassed two 175 question psychological tests, a personality test, a spiritual gifts assessment, a behavioral test, and 15 pages of long essay type questions (that’s 15 pages of questions before the answers) that got to the core of your beliefs, your issues, and all the stuff in between. And meanwhile I had the stress of putting my two weeks notice in at work because they wouldn't give me the time off. But somehow we completed all of it and I felt confident God would provide for us despite the loss of my job. When we got there, our first meeting was with a psychologist and the following days were completely packed from about 8am to midnight+ with group activities where we where we had assessors watching our every move. My personality lends itself to always being up for a challenge; so grueling as it was, I loved it. And the affirmation we received from people who didn't know us and didn't owe us anything - assessors and others being assessed with us - was incredible. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">I never expected to be given so much encouragement, support, and confirmation through these folks. Along side this, I was also surprised by a shift in my own heart. Earlier in the summer, Kyle had read me an article about Tim Keller, pastor in NYC, who's wife professed she had no love for that city when they felt God calling them to plant a church there. But they followed God and soon after the move, God changed her heart to love it and now they couldn't imagine loving a place more. I resonated with that feeling and was cool moving to Salt Lake City without loving it. I know I can't manufacture feelings, especially the kind of love God wants me to have/give, so I was content in the prayer for it, knowing he would change me when it was time. But a few weeks before assessment, I started getting excited. Really excited. I didn't feel like I had to defend my love for Portland anymore. I was being poured into by a God who faithfully answers prayers, prayers for joy, and I thought it was hilarious when I would find myself smiling while I was alone - literally grinning ear to ear - while doing the dishes or some random chore. I began to feel an awesome anticipation of what God was doing in SLC - what he had allowed us, chosen us, and designed us to do for Him. I started tasting God's heart for the people in SLC.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> The last few months have literally been a whirlwind here in Portland. I remember the last day in September that it was warm enough for me to be sunbathing outside, and thinking that Christmas was almost here. We've visited SLC (me for the first time since we decided to move), found a home (crazy story), got a job (working at Imago) and have been flown to churches in Texas and Arizona, who's people and leaders have committed to partnering with us. We have watched as God has called our friends - 30 adults and children - from our church body to join us by moving to SLC and being part of the core team. We have been humbled and awestruck so many times, it seems slightly unreal to express the full picture of what we have witnessed God doing and calling His people to. And He has continued to use all these things to shape us and those around us more into His likeness, and all for His Glory, as we continue to move forward. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="style_1" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span> <span class="style_1" style="font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">So that's the story for now...much much more to come. Thanks be to God. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQCH5KbtKrxhOGZjlAoD3tQuTTapvaGbdSETN8xgrVTfVAJjueKrgSwDWaaVADZ4_8kZJq9borBxnUd93RowAlAQ-b443G-BWOUrLj3XAUzKfNUEW2pKj1RGA8wV9NcFXMw8tf1WCQYTf/s1600/IMG_0065.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQCH5KbtKrxhOGZjlAoD3tQuTTapvaGbdSETN8xgrVTfVAJjueKrgSwDWaaVADZ4_8kZJq9borBxnUd93RowAlAQ-b443G-BWOUrLj3XAUzKfNUEW2pKj1RGA8wV9NcFXMw8tf1WCQYTf/s1600/IMG_0065.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imagodeicommunity.com/">Imago Dei Community</a> in PDX</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Video about Missio Dei Community in SLC:<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tuKI_Z6oNsM?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-76795743004176596102010-12-06T13:43:00.000-08:002010-12-06T13:43:20.630-08:00Christmas Traditions and Shoofly Pie Cookies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Pp_tpdB1h32IWLeAMGi0RDRdcnon09xG0r_w0RUxUW-L3Up2UeqOOv6SXjjV22pPfVxQVQjkHKz7iQS4NrBRVEQdFqmcT97umSo_Y0gbTaZafQOnBA2IZtU7d9KJDG84szHxpe0Q1AQ/s1600/DSC01461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Pp_tpdB1h32IWLeAMGi0RDRdcnon09xG0r_w0RUxUW-L3Up2UeqOOv6SXjjV22pPfVxQVQjkHKz7iQS4NrBRVEQdFqmcT97umSo_Y0gbTaZafQOnBA2IZtU7d9KJDG84szHxpe0Q1AQ/s400/DSC01461.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Pole Pines in Farr West, Utah</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been a tradition of ours for many years now to cut down our Christmas tree the morning after Thanksgiving. Once home, the Christmas music turns on, the decorations come out, and the tree goes up. We always have <i>Elf</i> and <i>Christmas Vacation</i> playing on the screen, as we decorate and eat yummy leftovers from Thanksgiving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year we found a Christmas tree farm called <a href="http://www.northpolepines.com/">North Pole Pines</a> in Farr West, Utah. Friday morning we woke up early, stopped by a new downtown coffee and tea shop called <a href="http://www.thevintagemixer.com/2010/11/rose-establishment-in-downtown-salt.html">The Rose Establishment</a>, and then headed north to Farr West. The air was crisp and the sun was shining as we found the perfect Balsam Fir amidst the backdrop of dramatic mountains to the east. It was quite stunning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO6uQnhN038YvOBFTEFZRIFhqDLLa3SQ3TTko2L66HWEJ16pHXJihBLCYOP-l3x7YldHicizgqEtHItNTzlDT7A-UjfGI4hCdh7y2vF3fz_RqAuK2XWApI30egQ0IPrD39tBFKNW-uyBr/s1600/DSC01460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO6uQnhN038YvOBFTEFZRIFhqDLLa3SQ3TTko2L66HWEJ16pHXJihBLCYOP-l3x7YldHicizgqEtHItNTzlDT7A-UjfGI4hCdh7y2vF3fz_RqAuK2XWApI30egQ0IPrD39tBFKNW-uyBr/s400/DSC01460.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwbTYv8HEWnOuSoKKbN_1H70f1s0Drk9xWE1lgG4SCgyiDpXq007oPpYX77CJSNHV7I8xAIGs-9qLG9Zx42zqxe5bYXrV1stcg1RPPIXjhsjEoU2TNHwBoX_R-elw6bu5KAFIYMAtOZ2T/s1600/DSC01462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwbTYv8HEWnOuSoKKbN_1H70f1s0Drk9xWE1lgG4SCgyiDpXq007oPpYX77CJSNHV7I8xAIGs-9qLG9Zx42zqxe5bYXrV1stcg1RPPIXjhsjEoU2TNHwBoX_R-elw6bu5KAFIYMAtOZ2T/s400/DSC01462.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of our newest holiday favorites is a recipe for Shoofly Pie Cookies. We had the pie version for the first time last year from <a href="http://sweetpeabaking.com/">Sweetpea Baking Co.</a> in Portland, so this year I decided to try it out at home. It's a fluffy molasses type dessert from the early 1920's and was a tradition among early American settlers called the Pennsylvania Dutch who migrated from Germany. It's also quite popular among the Amish people today. The meaning behind the name may originate from the pie's sticky sweetness which would attract flies and leave bakers with the job of constantly shooing them away. Or it may also have come from a popular molasses in the 18th century called Shoofly Molasses. I love the uniqueness, history, and lovely taste of this long time American tradition.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAVOFLDXqs86YNMaHTVq6Y9vYLzK4PgEl3uW5NF2-puVVWnsuNMQxa1CdVLur6d6tre9hwr5neBsSZ7KdcAdZvRRzqKYxmPkx25wJGICp-EgwRpqRpowwDT0d2V2Fok1-9J6Mdn3adADZ/s1600/DSC01469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAVOFLDXqs86YNMaHTVq6Y9vYLzK4PgEl3uW5NF2-puVVWnsuNMQxa1CdVLur6d6tre9hwr5neBsSZ7KdcAdZvRRzqKYxmPkx25wJGICp-EgwRpqRpowwDT0d2V2Fok1-9J6Mdn3adADZ/s400/DSC01469.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoofly Pie Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Shoofly Pie Cookies</u> (modified from a recipe at <a href="http://veganthyme.blogspot.com/2009/12/vegan-shoo-fly-christmas-cookies.html">Vegan Thyme</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Pie Crust:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup coconut butter or oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp. salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 cups spelt flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup boiling water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mash the coconut butter and then add salt and mash again. Boil water and pour it over the coconut and salt. Mix well and allow to come to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and form the mixture into a ball. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish and press out crust onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The Filling:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i></i>1/4 plus 1/8 cup molasses </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/8 cup agave</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup boiling water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Crumb Top:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 cup coconut butter or oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup turbinado sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups spelt flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp ground ginger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 tsp ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in the crumb mixture in a food processor. In a separate bowl, mix all the filling ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of the filling onto the pie crust, then sprinkle about 1/3 of the crumb mixture on top. Repeat this two more times. Place in oven and bake for approx. 35 minutes. The top will be a bit golden when it is ready. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then cover and chill cookies in fridge before serving.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKMysPT2_FyG2GQ42QqHy3dSbREdZsdYUCNH62AFNAQafB2hmRmD6dfsNhBqs1qVtzPRGjSkDyZamwxQWcloPWPbFgm-th5rWPyMLqjexCiNuXh5p0QRfa-pgmyIrmLy2BR66_bcZTt9R/s1600/DSC01493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKMysPT2_FyG2GQ42QqHy3dSbREdZsdYUCNH62AFNAQafB2hmRmD6dfsNhBqs1qVtzPRGjSkDyZamwxQWcloPWPbFgm-th5rWPyMLqjexCiNuXh5p0QRfa-pgmyIrmLy2BR66_bcZTt9R/s400/DSC01493.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLC Christmas Tree 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
</div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-12524872654891570342010-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:002010-12-04T15:17:28.781-08:00Thanksgiving and Vegan Dinner Rolls<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_dJfWICTySBiuUlfiJAJ5fr8BtYxlw_82DK02-mOdutoF2MzYQpW7075XkXwM-agE5YMcfeoI1YPdJRfdTlyroigJO-KKTBfQQfnQRBDkJSrQLvjwiVP-EeBRM03nO3WDIndgON1StpA/s1600/DSC01453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_dJfWICTySBiuUlfiJAJ5fr8BtYxlw_82DK02-mOdutoF2MzYQpW7075XkXwM-agE5YMcfeoI1YPdJRfdTlyroigJO-KKTBfQQfnQRBDkJSrQLvjwiVP-EeBRM03nO3WDIndgON1StpA/s400/DSC01453.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costello Thanksgiving 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband is one amazing cook. He doesn't enjoy it quite like I do, but his finished products are always incredible and this Thanksgiving was no exception. As I put together the menu the week before, Kyle told me he wanted to make dinner rolls for the first time. His sister Michelle is the master roll maker in the family, so it was fun to think of her big brother taking on this tradition. Working with yeast, kneading dough, and allowing rolls to double rise take a ton of patience and some good skill for any baker. Along with finding a great recipe and veganizing it for me, this was no small undertaking and Kyle literally made the best rolls I've ever tasted. Awesome work husband of mine!</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw8jdw0QxndB8DX9fQqT-VyAJVGngydS6SjDqkHCf7K-bGK1vJLZc07WszhoAanyVUFouGkfkpUKWG5MaQrYw2RvO2QjgmtQ-wFPRlorkw2aeNutCAtUQ_akKGa4BmjOaUtdv1kslI4ER/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw8jdw0QxndB8DX9fQqT-VyAJVGngydS6SjDqkHCf7K-bGK1vJLZc07WszhoAanyVUFouGkfkpUKWG5MaQrYw2RvO2QjgmtQ-wFPRlorkw2aeNutCAtUQ_akKGa4BmjOaUtdv1kslI4ER/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">K's Kick Ass Vegan Rolls </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(modified from </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parker-House-Rolls-360791"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parker House Rolls</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup plain almond milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoon vegan butter</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tablespoon sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons warm (105 - 115 degrees F) water</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 package active dry yeast</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons ground flax seed and 1/4 cup water</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 1/3 to 3 2/3 cups Organic white flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melted vegan butter</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat almond milk until warm (105 - 115 degrees F). Add and stir vegan butter, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Combine flax seed and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Combine water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved (about 5 minutes - should bubble). When the almond milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, stir it into the yeast. Beat in the flax seed mixture, which should have the consistency of an egg. Stir in part of the flour, and then knead in the rest (use only enough flour to form an easily handled dough). Place in an oiled bowl and brush the top with melted butter. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Roll the dough out into a long log (approx. 30 inches) and slice into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten into a 2 inch round. Fold the rolls in half and press the edges together lightly. Place about 2 inches apart on oiled baking sheets. Let rise again in a warm place until light, about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (or 325 degrees F convection oven). Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUmI1_JCwL6XzuzmIhecglcwWhIuZc4c2sVUMEfAj80SEGLmwesEO1VdJbHBrMfF1jOXx7f5YJurkd7mBWbPZ990N19lWlFvh5aNvKV4jDfrrMztVJVlInFdxVJwzxscOOcelnjE5N1v3/s1600/DSC01455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUmI1_JCwL6XzuzmIhecglcwWhIuZc4c2sVUMEfAj80SEGLmwesEO1VdJbHBrMfF1jOXx7f5YJurkd7mBWbPZ990N19lWlFvh5aNvKV4jDfrrMztVJVlInFdxVJwzxscOOcelnjE5N1v3/s400/DSC01455.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time To Eat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-42245388225057416672010-11-19T10:53:00.000-08:002010-11-19T10:53:53.328-08:00Sweet Strawberry Jam<div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9pWhsv-eAikntIkGLJAdjQ3Wflwn6RK1DFZ17UJq2RZiCKx6pMfM2_IYa-RsYPphG3Ad6ZpUvTfbWFqMLAk-CHm_mwcK7NJxV2jdsyEhb2qP2j5k3nLGKYc71_crEMUKp9LFEe1M9hf2/s1600/IMG_0333.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9pWhsv-eAikntIkGLJAdjQ3Wflwn6RK1DFZ17UJq2RZiCKx6pMfM2_IYa-RsYPphG3Ad6ZpUvTfbWFqMLAk-CHm_mwcK7NJxV2jdsyEhb2qP2j5k3nLGKYc71_crEMUKp9LFEe1M9hf2/s320/IMG_0333.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have always loved strawberries, but I would never say we were best friends until I moved to Portland, Oregon. My first summer there, I bought a flat of locally grown berries from a stand on the side of the road. When the first fruit hit my mouth, it was like I had never tasted a strawberry before. I mean truly, it was unbelievable. Kyle said the only place he had ever tasted strawberries like these before was in his grandparents' Utah garden. