What's for dinner?

Ever since the demise of our Crockpot (I'll save that story for another post another day...) my dinner routine has been in a slump. I really rely on my crock a lot... it makes my life so easy when I can just dump something in it during my lunch break and have it ready when I get home. Now, it seems like EVERYTHING I ever want to cook needs a crockpot, even though I am sure that I cooked food without it before it "died".

Lately, since I have yet to go and buy another one, it seems like 5 o'clock rolls around before I finally get around to asking, "Sooooo... what do you want for dinner?" Usually Regan responds with either, "Whatever's clever" or "Something good." Thanks. That helps a lot. Not.

For the most part I don't like to be told what to do... but when it comes to dinner sometimes I like a little direction. (But only sometimes. There are PLENTY of times that I tell Regan to get out of my kitchen : ) I get bored trying to come with an exciting idea that is a) inexpensive b) healthy c) not just a variation of the same things we have every week.

Last night I decided that I would have plan today...(one that would mix up my other routine of fixing chicken everyday) which meant that when I went on my lunch break today I would get out some pork chops that we bought at Costco and marinade them the rest of the afternoon. Not exactly a well thought out plan since I didn't really consider what I would marinate them in until we came home for lunch. Luckily, Regan is the master of the kitchen and he helped me devise a plan. Except, even though I decided to follow his plan step-by-step, I'm still a little nervous for the outcome.

The lineup: 1/4 c. Coke zero (I'm just guessing that is about how much I poured in) 1 tbs soy sauce (again these are made up measurements) 2 short squirts of lime juice, three dashes of garlic salt... and I think that's all. I drew the line when he called out to add brown sugar since I am anti mixing the sweets with my meats. All in all, I have to say the concoction didn't smell that good. But, I have faith in Regan's abilities in the kitchen, so I am willing to try it. (I like coke with lime, and I've had soy sauce and lime on chicken... I'm just not committed to them all together.) Who knows... maybe we have a winner on our hands. Only time will tell. But I really just wish that I could have thrown them in my crockpot. Siiigh.

I can only imagine what it will be like when I have to come up with a dinner plan and THEN try to get my kids to eat it. Sorry mom for all those nights that I said, "Chicken and rice? Again? I hate chicken and rice." Or when it was just the two of us, "LEFTOVERS? I hate leftovers. Why don't we just go El Paso tonight?" And I'm even sorrier for the nights that I sat at the table and wouldn't eat my broccoli unless I had some milk to help me swallow it. Because, I actually like chicken and rice now. And broccoli (before if gets cooked too long). And even left overs.

Anyway, I'll keep y'all updated on the results. I know you are all on the edge of your seats. Bon Appetite!

**Warning: this post contains photos that may be too graphic for the weak hearted**

Last Wednesday at about 10pm I got a call from Regan telling me he sprained his ankle. Of course, me being the ever-nurturing wife that I am, (and Regan being the eternal prankster) I responded with, "Oh, really? that's too bad" (just to cover my bases, ya know?) and then quickly added, "Are you lying?"

He wasn't lying.

But, honestly, I wasn't really sure that I believed it until our friend, Andrew, brought home my gimpy husband. He could barely get through the door and to the couch. For the past week he has had to use crutches on and off and a walking cast. He is now hobbling along on his own (or with just the soft brace). Poor guy... that ankle has been through a LOT!

Other than the fact that I didn't really believe him because I thought he was trying to play another one of his April fool's jokes on me (and for some reason I had this gut feeling that he was faking it so he could come home from basketball early with ice cream in hand just to hang out... I swear, I thought I was going to get a hot fudge sundae out of the deal), I think I have been fairly compassionate the past week.

So now, just a few seven days later and we are well on our way to recovery... or at least he is. I will be once I get a nap... taking care of my invalid husband is exhausting!

Here are some pics of the healing process. Just when we think it can't bruise anymore... it gets oh-so-much grosser. Regan seems to think it is cool... meanwhile, I'm just trying to keep back my lunch.

"It Is Possible To Be Both Poor And Happy..."

Seriously.

Okay, okay, I wouldn't consider myself poor. I mean, all of my immediate needs are definitely taken care of (if we are strictly interpreting "needs" that is...) and I really am so grateful for all I have been given. I have so many blessings, many of which I neglect to count each day.

But, I saw that quote while surfing the net and thought it was fitting, especially considering my state of mind, as of late. A few months ago, my mom sent me an article called Enjoy A Richer Life and I have been thinking about it on and off since then. The article talks about how materialistic our society has gotten and how easy it is to get caught up in and how we could all be much happier to step away from it all. When you really start the think about how much society's emphasis on physical possessions (or even worldly experiences) permeates our lives... it is almost overwhelming.

Mostly, I start thinking about this article on a day when my own "needs" start to get overwhelming. I thought it was appropriate to post about today because I have been assembling a very long list of some "want-needs" or in other words, items that I 'want to need'. I thought a post about deciphering the two would keep this material girl at bay. (Do I need to remind you all how long my list was for "If I suddenly became a billionaire"?)

