Fran's Blog

Halloween

2011-11-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

Don't have Flash Player? Click here to view album.

Pumpkin Carving On découpe des potirons

2011-11-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

Don't have Flash Player? Click here to view album.

Getting enough attention? 3 Malbars sur un cochon

2011-11-26T20:33:00.001-08:00

Cornbelly's

2011-11-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

A new baby did not hinder our yearly visit to Cornbelly's. Afternoon: moms & kids, evening: couples
**Tous les ans, nous allons à la foire de Cornbelly's aux alentours de Halloween. L'après-midi: Mamans & enfants. Le soir:les couples**

Don't have Flash Player? Click here to view album.

Hughes Kids

2011-10-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

It was Chloe's first time to church today. I was able to snap this shot right before. Only 3 shots and I got all of them to look at the same time, whohoo!

**Chloé est allée à l'église pour la première fois aujourd'hui. J'ai réussi à prendre cette photo juste avant. J'ai juste pris 3 photos et j'en ai eu une ou ils regardaient tous en même temps!**

Chloe & Mom Photo Shoot

2011-10-23T17:42:00.001-07:00

We had a short little photo shoot a week ago.

Trouble viewing slide show? Click here.

Enamored Amoureux

2011-10-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

We are all enamored with our sweet Chloe. Even Gabriel, who suffered a little bit from the big change has nothing but sweet words and caresses for his baby sister.
** Nous sommes tous amoureux de notre douce Chloé. Même Gabriel qui a souffert un peu du grand changement, n'est que caresses et doux mots pour sa petite soeur.**

Trouble viewing slide show? Click here.

Story of the Birth- L' accouchement

2011-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

My waters broke at 3am on Thursday after a series of Braxton hicks. I had a hard time falling back asleep because I was so excited. Our baby was coming today!! In the morning, life went on as usual except Cam stayed home from work. We began to wait for contractions. There were a few here and there, but nothing strong and nothing consistent. My midwife suggested I take castor oil. I got scared. I did not need digestive havoc during labor. We tried some homeopathy. Contractions picked up a little bit while I was watching a movie with Cam (Fast Five ;) ). But then they went away.
By 4:15, I decided to take the castor oil as directed by my midwife-- 4oz oil, 4 oz OJ and a pinch of baking soda. The effects should start coming in 2 to 4 hours. Around 5pm mild contractions picked back up. At 5:30, Cam and I headed to the school to tell our kids teachers we wouldn’t make it to our 7pm SEP. LOL! It was quite the adventure as the walking around intensified the contractions. Good thing there were chairs lining the hallways everywhere! We got to meet with Claire’s teacher briefly and were waiting for Michael’s teacher to have a little break to see us when a strong contraction came over me. I told Cam we had to go! We barely made it home for the effects of the castor oil. It was 6pm. I ran from the car, up the stairs, yes I said RAN, but a strong contraction stopped me in the stairs, steps away from my bathroom. Cam had stayed downstairs. I had to yell for help, it was kind of funny. Cam rushed over and supported me the rest of the way. From then on, it was intense. Fortunately, the digestive effects of the castor oil came with no discomfort whatsoever.
At 6:30 the contractions reached their peak. My contractions are never very close together which is nice. It gives me a chance to joke around a bit in between. ;) I endured the contractions on my hands and knees on the bathroom rug. I would have loved to get in the tub at that point but had to wait for the intestinal purging to subside. It did at 7pm so I climbed in. That’s when the midwife’s assistants arrived, all dressed up because they were just at a dinner together. It made it kind of like a party! The first urge to push came about 20 minutes later. It wasn’t nearly as strong as with my other babies. Another few minutes went by with no pushing and contractions too small to seem productive. At the next strong contraction, I gave it all I had, even though the urge to push was frustratingly weak. The baby’s head came out. I let out a big “Yes” of relief, I thought I was done. To my surprise, only the head was out! It took another excruciating push, the longest 30 seconds of my life, to get the shoulders and the rest of the body out. My previous baby had come out with one quick push so I fully expected this one to be just as easy. This last struggle felt impossible. But finally, I got to hold our little princess in my arms. It was 7:31. The midwife told me later that the way Chloe came out, face up (posterior position), is what made it harder. After reading up on posterior position deliveries, I am very grateful mine went as smoothly as it did and with no tearing.
Oh what an indescribable joy to finally meet Chloe! Every new baby is just as awe inspiring as the one before.

**J’ai perdu mes eaux à 3 heures du matin après une série de fausses contractions. J’ai eu du mal à me rendormir, trop surexcitée à l’idée que notre bébé allait arriver dans la journée ! Le matin venu, la vie a continué comme d’habitude, sauf que Cam n’est pas aller au travail. On s’est mis à attendre les contractions. Il y en avait de temps en temps mais rien de fort et rien de consistent. Ma sage-femme est venue et m’a donné une bouteille d’huile de ricin en expliquant qu’elle pensait que c’était la meilleure chose à faire dans ma situation. J’ai eu peur. Je ne voulais vraiment pas de cyclone digestif pendant le travail d’accouchement ! On a donc essayé un remède homéopathique. Les contractions se sont intensifiées un petit peu pendant que je regardais un film avec Cam mais ensuite elles se sont estompées.
A 16h15, j’étais prête pour l’huile de ricin. Je devrais sentir les effets dans 2 ou 4 heures Vers 17h00, des contractions moyennes ont recommencé. A 17h30, Cam et moi sommes allés à l’école des enfants pour dire à leurs instituteurs que nous n’allions pas pouvoir venir à nos rendez-vous prévus pour 19h00. C’était une grande aventure car tout ce déplacement a intensifié les contractions. Heureusement qu’il y avait des chaises le long des couloirs partout ! Nous avons pu nous assoir avec la maîtresse de Claire, entre 2 autres rendez-vous. Nous attendions que le maître de Michael puisse nous parler quand une grosse contraction m’est tombée dessus. J’ai dit à Cam qu’il fallait partir TOUT DE SUITE ! Nous sommes rentrés à la maison juste à temps pour les effets de l’huile de ricin. Il était 18h00. J’ai couru, oui couru, de la voiture jusqu’ aux escaliers menant à notre chambre mais une grosse contraction m’a stoppé net à quelques marches de mon but. J’ai dû appeler Cam à mon aide. Il a accouru et m‘a soutenu le reste du chemin. Après ça, les choses sont restées intenses. A mon grand soulagement, les effets digestifs de l’huile de ricin n’ont été accompagnés d’aucun malaise.
A 18h30, les contractions ont atteint leur sommet. Mes contractions ne sont jamais très proches l’une de l’autre ce qui me permet de blaguer un petit peu entre chaque. J’étais à quatre- pattes sur le tapis de la salle de bain. J’aurais vraiment aimé me glisser dans le bain mais je voulais attendre que les effets purgatifs de l’huile de ricin disparaissent. A 19h00, j’ai pu entrer dans le bain. C’est à ce moment que les assistantes de ma sage-femme sont arrivées, toutes bien habillées car elles revenaient juste d’un repas ensemble. Ça a apporté une atmosphère festive ! Après 20 minutes, l’envie de pousser est arrivée. Elle n’était pas aussi forte qu’avec mes autres bébés. Plusieurs minutes se sont écoulées sans pousser et avec des contractions trop faibles pour être productives. A la prochaine grosse contraction, j’ai poussé autant que je pouvais malgré le manque frustrant d’envie de pousser. La tête est sortie! J’étais soulagée car je croyais que j’avais fini. Quelle ne fut pas ma surprise et mon découragement quand je me suis rendue compte que seulement la tête était sortie ! Il a fallu pousser encore une fois dans l’atroce douleur, les 30 secondes les plus longues de ma vie, pour faire sortir les épaules et puis le reste du corps. Mon 3e bébé est sorti avec juste une poussée rapide et donc je m’attendais à ce que cet accouchement soit tout aussi facile. Le dernier effort m’a semblé impossible. Mais enfin, à 19h31, j’ai pu tenir notre petite princesse dans mes bras. Ma sage-femme m’a expliqué que la façon dont Chloé est sortie, le visage vers le haut, est ce qui a rendu l’accouchement plus difficile. Après avoir recherché un peu le sujet, je suis reconnaissante que les choses se soient si bien passées et sans déchirements !
Oh quelle joie indescriptible d’enfin rencontrer Chloé ! Chaque nouveau bébé me remplit d’autant d’émoi que celui d’avant. **

