Sophie learning her helping verbs

Here, Sophie working on her auxiliary verbs.  She's supposed to say, "is, am, are, was, were, be, been, have, has, had, will, shall, may, should, would, could."  For the most part, she does pretty well, except for "had."

Household accessories for uncommon uses

I would consider myself a very "functional" type person, especially when it comes to style and decorating. In decorating our house, I tend to gravitate towards furnishings that are multipurpose, uncomplicated and functional.  

So, here's a brief glimpse how I like to use uncommon household accessories and accents for uncommon uses. 

Examples:

curtain clips to hold my notes, business cards, etc.

magazine basket to contain our everyday shoes

end table used as a night stand (pls note:  Sophie's bear, Lucy)

computer cabinet used as an armoire

For me, the most important style and functional solutions are furnishings that are efficient, versatile, comfortable and casual. 

Sheep and Wool Festival

This afternoon we went to the sheep and wool festival at Farm Country in Thanksgiving Point.  It was quite educational as I learned a few things I didn't know about sheep.

They produce in their wool, natural lanolin, otherwise known as "wool fat."  I'm sure most of us know that lanolin is used as a base in cosmetics, lotions, soaps and ointment; however, I did not know it's used as a lubricant to prevent corrosion and rust and preserves leather.  Boats also use lanolin to create a slippery surface so that barnacles cannot adhere themselves to the propellers.  

The gentleman who was shearing this sheep (above) said you can't get more fresh lanolin than that (see my hand....lanolin grease).  

Also, sheep are sheared once a year.  To clean the wool, it is placed in very, very hot water....surprisingly, it comes out quite white/yellow and clean, ready to be woven into yarn.

A Fun Birthday Party

Sophie had been looking forward to Samir's birthday party for quite some time and today was finally THE DAY.  She was so excited, not particularly because of the party itself, but because she could see and play with Vivika, Samir's baby sister.

Lately, Soph has become quite obsessed with babies, wanting to know everything about them, and what she was like as a baby.  "How did I cry as a baby?  Did I wear diapers when I was a baby?  What did I eat as a baby?  Did you hold me like this when I was a baby?".....and on and on and on.  

Well, aside from her being so wrapped up with Vivika, the party was a lot of fun with lots of fun games for the kids!  Sophie particularly liked the game "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?"

A side note.....I've always known Sophie to be quite active, even when I was pregnant with her.  She was constantly moving and rolling, sliding her legs up and down inside, tickling the heck out of me every single day.  And then taking her first steps when she was just 9 months old, always constantly on the move.  To this day, she can't sit still, even when she's watching her favorite TV shows.... she's practicing her gymnastics skills.  Well, I'm under the impression all this activity is driven by huge amounts of nervous energy.  This can be good and bad....good in that she's quite ambitious, determined and dedicated to achieving her personal goals and bad in that she just can't relax, like sitting still while she eats.   But, I honestly believe  I don't think she would have figured out how to do such things as the hula hoop (when she was almost 4 1/2 yrs old) if not for her "nervous energy."  Now, if she could only stop being so nervous when she's around people :o/  BTW, she and Samir's mom were the only 2 that could do the hula hoop :o/

In the picture below, Sophie playing with Vivika's feet (not the Belgian expression, but really playing with her feet). 

   

Sophie's Commercial Rendition

Apparently Sophie has seen this commercial numerous of times and has most of it memorized.

Translation:  "Call 1-800-796-2841.  Help give your child a financial (head) start for just like pennies a day.  Don't wait.  Call now for your free information."

Preschool Graduation, 2009!

Sophie's preschool graduation was held today.

Parents hummed the graduation song while the students entered the room, as their names were being called.  Well, most parents hummed the tune with great gusto initially and then it died down; it was becoming apparent that it is difficult to hum and take pictures at the same time....(too funny ;-)

The ceremony was totally cute and classy... until Sophie decided to lift her dress up in front of everybody, presenting her holey tights and yellow underwear!(*)

After I loudly whispered (hey, an oxymoron) for her to pull her dress down and regained my composure, it went fairly smoothly with all the graduates singing several songs, songs I've heard Sophie singing everyday the past month.  