I think I am quick to point fingers at others, whose purchasing power seems to exceed mine, and ignore my own bad tendencies. But really, materialism isn't always about what you have, I think it is a state of mind. Anyone, at any level, can get consumed by the wanting and become starry eyed by the 'looking-up' at what others have, because someone will always have more of something else. I know it isn't bad to want nice things, but I think it can get in the way of some other really important things that we should be doing with with our time, money, and energy. My father-in-law can often be heard reminding us all that "You'll never see a U-haul following a hearse".

I liked this article because it was helpful in making me think about staying grounded amidst all of my "needing". The article ends with a list to help you inventory your life and then improve upon some points you may be lacking in. I thought they were great so I am reposting the list (the actual article goes into more detail and is worth taking a look at):

1. Be aware of your benchmark and comparison points.

2. Resist “parental peer pressure.”

3. Realize there is a price to be paid for living the gospel, and some of it is financial.

4. Refresh your gospel perspective about material possessions.

And now that I feel sufficiently grounded... back to my list!

And the countdown begins...

The semester is winding down... and not a minute to soon! I cannot believe how fast the school year has gone. I can hardly catch my breath... which might be due to the fact that I've been holding it, wishing that it would be summer and playtime again. As Regan has been holing up in the library more and more I am getting ever-more anxious to get the party started.

So, 5 more weeks until we go to Duck, NC with my fam for week-long extravaganza where we will all (yes, all 21 of us) be staying together in the house pictured above. I'm looking forward to the chaos. I mean fun.

Regan finishes with finals the week before so I am sure we will both be ready to celebrate. I'll try to keep my excitement to a dull roar until then.

On a slightly different note, tonight is what I have termed "Monday Movie Night". (Yes, I realize it is not that cool to have a theme night for one... but I like a good theme night.) I signed up on RedBox.com and have been getting coupon codes text to me every Monday for a free movie. I know it is only $1 savings, but it has been great for a) staying entertained even though we don't have cable and b) keeping busy while folding laundry or finishing Bloom orders and c) filling the void since Final's Crackdown 2008 began.

FYI: today's freebie code is JC10LK

Don't you hate it when something is sooo obviously staring you in the face and you just don't see it?

I just got REALLY embarrassed in a classroom at work this morning. The professor asked me to help him connect his computer (something I have done several times for this particular professor in this particular classroom, as well as a million other times in a million different settings.) So, I get down there and couldn't figure it out. Honestly, I had to go get my boss while saying, "I have no idea what is going on" in front of the class. So my boss comes all the way down, looks at it, and pushes one button...which of course fixes the thing. Duh. I felt like an idiot and turned 50 shades of pink. I wanted to dissolve- if only momentarily. Haha, oh well. I tried to play it off but that didn't really work either.

I'm going to hide in my half cubicle for the rest of the day... that's right folks, I only have 1/2 a cubicle to hide in.

Don't you just love Mondays?

The Church of Oprah

I know many of you may gasp as you read this... but I really have a bone to pick with Oprah. I got off work a little early today and was psyched to get to catch a few minutes here and there of her show while I was making dinner. (Although, I was severely disappointed by her show today... more on that later.)

I have read some articles where Oprah is compared to a religious icon and I totally believe that she has sort of become one in her own way. Its almost as if she touches something and it turns to gold. In conversations I, myself, my have even been know to say, "Yeah, I heard it on Oprah" as if that gives whatever topic a sense of finality... because Oprah speaks truth.

I honestly don't know what it is about her that has made her into the empire that she is today. Why is there such a fascination and why do we all give her so much credit? Granted, I know that she does some good in the world. I don't doubt that... but somehow I am uncomfortable with the power society, women especially, have given her.

So, back to today's episode: She had Salma Hayek on talking about her new baby and her "perfect" life with a fiance that she is happy to not marry right away. To her, not getting married meant that she could keep her "power" a little longer. It meant that her true love has to work a little harder each day to keep her. Oprah was just lapping this all up... they agreed that the contract of marriage was overrated... who did they need to prove anything to? Oprah said she had been engaged for 20 years and it has worked for her. Selma went on to say that being apart was better. When she is with her fiance she gives 1oo% to him... when she is away she gives 100% to her career, her baby, and herself... somehow that math didn't add up in my head, but whatever...

There is a great speech from the Heritage website here. One portion of it that I really liked:

In its essence, marriage is a selfless act. It is the act of giving oneself to somebody else and becoming one.

Of course, it is impossible for two people to unite and remain separate. And since the essence of marriage is selflessness in a self-centered society, it faces opposition from today's popular culture.

Would anyone else consider Oprah a wolf in sheep's clothing? That may sound harsh but I think it is an interesting point. I think she does so many good things in the world but I think sometimes there are some half-truths mixed in. I'm not saying that we should all ban Oprah from our DVR (oh, if only I had DVR!) I'm just thinking it would be smart to be savvy to all messages we take in. I don't think we necessarily have to discredit her as a whole because she has some crazy notions... just be mindful that not everything we hear is a fact... just because Oprah speaks it.

Anyway, I thought I'd just spout that out... cause I feel like marriage is really undervalued these days and that is just too bad if you ask me. And, while I'm on the subject, I'd also like to put a plug in for the Proclamation on the Family.

p.s. I hope you are not irrevocably offended that I just talked some smack, marissa!