So, what's the big deal with oatmeal?
I have been thinking lately that I would like to eat a healthier breakfast. So I have been choking down oatmeal for the past week. Then today I compared the label of oatmeal with the label of cheerios and found that...
Oatmeal has more
Calories
Fat
Saturated Fat
Protein
Carbs
While Cheerios has more
VITAMINS A,C,D, B6, B12
Calcium
Iron
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
on and on
They have about the same fiber.
So granola friends I ask of you, what is oatmeal giving me that cheerios is not...besides more fat and fiber?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
There ain't no sunshine when he's gone...
Well, except there kind of is. Because tonight for dinner we had apples with peanut butter for our main course and then for dessert a bowl of cheerios. Last night for dinner we also had cheerios. Night before that? Ralphie took pity on us and fed us well. Night before that? Went out to dinner.
The other sunshine there has been is that, in order to maintain safety and security in the Bassett home while Blaine was out on business, we had to get the dogs groomed. My theory in this is that I wanted the dogs to sleep in the bed. Gross huh? Mostly because they have really good ears and I wanted to know if they could hear anything spooky or amiss in the house. But I wasn't going to let my stinky disgusting dogs sleep in my bed. So I had to take them to the groomers. And boy they look purty.
Anyway, so there is a little sunshine, but mostly we miss him. Oh and place your bets now....who do you think gained more weight this week... Blaine who was eating on the companies dime (which, I've seen first hand, can get out of control....appetizers? yes. Main course? Obviously. Desserts? Bring them on. Specialty drinks? No doubt about it). Or me who was eating non stop and absolutely nothing healthy (besides cheerios which are fortified right?). I am curious to see who wins. And by wins I mean gains the least : )
The other sunshine there has been is that, in order to maintain safety and security in the Bassett home while Blaine was out on business, we had to get the dogs groomed. My theory in this is that I wanted the dogs to sleep in the bed. Gross huh? Mostly because they have really good ears and I wanted to know if they could hear anything spooky or amiss in the house. But I wasn't going to let my stinky disgusting dogs sleep in my bed. So I had to take them to the groomers. And boy they look purty.
Anyway, so there is a little sunshine, but mostly we miss him. Oh and place your bets now....who do you think gained more weight this week... Blaine who was eating on the companies dime (which, I've seen first hand, can get out of control....appetizers? yes. Main course? Obviously. Desserts? Bring them on. Specialty drinks? No doubt about it). Or me who was eating non stop and absolutely nothing healthy (besides cheerios which are fortified right?). I am curious to see who wins. And by wins I mean gains the least : )
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Like an orange on a toothpick
Today I took the kids in for their annual check up and what do you know....Bentley's head size is off the charts. Like WAY off the charts. Like "oh my gosh I need to measure your head right now because your childs head is freakishly big" kind of off the charts. It happened when Gwen turned one too. We had to measure all of our siblings heads and parents heads, etc. to make sure that we are all big headed.
At girls camp they called me fat head. Really. And this isn't like when I was a camper at girls camp, it was when I was a counselor. My head is just big. I like to think it is to accomodate by big brain, but you know, whatever. So the weird thing is that the doctor measured my head and it really isn't that big (and I would now like an apology for all of those who called me fat head). I am in the 75th percentile. Gwen is currently in the 99th percentile. And from my basic understanding of how percentiles work it is impossible, but Bentley is in like the 150th percentile. His head is that big.
Anyway so everyone say a little prayer that when Blaine measures his head that it is really big. I mean, it seems pretty big, but we are hoping that it is honkin' huge so that Bentley's big head will be explained genetically and so we don't have to go and get an MRI. Yikes. I am fairly confident it is all good, but the huge head combined with the fact that the kid isn't even close to walking or crawling more than an army crawl has the doctor concerned.
In other well-child check up news... they did a hearing test with Gwen and you have to wonder about that. She asked Gwen to tell her when she could hear a beep. Gwen sat there silently and then the nurse would ask "do you hear a beep" and Gwen's response was "almost". Wonder how accurate those tests are...
Anyway, so this is Kristi-Big-Head-Bassett signing off. I'm going to go "cry myself to sleep on my 'uge pilla" (Please tell me you've seen "So I Married an Axe-Murderer").
At girls camp they called me fat head. Really. And this isn't like when I was a camper at girls camp, it was when I was a counselor. My head is just big. I like to think it is to accomodate by big brain, but you know, whatever. So the weird thing is that the doctor measured my head and it really isn't that big (and I would now like an apology for all of those who called me fat head). I am in the 75th percentile. Gwen is currently in the 99th percentile. And from my basic understanding of how percentiles work it is impossible, but Bentley is in like the 150th percentile. His head is that big.
Anyway so everyone say a little prayer that when Blaine measures his head that it is really big. I mean, it seems pretty big, but we are hoping that it is honkin' huge so that Bentley's big head will be explained genetically and so we don't have to go and get an MRI. Yikes. I am fairly confident it is all good, but the huge head combined with the fact that the kid isn't even close to walking or crawling more than an army crawl has the doctor concerned.