Each graduate then received a diploma and a portfolio.  The portfolio is a "scrapbook" Mrs. Chris assembled for all her students.  It is a compilation of their work/art/assignments throughout the year.  It is such an awesome book!

Tomorrow is the dance festival and the last day of school!!

(*) If you want to know what else Soph did while in her dress, check out my tweets on Twitter....yet, another embarrassing moment ;o/

Sophie Q & A

It's hard to believe this is Sophie's last week of preschool.  Then beginning next month, swimming lessons.  

Every so often I like to make note of certain salient points about Sophie; what she deems are important about herself.   I did one in October, 2007 and one in May, 2008.  

In Sophie's words:

Favorite Color:  Pink

Favorite Number:  7

Favorite Toy:  Purple horse, she got from her cousin Ellen in Belgium  (For those who do not know, Sophie is Eurasian, she's half Belgian and half Korean.)

Favorite Show:  Dragon Tales, Caillou, Noddy, Kipper

Favorite Food:  Pesto pizza, strawberries and cherries

Favorite Song:  Poker Face

Favorite Activity:  Drawing, coloring, painting, playing the matching game, cleaning up my beautiful room.

Best Friends:  

• Samir
  
• Cambry
  
• Gabriella
  
• Lexi
  
• Xavier (Soph:  "I like making pizzas with Xavier, but I don't make pizzas with him anymore because we'll get an "X.")
  
• Andrea
  
• Josh (Soph: "I like Josh because he throws his backpack at me and laughs and so he likes me."  This reminds me of a guy I knew in high school who used to throw his pencils at my back and laugh; he liked me too.)   
  
• Sophie:  "I don't like Sarah all the time because she does naughty stuff to Mrs. Chris, Mrs. Diane and Mrs. Jennifer."  
  
• Andrea
  
• Colby

Favorite Shape:  Circle

Favorite Letter:  S

What do you want to be when you grow up?:  Lots of grumbling...."how many times do I have to tell you!  A Painter!"

Soph's Preoccupation with Fashion

Gone are the days where I could pick out Sophie's clothes without questions, comments and dialogue.  Granted, I have to give her credit as she knows exactly what she wants.  However, it isn't exactly what I would classify as being "my taste and style."  Hopefully, she'll outgrow her bright, shiny, gaudy, opulent taste in everything.  Hey, now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if these are signs of an Artist in the making? 

While we were at Kohls, we browsed in the kids section to discover some clothes marked down 80%.  Sophie is definitely all girl, and loves dresses.  But not any dress, this dress has to have flowers, butterflies and especially have the ability to make a bow in the back...AND a flamboyant flair to it as evidenced by her selection choices.  She doesn't like black, brown, gray and white.  But likes pink, purple, orange, green, yellow, blue, gold, fragile (?)......(later) aah, she's referring to an amber glassware that's fragile.  So she must like the color amber and equates amber to being fragile :O

After combing through each rack, we came very close to finding something Sophie had envisioned her dress to be, however, it had black in it :o(  But no worries, we found another dress that was not only a bargain, but a happy medium for both of us.

Me in the Mist

I'm in the process of incorporating my last blog into this one.  So if you see anything bizarre, it's me piddling around :o)

The weather has been absolutely fantastic....cloudy, overcast skies, intermittent rain, sun, brisk temperatures.  Strangely, I love being out in this kind of refreshing, misty weather, running errands or finding some lame excuse to be out and about, just imbibing it all in.  I think partly because most people tend to stay put at the house, which means less crowds at all the places I like to visit and shop.  

Seriously for me this kind of weather is so invigorating and relaxing!!

Wildflowers in Bloom

Pretty, dainty wildflowers in bloom.  Even though daisies or anything daisy-like are my favorite flowers, wildflowers sure come close to being my favorite as well.... simple and sophisticated.  

I bought some wildflower seeds and hope to have a patch of varying colors of flowers atop our little slope in the backyard.  Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait a good while as most wildflower varieties do not bloom until the 2nd year.   