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The following year we set out to Sauvie Island to pick strawberries with our good friends Emily, Jeremy, Cole, Aviana, and Alydia. We began our evening with a picnic dinner and then headed into the fields. Everyone seemed to have their own goal for the evening. Kyle was on the hunt for the biggest strawberries. Cole looked for the rotting ones he could use as shooting missiles. Emily was determined to get enough strawberries to feed her family for the next 25 years. And Aviana made me smile when we sat in the fields picking together and she would proclaim "Joy, that is the most beautiful strawberry ever". And she was right.</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9Jq8P5dx45IK1RPiLNqCKMFN9z-acvcK8EQojq7VidzeKESN6ifwRqLsyxh4MR5EapFR9dC71jzex4VkRaO6Eg4p3sjejsdWe-XpfnVC21HUR2aQm5MCrVJ5WBQVZdIPlthZNTt5TM_A/s1600/IMG_0331.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9Jq8P5dx45IK1RPiLNqCKMFN9z-acvcK8EQojq7VidzeKESN6ifwRqLsyxh4MR5EapFR9dC71jzex4VkRaO6Eg4p3sjejsdWe-XpfnVC21HUR2aQm5MCrVJ5WBQVZdIPlthZNTt5TM_A/s1600/IMG_0331.jpeg" /></a></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHqskDHMop6eg1w4xUtyaCAC_1DPDuu97nAnEkdlQ3hjWcPdWgWPmsBQuYSGg3USL4wcfO07NBce6krV_3AHGhQjED0F7B9dj2vadFusNAvoTI8Db-nEP6RetS5dGY59RzYpK_yKKWuh5/s1600/IMG_0335.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHqskDHMop6eg1w4xUtyaCAC_1DPDuu97nAnEkdlQ3hjWcPdWgWPmsBQuYSGg3USL4wcfO07NBce6krV_3AHGhQjED0F7B9dj2vadFusNAvoTI8Db-nEP6RetS5dGY59RzYpK_yKKWuh5/s1600/IMG_0335.jpeg" /></a></div></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LHoRgSS92JVSJJrvM63z5sYWaD_JwL_F5SNlhYtJQa1VAqCRJ9smsDwuTWh6H5cxTZcZwyyfj03lf14wRiLwf00-fOjWRqA0GdOrbRjwqCKRMvhSHPlvivFSM9rzdab_U5JgbQAa7SCn/s1600/IMG_0336.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LHoRgSS92JVSJJrvM63z5sYWaD_JwL_F5SNlhYtJQa1VAqCRJ9smsDwuTWh6H5cxTZcZwyyfj03lf14wRiLwf00-fOjWRqA0GdOrbRjwqCKRMvhSHPlvivFSM9rzdab_U5JgbQAa7SCn/s1600/IMG_0336.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGwzqHucTba-FQ83jfST8-UA9ozBY22lyNK014RI3bNWdM66Qz3OXdsoetxKOAhYuMKz32omRXlCX7Nj4GNIywrJbo2hFhQxbXjbJkBx5x4KyUi9T1qbbGquVY4kLs5c50LqSFeqRd-1y/s1600/IMG_0332.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGwzqHucTba-FQ83jfST8-UA9ozBY22lyNK014RI3bNWdM66Qz3OXdsoetxKOAhYuMKz32omRXlCX7Nj4GNIywrJbo2hFhQxbXjbJkBx5x4KyUi9T1qbbGquVY4kLs5c50LqSFeqRd-1y/s1600/IMG_0332.jpeg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over 26 lbs of strawberries later, Kyle and I were busy cleaning and cutting them all in our little kitchen. I believe Kyle filled four large bags of strawberries to my one, mostly because most of them didn't make it past my mouth. With the five remaining bags, I decided to make my first batch of jam ever. It was a hit. </span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sweet Strawberry Jam</span></span></b></u></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 Cup Strawberry Juice</span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 Cups Strawberries</span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 Tbsp Agar Agar Flakes</span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Tbsp Lemon Juice</span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Cup Agave Syrup</span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First step is to smash the strawberries and strain out the juice. If you can't get enough juice you can add a little water instead. Mix the Agar Agar (vegan substitute for gelatin - flavorless seaweed) with the juice and let stand for 15 minutes. Next add the 4 cups of smashed strawberries and put all on the stove top. Slowly bring to a boil for 1-5 minutes. Turn off the burner and let cool slightly before adding the agave syrup and lemon juice. Mix all together and pour into glass jars. If you can wait (seriously, who can wait?) let them set in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight. </span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">NOTE: I don't exactly measure my ingredients so the amounts may need to be changed up slightly depending on your batch, but this should get you pretty close!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyc-DDMnDh-SlttcnNGcaY0fdOhR7LAmCUseH9QBp9aR5aR091p38t5UjDEjIWxzxJVNIcKscyhKmByQFSdmvAsokMCRGkZUaahgqDdgoq_wgUTHOf-T-emq7GX6k815GSUuRgSKFD_eo/s1600/IMG_0330.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyc-DDMnDh-SlttcnNGcaY0fdOhR7LAmCUseH9QBp9aR5aR091p38t5UjDEjIWxzxJVNIcKscyhKmByQFSdmvAsokMCRGkZUaahgqDdgoq_wgUTHOf-T-emq7GX6k815GSUuRgSKFD_eo/s1600/IMG_0330.jpeg" /></a></div></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-2410278529415871142010-11-08T14:48:00.000-08:002010-11-08T15:13:31.596-08:00Babycakes NYC Cookbook and Recipe Review<div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial-BoldMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNEaqJULjLjwUP9XfcbmYGAhwgnAi_My5c_2g6WKt6CqY2OuOfaPkmXNfC_UouF6JZyezvT56rSuV5oi1LndPjXyctQQLKKSaVBeCt2zIrn2UPSGvjbc1nivJY761nBZYoz_KCoB59ySc/s1600/DSC00848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNEaqJULjLjwUP9XfcbmYGAhwgnAi_My5c_2g6WKt6CqY2OuOfaPkmXNfC_UouF6JZyezvT56rSuV5oi1LndPjXyctQQLKKSaVBeCt2zIrn2UPSGvjbc1nivJY761nBZYoz_KCoB59ySc/s400/DSC00848.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><i>Los Angeles Location</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Last Christmas, Kyle bought me this <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/books.html">cookbook</a> from Babycakes NYC. The pictures inside are gorgeous and the recipes are delightful, but my most exciting discovery is the proprietress of Babycakes NYC, Erin McKenna, bakes just like me. The front cover reads "vegan, gluten-free, and (mostly) sugar-free recipes" and they also use primarily soy free, organic, and local ingredients.</span></span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span> </div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">I have been making my way through the cookbook since January, and although I still make changes **What did you expect?! :-)** I'm excited to finally have a kindred author and baker to learn from. One recipe called johnnyCakes, described as "part pancake, part Biscuit, and a New England breakfast staple", has become a family favorite. The only thing I switch up is how they look coming out of the oven. Mine have a biscuit instead of pancake shape, giving them a little extra moisture and fluff in our dry high desert climate. We've enjoyed them</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> plain or spread with apple butter or marionberry jam. This johnnyCakes recipe is night-shade free, but many of the other recipes in the cookbook use potato starch, which is not. Corn starch can be substituted in this case.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span> </div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My husband and best friend are not vegan, so for breakfast this morning, their plates were filled with organic turkey breakfast links and free range eggs. For myself I made a side dish of grilled tempeh, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and Daiya mozzarella cheese. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgVlty4pq0a2yWiCOSCs9q1f5lMdXjgnfpP5lhK4lP_nm83F4it_fXKD9i3nfpREfVt13UIknXwOO5axoVMaxXuXbcRxxoxLVGv6IxRXtlRs9-DVDuDFx2fuGeb84EstThfM37QwmMj9-/s1600/DSC_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgVlty4pq0a2yWiCOSCs9q1f5lMdXjgnfpP5lhK4lP_nm83F4it_fXKD9i3nfpREfVt13UIknXwOO5axoVMaxXuXbcRxxoxLVGv6IxRXtlRs9-DVDuDFx2fuGeb84EstThfM37QwmMj9-/s320/DSC_0010.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc9RmQ_GLVzjyoJceSWp_r4_XitZOzdwfoKVC64TxlAdSIdXwQ17xWEYRhxF3iNUfF1HgTSWhqsI-3EdYCKdju1F_EFLIukMqBcaw5Ar0FreoXDoz7aAO4S3IGqjox29J7BVsIYdQSC-S/s1600/DSC_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc9RmQ_GLVzjyoJceSWp_r4_XitZOzdwfoKVC64TxlAdSIdXwQ17xWEYRhxF3iNUfF1HgTSWhqsI-3EdYCKdju1F_EFLIukMqBcaw5Ar0FreoXDoz7aAO4S3IGqjox29J7BVsIYdQSC-S/s320/DSC_0011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also found a video that BabycakesNYC released for their <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/books.html">cookbook</a>. It's super girly, fun, and filmed at their NYC location.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial-BoldMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/3963229" width="400"></iframe></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/3963229">BabyCakes, the Book of Recipes: It's Here!</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1523068">BabyCakes NYC</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-16471434770905233482010-11-04T16:12:00.000-07:002010-11-09T12:50:55.445-08:00A Few of My Favorite Things - OSCAR<div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">I wrote this blog a couple days after Oscar died. He had been diagnosed with a malignant form of cancer and it soon became too much for his little body to handle. I remember the months leading up to it felt like the longest days I had ever experienced. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Ignited by the dying process and extending far beyond it, I was emotionally at my lowest point. I wasn't journaling regularly, but it seemed helpful for me to write this and acknowledge my love and sadness in a more public way. Since that time, I've become increasingly grateful for the ability to express whatever I'm feeling in my writing. I write in a personal journal almost every day and God has used it to bring some deep healing, transformation, and a growing relationship with him and others as I spend this time with him. It has been both priceless and miraculous in the midst of some of the darkest times.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">This has been a hard post for me to go back through. Especially the pictures...it's felt sad to spend a lot of time there. Sometimes numbing. Especially as I'm not only reminded of my dog's life, but of my dad's as well. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpMsbY4J0q13hoeffZhipNkzb99RsqysufV4A_cOKNfle_5DOsSB5yRYiE9-_mqz_-6CzeYp-WaLRjISOsxuQ1jk1JJnRw0cBQc22gm2JtvlQ1-T75J0N8TnjK2pfStXSHLvjj_QjDAOC/s1600/PICT3680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpMsbY4J0q13hoeffZhipNkzb99RsqysufV4A_cOKNfle_5DOsSB5yRYiE9-_mqz_-6CzeYp-WaLRjISOsxuQ1jk1JJnRw0cBQc22gm2JtvlQ1-T75J0N8TnjK2pfStXSHLvjj_QjDAOC/s400/PICT3680.JPG" width="400" /></span></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">These are a Few of My Favorite Things</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My second blog, in memory of our pup Oscar, who went up to be with Jesus. I like imagining what those two are doing together. When Oscar died, I imagined him jumping off the table and into Jesus's arms as the two left together. It was helpful for me to imagine that. Oscar left us yesterday and after talking to so many of you, I was reminded of the many memories you all shared with Oscar. I want to share some of those with you. It's stunning to see the special relationship between humans and animals. Oscar is a beautiful reflection of his creator. I love and miss you my puppy.</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> </span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mike, a favorite memory with you and Oscar was when you had to dress him by yourself in the tux we had for him for our wedding reception. You mentioned he was just a little pissed. From that point on, Oscar seemed to eye you with a certain amount of love and distain. “I like this guy, but I still want to kick his ass for putting that tux on me.” Thanks Mike.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E1oyfOc_CtHSQV9WCi6jKDkfdv0UV-_aH_bsL0FfNW-hAx8sbrjbLtSqrAz2OtcenGPS7BlnsFLtHkvNCYrEzlylszuXhyphenhyphenntVJtGxrHUq2WBLxrS3Zn0EHaBKyQb-AkdHPjqbJXzrrNJ/s1600/Oscar+with+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Catherine. A favorite memory of you and Oscar was the time we set up for the garage sale late into the night, and then came back our house to get a couple hours of sleep. We both got into the bed and Oscar jumped right in and slept in the middle of us. You had every reason to freak out considering your allergies, but you totally let him stay and I know Oscar loved you for it.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E1oyfOc_CtHSQV9WCi6jKDkfdv0UV-_aH_bsL0FfNW-hAx8sbrjbLtSqrAz2OtcenGPS7BlnsFLtHkvNCYrEzlylszuXhyphenhyphenntVJtGxrHUq2WBLxrS3Zn0EHaBKyQb-AkdHPjqbJXzrrNJ/s400/Oscar+with+ball.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">like father like son</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mom, I’ve got a couple favorite memories of you and Oscar. I remember when you baby-sat Oscar and while outside, he knocked you down in excitement, giving you the biggest bruise I’ve ever seen. He played a little rough some times, could be a punk, and may have seen a hint of fear in your eyes. I also remember the time you picked him up from the vet after he had eaten bees and we were out of town. When I called you, the two of you were having an afternoon on the couch with hand fed carrots and a doggie massage. It was fun to see the love between you. I also loved when you tried making me a blanket which Oscar quickly claimed as his own, rolling around on it on the floor as you knotted. </span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That reminds me of you Dad. We know you're a little compulsive on the house cleaning thing, so when we’d come over with Oscar you wanted him outside, as not to make any messes. Well, long after we had potty trained him, we brought him over to your house and on the way out the back door he stopped and peed on your vacuum. A little piss and vinegar for his grandpa I think. So contrast that to the pictures of you two ON YOUR BED watching tv and eating carrots together (after mom had picked Oscar up from the vet), and all we could do was laugh. Oscar had gotten to you too. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCyaDb9cq4JTXsiAvoGUxlx4rUfeyWYzbOcJ1Ita15uzlp2hXI5I74Flqw9vUbV9fTkdcj0u9LpXSpvBW07HqkD4zFUxpEBQsgsr8umhn-mH7evR7iQFYwGiRyqjM6shveKnnj9Rko0U0/s1600/PICT3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCyaDb9cq4JTXsiAvoGUxlx4rUfeyWYzbOcJ1Ita15uzlp2hXI5I74Flqw9vUbV9fTkdcj0u9LpXSpvBW07HqkD4zFUxpEBQsgsr8umhn-mH7evR7iQFYwGiRyqjM6shveKnnj9Rko0U0/s400/PICT3642.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">marathon running family</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Erica, you were Oscar’s go-to caretaker when we were out of town. We felt so comfortable leaving him with you and knew he would be cared for like he was your own. Oscar had a special place in his heart for his Auntie. I will always remember all the times we'd hear of you two snuggling up in bed all day long when you babysat for him. He loved having a sleeping-in partner and I heard a little spooning went on in that bed! Oscar also loved being looked up to by little Taya, as she followed him around everywhere and copied his every move.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chris, that reminds me of a favorite memory of you and Oscar. One night at small group Oscar crawled up on the couch with us, made his way over to you, and started licking your face. He loved to lick and kiss as much as possible. So because you let him, he continued to move up you until he had you pinned to the back of the couch, heavily making out. It was hilarious and you were a good sport. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIO8foprkfk2-70Qeu33nJzp0n8TBIOCtNVFuPGLqDN6J_8P4SjZkmTyjBkA3vhmGOUr2Fd5H1Qnf0J89w9-YR35zmoYZp0DZLNaFwUb0rYjpVCksO9hhxag1gHJtSwABnt8fxiQD3-rik/s1600/PICT2147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIO8foprkfk2-70Qeu33nJzp0n8TBIOCtNVFuPGLqDN6J_8P4SjZkmTyjBkA3vhmGOUr2Fd5H1Qnf0J89w9-YR35zmoYZp0DZLNaFwUb0rYjpVCksO9hhxag1gHJtSwABnt8fxiQD3-rik/s400/PICT2147.