Australia vs. USA

I've now lived 5 months in Canberra, Australia! Using my obviously perfect knowledge of both Australia and the USA (after living in Virginia, Utah, and Texas), here's the first post that will answer the most common question that I get from friends in each country: "What's different there?"

Let's start with what I find to be the most important category: PEEPS

If I had to describe Australians 3 words, they'd be: chill, friendly, and party-on. Americans tend to care a lot more about status and the invisible social hierarchy. We've been treated like equals by people of all statuses here, and while they may ask our opinions on sensitive topics like parenting techniques and religion, they usually refrain from judgment. Perhaps because politicians are universally viewed with disdain and religion is nearly nonexistent here, politics and religion aren't the heated topics that they are in the USA and no one seems bothered by a differing view.

At least here in Canberra, people don't live to work. They get lots of vacation days and they generally use them to travel to a beach or another country. Their job is just their job. There seems to be much less work ambition and enthusiasm than in the states and much more family or party time, depending on their life stage.

Winner: Australians

Photo Credit

Next category: The Beauty of the Land

Photo Credit

Little known fact: Australia is close to the same size as the continental United States, but the population is equal to half of California. At least half of Australia is believed to be unlivable so only the Aboriginals (regarded similarly to the USA's Native Americans) can be found there, living as tribes. Almost all Australians live in one of 6 cities (Canberra, the capital city, similar to Washington D.C., only has 358,000 people and is not one of those cities). Americans have spread everywhere, even areas which I suspect are similar to the 'unlivable' areas of Australia. America has Alaska's glaciers, Virginia's green woods, Florida's beaches and Utah's snowy mountains. Australia has the Great Barrier Reef and...the bush (our woods, but relatively barren)?



Winner: United States





Category: "What'd you say?"

Perhaps the biggest change for us has been the language difference. Sure, both countries speak English, but differently. Most people can quickly guess that I'm American when I speak, and when they try to imitate my accent, they do a harsh, southern drawl. A friend told me that when Americans imitate an Australian accent, it too sounds 'bogan', or 'hick' in American lingo. Accent aside, Australians seems to speak with better grammar and vowels have only the intended sounds (it's neighbor not neighber, etc.).

Word Equivalents:

• flip-flop = thongs  "What nice thongs you're wearing."
• good job = good on you    "Good on you for finishing your broccoli."
• good-bye = cheers (meaning best wishes)
• no problem = she'll be right     
• like = _____     No valley-girls in Australia
• X, Y, Z = X, Y, Zed

Oh, and wherever the saying "put some shrimp on the bbq" came from, it was not Australia. Shrimp are called prawns and they don't put them on the barbecue.

Winner: Australian English

Keep posted for round 2 of the battle!

A Personal Interview with the Savior: 6 Priorities

In 1965, President David O. McKay made the following statement to a group of Church employees: Let me assure you, Brethren (and sisters), that some day you will have a personal priesthood interview with the Savior himself. If you are interested, I will tell you the order in which he will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities.

First, he will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife (or husband). Have you actively been engaged in making her(or him) happy and ensuring that her (or his) needs have been met as an individual?

Second, he will want an accountability report about each of your children individually. He will not attempt to have this for simply a family stewardship but will request information about your relationship to each and every child.

Third, he will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the preexistence.

Fourth, he will want a summary of your activity in your Church assignments. He will not be necessarily interested in what assignments you have had, for in his eyes the home teacher and a mission president are probably equals, but he will request a summary of how you have been of service to your fellow man in your Church assignments.

Fifth, he will have no interest in how you earned your living but if you were honest in all your dealings.

Sixth, he will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to your community, state, country, and the world. 

(Bold words and italics added by me) 

The Big Move

We moved across the world. We left a soon-to-be snowy Utah for hot and sunny Canberra, Australia.

