Saturday, January 16, 2010
Repeatable recipes 1: Rice Pudding
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c white sugar
2/3 c arborio rice
1/3 c glutinous rice
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
1 pinch cardamom
5 c 2% milk
Add all items to 5quart slow cooker, use whisk to blend spices into milk. Turn on high, cook for one hour, stir, cook for another hour, stir, turn to low and cook until desired consistency is reached (about another 20-30 min).
Nom!
Would have been better with raisins cooked in, but a certain picky eater that I live with (and love!) doesn't like the texture, so instead we had pistachios and I also had raisins sprinkled on top. I like my pudding a bit creamier, so I pour some Almond Milk on top, nom nom!
I feel proud: this is a blend of a bunch of different recipes and my ideas of how to make it better (brown sugar! pumkin pie spice! two rices!) and it totally worked.
1/3 c white sugar
2/3 c arborio rice
1/3 c glutinous rice
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
1 pinch cardamom
5 c 2% milk
Add all items to 5quart slow cooker, use whisk to blend spices into milk. Turn on high, cook for one hour, stir, cook for another hour, stir, turn to low and cook until desired consistency is reached (about another 20-30 min).
Nom!
Would have been better with raisins cooked in, but a certain picky eater that I live with (and love!) doesn't like the texture, so instead we had pistachios and I also had raisins sprinkled on top. I like my pudding a bit creamier, so I pour some Almond Milk on top, nom nom!
I feel proud: this is a blend of a bunch of different recipes and my ideas of how to make it better (brown sugar! pumkin pie spice! two rices!) and it totally worked.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Oh, Intentions and Gratitudes may just be Twittered
... since they are shorter bites, rather than a list of multiples.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristaGiles or see the updates automatically post to my profile on Facebook.
(for those of you who don't know what Twitter is... it is sorta a mini-blog, 140 characters max per "tweet"... and if you follow that link, you'll see my page. Everything that starts with a "@" sign and someone's user ID is a response to something they've posted either to me, or just as a general message on their Twitter page. If you don't see the "@" sign, then it is just a comment that I've put out there for the world. Intentions and Gratitudes will be labeled as such, everything else is random!)
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristaGiles or see the updates automatically post to my profile on Facebook.
(for those of you who don't know what Twitter is... it is sorta a mini-blog, 140 characters max per "tweet"... and if you follow that link, you'll see my page. Everything that starts with a "@" sign and someone's user ID is a response to something they've posted either to me, or just as a general message on their Twitter page. If you don't see the "@" sign, then it is just a comment that I've put out there for the world. Intentions and Gratitudes will be labeled as such, everything else is random!)
Friday, January 08, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 30
1 - for knowing Tillie, and getting to know Robin, who are the people responsible for getting me into this project... anyone who points me on a path of gratitude is a brilliant being.
2 - for the energy burst last night that let me finish my list of house chores: organizing my clothing (incl getting rid of tattered or misfitting underthings, socks with holes, clothing that I never really wear), cleaning out the fridge (I'll just say... ugh... and yikes!), and scrubbing the sticky off the kitchen floor
3 - for knowing Phil, who joined us on the drive back to Vancouver from Williams Lake after Christmas, and the discussion that led me to what will be my next phase of daily postings: Intentions and Gratitudes.
I'll be doing this until mid-April, in recognition that I find late Winter and early Spring challenging. Each morning, I'll set myself an Intention for the day, whether it be a specific action/goal to achieve, or a feeling or flavour to hold present in my thoughts. Each night, I'll express gratitude for something special that I experienced, felt, or witnessed that day.
Feel free to join in, if this seems like it would be a good thing in your life!
2 - for the energy burst last night that let me finish my list of house chores: organizing my clothing (incl getting rid of tattered or misfitting underthings, socks with holes, clothing that I never really wear), cleaning out the fridge (I'll just say... ugh... and yikes!), and scrubbing the sticky off the kitchen floor
3 - for knowing Phil, who joined us on the drive back to Vancouver from Williams Lake after Christmas, and the discussion that led me to what will be my next phase of daily postings: Intentions and Gratitudes.
I'll be doing this until mid-April, in recognition that I find late Winter and early Spring challenging. Each morning, I'll set myself an Intention for the day, whether it be a specific action/goal to achieve, or a feeling or flavour to hold present in my thoughts. Each night, I'll express gratitude for something special that I experienced, felt, or witnessed that day.
