Saturday, June 28, 2008

What do these 2 things have in common?



Dan and I were discussing today what we still needed to get for Jack. I told him we don't need to get a little tub or anything because they just take up space and are not needed, and my great mom already taught me how to bathe a baby without one. Dan's response: "Well if you did need something couldn't we just use the colander and just rinse him in that?"..... Men.

Nations Best Plumber 2008

Some of you may know that my older brother R.J. is in his last year of plumbing school. Apparently at each school they have a yearly competition on plumbing skills both written and the hands on stuff. Well he won at his school a couple months ago, he went to state held up in SLC and won that. So off to nationals he went. They take 2 people from each state to this huge conference in Kansas City and they compete, they have all these different categories for the different fields of work like plumbing, carpentry, electricians.... Well he competed all week doing various things and taking tests and on Friday night at the awards ceremony he WON nationals!! So he won $4,500 in tools by Meineke, plus a couple other drills and such they give you there for winning, and $750 gift card to Carhartt. We are all really excited for him! Well done R.J. way to be the best!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Mixer

As I patiently await the coming of motherhood I have begun thinking about motherhood skills and tasks and things needed for a smooth transition. mop (x), broom (x), "wrags" (x), detergent (x), spray and wash (x), kitchenaid mixer ( ), Pots and pans (x), laundry basket (x), cleansers (x), vacuum (x). yadda yadda yadda.


Ok now lets all pretend we are 3 and find the missing piece to my motherhood jigsaw puzzle! I think this one would be especially helpful to Dan :) that was a big innocent smile. No really this doesn't have to happen immediatly or even for quite some time, I was just thinking about the wonderful aspects of being a stay at home mom and actually cooking meals. Warm bread, bread sticks, cookies..... Someday my friends. Basically ever since I saw Kara use her Kitchenaid mixer to make breadsticks did I get a hankering to get my very own. The breadsticks were great and so easy to make. I never knew being Italiano was sooo easy. What is your favorite thing to make with a kitchenaid mixer?

THE BEST HOT COCOA EVER



Not many people can claim "the best ever" or "the worlds best," and I of course can not claim that in total absolution so lets downsize that a tad : ANYONE WHO CAN COUNT ON SNOW FOR HALLOWEEN'S BEST HOT COCOA EVER. There that seems pretty reasonable, and I do think a lot of us can claim as much. So if you are like me and have to make hot cocoa in bulk and need something better than the packaged junk here you go!

HOT COCOA

10 2/3 cups instant nonfat dry milk
6 ounce jar powdered non dairy creamer
2 cups powdered sugar
16 ounce can instant chocolate drink mix

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Put in airtight container. Store in cool dry place for up to 6 months.

So there you have it! I know the timing on this may seem a bit off, but don't worry if you forget about this recipe come fall time I will most likely be reposting this one to help warm your frozen toes.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Dusty College Paper - Nutrition (Why to take it easy on meat...especially for men)


Alright people, time for another educational segment. This is my reasoning why we all need to take it easy on our meat (especially red meat) consumption, among other reasons of course. Also why diets such as the Mediterranean diet are so successful for health (not just for losing weight). And for people like my loving husband Dan, one reason why we eat spaghetti with no meat, hamburger helper with corn instead of meat etc.

A serious concern due to iron toxicity is Hemosiderosis, which is when the body has too much iron storage. Chronic hemosiderosis is known as hemochromatosis, this allows more dietary iron to be absorbed than usual. Once iron is absorbed, there is no physiologic mechanism for excretion of excess iron from the body other than blood loss (i.e., pregnancy, menstruation or other bleeding) and desquamated cells. With no excretion the normal amount of iron, approximately 1-2 mg, is used or lost by desquamated epithelia. Hence, any excess iron above 2 mg is literally trapped in the body. When iron absorption exceeds the storage capacity of ferritin molecules, unbound iron may promote free-radical formation in cells, resulting in membrane lipid peroxidation and cellular injury. This resulting iron over-load can seriously damage and impair major tissues of the body such as: the liver and the heart. It can also result in diabetes, arthritis, and discoloration of the skin. The majorities that are subject to these kinds of toxicities are: men, chronic excessive alcohol consumers, and individuals that are genetically at risk for hemochromatosis. The reasoning being men usually consume more iron, and they do not loss blood monthly by menstruation. Chronic alcohol abusers usually have an impaired liver which may result in a hyper-absorption of iron. Those who have a genetic risk for hemochromatosis have excess iron build up over the span of many years. After several decades of increased iron absorption non-specific symptoms (i.e., fatigue, weakness, arthralgia) develop, followed by advanced conditions (i.e., arthritis, cirrhosis, liver cancer). Symptoms usually appear after 15–20 g of iron has accumulated in the body. Those who are genetically prone may suffer from complications of and HFE gene mutation. The HFE gene codes for a transmembrane glycoprotein that modulates iron uptake. This protein is highly expressed in intestinal cells at the site of dietary iron absorption. Recent studies suggest that loss of a functional HFE protein leads to increased iron uptake in the intestinal epithelial cell, which results in increased dietary iron absorption.