Trouble viewing slide show? Click here

Sundaes

2011-10-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

We have ice cream sundaes every Monday after Family Home Evening. I'm not a big ice cream fan but I'm a huge sundae fan. It's all about the trimmings!
We like to layer the sauce and the ice cream and top the whole thing with whipped cream, maybe some more sauce, and a cherry. I add A LOT of toasted chopped nuts to mine too.
I posted recipes for a chocolate sauce and a caramel sauce below. These homemade sauces take the sundae experience to another level. You can use them separately or together on your sundae. The chocolate sauce is very fast and easy. The caramel sauce is a little trickier but well worth the effort! I've tried several recipes and this no-stir method is the best. You'll probably have to practice a few times until you get a good feel for the color. You might also want to experiment with pan and burner size to achieve optimal uniformity while boiling the syrup.

Caramel Sauce

2011-10-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

(from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

1/2 cup water
1 cup of sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar to the center of the pan, taking care not to let the granules adhere to the sides of the pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
2- Once boiling, uncover and continue to boil until the syrup is straw colored (about 7 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the syrup is a deep amber color (1 to 2 minutes).
3- Meanwhile, bring the cream and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. (If the cream simmers before the syrup reaches a dark amber color, remove from heat and cover to keep warm)
4- Remove the sugar syrup from heat. Very carefully, pour about ¼ of the hot cream into the syrup and let the bubbling subside (I don’t wait until all the bubbles are gone, just until they’ve calmed down otherwise the syrup gets too cold). Add the remaining cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and let the bubbling subside. (same thing here, let the bubbling calm down not stop completely). Whisk the sauce gently until smooth.

Refrigerate leftovers. I like to keep mine in a glass syrup dispenser. To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir. Repeat if necessary. You can also place the container in very hot water, wait & stir.

Chocolate Sauce

2011-10-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

(makes 1 cup)

- 2/3 cup of heavy cream
- 5 oz (3/4 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips –
(you might prefer milk chocolate if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate)

1- Bring cream to a boil (I don’t wait for big bubbles, I prefer to check the temperature with my pinky. If it almost burns me, it’s ready!)
2- Remove from heat & add chocolate chips. Stir until melted. It’s ready to drizzle over your sundae!

Refrigerate leftovers. I like to keep mine in a glass syrup dispenser. To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir. Repeat if necessary. You can also place the container in very hot water, wait & stir.

40 Weeks and Counting! **40 semaines et 1 jour!

2011-10-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Claire

2011-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Our precious little girl just turned 6! She is such a joy for our family. She is happy, kind and generous. She's constantly making drawings, notes and gifts for each of us. And she showers everyone with compliments and words of appreciation. I love her "You're the bestest mom!" and "This is the yummiest dinner ever!". I've really enjoyed having another girl in the house. We plan outfits and accessories together. Claire particularly likes choosing mine before I go on a date with Cam :) She is full of the magic and excitement of childhood and entertains us with funny anecdotes, embelished and interpreted by her fruitful imagination :)

** Notre précieuse fille vient d'avoir 6 ans! Elle apporte tant de joie à notre famille. Elle est joyeuse, douce et généreuse. Elle fait sans arrêt une quantité de dessins, petits mots et cadeaux pour chacun d'entre nous. Elle baigne ceux qui l'entourent de compliments. Comme j'aime ses "Tu es la meilleure des mamans" ou "C'est le plus délicieux des dîners". J'aime avoir une autre fille dans la maison. On aime planifier les habits et accessoires ensemble. Claire aime particulièrement m'aider à choisir mes tenues pour sortir avec son Papa. Elle est remplie de la magie et l'enthousiasme de l'enfance et nous ravit par ses anecdotes, embellies et interprétées par son imagination pétillante.

Don't have Flash player? Go view the album directly in Picasa

Roasted Tomato Soup

2011-09-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

For this recipe choose very ripe tomatoes. Slicing tomatoes are nice because they stand up in the pan. Don’t get scared by the length of this recipe. It’s actually very simple.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 lbs tomatoes
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Sour creme and fresh minced basil for garnish

1- Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Remove core from tomatoes; brush whole tomato with oil mixture. Place in shallow baking pan. (If you’re short on time, you can sprinkle the individual ingredients without measuring them over the tomatoes. You can also use powdered garlic and dry thyme).
2- Bake 35 to 45 min or until skins have split and tomatoes have slightly collapsed. Let cool until tomatoes can be handled. Brush seasoning off tomatoes; reserve. Remove and discard skins.
3- Put tomatoes, accumulated juices and seasoning mixture in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened, using spoon to crush tomatoes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree slightly in blender or, if desired, pass through food mill to remove seeds.
4- Pour into soup bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and sprinkle with basil.

