Posting a little late today, but didn't want to miss sharing what I recently learned about making rice. I don't own a rice cooker, but instead always make our rice in the microwave. Last weekend I was asked to make a very large amount of rice when the party we were going to had a last menu minute change. 30 cups of cooked rice to be exact. Since I have never cooked such a large quantity at once and I had no desire to be cooking rice all day, I turned to google and made a wonderful discovery.
You can bake rice in your oven. And not just a normal amount of rice, like 2 or 3 cups--really large quantities like 15 cups. It is super easy and the rice comes out perfect. Here's all you do:
Ingredients: 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice.
Bring water to a boil. You can add some oil and salt to the water if you'd like. (I put a little oil in mine, but no salt.)
Place rice into the pan you will be baking in. Pour boiling water on top. Stir. Place lid on pan. Put pan into preheated 350° oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.
As I said before, this is super easy and turns out perfect rice. So if you are ever asked to make 30 cups of rice the only challenge will be to find a big enough pan.
Oh, and as a bonus foodie tip--check out this new website I discovered last week: TasteSpotting It's a great online resource for new recipes. Check it out.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Young Women Survival Kit
Although I've sat in this chair from almost as long as I can stand today, I really wanted to share something my daughter put together for our New Beginnings program on Sunday.
During New Beginnings we spotlight the girls who will be turning 12 and entering our Young Women organization this year. As part of that spotlight, my Laurels wanted to include some little gifts. My daughter volunteered to take care of the gifts and put together a survival kit for the new girls. Each box contained several items along with a description of why they were included. Check it out and let me know if you think they are as cute and creative as I do:
Welcome to Young Women!
During New Beginnings we spotlight the girls who will be turning 12 and entering our Young Women organization this year. As part of that spotlight, my Laurels wanted to include some little gifts. My daughter volunteered to take care of the gifts and put together a survival kit for the new girls. Each box contained several items along with a description of why they were included. Check it out and let me know if you think they are as cute and creative as I do:
Welcome to Young Women!
To help you adjust, we thought we’d give you a Young Women Survival Kit!
Inside this kit you will find:
PLAYDOUGH- Because the things you learn while in the Young Women Program will mold your character!
PLAYDOUGH- Because the things you learn while in the Young Women Program will mold your character!
GLOW STICKS- Because the Young Women values will light the path to the temple!
HAND SANITIZING WIPES- Because the habits you develop through the Personal Progress Program keep you morally clean!
BUBBLES- Because you will be bubbling over with knowledge each Sunday you attend Young Women!
JOURNAL/PEN- Because it’s important to record the spiritual promptings you receive during Young Women lessons!
TISSUES- Because the spirit is always strong during Young Women lessons, and you may shed a tear or two!
SOCK MONKEY- Because we’re going bananas waiting for you to become a Beehive!
CANDY- Because we think you’re sweet!
We can’t wait for you to turn 12 and join us!
Love, The Young Women!
Easing back into things
It's now been a week since my little fall down the stairs. I wish I could say I am totally back to normal, but unfortunately I cannot. My back is still sore, and simple things like sitting in a chair, standing over a table and reaching for things have it complaining in the most unpleasant way. But since I can't just sit around all day, I am slowly getting a few projects done.
Before I start catching you up on what I managed to do the last week, I want to write a little about my change is focus this year. In earlier posts I told you that I was taking the second semester of my Arts Metals class. You may have noticed that I haven't said a word about the class since the end of January and my posting about Lost Wax Casting. This is due to an interesting chain of events that has totally changed my focus this semester.
Right after that last post about my class, I was contacted by Continental Airlines about interviewing for a job with their food services. I was laid off from Continental in July of 2009, and have missed my flight benefits so much I have been trying for months to figure out a way to get back into the company. Back in September I applied for the position of Transporation Agent. Since I never heard back from them, I assumed that I didn't make the cut. However, it appears they were just a little slow in getting through the hiring process.
When I was first contacted about the interview, I had alarms going off in my head about whether the position would work with my class and church volunteer schedules as well as an upcoming trip I have planned with my in-laws. But I decided I needed to go check it out.
As I sat in the room and listened to the description of the job and the inflexibility of schedule that would be required for the first six months, the alarms I heard earlier started going off again. At the end of the discussion, the HR rep told us that if we could not make our schedule meet with those requirements we could bow out of the interview and reapply at a better time. I sat in my chair and debated whether or not I should drop out of the process, but in the end I decided to stick with it because I wasn't going to lose anything by continuing.
The next step in the process was a tour of the facility. They broke us up into groups according to the position we applied for. To be totally honest, when I got the invitation to be interviewed I had to look at my application history to see which job I had applied for--how funny is that? Once they started dividing us into groups, I was no longer sure which job I was being considered for. But since I didn't want to look stupid, I picked the one I thought was right and went along with that group. They took us into the refridgerated warehouse and we watched different groups do their assigned jobs. Most employees worked alone in an area doing assembly line type work.
