Journals

The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sometimes reminded to keep a journal.  I've sometimes heard the joke that some people have tried to keep a journal just like Wilford Woodruff, but after a couple of days, they forget to do so after a week or so because it can be overwhelming.  I mean, to keep a daily history is an overwhelming task just like any habit you want to gain.

But why keep a journal in the first place?

Perhaps, one reason is that we can follow the order of the Church which has had a historian and record keeper since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized.  From the beginning, Joseph Smith was asked to keep a record of the Church.  Through revelation, Joseph Smith called John Whitmer to "keep a regular history, and assist...my servant Joseph, in transcribing all things...(D&C 47:1)"  John Whitmer was also asked to "keep the church record and history continually (47:3)."  So, certain men were called to keep a record of the Church and take turns transcribing for the Prophet Joseph.  And when we go back and look at further accounts of the dealings of Christ with His people, such as Nephi, we are told why he and other prophets kept a record as well (1 Nephi 9).  The records are for their posterity and for us.  Think of all that we have because these men fulfilled their callings!

Another reason, I often think that our journals can be like that of the accounts of Nephi and other prophets.  Sure we don't receive revelation for a large congregation of people, but we can have personal revelation touch our lives, and record that revelation as reminders  President Eyring gave a talk about his experience of keeping a journal.  When he was recalling the day, he said that he learned to recognize the hand of the Lord in his life, and he recognized that the Lord blessed him.  Essentially our journals can be reminders of ways the Lord loves us, and like scriptures of old.  Wouldn't that be something you would want on hand?  I mean, to recall how Our Heavenly Father can touch our lives. Our daily accounts may not always have revelation intermingled, but I think of how much you can gain from recalling and recounting your days in a journal.  What can you learn as you look back on your life and your experiences?  What can your children learn?

So, here is what I do: I have a day planner with small sections for each day for me to record the day's activities, and my thoughts.  I also like to write down my goals for the day or even the week.  Now, I don't always record everything right away-generally it's a once or twice a week recollection of my days and account.  But I highlight the most important events.  I also have an extra section to scribble in some thoughts as well.  And this is so easy!  I also have another journal that Greg gave me last Christmas.  I keep this one on my night stand for my scripture study and I try to take it to Church with me so that I can record other thoughts and ideas.  I also like to use this to make longer entries and expound on things in my life that I can't fit in my day planner.

So, my question is do you keep a journal?  If so, how often?  What insights have you gained from one?

Perspective on Work

Today, I started my first day at my new job.  I work at a local grocery store now.  Is this the job I've always dreamed of?  No.  But finding a job in this area is pretty hard.  Not just saying that, but honestly, everyone I talk to says the same thing.  I found it really frustrating to realize that even jobs like teacher's assistants in an elementary school require certain certifications!  I know that it is difficult to find full-time jobs elsewhere, but here I feel like I am having the hardest time finding a full-time job!  I hear wonderful things about benefits for full-time employees, and I've learned that employers have to shell out a lot of money for their full-time employees because they have to provide so many benefits!!  But I must say that I am grateful for this job for a few reasons.

1. Money.  Of course money is necessary for living.  And one thing that I learned today is that if you put a reasonable request for pay when you fill out your application, then that company will generally give it to you.  The minimum wage here is $10.50/hr, and I asked for $12.00/hr.  And I get $12.00/hr which I am truly grateful for because honestly, it's expensive to live here!  (So next time you fill out an application for a crappy job and they ask what you want for pay, don't necessarily ask for minimum wages!)

2. Location.  I knew that I wanted a job near by especially since I don't get paid much.  This job is a 10-minute walk from my house.   I don't have to take pay for the bus or drive (gas is $1.32/Liter here which means about $70 to fill the tank).

3. I have a different perspective as U.S. citizen working in Canada.  See, I don't think I would get paid vacation time as a part-time employee, but apparently I do get paid here. It probably doesn't add up to much, but heck, I'll take what I can get.

4.  The people are generally nice.  Funny story, however; when I went in for training, it seemed like everyone was saying, "Don't let the a__holes get you down!" or "I realize there are some real a__holes here, but just ignore them."

