Two years ago, I wrote a book. I know, I know…everyone who blogs writes a book, right?

It’s not what you think.

I wrote it for my stubborn father-in-law. I wrote it about him.  It has nothing to do with my blogging capabilities, fame or popularity (which are, as far as I know, not really exemplary enough for me to consider myself, instead of Misty Liu….Misty Liu, AUTHOR.  I’m not quite there, yet.  It’s more like Misty Liu, NOT QUITE COHERENT BLOGGER.   )

This was my dilemma–how could I write a family history book without being, well…boring?

Because, let me tell you, I have read some “family history” that cures insomnia better than any prescription drug. I was terrified of writing something that would be dull, unexciting, or not fun. Because I like fun things. And I didn’t want to write something I didn’t like.

Or worse, write something that he wouldn’t like.

I am about to do a revision, so I am going to be publishing some of the book here, in hopes that people can let me know, truthfully–if it’s a Benadryl book or not. So, without any ado whatsoever, I offer you Chapter 1 of The Spirit of the Dragon for your reading pleasure (hopefully).

The dedication reads: “The dragon is the most revered creature in China.  He is always considered good luck.  This is the story of a man who embodies the spirit of the dragon–a rare combination of wit, confidence, wisdom and courage.”

By the way, any homeschoolers out there–this is also an educational book, in that it is a history of the Chinese Communist Revolution, as well, so it could even be assigned reading.

Pronunciation:

• Bao-Jai: (bow-jay)
• Tse-Tsing (tzhuh-sheeng)
• Ro-Mei (roe-may)
• Bao-Ling (bow-leeng)

The Spirit of the Dragon

The story of a boy who soared above the horrors of war and grew to be the spirit of the dragon…reborn.

The Dragon Learns To Fly

The golden sun was rising, its rays touching the azure blue wings of a magpie, as she soared across the nearly identical blue of the sky. The wind had settled, and with it, the dust, so typical of spring in Baoding, a small county in Hubei Province. The warmth spread across the eastern plain and sparkled off the vastness of Byandiang Lake, the bright green reeds visible in the morning mist, its light reflected off the Ancient Lotus Lake, traveling all the way to the majestic Taihang Mountains in the west. The magpie sang of summer—just a breath away. The thirsty land cried up to the celestial dragon imploringly, begging for rain to whet its cracked surface.

The spirit of the dragon was strong, and on that anxious day in late spring, a baby was born, and so powerful was the spirit of the dragon in him that it would carry him throughout his life.

Bao-Jai was a sturdy, handsome boy, and it was surely celestial providence that he was born with unusual strength, great stature and handsome features. His physical prowess combined with a clever wit and the wisdom to hold his tongue when others would foolishly speak would serve him well, and were particularly suited to help him find success and good fortune in the stormy times that would lie ahead.

For, he had been born in the midst of war. Since the fall of the the Qing Dynasty, Hubei had been the scene of periodic tumult, as various warlords fought to control China. The Japanese Emperor sought to use this division of the nation to his advantage. By May of 1937, Japanese forces had succeeded in occupying many major cities and railroads in Northern China, including many in Hubei Province. Two months after Bao-Jai was born, Japan officially invaded China, and in September, the Japanese captured Baoding. The beautiful mountains and mist covered plains cried out in defiance and agony as the Imperial Army spread and ravaged its lands. The Japanese were merciless.

Bao-Jai and His Mother, 1940

Bao-Jai’s father, Tse-Tsing, a courageous and honorable man, was also a great believer in the power of freedom. He joined the Republic of China Air Force when Bao-Jai was a toddler. He was away for two years training to be a pilot, and Bao-Jai and his mother, Ro-Mei and her parents moved from Baoding to Wangdu, about 40 km (25 miles) southwest.

Young Bao-Jai surely missed his father, and when he was almost four, the family prepared to be reunited. Unfortunately, his father was not at Lanzhou, where he they had expected him. Instead, he had been sent to Jinshan, a small town outside of Wuhan, over 1,000 kilometers away! The war with Japan made life unpredictable and frightening at times. What could Ro-Mei do? Disappointed and tired, the little family made their way to the old city of Luoyang to stay with his father’s friend until they could again be reunited.

Ancient Luoyang, with its ever present fragrance of peonies, was comforting. Luoyang was legendary, and its agelessness seemed to be defiant of the devastation and madness of war that surrounded them. Luoyang seemed to testify that eventually, good would conquer and peace would somehow return.

After six months, Bao-Jai and his mother returned to Lanzhou for a joyful reunion with father. Lanzhou, situated on the upper course of the Yellow River, was a crucial supply depot in the fight against Japan, and for this reason, it was bombed heavily. It was an arid desert, subject to extremely cold winters, and uninviting. The dustiness of Baoding could not compare with the sands of the Gobi Desert that often swept across this city. But, the harsh climate and severe landscape was the source of its strength, as well, and Lanzhou never fell to the Japanese.

It was in this place that Bao-Jai’s brother, Bao-Ling was born, a year after they had moved there. A half year after Bao-Ling’s arrival, the entire base at Lanzhou was relocated to Sichuan Province. The Japanese invasion was in full force and the Republic of China was moving the majority of its operations to Sichuan. Tse-Tsing flew to his new station, leaving his wife Ro-Mei, nearly seven year old Bao-Jai and six month old Bao-Ling and the other military families, who were left to their own ingenuity on how to get there.

They decided to hire a large truck in order to make the 1,000 km (about 600 miles) journey from Lanzhou to Sichuan. The journey was not without a bit of danger—the entire trip was a series of switchbacks and steep inclines through the mountains. Ro-Mei was nervous, but Bao-Jai, a naturally confident, precocious and strong child, was looking forward to it with all the anticipation of the lunar new year!

The appointed day of the journey came, and the little family carried their few personal belongings to the somewhat dilapidated truck. Ro-Mei eyed it suspiciously, afraid to breathe. She gingerly stepped forward, afraid to get in for fear it would fall apart. Summoning up whatever courage she could muster, she directed Bao-Jai to get their belongings onto the back of the roofless vehicle. Bao-Jai was delighted at this exciting turn of events. The oldest of all the children in the military families, he felt a certain exhilaration as he sat on his mother’s suitcase, contemplating how long it would take before he would be free to jump across the width of the truck while it was moving.

As the last stragglers sat down, the engine sputtered to life. Ro-Mei overheard something about the power of the engine versus the power of the mountain. As the truck lurched forward, Bao-Jai yelped in delight, while Ro-Mei realized that the mountain was definitely more powerful than this mode of transportation, and as she pursed her lips, she silently prayed to her ancestors that they would make it in one piece to Sichuan.

For Bao-Jai, nothing could have been more splendid than to feel the mountain breeze as the truck began to pick up speed. As the trees rushed by, he jumped from side to side, annoying some passengers, but eliciting a chuckle from most. He pretended that he could not hear his mother’s protests over the timid roar of the truck’s engine. As they bounced and wound their way toward the first incline, Bao-Jai thought it could not be any more magnificent. Little did he realize his adventure was going to get better.

As the truck reached the first steep hill, the driver and co-drivers jumped out of the truck with wooden wedges, yelling at everyone to get out. The wedges went behind the wheels, so that the truck would not roll backward, and the passengers quickly disembarked with their belongings. The drivers explained that the company would have to ascend the hill on foot, as the truck would not be able to reach the top with the added weight of freight and passengers. Bao-Jai could not have been happier. What fun! Happily, he ran back and forth, skipping and generally having the time of his life. When they reached the top of the hill, the passengers were able to get back on the vehicle, as it coasted down the steep grade.

Bao-Jai was indefatigable, as over and over this process was repeated—eighteen times, to be exact, and after the exhausting journey, they finally arrived at the air base, which was about 50 miles outside of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

Although the little village was quaint and pretty, with its lovely countryside and the quiet constancy of things having been done the same way for hundreds of years, Bao-Jai found the quietness irritating. His mother was not very fond of this tiny village, either. They rented a small home, and found out that the market only came to their little hamlet once a month. Every other week, Ro-Mei and the children had to travel to a different village to get to the market. Coming from larger cities and towns such as Baoding and Luoyang, this was quite a culture shock. Bao-Jai thought it quite funny that those who lived in this tiny village knew what an airplane was because of the airbase, but had never seen a bicycle or a car. The people of this area used ox driven wagons for transportation.

