"but just as summer's hold was fleeting"

So getting back to the roots of this blog-- my failed attempts at being domestic... I don't think I have blogged about this yet, but starting over the summer I decided to make a concerted effort to cut the amount of meat I eat. I started reflecting on it and was sort of grossed out by the amount of meat I consume each day. Also, there are so many benefits (financially, environmentally, to your health) to not consuming meat. Starting in about July, I cut out red meat completely, which wasn't hard at all. Anyways, I'm on a quest to find more meat free meals that are easy to make. Here's a tasty one I ate tonight. It's from a cookbook my sister left at my parents house which I inherited. It's a really great cookbook because the recipes are all really easy to prepare and don't call for any crazy ingredients. Also, they only make 2-3 servings which is really all I need. Here's one I tried tonight:

Nacho Bean Soup

1 (14.5 oz) can ready-to-serve vegetable broth 1 cup of milk 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained, rinsed 2 cups (8 oz) shredded taco flavored cheese blend 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't have any, so I just used dried) 1 cup broken tortilla or corn chips

1. In large saucepan, combine broth, milk and flour; blend well. Cooke and stire over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

2. Stir in beans, chiles, cheese and cilantro. Cook 5 mins or until thoroughly heated and cheese melted, stirring constantly. Sprinkle individual servings with tortilla chips.

Makes 3 (1.5 cup) servings.

While it doesn't exactly fall into the "healthy" category (590 calories!) it definitely was easy and delicious. Another good one from the same cookbook:

Fiesta Quesadillas

1 (11 oz) corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 cup fat-free refried beans

8 (8 to 10 inch) fat-free tortillas

1 cup (4 oz) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend

1. Mix up corn, chiles and refried beans. Spread 1/4 of the mixture on a tortilla. Top with another tortillas

2. So the book tells you to put these on the grill, but I don't have one. It also suggests the broiler. I usually just put it in a frying pan with a little Pam on low heat for about 3-5 mins. I turn it over with a pancake turner and do the other side for about 3 minutes, making sure all the cheese is melted.

3. Cut into wedges and eat. I had mine with tomato soup. I'm a big soup person.

Makes 4 quesadillas (450 calories each).

It was a pretty great weekend. Isaac was with his dad. Friday I went over to one of my coworker's house with a few friends. She is really into stamping and cardmaking. I have always enjoyed scrapbooking but I have never gotten into stamping. She had everything you could ever want for Halloween cardmaking and I am totally hooked (although the last thing I need is another hobby that requires purchasing tons of materials).

Here's a few blurry cellphone shots of a few I made (if you are lucky, you might get one in the mail!):

She is going to have us over again in a few weeks to make more cards and I can't wait.

Saturday I cleaned my whole house from top to bottom which was extremely satisfying. Then my friends Becca and Jamie came over and went shopping at the outlets. I got a fabulous new pair of boots and a Columbia jacket (marked down to 75 bucks!). We had a dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (which, incidently, has almost no vegetarian options. They are both vegetarians). Then we decided to check out the haunted house at Pennhurst. a former state asylum which is literally about five minutes down the road from me. When got our tickets and got in line and waited and waited and waited... It turned out the line was THREE HOURS LONG, which is definitely the longest line I have ever waited in. The attraction was cool, but after that long almost anything would have felt like a let down.

And now here it is, Sunday night, sitting on verge of another 5 days of work.

How was your weekend?

You know you're from Philly when...

So on Sunday one of the Sacrament Meeting speakers had recently moved to the area from Utah. She was highly emotional and obviously felt a bit lonely and out of her element, so I am trying not to be too judgemental...

(BUT...)

She explained that her family had moved here after living in Utah for a very long time, but originally she was "from here" having lived in New York as a child........................

This comment struck me as, well, hilarious, because the last time I checked this is southeastern PA, which is no where near New York.