Ballero, B., JJ Strain, and MJ Sadler, ed. Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition. New York:

Harcourt Brace and Company Publishers, 1999.

Grodner, Michele, Sara Long, and Sandra DeYoung. Foundation and Clinical

Applications of Nutrition. St. Louis: Mosby Inc., 2004.

Kutsky, Roman J. Handbook of Vitamins, Mineral and Hormones. 2nd Edition. New

York: Litton Education Publishing Inc., 1981.

Calling All Mothers

As we slowly approach Halloween I am getting more and more concerned with what I need in preparation for my Jackolantern. So I have heard a few random "mother's favorites," things that each mother had and used and absolutely loved, and are positive they would never have another child without. Get my point? I'm just trying to figure out what I need, and also what a few "wants" would be to make this all a bit easier or more comfortable or whatever. For example bobby pillow, changing table.... somethings some people hate and some swear by. Tell me what you swear by. Ladies I need all the help I can get. Also if you have time I have another question. How many of each things do you even need? how many onsies? how many socks? how many? how many? I have one box of newborn diapers, is that enough for him to grow out of? should I just purchase bigger ones now? This is all very confusing. I really really want to prepare for this madness, but i really don't know exactly what I need. Its very amusing, Dan asks me, what more do we need? He has a crazy notion that we basically just need wipes and diapers.... (I ask him where will he sleep? Dan: we can pull out a drawer for him. What will he wear? Dan: he doesn't need clothes, we have blankets, besides he's tough. are you laughing? I usually just scoff :) I always have a fresh wave of guilt after breaking down and shopping for baby, but its all with a purpose right, this isn't just frivolous right?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Jack's Ultrasound

We had Jack's ultrasound done on June 4th. Column 1: baby's face, it's a boy!, and profile. Column 2: Legs and arms, curled into a ball feet over head and kissing knees, another view curled up. It was so fun to see him. He was constantly curled into a little ball, he didn't want to stretch out.

Plea from a Starving Pregnant Lady

It has come to my attention that pregnant women are afflicted with serious ills that control their mind and body. Its not really that our brains go to mush, but rather are indefinitely redirected. Instead of contemplating on why therapeutic stem cell research is so debatable and its possible implications, we are forced by nonsensical hormones to focus all our energy on FOOOOD. Yes, its true can't you just imagine arctic circle fry sauce, or perhaps chicken fried chicken with country gravy and mashed potatos, lettuce wraps, hashbrowns and eggs from Village Inn? Are you seeing a pattern here? All things I am not required to cook. So this is where my plea comes into play; Suzie, please, if you ever had any love for your fellow band member you will help me with a few essential tasks.....

  1. You have the most amazing recipe for rice and shredded chicken cooked in a crock pot. If you get time could you post exactly what the recipe is? I promise all my readers (all 3 of you) that when you eat this you will never ever think of becoming a vegetarian again.
  2. You also happen to have a delicious recipe for crock pot roasts. Yes, i do know that once you told me how to make it, and really I promise I have tried and tried to make it, but it always comes out wrong and nasty and dry. A delicous roast that falls apart with a fork and that savors that sweet onion essence.... What i really need to know is the specifics of this one. What kind of roast? how big? how much of each ingredient? how long to cook? is the meat thawed first? yadda yadda yadda
I know you are very busy and possibly don't have time for this right now, but if you ever run out of things to blog about PLEASE I beg that you blog about what you cook! Its to die for.

Dusty College Papers - Art History

Sculpture in art history varies greatly from century to century. Samples taken from varying

pieces clearly demonstrate how the changes from each era relate to varying notions about art

and its uses during those specific periods. A prime example is analyzing the changes in sculpture

and its meaning from the Romanesque period of the twelfth century to the seventeenth century.