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">road trip to bryce canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Matt and Bart. I’ll put you two together because of your shared distaste for animals in general. ;-) Yet when Oscar would come around Bart, I could tell things were a little different. While petting him, Bart would make comments like...”Well, big dogs are different” and “Oscar is laid back.” And Matt, as much as he is allergic to all things that have hair, I could tell he had a soft spot for Oscar. His guard seemed to be down and his unspoken feelings towards our pup spoke a lot to me.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nick, my favorite thing to remember with you and Oscar was you admiration towards him. I can’t tell you how much I loved every time you would come over and love on Oscar and say “This is the best dog ever”. You really never stopped saying that, and since Oscar understood the English language, his uncle Nick won his heart. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-bYI7KSqSLYZxDjOOnuWgjZfnxgwITrPD1eZB58d0hdDZokpciV-3dnYvGUmdS-rPKcNmFClM4nNoCDQH3iWZJ40eGjQfm67NGYS9rGiliGX_JVq1Num7xAhyZ0SOg-eekS_PYvgfy2k/s1600/PICT2607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-bYI7KSqSLYZxDjOOnuWgjZfnxgwITrPD1eZB58d0hdDZokpciV-3dnYvGUmdS-rPKcNmFClM4nNoCDQH3iWZJ40eGjQfm67NGYS9rGiliGX_JVq1Num7xAhyZ0SOg-eekS_PYvgfy2k/s400/PICT2607.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our guard dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stacey, a favorite memory of you and Oscar is a recent one. When you and Nick came up to Portland and we all went to Cannon Beach together, Oscar could not get enough of you. I loved watching him look back at you as we walked, making sure you were with us and were okay. He then crawled into your lap on the drive home and jumped into bed with you the next morning. It seemed like he had felt an instant connection and found a new best friend for life.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOeO07-C_Lr7dU7EVX0B0_qz08i6bJt2W4MALgxC3Bqed5z6R0K54N_yiQ2shMIy7DSaQHxSRT6rhpN5ptDhm0D_xhqoNIaH_LTOC2PgGm9jnmCX0WBwWWvDSUBcG7JP_6kHMr0zbVtA3/s1600/HPIM0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michelle, my favorite memories with you and Oscar go way back to our roommate days. Like when Kyle first brought Oscar home. You were there to meet him with me, only 3 pounds and 6 weeks old. You remember when Oscar came bounding down the hallway that night, straight towards me. It was you and I who introduced him to the grass lawn for the first time, which he was initially deadly afraid of. You saw him play with his first tennis ball, you saw me dress him up for his first halloween, and you watched him quickly destroy every pair of my work stockings. I love that you got to share those first moments with us and that he also knew you from the very beginning.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOeO07-C_Lr7dU7EVX0B0_qz08i6bJt2W4MALgxC3Bqed5z6R0K54N_yiQ2shMIy7DSaQHxSRT6rhpN5ptDhm0D_xhqoNIaH_LTOC2PgGm9jnmCX0WBwWWvDSUBcG7JP_6kHMr0zbVtA3/s400/HPIM0627.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">car ride with maama</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Al, a favorite memory of you and Oscar is when you helped us move up to Portland. I think you really got to see Oscar’s personality on that trip and quite liked it. You taught Jackson how to say Oscar; which we heard him say last month on Skype. Oscar had never given notice to us being on Skype before, until Jackson saw him and said "Oscar". It was so sweet and adorable. My least favorite memory was the time you picked Michelle up from our house for a date and you told her Oscar was overweight, and she told me. :-) You quickly realized you can never tell a mother her son is anything less than perfect, and I’m pretty sure you’ve been trying to make up for it ever since. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adam, my favorite memories of you and Oscar are when you were smaller and would play tug of war together. Oscar</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> would lie down on his side, gripping the tug toy in his mouth, and let you pull him all over the house. I never saw him do that with anyone else! You gave him the names “Gentle Giant” and “Oscar the Boscar” which totally stuck. You also had sleepovers with Oscar in his bed, which he thought was the best thing ever.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPL7solqsCY7LblpHd0iiNY8y1FPtDaOjnhfOIXJ5xZpbZ3osdJfxI0u32QQmFQuyYSlyWrFmenMvYZwerbAtyqz2yUfSSq_RSmxqDHQvtJFQxusiqBiI89NGuw3J5E6Sbye2G4sz_h6p/s1600/IMG23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPL7solqsCY7LblpHd0iiNY8y1FPtDaOjnhfOIXJ5xZpbZ3osdJfxI0u32QQmFQuyYSlyWrFmenMvYZwerbAtyqz2yUfSSq_RSmxqDHQvtJFQxusiqBiI89NGuw3J5E6Sbye2G4sz_h6p/s400/IMG23.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eating broccoli</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ryan, my favorite memories of you and Oscar also have to do with sleeping! Sometimes when you stayed with us it would be early afternoon and you and Oscar would still be crashed out on the bed. We couldn’t get you up, and Oscar would keep his eyes closed, pretending he was still sleeping too. He loved his sleep partners!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhtClY7eE59im1XP2Sv2p3J1SGI55QcVpQXkE-BIBhRZPpNPk_ZwWqtQ2y-F8wzfGZEBbFrmv031A0cgiubvbUS-LP6YkXTSF0L57LeuxNRH1vPpLpIaPyCUNjNSEv1Ec-Qf4bOzqa83X/s1600/Oscarlook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dave, my favorite memory of you and Oscar was while you lived with us. Every time you walked in the door, you would say “How's my big pup!” and Oscar would jump up, shake his butt, and lick your face all over. You loved Oscar dearly and we could see the sparkle every time you mentioned his name.</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Erin, a favorite memory of you and Oscar was when you played tug of war with him. It was his favorite game to play and rarely could he ever get anyone to play with him. But you would for as long as he wanted. It's no wonder you would need to sit in the massage chair for hours afterwards...and he always tried to crawl into your lap there too! </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhtClY7eE59im1XP2Sv2p3J1SGI55QcVpQXkE-BIBhRZPpNPk_ZwWqtQ2y-F8wzfGZEBbFrmv031A0cgiubvbUS-LP6YkXTSF0L57LeuxNRH1vPpLpIaPyCUNjNSEv1Ec-Qf4bOzqa83X/s400/Oscarlook.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">adorable pup</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kris, I love thinking about the time you helped take care of Oscar while Kyle and I were on our honeymoon. The story always began with you getting home from school, changing into wrestling clothes, and then going at it. High jumps over couches, body slams...he’d try to get a new wrestling match started every time he saw you after that!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Glory, a favorite memory of you and Oscar was when you watched him while we were out of town. Although you hadn’t gotten a whole lot of time with him before then, you sent me a text that weekend saying “Oscar and I are in love...we we’ve been spending all weekend looking into each others eyes.” </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWWdMdVW8W1VN3Jss1ZaVkxlv4zpNdkRrCZtS0xltqi77lGBZyd_zJe32tB6yQbwrCGM3sZVPs8RpraleBic1b_Ouuf18SIPSIJlZsaeJx54sO8HLOXhiyuSGck-_hROvsA8mqxpDg94n/s1600/PICT2179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tom, my favorite memory of you and Oscar was the time he got so excited as you walked in our front door. From a standstill, he literally jumped up and swiped the lens of your glasses with his tongue. I think Oscar knew you had a big heart for pups. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWWdMdVW8W1VN3Jss1ZaVkxlv4zpNdkRrCZtS0xltqi77lGBZyd_zJe32tB6yQbwrCGM3sZVPs8RpraleBic1b_Ouuf18SIPSIJlZsaeJx54sO8HLOXhiyuSGck-_hROvsA8mqxpDg94n/s400/PICT2179.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">camping trip to zion</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kendra, a memory that makes me laugh is when we were muscle testing ourselves in our front room and Oscar started staring us down. He definitely looked upset, like he was going to eat us or something. I also love that it was you and Millie, who invited Oscar and I to our first trip to the dog park. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carolyn, when I think about you and Oscar I’m reminded of what a gorgeous dog you always thought he was. If Oscar wanted some great compliments, he definitely got them from you. Kyle also reminded me of when you had your knee surgery and spent time recovering at our house. I’d find you and Oscar in bed reading all the latest magazines together. And I’m pretty sure he woke up early with you some mornings to do yoga before anyone was awake. Down dog was his speciality.</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Austin, when I think about you and Oscar I can’t help but think about how much you loved him like your own pup. You spent several summer breaks and vacations with us, and Oscar was always a top priority on your list. He knew that when Austin was around, he was top dog. He knew that if he wanted to play, Austin would play. He knew that even though Gracie later became your dog, you’d show no partiality between the two. He was also grateful that you did take Grace, because although he loved playing with her, he really liked not having to share a bed. Thanks for treating him so well Austin; he knew it.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hfXWyJ41nZdBofQE0-0lzTWDZPmXVP7Zf3-0pppJc2KG1U5Mz1NXAB37zam6D-vMcmTtr8KdSqTmxH7dEIQqlgU5ec0GuxHimtJsbZJCjYu4xORvC7yvpjQkRJZ9Mm1tysgG38BUpMY7/s1600/PICT2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hfXWyJ41nZdBofQE0-0lzTWDZPmXVP7Zf3-0pppJc2KG1U5Mz1NXAB37zam6D-vMcmTtr8KdSqTmxH7dEIQqlgU5ec0GuxHimtJsbZJCjYu4xORvC7yvpjQkRJZ9Mm1tysgG38BUpMY7/s400/PICT2138.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">those eyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rachelle and Elena, my favorite memory is with the CARROTS! Elena wanted a snack, so I peeled both Elena and Oscar their own carrots. Rachelle thought this was hilarious. After Oscar finished his carrot, Elena realized she had the upper hand with hers. She began holding the carrot out in front of Oscar, then pulling it back saying “No Oscar, this is my carrot”. And then when Oscar was sick, I would tell him how Elena was praying for him and watched as his ears always perked up.</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mike A, a favorite memory was when you went with Kyle to Oscar's chiropractic adjustment. An adjustment for dogs? You just kept saying you couldn’t believe it, so surprised that a dog could go to the chiropractor. But after that night, I think you realized that Oscar was more than just your average pup. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1ydp8VZgtOHRKuAxV17z1i4tA_-tMHDDoye2GzGa2kIjygOpvFgO8DLDIT4tAINgnXTkBxoH2wowkbmbPAejlJ6dv__40uUElDotWeI1be5oe2_ccOJ8A0-AwkUydD_ZUZMiHzOjWvxC/s1600/PICT2656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">JoEllen, you spent an amazing week with us packing for our move to Portland. You had already spent a little time with Oscar at our home, and he loved that you had absolutely no problem with him jumping all over you. He smelled everything you brought in and loved to show his toys off to you. But you guys definitely got to be best buds that week as you started calling him your “packing buddy”. You always showed Kyle and I so much love, so your sweet relationship with Oscar just topped it off!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">April, I loved how early on you established a relationship between your dog Judy and Oscar, through presents and christmas cards she would give him. I often remember the halloween night we all met at The District and both Oscar and Judy were all dressed up. Things got a little crazy and kind of funny when Oscar tried to jump on your friend's dog, which quickly scared them both away. Yet one halloween photo shoot later, Oscar and Judy managed to end the night on top. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1ydp8VZgtOHRKuAxV17z1i4tA_-tMHDDoye2GzGa2kIjygOpvFgO8DLDIT4tAINgnXTkBxoH2wowkbmbPAejlJ6dv__40uUElDotWeI1be5oe2_ccOJ8A0-AwkUydD_ZUZMiHzOjWvxC/s400/PICT2656.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pop and pup</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carrin and Brian, a favorite memory is with your pup Otis at Camp Costello! Oscar and Otis had matching jackets and pranced around the house while I took pictures. Otis looked up to Oscar and would endlessly but lovingly jump at his joules, trying to nip and get Oscar to play. Oscar would look at Otis, then look at me like “Is this guy serious?”. It was hilarious to watch them play and run through the house together and I know Oscar took his dog sitting job seriously with little Otis.</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Claudia, a favorite memory is how much you loved it when Oscar was getting chubby. You found him adorable and always made sure he knew how awesome he was with hugs and kisses and mornings snuggling up in bed. He didn’t even mind that you married the guy who put him in that tux only years before.</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rachel, I remember the first time you met Oscar while staying the night with Glory. I know you didn’t really like dogs, but somehow Glory convinced you to let Oscar sleep between the two of you. I think Oscar was the first dog you ever slept with and you had fallen for him by the morning. I'm not sure how many pictures you got of us that weekend, but I know your camera was filled with pictures of Oscar when you left! </span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oscar had so much love for you guys. His adorable and fully animated ears would perk up as I talked about you all and your love for him. He will be greatly missed and I hope to see him again someday.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-written May 25, 2008</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4T4qcztIyFkmPNXrToUqUcjFxJkhEl7Rcf_oUn-gLZckuPAz3wmuXaVP3t18pGZns_BwcgZzFQ2-O28EGB20Cun3EC_is2MrlItN8Zf2h4W0c8GmZ1e9eFeUsnpVQfyjDWr4CKeRer3U/s400/PICT3035.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the costello family<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span>Cat: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would agree that one of the best moments of my life was being </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">in bed with you and Oscar. I remember having an allergy attack. I </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">think you gave me some kind of "medicine" (definitely not Benedryl). </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was probably an essential oil in capsule form. Some fresh air might </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">have helped, but I'm glad we didn't pull an all-nighter, because I would </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">have missed out on the opportunity to sleep with Oscar. He truly was </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the coolest dog I ever met...or slept with! </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tuesday, May 27, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Mike: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I remember it being about 900 degrees outside and getting the duty of bringing Oscar to the golf course for pictures. Oscar was only 1 years old and was still really wild and crazy. I had only been around him a handful of times so he wasn't used to me yet and really did not want me to put that tuxedo on him. After that I could always tell he remembered that and wanted to get back at me somehow, someway. </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tuesday, May 27, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Misha: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What an awesome tribute to an awesome pup and family member. Jackson is talking about Oscar now as he can see his picture on the screen. We sure do love him. I know I have ever since that night after a long night waiting/busing tables when that little munchkin toddled out from the back bedroom. I think he stole all of our hearts. Remember after we first got Mox and he got brave and he would run up and down the hallway at your house and Oscar would chase him??? Too cute! Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys always and we are so thankful for having Oscar up there watching over us. Maybe he's giving Layla a ride or wrestling with her a bit before she heads down here next month. We love you guys!!! </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tuesday, May 27, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Ricker: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I loved reading this blog!!! We have all had so many great times with Oscar. How could you look at that adorable little face and not fall in love with it?!?! He most definitely was my favorite nap partner.....and yes Joy hes a spooner!!!! Remember when Taya and I lived with you guys, not only would she follow Oscar around, but she would do EVERYTHING he did. If he was laying with one foot curled under so would she. And the way she would always try to pick fights with him, and he would just take it. They were a cute pair. He honestly was the greatest pup ever and will truly be missed, but lucky him hes up there now living the life that we are all striving for. Love you guys!! </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday, May 28, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Glory: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oscar was my most favorite dog to babysit. I fell in love with him the first day I met him which was the first day that Kyle brought him over.. I think.. I remember us putting him in a little halloween sweater which he grew out of really quick.. He was the sweetest and cutest puppy ever! </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oscar and I truly were in love! We talked about our hopes and dreams together! =)</span></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my favorite memories of Oscar was when he would not go poop outside because he missed his mama.. I had to actually call Joy on the phone and put her on speaker phone to let him know it was ok to go poop without her! =) He was a mama's boy and daddy's of course too!! ! fo sho!</span></i></span></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oscar was really good at lookin cute! That was his favorite past time! I remember after we fell in love I truly saw him as the most beautiful dog in the world! </span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday, May 28, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Chris M: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know that kissing Oscar was wrong but nobody could have torn us apart. That pup was awesome! My favorite thing was watching him wagging his so called tail. It's as if he never learned how to do it...kind of like some people can wiggle their ears and others can't. His entire back half would shake back and forth in an effort to get that little stub to wiggle. </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oscar was blessed with a great, great life and a mom and dad that did their heavenly duty by taking such great care of their pup on earth. Are there pups in Heaven? Of course there are! I can imagine Oscar lickin Jesus' face right now...although Jesus probably wouldn't let it go as far as I did with Oscar. </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday, May 28, 2008</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span class="comment-value-author"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Cousin Rach: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aww...I'm so glad I was mentioned in this! Oscar was suuuch a sweet doggie! And yes, I think Oscar definitely WAS the first dog I ever slept with all night in bed, and I would have done it again. He was such a cozy pillow!! I'm glad I got to know him at least a little! </span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Friday, May 30, 2008 </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
Oscar's 3rd biggest fan! =) Glory: </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">p.s. Can you tell how much I loved him yet!! I loved it when Oscar would look up at me when I was eating with his little puppy dog eyes, he was such a good boy! =) Also, I have to mention his tail. I loved to see it wag! =) So precious. Joy and Kyle when I lived with mom and dad I remember askin them, "Can Oscar spend the night or can we babysit him on several occasions. I don't know if you remember but Oscar was usually the one I hung out with the most, asked about the most, went straight to when I was at your pad. I used to get disapointed if he was in the backyard. I really wanted to spend all my time with him when I was over there for any party! I just felt that he didn't judge me! ha! =) I mean that! =)</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The funny thing is even though Oscar had many lover's as I can see by the blog...he always had a way of making me feel as though I was the only one. </span></i></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Friday, May 30, 2008 </span></i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="Body" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span></span></div></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-18583710440994577992010-10-27T10:58:00.000-07:002010-10-27T10:58:22.684-07:00Cleanse Thy Liver<div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviYXp_EI9MPafmhe24Q84boKv-X2kdhg8H0sDhEkBTZCFHBWp1IdSWd2FaehGZKyFJkPcvPjG_H6zQD-yr4uH-nr2GuGzCTsXUdNPkmPI_ivbuu_5CTNVF5jB73J41ZFqNyfByJrf_YWP/s1600/liver.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviYXp_EI9MPafmhe24Q84boKv-X2kdhg8H0sDhEkBTZCFHBWp1IdSWd2FaehGZKyFJkPcvPjG_H6zQD-yr4uH-nr2GuGzCTsXUdNPkmPI_ivbuu_5CTNVF5jB73J41ZFqNyfByJrf_YWP/s400/liver.png" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">One of the detoxes I do regularly is called the liver cleanse. Although it is a bit dramatic, it is also quick, super fascinating, and personally beneficial in overall health improvements. </span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="style_1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">I did my first liver cleanse about 9 years ago in Vegas, after my chiropractor recommended this <a href="http://drclarkstore.com/tcuforallca.html">book</a> with several detox programs. I tried the parasite, the kidney, and the liver cleanse. Last year I read about an amped up version of this liver cleanse by a Canadian fellow who also created an excellent version of the zapper. What is a zapper? You can check it out here: </span><a class="style_2" href="http://zap.intergate.ca/index.html" style="color: #584d4d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: underline;" title="http://zap.intergate.ca/index.html">http://zap.intergate.ca/index.html</a><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"> . Trust me, I know it can sound wacky if you have never heard of it before. But everything in the health care world can seem pretty wacky if you are not accustom to it. For example: "I'm supposed to believe I can take this little pill and my pain will really go away???" I have done research on the zapper and have used one for many years. That said, it is pretty funny to see the reaction of friends when I pull it out. Just the other day a friend was reminiscing about our old house and the electrocution devices in our living room. ;-)</span><br />
<span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">The liver is one of the largest detoxifying organs in our body. This means that everything we eat, absorb, and breathe goes through the liver. When the liver detects a toxin (viruses, parasites, bacteria, etc.) it encapsulates it in a shell of cholesterol, creating a stone. Most people have thousands of these in their liver. More commonly heard of, gallstones were once liver stones that have overflowed from the liver into the gallbladder. Many people have to have their gallbladders removed as these stones can cause havoc. For our liver to be functioning optimally, it would also be free of stones. If our liver is clogged up with too many stones it cannot function optimally and toxins are missed, affecting our body's overall health. Also, if our liver stones are passed, gallstones will often move back up into the liver, relieving the stress on the gallbladder. My mother in law was scheduled to have her gallbladder taken out before doing the liver cleanse, but did not have to continue with the surgery once she did the detox.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><b>Liver cleanse basics:</b></span><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"> </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#1 – I first complete a parasite cleanse. The liver cleanse will not be successful (no stones released) if there are parasites present. It is pretty common to have parasites in your liver, along with other places in your body. Many of them are natural to the human body and some are not. Parasites can contribute to disease and have been linked to many kinds of illness. That does not mean killing parasites is going to save the world or your life. They are only one of many contributors to disease, but for the purpose of the liver cleanse, we need to get rid of them. There are herbal remedies I have taken before, but the zapper method has given me the quickest results. If I have not used the zapper in awhile, I will preface the liver cleanse with 3 weeks of zapping. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#2 – The day before the cleanse I try to eat light or just drink liquids. This is not mandatory, but it is easier on your body to work into the cleanse. No matter what I choose to eat, I make sure to stop by midnight the night before. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#3 – On the day of the cleanse, I only eat until 2pm. Whatever I eat this day must be 100% fat free. I have found the best option is to only drink apple juice. It has been reported that drinking the apple juice increases the success of your liver cleanse. I actually love my apple juice days, but for some people, drinking just the apple juice throws them off. Eating fat free grains, fruit, and veggies will also work. I try to stay away from fake fat free products like “fat free chips". Whatever you eat should be naturally fat free. The purpose of this step is so that our liver’s bile, which is released when we eat fat, will build up in the liver awaiting release later in the night. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#4 – I do not eat or drink after 2pm! This vital rule is another reason why I like to do just liquids that day. It ensures that I am fully hydrated for the rest of the day when I am not allowed to drink even water. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#5 – This next step is completely optional, and is probably the hardest step if you have never tried it before. At 4pm, the option is to do a round of 3 water enemas. It made me nauseous the first time I tried it, but since then I have gotten used to them and found that 1-2 is usually enough. The purpose of the enema is to create a clear bowel line, so more stones will come out and come out sooner. I often skip this step myself, depending on how I feel.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#6 – At 6pm, I drink a mixture of 1 cup of cold distilled water and 2 tbsp of epsom salts. I make this ahead of time because it takes some stirring action to completely dissolve the epsom salts. The mixture tastes a little metallic, but it isn’t too hard to for me to get down. You can also put the epsom salts in capsules, if that helps you with the taste. The purpose of the epsom salts is to relax the bile ducts coming out from your liver, where the stones will soon pass. People also say the epsom salts relax them, and they usually ease any hunger I am feeling at that point. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#7 – After drinking the epsom salt cocktail, I get a hot water pack ready. The pack is placed on my liver (which is on the front right side of your abdomen, right below your rib cage – it extends over to the middle of your stomach) while laying down on the couch. This lasts for 20 minutes.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#8 – At 8pm, I repeat the hot water pack on my liver for another 20 minutes.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#9 – At 9pm I start getting the last part of this cleanse ready. I mix 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 3/4 cup of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. This part is not as bad as it sounds. If you mix it well enough, the grapefruit completely covers the oil taste while drinking it (but not the aftertaste). You can cut the amount down to 1/2 cup of each or increase it to 1 cup of each. The higher the amount you drink (up to 2 cups total), the greater amount of stones can possibly be released. </span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#10 – At 9:45pm I make sure everything is ready for me to go IMMEDIATELY to bed after drinking the mixture. Locked doors, lights off, final bathroom trip complete, and alarm set for 6am. I pile up several pillows to lay my head and back against, and then I get into bed and drink the mixture at exactly 10pm. The quicker you can get it down the better (2 minutes maximum), but I usually get it down in about 30 seconds. Immediately after drinking it, I lie on my back and DO NOT MOVE for 30 minutes. I am </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">talking evening blinking. Okay, that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but those are the rules I adhere to. If you move it will not work and it is not fun to get this far and not get any stones. I can usually feel my liver start to dance around and the sensation of marbles spilling out of my liver. After the 30 minutes has passed, I stay lying in bed and try to go to sleep as soon as possible. The purpose to this entire part of the cleanse is to overdose the liver with fat so it will quickly release the bile that has been building up all day, spitting out the liver stones along with it. If you cannot fall asleep quickly, it is still very important to stay resting in bed without much movement.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#11 – At 6am I wake up to drink my second epsom salt and water mixture. (2 tbsp of epsom salts and 1 cup of cold water). Then go back to bed…or…</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#12 – The cleanse says to do another set of 3 enemas. I have only done one enema once. I know it is helpful, but my stomach is rarely up for it. The downfall to not doing the enemas is that the stones stay in your system longer and are potentially adding some of the toxins back into your system.</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">#12 – I do not have anything to eat or drink before 10:30am. If you can wait until the afternoon, that is even better. I usually start with a laxative tea called senna, which helps get the stones out quicker. Then I will have some fresh juice and something easily digestible like soup. By this time I have already passed hundreds of stones. They are pretty soft and do not hurt to pass. They are also totally identifiable as the green stones floating on top of the bowl. The last of them will usually come out with your first bowel movement. It is super crazy and good to see such quick results from all your hard work!</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">When I first did the liver cleanses years ago, I could not feel any difference afterwards. But I read that it takes the average person at least 15 liver cleanses to completely clean out their liver, so it made sense that I had a lot more work to do before I would feel the difference. I think I started feeling the results after my 3rd cleanse, with super heightened energy. I also noticed that I wasn’t getting sick as often as I used to and my digestion improved dramatically. Once your liver is free of stones, it is recommended to do the cleanse two times a year for upkeep.</span><br />