Now I realize this terrified Utah transplant was probably referring to "here" as in "the east coast". I will give her benefit of the doubt that she was not referring to "here" as "the mission field" which is one of my TOP Mormon Culture pet peeves.

Anywho, I thought I would compile a list of reasons that you KNOW you're in Philadelphia area, just to help her out.

• You know how to spell Schuylkill River
• You don`t call a cheesesteak a Philly cheesesteak or a hoagie a sub
• Seeing the Liberty Bell is not that big a deal
• You hate Kobe Bryant
• Your favorite dessert is "wooder ice"... or Tastykakes.
• A vacation at the Jersey shore (pronounced "Down the shoore") is better than going to an island (there's more stuff to do, plus you know everybody.)
• You don't think that "Wawa" sounds funny... and you recognize and fully appreciate it's awesomeness.
• You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything but "Philly." And New Jersey has always been "Jersey."
• You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced Peeay). How many other states do that?
• You know what "Punxsutawney Phil" ( A Ground Hog ) is, and what it means if he sees his shadow.
• You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville, Paradise, Mars, and Slippery Rock are PA towns.
• You know that driving is easier in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
• You know what a mummer is.
• You think Ben Franklin is the MAN.
• You have an uncontrollable urge to buy bread and milk when you hear the word "snow".
• You say the correct pronunciation LANG-kist-er instead of the mispronounced Lan-CAST-er, and LEB-en-in instead of the equally incorrect Leb-a-NON.

Pennsylvnia is sure NOT New York, but it's a pretty awesome place and a place that should be appreciated.

=)

what it boils down to

"If a child is given love, he becomes loving... If he's helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful. And if he has been truly valued at home... he grows up secure enough to look beyond himself to the welfare of others." -- Joyce Brothers, 1974

ugh

It's been a rough week (and it's only Tuesday!).

going green

I was really inspired by this article I read in Ladies Home Journal (my mom sends them to me once she's done). Here are some easy changes that I think are helping reduce garbage and save the earth: Re-examine lunch:

I bought one of these bad boys for about two bucks at the grocery store. Not only does it keep Isaac's sandwich from getting smooshed, it saves me from using a sandwich bag every single time. BONUS: apparently several of his friends have them and they are the cool thing to bring your sandwich in. He brings his lunch to school in an awesome old school metal lunchbox too, so I am not wasting a paper bag everytime.

I used to buy bottles of water in bulk. Then I came to realize how irresponsible I was being using single use plastics (for more info look here, here and here). My friend Jami converted me to being a water bottle carrier and educated me a lot about the importance of using a metal one instead of a plastic one. I keep it with me at work and in the car, take it with me to the gym for yoga, and it fits in my bike cage.

I used to grab a spork packet from the cafeteria each day to eat my lunch with. I always discarded the straw immediately, used the napkin and the spork and then tossed the whole package into the trash. Now I just bring my own silverware back and forth from home.

Recycle obsessively: Where my parents live they can only recycle newspaper, not regular old paper. This would drive me crazy. I have a big bag on the floor or my pantry where I dump all the junk mail, toilet paper rolls, cardboard packaging from food items, Isaac's old school papers, etc. etc. I can leave it on the curb with my garbage, but now the elementary school where I work collects paper to be recycled as a fundraiser. Their other fundraiser is recycling juice pouches like these:

So, I'm making some good strides, but there is definitely room for improvement. I own a ton of those cloth grocery bags but I never, and I mean never, remember to take them with me to the grocery store. I still would really like to give composting a try.

What works for you? Would love to know.

So sick and weird... This state official has a blog completely attacking a gay college student. Watch the video. The guy is beyond creepy. "Do you consider yourself a bigot?" "Absolutely not. I'm a Christian citizen excercising my first amendment rights."

(SIDENOTE: I have a major crush on Anderson Cooper.)

This combined with the sad suicide of Tyler Clementi has me feeling really down.

Why can't people treat each other civilly?