Not only are wildflowers simply beautiful, but will hopefully minimize yard maintenance.  An example of my endless quest to streamlining, time-saving, labor-saving, money-saving, etc... frame of mind.

Lots of Hoopla with the Hula

They say you can always tell if someone is really good by making difficult things look so easy and effortless.  Sophie has given this impression to a lot of her friends with the hula hoop.  They look at her and say "I can do that, let me try!".... only to be baffled why the hula hoop keeps falling at their feet.   I have to remind them Sophie practiced everyday, several times a day for several weeks.

At gymnastics, Sophie really impressed her teacher and the other girls with her ability to swing the hula hoop with such ease.  Not only can she go really fast very well, she can go very slow and it still stays right where she wants it.  

Soph's preschool held a little talent show today and so it was quite obvious what she was going to do as her talent.  To my disbelief, Sophie got right in front of everyone without any hesitation and dithering and did her thing.  She was actually looking forward to it!!  

They each performed 2 talents.  Sophie did her hula hoop and a headstand.   Some of the other kids, sang, played the piano, played the violin, did summersaults, danced, kicked a soccer ball, dribbled a basketball, etc.....it was a really cute show!  

Inside hoop:  Andrea, Joshua, Xavier, Sophie

Spring Showers and Flowers

Finally....Spring is here where we live.

I had two sisters (NOT members from a religious order) come in today to clean my house.  First time ever!  All I can say is I could easily get used to that....like once a month!!  They told me for a basic cleaning, not a deep cleaning, it would take 3 hours to clean 80% of the house.  That's a total of 6 hours between the two.  No kidding, that isn't a bunch of hooey they were giving me; it usually takes me a good 2 days to clean our house.....a necessary nuisance totally not fun :-(

Late this afternoon, we got a much needed rainstorm.  The smell of fresh rain is so exhilarating.  Because we live in a desert climate, it doesn't rain often....for that reason I took a picture of it.  Everything looked so crisp and vibrant; unfortunately, the picture doesn't show the vividness as much as I had hoped. 

I love this time of the year; I have some of the windows open in the house and the cool mountain breeze is not only refreshing (at times a bit nippy) from an olfactory sense BUT a refreshing change to the cuts in our utility expenditure.  I looked at our gas statement today and it was  $20.49 :o)

Hogle Zoo

Yesterday, we went to the zoo; I figured we should go before it got too hot.  Utah temperatures are extreme, so it gets very hot statewide during the summers, with the exception of mountain areas and high mountain valleys.

Even though it was in the low 80's, it felt more like the upper 90's.    I think most of the heat was generated from all the body heat.  My word bird!  You should have seen all the people!!  

It was so hot, we zipped right through the new Madagascar exhibit.  I read previously that "Madagascar, an island once only known as a rest stop for pirate ships..." was not exactly a place where we wanted to stop and rest..... Now that winter is over, so glad we live in the mountains.

Christy, an African elephant is due any day in July/Aug.  Here she's getting her daily bath.  

Hey, here's a picture of me (without my sunglasses) and Sophie, her intentional pose just for this photo.

F L O W E R

This pretty flower.... I've had since Mother's Day is still looking remarkably well.  I've learned how acidic water is actually good to use for cut flowers.  And so instead of plopping an aspirin (which is acidic) into the water, I decided to use the acidic water from our ionizer machine.  

Not only is the flower doing beautifully, I have not changed out the water like I usually do, and the water is amazingly pellucid, crystal clear without becoming murky these past 8 days.  

I got my ionizer machine almost a year ago from Life Ionizers and I must admit, I'm really impressed.  (Just remember....you ingest alkaline water for your health and use acidic water to bathe and clean.  Acidic water is NOT potable.)  

If you're interested in obtaining an ionizer, let me know as I can get it for much less than advertised on the Life Ionizer website.

The "Sunshine Vitamin"

In order to make up for deficiencies in our diet, I really do believe in integrating vitamins / minerals / herbs on a daily basis. As they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." I look at it as you either pay for it now or later in your life.