<span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="style_3" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 16px;">One thing to note with the liver cleanse is that it does put pressure on your kidneys, and after several cleanses I will notice it. If you have any sort of kidney issues, it is recommended to do a kidney cleanse beforehand and then as needed. The kidney cleanse I follow is a minimum of 6 weeks of drinking daily herbs, tinctures, and supplements. If you want to try the liver cleanse and have questions, feel free to email me. Happy detoxing!</span></div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #584d4d; font-family: ArialMT, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-10415191360611005562010-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:002010-10-21T16:56:45.328-07:00Nightshade Free<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBquzW4JnJp_R5UDk-c6S0fVKPG4xZkusYQkoWIAvJsk7WJbmZGVlIl_fq55O92z5mWUIclHS0HaJciyc1xZkciZxWgJYOocN9GaQS_w0aXZ7-xip6UC79bw0ADHdHTTe8KvFuU4iqVE9/s1600/356288_f260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBquzW4JnJp_R5UDk-c6S0fVKPG4xZkusYQkoWIAvJsk7WJbmZGVlIl_fq55O92z5mWUIclHS0HaJciyc1xZkciZxWgJYOocN9GaQS_w0aXZ7-xip6UC79bw0ADHdHTTe8KvFuU4iqVE9/s200/356288_f260.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last week at the doctor, I came up positive for allergies to nightshade plants. Nightshades commonly consumed in the US include all peppers and their spices, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes (excluding sweet), gooseberries, gogi berries, and tobacco. All nightshades are characterized by their alkaloid molecules. As far as humans are concerned, these alkaloids have been found to be either desirable, toxic, or both, depending on how they are used and who is using them. For people who are allergic to nightshades, the symptoms can include inflammation, acidic ph, digestive problems, lowered immunity, and pain. I've personally had a chronic respiratory issue for the last year +, so it made sense to try out my doctor's recommendation of eliminating nightshades from my diet for the next 2-4 months and then re-evaluating.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5NIAhSFsCMsSmVhnPa3LBShyphenhyphenmTVrdjHYDuo3JJMS8jJ_YRCb2TYW5Jq6dc_mv66ZhASrKX2QOgeoQCUhwNtINYoJ2xuVQhlGi8ZHGcYdhqxUGEcxPhRebPSHQ5tZoCHvBqiyOH2o9bp0/s1600/aEggplant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5NIAhSFsCMsSmVhnPa3LBShyphenhyphenmTVrdjHYDuo3JJMS8jJ_YRCb2TYW5Jq6dc_mv66ZhASrKX2QOgeoQCUhwNtINYoJ2xuVQhlGi8ZHGcYdhqxUGEcxPhRebPSHQ5tZoCHvBqiyOH2o9bp0/s200/aEggplant.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was a bit overwhelmed and anxious when I came home from the doctor that day. We were leaving for Portland the following morning, so I felt the pressure of figuring this out quickly, around others, and in restaurants.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first night in we met up with our friends Jake and Rose at </span></span><a href="http://www.swagat.com/nw/index.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Swagat</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> downtown. There were a couple choices that looked nightshade free, so I chose the vegetable biriyani. Half way through my stomach was churning and I realized that it had been cooked with jalepenos. But what was great was I felt this awesome sense of peace and relief in it. I was human and could only do my best with this new diet, which is not perfect but totally enough.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3xoUkjRpurkdc_1ie2nMd6Gu85a7V7Q86PHzsRbDbIdsC-cm12Q3B6OpkMS3Jo6xOceQFTPidITXCOm1dTRO5bkk0SGennLnuY6q7m0HRWHqG3BaED_MO8eYizydV4o40CYNFg4UF_4f/s1600/atomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3xoUkjRpurkdc_1ie2nMd6Gu85a7V7Q86PHzsRbDbIdsC-cm12Q3B6OpkMS3Jo6xOceQFTPidITXCOm1dTRO5bkk0SGennLnuY6q7m0HRWHqG3BaED_MO8eYizydV4o40CYNFg4UF_4f/s200/atomato.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkNWEuRjYfNWoJAoyl535gjAnhKnQYKS_5XyLD5FG9POa-4r-ph3RRobcbJEbXPuv_Avikmr7qC9-ECZ3atZBAyV7JLYK2TyehsYw3A19RWr7tcRgPWb4i9QLUCfD6p_oq1qrF01qu_mt/s1600/apotato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkNWEuRjYfNWoJAoyl535gjAnhKnQYKS_5XyLD5FG9POa-4r-ph3RRobcbJEbXPuv_Avikmr7qC9-ECZ3atZBAyV7JLYK2TyehsYw3A19RWr7tcRgPWb4i9QLUCfD6p_oq1qrF01qu_mt/s200/apotato.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've had many different health issues most of my life which have often left me frustrated, stressed, or scared. I've prayed for healing, which I've often received, yet it has rarely been quick and always seemed incomplete. Health concerns seem to be lurking around every new corner, so the struggle is never that far from my mind.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last week when I came home from the doctor, Kyle and I began praying for something different. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> We are still praying for healing of my chronic respiratory issue, but even more than that, we are praying that God would teach me what he wants me to learn in the midst of my physical struggles. Kyle, my friends, and our community are in this with me. I never could have prayed this way honestly before, because in the past my fear drove me to focus mostly on the healing. So I'm thankful for this new way. It is from God and is he is good. I can only do this because I trust that God is who he says he is. Kind, loving, trustworthy, and totally in control. And I'm also who he says I am. Unconditionally loved and lovable in the midst of all my humanness. </span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></b></span>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-48926687537583734672010-10-12T22:08:00.000-07:002010-10-13T21:49:16.770-07:00Hello World - My First Blog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm in the process of combining my two blogs into one. So for the following weeks, you'll see some personal writings which may or may not be food related. They all remind me of people, places, and moments in my life over the last three years.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This entry is the first time I ever blogged. We had just moved to Portland, I was a student at Western States Chiropractic College, and life as I knew it was about to drastically change. Our boxer dog Oscar passed away weeks later, which was quickly followed by the sudden death of my dad. I took a break from school and later decided I definitely did not want to go back. It was a rough time for us, yet somehow in the midst of it, God was very presently with us and has never left us. It's all still a big work in process. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know these blogs (about 10 of them) are much different than what I've shared here thus far, but they are special to me and I'd like to share them with you for the first time or once again. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHLF-byAkV7sQdYxu_D4lFVJk_9oQHN2VSO8ZUVQad7L8I-P89y8LvZ8UtIHdAxq2MEgb2EorRCUBkAQgRKzaeZVhP3GtFLc6j7wKOkFlJmSxnbAcYtGxWSJC-7esbOQ09Pmk-vw3HBVs/s1600/100_2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHLF-byAkV7sQdYxu_D4lFVJk_9oQHN2VSO8ZUVQad7L8I-P89y8LvZ8UtIHdAxq2MEgb2EorRCUBkAQgRKzaeZVhP3GtFLc6j7wKOkFlJmSxnbAcYtGxWSJC-7esbOQ09Pmk-vw3HBVs/s400/100_2567.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Hello World</span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve been planning on writing my first blog for some time now. My first two week break from school was much needed, but as to date I’m starting the 5th week of 2nd Quarter and fully in the thick of exam mode. Midterms begin in a week: Histology, Gross Anatomy, Biomechanics, Radiological Anatomy, and more Biochemistry. Fortunately, a few of my classes don’t have midterms, only finals. They will all be in the middle of June and many of them on my 30th birthday exactly! </span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For now I will study and drink my soy chai latte from the </span></span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/perfect-cup-espresso-portland"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Perfect Cup Espresso</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span id="goog_1846559847"></span><span id="goog_1846559848"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>, where ingredients are not given, but drinks can only be described with an "explosion of flavor in your mouth". Oscar says hi. He’s studying on the couch with me, as my husband showers off the salt crystals he accumulated from the half-marathon he completed this morning in Eugene, OR! </span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Peace out (and veganism) to all. </span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-written May 4, 2008 </span></span></span></i></span>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-37725036864232024762010-10-04T17:30:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:01:15.633-07:00Tomatoes in the Garden and Spicy Tomatillo Guacamole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being our first year in SLC, I'm new to gardening in this high desert soil. Really I'm still new to gardening in general, but I love getting in the dirt and experimenting. This year I planted a good variety of flowers, fruits, and veggies, but my favorites have definitely been my tomatoes. They are like little candies on the vine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On another note, I also love guacamole. I don't think I can grow a fruit producing avocado tree in these parts, but I can certainly grow the other ingredients that go in it. My hubs is not a fan of guacamole, at all *SHOCK*, and I usually get to have his portion and mine when we eat at any mexi-restaurants. Yet I had an inkling this time might be different, and I was correct. He downed half the bowl and proclaimed this this best guacamole ever. You can decide for yourself, but it's been a major hit in our house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WMXaxM7-9z4dd07iPpMWDLyo6XjhkFma-XUBcLicDIlhhyphenhyphenSfpQE6zDmWzmkZeyPcVfTKW1NviG2OuPbfWu1feCMku6g2NY-7ZKxCgOA3LpYJO776Sj9-W_u_p3mCE1525HF1xQOYfolC/s1600/DSC01186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WMXaxM7-9z4dd07iPpMWDLyo6XjhkFma-XUBcLicDIlhhyphenhyphenSfpQE6zDmWzmkZeyPcVfTKW1NviG2OuPbfWu1feCMku6g2NY-7ZKxCgOA3LpYJO776Sj9-W_u_p3mCE1525HF1xQOYfolC/s400/DSC01186.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heirloom Tomato Plants</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYPsr-jFOfuOO-7tH3pBhjqCj3HyxKEruKbkxFTM411VP-CnOmkFrNUXQ1utDAODiunFFMG_DfxSmlhqYx6YnKRuT39cqZnn-ngZugQ3rr8lt6sby3XNmL934LKIgQ4ME8_3mijF-6ejr/s1600/DSC01258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYPsr-jFOfuOO-7tH3pBhjqCj3HyxKEruKbkxFTM411VP-CnOmkFrNUXQ1utDAODiunFFMG_DfxSmlhqYx6YnKRuT39cqZnn-ngZugQ3rr8lt6sby3XNmL934LKIgQ4ME8_3mijF-6ejr/s400/DSC01258.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFq62mVF0IMFf-7nsq5WwwMKNVvpDaPZgj52FuFtSfMLD1o3XI9FzzJKPitoz8W7raxR4eRxV9M6qlSEp8zztFHlIcSyRWZdlF-2EPtUyJUBQidvkG6VSKoWYiXeCRI172v4uSRFxbreO/s1600/DSC01143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFq62mVF0IMFf-7nsq5WwwMKNVvpDaPZgj52FuFtSfMLD1o3XI9FzzJKPitoz8W7raxR4eRxV9M6qlSEp8zztFHlIcSyRWZdlF-2EPtUyJUBQidvkG6VSKoWYiXeCRI172v4uSRFxbreO/s400/DSC01143.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry Tomato Plants</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7L5EBufryJTBPqVmsdj_AMkhvEsTW6CQB-dUCQ6u3gK17Gbvxzwo-hT4Fh8vnk36GOfD3h6pUYIiZqrAZnYp5ZacK_dkdMZSjceO8GyVlJjpS3ij4JrfQ76t3NzLuzx1YqmtD9-8pyTU/s1600/DSC01253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7L5EBufryJTBPqVmsdj_AMkhvEsTW6CQB-dUCQ6u3gK17Gbvxzwo-hT4Fh8vnk36GOfD3h6pUYIiZqrAZnYp5ZacK_dkdMZSjceO8GyVlJjpS3ij4JrfQ76t3NzLuzx1YqmtD9-8pyTU/s400/DSC01253.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Sweetness</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViFEc87zBKIwNAyuleSbpaq-d-aCZiDK5dOoaGQJA7NNYTsmhHv6NyGLECYRcxtNPQUfq_3dCryv_z0WosP4Ju-VqPo4_LEPmHGbj0sahx3QWL9SfqUpLat_MxuNt8xT3b9wiixUKorlU/s1600/DSC01192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViFEc87zBKIwNAyuleSbpaq-d-aCZiDK5dOoaGQJA7NNYTsmhHv6NyGLECYRcxtNPQUfq_3dCryv_z0WosP4Ju-VqPo4_LEPmHGbj0sahx3QWL9SfqUpLat_MxuNt8xT3b9wiixUKorlU/s400/DSC01192.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatillo Plants</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8J_DvJbu6NcKn0JA6r1ipZ2AD1NM2YYrcVcbEoGY-qGuadMXzhCqdVi9kbpJwrMgtIZ0ZrG39K1-WHp3h1-B13TuZtsSj1UfKVNgV3mfwcCjAJwUqZf47OiRIb0LzgcDywgQbyqDngIN/s1600/DSC01252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8J_DvJbu6NcKn0JA6r1ipZ2AD1NM2YYrcVcbEoGY-qGuadMXzhCqdVi9kbpJwrMgtIZ0ZrG39K1-WHp3h1-B13TuZtsSj1UfKVNgV3mfwcCjAJwUqZf47OiRIb0LzgcDywgQbyqDngIN/s400/DSC01252.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tart Ripe Tomatillos</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><u><b>Spicy Tomatillo Guacamole</b></u></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></span></span></span><br />
<i>Chop and puree, the following ingredients together:</i><br />
5 Tomatillos<br />
1/4 Large Sweet Onion<br />
3 Cloves Garlic<br />
1 Small Habanero<br />
Juice from 1 Small Lime<br />
1 Tsp. Salt<br />
<br />
<i>Add:</i><br />
2 Avocados<br />
<br />
