the beauty of discovery

club u campers exploring their world at the great salt lake
Fall Break Science Camp 2007

teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives. --thomas berry

think of the children

I don't care who's side you're on, it made me sick to hear that upwards of seven million dollars has been put into the campaigning for ($3.8 million) and against ($3.2 million) the voucher referendum.

think if all that money could have just gone to the children instead of supporting the interests of these two groups. . .

first of all, happy halloween.

secondly, have you ever wondered what happened to all these guys? well, they just might be sitting in a trailer out in the desert watching the karate kid over and over again, every day of their lives.

check out THIS music video from the band no more kings. simply fabulous. love the all-star cast. (it is the karate kid, fast forwarded twenty years. even ralph machio makes an appearance.)

sweep the leg, johnny.

simple solutions

what's a girl to do when all she needs is a little bromothymal blue indicator for THIS chemistry experiment, but the university's stock room doesn't sell it anymore? {and let's be honeset, this girl would have no idea where to buy it otherwise} she boils cabbage!

yes, I made me some red cabbage pH indicator tonight for Club U's Fall Break Camp tomorrow. {for the kids' sake, I hope this substitution works. if not, however, it's all in the name of science} the bonus is now I have a ton of red cabbage, which I'm not quite sure what to do with. I need to look me up some german recipes or something. and stat! does red cabbage freeze well? {at least I've got my new veggie for the week out of the way}


**for any interested in doing this for a science fair project--or just a fun project to do with your kids--you can also mash up blueberries (add a little water) and you've got the same deal. cut up strips of paper, dip them into the solution, let them dry, and then you can test the pH of different solutions. {you'd have to look up what the different changes in colors would mean, 'cause I don't know that off the top of my head.} simple + fun!**

SAC strikes again!

there must be something in the air. nate, my coworker, got suckered into a SAC purchase today. and so did I. I swear, do not check the daily deals on Steap and Cheap unless you're ready for a sick addiction. but these skis (the K2 T Nine Phat Luv Alpine Ski to be exact.) were just my size and calling my sweet powder name. may the snow gods be good to us this season. (also, sac gods, if you want to put up some super sweet, super cheap tele boots in my size I would be forever grateful. and broke.)

openness and freedom

photo via flickr

love flowers best in openness and freedom. --edward abbey

treat or trick

photo via flickr

we took the girls reverse trick or treating tonight. it was great seeing all of our spazzy little twelve year olds in costume telling the confused people at the door that it was okay, we were giving them the candy. I think some people might have been a little suspicious of us, and the rest heard us coming and turned off all the lights and hid in their basements.

green girls go in the dark

photo via my cellular telephone

here in continuing ed we're striving to do the little things. because as we all know, it's the little things that can add up to make a huge impact in this world.

we are encouraged to turn off lights when we leave any room (breakroom, bathroom, et cetera). the offices of my coworkers are often dimly lighted. we try to use the least amount of unnatural lighting as possible, as to save energy. and this carries over to the bathroom as well.

it's not unnusual to pee in the dark around here. now sometimes using the bathroom without the lights on is not a problem. different amounts of light stream through the window at various times of the day. for me it's usually an internal debate as to whether it's dark enough to justify turning on the lights. are other people already in here peeing in the dark? will I be able to see well enough? sometimes you will be in there doing your business and someone else will come in and turn on the lights. there's always that moment of relief that you can actually see.

though let's be honest, the darkness is not really that bad. your eyes adjust. you can see. maybe we should all pee in the dark. (in the name of the environment.) {though I'm not sure I advise this for boys who have a hard time aiming}

the real deal

since we all know you can't make a pumpkin pie (or anything pumpkiny delicioius) out of a regular pumpkin of the jack-o-lantern variety, I went out and bought a couple sugar pumpkins. {okay, the sign at the grocery store said they were pie pumpkins. since I was making pie, I figured this would be good enough, and that they were probably the same thing as a sugar pumpkin anyway, just under another guise.} yesterday I ventured into making the pie. the real, whole-foods pumpkin pie. for a girl who doesn't love pie {though let's be honest, I don't quite hate pie either} I do find myself making quite a lot of them. now I can add pumpkin to the repertoire.

it turned out quite delisious, in case you were wondering. it even held up to a side by side comparison of a marie callender's pumpkin pie.

fresh pumpkin pie recipe via allrecipes.com

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, warmed slightly
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. lightly oil the cut side and place cut side down on a baking sheet. bake at 325 for about an hour, or until flesh is tender. cool until warkably warm. scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel and either mash or puree in a blender.

2. in a large bowl blend together two cups pumpkin puree, spices and salt. beat in vanilla, eggs, honey, milk and cream. pour filling into pie shell.

3. bake at 400 for 50 - 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the crust comes out clean.

No Roll Pie Crust via allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons milk

1. in a 9 inch pie plate sift flour, sugar and salt. make a well in the center and add the oil and milk. mix with a fork, then press into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

2. bake at 425 for about 8 to 10 minutes. **for this pumpkin pie recipe, though, I didn't pre-bake the crust and it turned out fantastic**


whipped cream

1/2 pint whipping cream (the little box)
1/4 cup white sugar

1. mix the whipping cream and sugar.