While aging is unavoidable, there is no reason why advancing years must be identified with pain, disability, or mental decline.

Back in my late 30's I took a very proactive approach in fortifying my diet with good quality supplements. To this day, I attribute those efforts in being able to get pregnant without outside intervention. However, it was an eye opener once I ceased to take my supplements. Problems started surfacing which I first attributed to getting older. As a "mature" mother, I've become quite an ardent advocate in a take-charge approach to learning about better nutrition and supplementing to fill in the gaps.

It has been well documented that the vitamins and minerals most people lack are minerals. I found it fascinating that every illness and/or health issues can all be traced back to a lack of a specific mineral or trace mineral in our diet. Most people actually lack magnesium, selenium, chromium and iodine. For women these are essential minerals needed for the endocrine glands. In the vitamin department, both men and women are very deficient in vitamin D, namely vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D is actually a hormone that is critical for immune support, preventing depression, certain cancers like breast, ovarian, prostate, colon cancer and even preventing Alzheimer's, psoriasis, certain autoimmune diseases......and you're hearing!!

Even if you live in a sunny climate, people's misplaced sun-phobia has most of us slathering on sunscreen, blocking out the healthful rays and adding more toxic chemicals into our body. I've personally stopped using sunscreen, unless I want to bask in the sun, which is never, or if I know I'm going to be out in the sun for more than 20 mins. Judicious use of sunlight everyday is not just good for your health, but very necessary in the recovery of chronic afflictions.

Vince on the other hand has NEVER used sunscreen even while living in Arizona. I'm beginning to believe it's the exposure to the ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight that has given him such a strong immunity and not because he was born with good genes.

If you live in a sunny climate like Florida, SoCal, or Arizona, you probably get plenty year-round vitamin D just from your normal outdoor activities. If you live in a very rainy, foggy, or overcast climate, or even in an environment with heavy humidity, you might not, because the UVB light from the sun is either blocked or reflected.

Interestingly, you get very little, if any vitamin D from plant source, and your body actually stores vitamin D in your body to last you through the winter months. Here are some foods that have vitamin D, with butter having the least amount of vitamin D and canned sardines having the most: butter, cheddar cheese, eggs, liver, beef, milk, shrimp, fresh salmon, fresh herring, fresh mackerel, canned sardines.

Another interesting bit of information......you especially need more vitamin D if you're older because you only make about half as much vitamin D in your skin as when you were younger, or if you're housebound, or if you take drugs to lower your cholesterol as they interfere with the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins. Other things that can deplete your vitamin D3 level are corticosteroid drugs. Alcohol blocks your ability to absorb vitamin D in your intestines and store in your liver...maybe that's why a lot of alcoholics I know and have known have always been depressed?

A word of caution, too much vitamin D from supplements is dangerous as well as too little (i.e. below 400 IU). Interestingly, when your skin is exposed to the sun's UVB, it can generate 20,000 IU of vitamin D. However, it is the UVA rays in sunlight that will absorb the excess levels of vitamin D to prevent overdose. The recommended amounts tend to change as new science evidence emerges. Most people believe taking 1,000 IU (25 mcg) is a high dose, however, it isn't uncommon to see adults take 5,000 IU in order to achieve healthy blood levels. You should actually discuss intake levels with your doctor.

Lastly, look for supplements that provide D3 (cholecalciferol) which is synthesized by humans when the skin is exposed to sunlight rather than D2 (ergocalciferol) which is synthesized by plants.

My Mini Staycation

I could not believe of all places my big brother, Jim had a meeting in Draper, UT. He and my sister-in-law, Sandy, flew in a couple of days ago from Omaha, NE.  Even though it was a short visit, I had an absolutely fantastic time visiting with them.   For me it was like a mini staycation.  

Sophie finally warmed up to them, of course when they were about to leave.  The last time she saw her Uncle Jim and Aunt Sandy was when she was a month old. She told me "Sandy has short hair and Jim looks like Caillou."   For those that don't know this children's show, Caillou is a bald 4 year old boy. "Caillou" has forever been one of Soph's favorite shows.  Aside from Jim having almost no hair, she said she really liked that he helped her get in and out of her booster seat.  Soph said, she really, really liked that and it made her happy!