Canberra

Salt Lake City, Utah

               TO







Here's the why: While Chandler was at BYU, a couple of professors at Australia National University reached out to his employer to ask if they knew any students who could code python (computer stuff - not my thing so I can't tell you any more than that). Chandler was the only one who could so they asked him to help with collecting and analyzing data on the NBA. Coincidentally, my husband has a minor major obsession with the Utah Jazz NBA team (as in he tries to watch all 82 of their games each season) and was happy to help. When we moved to Texas the professors asked him to continue his work with them and soon set about to convince him to study under them at ANU. The timing was perfect and we felt inspired to apply. The promised full-ride scholarship and $26,000 annual living stipend helped too.

So now we're here. Chandler is studying for a Finance PhD at ANU in Canberra and I'm planning on looking after our home and 5-month-old Sawyer full time.

Plane Ride

It took 25 hours to get to Canberra. We were nervous about flying with Sawyer, but he suffered the least of us. He slept A LOT and nursed A LOT. We became really jealous of his ability to sleep anywhere, anytime. The only way that Chandler and I made it was to distract ourselves from exhaustion by watching as many new release movies as we could. Between the two of us, we watched Anchorman 2, The 100 Foot Journey, The Planet of the Apes, and The Mazerunner. I feel pretty impressed with that list.

Living Situation

While in Utah, I used the handy dandy internet to get the information for a member of my church who lives here in Canberra, Australia. I'm a Mormon and our church is world-wide. We even get the same lessons taught the same way here as we did at home. I told the member about my family's situation and she contacted other ward/congregation members who were willing to help. Without her and the others who helped us out, we'd be staying in a $100 per night hotel using a rental car and eating out every meal. With one-way plane tickets over 1,000 each, we needed to avoid that set-up.

First we stayed with the Easts in southern Canberra who offered us a room and meals for a low renting price. They are a sweet, loud family who had a crazy snake turtle (head of a snake, body of a turtle) which as a result, I dubbed Snurtle. Chandler, was sick most of the time so we weren't super social, but they brought him medicine and the dad was able to give him a priesthood blessing for healing. When we left, their 10-year-old daughter made us a Christmas tree cake which pulled at my heart strings.

We didn't find a place to rent in that first week so we went to phase II: house-sitting for the Youngs in northern Canberra. They were going out of town for a couple of weeks and offered their home to us which we still can't get over the kindness of. They're our age, but a little ahead in the game of life as they have 2 kids. Their 4-year-old daughter is fascinated with Baby Sawyer and when I nursed she did the same thing with her baby Cinderella doll. They are the only people that I've ever known to leave 5 hours AHEAD of schedule for a trip instead of 5 hours behind, like is our tendency. The location is great because most homes we're interested in are close-by and we love the ward/congregation of our church that they belong to. We're thinking about moving a few streets over to be within walking distance of them and other friends that we've met. We're still here for the next couple of days then are staying with another family that we recently met here.

View from the East's home

Driving Situation

We didn't want to be stuck mooching rides everywhere so on our third day out, we bought a 2001 Toyota Avalon (so glad to be back in an automatic). Chandler, my finance man, made a weighted Excel doc to weigh the pros and cons of each car we were interested in. I'm still making fun of him for this, but it did work. When we went to the car lot, the top of the list Avalon was being test driven by a guy for the 4th time and he committed to buy it the next day. When we told the dealer that we had planned on looking at it, he cut the price by $400 and we were sold. We guess that he didn't like the other guy very much.

Since then we've taken the hands-on approach to driving on the opposite side of the road. It's not too hard to remember to keep left instead of right, but what is hard is driving from the opposite side of the car. Not only do I regularly call attention to myself by getting in the wrong side of the car, but we both have a tendency to hug the left side of the road when driving. We are both looking forward to the day when our driving isn't ruled by our GPS which consistently alerts us to turns after the fact. Thankfully, traffic here wouldn't scare a 16-year-old (but then, what would?).

Sawyer's Adjustment

Isn't he the cutest thing that you've ever seen?! 