There was no official school in the area, and no one who would have made an adequate tutor, so Bao-Jai spent the next two years exploring the air base. Although technically he was not really allowed to enter many parts of the base, his confidence, sense of adventure, and handsome, sturdy features made him an instant hit among the officers.. Most of the military families had very small children, with the exception of one other young boy, about two years Bao-Jai’s junior, who was neither outgoing nor likable. So, Bao-Jai made friends with the pilots.

The Japanese were relentless, and many cities had fallen. Not only was Japan warring against China, they were warring against the entire Allied Forces, China being one of them since Pearl Harbor in 1941. The problem with having the headquarters in Sichuan was that it was nearly impossible to get fuel and supplies there (they had to be airlifted over the Himalayas), in order to launch attacks. But, the Republic of China and the Americans were not dissuaded, and were preparing for an attack on Japan from this stronghold.

Because of the length and fierceness of the war, food was hard to come by. Bao-Jai, ever resourceful, decided to use his friendship with the officers to its full advantage. Every day at dinnertime, he found his way to the officer’s mess, where he would wave and say “hi” to his friends. Inevitably, one or more would invite him to have dinner with them. The friendship didn’t stop there, though.

The air base was the home of some Boeing PT-17 Stearman biplanes. These two-seater planes were designed specifically for training purposes. Because the design of the propeller was unusual, reaching the speed of sound during normal operation, it had its own distinctive sound. Bao-Jai was drawn to that speed and sound as a moth to flame, and so he did something about it. He walked right up to the pilot and the plane. Pointing at the plane, he simply said with an impish, almost impudent grin, “Take me.”

The pilot looked at Bao-Jai and smiled, “No way.”

Bao-Jai smiled some more and laughed, “You’d better take me,” he half-seriously, half-jokingly told the pilot.

“No, no, I can’t.” The pilot returned, but not convincingly.

The PT-17 Bao-Jai Learned To Fly

It did not take long before one of his pilot friends gave in to the seven year old’s determined appeals with caution:

“Okay, okay. You sit in the backseat. Don’t touch anything, okay?”

Bao-Jai was already climbing over the narrow, wing-root walkway and stepping on to the cushioned open-cockpit before the pilot could finish his sentence.

As he lowered himself into position with the aid of the two upper wing trailing edge hand grips and fastened the olive-green waist and shoulder harnesses, another pilot threw him some goggles and a helmet, laughing. Bao-Jai’s eyes brightened with excitement as he took in all the instruments, and his hand involuntarily went to touch the stick which controlled the plane’s pitch and roll. Just at that moment the pilot said sternly, “Okay, Bao-Jai, you can fly with me, but you can’t touch anything.” He paused, looking at the little boy, noting the intense grin and pure joy, and wondered briefly if Bao-Jai was listening to anything he said.

“Look, you touch something and the plane will go down and we’ll all die, okay? So don’t touch anything.”

Bao-Jai, suddenly all business, replied in a voice and demeanor that showed a wisdom and understanding far beyond his seven years, “Okay.”

Bao-Jai continued these rides, and the pilots taught him to fly. Soon, the compass, vertical and air speed indicators, the altimeter, gauges, fuel tank feed switch, the engine power and mixture throttles on the left, and the rudder and brake pedals on the floor were familiar sights, and nothing was better than when the pilot would raise his hand, the signal that Bao-Jai was given permission to fly the plane all by himself. Another hand raise, and the pilot would take over, but for those few minutes at a time, Bao-Jai was transformed, soaring through the air, free from the uncertainty of war, touching the sky.

The dragon had learned to fly.

You Might Like...

I am participating in the Women in the Scriptures Five Things For Friday Blog Hop!

-1-

So, I am sure most people in the world know about Amazon, and Amazon Prime Membership.  But, did you know that you can share the Prime Membership with up to four family members?  That way, you can all split the $79 per year membership fee!  This is one of those things that makes me feel slightly amazing, because who wouldn’t want that deal?

With Prime Membership, I can purchase pencil sharpeners, diapers, brown rice noodles, and other things I believe I need (and things I actually do need!) without ever leaving the house or texting my husband to pick them up on the way home!  If you sign up for that and the Mom’s Club, you get EVEN MORE SAVINGS.  My favorite thing to buy on Amazon, however, is books.  With the free shipping and no tax, it’s great!

Way Better Than Costco and Wal-Mart

My sister shares with me and she told me that it’s the best gift I’ve ever given her.  That does not mean to say that I am horrible at giving gifts, but that it is super fun to have free two-day shipping! It makes me feel so very magnanimous.  Try sharing it with your family–it will give you that lovely zing of delight at knowing you are helping them to avoid the nightmare that is shopping at Wal-Mart and Costco.

To add people to your membership, just sign in to your Amazon account, and click on the “Your Account” link in the upper right hand corner.  Once there, scroll down to “Settings” and click on “Manage Prime Membership.”  When you get to this page, scroll down to “Invite a Household Member” and follow the instructions.

Did you also know that Amazon offers Prime Membership to college students for six months for free?  That’s also a find!

-2-

I haven’t written much this last week because I’ve been busy giving a little makeover to a really great website that I have loved for a very long time–Women in the Scriptures.  I especially liked the scroll on the header, and the way it ended up feeling scholarly without being too boring…also, the not too much feminine touch turned out nicely.  Heather wanted it to feel like an old, worn set of scriptures, and I hope that I achieved that for her.

The Challenge Button I Made

There are some articles there that are, well–WOW!!  I remember reading “Appreciating the Physicality of Birth” and really learning and being inspired to think differently because of it.  Not saying you need to hop on over to read it or anything, but maybe you should.   Even if you aren’t in baby season–it’s still such a wonderful viewpoint.

-3-

I really like fonts–like most women like shoes.  I think that’s one of the reasons why my husband married me.  He built computers, and I would rather have free upgrades for life than jewelry or shoes.  It’s a match made in heaven (except for the fact that we are polar opposites on just about everything else–if we can live long enough together not to kill each other, we will become the perfect combination of everything….).  So here are two that I am particularly loving right now:

Beautiful Font! Click to Download

Lavanderia is actually very legible for a scripty, retro font.  I just love it!  It makes me feel like getting cupcakes, or something.  Another font that I have really been liking lately is:

Loops and Flourishes and Old Fashioned...Click Image To Download

This font reminds me of George Washington and weddings and Wives and Daughters and cozy nights with popcorn and my girls and watching Jane Austen films.  Isn’t it pretty?  I think it would be great for something like a Relief Society flyer for the birthday celebration or for some school project involving the 1800′s…

-4-

My children loved the music from Rob Gardner’s $1,000,000 winning storyboard, 12 Princesses.  They loved it so much, in fact, that I was tired of them requesting me to play the storyboard so they could hear the music.  As a stopgap measure until the soundtrack actually comes out, I used my technology savvy to record the music onto our iPod so they could play it while they were cleaning the basement.  (They actually volunteered to clean the entire house if I would do this for them, so it was a win-win…)

12 Princesses Test Movie, Click to Watch

Here is a sample of one of the songs from the storyboard.  If you like musicals and true love, and you are weird like our family, you may find yourself watching the entire storyboard…repeatedly.

-5-

Most homeschoolers have heard of Donna Young’s website, but did you know it had a George Washington’s Rules of Civility Penmanship Booklet all ready to go?  I wish I had known that a few years ago, when I made my own version.  Of course, I lost that one, so I was really happy to find this.

It has done wonders for the etiquette of my 9 1/2 year old boy, who enjoys pointing out when myself or my husband are not obeying the rules.  For example, in the morning, he laughs at dad and says “Put not off your clothes in the presence of others, nor go out your chamber half dressed!”

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this weekend, even though this weekend has already passed!  Hope you had a good one, and thanks, Heather, for hosting the blog hop!

You Might Like...

Today I was thinking about my other valentine–the one who has gone away. I think of her everyday, and she so often comes and gives me little gifts just when I need them.

I cannot see her, but I know she is there.

