More Actions

I found a combo of actions I really like and the good news is that they are all free! Pioneer Woman Photography has two sets of free Photoshop Actions HERE (Thanks Lille!) I learned the trick to brightening eyes from Danica, and it really does enhance them.

Pillowcase Dress- The Sure Sign of a Poor Economy

I wish the Dollar Tree had a "Frequent Buyers Card" because we go there so often. They had a random selection of end-of-lot pillowcases the other day, so I got a few. Since I had never made a pillowcase dress before, I thought I'd give it a try.

This is the end result of the Pillowcase Dress Project.

Any ideas for the rest of the pillowcases that don't involve a skirt/dress??

Dog & Mallow Roast

Ridley Creek State Park is one of the most beautiful, lush places we've been to out here. It's a dense canopy of deciduous trees and bushes with the occasional park or campsite. We went for the first time last Friday and after seeing this Eden for myself, I couldn't believe we had waited this long to go. The hot dog and marshmallow roast was fun, especially for the kids, but I think my favorite part was watching Qiana chew her heart out on a watermelon rind. Siena also made me laugh because she kept stealing juice boxes from the food table, thinking nobody could see her. It's a wonder she fell asleep that night.

There's something about a campfire that makes me really miss our days in Utah.

Another Recipe: Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango

1 cup + 3 Tbsp. water
1 cup sticky rice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (opt.)
pinch of salt
Sliced ripe mango

We use the microwave method because our hankering for coconut sticky rice usually comes on suddenly and we have no patience for the traditional method of steaming rice. So, to start, put the water and rice in a microwaveable dish and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Let soak for ten minutes! Then microwave in three-minute intervals on High power, stirring completely after each, until the rice is cooked (about 9 minutes.) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the rest of the ingredients at a full boil for three minutes, stirring frequently. After the rice is cooked, pour hot coconut milk mixture on top and let seep for about 3 more minutes, if you have the patience. To serve, add sliced mango on top.


This dessert brings a flood of memories to me. It was the dessert that Juan and I ate on our first post-mission date at Thai Siam in Salt Lake City. Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango is so easy, fast and satisfying that we have cans and cans of coconut milk and a big bag of sushi rice in food storage.

There are lots of types of coconut milks out there, and the only way to ensure you get the right type is if you look at the fat content. The higher the fat content per ounce, the better. (Don't worry too much, coconut is a healthier fat like extra virgin olive oil.) Warning: do not get coconut juice because that is literally the juice in the hollow of the coconut. Coconut milk is actually the flesh that has been boiled down and thinned with water.

I hear that you can purchase sticky rice at any Asian market, but when we went to our local Asian market they had no idea what we were asking for under the name "sticky rice". So we ended up buying sushi rice, and it turned out just fine. It's probably the same thing. I hear that it is sometimes called thai sweet rice, too.

Mexican Food, Iron Chef Jose Garces-Style

So, it's been almost two months since we went to Distrito, but the memory of the food has been making my mouth water today. I have to share the phenomenal chef's tasting menu we got.

Appetizers
Ceviche de Camarones (Really, it was a shrimp cocktail that was almost exactly like the kind Juan and I make with his family except there were plantain chips adorning the top, and an avocado puree at the base.)
Chilango Chop (A light salad of watercress, baby arugula, green apples, cranberries, spicy candied pecans, and honey-lime yogurt dressing.)
Traditional Guacamole & Chipotle Salsa (Juan and I have only liked chipotle salsa at two places: Distrito, and another tapas restaurant in Washington, D.C.)

Main Course
Taco de Hamachi (A light taco with yellowtail fish, a chipotle remoulade, avocado, and pickled red cabbage.)
Huarache de Ongos (Recipe below tells all.)
Carne Asada (Strip steak with adobo, fried tomatillo, with sides of Creamy Poblano Corn Rice, and traditional rice and beans.)

Dessert
Pumpkin flan (This was a little bit larger than the size of a silver dollar, but all 2 bites were creamy bliss. Juan was quite the sleuth and found a recipe almost exactly like it. Delicious!)


I was really excited to try the huarache when we went because I have wanted to try huitlacoche ever since I learned about it in my Science of Plant and Pest Control class at BYU six years ago. What is it? Simply: corn smut. It's a type of fungus that is really considered quite a delicacy. For the record, it's delicious. It's been a while since I've posted a recipe. So here's my deconstruction of Chef Garces' Huarache de Ongo, thanks to a waiter who was patient enough to tell us all the details.

Photo taken from MainLine Today

Huarache de Ongo

• plain flat bread- slightly toasted

• 1 can huitlacoche (cooked on stovetop until blackened, then pulsed in blender with 1 Tbsp. olive oil until smooth)

• Black Truffle Oil, for drizzling

• Shredded Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, and Manchego cheeses (may also substitute other mild melting cheese)

• assorted fresh or canned mushrooms (Garces' restaurant uses canned chanterelle and black truffles)

• fresh corn

• crema, for drizzling

• corn shoots (so amazing!)

Just layer everything in order and you will have a taste experience that will leave you speechless.

Having Two Kids Has It's Perks

The older kid can be very useful at times....

Our Weekend Trip

Last Saturday, we took a day-trip to Gettysburg, (or "Gattysbird", as Siena calls it.) They had "Living History" reenactments throughout the park and we learned a lot, as well as were thoroughly entertained.