As I was led from area to area, an interesting thing happened. I was struck by the fact that there was absolutely no interaction with customers, and there seemed to be very little interaction with other employees. This realization made me start to feel a little sad. I also had one thought that kept popping into my head--"There is absolutely no way I can work in here 40 hours a week". So at the end of the tour when the HR rep asked if anyone had changed their mind about continuing, I raised my hand, signed out and left the facility--before I even had an interview.
The day seemed like a total bust, however I learned a couple of interesting things. I learned that the interaction with customers was a huge part of what I loved about my job with Continental. I learned that I will not do ANY job just to have flight benefits. (I'm still not sure if I would have been willing to suffer through this job if it had been part time instead of full time, but since all of their positions are full time that is totally a moot point).
The other interesting thing I learned was that I wasn't that upset about the thought that I might have to drop my arts metals class. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I decided it might be a good thing to do. This semester was all about learning how to cast, which would have been very cool. However it is a skill that I would not be able to do at home without a serious investment in equipment. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't see that ever happening.
I also started thinking about other things I wanted to do this year, which would be hampered by my being in school twice a week. And I kept feeling like it would be better for me to be more flexible with my schedule this sememster. I'm not sure what that feeling is all about, but I do know that the more I thought about it, the more it felt right to withdraw from class. So that is what I did.
In the end my interview with Continental did not get me my flight benefits back. But I listened to the promptings that came from the experience and gained a new perspective on what I should be focusing on right now. I still feel like there is something coming that makes the decision to be more flexible a good one for me. Maybe that something was just the tumble I took last week, or maybe it's something still to come. But that really doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I really feel good about the decision I made and I am totally loving not going to school twice a week. Instead I am using my time to focus on other things, including working on art projects of my choosing.
I'll continue to share those projects and what I am doing with my free time here.
Before I start catching you up on what I managed to do the last week, I want to write a little about my change is focus this year. In earlier posts I told you that I was taking the second semester of my Arts Metals class. You may have noticed that I haven't said a word about the class since the end of January and my posting about Lost Wax Casting. This is due to an interesting chain of events that has totally changed my focus this semester.
Right after that last post about my class, I was contacted by Continental Airlines about interviewing for a job with their food services. I was laid off from Continental in July of 2009, and have missed my flight benefits so much I have been trying for months to figure out a way to get back into the company. Back in September I applied for the position of Transporation Agent. Since I never heard back from them, I assumed that I didn't make the cut. However, it appears they were just a little slow in getting through the hiring process.
When I was first contacted about the interview, I had alarms going off in my head about whether the position would work with my class and church volunteer schedules as well as an upcoming trip I have planned with my in-laws. But I decided I needed to go check it out.
As I sat in the room and listened to the description of the job and the inflexibility of schedule that would be required for the first six months, the alarms I heard earlier started going off again. At the end of the discussion, the HR rep told us that if we could not make our schedule meet with those requirements we could bow out of the interview and reapply at a better time. I sat in my chair and debated whether or not I should drop out of the process, but in the end I decided to stick with it because I wasn't going to lose anything by continuing.
The next step in the process was a tour of the facility. They broke us up into groups according to the position we applied for. To be totally honest, when I got the invitation to be interviewed I had to look at my application history to see which job I had applied for--how funny is that? Once they started dividing us into groups, I was no longer sure which job I was being considered for. But since I didn't want to look stupid, I picked the one I thought was right and went along with that group. They took us into the refridgerated warehouse and we watched different groups do their assigned jobs. Most employees worked alone in an area doing assembly line type work.
As I was led from area to area, an interesting thing happened. I was struck by the fact that there was absolutely no interaction with customers, and there seemed to be very little interaction with other employees. This realization made me start to feel a little sad. I also had one thought that kept popping into my head--"There is absolutely no way I can work in here 40 hours a week". So at the end of the tour when the HR rep asked if anyone had changed their mind about continuing, I raised my hand, signed out and left the facility--before I even had an interview.
The day seemed like a total bust, however I learned a couple of interesting things. I learned that the interaction with customers was a huge part of what I loved about my job with Continental. I learned that I will not do ANY job just to have flight benefits. (I'm still not sure if I would have been willing to suffer through this job if it had been part time instead of full time, but since all of their positions are full time that is totally a moot point).
The other interesting thing I learned was that I wasn't that upset about the thought that I might have to drop my arts metals class. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I decided it might be a good thing to do. This semester was all about learning how to cast, which would have been very cool. However it is a skill that I would not be able to do at home without a serious investment in equipment. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't see that ever happening.
I also started thinking about other things I wanted to do this year, which would be hampered by my being in school twice a week. And I kept feeling like it would be better for me to be more flexible with my schedule this sememster. I'm not sure what that feeling is all about, but I do know that the more I thought about it, the more it felt right to withdraw from class. So that is what I did.