It is at times like these that I think I might be at the beginning of contemplating the true meaning of what love really is. I remember going through a time when I felt guilty because I didn’t “love” her enough in the short time she was here. I wanted to make up for it.  After all, I had realized how short and temporary life is.

You know what they say,

“Live each day as if it’s your last.”

Only, I couldn’t.

It was way too much pressure.

Also, I found out that living each day as if it’s your last most of the time involves spoiling yourself and your children, which is fine, if it really is only for one day, but that can’t go on forever.

So, I didn’t know what to do.  I felt so guilty.  At the end of every day, I wondered if I had really lived it.   You know, like all those inspirational stories.  I didn’t go cliff dancing, visit Italy, jump off a waterfall, or go on a Disney cruise.  In fact, some days were just, well, bad.  Most were merely normal.  Then, my daughter whispered a heavenly correction to me:

Don’t live each day as if it’s your last, live it as if it’s your best.

And, that really changed everything.  I realized that love doesn’t mean praise or things or even experiences.  It is more about who you are and who you are trying to become.

I know that’s probably common knowledge for a lot of people, but for me it was a revelation.  I realized that loving better and being perfect isn’t adding more–often it is the opposite:

Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.

So, now, instead of trying to convince others that I love them, I am trying to become love.

When Joy was with us, she taught us to sing.  When she returned to God, she taught us to look up.  I miss her, but she has opened my eyes to the beauty that is part of death.  She told me it’s just a short walk.

I love you, Joy. And I have finally gotten to the point where I can throw the window wide open, look up, hear the little bells, and laugh.

All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems… But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them… In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh!

And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me… You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure… It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh.  –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Here is a sweet video remembering Joy, and reminding us that we all must sing.

You Might Like...

I had just gotten married!

Our marriage of six weeks had been nice, the temple sealing had been lovely, the reception fun, and we were now traveling from Texas to Utah to follow our dreams.  My husband had been accepted to BYU and we were really excited.  Driving through Wyoming, a light snow began to fall.  It was still clear, and it wasn’t sticking, so it was actually kind of pretty.

I decided to pass a cattle truck in our little red Geo Metro, and my life would never be the same.

Interstate Near Rawlins, Wyoming

The cattle truck driver, high on who knows how many drugs, became aggressive and ran me off the road.  My car flipped three times, landing upside down on the very hard ground near Rawlins, Wyoming.  Two off-duty undercover police officers happened to be behind and witnessed the whole thing.  They were also trained in emergency first aid and immediately came to help.

The first thing I was aware of when I became conscious was that I was hanging upside down for some reason.  That was odd.  So, I turned over to look at my husband.  His face was injured, and the policemen had already gotten him out of the vehicle and they assured me he was going to be just fine.  They were having a bit more trouble with me, as I had been unconscious, and the door was jammed.  Finally, they were able to move away the broken glass and pulled me out of the car through the window.

Lying on the ground looking up at the gray sky and snow falling down, I thought about the fact that everything I owned in my life was now scattered on the interstate, and how sorry I was to have made a mess.

I was mostly concerned about getting a hold of the missionaries and the church and making sure I had my temple recommend.

Later on, when many ministering angels from the church in Rawlins had taken care of us, we were resting in the basement apartment of an older retired man in the ward. My husband’s injury  was only a surface one, and he had gotten stitches. My back was fractured, but we didn’t know that because I was already pregnant, and didn’t want to get an x-ray.  Basically, I felt like…well, like I’d just been run over by a truck.

“Wow,” I said. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.”

My husband paused and said,

“Well, if you had died, I would have gone back and married Kaylie.”

My heart froze.  This wasn’t right.  Why did he just say that?

Over the next several months, I began to realize that the man I married was still very much in love with his long time pre-mission girlfriend, had some problems with sexual addictions, and he did not love me.

Over the course of a very difficult and scary first pregnancy, I realized that my husband was under the impression that I and my baby would die in childbirth and that he would then be free to marry his girlfriend.

This was not going well.

So, I did what anyone would do.  I completely freaked out.

And, then, I prayed.  Lots of things happened, but in the end, when I and my baby did not die, my husband– the zone leader, MTC teacher, BYU student, son of a Branch President– left me for his old girlfriend.

In Provo.

So, there I was–a lovely postpartum situation indeed.

I had a 3 month old and was nursing…I was in a ward full of ancient Provoans who referred to me publicly (and loudly, as most of them were very hard of hearing), as “the lady with no husband.”  I was the outcast.  It was excrutiatingly painful.  That, along with my back injury, my winning postpartum personality and sagginess, made me feel like an impossible candidate for marriage.

So what. I prayed for marriage anyway.

Yes, I had been dumped and rejected, but I thought, well, what better time to improve myself and make myself the person I should be!  I read talks and scriptures, I prayed, I cried.  I was lonely.  So, so lonely.

Luckily, I had a best friend and a sister who are angels who came to stay with me to help me pay rent during that very difficult time.

Reality was harsh.

To be honest, being in Provo when I was an 18 year old blonde bombshell hadn’t done a whole lot for my dating life.  I think I was too opinionated for most BYU boys.  Actually, I know I was.

Now, I was at the BYU, a 24 year old single mom with a 3 month old baby who may or may not leak milk from my body at inopportune times.  Also, a little more round.  Just a little, but it’s cutthroat out there!

I realized I was not dating material.  Can you imagine?

“Oh, sorry, I’ve got to go.  My milk just let down and my baby needs to eat. See ya’!”

So, I prayed and prayed and prayed.  I thought about moving where I might get more support, but the answer came clearly:

“You will be married by the time your son is one year old.  You have already met the man you will marry.”

Oh, that’s nice.  A prophecy and a riddle. Because, I wasn’t meeting many men being a stay at home, disabled, nursing, single mom.

I started to think about the men I had recently met–most of them were over 80 and married or widowed because they were in my ward.  There was the mailman…who else?  I could think of no one!

Hard To Get To Know The Mailman When They Don't Even Come To Your Door Anymore

My computer had broken down a few weeks before and my best friend had taken it to the repair shop where her guy friend worked to see if he could fix it.  His boss had called me and, having been made aware of my pathetic situation, was intrigued with my life, and thought he might be able to help me.  I appreciated his offer to work on my computer even though I had no money.  He sounded like a nice, older man.  How kind of him.

In the meantime, I was giving Heavenly Father a list of demands for the man I wanted to marry.  First, he had to have a conservative car.  None of this red sports car nonsense or booming speakers.  Secondly, he needed to be able to come to my door, because who were we kidding?  I was not going “out there” in the “dating scene.”  I was a mother and that’s what I was going to be.  He would have to find me.

Third, he would have to really, really honor his priesthood.  None of this shallow lip service.  Nope.  He would have to be true blue.  As I prayed, Heavenly Father assured me that my husband would be all of that, and more.  He assured me that this man would come to my door.  And I would know him when I saw him.

A few weeks later, this man from the computer shop called and said my computer was ready.  It was late.  I was already in my pajamas.  I was tired.   He offered to bring it by on his way home from taking someone to the airport.  I was really wanting my computer back, so I said “Okay.”

I waited. I got dressed.  I waited some more.  I don’t know how long, but it seemed like longer than he said it was going to take, so then I thought that maybe it had gotten too late and he had gone home or something.

Then, I saw a car drive up.  It was a 1989 Buick Park Avenue (and we were in the late part of the 90′s here).  The streetlamp was shining right on it. (I referred to that street lamp outside my door as “The Harsh Light of Reality,” incidentally.)

The Buick He Got From His Grandpa

I didn’t get up.  It was winter and I was cozy.  I didn’t know if it was him or one of the old people who lived around here, although they were usually in bed by 6 pm.  Then, came the knock.

I got up. I opened the door.

And there in front of me was the man I was going to marry.

Holding my computer.

He had a baseball cap on and looked for all the world like a little boy.  Only, of course, he wasn’t. He had a clean, innocent purity about him–and a mischievousness–that I have come to associate with little boys.  But he wasn’t an old man, either.

He was my age, only he spoke impeccably and had good grammar (what a bonus!), which is why he sounded old!

I was a bit taken aback.  Heavenly Father had been telling me all this time that he was coming, only when it happened, I almost couldn’t believe it.