2. blend the heck out of it until desired consistency.

fyi.

does your little one need some
new kicks to wear to that rock concert?

baby tidbitz has the answer.

bon bon | rockerz
lilly's pad | pollywog

my friend lisa buchanan just opened shop. check her out for all your baby shoe needs. each pair is handcrafted and stitched with love. she'll even gift wrap and send them to that baby shower you just can't make. brilliant.

they're all so cute, I don't know how anybody could choose just one. I'm in love with the letti bo bettys. and who can't resist a little baby bling?

my newest veggie

it's true, I have never cooked a spaghetti squash. so let me present to you, in honor of my resolution, tonight's dinner: the spaghetti squash.

baked squash with parmesan recipe via vegetarian

costa rica love

pura vida

add one hour, subtract three, add two more and magically end up right where you started and you'll find yourself in costa rica without even having to change your watch. after many hours of travel and one fabulous five hour layover in fort lauderdale {thank you, ty, for the tour of your favorite local beach. thank you, sara, for the fabulous waffles + fresh fruit toppings. the rest was sorely needed.} we finally found ourselves in san jose. it was then, the next day, that our journey to the jungle began.

la fortuna, costa rica

this fabulous little place is home to a volcano. an active volcano. volcan arenal. we had the pleasure of touring this little beauty under the cover of darkness, where the real excitement can be seen. with a drive around to the other side of the mountain at dusk, and a hike through the jungle in the dark {and yes, the jungle comes alive at night} we came upon a clearing perfect for the event.

we sat and watched in the darkness for hours while victor, our tour guide, told us about local history and ecology. when the mountain threw out her unwanted rocks, we watched as they tumbled down, all aglow. you could actually hear them as they tumbled. it was a once in a lifetime experience.

supposedly the locals didn't even know this was a volcano until 1968 when it exploded after hundreds of years of dormancy. a whole village of eighty people were killed. I guess some of the hunters had had their suspiscions of this perfectly cylinder mountain because the river coming down from it was flowing with warm water and there was either smoke coming out of it sometimes or ground tremers, I can't remember. either way, it is truly an amazing sight to see today. it is in the top ten of the world's most active volcanoes.


our tour also included a dip in some local hot pools. not developed hot pools like at some of the resorts, but the real deal--the river dammed up in spots to create little pools of water. though it looked a little sketchy at first, this local hot spot was more fun than I could have ever imagined. there was even a slide! (okay, so you're lying on your back or stomach, sliding along the concrete this part was man-made, obviously, because it is the base to some sort of overpass thing while being pushed by the current of the river.) and in the lower pool there was a cave under the waterfall! fun + adventurous, just the way I like things.


another highlight: the zip-line tour of the jungle's canopy, with the bonus of a horse ride in and out. I never knew that peter was so into horses. he's a regular cowboy. maybe someone really will be getting a pony for his birthday one of these years!




we were climbing high up into the trees, sometimes hundreds of feet off the ground, and zipping through the jungle. there were nine lines of varying lengths that you would clip in and out of. you had to use your hand as a break. as you climbed up the steps and the ladders to the next zip-line platform, it was as if they were alive too. anything left still in the jungle for too long is overtaken with growth. it is one massive green, growing entity.


another local favorite: el salto, meaning the jump. and what a jump it was! have your choice of the rope swing or leaping from large overhanging rocks into the brilliantly blue water below. (this fun little spot is very reminiscent of havasupai. if you've ever been to that tropical paradise in the desert, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) this was scotty's favorite part about costa rica on his last trip, and it certainly lived up to the hype. who doesn't love playing in a river in the middle of the jungle?

tamarindo, costa rica

we followed my dream to the pacific ocean. surfing in the warm, tropical waters with the beautiful jungle backdrop was more than I could have ever hoped for.

we spent two days playing in these waters. surfing, swimming, boogie boarding. fun + sun in the sand and sea.

a hard day at the beach, peter and his surfing injury.

costa rica really is the rich coast. it is an amazing place full of life. the pure life, pura vida.

the people are surprisingly friendly. the food delicious as long as you avoid fresh fruits and veggies that are uncooked or unpeeled. oh, and only bottled water. the country is teeming with animal life, especially in the jungle. we saw an iguana, a poisonous snake in the attack position, frogs, big spiders, termites, beetles, various plants {some that even glowed!}, leaf cutter ants, a gecko, this animal that we don't know the english equivelent for, and we heard howler monkeys. even though it was the rainy season it never stopped us from doing what we wanted.

after a long journey--nearly eight hours by bus from tamarindo to the san jose area, a 2.5 hour flight from san jose to fort lauderdale, a two hour layover, a nearly five hour flight from fort lauderdale to las vegas, a two hour drive from las vegas to st george {thank you maria and dirk for letting us crash at your house at 1:30 in the AM}, and finally a five hour drive home to salt lake city, utah--we are back into the regular routine. pura vida.