<i>Mash all ingredients and salt to taste. If you end up with too much tomatillo puree, save some for a later date with another avocado. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dip with your favorite chopped veggies (crisp cucumbers are delish) or organic corn chips. </i><i>I also made veggie tacos by filling warm corn tortillas with the guacamole, refried black beans, and sliced cucumbers. </i><i> </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni82BKJd7b2p6llgiBRVvCzl3ch7BRSrk1EpZYcjxwzmGSQBA0TTiE6o3-b9cStZ_U8qro89wcJCzOAi5pUTnLOe_-0Lao8jVM0vK5YXb1IoE3gWafVGyHEz_E_BtKLFlY5Iyj-gTRDAS/s1600/DSC01247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni82BKJd7b2p6llgiBRVvCzl3ch7BRSrk1EpZYcjxwzmGSQBA0TTiE6o3-b9cStZ_U8qro89wcJCzOAi5pUTnLOe_-0Lao8jVM0vK5YXb1IoE3gWafVGyHEz_E_BtKLFlY5Iyj-gTRDAS/s400/DSC01247.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-25143340948803976382010-09-26T19:54:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:12:43.803-07:00Ranchos Cocina in San Diego, CA<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7dT-RWQaKQZKNqi4kPZiaDAVNShz82tbLVDoDrt_Cjttpf66E9VfLotFqGl2oKgpaBK_V5irZCC2Q1WEfBATCOHpGW3oSKp3fCBTQpq0_ke70ATxLKIvUcxzgo6t-eaH6wIaKqvnvG5J/s1600/DSC01229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7dT-RWQaKQZKNqi4kPZiaDAVNShz82tbLVDoDrt_Cjttpf66E9VfLotFqGl2oKgpaBK_V5irZCC2Q1WEfBATCOHpGW3oSKp3fCBTQpq0_ke70ATxLKIvUcxzgo6t-eaH6wIaKqvnvG5J/s400/DSC01229.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Kyle and I recently made a trip down to San Diego, CA to visit with some of our best friends and my sister and her new family. While there, we were taken to what our friends called "The place to go when vegans are in town", <a href="http://www.ranchoscocinanorthpark.com/">Ranchos Cocina</a>. This traditional mexican and (non- traditional) vegetarian restaurant was delightful, located in the neighborhood of downtown North Park. The atmosphere is very festive with a rustic design, and perfect for families and large groups. Although the service was a bit lacking, the food was excellent and the selection was incredible for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike. They are also members of the California Green Restaurant Association and strive to use as many organic ingredients as possible in their food and drink.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFRfor950YT3-z2MEX2bEhxlnXiMq9V3_Sr4uRz_71kHiHCtrnhbgkcILd7gJs851QQzEDrKnZYxdd6yAXok8Ugr2ztfGDFtscLgcFjWqstfJU0zZKKCJS0gzqcyBbIMTABoSzZa2n_NT/s1600/DSC01232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFRfor950YT3-z2MEX2bEhxlnXiMq9V3_Sr4uRz_71kHiHCtrnhbgkcILd7gJs851QQzEDrKnZYxdd6yAXok8Ugr2ztfGDFtscLgcFjWqstfJU0zZKKCJS0gzqcyBbIMTABoSzZa2n_NT/s400/DSC01232.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking Kombucha 2000</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-pmMWV2coNN861mJgMRKnZaxNAv3dGCaJYqKhLUC4J7ACaEMoIq8yBeaXyJfzKZa6PK1hOAl73215PjI9EZO3iWHOIft6Pz9XpY11DFM66UcV11k7UflVpGSVyHenQrWEaGcuzWoHWs/s1600/DSC01235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW-pmMWV2coNN861mJgMRKnZaxNAv3dGCaJYqKhLUC4J7ACaEMoIq8yBeaXyJfzKZa6PK1hOAl73215PjI9EZO3iWHOIft6Pz9XpY11DFM66UcV11k7UflVpGSVyHenQrWEaGcuzWoHWs/s400/DSC01235.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Veggie Enchilada Trio Plate - Blue Corn Avocado, Ranchero Tempeh, and Veggie Mole, Black Beans, Brown Rice, Spicy Housemade Salsa, and Chips.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1O6hw5eSn1ZDrtxIsSLByMrnH0L5Ak3FmTT3OqqDi72czvSsI3dECPa5Yu1NCgaALYzCYphz8Wg77ax5nrr-a0HnM_kcpmCZ4OCUaePYkezZuq2Ez6GeWwrsB_6dTV2keDSBFEW8Kjw4/s1600/DSC01231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1O6hw5eSn1ZDrtxIsSLByMrnH0L5Ak3FmTT3OqqDi72czvSsI3dECPa5Yu1NCgaALYzCYphz8Wg77ax5nrr-a0HnM_kcpmCZ4OCUaePYkezZuq2Ez6GeWwrsB_6dTV2keDSBFEW8Kjw4/s400/DSC01231.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nuestros Amigos</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsTwr3fi-1lbhdkUiMAeyt4CjBcASn1J0NVmxsnVv72fZhne_lfcV5hqLcM72F0iieQ6PmHQnYP4VUCQP9FqbmmFLr0CQSLb1Vb4bhVWvbvJSNuihYKqaLXZbdjLa42L1hGedAsHV58IW/s1600/DSC01236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsTwr3fi-1lbhdkUiMAeyt4CjBcASn1J0NVmxsnVv72fZhne_lfcV5hqLcM72F0iieQ6PmHQnYP4VUCQP9FqbmmFLr0CQSLb1Vb4bhVWvbvJSNuihYKqaLXZbdjLa42L1hGedAsHV58IW/s400/DSC01236.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mi amor y nuestro amigo Kiko<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtY2mnLDS5XtJZE3sy3QNcqyk3kUUnAYDyBRD0Bj5qUMTlMeWPxy-aG9hff0R-5aLq9Je9nxfb0ldjNecUZONdR3rFSumBQo_-Wkif0G7j1f77W9aaisG93mbajSywamUS82whLUm0X2m/s1600/DSC01238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtY2mnLDS5XtJZE3sy3QNcqyk3kUUnAYDyBRD0Bj5qUMTlMeWPxy-aG9hff0R-5aLq9Je9nxfb0ldjNecUZONdR3rFSumBQo_-Wkif0G7j1f77W9aaisG93mbajSywamUS82whLUm0X2m/s400/DSC01238.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claudia, Sarah, y los ni<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">ños</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-57506678231591727542010-09-20T11:21:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:02:03.862-07:00Evening in Park City - Avett Brothers & Deer Valley Amphitheater<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKah2DVSTxtrkQ2o9BgL_DFgP4I2GF3fO8Mp1un1_xae-pjguEZQN7xP-44R7WEkW5kKpI8rDdj_n-5ClxCiqeKCOfXqmDN-pX61Wl4Lrl0_OUJ9Iqsk_6dUNz56Q4FiaAJ-e8C6NNSbT/s1600/DSC01225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKah2DVSTxtrkQ2o9BgL_DFgP4I2GF3fO8Mp1un1_xae-pjguEZQN7xP-44R7WEkW5kKpI8rDdj_n-5ClxCiqeKCOfXqmDN-pX61Wl4Lrl0_OUJ9Iqsk_6dUNz56Q4FiaAJ-e8C6NNSbT/s400/DSC01225.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Avett Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #5b4c4d; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A couple Friday nights ago, Kyle, Grace, Laura, and I packed up the coolers and headed east to Park City, where the Avett Brothers performed live at the Deer Valley Amphitheater. The setting was insane. Along the bottom of greened over ski slopes, clear blue skies, crisp fall air, and warmth of the setting sun, we were charmed by this talented indie folk band from North Carolina. Kyle introduced me to the Avett Brothers last year and I quickly agreed they were both lyrically and melodically legit. But watching the Avett Brothers preform live was something different. They delighted and beckoned us with their pure talent and exhilarating energy. It’s only when in their presence that you can get what they are all about. I fell a little bit in love with them that evening.... Here are some photos and a short, fun video from the concert. <br />
<br />
As far as food goes, my advice would be to pack your picnic baskets and coolers before you go. The Deer Valley Amphitheater has no restrictions on what you can bring. I heard from some friends who sat in front of a lady who brought a portable blender to another show there. Blended margaritas for her and her friends. Awesome.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmNH6YTLzXzQAorXFOVrx-HUyUIT5GwnORnk1TSqdwjA4QGDKzxSlvRJO6EG8OKLiGW8UFeXcq43sNmCWb2pqzsGjFccZanYTjhmwnzJgYRSWh3MqhN7Zt_MiE2VsBCUWaa_DpZrBtD1K/s1600/DSC01224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmNH6YTLzXzQAorXFOVrx-HUyUIT5GwnORnk1TSqdwjA4QGDKzxSlvRJO6EG8OKLiGW8UFeXcq43sNmCWb2pqzsGjFccZanYTjhmwnzJgYRSWh3MqhN7Zt_MiE2VsBCUWaa_DpZrBtD1K/s400/DSC01224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the Amphitheater </div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzS8SJ5PjocpEQpvwbBg1Gj80OQjYyJFOlC_WMuPE44YJi1fjidF1Uuc5DeUcUXswR09f7r66KF-i4Y5S6BlQvTtXAM8uEZaANWWsNmToB_C_7rIJOsOxWMawAQrQRdLILFpkJPDsBtf9/s1600/DSC01222.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzS8SJ5PjocpEQpvwbBg1Gj80OQjYyJFOlC_WMuPE44YJi1fjidF1Uuc5DeUcUXswR09f7r66KF-i4Y5S6BlQvTtXAM8uEZaANWWsNmToB_C_7rIJOsOxWMawAQrQRdLILFpkJPDsBtf9/s400/DSC01222.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tLpH5EFHRWcngxt6JqIJFvlo0t7xz-7MCSwAAVOfMS0fXracL1ETvXnUHP37apZParaFwrKjtmD2Iqeq0sB5pZvwsnSvCVhCJKx3q1SynU2b4y3z3Lbu5mpAsgSaSLelwlZXgmMfxPY6/s1600/DSC01221.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tLpH5EFHRWcngxt6JqIJFvlo0t7xz-7MCSwAAVOfMS0fXracL1ETvXnUHP37apZParaFwrKjtmD2Iqeq0sB5pZvwsnSvCVhCJKx3q1SynU2b4y3z3Lbu5mpAsgSaSLelwlZXgmMfxPY6/s400/DSC01221.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Iv2dz76RUOVPHiuGuqmPIWX6WBXlk98gDJ3kvZgkqU8K-a8V7Ej6RiOw2ZJdMCmciVFEDo9-8TIChhOWEdVy6GlaJauBrNe64eDgacWmhk69OoXvXI_DSMdHmMSQicu6mal0_WqlBRn/s1600/DSC01223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Iv2dz76RUOVPHiuGuqmPIWX6WBXlk98gDJ3kvZgkqU8K-a8V7Ej6RiOw2ZJdMCmciVFEDo9-8TIChhOWEdVy6GlaJauBrNe64eDgacWmhk69OoXvXI_DSMdHmMSQicu6mal0_WqlBRn/s400/DSC01223.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G6nf7-x1tDs?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G6nf7-x1tDs?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-41898800540145884742010-09-13T08:38:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:02:28.270-07:00Garden Party at the Costellos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdXPDWtXo-BjQ__cPUo4mdwP51sIHXRjsfhFalTFGJz6KW2VaM44TYvN89Lz16ys09l0GrVRpZBDM3qijS-hxaL1E5wkOrcJ6p_BJIBQ2nSF5akenQKvIf-qLSD_Braqe-OdSjpfnbwxZ/s1600/DSC01215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdXPDWtXo-BjQ__cPUo4mdwP51sIHXRjsfhFalTFGJz6KW2VaM44TYvN89Lz16ys09l0GrVRpZBDM3qijS-hxaL1E5wkOrcJ6p_BJIBQ2nSF5akenQKvIf-qLSD_Braqe-OdSjpfnbwxZ/s400/DSC01215.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retro outdoor table we picked up at <a href="http://www.nowandagainslc.com/">Now and Again</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other night we invited some new friends over for a little outdoor dinner. We love entertaining guests, I love cooking, and late summertime in Salt Lake City provides the perfect weather for an outdoor meal. On the menu was spinach salad, polenta lasagna (and a side of chicken for the omnivores), chocolate pudding, and some lovely red wine to enjoy. Here are some pictures from the evening and a recipe below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0k_PfOLfe5Fi1vU-xXLsX-jLhVTPlLLZoxebX8qZ_U2MXqM0Qsk4rKcRCCi5b9i92LTduaKWPwJpWopzEcHMNs1n_kFeQaYsfwq9yjKbiU0nn3RJilBInSiPlIvVhLWot1Uv9kivHi_a/s1600/DSC01214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0k_PfOLfe5Fi1vU-xXLsX-jLhVTPlLLZoxebX8qZ_U2MXqM0Qsk4rKcRCCi5b9i92LTduaKWPwJpWopzEcHMNs1n_kFeQaYsfwq9yjKbiU0nn3RJilBInSiPlIvVhLWot1Uv9kivHi_a/s400/DSC01214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach salad with cranberries, hazelnuts, feta, and local raspberry vinaigrette</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwyrqKTYPl21nB8inMk-ydUicmhp0DpHgRj6KJVxAyuAYDELn2QSJKdGfl2GtVXhmLixZnUWkLnTy23h5npCJP6vzumULR7Cr4PgSnjXzMmJmprVXGj7OrHzeTusPPFD8yd8eeYYZ9P6R/s1600/DSC01216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwyrqKTYPl21nB8inMk-ydUicmhp0DpHgRj6KJVxAyuAYDELn2QSJKdGfl2GtVXhmLixZnUWkLnTy23h5npCJP6vzumULR7Cr4PgSnjXzMmJmprVXGj7OrHzeTusPPFD8yd8eeYYZ9P6R/s400/DSC01216.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Chef</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxiLJj3rSXBvBWTEFafh2Ch-8-1l1MtEMWjeCFIxJoCaQsFg-wCVgKDpthCrTG02AIS0yUJEbrwbGYGoRtq6FsjdcQv97zFf8cffCZol3epy-I4qMAT_muELgd3pTfShoGrFc65MbVHzt/s1600/DSC01196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxiLJj3rSXBvBWTEFafh2Ch-8-1l1MtEMWjeCFIxJoCaQsFg-wCVgKDpthCrTG02AIS0yUJEbrwbGYGoRtq6FsjdcQv97zFf8cffCZol3epy-I4qMAT_muELgd3pTfShoGrFc65MbVHzt/s400/DSC01196.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garlic and basil I used from the garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCljiYkJAkgKkR1AiiUCgGPQv2bbPGT5Nje5bWJ4tBq5dU7io55TorfxX0kZRE-F2ATyJZcnXEIUYMW2zmJJbA8l-AqsBmeQSxi3UciYNqx26ROSLt0CEfjPOiHsmcBPHkpVNsp4d8Cf6/s1600/DSC01217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCljiYkJAkgKkR1AiiUCgGPQv2bbPGT5Nje5bWJ4tBq5dU7io55TorfxX0kZRE-F2ATyJZcnXEIUYMW2zmJJbA8l-AqsBmeQSxi3UciYNqx26ROSLt0CEfjPOiHsmcBPHkpVNsp4d8Cf6/s400/DSC01217.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom, kale, and polenta lasagna (recipe below)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCD_IsQKGZWVH05IhYAfrwb-PHWpL1OpZMdkfAuS5Uy-r0vI9nU1QBdlxaMGZbz6lLNXyhhO9hD-DLl6bIaRVwHezB4DKQjD_CBCYFhKRP98MApdKgZmgRfWT_d88anQDHg-t0Da0meesm/s1600/DSC01218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCD_IsQKGZWVH05IhYAfrwb-PHWpL1OpZMdkfAuS5Uy-r0vI9nU1QBdlxaMGZbz6lLNXyhhO9hD-DLl6bIaRVwHezB4DKQjD_CBCYFhKRP98MApdKgZmgRfWT_d88anQDHg-t0Da0meesm/s400/DSC01218.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate pudding with hemp milk, strawberries, and toasted hazelnuts<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: small;"></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><u><i>MKP Lasagna</i></u> (modified from recipe at <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/">blog.fatfreevegan.com</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 18-ounce package prepared polenta cut into 18 slices</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 large onion, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large portabella mushroom, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups, chopped)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 cloves garlic, minced </div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 bunch kale (about 8 ounces after trimming), chopped into bite-sized pieces and center rib removed (may substitute spinach or other greens)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon fresh basil</div><div style="text-align: left;">salt and pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups marinara sauce </div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">vegan parmesan (nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt)<br />
<br />
</div><em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><em>"Cheese" sauce:</em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><em></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">1/2 cup tempeh</span></div></em><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup vegetable broth</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp. tahini</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp. onion powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp. salt </div><div style="text-align: left;">1/8 tsp. pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp. potato starch</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 250° F. Place the cheese sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Set aside. Sauté the onions and portabellas in a non-stick skillet until the mushrooms begin to exude their juices. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the kale, basil, and 1/4 cup water. Sauté until the kale is wilted and tender and the water has evaporated. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Remove from the heat. Cut the polenta into 1/4-inch thick slices. Line the bottom of the baking dish with half of the slices. Spread 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce over the polenta, and then spread the kale mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle the chopped olives over the kale and top with the remaining polenta. Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the top and sprinkle with vegan parmesan. Bake for 60 minutes and enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-46920553156860139952010-09-03T20:54:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:02:53.808-07:00Road Trip to Portland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This month we traveled to Oregon for 10 days, first stopping in Grants Pass to visit with the Weiseths. We kayaked the Rouge River and shared some amazing Bergstrom wine together (Salud Bonnie!). Then off to Portland, where we had a blast with too many friends and family to mention. There was running on the waterfront, walking and talking at Laurelhurst park, eating and drinking at dozens of new and old favorites, shopping on 23rd and Hawthorne, watching weird movies and dozens of episodes of Modern family, having a guy sing "lets get this party started" in my face at the Alberta Street Fair, celebrating a friend's birthday, rooming at the Jupiter and Edgefield and the Sandoval's and the Hendrix's, "hiking", and wondering if the normal looking jeep bumping the "Ice Cream Truck Song" was in fact, an ice cream truck. Lots of good times, and needless to say, a fair share of tears on the way home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also received the best homecoming from our new community here in SLC, and I was especially aware of how thankful I was for this amazing group of friends that evening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are a few pictures from the front end of our vacation and the food we love in Oregon (There would be more, but I tend to forget my camera when I'm having too much fun).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3LXfjVNJBllVcmJLlUaLvJvLEkjQdEk1qMUkcZqFAA3WUsiHlqnyPE6d98fBmRzkUKNSSn57c1sEFq6-6kK9laNcPf8z13yRcR48xdIuIgwrqavcxnlGfsIMVTOQWJxvffx9x7gZ6d6h/s1600/DSC01161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3LXfjVNJBllVcmJLlUaLvJvLEkjQdEk1qMUkcZqFAA3WUsiHlqnyPE6d98fBmRzkUKNSSn57c1sEFq6-6kK9laNcPf8z13yRcR48xdIuIgwrqavcxnlGfsIMVTOQWJxvffx9x7gZ6d6h/s400/DSC01161.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9-G8voL7QMhTIoorBv8IseSat2f_QI9AwbnO5j3BKzBI_g9kULb0o18B1jjNBW6VTwlqblApDx6rS1KOFT-b1kjOVEMWsjapAJqzspn8sp4pC9wPrJiwoGE8kTdiYPDz1HBYm0e4k9Kn/s1600/DSC01162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9-G8voL7QMhTIoorBv8IseSat2f_QI9AwbnO5j3BKzBI_g9kULb0o18B1jjNBW6VTwlqblApDx6rS1KOFT-b1kjOVEMWsjapAJqzspn8sp4pC9wPrJiwoGE8kTdiYPDz1HBYm0e4k9Kn/s400/DSC01162.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Side road coffee shop on the way to PDX</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ecHCIuIt6YyCQhLx6NROrpGRldtnPwKivnJfT24eKH93shtEL0jakXEcRzS6OCF0txDaX3ZC7ymYyRWudFncCD5xbXAigXI0qr5vzmrxcIP7Kep7WthTazJXl1lfieXXUKpBN3S15Z6L/s1600/DSC01164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ecHCIuIt6YyCQhLx6NROrpGRldtnPwKivnJfT24eKH93shtEL0jakXEcRzS6OCF0txDaX3ZC7ymYyRWudFncCD5xbXAigXI0qr5vzmrxcIP7Kep7WthTazJXl1lfieXXUKpBN3S15Z6L/s400/DSC01164.