Feel free to join in, if this seems like it would be a good thing in your life!
Thursday, January 07, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 29
1 - that I was able to keep on track and get a good chunk of my chores list done yesterday
2 - for the gifting of usable things (made chili in my new crock pot, that came from my Aunt Roxie after my cousin Colin turned it down {too big for their tiny place}, looking forward to attempting more dishes) and the using of gifted things (C ordered a MIDI connector yesterday, which will let me hook the piano up to my laptop so we can get rid of the gigantic XT computer that is collecting dust in the livingroom {it was either a gift from my Dad or from Paul... and has done its job for almost two decades, but since it now requires to be turned on a half hour in advance, then turned off, then turned on again before it will actually boot up and show anything on the screen.. a replacement is a good thing!} after transferring all my Cakewalk files to 3.25 disks to rescue my compositions over the years
3 - for the kindness and assistance of strangers: the folks on the John Bridge Ceramic Tile forums are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge, and have been providing quick answers to my questions about plumbing, tiling, fake walls, etc. We will have water in the bathroom after this weekend (hooray!!), and then I get to start tiling, wheee!
2 - for the gifting of usable things (made chili in my new crock pot, that came from my Aunt Roxie after my cousin Colin turned it down {too big for their tiny place}, looking forward to attempting more dishes) and the using of gifted things (C ordered a MIDI connector yesterday, which will let me hook the piano up to my laptop so we can get rid of the gigantic XT computer that is collecting dust in the livingroom {it was either a gift from my Dad or from Paul... and has done its job for almost two decades, but since it now requires to be turned on a half hour in advance, then turned off, then turned on again before it will actually boot up and show anything on the screen.. a replacement is a good thing!} after transferring all my Cakewalk files to 3.25 disks to rescue my compositions over the years
3 - for the kindness and assistance of strangers: the folks on the John Bridge Ceramic Tile forums are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge, and have been providing quick answers to my questions about plumbing, tiling, fake walls, etc. We will have water in the bathroom after this weekend (hooray!!), and then I get to start tiling, wheee!
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 28
1 - that bright light is casting its glow around the house, and I get to go rake leaves in the almost-sunshine!
2 - that C aquired a second-hand iPod for me last year, when mine died, so I have the ability to listen to podcasts while I rake leaves (and manage laundry, and clean the fish tank, and empty the fridge)
3 - that I'm excited about tackling that list of things-to-do because a) I'll feel good about accomplishing concrete things and b) I'll be able to have some personal knitting time later today, to begin getting my thorny band figured out and setup and perhaps even started!
2 - that C aquired a second-hand iPod for me last year, when mine died, so I have the ability to listen to podcasts while I rake leaves (and manage laundry, and clean the fish tank, and empty the fridge)
3 - that I'm excited about tackling that list of things-to-do because a) I'll feel good about accomplishing concrete things and b) I'll be able to have some personal knitting time later today, to begin getting my thorny band figured out and setup and perhaps even started!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 27
1 - that I didn't get hurt last night, despite being very confused and continuing to ride at close-to-usual speed around the Stadium Skytrain area, where new fencing and barricades have appeared that may or may not be isolating OR closing the bike lanes along Pacific Boulevard. Lack of signage, not so good. Biking again after holiday break, very good!
2 - that the West Coast Seeds catalog that just arrived has me excited about planting, tending, and harvesting delicious food!
3 - that I have a few hours this afternoon between knitting lessons that I get to call my own, and will use to attatch my NaSweKniMo hood to the sweater body, and get started on the giant thorny vines that will be banding the whole thing!
2 - that the West Coast Seeds catalog that just arrived has me excited about planting, tending, and harvesting delicious food!
3 - that I have a few hours this afternoon between knitting lessons that I get to call my own, and will use to attatch my NaSweKniMo hood to the sweater body, and get started on the giant thorny vines that will be banding the whole thing!
Monday, January 04, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 26
1 - this is actually a bit late, but finding out via Christmas cards that I am an aunt! C's neice calls me Auntie Christa, whee!