We keep getting questions about how Sawyer is adjusting to the big change, but honestly, there was nothing for him to adjust. He never slept well at night and has always been an inconsistent eater. He stirs a lot at night and makes all sorts of noises which wake me up, and he recently decided that he needs an hour-long play time at 3am. Out of desperation, we started trying something new which has been a game changer.  At night we move him down the hall to a room where him fussing won't wake us up. I set my phone for every 3 hours (how often he usually goes between nurses, day and night) and when it goes off, I go and feed him. When I sneak in, he's always either sleeping or playing and goes back to sleep relatively easy. It's made both days and nights easier which makes us very, very happy.




The Next Week - Hello 2015


Chandler starts work tomorrow, then school in 2 weeks. We're hoping to find a place asap and get settled in before he starts school. We're hoping for a 3 bedroom townhouse or house - one room for Chan and me, one for Sawyer, and one for either guests who will probably stay for at least a week at a time or for the second addition to our family who will probably make an appearance in the 2-4 year minimum that we're here for. Decent places run for $350 per week or $1510 per month in Australian dollars (approx, $1240 in USD). Homes here aren't quite as spacious as in the US, but they're nice and more modern which is a fair trade off in my mind. I think my level of excitement to create a homey, yet modern home is of the freakishly high caliber. Pinterest, here I come.

So now you're all updated on our big move to Australia. I'll continue to post, maybe weekly, to share stories and updates. If you'd like to chat, add me on Skype which provides free calls, or use Facebook. My Skype name is Brittanyphelps4.

Ta-Ta for now.

7 ways to Save Money with a Newborn

1. Sound Machine
Relax Melodies is a free sound machine I downloaded onto my iPad. It has dozens of different sounds in HD to help me and baby sleep negating my need for a pricey sound machine. Baby Sawyer likes noise (I didn't see that one coming) so I play it during sleep time and just to calm him down - like when I'm 4 days overdue for a shower. Sometimes after nursing in the night I struggle to go back to sleep, but now I just focus on the calming sounds this app creates, and I'm back to la-la-land. I can play white noise, outdoor sounds, piano music, etc. and mix them however I want. I usually create a thunderstorm and place my IPad near the window so I can trick myself into believing it's real.


2. Baby Monitor 
iSitter is a free baby monitor that I downloaded onto 2 smart devices. It has HD sound that is so clear that I can clearly hear the bedroom clock ticking. It also takes pictures every few seconds so I can check on him without checking on him. I set my iPad up by Sawyer, then select 'parent's side' on my iPhone and voila! That's my static-free baby monitor.

3. Cheap diapers.
This saves us $20 each month ($240 in a year). I just did the math and here is how the prices compare using the cheapest price that I could find for each (links provided) and a formula to accurately compare the price:

We have used about 7 diapers a day since he was born. 1 month at 7 diapers a day = 210 diapers.

price (divided by) #diapers x 210 = price for 210 size 1 diapers

Pampers Swaddlers: $46.70
Huggies Little Snugglers: $45.90
Up & Up (Target): $31.90
Luv's: $27.50
Parent's Choice (Wal-Mart): $26.20

$20.50 per month in savings when we go with the cheapest brand. 7 a day is a little low for a lot of babies at this age, so the savings could be even greater.


We've tried each of the above diapers. Our favorite were the top two, no surprise there, but the best value for us is in Up & Up. The only one of the five that struggled with Sawyer's poo explosions (and they are EXPLOSIONS) is Luv's,but they have the best leak-guard and are the biggest diaper.Parent's Choice worked fine, but is a slightly smaller and lower quality diaper than Up & Up.


We debated a little about whether to go with the cheaper or more expensive brands. We figure that we change Sawyer around every 3-4 hours, even throughout the night, which doesn't give him time to leak in even the cheap ones. If we had the more expensive ones, we may rationalize procrastinating a diaper change to save some cents and we figure a frequent, no-guilt change is healthiest for his little baby bum.