Anyway, Sandy and I both went to the Herbs for Health and Garden store to have our "health" evaluated using ZYTO technology.  "In the most basic terms, ZYTO technology uses quantum physics as well as established Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) technology to measure fluctuations in electrical conductivity of the skin."  As always, I thought it was very insightful, especially because I've been having problems with my eyes and my Bio-Scan actually picked up on that signal.  Sandy's Bio-Scan revealed a very pretty flower that resembled some of the flowers from the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point....(wink, wink).

This is my 2nd time visiting the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.  Sophie's favorite flowers....anything pink.  Thanksgiving Point is a family-friendly setting that offers an assortment of entertainment and education-based charity such as the Museum of Ancient Life and Farm Country .....two places Vince, Sophie and I are frequent visitors.  Besides the Gardens and Children's Discovery Gardens, there's also Golf, an Art Institute, an Emporium, and lots of local activities going on all the time.   While we were there, we had dinner at Harvest Restaurant.   

Harvest Restaurant is a simple, yet elegant and charming restaurant, located at the Water Tower Plaza.  It is definitely going at the top of my list as a great place to eat for special occasions.  

I so wish we lived closer to Jim and Sandy, however Vince and I both DO NOT like buggy and muggy conditions, and living here in Utah is the ideal place to live in that regards.  

(Be sure to click on photos to enlarge.)

Thai Lettuce Wraps

My hubby and I are big fans of Thai cuisine.  It's probably our favorite ethnic food.  I have tried several lettuce wraps at various restaurants that were so-so, however, I found this Thai Lettuce Wrap recipe from "Homes & Money" I absolutely think is mouthwatering.  As always, I have modified it slightly to our preference.

Serves 2 for dinner, 4 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

2 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced

2 tbsp green onion, thinly siced

1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

4 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 -2 tsp crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp canola oil

1 large head of butter lettuce, leaves separated and washed (about 20 leaves)

  (Note:  Butter lettuce is also known as Boston lettuce or Bibb lettuce.  It's the perfect lettuce to use as a wrap.  However, if you cannot find butter lettuce, which I believe is seasonal, you can always use iceberg lettuce.)

Possible Garnishes:

Thinly-sliced English cucumber

Shredded carrots

Tomato wedges

Cilantro leaves

Lime wedges

Instructions:

In a skillet, heat canola oil until hot.  Add ground chicken meat and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon, break chicken meat into little pieces.  When chicken is almost cooked through, add 2 tbsp of the lime juice. (Do not over cook chicken; it will become too dry.)

Once the chicken is completely cooked, transfer to a bowl, add shallots, green onion, mint leaves, the remaining lime juice, fish sauce and crushed red pepper.  Toss well to combine.

To serve, spoon chicken onto lettuce leaves, top with possible garnishes and enjoy.

Quick Update

It was a beautiful day, however very cold.  I saw on my car dashboard outside temperatures were barely 50 degrees.  But it was the crisp wind that made it feel like I needed to bring my winter coat out from the closet again.  

I'm so excited to see my brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Sandy.  They live in Nebraska and of all places Jim has a meeting next week in Draper.  We Skype periodically, but it'll be great to see them in person.  It has been almost 5 years since the last time we saw them.   

Moms and Muffins

Today was Moms and Muffins Day at Sophie's preschool.  It was a tribute to all Moms for Mother's Day.  Mrs. Chris asked each child basic questions about their Moms.  It was a fill in the blank format.  Soph's answers are in bold and italicized.  

What I know about my Mother:

My Mother is very smart

She is 43 inches tall

She weighs 54 pounds

She has black eyes

She has black hair

The food she likes best is steak and lots of vegetables

Her favorite color is green

Soph's answers aren't too bad, she definitely got the first and last question spot on....well, definitely the last one for sure :o)

As for the 43 inches tall and 54 pounds...here she's crossing streams and getting confused with Mommy's and Daddy's age, respectively.