5. I also get to work with produce and make a bunch of healthy foods for people.  Of course, work still sucks, but it's work.  Not fun time.  See Red Foreman's speech on work here:

6. I can and I am looking for other jobs out there, but for now, this will do.  Honestly, lying about and doing nothing is horrible.  So yes, I am grateful for this wonderful, crappy job.

Recipe: Pizza

Since I've been in Canada, I've had the opportunity to cook from scratch more often.  A big part of this has been to see if I could make healthier and cheaper food items.  Plus, I've also had a lot of time on my hands to make meals from scratch.  I've pretty much enjoyed this.

Anyway, I thought it was about time for me to share one of my favorite pizza dough recipes with the world.  I first learned this recipe from another gal when we were volunteering at an after school activity.  This pizza dough recipe is really wonderful because it can be whipped up in 25 minutes or so, or you can take your time with it (15 hrs!).

Dough-
Ingredients:
1 packet yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
3 cups of flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

In a bowl, combine yeast, water, and honey (sugar), and leave it to sit for five minutes to twelve hours.  Now, as this yeast mixture is sitting, I like to start preparing the toppings of the pizza.  For a while, I used lunch meat (I know this sounds weird, but it actually isn't too bad) such as ham, and I've been cutting it up into small pieces for the topping, but when I moved to Canada, I was inspired.  I tried bacon on my pizza.  You might be thinking, "Why didn't you use pepperoni?", but honestly I just don't like the pepperoni you buy from the store.  So, I fried up a few slices of bacon for this pizza, and I cut it up into small pieces for the pizza.  So, if you are going to try bacon on pizza, I recommend doing it after you've created your yeast mixture for the dough.  At this point, go back and add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture, and allow the dough to sit for 20 minutes to 3 hours.  I then work on the sauce. Really, your taste buds will determine the flavor you want, so add as little or as much seasoning you want.

Sauce-
Ingredients:
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
Italian seasoning
salt
8 oz can of tomato paste
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
oil or butter

So, remember that bacon?  Well, here is a good use for that bacon grease.  Now, you can wipe up some of the grease because there is a lot in the pan, but use it.  It adds flavor the sauce, and honestly, what's the point of wasting it all?  Add grated garlic to greased pan, and saute it for a few minutes.  Then stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes.  Add seasonings, and allow the tomato sauce to thicken.  Cook for five or so minutes on medium heat.  At this point, you can prepare the rest of your toppings for the pizza, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I like use mozzarella cheese, add bacon (of course),pineapple, onion, mushrooms, and green bell peppers to mine.  Roll out your dough onto a pizza stone, and add sauce, cheese and toppings.  Cook your pizza for 20 minutes or so (check the edges/bottom of the crust to see if it's lightly brown), and voila!  Delicious food made from scratch.

Side view. My favorite pizza now!

Aerial view. Delicious!

Chicken Pot Pie

    It has been quite chilly here in Waterloo the last few days--in the 60's!  This makes it perfect weather for chicken pot pie!  I haven't always been a fan of dessert pies (I had an unpleasant evening after a pie eating contest when I was a kid...), but I have always been a fan of pot pies.  My family would get those single-serving frozen pot pies from the supermarket occasionally, and I would be in heaven that night.  The crust of those pies were my favorite parts as they are like a prize for eating all of the delicious filling.  (In fact, the crust of most pies is my favorite part which is perfect because Greg doesn't care for the crust on pies, but I do like the filling for this pie--don't get me wrong.)  Anyway, here is my recipe for chicken pot pie.  I hope you do get to enjoy this pie when the weather has cooled down sufficiently in your area!

I recognize that my photography skills aren't fantastic, but at least you have a realistic picture of food, right?

This recipe is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Ingredients:

*Filling:

1 medium onion, diced

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 small potatoes, cut into thin slices 

frozen peas and corn (about a 1/2 cup of each)

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup half and half or milk

2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (For the chicken, you can bake the chicken and then shred/chop it, buy a rotisserie chicken, or boil it in water and seasoning like I did--I was making chicken broth anyway!)

I don't measure seasonings, but I used chili powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. 

*If you want to put your own twist on this, the original recipe adds diced red sweet pepper, leeks (instead of onions), celery, and mushrooms to the filling.