* * *
hearts tournament results
peter 118 | anna 86 | athena 92 |scotty 116

sneak preview

after twenty-four hours of travel {by bus, plane, and automobile} we are home. the laundry is done and things are put away {well, somewhat}. it is good to be back. there is so much to say about the trip. three things to look forward to:

01. exciting adventures in the jungle
02. riding the wild surf
03. the people + culture (we seemingly got caught in the middle of a family dispute, which subsequently caused a physical fight. the police even came.)

tomorrow I'm sure I will post beautiful words + pictures about the whole adventure (and what an adventure it was!) but right now I'm too tired. you bloggy's said way too much over the past week. it's hard to catch up. so I'm going to stop trying and just put the lil' mac down. it was nice being untethered for a while.

post script:
right now pete and I are watching a completely rad band on austin city limits: explosions in the sky. check 'em out.

on holiday

life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
--helen keller

past scrabbles

wow, after such controversy with the last scrabble post (btw, it was an unblemished game--neither of us challenged anything. thank goodness weavel squeaked through, I was very nervous about that one. and ga, like baby talk--ga ga. totally a word.) I figured I'd post some old scrabble game outcomes of days gone by. enjoy.

june 2nd 2007, liberty park bbq extravaganza
peter 161 | anna 212
this game forfeited by peter due to bbq duties. . .

july 8th, 2007
peter 248 | anna 215

july 22nd 2007
peter 270 | anna 195
yikes.

july 28th 2007, liberty park
peter 237 | anna 221

july 30th 2007, moss ledge picnic area with m and d!
dan 138 | marta 82 | anna 77 | peter 61
this game was called early due to darkness, plus dan was just kicking everyone's trash. beginner's luck.

august 5th 2007, liberty park
anna 249 | peter 193

september 9th 2007, deppe salmon fry extravaganza
deppe 148 | kinlee 118 | anna 105 | peter 82

resolution:

I am going to cook
one new vegetable each week.
this week's little beauty:
brussels sprouts.

tasty + healthy



golden-crusted brussels sprout recipe via super natural cooking

scrabble

anna 244 | peter 221

what works for me--or not, as the case may be

yes, it's that time of the week again. the time where we let everyone out there know the little tricks and tips that keep us afloat. yes, it's what works for me wednesday. well today WWFMW is doing something a little different. see, it's everyone's {in elementary school, at least} favorite day -- backwards day! {at least it's not opposite day} the day where the bloggy's get to implore the universe for some serious answers. it is deeply profound and moving stuff.

so here's my situation. I stepped out my front door today and saw a big truck full of pumpkins driving down the street. I remembered my cute, lonely pumpkin sitting on our steps and realized I had to do something with it before we left for costa rica. the seeds are already destined for this fate. but I'm lookin' for something to do with the guts.

so dear bloggy's, if you're out there, can you help a girl out? any good recipes you know of that use actual pumpkin guts, not the canned alternative? I'm trying to be a good, whole foods girl, so I'm trying to avoid canned versions of things I have at the ready. though it seems like in this case, the canned stuff might actually make recipes of this variety taste better. so I'm at a loss. before I start my thorough search, I thought I'd hit you all up for some ideas.

photo above not my actual pumpkin. though I have been told that my pumpkin is very pretty and the perfect shape.

trip preperations

one trip to the thrift store
plus
two old bed sheets
plus
some good times with my sewing machine
equals
protection

let me present to you,
the hostel cozies.

move well, eat well, think well

the other day I borrowed a book from the library, super natural cooking, by heidi swanson. you know, of 101 cookbooks fame. as I sat at the bus stop and opened the pages, I realized I was holding some very valuable information in between my two hands. I needed to pay attention and try and incorporate at least some of this wisdom into my daily life. I would be so much the better for it.

I feel that I am a student of healthy eating, and this book could be the master teacher.

I love when I can take more away from a cookbook than just a satisfied tummy. when it's more than just a book full of recipes but a lesson learned with every turn of the page. please educate me on the whole foods I am missing in my life. tell me why they are so good for me, what I should look for, when I should use them, teach me about alternatives, methods of cooking, and throw in a beautiful photo of the finished product and I'll be a happy camper.

I have three cookbooks {okay, so one is technically the library's} that I am in love with for the aforementioned reasons.

vegetarian planet | super natural cooking | vegetarian

these little beauties are a must-have not only for the delicious creations inside, but the wealth of information they hold.

fish fry

I think I'm craving fish. {can I really be serious? is this anna jo typing these words?} I might not be craving the taste per se, but I am craving the health benefits. I'm still working on my pre-conceived notions and discriminations towards our fishy friends. they don't really taste that bad. right? I mean, a little lemon really goes a long way. and maybe a cut of salmon cooked well really is tasty? I'm beginning to realize that an open mind--in life as well as fish--really can change our tastes, perceptions of life and the world around us! I'm making some definite strides in my relationship with food lately, so here's to my health!