Another option is to buy a small pack of nicer diapers for longer periods between diaper changes, like during the night.

4. Use Craigslist and KSL to buy baby items
We got a co-sleeper, a bassinet, a pack of diapers (a free-add in), a baby bouncer, and a car seat for a total of $45. Low cost was a priority for us since we're moving to Australia in a month and didn't want to pay a fortune for temporary items. The items we got were in such impressive condition for such a good price that we now plan to do the same thing for our longer term items.

Our bassinet - in perfect condition and you can't deny that it's precious!

5. Pacifier clip ($3)
I was skeptical of this, but after seeing one for cheap, I caved and now I'd never go back. This is a budget saver because now we never have to replace a pacifier. Since we got them, we've gone from struggling to keep track of 3 pacifiers to using only one. It saves us the cost of replacing lost pacifiers and Sawyer loves playing with the clip. I had to adapt my clips since I bought the wrong kind, but they work great now. Here's how I did it.

Thank you Grammy!

6. Home-made crocheted blanket
Sawyer is thrilled with this blanket. It became his first toy when he learned that he could thread his fingers through the holes and pull it up to his mouth. I like using it as his swaddle blanket as it's flexible and I don't have to worry about it covering his face as his blankets inevitably do (is he alone in loving his head to be burrowed in whatever is around? Blankets, armpits, etc.). Instead of paying for a premade blanket, all this costs is the price of yarn.


7. Go without the Changing Table
Changing table? Psh. I change his diapers on our bed. If he's gotten his clothes dirty, I put a towel under him. He rarely creates a fire hose, so the bed stays clean. The bed is also where we play with him a lot so I guess it's become a happy place for him. The result? A baby who loves his diaper changes. Chandler and I have actually fought over who got to do the diaper change because of Sawyer's cute chatter once the breeze hits. We think he's a nudist at heart.

Any more money saving tips? Add them in the comments!

Air New Zealand's Hobbit Themed Safety Video

There has never been a more memorable way to teach safety.

If New Zealand is this awesome, then their next door neighbor Australia must be too, right?! Okay, maybe my logic is flawed, but this video is too epic not to post.

2 a.m. Clean-up

Sawyer is not a messy baby.

His diapers do a good job containing whatever he sends their way, even the cheap brands.
He does not spit up often and when he does, it's in small amounts.
He has only minor amounts of drool.
He can stay in an outfit for a couple days without soiling it.

However, last night, he was the messiest.

It's 2 am and he's fussing after a feeding. My husband, Chandler, and I are both awake and I take Sawyer back to bed with me for some hopefully soothing snuggles. Chandler plays a little with Sawyer, holding his hand and smiling at him.

Precious, right?

When Sawyer turns to me, I prepare to do the same thing when I'm interrupted by a...

volcanic eruption of vomit to my face. It seems like it goes on forever, it won't stop! It's in my hair, my eyes, on my shirt, and let's not even mention the state of my pillow. When the eruption finally ceases, I look though my now throw-up covered eyelashes to see a smiling little boy without a drop on him. It was like he had no idea that anything had just happened.

Who could stay mad at this?

Chandler, on the other hand, was very aware of what had just happened and laughed at me. He laughed at me, poor, puke-faced me who had just wanted to comfort my baby. He had the good sense to apologize for his laughter, but by that point I had accepted the bizarre reality of the situation and was laughing too.

Moral of the story: Babies are gross. But in a contradictory way, nothing could ever be cuter.

Sitting on the Bench: Thoughts on Suicide Prevention

Sitting on the Bench: Thoughts on Suicide Prevention

I have never been close with someone who committed suicide, but I have been good friends with a couple girls who have tried. It surprised me to learn it both times - I would have had no idea had they not said something to me about it. They taught me that as well as I may think that I know a person, I may never really understand their history or their struggles. Everyone has a unique story. Including me. Including you. 