In other well-child check up news... they did a hearing test with Gwen and you have to wonder about that. She asked Gwen to tell her when she could hear a beep. Gwen sat there silently and then the nurse would ask "do you hear a beep" and Gwen's response was "almost". Wonder how accurate those tests are...
Anyway, so this is Kristi-Big-Head-Bassett signing off. I'm going to go "cry myself to sleep on my 'uge pilla" (Please tell me you've seen "So I Married an Axe-Murderer").
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ode to Jo...
As in JoAnna Morris. You see, JoAnna Morris was the first person to introduce me to the fine art of "GS" or "Garage Sale-ing". I thought she was insane. She wanted me to get up at 6:30AM and go to her neighborhood garage sale. This was two and half years ago while I was living in Minnesota. I thought I would humor her and got up to follow the handmade route she had drawn up for us to follow. She had both of her kids in the van (and everyone say a silent prayer of gratitude right now that your husband is not a Surgery Resident... or any type of resident as were most of the husbands of my friends in Rochester, Minnesota home of the Mayo Clinic). Anyway.... I followed this crazed woman around for an hour and a half. She'd leave her kids in the van with a movie running, browse each sale quickly, slow down and drive by sales, peering out her window. The whole thing was quite hilarious. And then I found it..... a garage sale some lady was having who had twin girls a year older then Gwen and she was selling all of the clothes they had outgrown. It was awesome. Anyway, thank you JoAnna because now I am a professional garage sale-er and I love it (I love going to them, I do not love hosting them, I will never do it again).
Blaine was not a huge fan of the habit, he thought it was kind of hypocritical for me to accuse him of being a pack rat and demand he get rid of some of his junk while every Saturday I would go out and buy other people's junk with which to clutter our house, but he has since wizened up. I don't buy junk. I buy clothing. And sometimes toys. And I love it!
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I've been on kind of a losing streak lately. Coming home with one or two treasures (usually a dress for Gwen, which sale for about $1 at garage sales and are nice enough for church, but cost so little that she can wear them any day and I don't care!). But yesterday, my friends, I hit the garage sale jackpot.
Have you ever priced maternity clothes? For something that you are going to wear for five or six months maximum, they sure are expensive. Nice cute shirts from motherhood maternity cost over $20 and as a general rule I don't pay $20 for anything, except the mortgage. So let me tell you of my spoils of yesterday, the best garage sale-ing day in history.
Garage Sale #1
Maternity shirts at $1-2/shirt. I bought 6 shirts
Girls pajama sets (from the Disney store, two of every type of princess, long sleeve and short) $0.25 a pair! 7 pairs.
Boppy pillow with cute cover $10
Giant ziplock full of 10 playtex baby bottles $2 (Don't Worry, I'll clean them good!)
Brand new with tags infant girl outfit, very cute $1
Gwen size long sleeve shirts $.50/shirt 3 shirts
Total $27.50
Upon making my payment the woman brought up a brand new, never used Diaper Champ (one of the finer baby products on the market) and gave it to me for free because I bought so much stuff. AWESOME! Used those sell on craigslist for $10, new they are $25. I already have one but this one is newer, nicer and now we can have one downstairs.
And can you believe that I bought 7 pairs of princess pajamas for $1.75. I rock. This garage sale rocked.
Okay, now garage sale #2
Maternity shirts and dresses all from Motherhood Maternity or Old Navy $0.50 a piece. These are modest, wear to church, would have cost $40 each I am sure, dresses. I bought 5 dresses and many more shirts (maybe 6?) and a Halloween costume for Bentley ($2), total here? $9.50 ish MATERNITY DRESSES. I am sure I can resale this lot on craigslist--just the dresses for at least $20. Sweet.
Garage sale #3
Some insane couple was selling all of their infant girl clothing, which was all in excellent condition for TEN CENTS a piece. Dresses, pajamas, onesies, bibs, rompers, everything. These people are insane. I pilled up my stack so high and I thought it was a quarter a piece, when I found out it was ten cents I went back for more. I got 25 pieces for $2.50 and then I also bought a pretty new looking game of Cranium for $2. Total $4.50.
Garage sale $ 4
Two pairs of pants for Gwen (Old Navy), a sweater for Gwen and a long sleeved shirt for Gwen. Each $0.50. A Dora puzzle $0.25, and a Discovery toys set of shapes, hard to explain little thing for $.75
Total $3
Okay, in total I got an entire maternity wardrobe including sunday dresses; an entire infant girl wardrobe, nice supplements to Gwen's wardrobe, a brand new diaper champ, a few fun games and a puzzle and a Halloween costume for less than $50. That's how much two maternity shirts would have cost. I was so happy. Really, I was. A lot happier even than I was when I spent $50 on my new hair cut and color. All day long I just reveled in fifty cent maternity clothes and twenty five cent pajamas.
