5 Guys

Yep.  We got that too.  5 Guys Hamburgers.

Men's Health magazine claims that Five Guys's meals are unhealthy. A standard double patty burger, for example, contains almost 800 calories and 197% of the recommended daily saturated fat intake. Men's Health also rated Five Guys's french fries as the 4th most unhealthy food in America, noting that a standard large order of fries contains almost 1,500 calories (but is said to feed 3-4 people). The Center for Science in the Public Interest placed Five Guys's bacon cheeseburger, which contains 920 calories, among its 2010 list of most unhealthy meals available at U.S. chain restaurants.

The difference here?  We have outdoor seating with water misters and....




self serve....




wait....




hold on....




here it comes....



all you can eat....





FRY SAUCE!

Yes, you read that right.  Fry sauce domination.

And while I'm pretty partial to In and Out right now, fry sauce beats their "special" sauce in the packets any day.

Zagat has released the results of their 2010 Fast Food survey, based on responses from 6,518 Zagat.com diners who ate at chain outlets an average of 10.7 times per month, totaling 837,000 meals.

The survey focused on four categories of chains: Large (up to 5,000 U.S. outlets), Mega (over 5,000), Full-Service (with table service), and Quick-Refreshment (focused on beverages, ice cream, etc.).

The most notable survey result would have to be the rankings for best fast-food burger, with Virginia-based Five Guys edging out west coast-favorite and previous years' winner In-N-Out Burger. 

Now, if we could get In and Out on board with the fry sauce....I think they'd get their golden Zagat ticket back.  

Me & Petunias

Me and Petunias.

My love for them goes way back.

Ever since I have been married, in every home we've ever lived in....I've planted petunias.

They are my favorite flower.  They are the only flower for me.  I love them in every color and every variety.

I don't want tulips.  Roses smell lovely but have thorns.  Lilacs are short lived.

I know a woman who has perennial, heirloom petunias...that come back year after year.  I want those.

I now know why I love them so.

Me & Petunias...we go way back.

Eat your colors

 

Yesterday I went to the doctor

For my yearly physical.

My blood pressure was high.

My cholesterol was high. 

I'd gained some weight,

and I didn't feel so hot.

My doctor said eating right

doesn't have to be complicated and

it would solve my physical problems.

He said: 

Just think in colors.

Fill your plate with bright colors.

Try some greens, oranges, reds,

maybe something yellow, etc.

So I went right home

and ate an entire bowl of

bright colors.

And Sure Enough,

I Felt Better Immediately !! 

I never knew eating right could be so easy !!

Now stay healthy, 

eat your colors, 

and have a nice day.

Is this so me or what?  Fo sho.  Now I know why I'm feeling so punky....I forgot to eat all my colors.

If I had to Live my Life over

Words of Wisdom coming to me today from Erma Bombeck. Love this.

Last night Hunter hosted a party at our house for 40 teens.  It was outside, in the pool, in the dark.  I was almost bitter that I had to chaperone and I worried and fretted for 4 and a half hours.  When I woke up this morning....of course there was a mess outside.  I thought I was being so good last night running around and keeping things picked up and making sure kids weren't mashin' on each other.

It turned out fine.  I survived.  And cleaning up isn't such a big deal.

From the anti-social, anxiety driven Mom.....thanks Erma.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn! With my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s” …But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it … live it…and never give it back.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it… live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what. Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Here's to parties and all things social that freak me out!

Utahan

I was walking through a parking lot today and noticed the Utah license plate on a car.  I kind of randomly looked around and noticed more then a few of them.....

My first thought was....hey, those are Utah license plates...wonder what they are doing here?

It took me about 20 seconds....for it to hit me.

I LIVE in UTAH! What the freak!!! I live here!!! When did that happen????

I know that it may be something that is easy for others to grasp...moving to another state.  But my mind doesn't work that way.

I'm a Utahan.

Come to Zion

Come to Zion, come to Zion...

and within her walls rejoice.

Navajo Lake

Navajo Lake by way of Cedar City, Utah

When we left St. George it was 101 degrees at noon.

The temp at Navajo Lake....71 degrees at 1:20 pm.
I was actually chilly.  Imagine that.

Gotta go back when we have more time.

A Household Fairy of My Own

Can I get one of these for my very own?

I shouldn't complain.  I'm down to two toilets now.  I clean one....the girls clean the other.  But I've noticed something.  Now that we are only using two bathrooms....they each get more use.  I mean....the usage isn't spread between several bathrooms so.....

But it would be nice to have shampooed carpets, new grout and a permanent dish doer.

It's wishful thinking but no harm in that.

Stevia mystery

I guess I was a little vague when I posted that I use "vanilla stevia" in my good to the last drop concoction.

I have found most stevia products to have an unpleasant and sometimes even bitter aftertaste.  I've tried quite a few brands and finally found one that I love using.  Besides for the "good to the last drop", I particularly like it in oatmeal.  

I also prefer it in this liquid form rather than crystals.  And the vanilla helps take the edge off to make it more sweet.

Bridger and I observed that we actually put more then 5-6 drops of it in our drinks...but hey, it's better then using a ton of sugar and that's our little secret.

I order mine online.

Mystery solved.

Good to the Last Drop

This is my version of what is "good to the last drop".

It started as a way to get me to drink the water here.  It just tasted old.  And buying bottled water was getting old too.  I can't stand it when my family leaves half opened water bottles all over the house and then not claiming them.  It's so much waste.

The concoction:
tall glass of ice water
juice of one lime
5-6 drops of vanilla stevia

I go through as silly amount of limes but now I can't get enough water or the last drops.

Bridger the Buffalo

Nice or not....Bridger was dubbed...Bridger "the Buffalo" Kanenwisher last year in school.