We talked. We laughed. He got to know my very complicated, moody, postpartum self.  Someday he will know my other personality.  The one that isn’t pregnant or nursing, but he has yet to meet that gal.

He fell in love with me anyway.

To this day, I can’t believe he had the guts to do it.

Lao Tzu said: “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

He must have loved me very deeply, because it took heroic courage to do what he did.  I was a postpartum, leaky, jilted, rejected mess.  But, I had had enough guts to keep believing in something that seemed impossible.

And then he was there, and everything seemed possible.  His love strengthened me so much.

He swept me off my feet and carried some of the intense burden that only the Savior and I had previously known about.  He carried me away from the tragic parts of my life in his old, but well-maintained Buick.  He drove in a snowstorm to Primary Children’s Hospital so my son (and soon to be his), could get some needed testing done, and so I wouldn’t have to do it alone.

He braved my hormones.

He was my hero.  My Mr. Darcy.  My Everything.

We were married thirteen days before my son turned one year old in the Manti Temple and he later adopted my baby boy.

Manti Temple

In little over a decade, we have welcomed 12 children into our home, with one more on the way.  When we had to say goodbye to our little two year old baby girl, it was our testimony of the sealing power that made it possible for us to endure the pain.  I am so thankful for my husband’s testimony. And mine.

We have lived in the bad part of town and we have lived in a mansion on the hill, and everything in between.

We have crossed an ocean together with our little family, and we have faced dragons.

We have stood at the edge of the light and seen some of the worst darkness that hell can unleash on earth, and instead of being overcome by it, he has taken me protectively in his arms, I have stood tall and held his hand, and we have always had the strength together, to look up and see the Son through the darkness.

We aren’t cute.  We are only beautiful to our children and each other.  But, what does it matter?  In the end, I got my fairy tale.  Only it’s the real version that includes– sprinkled through the “happily ever after”–burnt dinners, bad days, weight gain, one interminable night of indescribable loss that has bound us to each other in a way that cannot possibly be put into words– and a man who continues to be my one, true star.

I love him.

I have spoken . . . of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day… and in my case, one of them consented to marry me.–jeffrey r. holland

Thanks, Chocolate, for the inspiration!

You Might Like...

When we first went on our healthy eating kick, I went cold turkey.  We removed everything processed and unhealthy from our kitchen.  We were left with a bottle of salad dressing and a can of butternut squash.  Everyone cried.  Me, especially.

"Chickun" Fingers..They Don't Taste Like Chicken

Not surprisingly, after a dinner of “Chickun Fingers” and “Avocado Fries” my husband seemed to suddenly remember something we needed from the store, or that the car needed gas, and he would take a few minutes to take care of things….He would come home smelling suspiciously of fast food.

It didn’t hurt my feelings.  I was very empathetic.  And jealous.

No need to go to those extremes to eat healthy, whole foods.  Here are some more steps to a family with happier, healthier, eating habits.

Step 6: Embellish!

It is amazing what a little embellishing can do to healthy food.  I know, I know, a purist would be horrified at my suggestions that follow, but, this has worked to get my children to eat things they may not have ever even considered.

Here are some examples:

Bacon Helps, Sometimes.

Embellishing Salads: Croutons,  unhealthy salad dressing, even–gasp!–bacon crumbles or deli meat (the horror!!!!) will do wonders to make a salad more appetizing to a little child.  Also, be sure to make the lettuces or spinach truly bite size for a child.  My two year old loves salad, because he likes the dressing and dried cranberries.  Chow mein noodles or fried wonton strips make another excellent and crazy embellishment.  Eventually, you will see that you can cut down on the embellishments as the family become more used to what real good food tastes like.

Just As An Embellishment...

Embellishing Otherwise Unappealing Porridge: We make seven grain cereal, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and other warm, homemade cereals in the morning.  Some children don’t like them.  I have found that adding almond milk instead of water, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, vanilla, raisins, orange juice and dried cranberries–all of these can make it easier for children (and adults) to eat.

Another winner is chocolate chips.  Don’t be too aghast.  They are high quality chocolate chips, so we can feel better about it.  I often let them each have five chocolate chips in their oatmeal, and you wouldn’t believe how much more they eat.

Okay, so this probably won’t work if your kids are used to eating Gogurt and corn syrup in everything, but this is for after you get rid of anything with corn syrup.  That has to be kind of a cold turkey thing.  Sorry, but it really does.  Once you do it, though, I can guarantee you won’t like corn syrup anymore.  You’ll be able to taste it in everything. Blech.

Sopapillas--An Embellishment

Embellishing “Healthy” Meals: If you are starting to make mostly vegetable/not so much meat dinners, you may need to embellish your meals a bit.  Having “healthy” taco soup?  Embellish with tortilla chips and cheese and sopapillas (with honey…yum.) or churros.

Steak! The Embellishment That Makes The Salad Yummier!

Serving up another green salad for dinner?  Make some rich, buttery garlic toast to go with it, or grill some steak to go on top.  Roast some potatoes and top them with cheese or make some different kinds of dipping sauces for the potatoes (we like a mayo/lime/sriracha for some kick, or fry sauce made with bbq sauce instead of ketchup, or even an onion dip).

Yummy Onion Dip

I know I have mentioned cheese–I actually believe in cheese, just about 1/3 of what is called for in the Standard American Diet.  I like organic cheese and raw cheese, and my kids do, too.  I never liked cheese (with the exception of brie) before I tried raw cheese.  Yum.  Cheese sticks things together, which is nice.  It’s good for stretching things out, too).

Sweet Potatoes With Molasses Glazed Apples...Yum.

If you’re not too sure what to do with the vegetables, if you are trying to make a side dish, look at how really nice, sustainable restaurants prepare them.  That should give you some ideas.  Restaurants try to prepare things that most people will enjoy, so you can guess that they might appeal to at least someone in your family.  How about grilled tomatoes and spinach in orange butter sauce, like at La Jolla Gardens in the Riverwoods in Provo, Utah.  Or maybe Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Glazed Apples ( I would roast instead of boil), like at Communal?

If that’s too hard, I recommend grilling the vegetables with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of Italian seasonings.  Nothing says “meat” like a grill, and that smoky flavor makes the veggies more palatable to those who don’t like them.  (A good mix is zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, big mushrooms, big tomatoes, onion wedges, and asparagus or beans…yummy!)  Grilling veggies and putting them on hoagies or focaccia with an aioli sauce is also a great dish, and that’s not a side, it’s a main meal.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

If you’re having veggie sandwiches for dinner, buy some chips (maybe Kettle Bakes or Sun Chips or something not too crazy).  Or pretzels.  They serve the same purpose.

If you’re doing a baked potato bar, include a few “non-healthy” toppings like bacon, sour cream, and–(look the other way, my healthy friends), some CHILI (homemade, of course).  It doesn’t have to be a lot–just enough to remind everyone of the good old days when you ate for pleasure, but then felt awful afterward.

Bacon..An Embellishment

I love yogurt, but was having a hard time getting the kids to eat it for a lunch.  That’s when I dug out the ice cream parfait glasses (which we got at a thrift store for $3 for the whole set of 9).  I layered them with fruit, yogurt and granola.  But, that’s not what got my little ones to scarf them down–no!  It was the few colored sprinkles I put on top!  Suddenly, it wasn’t lunch, it was a party!

SPRINKLES! Go lightly. They are gross food coloring and food product. I don't even think they are really food. They are an embellishment.

Just remember that these are supposed to be embellishments or accessories to your meal.  Go lightly.

Step 7:  Cut out the store bought candy and junk.

This really has got to go.  The soda. The neon colored chewy candy.

Everything.

Make your own instead.

If you want it that badly, then you will appreciate it more if you have done the work to have it.  I have found that just the task of making it from scratch usually helps to avoid having too many snacks.  Also, if you make it yourself using higher quality ingredients and, perhaps, in some cases, cutting out some of the sweetener, it is better.

This Will Never Be Me!!! (But I Will Gladly Sample Any Finished Products)

If you feel like soda, make homemade root beer.  If you don’t want to do that (I will never want to do that), then you probably don’t want it that badly.