Crust:

(Makes enough to cover the top, but you could always double the recipe to add crust to the bottom as well)

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

4-5 Tbsp cold water

Combine butter, potatoes, carrots, and onions into a large saucepan over medium heat until vegetables are tender.  Stir in flour and seasonings.  Add in half and half and chicken broth, and allow it to thicken.  Once the filling has become bubbly, add in chicken, corn, and peas.  Cook for a few minutes, and then pour the mixture into a casserole dish.  

The guts will look like this.  Yum!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf (so the pot pie doesn't spill onto your oven by accident!), and cover the filling with a lid to keep it hot.  As the oven is preheating, prepare the crust of the pie.  Combine the salt and flour into a small bowl.  Add the butter into the bowl and mix until the dough resembles peas.  (At this point, you can mix the dough as much as you want, but after you add the water, you want to mix it as little as possible to make the crust flaky!)  Add water in 1 Tbsp at a time, sprinkling it over a part of the mixture.  Kind of push the moist dough together and flip it so as to gather more dough.  Shape dough into a ball, and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll out dough into a rectangle a bit larger than your casserole dish.  Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape.  Or if desired, use a small cookie cutter to cut shapes from pasty. Place crust on top of pie, and shape edges if you'd like. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown, rotating pie half way through.  The book recommends waiting for 20 minutes to serve, but I probably waited 3 minutes to serve. 

The crust is edible wrapping paper.  

And there you have it; homemade chicken pot pie that is super yummy and really easy to make.

Gratitude

        I've been a bit stir crazy because I don't have a job, or money, or actual friends here.  Because of these problems, I've been grouchy, idle, and feeling sorry for myself.  (I've been working on getting a job part, but that always feels like a super slow process.)  But of course I've realized that I just need to change my attitude and be more grateful for everything I do have, put myself to work, and allow myself time for things.
      Today, I want to focus on gratitude--specifically things I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows and cares about me, and recognizes things I would like, even though I didn't actually ask for them in a prayer.  Two instances occurred today: the first was I got some more tubberware for free.  (I've wanted extra tubberware because I have planned on making and freezing spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and other foods.)  The second instance is that I was able to borrow an air pump from a friend to bring my therapy ball back to life.

 2. I am grateful that I was invited to have dinner with some friends today.  I was so happy to spend time with other people (like I said before--cabin fever), and I didn't have to cook dinner.

 3. Last night, Greg and I received some delicious desserts from our neighbors--they didn't stay over and talk with us or anything, but I can't tell you how thoughtful it was to get them.  I also like that we have international neighbors for the cultural aspect.  I'm excited to exchange recipes. C:

 4.  I am so happy that we do not have a heat wave any longer!!  As someone said the other day to me, "People always comment on how cold it gets in Canada, but they fail to mention that it gets really hot up here, too!" Last week the weather was awful: 90 degrees plus humidity.  Remember, I don't have real A/C to keep the whole house cool!  Our bedroom is on the top floor, so we had a difficult time going to bed at a decent hour because it was still really stuffy outside at night.  (Greg found sleeping upstairs so repulsive that he ended up sleeping on the couch under the cool A/C window unit breeze for a few nights.)

Anyway, hopefully these small things will help me to remember that life is good.  Now back to job hunting.

Oh Canada!

    Anyway, so this blog post will just be an update on our travels and new adventure in Canada.  It took us four days of driving, but we stayed in South Bend for a couple of days with some really amazing friends because we couldn't move in to our place until 1 July.  Crossing the border was kind of a pain because of all the traffic (A lot of Canadians went to the States to enjoy their long holiday weekend.  Oh the irony.  It's Canada day, but I'd rather go to the states to celebrate!), but we arrived in Waterloo just as the fireworks were finishing up.  Thus far, we've liked the area.  Waterloo is so green, beautiful, and humid!  I didn't realize how humid it would be--the weather is not like living in D.C. again where it was hot and humid, but it is still stuffy outside.  We ended up buying a nice A/C window unit because our house doesn't keep very cool.  Since we've been here we've had nice rainy weather on several occasions, but it still gets to be about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (thank heavens!).  