It came from the idea that she was named after the mountain man, Jim Bridger.  They happened to be studying some history in class and his name came up. And since ole Jim was around when the buffalo were still a plenty...I guess they figured buffalo....Bridger kind of went together.  In a way she was named after Mr. Bridger.  There are plenty of places in Montana named after this character and we just thought it was a nice name for the boy or girl we would have.  We also happened to be living in Montana at the time. And since Boyd didn't want to know if she was a boy or girl...we thought Bridger would fit for either.

Anyway.  Back to Bridger and her being called a buffalo.

Actually, she's not offended at all.  She thinks it's pretty funny.

So much so in fact, that we had to stop and take pictures of her with the buffalos just outside of Zion's National Park today for her to send to her friends back in KC.

I guess she could do far worse in the nickname department.

Summer Chocolate

Sometimes you just need a taste of real, homemade chocolate lovin'.  A store bought candy bar won't do.  The woman I got this recipe from says she doesn't each much chocolate in the summer.  I can't fathom nor would I ever dream of a season without chocolate in it.

The point it is....Everyday chocolate.  It doesn't have to be fancy, although it must satisfy the crave.

So I made a simple cake.

It's made in a bread pan.  It has the texture of a moist bread but more richness.

And I'm lucky because I get to use Ghanaian cocoa.

The instructions for my Royale natural cocoa powder says I'm supposed to drink a cup of hot cocoa everyday...straight up...no sugar or milk....only hot water.  I like a product that promotes ingesting your addiction in the raw, straight up, everyday.

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (6 7/8 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a butter-flour spray. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together right into your wet ingredients. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can cool it the rest of the way.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

I made a raspberry sauce to pour over mine.  I used the "Thrive", freeze dried raspberries from the sample pack that I ordered at the last Time Out for Women.  I just reconstituted the raspberries and boiled them with some sugar for awhile until they made a yummy sauce.  Truly...those freeze dried berries are like magic. 

My cake didn't turn out nearly as well as the photo....they never do.  But it was still delish. Although, I think I'm the only one in my family who really appreciates chocolate and homemade goodness.  

Go for it.  Have your chocolate fix...in the summer....homemade.  If you are wanting to try Ghanaian cocoa...you'll have to come to St. George.

My Culinary Demise

All this talk of planning funerals made me hungry.

It could be that the mere mention of Key lime pie sends me into a mouth-watering frenzy.

I have no plans to pass away soon and yes, I'm sure I'll be busy when I meet my maker, but I promise...I will be at my own funeral.  I'm going to take the time watching everyone enjoying the flavors of food, which is something I won't be able to do without my flesh and blood body.  You can bet, my cheeks will pucker when I see everyone eating their pie.

Talking about death and funerals does bother some people...I've gathered that.

But not food.

That's one thing that is lacking in abundance here...good restaurants.  Other than this delish number called the Black Licorice shake, it's been awhile since I've really had anything very good.  Irmitas makes darn good mexican but too many days of Irmitas in a row make your insides turn inside out.

Actually, I'm pretty proud of myself.  I have been cooking every day for more then a week now.  My kids haven't eaten out in over 7 days.  That's pretty impressive for me.  There's really not much out there worth spending the money on frankly.

I think that may be St. George's only drawback right now. And the lack of culinary delectables may just be the death of me.

Native Markings

I'm really not obsessed with my blog right now...really.  But I want to keep it updated and not get behind so I just keep posting.

I'm thinking a lot about funeral arrangements.  My friend Val (who is a spring chicken ) posted her funeral preferences on her blog today.  I thought I had mine all planned out and then I moved.

I'm pretty particular about the cemetery.  I want to be buried in an old one.  I want big headstones that rise up all covered with moss around me.  I don't like the kind of cemeteries where the caretakers drive their mowers right over the flat markers.  I want the weed wacker man to have to make a gigantic effort to chop away the weeds from around my headstone.  That way I'll never be forgotten.

So now that I'm here I've already been on the prowl for a new final resting place.

Do these kinds of conversations bother a lot of people?  I find great comfort in them.  I like making decisions for those who will be mourning and otherwise preoccupied when I pass.  No one ever need question what my wishes would be because they would know.

I don't have the specifics of a program outlined yet.  I do know that I would like the printed program to be lovely and handwritten.  Something of a keepsake of the event.

I do want cheesy potatoes and homemade bread and every kind of jello salad available to eat.  Make it a giant potluck with a variety of foods and copies of recipes to share.  People will be wanting comfort food and comfort they will need.  And key lime pie would be nice and maybe even a chocolate fountain.

Actually, the purpose of my post wasn't to talk about my demise.

Whenever anyone moves, they always leave behind a few things.  That's what the Anasazi did when they left my neighborhood...now known as Bloomington.  And when the developers came through and stripped the land of all remnants of the previous dwellers, they left a few of the natives drawings and made it into a small park.

It's curious how these ancient drawings can be so easily accessed and yet I imagine that not even a fraction of the people living in this vicinity even know they are there.  You would miss them if you blinked while driving by.  There is no security fence.  Anyone is welcome to climb over the rocks to touch and feel the inscribings.  There is only a marker indicating the park exists.  You would have to get out of your car or off your bike and walk over in order to see anything.

When we moved from our house in Kansas City, our own natives left their own markings...

As we were packing up boxes, we found these memories inscribed on the walls and doors of our home.

I wonder if Anasazi Moms looked back at the rocks as they were leaving this area and felt the twinge of pain similar to mine?  It's likely they did.  Lucky for me, I have more then the mental images in my head to remember them by.

However, I'm sure the inhabitants on Chestnut Court will not appreciate nearly as much as I do, the "graffiti" preserved for future generations.

The writing is clearly on the wall.

I {heart} native markings.