2 - that I was able to overcome my usual loath-to-clean-and-tidy habits, and stick to it: the living room and the bedroom both look pretty darn good. Still a layer of dust in the living room, but all the books have made it back from various corners of the house onto the shelves, AND are in alphabetical order (after I had a minor near-meltdown and then realized it was just books, and C's version of sorting would be easier) AND completely merged... which made C point out that we were stuck with each other now :)
3 - self-awareness and an understanding partner: three near-meltdowns in the last 24 hours make me think that I may be allergic to January, as it was this time last year that my brain chemistry went screwy and I was struggling with hysteria on a daily basis.. hopefully this year I can tap into some of the things that seemed to help previously, and minimize the angst.
2 - that I was able to overcome my usual loath-to-clean-and-tidy habits, and stick to it: the living room and the bedroom both look pretty darn good. Still a layer of dust in the living room, but all the books have made it back from various corners of the house onto the shelves, AND are in alphabetical order (after I had a minor near-meltdown and then realized it was just books, and C's version of sorting would be easier) AND completely merged... which made C point out that we were stuck with each other now :)
3 - self-awareness and an understanding partner: three near-meltdowns in the last 24 hours make me think that I may be allergic to January, as it was this time last year that my brain chemistry went screwy and I was struggling with hysteria on a daily basis.. hopefully this year I can tap into some of the things that seemed to help previously, and minimize the angst.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 25
1 - tasty chinese food in good company, celebrating a lovely person's birthday! Thanks, Tilly!
2 - barren wooden floors, swept clean by our new robot. (Can anyone remember the name of the robot vaccuums in RAH's Door into Summer? I know the book is around here SOMEWHERE... but not sure exactly where.. and Robot needs a name)
3 - being worthy of angst (though I understand that less angst is preferrable)
2 - barren wooden floors, swept clean by our new robot. (Can anyone remember the name of the robot vaccuums in RAH's Door into Summer? I know the book is around here SOMEWHERE... but not sure exactly where.. and Robot needs a name)
3 - being worthy of angst (though I understand that less angst is preferrable)
Friday, January 01, 2010
The Gratitude Project: Day 24
Special what-was-I-grateful-for-in-2009 edition:
1 - that I recovered my sanity before doing permanent damage to my relationship with C, in those horrid early months of 2009 when I was swamped by sour brain chemistry that left me negative, agitated, and wallowing in fearful thoughts for hours at a time every day
2 - for the abundance that allowed me to travel to lovely places: Carrboro NC (Hoop Path retreat in June), Saltspring Island (our two-year celebration in Aug), Seattle (PAX in Sept), Toronto (BIL's wedding in Oct), and Williams Lake (home for Christmas)
3 - that the Saltspring trip put C and I on the same path for our renovations - we left Vancouver stressed and indecisive, and returned with a vision (light walls, wood trim) that is slowly taking form - and that our renovations haven't been a hardship. I think we both have a pretty good sense of what is and isn't important in life, and reno hiccups aren't such a big deal: Yesterday's replacement of the bathroom subfloor got stalled after we finished cutting the second piece of plywood only to discover that it wasn't the same (correct) thickness as the first piece already glued and nailed down... so today we'll work on moving the water heater and insulating the ceiling before we head off to dinner with my relatives. No biggie :)
How was your year?
1 - that I recovered my sanity before doing permanent damage to my relationship with C, in those horrid early months of 2009 when I was swamped by sour brain chemistry that left me negative, agitated, and wallowing in fearful thoughts for hours at a time every day
2 - for the abundance that allowed me to travel to lovely places: Carrboro NC (Hoop Path retreat in June), Saltspring Island (our two-year celebration in Aug), Seattle (PAX in Sept), Toronto (BIL's wedding in Oct), and Williams Lake (home for Christmas)
3 - that the Saltspring trip put C and I on the same path for our renovations - we left Vancouver stressed and indecisive, and returned with a vision (light walls, wood trim) that is slowly taking form - and that our renovations haven't been a hardship. I think we both have a pretty good sense of what is and isn't important in life, and reno hiccups aren't such a big deal: Yesterday's replacement of the bathroom subfloor got stalled after we finished cutting the second piece of plywood only to discover that it wasn't the same (correct) thickness as the first piece already glued and nailed down... so today we'll work on moving the water heater and insulating the ceiling before we head off to dinner with my relatives. No biggie :)
How was your year?