Garlic Chicken Wings

2011-09-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very easy, flavorful and kids love it. They can be used as appetizers or as part of a meal.

Chicken wings (fresh or frozen)
Soy sauce
Powdered garlic
Cayenne pepper (optional)

1- Place the wings in a big ziplock bag.
2- Generously sprinkle soy sauce and then garlic and cayenne, if using, all over.
3- Let marinate in the fridge at least overnight, 2 days is even better.
4- Set an oven rack about 4” from the broiling coils. Set oven on broil (High).
5- Place the wings on a broiling pan (the kind that separates the drippings from the meat). Wait until oven is hot, then place pan in oven. Broil for 15 minutes, turning the wings over half way through.
Enjoy!

9 months - 9 mois

2011-09-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Claire & I set up the baby clothes yesterday. We had a great girly time and we're both getting really excited!
**Claire et moi avons mis les vêtements de bébé dans l'armoire hier. Nous nous sommes bien amusées et nous débordons d'enthousiasme!**

10th Anniversary - Dix ans de mariage

2011-07-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

Cam & I just celebrated our 10th Anniversary! We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House in Salt Lake. We've been there several times. They pamper you when you're celebrating a special occasion :) They have excellent steaks. And their chocolate custard is amazing!

Now allow me to utter a few mushy words on this husband of mine. I consider him a gift from God to me. He makes me feel understood and cherished. It's a joy to give him my best because he is so appreciative. He's funny and smart. He has a pure, generous heart and will never try to lift himself above another person. He'll actually do the opposite to make people feel good. He's an outstanding trampoline-jumping, video-gaming, fort-building, paper-folding father. He made me an even happier woman recently by embracing health. He changed his eating habits, discovered exercise, lost 60 lbs! It was extremely hard for him. I'm so very proud of him! I love being part of his team, at home and also at work. I could write a lot more but I know this much public praise is already making him uncomfortable ;) I'll just finish by saying I am looking forward to an eternity of living and learning by his side.

**Cameron & moi venons de célébrer notre 10ième anniversaire de mariage ! J’aimerais dire quelques mots à propos de mon mari. Il est un cadeau des cieux. Avec lui, je me sens comprise et chérie. C’est une joie de le servir car il exprime toujours sa reconnaissance avec sincérité. Il est rempli d’humour et d’intelligence. Il a un cœur pur et généreux et n’essaie jamais de se faire paraître supérieur à quelqu’un d’autre. En fait, il fait le contraire pour mettre les gens à l’aise. C’est un super Papa qui passe beaucoup de temps avec nos enfants à sauter sur le trampoline, jouer aux jeux vidéos, construire des forts et plier des papiers. Il m’a rendu encore plus heureuse récemment en consacrant son temps à sa santé. Il a changé ses habitudes alimentaires, incorporé un programme rigoureux de sport et perdu près de 30kg ! C’était extrêmement difficile pour lui et je suis d’autant plus fière de lui. J’adore faire partie de son équipe au foyer, comme au travail. Je pourrai écrire des pages mais je sais que ces quelques mots en public le mettent déjà mal l’aise. Je finirai juste par dire que je suis remplie d’enthousiasme à l’idée de passer l’éternité à vivre et apprendre à ses côtés. **

Pioneers Day

2011-07-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Pioneers Day with our friends the Browns and...the Browns, we call the second set the Jimdys to avoid confusion :) The kids always love playing together. "Can we do fireworks now?" is what we hear over and over until the eagerly awaited nightfall arrives.
**Nous avons célébrer la fête de l'état d'Utah "La fête des pionniers" avec des amis. Les enfant adorent jouer entre eux et attendent toujours impatiemment la nuit tombée pour pouvoir enfin faire des feux d'artifice!**

Also check out Cam's Blog for a great post and cool trampoline action shots.

A Day at the Beach - Journée à la plage

2011-07-31T08:05:00.001-07:00

We do have sand beaches in Utah! The Cemetary Point Beach at Pineview Reservoir is my favorite.
**On a des plages de sable blanc en Utah!**

Herman's Hermits Concert with Grandpa

2011-07-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Grandpa took us to see Herman's Hermits, a band from the 60s, in concert. Cam grew up listening to their songs because his Dad was a big fan. I was initiated a while ago as well. Next, Grandpa worked on the kids who immediately caught on to several songs, especially the "Henry the 8th". They actually think Peter Noone's name is "Henry". We had a great time with Grandpa!
**Nous avons accompagné Grandpa à un concert de Herman's Hermits, un groupe musical des années 60. Cam a grandi en écoutant leur musique car son père l'aimait beaucoup. Hal m'a initiée moi aussi il y a quelques années. C'était donc le tour des enfants qui s'y sont donnés à coeur joie :)**

Dinner at "In & Out Burger" **Hamburgers pour le diner**

We all ride in the minivan. **On y a va tous dans le minivan**

Grandpa got us nice seats, the best in my opinion! **Grandpa nous a pris de très bon sièges. **

Herman's Hermits

Peter Noone still knows how to entertain his audience.

Shopping List App

2011-07-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

I recently switched from a paper to an electronic shopping list using the "Shopping List" app by Hensoft. I did upgrade to the paying version so I could have more than one list (one for each store) and so I could customize my categories. You can even change the order of the categories so they appear on your list in the same order as the aisles in the store. No more ugly paper on my fridge, no more ineligible handwriting and best of all, no forgetting my list at home!! Great thanks to my sister for giving me the idea!

Wonderful Veggie Savers

2011-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

I often have half a lemon or part of an onion left over after cooking. I used to wrap them up and toss them in the vegetable drawer where I would often forget about them. When I saw the lemon saver at Wal-Mart, I decided it was a much better way to store left over lemon. It's very visible and it's BPA-free (plastic wraps aren't always). It also seems to be keeping things fresher than wraps. I am loving it. I saw the onion saver at Macey's. It actually keeps the onion odor from leaking in the fridge! They also make a tomato saver that I'm planning on getting.

7 Months Belly - Mon ventre à 7 mois de grossesse :)

2011-07-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

Moroccan Chicken Kabobs

2011-07-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, flavorful! Recipe from Familyfun.com -
I served the kabobs with whole wheat couscous and zucchinis (cook medium size chunks in covered saucepan in 1/4" of water with salt, garlic, onion powder and olive oil until tender ).