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fresh pita at <a href="http://arabianbreezeportland.com/web-2010/grand/grand.htm">Nicholas Restaurant</a> on SE Grand</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsblzC6hBcT2tIuX-peKFkWqYq3DNogmagp805y6KLuMRhpifBT5M7l4SgTgVhlwlcHTj-QqBWJ8K4qvuQVCbEpNNhT-_yVbjJT6h7ROeCIgVfbSWo83B8GpD4ke17C2rXHjQnncuRNmI/s1600/DSC01165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsblzC6hBcT2tIuX-peKFkWqYq3DNogmagp805y6KLuMRhpifBT5M7l4SgTgVhlwlcHTj-QqBWJ8K4qvuQVCbEpNNhT-_yVbjJT6h7ROeCIgVfbSWo83B8GpD4ke17C2rXHjQnncuRNmI/s400/DSC01165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vegan Mezza Plate at Nicholas </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwB4WsTM86L4-CFb6iIcmpdi-Fk6ofIRcbyYOloGkzM13BssuBeDF8c3Y5Et5ebfCCFN3xsfY0mvXuW6iCrv3ACbmeQKZTBiMyXkO8SCNUd4D-BVscW9m8CGUlJTgyeusO-55PL_k5W3b/s1600/DSC01166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwB4WsTM86L4-CFb6iIcmpdi-Fk6ofIRcbyYOloGkzM13BssuBeDF8c3Y5Et5ebfCCFN3xsfY0mvXuW6iCrv3ACbmeQKZTBiMyXkO8SCNUd4D-BVscW9m8CGUlJTgyeusO-55PL_k5W3b/s400/DSC01166.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vegetarian Biscuits and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy with Collard Greens from <a href="http://pinestatebiscuits.com/">Pine State Biscuits</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-qpQ4hgvrjfVRvbMg_OdfMftKtnSkAmNFPorkP6oDOdKzvHExiPbORqcnYFLE-dU8DhoXq9sA2A5Qoa-1LiAEho_Zw1BAcFk9X6IOu0W0nAoSqcNqBNk_S95eDLLBg1V30udr7OKSGcY/s1600/DSC01167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-qpQ4hgvrjfVRvbMg_OdfMftKtnSkAmNFPorkP6oDOdKzvHExiPbORqcnYFLE-dU8DhoXq9sA2A5Qoa-1LiAEho_Zw1BAcFk9X6IOu0W0nAoSqcNqBNk_S95eDLLBg1V30udr7OKSGcY/s400/DSC01167.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cute friends eating Pine State with us at Laurelhurst Park</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oiMLNN3hzRKJMcXqVsuzFY5qwRvq5hVKsPPzmD2tEgzBQL7WF9oDEE84x0eFq1DrUumYMHZFKAuovD4AbyC2l4r0vgBvTd1exkAoLQuj1w_lgDELeph1e-KzPi2RgRtaj7sOhk-n2yFy/s1600/DSC01168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oiMLNN3hzRKJMcXqVsuzFY5qwRvq5hVKsPPzmD2tEgzBQL7WF9oDEE84x0eFq1DrUumYMHZFKAuovD4AbyC2l4r0vgBvTd1exkAoLQuj1w_lgDELeph1e-KzPi2RgRtaj7sOhk-n2yFy/s400/DSC01168.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Us!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRW4AHqRfx3m59aIxl6tgJnTed8QKatVUfKlukZQoCNBKRnWP6ughDavrmP8j-84gbcq4ftUp1kAB_3qlSUjZzNAhy4TDQYKOgSm_6C1MN9OIb1gHrbUAheP1_1oQ0WD0uZn_PRK-igY2/s1600/DSC01169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRW4AHqRfx3m59aIxl6tgJnTed8QKatVUfKlukZQoCNBKRnWP6ughDavrmP8j-84gbcq4ftUp1kAB_3qlSUjZzNAhy4TDQYKOgSm_6C1MN9OIb1gHrbUAheP1_1oQ0WD0uZn_PRK-igY2/s400/DSC01169.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_791516975"></span><span id="goog_791516976"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">My hubs and the Reggie<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VXrjEVaRveEaKaRYQ_JeAFREt-xGqSg49SJFfgRIK3ptcGegXflQiSWj1s2qXc_jq6RsoRsHy0HUYEZXEgNo6QA-WtaCkGYyjD_UlT_LBdchp0h1bJcbR0xFpZTafeHOni_11w0tfaau/s1600/DSC01171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VXrjEVaRveEaKaRYQ_JeAFREt-xGqSg49SJFfgRIK3ptcGegXflQiSWj1s2qXc_jq6RsoRsHy0HUYEZXEgNo6QA-WtaCkGYyjD_UlT_LBdchp0h1bJcbR0xFpZTafeHOni_11w0tfaau/s400/DSC01171.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Friend Magic at <a href="http://voodoodoughnut.com/">Voodoo Donuts</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQZftdQyo3dJODBBvwRV5wpYxh0eVycRjedJOTL1Viqu4MD7v3LyOtF9Ox_R1SzeNuNkOgKavai_kFtbe8p4lbjsSNLSWqHHrs5hrBzj_qbPH3VliWHn_F4dczSQDsrAldvTPzh_myBf8/s1600/DSC01173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQZftdQyo3dJODBBvwRV5wpYxh0eVycRjedJOTL1Viqu4MD7v3LyOtF9Ox_R1SzeNuNkOgKavai_kFtbe8p4lbjsSNLSWqHHrs5hrBzj_qbPH3VliWHn_F4dczSQDsrAldvTPzh_myBf8/s400/DSC01173.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Top Shelf Vegan Donuts at Voodoo<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Other favorite vegan eats during this trip to PDX:<br />
Warm Marionberry Pie @ <a href="http://www.bipartisancafe.com/">Bipartisan Cafe</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Chai Blueberry Pancakes @ <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/24/281778/restaurant/Hawthorne/Jam-on-Hawthorne-Portland">Jam on Hawthorne</a><br />
Mom's Tomato Soup @ <a href="http://www.dougfirlounge.com/menus.html">Doug Fir</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pesto Soylent Green Bowl @ <a href="http://www.laughingplanetcafe.com/">Laughing Planet</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cuban Black Beans, Brown Rice, and Ripe Sweet and Fried Plantains @ <a href="http://www.pambiche.com/">Pambiche</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gabanzo bean soup and fresh fruit pockets @ <a href="http://www.nofishgofish.com/">No Fish! Go Fish!</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Original Ice Milk Bubble Tea @ <a href="http://fatstrawpdx.com/bt_icemilkteas_2.php">Fat Straw</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cornmeal Scone and Housemade Champagne Kombucha @ <a href="http://dovetailbakery.blogspot.com/">Dovetail Bakery</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tofu Salad Rolls, Pumpkin Tempura, and Pad Prik King (spicy green beans) @ <a href="http://www.thainoon.com/">Thai Noon</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Veganized Bowl @ <a href="http://www.thewholebowl.com/">The Whole Bowl</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-44950955590790470852010-08-30T11:06:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:03:34.140-07:00Chipotle Mexican Grill and Arm WrestlingThere are not many options for vegan fast food in Las Vegas. While living there, I would switch between the Baja Fresh on Sunset and the <a href="http://www.chipotle.com/">Chipotle Mexican Grill</a> across the street. I did this so often the people at Chipotle greeted me by name and gave me lots of free food. When we moved to Portland I had had my good fill of those chains, so I took a hiatus. But moving to SLC has reignited my inkling for Chipotle, not to mention the Sugarhouse location has one of the coolest refurbished buildings I've seen.<br />
<div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOxFXWqGNiLBBHvnVOH4ivjYQmCtGnUV8P9W1Iou-s3ZErwCdIyK7zljC-L9bbfV6iU1d3SVBXwuuOVBLhLu7NArAWakIoeqn4yiKm7ag5XV7MwrbEaap2u9x6soM6GpDctR8Z2C_S_HR/s1600/DSC01154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOxFXWqGNiLBBHvnVOH4ivjYQmCtGnUV8P9W1Iou-s3ZErwCdIyK7zljC-L9bbfV6iU1d3SVBXwuuOVBLhLu7NArAWakIoeqn4yiKm7ag5XV7MwrbEaap2u9x6soM6GpDctR8Z2C_S_HR/s400/DSC01154.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Here's an awesome interview with the founder of Chipotle about the sustainable nature of his business (cute pig cameos).<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" style="background-image: url(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/IAAFI9WH_Mk/hqdefault.jpg);" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IAAFI9WH_Mk&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IAAFI9WH_Mk&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Last night, Chipotle also was the stage for my first wrestling match in SLC. I'm a total dork for egging this on, but on the other hand it might be a super power of mine, as one friend pointed out. I don't know if I can beat every female out there, but I've yet to loose even one fair match with a woman. My crazy strength does not usually work on guys, but <a href="http://lucaswmuller.blogspot.com/">Lucas</a> decided to give me a chance. I'm pretty sure I met my match as we arm wrestled for about five minutes, neither side giving up, until we finally decided to call a truce. My arm was tired and so was his. Good times at Chipotle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5CcHXc_vpCXJFk9ADR-oohzO_3RT701atx8lLAEB8qjjk0uIkpsCGqIAN2MO6vvMC61v3R7AP06eMhP-Ay7IOZoJ6QJL5PzRzSQoSbZSrE3M25PMN5KpdUvnUBdXuZfMggHRCt0Mt0QA/s1600/DSC01208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5CcHXc_vpCXJFk9ADR-oohzO_3RT701atx8lLAEB8qjjk0uIkpsCGqIAN2MO6vvMC61v3R7AP06eMhP-Ay7IOZoJ6QJL5PzRzSQoSbZSrE3M25PMN5KpdUvnUBdXuZfMggHRCt0Mt0QA/s400/DSC01208.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Laura started the match and Grace documented with the camera.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS-40N7xiSiS53BIACr4NJVw6g3y5ZANbeYuWkbgt1AZFNpN5s3O6a2ytwbJ7dNZE1TsJ-GyUUAtS4gakvibAOu1VDgg2GZxBvGfdvG4-8uZPWHoQnvkdguKX71P0vL4Udf2BxZimOfRI/s1600/DSC01209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS-40N7xiSiS53BIACr4NJVw6g3y5ZANbeYuWkbgt1AZFNpN5s3O6a2ytwbJ7dNZE1TsJ-GyUUAtS4gakvibAOu1VDgg2GZxBvGfdvG4-8uZPWHoQnvkdguKX71P0vL4Udf2BxZimOfRI/s400/DSC01209.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheESR_9Lo0kz3Dy1ygID0HnxeFcviXcXcTPz8LAtxmnsmvVWamyqx2u3wsMbOoL7mW4jKSTyQoN1b81egnSasVjpNJFNynExlno01Z2ShobVvLp7YBr_NMuGPGTZa3eCGTA0kN-gsn4Ppm/s1600/DSC01210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheESR_9Lo0kz3Dy1ygID0HnxeFcviXcXcTPz8LAtxmnsmvVWamyqx2u3wsMbOoL7mW4jKSTyQoN1b81egnSasVjpNJFNynExlno01Z2ShobVvLp7YBr_NMuGPGTZa3eCGTA0kN-gsn4Ppm/s400/DSC01210.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Kyle and Levi making bets...</div></div></div></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-42330347346220591312010-08-17T07:42:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:05:58.362-07:00LoveJoy Bakery Granola<div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTR1M6RrSXKQNWpvkQ0ymg1KVoT4RMPWjy1wcfOToMLSkwM8-BK9VEkKPph1JjOFUksQgsHI0yMIF-YqiYgvF-2RYFx5dNQYQBX3D2w5XFwsmcVw4GOINoVyrBzuiAO0FSb9fNl2GQG65B/s1600/DSC00884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTR1M6RrSXKQNWpvkQ0ymg1KVoT4RMPWjy1wcfOToMLSkwM8-BK9VEkKPph1JjOFUksQgsHI0yMIF-YqiYgvF-2RYFx5dNQYQBX3D2w5XFwsmcVw4GOINoVyrBzuiAO0FSb9fNl2GQG65B/s320/DSC00884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">Granola is kind of a big thing in Salt Lake City. I can't tell you exactly why, but almost every new bakery or coffee shop I sample has their own homemade granola. It's also a pretty big thing in our house, and I've got an extremely particular granola snob at home that I aim to woo with my vegan delicacies. I was super stoked to come up with this delightful recipe with the inspiration from a fellow food blogger @<a href="http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/" style="color: #584d4d; text-decoration: underline;" title="http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/">viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com</a>. It can also be made gluten free if you substitute the Barley Flakes with gluten free Oats and reduce the oil to 3 tablespoons.</div><div class="paragraph_style" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style_1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">LoveJoy Bakery Granola<span class="style_1" style="line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</span></div><div class="paragraph_style_2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">Mix:</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">2 cups Barely Flakes (looks like oatmeal)</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1 cup Oat Flakes</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 cup unsweetened shredded Coconut</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 cup Hazelnuts (optional: soak in water overnight first)</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 cup raw Cashews (optional: soak in water overnight first)</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 cup Hemp Seed Nuts</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1 tsp. Cinnamon</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/4 tsp ground Cardamon (ground nutmeg can be substituted)</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 tsp Salt</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1 cup dried Cranberries</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">In a separate bowl mix:</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/4 cup coconut oil </div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">2/3 cup maple syrup</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1/2 tsp blackstrap Molasses</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">1 tsp pure vanilla extract</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #0350b4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;">I added the dry to the wet ingredients in a bowl and mixed well. Then I put them in my dehydrator btw 125-145 degrees for about 6-9 hours. If you don't soak your nuts (soaking nuts releases an enzyme in them which our bodies don't digest...making the soaked nut far easier to digest) you will save time in the dehydrator. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can bake them on parchment lined pans in your oven at the lowest setting for a couple hours. With either dehydrating or baking you'll want to check on the granola while its cooking to see when its done to your liking! </div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-91137748793292393242010-08-08T21:28:00.000-07:002010-09-28T19:06:43.160-07:00CSA Utah Tour & The Whistle Stop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMQTTQFKieNYxRE9uagNf-H-UgSDHD9x8AoTu7s7nGGWEeUkK3aOzzG2lmp57eqUAT3Gq9WC5AtwKtVssINMrMwfiK_KZG_A_2hb9q984hyzNfBZjSbG21NMamqpUt7D6vduUrqgpFmvZ/s1600/East+cc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMQTTQFKieNYxRE9uagNf-H-UgSDHD9x8AoTu7s7nGGWEeUkK3aOzzG2lmp57eqUAT3Gq9WC5AtwKtVssINMrMwfiK_KZG_A_2hb9q984hyzNfBZjSbG21NMamqpUt7D6vduUrqgpFmvZ/s400/East+cc.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>East Farms</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My <a href="http://industriouslyemily.blogspot.com/">close friend</a> in Portland was the first to teach me about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). The vision is individuals choose to partner with their local farmer and in return receive a share of the harvest. In the greater SLC area there are <a href="http://www.csautah.org/">several CSAs</a> to choose from, each providing something different. Kyle and I checked out a large CSA gathering that was held earlier this year at Squatters Pub and got to taste the goods and hear from some of the farmers. Last Monday, my friend Grace and I joined a group of about thirty community folk to tour three local CSA farms. Going backwards we visited <a href="http://www.zoegarden.com/">Zoe's Garden</a>, where we saw huge artichoke plants and tasted the sweetest yellow cherry tomatoes; <a href="http://www.eastfarms.net/">East Farms</a>, where we toured the fields of gourds by tractor and got a quick lesson in siphon tube irrigation; and <a href="http://www.bellorganic.com/">Bell Organic</a>, where we started the morning off with fresh heirloom tomatoes, purple stripped long beans, and yellow and red carrots. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsGNRzSgYKNq9vnSPdkyMtvwgWv15RvONkV37GmyNIqz2oZeZg-vc9TseyyJ43cKkaACrlTOAhvhf5PKpewoOAzJFyfkz_KaoSsHULJxEmpDlFk4AdaRVNWE_oZrxH6ka72mKg8iTctYL/s1600/DSC01132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsGNRzSgYKNq9vnSPdkyMtvwgWv15RvONkV37GmyNIqz2oZeZg-vc9TseyyJ43cKkaACrlTOAhvhf5PKpewoOAzJFyfkz_KaoSsHULJxEmpDlFk4AdaRVNWE_oZrxH6ka72mKg8iTctYL/s400/DSC01132.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Grace and Joy on the tractor</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was highly impressed by everything I saw and heard at Bell Organic. The farmer David led the discussion and walked us through the life of their farm. We learned how they started on only a half acre and now, over a decade later, are many more acres in and looking to provide food to upwards of 1000 Utah families within their CSA program. They also helped pioneer Utah's first RSA (Restaurant Supported Agriculture) program for local chefs. They are certified organic, welcome volunteers in exchange for produce, and seem invested in getting to know the families whom they serve. We were introduced to David's youngest daughter, "bean girl", and wife Jill later in the tour. I noticed on their website Jill writes a <a href="http://www.bellorganic.com/blog/">blog</a> about the farm happenings and shares recipes they use. Their program runs from June-October, so for 18 weeks the CSA members receive an assorted box of fresh produce and occasional flowers from the farm. David told us that by the time you receive the produce it is has usually been picked in the previous 12 hours, and no more than 24 hours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At Bell Organic, a two person share is $450, about $12 a week per person for amazingly delicious local food. They also have larger shares and sometimes offer mid-season shares. Bell Organic partners with other local farmers to provide one easy stop for veggies, fruit, eggs, cheese, honey, and beef if you choose, and there are many convenient pick up locations around town. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLOCEnYAn2saxHcJT9QrVcnDQH_S7N1mvGMG74rcH8wigSgm-5aSHLO_o1FDKXOPWy22JJTJ5P-HhwKugSIjmJCEB6mKRm8XeYxYd5akW9uwxEi86ThJo67hMAWUMIQssNWD1b30XJWfL/s1600/Bell+cc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLOCEnYAn2saxHcJT9QrVcnDQH_S7N1mvGMG74rcH8wigSgm-5aSHLO_o1FDKXOPWy22JJTJ5P-HhwKugSIjmJCEB6mKRm8XeYxYd5akW9uwxEi86ThJo67hMAWUMIQssNWD1b30XJWfL/s400/Bell+cc.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <i>Bell Organic</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZK9ehj3aHksS03Py2H9eI0oWmeZgjg74u0B_To-tdrPegJG9ZprCvAYf4hEg5gAWx6ma5B-G7C1DqBbFhtT9Y1Ra3ocHlYUbHZqNCp4BqSltbbth14CuJhn4gtSZnObTOEtxpNyESDC7/s1600/DSC01136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZK9ehj3aHksS03Py2H9eI0oWmeZgjg74u0B_To-tdrPegJG9ZprCvAYf4hEg5gAWx6ma5B-G7C1DqBbFhtT9Y1Ra3ocHlYUbHZqNCp4BqSltbbth14CuJhn4gtSZnObTOEtxpNyESDC7/s400/DSC01136.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>How cool is that artichoke plant?!</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before this whole day started we picked up some organic fair trade coffee at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Murray-UT/The-Whistle-Stop/82277099471?v=wall">The Whistle Stop</a>. Excellent sustainable business if you're in Murray, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Dd-FDN7-_2LeqPmWsbkyqUe0VWrb4pWlm5bTiTRLBzsRVkl5ante4tuIGqlFgk7CTn9V2ulFR6SqbnrXwWB6HyHNrYdBVt3llTQkEyqZKF_9ULO50gO7yLTFGMRhv0n0nzUsgvql-6c/s1600/DSC01131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Dd-FDN7-_2LeqPmWsbkyqUe0VWrb4pWlm5bTiTRLBzsRVkl5ante4tuIGqlFgk7CTn9V2ulFR6SqbnrXwWB6HyHNrYdBVt3llTQkEyqZKF_9ULO50gO7yLTFGMRhv0n0nzUsgvql-6c/s400/DSC01131.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><i><br />