To be honest, I wasn't inspired by this video in the way I thought I would be, but I agree with the message. The main thing that we can do for those that suffer with depression, is to simply be there for them. Just like the brother in this video who rarely said a word, but took a week off of work and sat at his brother's bedside, we don't always have to have the right words, or any. We can convey love to that person that won't fade no matter what they do, and maybe, just maybe, they'll begin to feel safe enough to share their feelings with us. As Elder Oaks said, “There is nothing more powerful than the arm of love that can be put around those who are struggling.” 

                               

That's exactly what they need, an arm of love. Not judgment. I hear judgment on and pity for the eternal state of those who have committed suicide frequently. This is not okay. We don't know enough to make any judgment. As suggested, leave judgment to God. All of it! There is no way that we can completely understand what someone else is going through, especially those with a struggle like severe depression. I mean, I hardly understand myself sometimes! 

Although I don't know exactly what will happen to these individuals after death, one thing that I firmly believe that will happen to us all when we pass from this life, whether we die from old age, physical disease, or mental illness, is that we will meet a merciful God. He loves ALL of us and wants us each to be happy - both during our life and after. 

                  

Brown Sugar Glaze Meatloaf

I love myself a good challenge. I love them so much that I create them on a daily basis, like: accomplish these 6 things before dinner, clip my 2 month old son's toenails even though he's ticklish, create a card that looks store bought, and in this case, create a meatloaf that even kids will enjoy.

This recipe is what I came up with, with the help of Allrecipes.com, my favorite recipe bank. I'm convinced that I beat the challenge, but let me know what you think.

Brown Sugar Glaze Meatloaf

I never knew how important nice plates would be when taking food pictures. Next challenge: buy some pretty plates.

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cups breadcrumbs or finely crushed Saltine crackers 

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Optional: 1 1/2 slices of bread on the bottom of the sprayed loaf pan to absorb excess grease, bacon on top

Makes: 1 5x9 loaf of meatloaf

Directions:

   1.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the meatloaf ingredients. 

   2.  Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Pack the meatloaf into the pan.

   3.  In a small bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients. Spread over the top of the meatloaf.

   4.  Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until the juices are clear. 

   5.  Enjoy! I preferred the meatloaf all mixed up so that the glaze was in every bite, but it definitely looks better in slices. Either way it's good!

This recipe was made using a compilation of reviews on the Brown Sugar Meatloaf page of Allrecipes.com. 

MM: You Never Know

Mormon Message: You Never Know

There's a chance that you'll hear this from me about every Mormon Message, but this video warms my heart. I struggle to think of a better way to put it.

Throughout the whole start I feel irritation with how much pressure the mom is putting on herself. Doesn't she know that she's overbooked?! Then I realize that there's no Dad in this picture - anywhere, and that she is doing everything on her own.

Right about the time that I realize this, her son ends the night with a prayer and says, "we thank thee that we could get all the things done that you needed us to do today" and my perspective again changes. I remember how many times I've broken down, feeling inadequate, and my husband reminded me that next year I won't even remember doing/not doing most things on that day's list. I remember how easy I have it now and that life will get much harder.

Then comes the voice of the prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley and the slideshow like display of the impact she was able to have during that one, hectic Thursday. I just know this was a Thursday. It always seems to be the hardest day. Her son won the science fair, thanks to her taking the time to help him on an already chaotic morning.  Her friend was able to go to her doctor appointment and have the time to grieve hard news before reuniting with her daughter. And one unmentioned success: her son understood that prayers are an important part of the bedroom routine and was willing to say one.

"You never know how much good you do." In this mom's case, those words ring true and if for her, why not for me? I know that I can't or don't always express my gratitude to others for what they do for me and I imagine that the same thing could be said by all of us.

This video gives me hope that I've been a lasting, positive influence for someone out there and makes me want to do more. Maybe I'll take a meal to someone this week, or visit the local veteran's home with Sawyer (older people love babies, right?).

The beautiful thing is that the options are endless.

How to Switch a Pacifier Clip from Fitting Rings to Fitting Soothies

Hallelujah for pacifiers!