I really wanted to share what our new place is like.  Sometimes, I think it's like a beautiful hotel that I have to clean up myself, and then sometimes I remember that we are going to be living here for a while, and that it's ours for now! I love our new house; it's spacious and comfortable.  However, I am having a difficult time decorating and utilizing all of the new space (except the kitchen cupboards have been filled out nicely!), so the following pictures won't do justice to new home.  I'll probably take pictures of this place again before we move out so that I can remember how nice it was staying here. 

This is the foyer.  Ahead is our living room and to the left is our basement.

Kitchen!  I love the counter space. C:

I love that I have windows over the kitchen sink!  (The bear on the left says "Suzy's room".  I got that when I was baby, and now I put it in the kitchen as a half joke, but really the kitchen is MINE!)

I laughed that they made this weird island of mini-drawers in the kitchen.  The only thing I do not really like.

Our living room is small, but at least I have a place for my rocking chair!

   

Our cute little patio.  

Basement!  I thought it would be great to turn this into a library/study area, but it is also Greg's 'man cave.'

Greg 'studying' Star Craft 2--it was a Saturday!

Our laundry room!  This part of the basement is strangely unfinished, but that's okay; I still love it.

Our bedroom.   

Creeper view from our bedroom....the blinds are not very co-operative. 

Upstairs bathroom sans yucky cabinet like Provo apt. C:

Second bedroom.  Yes, we have still have unpacked boxes.

     Honestly, I hope you liked the little walk through of our house sans decorations and beautiful furniture.  Our house looks nice and it is pretty much perfect.  My favorite part is that I get to share it with Greg.  While I was taking all of these pictures Greg came up to me and said, "Are you thinking about how this will be the first home we'll get to raise our kids in while you are taking all of these pictures?"  My heart melted inside with these sweet, sweet words.  My husband is an adorable, smart, handsome man. 

   (And no-- we are not expecting...)  

Bed Time

   

 

  

Update:

  Life is going well for Greg and me.  We just found out that we can move in graduate housing in July instead of August because Greg has a prerequisite class he has to take in August.  Our new apartment looks so nice, and it has a washer and dryer and two bathrooms.  Heaven!! I'm excited because we won't have to move twice--Greg wants to move up early so that he can start working, but we can't move into graduate housing until a month before Greg actually starts class.  So I was naturally excited to learn we can move into our new home in July.  So our moving truck is coming on 25 June, and we will be off to Canada shortly thereafter.

But this post is really a tribute to my dad...just in time for father's day. 

Latest picture of my dad and me after my graduation. 

Looking back, my dad was great.  He took time to play ball, and went to our baseball/softball games. Sometimes he would turn up radio in the car, and we would jam to KISS, The Who, or Guns 'N' Roses. He, as many of you know, loves watching movies.  So my siblings and I would watch movies quite a bit with him.  Most of the time, he would end up falling asleep because of his crazy early work schedule, and we would tease he because he sounded a bit like Darth Vader.  But I always look back fondly at all the times when my dad would tuck my sister and me into bed at night.   When we were younger, we had cute little pet names like "pumpkin head" or "little pumpkin head".   My dad would say good night to my sister and me every night. I felt safe and secure, but most importantly, I felt loved.  

One night, I was afraid because the next day I had to go to the doctor's to get a wellness checkup.  I'll be honest; I despised shots as a child (and I still kind of do today).  I told my dad I was afraid that even though this was a checkup, I was afraid I would have to get a shot.  I asked if he could be there to hold my hand.  He said that he probably couldn't because he had work.  I then asked my dad if he would pray for me because I was so anxious and scared.  He was little surprised by my request (my dad isn't really religious), but he did, and I remember feeling so comforted from my dad and his prayer that night.  

Well, I went to the doctor's the next day, and I'll be damned, I had to get a Tetanus shot.  The worst part was that my little sister was A-okay, but I was thirteen and in the corner of the doctor's office having major anxiety. (You can tease me all you want, but last time I was at the doctor's before this particular doctor's visit I almost threw up because of the sight of blood....They were checking my iron levels.) Anyway, after a few moments of being so scared to get a stupid shot, my dad made it just in time to the doctor's appointment.  The best part, of course, was when he held my hand.

My dad is sweet; later on in my life, I lived with my mom in North Carolina, and my dad would call once a week in the evenings to talk with my sister and me.  At the end of every conversation, he would add, "Good night.  I love you, pumpkin pie!  Sweet dreams."  

I love you, too, dad!