If you get a craving for chocolate covered cinnamon bears, then make your own.  Actually, I think you need a chemistry lab and a plastic plant to manufacture the cinnamon bears, so you might have to settle for something like this instead (using brown rice syrup and dipping them in chocolate).

Personally, I don’t crave anything that much when it involves sweating, boiling, timing and a candy thermometer.  I’d rather go without.

Involve your children in this process. It is a wonderful learning experience for them to realize just how much effort goes into creating their little candy fixes.  They learn that it’s kind of, well…a waste.  That it would be better to reserve these treats to truly special occasions.  But, every hour of every single day does not a holiday make (of course, some people may argue with me on that point–it seems like we celebrate at least three times daily for some thing or other in this society!).

Step 8: Don’t Lie.

Don’t lie to yourself, and don’t lie to your kids.

Date Paste Does Not Taste Like Caramel

Dates do not taste like caramel (although, if you haven’t tasted caramel for a while, they might, at the right consistency, taste caramel-esque but that is not the same as tasting JUST LIKE CARAMEL!).

Cashew cream does not taste like whipped cream.

Nut milk does not taste like cow’s milk, and “cheezcake” doesn’t taste like real cheesecake.  Breaded mushrooms do not taste like calamari.  They just look like they might.

That is so horribly traumatic to do to someone.  They are looking at what looks like “chicken nuggets” but they bite into it and it tastes like…walnuts and sundried tomatoes.

GROSS FOR KIDS AND FOR ME! (My husband took one whiff and ran an errand…presumably to Arby’s.)

They Aren't The Same (Although I Do Think They Are Good)

Don’t make something that looks like a Hostess cupcake, but is really..almonds, date paste, and coconut.  Just don’t.

They may taste good, but don’t go making them look like the corn-syrupy, white floury pleasure of the time before-we-had-to-eat-papaya.

If you are trying some new thing, call it like it is.  If it’s a bunch of nuts, then call it “Nut Nuggets” or something.  If you have to think of a deceitful name to even begin to think of it as palatable, it probably isn’t.

(I have to say, I like a lot of raw food treats.  A lot.  But, I just don’t think they taste anything like donuts, or brownies or anything…they just taste good to me….and some of my kids).

Incidentally, in raw food treats recipes, I often replace the overused nut flours with oat flour.  It helps it be not so, well…nutty.

Step 9: Don’t Be Afraid Of Doing What Your Family Likes.

You know, we just had barbecue ribs for dinner the other night.  It’s not bad.  It’s whole foods.  I made the barbecue sauce myself.  With organic, no-corn-syrup ketchup.  I even used pork (we hardly use pork unless we can get it from happy pigs).  We had the barbecue ribs on WHITE ROLLS.  It was yummy.  With white flour.  With Sun Chips.

It is fun to do things that are comforting–but it takes time to understand the difference between comfort and crutch.  Sometimes, we use food as a crutch, and it’s an emotional thing.  Sometimes, it’s even an addiction to pleasure.  Sometimes, it is our way of trying to fulfill a need without having to do the work.

But, really, it’s just food.

It should not be edible media.  It should not be about pleasure. It should be about nourishment and…joy.

It’s okay to have sausage links and eggs and hashbrowns.  Just make sure your sausage was healthy before it became sausage, and your eggs were from happy, pastured hens, and your hashbrowns weren’t treated with all kinds of weird chemicals.  If you can’t do that, try your best.  And then pray.  And let’s not eat it this everyday.  The good earth is full of variety.  Let’s take advantage of it.

If you tried to get rid of everything in your diet that has been modified, altered, chemically sprayed, and was corrupted in some way, you’d have to go the Andes and live off of only sunshine and rainbows.  This just isn’t realistic.

What you can do, is take a look at the Word of Wisdom (or even the story of Daniel in the Old Testament).  Then, think about it.  Study it out in your mind.  Pray and ponder.  Then open your refrigerator and pantry with a prayerful heart and start cleaning out.  It will work.  Try to eat as many foods as you can as close to their original form as possible.

Ask your kids to help you find insight.  Ask them to ponder and pray and study.  Ask them to listen to the Spirit as they eat.  It will be amazing what they might tell you.

Fruits and vegetables really can take center stage, and they should, when possible.

Step 10: Cope With The Change In Your Family’s Lifestyle and Your Own Issues.

Okay, I’m sorry, but Step 10 is worth a whole post.  So, I will have to make a Part 3.  This way, I will keep you all in suspense (like Christmas, only healthier).  It’s probably the most important thing to tackle in changing your lifestyle to allow more healthy foods into your family, so it won’t be super short.  I am verbose, you know.  So, until next time:

Go get some brown rice syrup for those homemade chocolate covered cinnamon gum drops!

To read Part 1, click here.

You Might Like...

I am participating in the Women in the Scriptures Five Things For Friday Blog Hop!

Even though it’s completely against the Rules of Civility, I have decided that I am going to brag on this post.  Why? Because I have been saving up a bunch of stuff to brag about and do you know how long it takes for me to come up with FIVE things to show off?  A long time, let me tell you.

-1-

I just finished redesigning a wonderful blog for a very sweet mama who knows.  Can I just say I have never really studied Victorian vintage type stuff before and I had a lot of fun looking at old newspaper ads and…silhouettes!  It was a lot of fun, and the best part was that….SHE LOVED IT!  Yea!  Success! Here is the button I designed.  The whole theme is based on vintage silhouettes.  Go look.  It’s pretty.  I don’t think so, but all my friends tell me…..

-2-

If you live in Utah Valley, or near it…I have a great secret to finding super, super cheap stuff like Primary pencils, scriptures cases and leather temple bags for 75% off retail.  And books.  And….fine art!  And I am going to brag about my super find right here.

Want This On Canvas For $70 Instead Of $140? I Can Tell You How, Because I'm Bragging Today

Some time ago, I fell in love with a painting by Jared Barnes called For Such Is The Kingdom.  It’s still my favorite painting of Christ.  Then I fell in love with several of his paintings, and I wanted them on canvas and framed, but I didn’t want to spend lots of money.  I found out that they were being sold at a warehouse for 50% off!  That’s right, ladies.  I got a 16×20 framed on canvas beautiful painting for $80!  (Actually, over the course of 18 months, I purchased several.  After all, they were half off!  Think of all the money I was saving!)

(Incidentally, if you love his paintings as much as I do, you can actually email him directly for a great price on his framed canvas frames.)

Sadly for me, but fortunately for him, Jared Barnes got picked up by a bigger publisher and they are no longer available for half off (I like to remind my husband of that a lot–it’s a good thing I got them when I did, right?).  But, those antique temple pictures and some other extremely beautiful artwork is still to be found there for half off.  Even the really huge ones.

I got a red leather temple bag there for $6!  Scriptures cases for $2!  Primary theme pencils (from last year)–one huge bucket for $1.50!  Young Women themed jewelry that will get lost or broken so aren’t you glad you didn’t pay retail for $4!

Okay, I’ll spill it…it’s the Cedar Fort Publishing warehouse in Springville, Utah, and it’s off the freeway–going south, you take the first exit, and it looks like you’re going out to Young Living’s warehouse or Neways but then, suddenly, there is a small building with a big white sign on the side of it that says, “Bookstore Warehouse Clearance” or something like that.  That’s where you go for SAVINGS!

If you are wondering about the artists they sell or other things, you can look at their website online.  Also, you can get better directions than I just gave you and find out the hours of operation, as well.  (I think they are closed on Mondays or something.)

This is very important for me to brag about because I am not a savvy shopper, but when I tell people about this place, I feel like they think I’m an amazing, savvy shopper and it makes me feel temporarily superior.  Aah, if only it could last for longer…but then, it would probably go to my head.

-3-

I have another beautiful picture of the Salt Lake Temple that I am going to share with you.  I am bragging because it was taken by a member of my family.  I wish I could take the credit, but that would be wrong, so instead, I am bragging on one of my children.  It truly is a beautiful photo.

I also think it may make us more spiritual in some way because of the way she captured the light shining on the Angel Moroni.  I don’t think so, but my friends have told me….