Overall, she did a pretty good job in "knowing her mother", especially the first question...sorry, can't help myself...LOL !!

Okey-Dokey Artichokey

According to Sophie, Weezy from Dragon Tales says "okey-dokey artichokey."  Dragon Tales is one of her faaavooorite shows.

So this post is about artichokes...

Aside from being a rich source of vitamin C, folate and dietary fiber, artichokes also contain substances that may ease an upset tummy and reduce IBS symptoms.  Sophie prefers the leaves, I favor the heart, Vince likes nothing of this thistle.  

Artichokes are actually the immature flower of a thistle plant and is considered to be one of the world's oldest medicinal plant.  

I love artichokes in everything to include spaghetti sauce, pizza, salads, dips, etc......to just simply steamed or breaded.  You might think preparing artichokes are a little intimidating, but it's very easy.  This is Sophie's preferred way of eating artichokes.

Steamed Artichokes

Ingredients:

1 Artichoke per person

Coarse salt

1 Lemon, halved crosswise

Melted butter, optional

Dipping Sauce:

We prefer a lemon-thyme melted butter dipping sauce.  In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of melted butter (i.e. 1 stick of butter), 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

Instructions:

To prepare artichokes for steaming, snap off the loose, tough outer leaves.  Using a serrated knife, cut the top third of artichoke.  Snip the remaining sharp or spiky tips of each leaf using kitchen shears.  Trim stem so artichoke stands upright in steamer basket.  Rub all cut surfaces with lemon to prevent discoloration.  Repeat with each artichoke.

Set a steamer basket in a large pot.  Add enough water so it reaches just below the the basket.  Squeeze lemon juice into water and add about 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil.  Place artichokes in steamer basket.  Cover pot, and steam until heart is tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife and inner leaves pull out easily.  25 to 35 minutes.  Add more water to pot if necessary.  

I then like to sprinkle a little more salt and pepper and lemon juice on top of the artichoke right before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce, if desired.

(Picture:  Sophie, summer 2007)

A Happy Cinqo de Mayo

Here's my new Jetta shirt, thanks to Ben from Volkswagen SouthTowne in Draper.  I can't believe he actually remembered.  Ben told me to wear it often for the publicity.  

You know now that I'm thinking about it, we've always received something nice for almost every car we've purchased.  All you have to do is ask; they'll let you know if they can or cannot, or most likely IF they want to.  Even Sophie got a cute bear from BMW.  The bear's name is Mikey, named after the salesperson who sold us several cars.

My Little Kumquat

I like to introduce Sophie to a variety of foods from a nutritional standpoint.  When we go to the grocery store, especially Harmons, their produce section is like eye candy, with all the different colors of fresh fruits and vegetables; it's quite an enticing sight. 

I'm amazed and yet pleased to see Soph interested in trying new foods.  And even if she doesn't like something, I've always insisted on the "2-bite rule."  She knows this all too well.  Sometimes, I'll try to sneak in another bite of something she doesn't care for and she'll come back with, "no, Momma, that was 2 bites, no more."  I have to admit this was one sure way of teaching Sophie basic math in a matter of days when she was about 3 years old.

This "2-bite rule" was actually something my Mom made me do as a kid and I'm so thankful she did.  I've learned to like a lot of different kinds of food, and I am always willing to try something new.  If I keep it up, maybe I'll be lucky to live as long as my Mom who just turned 83 this past month and is still quite independent.

Anyway, back to the basis of this post.....the last time we were at Harmons Sophie convinced me to buy these little dwarf orange-like fruit.  I remember buying kumquats in the past.  Apparently they didn't leave that big of an impression on me as I never bought them again.  But Sophie has never tried them and so I bought a few for her to sample.  

It was such a hoot, she was so excited to try them out and quickly popped one in her mouth.   Moments later, her face had a scrunched up look and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "ooh, ick, sour, sour, sour!"  She was so right, they were quite tart.  But we still ate all of them making goofy faces and laughing all the while we were eating them.  

Maybe kumquats taste better made into a marmalade or jam.  We may have to go that route the next time we decide we like the cutesy look and color of kumquats.  