The beginning of the twelfth century marked the clearance and survival of the first millennium. Prior to the millennium much fear was generated of the second coming and the end of life. After the survival, a mass religious rebirth spawned. This included a wave of faith and pilgrimage, and undertaking to remove the Muslims, and more intensive religious activity. Hence, an enormous amount of churches and cathedrals were built to house pilgrims. Unfortunately the religious outlook was somewhat pessimistic, and dark. This is best displayed in Last Judgment, a tympanum on the Saint Lazare Cathedral at Autun, France crafted by Gislebertus. Judgment is at hand, Christ standing frontal, expressionless and rigid, as if he is and unloving unforgiving God. To his right angels hoist up the saintly pilgrims toward heaven, to his left the dammed are being wrenched out of their graves and thrust into dark hell. The dammed are seen here nude and vulnerable, expressing their weaknesses. This sculpture vividly displays the feelings of spiritual fear and insecurity in the world. During this time the clergy built explicit pictorial messages to all those who entered.

During the Gothic period the religious atmosphere seemed to lighten up, and an overall optimistic perspective on religion, a true revival. The early gothic style is fashioned in Beau Dieu, a trumeau statue of the central doorway on the west façade, of the Amiens Cathedral. Here the idea is seen as a loving beautiful God. Christ is the old pantacrator, giving the blessing gesture. Although he is still not contrapossto, Christ does seem to be more open and contain expression and meaning in comparison to Romanesque. But a sculpture that more fully emphasizes the expression of art and learning during the Gothic period is the Virgin and Child of Notre Dame. Mary is sculpted as the Queenly Madonna and is dressed with the appearance of a French queen. Her body is more relaxed and is elongated with a hip thrust to support Christ, also know as the gothic sway. She serves as an important symbol of guidance and protection. This all shows the more loving delightful positive feeling of religion, and how art was used in a positive way to enhance learning and security. This statue shows more expressive feeling and is also more convincing.

Moving into the Renaissance we can see a great leap of innovation once again. With Donatello’s David, we see that the relaxed classical contrapposto stance has been rediscovered; also his proportions are of Greek origin. Most importantly is that David is the first nude figure since ancient times. This specific nudity is seen as bold and heroic, not frail and vulnerable like before. His body shows hints of anatomical interest. While the story of David and Goliath is biblical, David is also a symbol of the independent Florentine republic. This statue shows many of the details and expression of the renaissance, artists were once again using art to evoke the senses, while still having political and religious value. In the High renaissance Michelangelo’s David, is as captivating as Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman sculpture. Although larger than life his nude body shows understanding of movement and anatomy. His emotion is in his body and his Hellenistic looking face. This evokes the senses and awareness of what he is doing and what he might be seeing.

Into the seventeenth century we can now experience baroque art. By now all technique is mastered, and artists are involved in involving the viewer. In Gernini’s The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, our senses are evoked by the technique of using other sources of lighting, the rods of light coming with the angel and the sensation that the sculpture is hovering. We ourselves our wrapped up as if in Teresa’s drapery and can understand the sense of some kind of erotic emotion. Bernini has blurred the lines of seeing a real view point, it is not ideal because what matters is the viewer.

Overall, the length from the Romanesque to the baroque is remarkable. A complete revival of the senses, statues move from solely being a religious and rigid use, to being provocative, incredible technique, and used in learning and teaching as well.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Growing Pumpkins

Well I finally joined the blogging world. Although I'm not sure who is going to read my blog.... I suppose my dedicated husband will, mostly because i make up 50% of the dedicated readership of his blog, so it would really be like returning a favor. I did not create a blog earlier simply because I had no idea what to name it. But alas i found my answer. What do you think when you see a pumpkin? That's right Halloween, then your mind automatically skips to Thanksgiving, then before you know it you're at Christmas. My favorite time of year between October and December, when you have do drink sickening amounts of hot cocoa, wear scarves, watch the leaves turn to pretty shades then fall off and you get to walk in crunchy leaves. Its wonderful. And this year we get to look forward to a baby! Although I must say its taking a very very long time to get there this year. But don't worry my friends, i have already started my yearly promotion of winter. Yes that's right Winter. Every year when we are about 6 months away from Christmas and winter and in the dead of summer I really start missing it. so that's when i break out the hot cocoa, Christmas music etc. Well i suppose I'm off to find material that is really "bloggable."