Ingredients
1 small onion, quartered
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
X
Instructions
Put all the ingredients except the chicken and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers (presoaked in water) and place in a large, shallow glass or pottery casserole dish. Spread the pureed marinade over the chicken, turning the chicken to coat it well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Start your grill, and when it's hot, lightly season the chicken with a bit of additional salt and grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Family Fun.com Recipes

2011-07-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

I got bored with most of my usual recipes so I went hunting for new ideas on Familyfun.com. They have quite the repertoire of fresh & fun summer recipes. I'll be posting my favorites.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

2011-07-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

Oohh, so good! Recipe from Familyfun.com

Ingredients
MARINADE:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 to 4 limes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more for brushing the tortillas)
1 tablespoon honey - (I left it out)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
TOSTADAS
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 ounces each)
8 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter) I think tortilla chips would work well also.
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack, or more if desired
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions
X
Instructions
Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip-lock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling.

Prepare a charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot -- about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into 1/2-inch strips.

Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese.

To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings. Serves 6 to 8.

Lagoon - Bounceback!

2011-07-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

Click on slideshow to view legend.
**Cliquer sur le diaporama pour voir les légendes**

Patriotic Celebrations

2011-07-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Click on slideshow to view legend.
**Cliquer sur le diaporama pour voir les légendes**

Lagoon

2011-07-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

My sister & I went to Lagoon with the kids. We had a wonderful time. I didn't go on most of the rides due to my present state but I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance and the kids excitment.
**Je suis allée à Lagoon avec Cathy. Je ne suis pas allée sur la plupart des manèges vue mon état mais j'ai bien profité de l'ambiance et de l'enthousiasme des enfants**

Lehi Parade

2011-07-03T15:26:00.001-07:00

We got back from camping, switched cars and, still all smoky smelling from camping, rushed to catch the Lehi Parade !
**On est rentrés à la maison, on a changé de voiture et, encore embaumés de l'odeur du feu de camp, on s'est dépéché vers la parade de Lehi! **

Diamond Fork Camping

2011-07-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

The web album (Picasa) I'm using for the slide show has some kind of glitch with the captions so II disabled them for now. Double-click on the slide show to go into Picasa and view the captions. Sorry about the inconvenience, I'm working on it.

Double cliquez sur les photos pour accéder à la légende.

Sesame, our rat

2011-07-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

We got our family's first pet a few months ago, Sesame,a rat. We all love her. She's fun like a dog but a lot easier to take care of. And she eats by holding things in her cute little pink hands. The plague and sewer stories gave rats a bad name but rats are actually very clean animals. Here is an adorable video of Sesame grooming herself. **Nous avons adopté notre premier animal domestique il y a quelques mois, un rat! Sesame. On l'adore. C'est comme avoir un chien sans tout le travail. En plus, elle mange en tenant les choses entre ses petites mains roses. Les rats, contrairement à ce qu'on a tendance à penser, sont très propres. Voici une adorable vidéo de Sesame entrain de faire sa toilette.**

Gabriel is 4 - Gabriel a 4 ans!

2011-07-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's already been 4 years since Gabriel came to join our family! We feel so blessed to have him. He's such a perceptive and sensitive little boy. I love the way he expresses his feelings, happy or frustrated, and the way he tells me what he would like me to do about it. He's also very meticulous, he'll spend hours outfitting his Playmobil men & vehicules with their gear. He's disappointed he's not getting a little brother but I have no doubt he'll be a loving and protective big brother for his little sister.

**Ça fait déjà 4 ans que Gabriel est venu se joindre à notre famille! Nous sommes tellement reconnaissants de l'avoir parmi nous. C'est un petit garçon sensible et rempli de sagacité. J'aime comme il exprime ses sentiments, heureux ou frustrés, et la façon dont il m'explique ce qu'il aimerait que je fasse. Il est aussi très méticuleux. Il passe des heures à équiper ses bonhommes et véhicules de Playmobile. Il est déçu que le bébé ne soit pas un petit frère mais je n'ai aucun doute qu'il sera un grand-frère aimant et protecteur pour sa petite soeur. **

Trip to France - Voyage en France

2011-06-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Saint-Raphael, near Nice, France the first week of May. We met up with my parents there.. We had a wonderful time.
**Les enfants et moi avons passé la première semaine de Mai à Saint-Raphael, à côté de Nice. Mes parents nous ont retrouvé là-bas. C'était un séjour formidable.**

Our Little Performer - Notre petite star

2011-06-19T22:56:00.001-07:00

These performances are from last year but I finally got around to posting this condensed version. You'll see Claire playing the piano & singing. Then her school Christmas program. Finally, her Christmas dance recital. It's too cute :)

**Ces spectacles datent de l'année dernière mais je mets enfin ce montage sur le blog! Vous y verrez Claire qui s'accompagne au piano en chantant, et puis son programme de Noel à l'ècole et enfin son spectacle de danse. C'est mignon :) **

Still alive! Toujours en vie

2011-06-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hello! Sorry about the big break from blogging. Well as you may know, I am expecting a little girl for the end of September. My first trimester, I needed a lot of sleep, felt lethargic most of the time and nauseous too. When my energy and complete well-being came back 9 weeks ago, I had a lot to catch up on around the house. Then I tackled my record keeping projects. I gave priority to my digital photo books and I also felt like working on editing our family videos. My thoughtful husband got me a new laptop and it's so wonderful for working with videos, I couldn't stop! School is over and my schedule is a lot lighter. I'm now back to regular blogging I think... I hope! Stay tuned ;)
**Coucou! Désolée pour la longue pause sur mon blog! Comme vous le savez peut-être, j'attends un bébé fin-Septembre. Mon premier trimestre, j'avais besoin de beaucoup de sommeil, j'étais souvent fatiguée et avec des nausées aussi. Quand mon énergie et mon bien-être complet sont revenus il y a 9 semaines, j'avais beaucoup de retard à rattraper dans la maison. Et puis je me suis remise à mes albums photos digitaux et j'ai voulu travailer sur des montages de nos vidéos de famille. Voilà, maintenant je compte bien me remettre à blogger... j'espère dumoins ;) Restez à l'écoute!**

Mudroom Remodeling -

2011-01-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

BEFORE (AVANT)

AFTER (APRES)

Michael is 7!!