 -4-

It is not secret that I cannot cook or uncook or dehydrate or bake or fry.  But I am good at eating.  In fact, our whole family is quite accomplished at it.  Once, when we had a guest over for dinner (what a brave soul!), my then six year old daughter, who was somewhat nervous, stated:

“We really like to eat.  We’re just eaters, you know.”

Out of the mouths of babes…how true it is.  We are eaters.  Somewhat spoiled and picky eaters, but we do eat.  And we are very good at it.

So, here is a recipe book of recipes that mostly other people have given me that I compiled.  I am also good at compiling.  So, I am sharing it with you here to brag about how wonderful I am at compiling. Also, I am great at researching.  Technically, I should be able to cook, because I know so much about it.  Technically, I should be able to eat more healthy than anyone else, because I have read so much about it, but I seem to have some sort of problem translating that into reality.

The book was made for my sister, and I have to say, it was quite an accomplishment to compile so many great recipes…I don’t say so, but my sister tells me….Click the icon above to download “A Garden Of Recipes: Recipes For Raw And Whole Foods Living” and see just how amazing my compiling abilities really are!

Click here to download the pdf file “A Garden of Recipes: Recipes For Raw And Whole Foods Living”.  Sadly, there are no pictures, because I cannot take a photo to save my life.  But, it’s free.  You get what you pay for, you know.   I take no responsibility for the tastiness of the recipes…I think they are good, but they are healthy, so…try at your own risk.

-5-

Finally, I would like to brag about how great I think my Pinterest finds are.  Pinterest is fun, but one must wade through lots of crafts and fitness photos and cheesy quotes to find the really good stuff.  It’s kind of like garage sale-ing, or thrift shopping.

But it doesn’t smell funny, like garage sales and thrift shops do.  And, I can do it in my pajamas.

I still get the same “zing” when I find something that I think is just awesome.  And, then, I have to admit, I think,

“I am going to pin this before any of my other friends and family so they can think about how brilliant I am for finding it first!”

And, then, I get that feeling like I get when I am about to win an auction on eBay at the last second and it’s for an antique book that is usually $75 and I’m getting it for $7.50 plus shipping.

The surge of adrenaline is exhilarating!

If you haven’t found Pinterest yet, I recommend to stay away, because you don’t know if you will start thinking the same way I do and become a shameless braggart about how you were the first of your friends to post this:

This Makes Me Sound Very Self-Aware, Doesn't It?

Or this:

It's So Funny...Pinning This First Shows I Am Fun and Cute and Have A Great Sense of Humor!

Okay, you get the idea.  But, please, if you are more clever, witty, and have more time to pore through Pinterest’s thousands of pages of mason jar crafts and cakes made of candy, and pictures of puppies, babies, and baby giraffes, then don’t ask me to follow you.  I would be so disappointed if you beat me to the cool stuff.

Well, now that I have spent the last few minutes bragging, I really need to bring myself down off my high horse.  I know.  I’ll go downstairs.  I haven’t been down there in over a week, and I am sure the sight of it will get me back down to a proper level of humility.  Or maybe I can try one of those Pinterest recipes…I am sure that will bring me back down to my rightful place.

Have a great weekend, and thanks again, Heather, for the blog hop!

You Might Like...

Toona Salad. Rawvioli. And something even more traumatic:

Celebration Nutloaf.

A Celebration of Nuts

I am writing this post to save you (and especially your children and husband), from  going down that road.  Eating real food doesn’t have to be like that.

Actually, eating real food is so very much more simple than I wanted to make it.  For some reason, the simplicity eluded me.  I guess I felt that just making salad was so…pedestrian.  Certainly my family would feel more loved if I went more gourmet.

I was convinced that they wouldn’t mind eating real food if it looked as good as the photos on the internet.  Plus, everyone making the amazing vegan/raw/whole food dishes looked so fantastically gorgeous and happy while eating it!

If Everything Looks This Fabulous, How Can They Not LOVE It?

(I neglected to notice that most of these people referred to their pet Shih Tzu as their child, and lived in Manhattan or LA with an amazing chef’s kitchen.  A fatal misstep on my part.)

This Is Not My Kitchen, My Kitchen Is Referred To Lovingly As A "One Behind" Kitchen--Meaning There Is Only Room For One Behind In It At A Time

To compound the problem, Mormon Cuisine (betcha’ didn’t know we had our own cuisine!  The NY Times says so, you know), largely consists of food product, not real food.  Cream of This, boxed that, and a smidge of Canned Food Storage.

To eat real food (meaning lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, very little meat, some grains, and little to no processed stuff), this Mormon mom who also had the handicap of growing up in the South (fried everything smothered with lots of gravy…mmmm….), had to throw everything I knew about cooking and food out the window.

Lucky for me, I already had decided that my self-esteem could not be based on my cooking.  This momma can burn water, let me tell you.  I didn’t have much to lose, but boy, it was still scary.

The most important thing I had to realize is something that goes against every Mormon mommy’s belief system about life, love and eternity:

It’s not about the food.

I know, I know.  Heresy.  Apostasy.  Should I be hanged?

But, really, it’s not.

Families should be able to love each other and get together without pot roast and several hundred desserts.  Mothers should not be mortally offended when their children patiently explain to her that a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables is not satisfied by a freshly opened can of green beans.

Will That Be One Can Or Two?

(My best friend had told her in-laws ahead of time that she was only eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  When she got to Sunday dinner her mother-in-law asked her how many cans of green beans she wanted.)

And, contrary to popular belief, emergency preparedness is not about food, either.  At least it shouldn’t be.  It’s about being able to withstand the worst life can throw at you, and that takes a lot more than just some gourmet food storage (although food is part of it–that’s not really the main point). In fact, when I was faced with one of the worst crises in my life, food was the last thing on my mind, and my body didn’t even really need much of it–not even Gourmet Country Western Stew or Cacciatore.

What a revelation.

So, here is a simplified look at how to eat real food.

Step 1: Learn about fruits and vegetables outside of oranges, apples, bananas, corn, potatoes and pizza. 

I, being from the South, did know about okra, so I already felt a bit exotic.

Good, But Stinky

It really pays to know your stuff.  For example, it is imperative (especially if you have morning sickness or a sense of smell), to buy frozen, pre-cut papaya chunks and not a fresh papaya.  Fresh papaya smells like gym socks.

I am not the only one who thinks it stinks.

Its smell has been described elsewhere on the internet as “fruit barf” or “pine vomit.”

Of course, some say that Hawaiian papaya does not smell this way, but I, unlike my dear friend Mrs. Smith, do not have the luxury of feasting of nice smelling Hawaiian papayas (care to weigh in on this topic, Mrs. Smith?  How is the Hawaiian papaya–from a nearly native’s point of view? ).  I say it’s too risky to even experiment.  Stick with frozen.

And, durian–well–that’s a smell in a league all its own, more than likely a product of the fall.  Some Chinese markets carry a frozen version, but run away from the fresh one unless you own a gas mask.

The internet is a great place to find out how things taste before you buy them.  Also, it’s funny to read how other people describe the tastes of certain fruits and veggies.

Wikipedia has an entry on culinary vegetables and edible fruits.  It’s a good start.

Step 2: Start With Smoothies

No, not the kind with ice cream or frozen yogurt or yogurt and sugar and chocolate.  Your single biggest challenge is to help yourself and your family want or even enjoy green things.  So, the logical place to start is a green smoothie.

Green smoothies are really popular now, so it’s easy to find some good recipes.  Don’t make the mistake I did and start with juicing wheatgrass and kale, because some blogger from Los Angeles said it was “super” and gave you amazing energy and it tasted so great.  We tried that, and we all ended up throwing up.

Start with spinach and carrot greens.  They are sweeter.

Things to add to cut out the “green” taste, which will initially be really unappetizing:

• Lemon
• Apple
• Pineapple
• Mango

Our typical smoothie consists of greens, various fruits, frozen bananas, and orange juice.  We always include at least one of the green taste cutters in our recipe.  Start out with one or two leaves, then add little by little as much as you can tolerate.

My amazing rawish/whole foods awesome friends put water in their smoothie instead of orange juice, but I just can’t.  Not yet.  Maybe I’ll work myself up to it someday.