Baby Sawyer loves his pacifier and we love him loving his pacifier as it means we aren't always holding a soggy fist (which is what goes in his mouth when there isn't a pacifier).  Sucking on things puts him to sleep fast and helps him to be pretty much fuss-free during the day. I know that each baby is different and that not all babies accept a pacifier, but we are so glad that Sawyer took the hospital provided Soothie pacifiers one a day after being born (risky, we know, but we surveyed the nurses at our hospital and none had ever seen nipple confusion resulting from anything but a bottle since it releases milk and a pacifier does not). Here's what WebMD thinks about it's use: link. Please note: pacifier is a derivative of the word pacify. They're legit.

Lately, we've been having trouble keeping track of his pacifiers. Sometimes he spits them out while we carry him and they of course launch to the most difficult spot to reach under our bed, collecting various hairs and dust along the way. Our solution? A pacifier clip! I ordered ours from Amazon last week and have been getting antsy waiting for its arrival. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed when I looked at the package and saw ''fits all pacifiers with rings."

Notice any incompatibilities?

Since I ordered them online and had already waited a week, I decided to flip my crafty girl switch and figure out a way to make it work. And it did! This was a proud moment for me. Since I know that I cannot be the only person out there who struggles with reading labels before purchasing items, I hope that my discovery help someone else too.

Switching a Pacifier Clip from Only Fitting Pacifiers with Rings, to Fitting Those Without

Materials:

• A tiny segment of cord (it should be thin enough to go through the pacifier hole twice) 
• Scissors
• Pacifier clip
• Pacifier

Directions:

     1. Cut the plastic ring clasp and remove it from the pacifier clip

     2.  Take the cord and thread it through the fabric loop at the end of the clip (where the ring clasp just came off) then tie it into a knot that holds when either side is tugged. Cut off any extra. 

     

   3. Slide the tied cord through one of the pacifier holds like you would thread a needle. Depending on the thickness of your cord, you may want to double it. 

    4. Stretch the cord and slide the pacifier clip through, starting at the opposite end. 

That's it. Your pacifier clip has now been transformed from the bottom example to the top. 

Take a moment and let me know if this worked for you!

*Note: I also tried this with a thicker nonelastic cord and it feels much sturdier. Here's a picture of the end result:

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

I live on a farm, have I ever told you that? It's not a moo-moo farm, but a U-pick farm that grows pretty much any fruit and vegetable that I could ever want. This post was inspired by a freakishly long zucchini, fresh from the garden that was starting to bad. Waste not I say! I've discovered that zucchini can be added to pretty much anything to make it more moist without altering the flavor. In this recipe, it makes for a deliciously moist chocolate cake that everyone is surprised to hear contains a healthy zucchini. 

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups grated zucchini (1 foot-long zucchini) 
• optional: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup chocolate chips, whipped topping or frosting

Healthier alternative: Replace half of the oil with applesauce and half of the all-purpose flour with wheat flour. 

Directions:

     1.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
     2.  Mix in the eggs and oil, then add the zucchini and any nuts or chocolate chips. If you have never worked with a zucchini before, here is what I did: I sliced it down the middle longways, removed the seeds, then grated it with the peel still on. I used a small hole on my grater so that the peel would not be noticeable. It was quick and easy.

     3.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
     4. Allow cake to cool completely before adding frosting.

*This recipe was compiled using the Allrecipes Chocolate Zucchini Cake III Recipe and the corresponding user reviews. 

Basil Pesto Ravioli

I aspire to cook like my mother-in-law. She can create a brilliant meal out of anything. For example, this ravioli which was a big hit for our family and took only 2 ingredients. I prefer this sauce to the standard meat sauce.

Basil Pesto Ravioli

Ingredients: 

Please note: Dave the goldfish is NOT a part of the recipe.  