2010-12-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

Our first born is now 7! It doesn't seem like that long ago he was my only child, my little "Pooka". Every new year brings new excitement as he masters new skills. He's an excellent reader now. And he has a wonderful grasp of time. He knows what he wants and how to make it happen. I love it when he gobbles up food he likes (like boiled leaks with vinaigrette) and I never seem to have a sufficient supply on hand. When I make something new he doesn't like, he tells me "I think you shouldn't make this anymore". We're so glad to have him in our family. He's sharp and lively. Day after day, he delights his siblings by taking them on wild imaginary journeys throughout the house. He's a tornado of fun. And yes, he does leave a trail of chaos behind him!
**Notre aîné a 7 ans! Ça ne fait pourtant pas si longtemps qu'il était mon seul enfant, mon petit "Pooka". Chaque nouvelle année emmène avec elle de nouveaux régales. Michael est un très bon lecteur maintenant et sa notion du temps est bien aiguisée. Il sait ce qu'il veut et comment l'obtenir. J'adore quand il engloutit les choses qu'il aime manger (comme les poireaux à la vinaigrette). Je n'en fais jamais assez! Quand je cuisine quelque chose de nouveau qu'il n'aime pas, il me dit "Tu ne devrais pas en refaire". Nous sommes heureux de l'avoir dans notre famille. Il est intelligent et énergétique. Jour après jour, il régale sa soeur et son frère en les entraînant dans des aventures imaginaires déchaînées à travers la maison. C'est un cyclone d'amusement et il laisse bien des traces!**

Oh Christmas Tree!

2010-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

The ornaments have been staying on the tree this year! The old ones were all broken so we had to buy new ones. The kids were actively involved in the selection process. Maybe that helped? I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

**Les décorations sont toujours sur l'abre de Noel et pas éparpillées partout! Les vieilles décorations étaient toutes cassées donc on a dû en racheter cette année. Les enfants ont bien aidé à les choisir. Peut-être que ça à aider? Pourvu que ça dure!**

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T23:33:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year with Cameron's family (his parents, his Grandma and his brother). It was my first time making the whole Thanksgiving dinner. It took hours of work but I enjoyed it. Cam was a big help. There was way too much food :) I feel blessed to have my in-laws so close and was glad to celebrate this holiday with them.

**Nous avons fêté Thanksgiving chez nous cette année avec la famille de Cameron (ses parents, sa grand-mère et son frère. C'était la première fois que j'entreprenais de faire le repas entier. Ça m'a pris des heures de travail mais j'ai aimé. Cam m'a bien aidé aussi. Il y avait bien trop à manger! Je suis reconnaissante d'avoir ma belle famille si proche et je suis heureuse d'avoir pu fêter avec eux.**

Pre-Thanksgiving Celebration

2010-11-24T22:39:00.000-08:00

A few days before Thanksgiving, the Chion-Hock sisters get together for a feast. On the actual day of Thanksgiving, they will be with their respective in-laws. One can never celebrate too much!

**Pour Thanksgiving, les soeurs Chion-Hock seront avec leurs belle-familles respectives. Alors quelques jours avant, elles se rassemblent et fête Thanksgiving entre elles. On ne peut avoir trop de fêtes!**

The Night Owl Eats the Early Bird!

2010-11-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

Cam & I decided, on a whim, to go see the new Harry Potter at the theatre for our date the next night. It was opening night however, so of course everything was sold out! Taking a break from work at 3am the day of, Cam noticed a new showing was being offered. He got us seats. When he checked again a few hours later, it was sold out. I love my night owl!

Claire's Reading Milestone

2010-11-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

Claire worked hard and overcame her short attention span . She finished her reading manual and earned her Love Monkey Webkinz. We're so proud of her!
I strongly recommend the "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann to anyone who wants to teach their child how to read. I used it for Michael too. The book was very helpful in helping the kids link sounds together to make words.

**Claire a travaillé dur et elle a surmonté son manque d'attention. Elle a fini son manuel de lecture et a, par conséquent, reçu sa récompense: un singe en peluche rose qu'elle peut "élever" sur le site Internet de Webkinz. Nous sommes si fiers d'elle! **

Michael's Fall Clean Up / Michael nettoie le potager

2010-11-14T17:02:00.001-08:00

I never have the heart to pull out the garden plants before the first frost because they're still thriving. And when the weather is frigid I don't want to do it either... Fortunately, I have a boy who couldn't believe his ears when I told him I'd pay him $2 to "destroy" the garden. He would have done it for free!! He pulled out the corn, the zuchinis and the tomatoe plants. He did an excellent job. Best $2 ever spent!

**Je n'arrive pas à déraciner les plantes dans le potager avant la première gelée car elles sont encore en bonne état. Mais ensuite quand il fait froid, c'est pas agréable de travailler dehors... Heureusement que j'ai un garçon qui n'en croyait pas ses oreilles quand je lui ai offert $2 pour "détruire" le potager. Il l'aurait fait gratuitement! **

Box Car Drive In / Cinéma en plein air et voitures en cartons

2010-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

Our Primary just had its third annual Box Car Drive In. This time I got to help because I'm a primary teacher. I even got to sneak Gabriel in who's not techinically in Primary yet. The kids look so forward to this event. They watched "Toy Story 3" on a projector screen in the church gym while munching popcorn and candy. They are just as happy about the planning and preparing process. They came with me to get supplies and they were all bubbling with excitment. We started the assembly together but saved the painting for after they were in bed :)

**Notre Primaire vient d'avoir sa 3ième activité annuelle de cinéma en plein air avec voitures en carton. Cette fois-ci, j'ai pu aider car je suis instructrice de primaire. Et Gabriel a pu participer malgré le fait qu'il ne soit pas encore tout à fait à la Primaire. Les enfants attendent toujours cette activité avec impatience. Ils ont regardé "Toy Story 3" en grignotant des bonbons et du popcorn dans la salle culturelle de la chapelle. Les enfant sont tout aussi ravis de participer à la préparation des voitures. Débordants d'enthousiasme, ils m'ont accompagner pour acheter les quelques fournitures nécessaires. On a commencé la construction des voitures ensemble mais on a attendu que les enfants soient au lit pour les peindre.

Oliver Twist

2010-11-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

What a sad book this was... I often thought of putting it down for good but the hope that things would improve for poor Oliver kept me going. And improve they did, at the very end. Still in my mind lingers the images of hungry, mistreated children. Those whose story did not end well or will not end well. Because such tragedies still happen today.
As a teenager, some of my favorite books were Emile Zola's. He's a French humanist writer. I don't think I would enjoy his books as much now. Having children made me a lot more sensitive to the suffering of innocent people.
The kids moderately enjoyed the book. Claire kept saying "Poor Oliver!" in echo to my own voice and all were glad to see the bad guys punished and some of the misled kids back on track.

Arabian Nights

2010-11-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

In French it's called the Thousand and One Nights. Fifty and One Nights would have been fine with me! I actually stopped reading after seventy or so nights... The stories were beautifully written but I got somewhat bored with the recurring themes and most of all I became more and more disgusted with the foolishness and barbarism of the men portrayed in the stories. Scheherazade might have chosen those stories to help the Sultan Schariar come to the realization of his wrong doings... I don't know. I think reading just the most popular of the tales (Sinbad the Sailor, Alladin & Alibaba) is the right way to go here.