WARNING: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE GREEN SMOOTHIES IN A REGULAR BLENDER.  THIS RESULTS IN GREEN SLUDGE THAT IS ONLY PASSABLY EDIBLE BY EVEN THE CRUNCHIEST OF HIPPIES. A VITAMIX OR BLENDTEC IS NOT A LUXURY HERE. IT IS ACTUALLY A NECESSITY.

Here is a nice article on how to make green smoothies your family will love–but don’t be too disappointed if they don’t LOVE them at first.  My kids didn’t LOVE them. They endured.  So far, they are up to “liking” them a little.  We now have a green smoothie every morning plus a little something on the side, like a small bowl of oatmeal, grits, or bear mush (kind of like Cream of Wheat).

Step 3:  Embrace Salad

We have a variation of salad for lunch almost every day.  Plus a side of something else, like pizza quesadillas (flour tortilla, pizza sauce, shredded cheese folded in half and grilled on the panini grill), veggie sticks with homemade Ranch dressing, cut up fruits, or roasted potatoes.  The main course is salad, though.

Salad is also something that is hard for someone raised on Southern Mormon Cuisine to  learn to love.  But, I can honestly say it’s easier than the smoothies.  My entire family really does love salad.  It’s important to keep it simple.

It’s amazing how complicated we can make something as simple as salad.  Don’t do this to yourself.  Whether you spend three hours on a salad with homemade toasted coconut shreds and candied almonds, or fifteen minutes tearing up some green lettuce, most children are not going to distinguish between the two.

In fact, the common equation in my home is the more time, effort, and money I spend on a salad, the less my children will like it.  Children are simple.  They aren’t gourmets.  Learn from them.

It Doesn't Have To Be French Or Fancy

We have basically a salad bar everyday with rotating toppings to torn, bite sized greens (kale, chard, spinach, green and/or red leaf lettuce, Boston butter lettuce, romaine, baby mixed greens, etcetera).  Here are some of our toppings:

• Dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries
• Slivered almonds, sunflower seeds
• Flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds
• Artichoke hearts, olives
• Tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, carrots
• Apple slices, fresh berries, fresh pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges
• Nutrtional yeast, shredded cheese
• Boiled eggs, smoked trout, smoked salmon, leftover organic chicken/steak, black beans
• Shredded coconut, avocado, fresh corn, pickled okra (if you don’t know what that is, boy are you missing out!)
• Croutons, chow mien noodles

These are our salad staples.  Sometimes, if we are in the mood for some crazy hijinks, I’ll look at salad descriptions from my favorite restaurants and throw that out there to try.  For example, La Jolla Groves has some great ones.

Step 4: Graduate to Homemade Salad Dressing.

You Can Use Mason Jars, Too. They Are Trendy Right Now.

I still struggle with this one.  Buying Brianna’s Poppyseed and Follow-Your-Heart Chipotle Ranch is so much easier.  But, oh, the difference homemade dressings can make.  As a bonus, here is a link to the most amazing Asian Dressing in the history of the world.  It’s a copycat of the raw Asian Drenching that is $600 an ounce, or something.  I bribed and shamelessly kissed up to one of my dearest friend for weeks to get her to figure it out, and it’s a dead ringer. So, so good.

Step 5: Don’t Spend Lots Of Money on Stuff.

It is tempting to want to buy cookbooks and sign up for classes and seminars and all that stuff…the healthy food world is also reeking of scams and overpriced “advice” from people who know you, at this point, are desperate to try and be healthy and not miserable.  Don’t fall for it.  Instead, pray.  It works.

There are lots of free recipes online anywhere.  My sidebar has a few “real food” websites, but there are so many more.  Or just do a search on Pinterest for healthy recipes.  That will lead you to some great stuff, let me tell you.  Mostly free stuff.

In part two, I will give you the secret steps to real food happiness six through ten.  Your family will then be begging you to throw out the candy, and wishing they could quit eating bacon.  It will be amazing.  Just kidding.  But, at least maybe you can avoid some of the mistakes I made and end up happily eating real foods!

To read part 2, click here.

You Might Like...

I am participating in Women in the Scriptures Five Things For Friday blog hop!

-1-

Blogging Freebies

I like to design websites.  I have been doing it for about 15 years, and I have always done it for fun.  I really like creating spaces on the internet that are pretty and easy to navigate.

It’s something of a hobby that’s turned into a valuable service I have been able to offer for single moms, people who’ve lost their jobs and are starting something new, midwives who are kind enough to offer healthcare to women who have no income, and friends who are trying to do good in the world.

Over the years, I have found some things online that have really helped me to do the most good for the least amount of money (spending no money is my motto, actually!).  I’ll share a few with you!

Free Stock Photos From Stock Exchange

Best Site For Free Stock Photography (including high resolution photos): Stock Exchange

You just sign up and download free, beautiful photos for your website or computer.  It is now owned by Getty Images, so I don’t know if that will change anything, but I have used it for the past six years and been very happy with it.

And here is a 2008 article from Digital Image Magazine reviewing 25 free stock photography websites and a 2010 article highlighting 18 more free sites.

Vintage Kitchen Icon from Softicons

Best Site for Free Icons: Softicons

This is a great site for icons–from vintage kitchen to pirates, there is something for everyone here.  They also have plenty of social icons (Facebook, RSS, Twitter, etcetera), if you are looking for something that is more you than the run-of-the-mill ones.

And here is a tutorial on how to replace your widget titles on your sidebar with an image in your Blogger blog.

-2-

Homeschool Freebies

I don’t really use a lot of extra resources in our homeschool.  I am not crafty, and I cannot do all the beautiful lap books and homemade amazing manipulatives and educational awesomeness that is so prevalent among the brilliant mothers out there.

My children are so deprived.

So, it’s pretty rare that I even look for things online with regard to homeschool.  Usually it happens by accident.

Creative Manipulatives That Will Never Be In My Home (but please check out this blog by clicking the image--what an amazing mom!)

TLS Books: Free Downloads of worksheets for the elementary aged children.  These I use mainly to keep my littler children occupied when I need to be paying attention to the older children.

Worksheet Works: This is a new find.  My kids like to do the puzzle worksheets for fun.  The Basic Mathematics worksheets are great, especially the visual multiplication.

Number 2: Free ACT/SAT/GRE Prep website, which has been rated among the best in Consumer Reports.

Read, Write, Think Student Interactives: Online resources for writing poetry, writing and publishing prose, and more.

Classics For Kids: Podcast, lessons, and more about classical composers.

-3-

Fonts and Prints Freebies

Being a web designer who also creates logos and branding for people and non-profits, I have found that something magical happens when you find just the right font.  If any of you are interested in adding cute fonts to your collection, here are a few free download sites I have loved in the past:

Kevin and Amanda have quite possibly the cutest collection of fonts in the history of the internet.

Google Web Fonts has hundreds of downloadable fonts that can also be used in Blogger or on any website using the Google Font API (if you even know what I am talking about!)  Even if you don’t have any idea what that means, you can still download all the fonts there and use them in your own projects.

Peonies and Poppy Seeds has lots and lots of free printables.  I don’t do this sort of thing–but I love looking at this stuff, and wishing I could do it.  I also love all my friends who can do those cute label things with the baked goods and stuff.

Simply Fresh Designs also has free printables and some LDS subway art.

I also occasionally do some printables for fun.  Here is a freebie that I made for one of my dearest friends for Christmas (she wanted to give it to her mom after she saw me post it on Facebook).  That is a perfect description of me, by the way. Just click on the image, and then right click on the larger image and save:

-4-

Recipe Freebies

I am not a very good cook, but I know a good recipe when I taste one that someone else made!  Here are some great places to get recipes for real food, not food product.

100 Days of Real Food: Some great ideas, and menu plans.  Of course, I will never be able to stick to a menu plan, but I have such lofty ambitions….

Beyond Salmon has been a long time favorite blog of mine.  Her Halibut Wrapped in Napa Cabbage is simple, yet elegant (and yet, when I made it for the kids, did they appreciate elegant?  No, they did not. I ended up having to cut up the beautifully wrapped halibut and it just didn’t look the same after that).