• 1 package of ravioli 
• 1 jar of basil pesto

Directions: 

1. Cook the ravioli according to package directions
2. Drain the ravioli, then add the sauce. This can be done to all the ravioli at once or after dishing it into servings. I added about 2 tablespoons per serving. 
3. Consume with delight

Key Lime Pie

Mexico. When I take a bite of this pie, that's where my imagination takes me. I hear the mariachi band playing, the maracas shaking, and the colorful, ruffled skirts swaying to the beat. If you, like me, want a tropical vacation without being able to take a week away from a life, this pie may just be for you.

Key Lime Pie

I used canned whipped cream so you'll just have to imagine a fluffy little cloud in the middle

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks - if you are unsure how to separate the yolk and white, enjoy this tutorial
• 5 limes
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 pie crust - I made my own found here
• optional: whipped cream, 

Directions

1. Grate and juice the limes. You will need 4 tsp of lime zest and 1/2 cup of lime juice.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime zest and egg yolks until green. Whisk in the condensed milk until smooth, then whisk in the lime juice.
3. Cover the mixture and set aside to thicken for about 30 min.
4. Bake the pie crust if it is not precooked then pour in the filling while the crust is still warm. 
5. Bake pie at 325 degrees until the center is firm, but slightly jiggly (such a fun word to say), about 15 minutes. Allow to solidify in the fridge if you're the patient type, or if you're like me, devour immediately. 

This recipe comes from the cookbook Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.

The Baby Diaries: Hospital Stay

I had a baby.

I rocked pregnancy. I rocked labor. And now I had a newborn baby to care for. 

When I was pregnant, it seemed that everyone had a piece of advice. Most of it was unsolicited so I just smiled and nodded. It fell mainly along these lines: "Don't expect to sleep at night...or during the day...really, just don't plan to sleep," "He will cry inconsolably for hours and hours and hours," "Each outfit will only get a few hours of wear before the poo and spit-up make an appearance...and that goes for your own outfits too," etc. Sure I was told that he'd be really cute and I'd love holding him, but that was rarely the focus of conversation. I was starting to wonder if having a baby could really be worth it. 

I'm tired, but not in the way I expected. I'm tired of people solely depicting the hardships of being a new mom. I'm angry, but not for the reason I expected. I'm angry that people don't talk much about the sweet moments of parenthood. They mention the funny: I knew having a kid would grant me funny stories, but I didn't know about the sweet. Maybe it's because many of the sweet moments have an almost sacred feel, but I wish I'd known that they'd happen so frequently. My goal is to share ALL of motherhood: the sweet, the exhausting, and the things I learn along the way. 

Maybe you know/knew exactly what to expect with your first baby and think that I'm overdoing it. If so, you likely had plenty of experiences with babies before your own. That is not my story. I'm the youngest child of 5 and I'm the first to have a baby. I babysat some, but had no idea what to do with babies so I didn't enjoy it. This post is for people with a more similar background to me, or anyone really, who wants to know what makes being a mom worth it. 

Sawyer is already 2 months old, but I want to start at the beginning. Thankfully, this is possible since I write in my journal every day. I write his age, his milestones, our routines, and my feelings. I haven't missed a day since we got back from the hospital (I am unabashedly tooting my own horn at that) and while Sawyer is currently only 2 months old, I've already referenced it several times. 

Things you should know before reading The Baby Diaries: 

1. My entries will be blunt as I think it is ridiculous that our culture leads us to be embarrassed over our bodies doing what they were created to do. I'll make a point not to be overly graphic, but there are a lot of things that I wish people would have told me that happen during childbirth or with a baby that they held back due to embarrassment. 

2. This is MY story. Yours will be different, but you likely have some similarities. For example, becoming a mom has been a very spiritual experience for me, but that may not be the case for everyone. 
3. There will be some things I won't share, particularly if it involves someone else, like my husband. Some of these experiences are very personal and I think justice can still be done for you, dear reader, in simply knowing that there are things that I, a very open writer, see as too dear to display to the public. 

Here we go.