Claire's Great Loves

2010-11-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

Binkies and Books
**Les deux grands amours de Claire: les sucettes et les livres!**

Reading "Green Eggs & Ham" to Gabriel. What a good big sister!

Master Bedroom Makeover

2010-11-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

My neighbor came to my rescue to help me re-decorate the master bedroom. I am so amazed by the results! Go check out her website!

Halloween

2010-11-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

Morticia, Superman, Cinderella and Army Man are ready to brave the storm outside! Trick or treat here we come!
** Morticia (la famille Addams), Superman, Cendrillion et un soldat sont prêts pour aller chercher les bonbons malgré la pluie et le vent dehors.**

Last harvest before the first frost

2010-11-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

Disneyland!

2010-11-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

We hadn't gone to Disneyland in 6 years. We were waiting for our youngest to be tall enough to get on most of the rides. Cam's dad came along too. It was great to have him. It wasn't a school break and the weather was overcast so crowds were very minimal. The most we waited for a ride was 20 minutes and often we walked right in. We all left with wonderful memories. Cam did a more detailed post on his blog. Go check it out!

**Ça faisait 6 ans qu'on n'était pas aller à Disneyland. On voulait que tout le monde soit assez grand pour aller sur la plupart des manèges. Le père de Cam est venu avec nous. Ça n'était pas les vacances et il faisait gris donc le parc était épargné par les foules. C'était super. On n'avait presque pas de queue! Nous sommes tous repartis la tête remplie de beaux souvenirs.**

Fall Fun

2010-11-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

Crème Brûlée - Easy and amazingly tasty!

2010-10-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a Good Housekeeping magazine a couple years ago. I only made one modification, borrowed from the authentic stovetop recipe, which is to pulverize the sugar before broiling it. It’s easier to apply. This microwave method makes it impossible to overheat the creams and clean up is easy. More importantly, no compromise is made on the taste.

1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, processed in blender to make a powder

1. Preheat oven to 325®F. Into a 13”x9” baking pan, pour 3 ½ cup hot tap water; place in oven.

2. In microwave-safe 2-cup liquid measuring cup, heat creams in microwave on medium (50% power) for 5 minutes; remove from microwave; stir in vanilla.

3. Meanwhile, in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until well blended. Slowly whisk in warm cream until combined; with spoon, skim off foam.

4. Partially pull out oven rack with baking pan. Place six 4-ounce ramekins in the baking pan. Pour cream mixture into ramekins (mixture should come almost to tops of ramekins for successful broiling later). Carefully push in rack and bake custards 30 minutes or until just set but centers jiggle slightly. Remove ramekin from water and place on wire rack. Cool 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. About an hour before serving, place rack on its highest position and preheat broiler. Place brown sugar in sieve and shake over tops of custards to cover evenly. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and broil for 3 minutes. Refrigerate immediately 1 hour to cool custards and allow sugar to form a crust.

2010 Races

2010-09-29T13:53:00.001-07:00

Running is great!
These races wouldn't have been as meaningful without my faithful running buddies the Sabins!

June

Lehi's Round Up 10k (6.2 miles)
1:01:40

Provo River Trail Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
2:13:55

September
Utah Valley Relay Marathon (5.2 miles each)
Total Race Time:4:02:54
Rac's Time: 50:35
Fran's Time: 46:52J
ason's Time: 41:38
Drew's Time: 54:01
Amy's Time: 49:48

My neighbor Amy came to race with one hour's notice when our teammate, Jeremy, had to rush home with a bad case of food poisoning!

May everyone to even better next year!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

2010-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

I loved the movie and decided to read the book. I loved it too although it was quite different.

Interesting concepts: Dantes believes himself to be God's avenging angel... I think that although God often uses people to "punish the wicked" in his own due time, these people, if acting out of revenge, are actually comminting a sin. Dantes realizes that to some extent when things get out of hand and his enemies punishments end up being a lot harsher then Dantes intended. Feeling repentant, Dantes pardons, Danglar, his third enemy before his punishment is carried out completely.
Things I liked better in the book than the movie: I loved the way Alexandre Dumas describes the expression and the body language of the characters. The reader feels that much more involved.
In the book, you see Dantes doing good around him, especially toward the Morrell family.
Things I liked less in the book than the movie: I like fairy tales! In the movie, Albert is actually Dantes' son and Mercedes only married someone else upon Dantes' imprisonment because she was pregnant. When Dantes, comes back he gets both Mercedes and Albert back. '
My favorite parts: I really enjoyed the wisdom of the Abbe Faria.
The end of the book, when all "the dominoes fall" was very exciting, especially when Benedetto reveals, in the middle of a court session, that he is M. de Villefort illegitimate son.
The way Monte Cristo shatters most of the remainder of Danglar's fortune is hilarious although the reader is brutally brought back to soberness upon the recall of Dante's own starved to death father.
The reuniting of Maximilian and Valentine was of course sublime. From the time of Valentine's "death"until her reappearance, the author does a fantastic job of cruelly playing with the reader's emotion. He had me both anxiously hoping and desperately wondering.

Great read!!

Celebrating Claire

2010-09-26T14:14:00.001-07:00

Tortilla Soup

2010-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

This has been our family's favorite meal for a while now...

1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin
2 Tbsp lime juice
Tortilla chips
3 plum tomatoes, diced
2 ripe avocadoes, sliced or prepared guacamole (Costco's is delicious!)
1/2 cup cilantro

- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer, partially covered, until no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and let cool. Continue to simmer the broth for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Remove the broth from heat and stir in lime juice. Divide portions of tortilla chips, chicken, tomatoes and aocado among individual bowls. Ladle the broth over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Grapes Terrine

2010-09-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

This dessert doesn't taste like much, just grapes really, but it is very fun looking and the kids loved it.

- 2 env. enflavored gelatin

- 1/2 cold water

- 2 1/2 cup white grape juice

- 2 Tbsp fesh lemon juice

- 2 cups red seedless grapes

- 2 cups green seedless grapes

1- In cup, evenly sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 2 minutes.

2- In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of juice on medium-low. Stir in softened gelatine mixture until dessolved. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice.

3- Pour gelatin mixture into a loaf pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours. Add grapes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4- To unmold terrine, place loaf pan in a pan of warm water for a few seconds. Remove pan from water. Insert knife around edges. Place serving plate on top of loaf pan and grasping both together, invrt terrine onto plate.