(Note:  There is another variety of kumquat that is not tart, the Meiwa kumquat.)   

Good "Pho" You

There are days where I don't feel like cooking even though I really enjoy cooking.  Like most people, it's the cleaning up afterwards that leaves much to be desired.  

So, I love to find ways to cook that are not only healthy and delicious, but easy to prepare with minimal cleaning to boot.  

One of my favorite foods to make that's so satisfying is Pho soup, a Vietnamese version of chicken soup.  Traditionally it's is a meal-in-a-bowl soup made with beef and beef bones.  However, this is my spin on Pho soup using roasted chicken.

I hate to measure (which is why I don't like to bake that much), so you'll have to adjust ingredients according to your taste.  The measurements provided are approximations.

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

1 roasted chicken

1 32 oz (907 g) chicken or vegetable stock

1 package of dried rice stick noodles (the small flat rice noodles)

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 oz fresh ginger pounded and crushed

1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced crosswise

1 thinly sliced scallion

1 tsp of sea salt

2 to 3  cups of water

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

Garnishes:

8 to 12 cilantro sprigs

4 fresh mint sprigs

4 to 8 fresh Thai basil sprigs

1 thinly sliced scallion

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

2 limes cut into wedges 

2 to 3 sliced fresh jalapeno, Serrano or Thai chile peppers

Sriracha HOT chili sauce

Fish sauce

Instructions:

Shred chicken by hand, set aside

Rinse bean sprouts, set aside

Place chicken and/or vegetable stock and water in a large stockpot with the cinnamon, yellow onions, scallions, fresh ginger, salt and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 1 hour.  Add the fish sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile follow package directions to cook rice noodles.  When noodles are done, about 8 minutes, remove from heat, drain in colander, rinse in cold water and set aside.  

To serve, place a handful of noodles in a large soup bowl.  Top with some bean sprouts and shredded chicken.  Garnish if desired with the fresh cilantro, scallions, mint and basil.  Ladle in the hot soup broth and sprinkle fresh lime juice.  Add more fish sauce to taste, and HOT chili sauce and fresh chile peppers for those who like some heat.

Hope you Enjoy.  

Rainbow Plant

Sophie's rainbow plant has been upgraded to having it's own flowerpot. I believe rainbow plants can thrive outside, but we decided to enjoy it inside...

and delight in seeing a real rainbow outside, power lines and all.

This Old Grout

After trying out several grout sealants, and always being disappointed, I finally found a product that is just TOO GOOD to not share.  I found out about it almost 5 years ago when we lived in Mesa, AZ.  

If you hate house cleaning as much as I do, but yet like to have a clean and spotless house, then this product will help reduce the amount of time spent on cleaning anywhere you have tiles.  

It is a color seal that not only colors your grout giving it a contiguous and uniform appearance, but seals it for 15 years.  Once it's applied, using a toothbrush, all you have to do to maintain your floor for example, is use warm water.  Having a 5 year old, 2 big dogs and a man in the house, I've already discovered that it's quite impervious to grape juice, pomegranate juice, grease, mud, oil, dirt, etc.  And even if you have an area of high traffic, this sealant is so easy to use, just reapply and everything looks good as new.  I once had to reapply to an area where Sophie decided to copy me and use the permanent markers to color the grout ;o/  The color seal hides everything.  

This product is really amazing and does an outstanding job of transforming the look of old and dingy looking grout back to new again; unfortunately you can not find it in home improvement stores.  It has to be ordered on-line www.thisoldgrout.com.  Or you can call them in Chandler, AZ at 1-866-OLD-GROUT.  You might also be lucky to find this product at a tile retail store, however, I was not that successful here in SLC, besides most tile stores were not even aware of this product.

We've been in our house in Utah for almost 3 years and the grout still looks great.

As noted on the bottle:

• Makes old grout look new
  
• Preserves new grout color
  
• Seals and coats against stains
  
• Changes grout to any color
  
• Long lasting, fast drying
  
• Easy to apply
  
• Environmentally friendly