Napa Wrapped Halibut--Don't Expect The 4 Year Old To Appreciate The Presentation, But It's Really Good

Vegan Lunchbox is a great website to make you think, “Wow.  Am I just lazy because I could never even think of all these vegan lunches, let alone package them in cute lunchboxes and turn sandwiches into rabbits and cucumbers into dragons?”  I go there just to get some ideas on lunches that don’t involve meat.  I promise you, though, I will never be able to make them cute.

That'll Never Be Me, But It's Inspiration!

Six Sisters Stuff just makes me feel warm and cozy, and it’s full of wicked Mormon treats that I could luckily never make successfully.  But the pictures are amazing, and there are some really good recipes here.

-5-

Feel Good Freebies

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want to find something that makes me smile, or inspires me to be better or get out of the doldrums.  Here are some of them.

Happy News is just what it says–a place to find inspiring stories and articles from the news. They often link to MSBC’s “Making A Difference” spots–click here for the feed link.

Positive Music and Downloads is a site that is run by my neighbor, the LDS composer Greg Hansen.  He is so passionate about good, positive music.  If you sign up for the newsletter, you can get free downloads from groups like Vocal Point each week.

If you enjoy political humor, you may appreciate Frank Fleming’s columns in the NY Post.  They are pretty funny and clean.  I have even laughed out loud when I read them sometimes.

Bored Shorts TV is the home of Kid History, quite possibly some of the funniest Mormons in the world.  The following episode is about healthy food making you strong but candy making you rich.  My kids, being the victims of healthy food experiments and mostly raw food living now love this one.  “Here’s your perfectly normal pancakes!”  Funny stuff.

And finally, my good friend, Vickey, who has been an EFY speaker for, well, ever–has a great website all about good called Goodness Matters.

Thanks, again Heather, for the blog hop!  It only took me all day to finish this, but at least I am doing Five Things For Friday on Friday this week, so hooray for me!

You Might Like...

I know all five people who read this blog have been waiting breathlessly to find out what a typical day is like at our house.  Well, hold your breath no more–here it is!

The Day Begins

My day starts at about 2 am when I hear one of our children not sleeping.  It isn’t always necessarily our youngest, who, at 8 months, you would expect to be calling out for a middle of the night snack.  No, it’s a nightly surprise to see who else would like some really early morning attention.  Sometimes, I don’t hear the culprit–I just subconsciously feel eyes on me and it startles me out of my half-doze (that’s about as good as it gets when I’m pregnant).

Those silent eyes.  They are scary.  But cute.

So, that’s the beginning of my day.  I then whisper to my husband, “Someone wants you,” and I go back to sleep for a few hours.

My husband is a saint, by the way.

I wake up to the sound of the Blendtec.  It sounds kind of like a chainsaw.   My babies aren’t even phased by it, though.  They hear it so much in the womb that I think it becomes one of their comfort sounds.  My husband is making green smoothies.  He really likes doing that.  He even has a system, but he has a system for everything.  I don’t, which is why he makes green smoothies in the morning.  Plus, his actually have a substantial amount of greens in them, while I tend to go more fruity.

Yum!

Something that is also funny that happens a lot is when the lid doesn’t get all the way closed on the blender.  Green everywhere! It can be funny to me, because I am in the shower and emotionally removed from the situation.

We read scriptures while sucking down the deliciousness of kale, chard, and various fruits.  Then, some of the children go muck and feed the horses (they also ride sometimes. They think I don’t know, but I do).  The others get dressed and (hopefully) brush their hair and teeth and everyone happily does their family work for the morning.

Mucking, Feeding, and Secretly Riding

After that, we begin our “school day.”  So far, my day is far from epic, but watch out…it get’s exciting here.

Please Ignore The Unbrushed Hair and PJs....

Origami...Shall We Call This Social Studies or Art? Maybe Both.

Studying Child Development

We actually do quite a few hours of sit down school at the kitchen table.  Math, Vocabulary and Writing.  I will spare you the gory details of the “typical” math lessons.  Let’s just say there is sometimes drama.  Even high drama.  But, it gets done.

After that’s all done, we have lunch, which I usually forget about until I can’t forget about it anymore, and then I wonder what I will fix.  Of course, I have a menu but it’s just a suggestion, because I almost never stick to it.

After lunch, it’s time for “quiet” time, which typically means that the older children lower the decibel level by at least half as ordered by the queen on pain of death if they wake up the little ones who are taking a nap.  Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.  The queen’s threats often are not taken very seriously.

The older children read during this time, and I attempt to write or do service, like designing blogs for people I love, Family Indexing, accidentally taking a nap.  (See the cute Pinterest button I designed for a sidebar widget?  You can use it, if you want to. Just right click and save.)

Then, it’s “free time.”  I try to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes, or I do some muscle strengthening exercises for about 30 minutes.  Or sometimes, I don’t.

This is the part where I am just “here.”  Available.  To break up contention (I know–shocking, isn’t it?  That we could possibly have contention in our home!!!  It’s like a plot twist!).  To listen to someone’s hurt feelings.  To hear about the many valid reasons we should buy the latest incarnation of the Risk board game for only $50!  To hug, to read stories, to rock the baby….To remind my nine year old again NOT to throw snowballs at the windows.

The Product of Free Time Today

Snowboarding On A Sled On Flat Ground! Yes, We Are THAT Talented!

A Fort...City Planning, Architecture, Construction Management...Yes, We Are THAT Brilliant!

As you can see, free time is also educational.  Free time is also a very busy time for me.

As we come to the close of our day, it’s time for more family work.  We clean and cook dinner, which also comes as a surprise to me almost daily.

“What? Oh, yes, dinner….I guess that happens everyday, huh?  Why is it that I can’t remember that?  Hmmm….what can I think up really quick that will be good?”

Unlike my husband, I have the opposite of a system…I just kind of make it up as I go along.

Typically.

There are a few days here and there where I actually can show some common sense and I’ve-Got-It-Together-ness, but that is definitely not typical.  My children help me with dinner out of a sense of self-preservation. But, at least they love helping to cook!  It’s sink or swim.  Either they help, or it’s more green smoothies, or green salad.  I’m not very creative in the kitchen.

A Clean School Room and Library

Dinner...That Gloppy Stuff Is Taco Soup With Crunched Up Tortilla Chips In It...It Tastes Better Than It Looks (Like Most Of My Culinary Creations)

After dinner, we take baths, showers, play pretend, talk, or just do nothing.  You know, like Christopher Robin said:

Well, when grown-ups ask, “What are you going to do?” and you say, “Nothing,” and then you go and do it.

Porch Fort

Doing Nothing Together....

Time for Bed.  For almost everyone.

No, Not Bedtime!

Why? I'm Not Tired.

So, we get everyone in bed, and then we my husband and I try to have a conversation where we are both fully awake.  Typically, that doesn’t really happen, but we try.

And, we go to bed to the beautiful sound of the neighbor’s rooster crowing us a lullaby.

We Have A Love/Hate Relationship....

It really isn’t all that amazing, is it?  But, then again, maybe it is.

Of course, I didn’t take pictures of people throwing fits (or objects), and I didn’t subject you to an mp3 of an argument about which is better–the ocean or space–that ended up in histrionics (I am not even exaggerating here).

And I didn’t show you pictures of what the living room looks like during the day, or what the schoolroom/library looks like when I am afraid–sometimes even terrified–to go downstairs.

This is a sanitized version, because I didn’t want to have to rate my website PG-13 for tense situations and plot elements.

In the end, though, it’s a great work we’re doing here.  We don’t go out much, and we don’t have gadgets and lots of stuff.  The amount of sheer effort it takes to keep our family free from the pornographic culture on a daily basis is actually an accomplishment, even though some days it doesn’t feel like it. One of the greatest mothers who ever lived said:

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” –Mother Teresa

That’s how I like to look at our seemingly endless days of sameness–we are just doing small things with great love.  And, in the end, it’s great.

Thanks again, for the inspiration, Chocolate!

You Might Like...

Approximately twenty-two days after the two cells have united, a little heart begins to beat. At twenty-six days the circulation of blood begins.  Scripture declares that the “life of the flesh is in the blood.”  –Elder (and Dr.) Russell M. Neslon, “Reverence For Life“

Let them sleep, for when they wake, they will move mountains.

You Might Like...