Sausage & Tomatoes (Rougail Saucisses)

2010-09-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is a popular dish from my native island. This picture doesn't do it justice.

· 8 Italian sausages
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 4 roma tomatoes, sliced thin then chopped
· Salt & pepper
· 1 tbsp oil
· ½ cup water
Prick the sausages with a fork then boil for 10 minutes.
Drain sausages and cut each in 3 pieces
Brown the sausages in oil
Add onions then tomatoes
Add salt & pepper to taste
Cook on high for a few minutes
Add water. Simmer down.
Serve over Jasmine rice.

Great sides: sorry the directions are a little vague, I never measure these dishes!
Lentils - Pour picked over lentils in a saucepan. Place a bunch of thin onion slices, fresh crushed garlic or garlic powder, salt and a fresh thyme sprig if you want, on top. Cover with twice as much water as there are lentils. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft (20 minutes?)

Zucchini Etouffee
Place zucchini slices or chucks in a saucepan. Place sliced onion, garlic (crush or powder), salt, olive oil and a fresh thyme sprig on top. Add a little water (1/3 as much as the zucchinis?), cover and cook over medium heat until the zucchinis are soft. Some like it with a little bite left, others really squishy. I like them in between: still fairly green but soft enough to squish with your tongue.

Ginger, Garlic Rub

2010-09-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece (2 in) fresh ginger, peeled
1 Tbs coarse salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
2 lbs of meat to grill (beef or pork ribs work well)

Place garlic, ginger, salt & pepper in mortar or small food processor. Work in soy sauce and fish sauce. Spread spice paste over meat on both sides. Let ribs marinate in refrigerator, covered for 1 to 4 hours. Grill and enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

2010-09-21T15:42:00.001-07:00

So refreshing... great if you have a bunch of over-ripe strawberries.

original recipe calls for 1/3 cup sugar - I used 2Tbs honey

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch salt

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and basil. Pour 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until suagar has desolved ans mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the basil syrup into a blender, discarding the basil leaves. Add the strawberry halves, lemon juice and salt. Process until very smooth.

Pour in popsicle molds.

Sisters Lunch

2010-09-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I resumed our monthly lunches. I'm so glad we live close enough to each other to see each other on a regular basis! We went to "La Jolla Groves" at the Riverwoods (see review).
Mes soeurs et moi avont repris nos déjeuners mensuels entre soeurs. Je suis tellement heureuse que l'on habite suffisament proche les unes des autres pour se voir régulièrement!

La Jolla Groves

2010-09-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

General Impression: Definitely on my list of favorites

The dishes I tried there (see below) were amazing-- fresh, flavorful and cooked to perfection. The portions were small compared to the average portion around here but they were sufficient. The waitress brought a basket with various bread rolls to our table. They were ok. I prefer hard crust breads...

The dessert I tried (Lemon Tiramisu) was very sweet. I took it to go and fed it to Cam :) The waitress said that all their desserts were very sweet. They won't be a temptation for me when I go there!

I also very much enjoyed the decor. Elegant, yet simple and fresh.

Website: http://www.provorestaurants.com/

Raw Seared Sesame Tuna

Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Butter

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2010-09-12T20:07:00.001-07:00

-- This is one of our family's favorite dishes. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish by adding a few more things-- Picture coming soon!

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp grated ginger
6 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 (14oz) cans coconut milk
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken meat, sliced thin into 1” strips (you might want to make it 2lbs if serving as the main dish)
(½ lb white mushroom, sliced thin)
(1 can bamboo shoots, drained)
1 can baby corn
1 pkg bean vermicelli – (if serving as main dish)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
Fresh tomatoes, quartered
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the ginger and curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the broth and stir until the curry paste dissolves. Stir in the remaining broth, the fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms. Simmer until the chicken is cooked (abt 5 minutes). Turn off heat. (Add vermicelli and let soak for 15 minutes. )Stir in the lime juice and season with salt. Sprinkle the bowls of soup with cilantro leaves & tomatoes before serving.

The Garden / Le Potager

2010-09-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

This year's crops are zucchinis, corn, tomatoes and red peppers. With my trip to Réunion I got a very late start on my garden (I planted it at the end of June! So our tomatoes are still green! And our corn barely budding!) The herbs featured are the perennials chives, oregano, thyme, sage (It's huge and we never use it, I'm pulling it out at the end of the season). There was also curly parsley, basil, cilantro (it goes to seed so fast... and then it's bitter. I'll have to find a solution for nest year) and finally lemongrass!! I'm very excited about this last one because I grew up with it and it makes a wonderful tea especially paired with basil. I ordered the plant on Amazon!

Tom Sawyer

2010-09-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

We loved this book! It was very interesting and it ended well (for me, that's a must for a good book). The kids loved the adventures Tom had and they often asked me to read just a little more. I particularly enjoyed the part where the boys of the town, trade their treasures to be able to white wash Tom's fence. The fact that Tom talked them into beleiving they were getting a good deal is entertaining in and of itself. But I enjoyed reading what the treasures were-- random pieces of junk really but treasures to the boys. It reminded me of Michael and the things he picks up everywhere. Boys stay inherently the same throughout the ages it looks like :)

Principles

2010-09-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy nutrition. Here are the main principles I strive to follow. I'm planning on writing many more posts in the future, I just thought I'd throw a few things here in order to create a "Health" tab on the main page :)

Use whole grains as much as possible
Have vegetables fresh or frozen at every lunch and dinner. (I don't like canned. I've read they still retain their nutrients but the color is gone and the taste is off so I rarely use them) A variety of fresh fruits available to snack on
I try to pair proteins and carbs as much as I can -
A balanced meal includes proteins, carbs and vegetables.
I try to sneak the calcium in at breakfast, snacks and desserts.
Fats... they get an undeserved bad name. I try to buy lean cuts of meat but all the milk products I choose are full fat!!!

I boycott:
Trans Fats - Partially Hydrogenated oils and Mono & Di-Glycerides
High Fructose Corn Syrup
BHT & BHA
Sodium Nitrite
Food Coloring
Bleached flour
Aspartame

A friend of mine had questions about some of the above mentionned substances or principles. I'm copying the answers I gave her to possibly benefit others too :)

What is BHT? BHT & BHA are preservatives. They have been shown by some studies to be carcinogenic. The State of California has actually declared BHA to be carcinogenic. They are found mostly in very processed foods (that we shouldn't anyways) but most cold cereals also use it in their packaging. How much exposure do we get from the cereals being in contact with the substance I don' t know. I prefer to stay away from them altogether. Most cereals have high fructose corn syrup too anyways. Cheerios uses Tocopherols (vit E) as a preservative which is great. The brands who don't are just trying to cut cost at the expense of the consumers' health. I've also found found that most gum as BHA ot BHT in it....