Quesadillas

My family has a million variations of this recipe depending on how much time is available. It can be made with just cheese or the works. This recipe is for the works, but feel free to manipulate it as you see fit.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons oil (I used olive, but any will do)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 (15.5 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
•  tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• cooking spray or butter
• optional toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce

Yield: 6 medium quesadillas

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

2. Stir in onion and cook until softened.

3. Stir in beans, corn. 

4. Add sugar, salsa, lime juice, rice, and pepper flakes. Mix well. 

5. One at a time: Warm up a skillet over medium heat. Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle with cheese (more = better in my opinion). Top the cheese with the bean mixture then place another tortilla on top. Flip once the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden. Cut like a pizza. 

Multiple: Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, then compile multiple quesadillas on the sheet using the above steps. Broil until the tops are golden.

Alternative: Only put the mixture on one-half of a tortilla and fold the tortilla like a taco (this is what I did).

6. Consume with joy

Movie and Book Review: Week 3

No spoilers! These posts are written to help those who are debating whether or not to read/watch these titles, not to spoil them. 

Movie: The Way Way Back - PG 13

This movie made me cringe. The main character, Duncan, is so painfully awkward that there times when I wished I could just close my eyes. Painful as it was, I appreciated this movie's realism and consistency of characters. I believed them. It's one of my husband's favorites so if you're willing to shed a few tears, check this one out.

Summary: Shy and unpopular 14-year-old Duncan is joining his insecure mom and her loud new boyfriend (Steve Carell) on a beach vacation. His soon-to-be-step-dad, doesn't think much of Duncan and expects him to improve himself on this trip. While there, Duncan finds an outgoing group of misfit adults who love his overly literal mentality and recruit him to help them work a water park. Along the way, he learns who he really is and the family is forced to face some unpleasant realities.

First lines: Trent (mom's boyfriend) to Duncan: On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you think you are?
...Duncan: A 6
...Trent: I think you're a 3. You know why I think you're a 3? You know what would make me say that?
Duncan: No.
...Trent: Well, since I've been dating your mom, I don't see you putting yourself out there bud, meeting kids you own age. And from what your mom tells me, you just seem content to hang around her apartment. Is that a fair assessment? Are you just happy to not do anything, cause damn, to me that is a 3....So what do you say, let's try to get that score up huh? Aim higher than a 3?


Book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 

I am haunted by this book. Not by the typical terrors, being ghostly creatures and the like, but by how honestly it spoke of human nature. It is the longest book that I have ever read and I have no doubt that I will read it again. And maybe I'll read it again after that. It's my opinion that an author's goal should be to make the reader grow to love at least one of the characters, thereby making the book a much more personal experience. This book not only made me love one character, but I grew to care about every. single. one. The way this book is written is to be completely objective. It shares the rationales behind each character's actions as well as other characters' thoughts about that action. It brought me to understand characters with an unexpected depth, which also opened me up to stronger emotional reactions to their choices. Vices make their appearance frequently as do their opposing virtues and honest consequences are revealed.

If it weren't so long, I'd want this book in schools. It shares the southern side of the Civil War story from the viewpoint of an entire community which goes from riches to rags as a result of the war and the following Reconstruction. As a nation, I feel that we have closed ourselves off to this side of the story and as a born Virginian who (dare I say it) had family members fight for the confederacy, I appreciated this view being shared. As I felt the devotion with which slaves and owners were bound, my eyes opened to what slavery really meant for the south and I realized how one-sided we view it today. I began to understand what brought men to form the Ku Klux Klan (NOT why it still exists in towns like the one I grew up in which I think is a disgrace), as well as how poorly Blacks were reintegrated into society. There are several things about society today that I found unstated reasons for in this text and because of that, I encourage every one to read it.

Summary: Scarlett O'Hara, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, must become much more than that when her beloved Georgia is destroyed in Sherman's March. Only her fire for life and selfish nature keep her alive, but at the expense of everything else she holds dear. 

First line: Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.