</i></div>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-60712218819258023502010-08-03T12:29:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:09:12.211-07:00St. Mark's Coffeehouse and Bakery in Denver, CO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIyBCwHGaiRRDMg9XpAgA7ZhX3R2WHaKv_YH_Wz6Dtb-ZWInUOxeRiZqj9ItrkL622ZLYtOS9aCnWZ5Lrc6uuuDQOY6SXLu9hVIBpwqX-dhFCru4yFiOk8E0WYL9j1O7fs8hpXrBx3JUu/s1600/DSC01029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIyBCwHGaiRRDMg9XpAgA7ZhX3R2WHaKv_YH_Wz6Dtb-ZWInUOxeRiZqj9ItrkL622ZLYtOS9aCnWZ5Lrc6uuuDQOY6SXLu9hVIBpwqX-dhFCru4yFiOk8E0WYL9j1O7fs8hpXrBx3JUu/s400/DSC01029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
"I started training and sleeping my way to the top" - owner of <a href="http://www.stmarkscoffeehouse.com/">St. Mark's Coffeehouse</a>, on how his affair with coffee began. <br />
<br />
On the recommendation of a <a href="http://www.theoutdoorwife.com/">dear friend</a>, Kyle and I woke up early on Wednesday morning and headed just east of Downtown Denver, CO to St. Mark's Coffeehouse. The neighborhood is full of charm with old beautiful homes and a walkway full of cafes, theaters, and coffeehouses. The patio seating was almost full when we arrived and many dogs lay beneath their owners, catching some sleepy time sun. The front of the building had an open windowed garage door, giving us an airy feeling even when inside. We got in line next to a tempting array of homemade pastries, and Kyle eyed a crumbly soft raspberry scone. Nothing was marked vegan so I almost chose to get the equally yummy looking blueberry scone, but decided to ask the cashier/barista if any of the items were vegan instead. To our surprise, both of the French fruit tarts were vegan, made with a vegetable oil versus butter. I chose the peach tart, a pastry I've never had the vegan version of before, along with a decaf americano black. We picked a table in the back next to the windows, revealing a pink mini school bus outside. St. Mark's rotates their art with different local artists, and today they were displaying a photographer and painter of native African portraits. One of the tables along the wall had seats that looked like huge iron thrones, and the coffeehouse was full of people and laptops.<br />
<br />
The peach tart was amazing, one of the the best things I had in Denver, and the coffee was quite good. They also have a small lunch menu and serve a selection of brews in the evenings. Their website is cute and creative and tells more about who they are and the different community things they support. <br />
<br />
On the way out of town, we stopped at St. Mark's again, since it was so good the first time. We got our coffee and treats to-go, and realized a big bummer to their take-out. Their coffee is served in <a href="http://slcvegans.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-good-styrofoam-polystyrene.html">Styrofoam</a> cups, and that's whether you get hot or cold beverages. The reasons why I try never to eat out of Stryofoam or support companies that use these products are numerous. I believe Styrofoam is both harmful to our environment and bodies. There is lots of information available on the studied effects of using and producing Stryofoam that you can read more about <a href="http://slcvegans.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-good-styrofoam-polystyrene.html">here</a>.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b5d67; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</em></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b5d67; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-12599998011009177132010-07-26T11:57:00.000-07:002010-10-05T16:10:05.414-07:00Mercury Cafe in Denver, CO<span id="goog_27089007"></span><span id="goog_27089008"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7wV98oFdWk17pLYV6DoiPK_J9XQ-zcUIWTFvt24z7YRF0ew6UQ-mOuN1McGkp9iKaGP8she-DbawADCnxsd1xPqrDI4KUmDTcCKEBNM5r9qRr2p-AB6U60PM7ScHM6Ja5pwOAN9fXWYU/s1600/DSC01024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7wV98oFdWk17pLYV6DoiPK_J9XQ-zcUIWTFvt24z7YRF0ew6UQ-mOuN1McGkp9iKaGP8she-DbawADCnxsd1xPqrDI4KUmDTcCKEBNM5r9qRr2p-AB6U60PM7ScHM6Ja5pwOAN9fXWYU/s400/DSC01024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last week we drove through the windy plains of Wyoming to Denver, Colorado. It was our first trip to the other mountain town, about 8 hours away from SLC, where Kyle was speaking at a youth camp on CCU. One afternoon we headed out of the suburbs for dinner, into downtown Denver to <a href="http://www.mercurycafe.com/">Mercury Cafe</a>. We arrived at the artistically adorned brick building, surrounded by trees and wild flowers outside. A girl in front of us hung her bike on the ceiling hooks they had up just inside the front door. Deep red hues surrounded us and cool string lights hung over the tables and the cool green booth we chose. The vive was very eclectic and super unique. The restaurant had been highly rated online and their food touts being both organic and fair trade, so we thought we were in for a treat. The menu was interesting and a bit odd with items ranging from a cobb salad, to enchiladas, to pasta, to elk nachos. I ordered grilled tempeh with black bean sauce, red chard, and quinoa. They brought us out a little half loaf of dark bread to begin with, which was so dry I only took a small bite. The dinner salads were fine with a nice tasting vinaigrette. Our entrees arrived and with each bite I realized that everything on my plate tasted like it had been flavored with only water. Kyle ordered an omnivore dish and had the same experience as me, which was strange because his dish actually had lots of garlic and herbs in it. We both finished our bland and flavor-lacking meals and got ready to go. On our way outside the doors, we found their sidewalks had been covered in red rose petals. Mercury Cafe was definitely creative and cute in design, but left much to be desired in their eats.JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617920624350147536.post-67401513560132363062010-07-19T16:12:00.000-07:002010-09-28T19:07:51.652-07:00No Good Styrofoam (Polystyrene)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn4TL18WBqz-PMSbmROPWzQLwg6mFnYsJqSbeZg90KiTQLfRrWaVvfUptnU_JfSP4U8v8hR420U8WqT3dfUQ-L76U9FUlwRfzrKAdrNYm-qdoXLl5rYZhZ4yhUlR3B4o3DxdSNfqRyDBR/s1600/CowleyStyrofoam1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVn4TL18WBqz-PMSbmROPWzQLwg6mFnYsJqSbeZg90KiTQLfRrWaVvfUptnU_JfSP4U8v8hR420U8WqT3dfUQ-L76U9FUlwRfzrKAdrNYm-qdoXLl5rYZhZ4yhUlR3B4o3DxdSNfqRyDBR/s400/CowleyStyrofoam1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Styrofoam use has been banned in certain areas, including my home state of Portland, OR. Let's work to do the same thing in Salt Lake City. Even McDonalds stopped using Stryofoam in 1989.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b5d67; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 24px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By 1986, styrene was found in 100 percent of all samples of human fat tissue taken as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Human Tissue Survey. Researchers found that Styrofoam cups lose weight when in use, meaning that styrene is oozing into the foods and drinks we consume. It then ends up stored in our fatty tissue, where it can build up to levels that can cause fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, blood abnormalities, and even carcinogenic effects. </span></span></span></em><em style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(source: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.greenhome.com/info/news/41.shtml">http://www.greenhome.com/info/news/41.shtml</a></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></span></span></em></div><br />
Excerpt below taken from <a href="http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html">http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html</a><br />
<div align="center" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Polystyrene Foam Report</i></span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>What is it?</i></span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer. Most people know it under the name Styrofoam, which is actually the trade name of a polystyrene foam product used for housing insulation. Polystyrene is a light-weight material, about 95% air, with very good insulation properties and is used in all types of products from cups that keep your beverages hot or cold to packaging material that keep your computers safe during shipping.</i></span></span></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Why not use it?</i></span></span></span></span></b></div><ul style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The biggest environmental health concern associated with polystyrene is the danger associated with Styrene, the basic building block of polystyrene. Styrene is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins. About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs and showers, are potentially exposed to styrene. Acute health effects are generally irritation of the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal effects. Chronic exposure affects the central nervous system showing symptoms such as depression, headache, fatigue, and weakness, and can cause minor effects on kidney function and blood. Styrene is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A voluntary compliance program has been adopted by industries using styrene. The US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration unsuccessfully (a federal court overturned the ruling in 1992) tried to limit the amount of worker exposure to styrene to 50 parts per million (ppm). According to the Styrene Information and Research Center (SIRC), they still encourage their member companies to comply with the 50 ppm exposure limit. This program would reduce styrene exposures to a 50 ppm TWA with a 100 ppm (15 minute) ceiling.</i></span></span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-OSHA (US Dept of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration)</span></span></span></span></i></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>A 1986 EPA report on solid waste named the polystyrene manufacturing process as the 5th largest creator of hazardous waste.· The National Bureau of Standards Center for Fire Research identified 57 chemical byproducts released during the combustion of polystyrene foam. The process of making polystyrene pollutes the air and creates large amounts of liquid and solid waste.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Toxic chemicals leach out of these products into the food that they contain (especially when heated in a microwave). These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>These products are made with petroleum, a non-sustainable and heavily polluting resource.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The use of hydrocarbons in polystyrene foam manufacture releases the hydrocarbons into the air at ground level; there, combined with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight, they form tropospheric ozone -- a serious air pollutant at ground level. According to the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) more than 100 million Americans currently live in areas that fail to meet air quality standards for ozone. California, the Texas Gulf Coast, the Chicago-Milwaukee area, and the Northeastern U.S. all have "serious ozone air quality problems," according to EPA. Ozone is definitely a dangerous pollutant. The EPA says: "Healthy individuals who are exercising while ozone levels are at or only slightly above the standard can experience reduced functioning of the lungs, leading to chest pain, coughing, wheezing, and pulmonary congestion. In animal studies, long-term exposure to high levels of ozone has produced permanent structural damage to animal lungs while both short and long term exposure has been found to decrease the animal's capability to fight infection." In other words, prolonged exposure to atmospheric ozone above legal limits might be expected to damage the immune system.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>By volume, the amount of space used up in landfills by all plastics is between 25 and 30 percent. -"Polystyrene Fact Sheet," Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education, Los Angeles, California.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Polystyrene foam is often dumped into the environment as litter. This material is notorious for breaking up into pieces that choke animals and clog their digestive systems.</i></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Many cities and counties have outlawed polystyrene foam (i.e. Taiwan, Portland, OR, and Orange County, CA).</i></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul><br />
More websites writing about Styrofoam:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/11-15/green-kitchen-office-kitchen-article.htm">http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/11-15/green-kitchen-office-kitchen-article.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://green4u.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/why-styrofoam-is-bad/">http://green4u.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/why-styrofoam-is-bad/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.grinningplanet.com/2008/04-08/foam-cups-polystyrene-cups-article.htm">http://www.grinningplanet.com/2008/04-08/foam-cups-polystyrene-cups-article.htm</a>JOYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07337588292940945140noreply@blogger.com0