In the end my interview with Continental did not get me my flight benefits back. But I listened to the promptings that came from the experience and gained a new perspective on what I should be focusing on right now. I still feel like there is something coming that makes the decision to be more flexible a good one for me. Maybe that something was just the tumble I took last week, or maybe it's something still to come. But that really doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I really feel good about the decision I made and I am totally loving not going to school twice a week. Instead I am using my time to focus on other things, including working on art projects of my choosing.
I'll continue to share those projects and what I am doing with my free time here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Paint and Pain
This week I continue to play with texture on canvas. For this project I picked up some 6 x 8 panels. I applied the texture:
Then I took some sandpaper to the finish to add a little distressed contrasting to the canvas:
Then I tried several things that totally failed, which I did not take photos of. In order to try to salvage the project, used more paint and sandpaper to get back to my project base:
And then I was stuck. I looked at these canvases and had absolutely no idea what to do with them. Just when I was about to put them into my unfinished project box, I found these:
You'll have to wait for another day to see what that light bulb was. Partially because my day is filled with several appointments that will limit my craftiness. And partially because of this little fellow:
Dakota likes to shred stuffed animals. She doesn't steal them and shred them, but when we give her one she spends quite a while ripping their faces off and then pulling the stuffing bit by bit out of the toy. I know that sounds kind of gruesome, but really its just pretty messy. And if the stuff animal is a cheap one, it will only entertain her for a few minutes. The ones that really last are the Build a Bear animals. We discovered this because she used to steal animals and once got a hold of a BB bear. It gave her many, many hours of enjoyment.
Since I don't want to give her BB toys to shred, I am always on the look out of durable doggie toys. Last week we found this guy at PetCo. They claimed it was extremely durable, and although it was way more than I ever dreamed I'd spend on a dog toy, I bought it--hoping it would last longer than a stuffed animal. And guess what? It does! Dakota loves Phil, and he is so durable she hasn't even managed to put a hole in him yet--even after several hours of play.
Now you may be wondering what Phil has to do with me finishing a craft project. You see, Dakota loves to play with Phil on the stairs.
This morning when I went upstairs to wake up my baby, I saw that Dakota had left Phil there.
For an instant I thought about picking him up, but I dismissed it. You see, I was tired. Usually I call my daughter to wake her up, but she hadn't felt well last night so I thought I should go check on her and see if she was feeling good enough to go to school. I'm sure you know what is coming next. I walked past this little guy on my way up, only to step on him on my way back down. My foot slipped and down I went. Major OUCH! And now my back is sore and I'm moving slowly, and getting through just my scheduled events may be all I can manage today.
But even with the pain I am excited about the idea I have for at least one of these canvases. I'll let you know when I make some more progress.
I am also keeping my eyes open for Phil. After our morning encounter I put him on top of Dakota's kennel, just so I'd know where he was. I just walked by there, and he is gone. Apparently he was still within Dakota's reach.
And then some paint:
I really like this look.
Then I tried several things that totally failed, which I did not take photos of. In order to try to salvage the project, used more paint and sandpaper to get back to my project base:
And then I was stuck. I looked at these canvases and had absolutely no idea what to do with them. Just when I was about to put them into my unfinished project box, I found these:
And a light bulb went off.
You'll have to wait for another day to see what that light bulb was. Partially because my day is filled with several appointments that will limit my craftiness. And partially because of this little fellow:
This is Phil, my dog's new chew toy.
Dakota likes to shred stuffed animals. She doesn't steal them and shred them, but when we give her one she spends quite a while ripping their faces off and then pulling the stuffing bit by bit out of the toy. I know that sounds kind of gruesome, but really its just pretty messy. And if the stuff animal is a cheap one, it will only entertain her for a few minutes. The ones that really last are the Build a Bear animals. We discovered this because she used to steal animals and once got a hold of a BB bear. It gave her many, many hours of enjoyment.
Since I don't want to give her BB toys to shred, I am always on the look out of durable doggie toys. Last week we found this guy at PetCo. They claimed it was extremely durable, and although it was way more than I ever dreamed I'd spend on a dog toy, I bought it--hoping it would last longer than a stuffed animal. And guess what? It does! Dakota loves Phil, and he is so durable she hasn't even managed to put a hole in him yet--even after several hours of play.
Now you may be wondering what Phil has to do with me finishing a craft project. You see, Dakota loves to play with Phil on the stairs.
For an instant I thought about picking him up, but I dismissed it. You see, I was tired. Usually I call my daughter to wake her up, but she hadn't felt well last night so I thought I should go check on her and see if she was feeling good enough to go to school. I'm sure you know what is coming next. I walked past this little guy on my way up, only to step on him on my way back down. My foot slipped and down I went. Major OUCH! And now my back is sore and I'm moving slowly, and getting through just my scheduled events may be all I can manage today.
But even with the pain I am excited about the idea I have for at least one of these canvases. I'll let you know when I make some more progress.
I am also keeping my eyes open for Phil. After our morning encounter I put him on top of Dakota's kennel, just so I'd know where he was. I just walked by there, and he is gone. Apparently he was still within Dakota's reach.
Like I said, she loves Phil.
Monday, February 14, 2011
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