I know you don't care, but I want history to know what a saavy shopper I am and I am dreading the day when Gwen is old enough to think she is too cool for garage sale stuff. Oh and this is another huge benefit of living out of Utah, because here people have one or two kids and then sell all their stuff. It's awesome!
Blaine was not a huge fan of the habit, he thought it was kind of hypocritical for me to accuse him of being a pack rat and demand he get rid of some of his junk while every Saturday I would go out and buy other people's junk with which to clutter our house, but he has since wizened up. I don't buy junk. I buy clothing. And sometimes toys. And I love it!
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I've been on kind of a losing streak lately. Coming home with one or two treasures (usually a dress for Gwen, which sale for about $1 at garage sales and are nice enough for church, but cost so little that she can wear them any day and I don't care!). But yesterday, my friends, I hit the garage sale jackpot.
Have you ever priced maternity clothes? For something that you are going to wear for five or six months maximum, they sure are expensive. Nice cute shirts from motherhood maternity cost over $20 and as a general rule I don't pay $20 for anything, except the mortgage. So let me tell you of my spoils of yesterday, the best garage sale-ing day in history.
Garage Sale #1
Maternity shirts at $1-2/shirt. I bought 6 shirts
Girls pajama sets (from the Disney store, two of every type of princess, long sleeve and short) $0.25 a pair! 7 pairs.
Boppy pillow with cute cover $10
Giant ziplock full of 10 playtex baby bottles $2 (Don't Worry, I'll clean them good!)
Brand new with tags infant girl outfit, very cute $1
Gwen size long sleeve shirts $.50/shirt 3 shirts
Total $27.50
Upon making my payment the woman brought up a brand new, never used Diaper Champ (one of the finer baby products on the market) and gave it to me for free because I bought so much stuff. AWESOME! Used those sell on craigslist for $10, new they are $25. I already have one but this one is newer, nicer and now we can have one downstairs.
And can you believe that I bought 7 pairs of princess pajamas for $1.75. I rock. This garage sale rocked.
Okay, now garage sale #2
Maternity shirts and dresses all from Motherhood Maternity or Old Navy $0.50 a piece. These are modest, wear to church, would have cost $40 each I am sure, dresses. I bought 5 dresses and many more shirts (maybe 6?) and a Halloween costume for Bentley ($2), total here? $9.50 ish MATERNITY DRESSES. I am sure I can resale this lot on craigslist--just the dresses for at least $20. Sweet.
Garage sale #3
Some insane couple was selling all of their infant girl clothing, which was all in excellent condition for TEN CENTS a piece. Dresses, pajamas, onesies, bibs, rompers, everything. These people are insane. I pilled up my stack so high and I thought it was a quarter a piece, when I found out it was ten cents I went back for more. I got 25 pieces for $2.50 and then I also bought a pretty new looking game of Cranium for $2. Total $4.50.
Garage sale $ 4
Two pairs of pants for Gwen (Old Navy), a sweater for Gwen and a long sleeved shirt for Gwen. Each $0.50. A Dora puzzle $0.25, and a Discovery toys set of shapes, hard to explain little thing for $.75
Total $3
Okay, in total I got an entire maternity wardrobe including sunday dresses; an entire infant girl wardrobe, nice supplements to Gwen's wardrobe, a brand new diaper champ, a few fun games and a puzzle and a Halloween costume for less than $50. That's how much two maternity shirts would have cost. I was so happy. Really, I was. A lot happier even than I was when I spent $50 on my new hair cut and color. All day long I just reveled in fifty cent maternity clothes and twenty five cent pajamas.
I know you don't care, but I want history to know what a saavy shopper I am and I am dreading the day when Gwen is old enough to think she is too cool for garage sale stuff. Oh and this is another huge benefit of living out of Utah, because here people have one or two kids and then sell all their stuff. It's awesome!
Friday, September 19, 2008
$9
If you go to this post and leave a comment, they will donate $9 to breast cancer research. You should do it.
Click here
Click here
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Perfect Pumpkin Bread, a pictoral voyage
First off, gather all of your supplies and helpers. And your camera. You are confident that this will be the recipe and photo essay that will make pioneer woman weep and quit blogging. I've bolded the most important part for your convenience.
Needed Supplies:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.
Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
It's okay if you don't have toothpics and have to use a shiskabob skewer instead. Just be sure to insert it in the MIDDLE. Or else it will look like this when you try to dump it out on the rack.
At least the house smells good, right? I can hear PWs laughs from a thousand miles away.
Needed Supplies:- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 C butter
- 1/2 C Applesauce
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 C white sugar
- 1 C brown Sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.
Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
It's okay if you don't have toothpics and have to use a shiskabob skewer instead. Just be sure to insert it in the MIDDLE. Or else it will look like this when you try to dump it out on the rack.
At least the house smells good, right? I can hear PWs laughs from a thousand miles away.
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