And now for my monologue:

It's been quite an experience to live so nearby to places where pivotal national events took place. We get more reminders of the courage and suffering that was required to have the great nation we enjoy today. I was thinking about the issues we are all concerned about today and realized that although it seems like some problems in our nation will never be solved, the task is yet possible. For example, the breaking away from England to be our own nation was a long-shot idea, as well as the notion that all slaves could be free. Fast forward to the late 1920's when women realized they actually had the right to vote, or the 70's when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his poignant "I Have A Dream" speech. As those all were great barriers overcome, I believe there will continue to be progress. Yes, I even think that the issues with health care can be worked into a system that functions well for the whole of the nation. (I'm saying that I think it's possible, but I personally don't see it happening in the near future.)

However, I am extremely worried that this nation is becoming more obsessed about political correctness and is following the whitewash mentality that "if I want it that way, it must be right and everyone should have it that way" (whether it's for the good of the whole or not.) If men and women still preserved the same type of extroverted faith necessary for good change that our predecessors possessed, maybe we wouldn't have so much "politics" as the driving force behind the lobbying on Capital Hill. Instead, the concern for others would generate a wave of thoughtfulness that would provoke, among many things, a higher sense of civic duty and real progress could be made. The whole concept of political "royalty" bowing down in humility to their great responsibility is something that I find comical and inane because we are currently moving further and further away from being a nation comprised of men and women who still uphold solid values and live valiant lives.

How do we get back to being a nation of progress, not politics? That, my friend, is the question I pose. I have my own ideas, but I want to hear your thoughts, dear lone reader.

End monologue.

Lighten the Phone Memory

Latest phone pics...

I believe this pic was taken on Broad Street in North Philly. (Not the prettiest or safest place to be.) This corner bookstore has services I find extremely convenient, which is why I have decided to purchase all of my books there.
This is Siena with her friend, Everest. They have grown to be great friends over the last few years, and now they have to say goodbye to each other. It breaks my heart to think that most of her friends are leaving now that their daddies are done with school (that also means that most of our friends are leaving, too.) We will miss you guys!!!

These girls are the best of friends. Siena loves playing Peek-a-boo with Qeeks and also Leaning Tower of Qiana (kicking her over and watching her fall down... a.k.a The Game that Makes Mommy Mad.) She is quite the mommy for her little sis: she threatens Qiana with a punishment when she cries incessantly, insists on spoon-feeding her at least once a day, and uses her calm mommy voice as she strokes Qiana's face. Qiana bears it all mildly well.

We have some friends that gave us some of their grandkids' cast-off clothes and while most of them are not the sizes or styles my kids wear, I couldn't pass up keeping the bright red, satin with lace church dress. Siena has some new friends that have just introduced her to dress-ups, and it's cute to see her so excited about putting on a dress. So I pulled it out of the closet today for the first time and presented it to her like it was a big surprise. She was beside herself with excitement. Once she had donned the dress, I asked her if she wanted me to fix her hair like Cinderella and she squealed out a "Si!". She is still wearing it, ummm, three hours later and every five minutes runs to mirror to smile shyly at herself and do a twirl. What a silly little girl.

Qiana is crawling like a pro. She gets less frustrated with being on the floor and can now find many ways of entertaining herself. However, we are still in the Separation Anxiety stage and it has flared up again today. This morning, I dropped the girls off at the gym child center and went to my water fitness class. 45 minutes into the class, one of the new girls from the child center comes into the pool area and makes a loud announcement:

"Will the mother of Siena and Qiana come get them? Qiana has been screaming for the last hour."

Was there a more embarrassing way of getting me? I raised my hand and told her that I would be on my way to get them. Then I did what I always do (they have had to get me many times before for this same problem,) and took a two-minute shower just to get rid of the chlorine and started to dry off when the same girl came into the locker area with an exasperated look on her face.

I said, "I'm on my way up right now."

She just looked at me and said quite forcefully, "No, REALLY!... because it's been an hour and she's making all the other kids cry, too."

So rather than make her more mad, I just threw on a layer of clothes and walked up the nasty gym stairs and through the nasty gym hall barefoot, still sopping wet, and with an armful of purse, jacket, wet towel, wet swim suit, and shoes. Qiana was crying really loud and a few other kids were whimpering, too. I felt so bad that they couldn't console her and I'm sure that the noise was so frustrating to everyone in there but I still am a little annoyed at the newbie; I hate being talked to like that because I don't usually have the presence of mind to come back with what I really want to say, like "Why didn't you come get me earlier?" or "Did you try the trick I tell you guys all the time--put her in her carseat, wrap her up, and give her a binkie?" (By the way, they hadn't.) Poor Qiana is about 50 times more sensitive than her sister, so I'm still learning how to be a more reactive and comforting mother. Next time I have to leave the girls there, I am going to try to get Qiana asleep before we walk through those doors so we don't have a repeat of today.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Photoshop Actions

How long has it taken me to figure out that these can be useful?!

Has anybody ever tried Photoshop Actions before? I never had until this last week because I always considered it a non-reliable outcome for photos. While that may be the case with some projects, I have discovered they can be really time-saving and fun for others. It is also a good way to be exposed to different styles of image editing.

Here's an example of a one-click outcome. It's not perfect, but it cut out about eight steps and all I have to do is adjust the layers to my liking.

Before:

After:

If you Google search "Photoshop Actions", you can find so many cool edits. I have only used free actions because there are so many out there. So far, my favorite is AM's Vintage Action, and you can download it here. Does anyone else have a favorite Photoshop Action?