Top Gun

Robin and I watched Top Gun last night. She hadn't ever seen it before and she didn't like it; not even the volleyball scene! I'm not sure if this shows good taste or shocking lack of the 'I heart Tom Cruise' gene.

By the light of the silvery moon . . .

This wonderful old man in our branch has become my gardening mentor. I was asking some advice about planting and he told me I needed an almanac. I said, "Like the Farmer's Almanac?" "No, no, this one is specifically for this area. They will print in the spring and I will get you one."

He brought it to church last Sunday. It was all about planing by the moon and other astrological signs. I was a little shocked and more than a little skeptical. I had never heard of this before and I didn't know what to say. I thanked him but didn't really take it seriously.

Later, I was talking to Mark and Robin and Mark told me that Nono, his Grandfather who lived in Napa, always planted by the phases of the moon. This changed my perspective a little so I did a little research on the internet yesterday. Although it still seems a little superstitious, there is some science behind it and really, I may just like the idea of doing something that my great grandfather did. I always like the idea of the wisdom of generations past and not reinventing the wheel.

I'm going to try it! I planted about 100 onions on Saturday. According to the charts the ideal time to plant onions (and any other bulbs) is in the 3rd phase of the moon (full moon to last quarter) so I was a little bummed to see that I was about 3 days late. We'll see what happens.

I really excited about this little experiment!

Goals and Givaways

One of my goals this year is to make 12 quilts; 6 of which I will force myself to keep. I don't now how many quilts I've made over the years but do you know I have kept only 3? I can't help myself, they just make such good gifts!

I made this one yesterday and we quilted it at enrichment last night. I will bind it today (my favorite part). It is for a new baby in our branch.

Have a happy weekend!

I can just smell the nectarines . . .

We have had the best oranges this year! For the last two months they have been devoured almost as fast as I could buy them. In the bags and bags of big, shiny ornages we didn't get one bad one until yesterday. The ones I brought home weren't great, end of the season and all that.

Well . . . on to strawberries and summer fruit just around the corner!

Rise and Shout!

So, Robin has been accepted at Utah State, the University of Utah and now the Lord's University. Paul is calling this the Utah trifecta. (Is that how you spell trifecta?)

Hooray for Robin!

Happy Valentine's Day . . . well sort of.

our Valentine's breakfast table

I know it's tomorrow but I'm feeling it this morning since we've been making Valentines all week and all the kids are having their class parities today. We are also following Gabby's lead and are having a Valentine Breakfast this morning. Such a fun idea!!


See you next week!

Looking at this picture of Pauly all day reminded me of something . . .

. . . now I remember. It reminded me of this picture of Paul.

Paul is 17 years old!

Things I found in my couch . . .

3 pencils
2 markers
2 bouncy balls
1 old permission slip
1 Barbie princess book
7 socks
24 cents
1 pair of earrings I thought were lost forever
1 pacifier (Jared's I think)
lots of sand
1 seam ripper
1 sheet of bubble wrap
more candy wrappers than I would have thought
9 hairclips
13 hair ties
1 Beatles hat

This is the sofa, new.

We bought a sofa from Furniture Row about 2 1/2 years ago. And although the fabric looks like new, the sofa as a whole, looks terrible. The pillows are saggy, seams are coming apart and the frame has broken in two places.

The frame and cushions have a lifetime guarantee so I called them about repair work. They said it was too expensive to fix and ordered a new one for us. I cut a hole in the bottom to clean out all the "stuff" that has fallen into the nether regions of the couch because I have to return the old one when I pick up the new one today. (It is a $35 charge for both pick up and delivery.) Thank heaven I have a truck and a teenaged boy.

Web cams and surfing

Paul and Pauly went to Galveston this morning. If you click here and then click on the bottom picture you can watch them surf.

The picture is from this morning, that is Paul walking into the water and little Paul in the beach.

Mom and Roger

I love this picture of my mom and Roger in Russia.

Secret Valentine Messages

Gloria is home sick today so we are going to make her Valentine Box and Valentines to send. Did you see these on Martha Stewart ?? I am feeling pretty ambitious, maybe we'll try one of them.

Changes

Something we started at the beginning of 2009 is to get rid of as many monthly bills as possible. For example, we bought a treadmill and ended our gym membership, ridding ourselves of our that bill. We also cut off our cable,

Dear DVR,

Thank you for your endless dedication to my T.V. addiction. I will miss you terribly and I will never forget the wonderful nights we spent together.

With unhealthy devotion,
Rachel


Another change we made was to get the Magic Jack. It has been working well so far and we have lost one more monthly payment. We did have to change our phone number (boooo!!) but with this change alone we will save a little over $600 this year. Woo Hoo!

. . . and an island never cries

Childhood, music, safety, warmth, giggling, melancholy, cozy bedroom, Sara and Joshua.

When we were teenagers, Sara and I had a little routine at bedtime. We would get into our jamas, Sara would set the alarm, and we'd get into our beds. Then, because neither of us wanted to get out of bed and turn off the light, we would call and call to Josh until he would come into our room so that he could turn off our light. (he loved it) When the light was finally off, I would start the record player.

Every single night for about a year, we would fall asleep to one side or the other of Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits.

Pauly and I were listening to I Am A Rock on the way home tonight, it brought back happy memories.

A bowl full of color on a grey day!

We are expecting another cold snap, probably one of the last this winter, and I have been thinking about this yummy chicken chili that Erin posted about a couple of years ago. I love this stuff! It is an Barefoot Contessa recipe. Her recipes are consistently good, easy to understand and use ingredients I normally have in my cupboards (among other things Erin taught me that too.)

My favorite part, though, is using food with all these bright, beautiful colors. It makes me happy.

Chicken Chili

Ingredients
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions
Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.