What are sodium nitrites? It's a meat preservative mostly used in deli meats (ham, hotdogs). The biggest danger is that nitrites can be converted in nitrosamines which are highly carcinogenic. This conversion more readily occurs when the meat reaches frying temperatures, think bacon and breakfast links! Here's a good article I found. The statistics are compelling... http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/08/22/the-dangers-of-nitrites-the-foods-they-are-found-in-and-why-you-want-to-avoid-them.htm

What do you consider to be good carbs, the kind to pair with a protein? Think Whole Foods (ie, the way God gave them to us :) ) Whole grains and fruits. Chemically, eating protein by itself is fine. It's when we ingest carbs that we can benefit from the blood sugar regulating effect of proteins.

Why do you feel it's okay to eat full fat dairy products? Taste? Yes, I use full fat because of taste. And it is the way God gave them to us... :) We need fat to utilize the calcium from dairy products because Vitamin D, which is required for fat utilization, is fat soluble. Sure, the fat doesn't have to come from the milk product. But then again, it's prefectly ok if it does. So cheers to whole milk and sunshine!

Here's another good article. http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html

Random Thoughts

2010-09-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here I will share random thoughts .... :)

Labor Day

2010-09-07T22:42:00.001-07:00

Labor Day was a gorgeous cool and sunny day. I grabbed my little clan and headed for the beautiful canyon I feel so blessed to have nearby. Cam was plagued with allergies and couldn't come. I missed him very much.

This and that

2010-09-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

The kids love going to Grandpa & Grandma's. Here are the later playfully going along with the game the kids invented-- wood sledding on a blanket!

Les enfants adorent aller chez leur grand-parents. Ceux-ci se prêtent volontier aux jeux inventés par les enfants. Ici, on fait de la luge dans une couverture sur le parquet!

Michael no longer wants to go to a lot of the fun places we used to go to. He comes home from school, has a snack, plows through his homework and runs off to play with his friends... sigh... He's growing up so fast! Well, Claire and Gabriel still very much enjoy going out so I started taking them after their school and before Michael gets out.

Michael ne veut plus aller faire des choses chouettes comme avant. Quand il rantre de l'école, il mange son goûter, fait ses devoirs et file jouer avec ses amis.... mon petit garçon grandit si vite... J'ai donc commencé à emmener Claire et Gabriel en sortie après leur école et avant que Michael ne finisse.

Claire started dance lessons and she is very excited. We tried when she was younger but she wasn't crazy about it. I'm a fan of waiting until kindergarten to start lessons of most kinds....

Claire a commencé la danse et elle adore!

School! La rantrée!

2010-09-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

First day in First Grade for Michael!

Premier jour au CP pour Michael!

Claire started Kindergarten. Isn't that uniform adorable? She barely missed the deadline to be able to attend public school this year. All her neighborhood friends are in Kindergarten and she's very ready so she's going to a private school. Next year, public school will have to accept her in 1st grade... he he he

Claire a commencé la grande section. Aux Etats-Unis, l'école publique commence à la grande section. Les enfants nés entre Septembre et Décembre sont mis avec les enfants de l'année d'après. Toutes les petites copines de Claire dans notre voisinage sont nées avant Septembre et on donc commencé l'école publique. J'ai mis Claire dans une école privée pour cette année. L'année prochaine, l'école publique la laissera entrer au CP.

And my little Gabriel started school too! He's in the same school as Claire so he goes every morning. He's happy to finally be doing something the big kids too!

Et mon petit Gabriel a commencé l'école aussi! Il est en petite section. Aux Etats-Unis, les petites et moyennes sections sont privées et ne sont souvent que 2 ou 3 jours par semaine. Il est dans la même école que Claire dont les cours sont tous les matins donc j'ai choisi l'option de 5 matins par semaines pour Gabi aussi. Il est content d'enfin faire ce que les grands enfants font!

Fran's Blog

Halloween

Pumpkin Carving **On découpe des potirons**

Getting enough attention? ** 3 Malbars sur un cochon**

Cornbelly's

Hughes Kids

Chloe & Mom Photo Shoot

Enamored **Amoureux**

Story of the Birth- **L' accouchement**

Sundaes

Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Sauce

40 Weeks and Counting! **40 semaines et 1 jour!

Celebrating Claire

Roasted Tomato Soup

Garlic Chicken Wings

9 months - **9 mois**

10th Anniversary - **Dix ans de mariage**

Pioneers Day

A Day at the Beach - **Journée à la plage**

Herman's Hermits Concert with Grandpa

Shopping List App

Wonderful Veggie Savers

7 Months Belly - Mon ventre à 7 mois de grossesse :)

Moroccan Chicken Kabobs

Family Fun.com Recipes

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Lagoon - Bounceback!

Patriotic Celebrations

Lagoon

Lehi Parade

Diamond Fork Camping

Sesame, our rat

Gabriel is 4 - Gabriel a 4 ans!

Trip to France - **Voyage en France**

Our Little Performer - **Notre petite star**

Still alive! **Toujours en vie**

Mudroom Remodeling -

Michael is 7!!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Thanksgiving

Pre-Thanksgiving Celebration

The Night Owl Eats the Early Bird!

Claire's Reading Milestone

Michael's Fall Clean Up / Michael nettoie le potager

Box Car Drive In / Cinéma en plein air et voitures en cartons

Oliver Twist

Arabian Nights

Claire's Great Loves

Master Bedroom Makeover

Halloween

Last harvest before the first frost

Disneyland!

Fall Fun

Crème Brûlée - Easy and amazingly tasty!

2010 Races

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Celebrating Claire

Tortilla Soup

Grapes Terrine

Sausage & Tomatoes (Rougail Saucisses)

Ginger, Garlic Rub

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

Sisters Lunch

La Jolla Groves

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

The Garden / Le Potager

Tom Sawyer

Principles

Random Thoughts

Labor Day

This and that

School! **La rantrée!**

Pumpkin Carving On découpe des potirons

Getting enough attention? 3 Malbars sur un cochon

Enamored Amoureux

Story of the Birth- L' accouchement

9 months - 9 mois

10th Anniversary - Dix ans de mariage

A Day at the Beach - Journée à la plage

Trip to France - Voyage en France

Our Little Performer - Notre petite star

Still alive! Toujours en vie

School! La rantrée!