If you've ever wondered about Fire Sprinklers...

Here's the stark comparison of a room without, and a room with sprinklers!

I already know what you're saying... So, what's that cost!?
For new construction, $1.00-2.00/sq. ft., depending on roof material and room layout. Prove to your insurance agent that it's a 13D system installed by a licensed contractor, and you'll pay less for your homeowner's insurance too. Long term savings AND life safety.

What a deal!


FENTON, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com/Modified AP) - This last Friday of the month is the first day for several new laws in Missouri. Among the new laws, home builders must now offer consumers the option of having fire sprinklers installed in their homes. To make a point about the new law, firefighters in Fenton, were 'burning down the house,' Friday morning. The firefighters at Engine House #1 demonstrated the value of an in home sprinkler system.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Stan wanted rice "just like Chipotle", so I made my own recipe:

3 cups rice, cooked according to package directions

1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
2 serrano chilis, seeded and minced
Juice of 1 large lime
2 T oil (I use olive oil)
1/2 t coarse salt
1/4-1/2 t ground white pepper, to taste

While rice is cooking, combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Mush them around with the back of a spoon to get the flavors mingling. Add the cooked rice, stir to combine. Serve warm.

Hooray for Whole Foods!

You should read this Wall Street Journal article by John Mackey, the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods.

Then, you can read this MSN Money blog about the business ramifications of a seemingly level-headed businessman speaking his mind and standing up for the basic principles that founded our great nation!

Now go shop at Whole Foods and feel really, really good about it!

An honest question:

How do you balance pissing people off with getting stuff done?

Microwave Peanut Brittle

I love this recipe! My Mom had one just like it when I was a kid (at the height of microwave cooking) and I found this one in a friend's cookbook (which I only have a photocopy of the page and am sorry to say I don't know the name of the book, but it was all about microwave cooking).

Things you'll need:
16" piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, lightly greased (or a silpat) on a cookie sheet.
Candy thermometer.
8 cup Pyrex bowl or other micro-safe bowl of equivalent size (I like having the handle and still use a potholder, both for my hand and when I set the bowl down to stir).
Wooden mixing spoon.

Ingredients:
2 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup
2 T butter, cut up a bit (use high-temp coconut oil to make this dairy free)
1/4 c water

1-1/2 c nuts - roasted, salted (I use 1/2 c each- peanuts, almonds and cashews)

1/2 t baking soda

** All microwave times are uncovered on HIGH **

Combine 1st 4 ingredients, stir to combine, microwave 5 minues. Stir to dissolve all sugar.
Microwave 6 more minutes, or until 234-240 degrees F.
Stir in nuts, microwave 7 minutes, or until 290-300 degrees F.
Add baking soda and stir just until mixture stops bubbling.
Pour onto foil and spread to about 1/4" thick with wooden spoon.

Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes. Break into chunks and serve, or store in an airtight container several weeks.

Makes about 1-3/4 pounds.

Did we really just have this conversation?

I don't remember what started the conversation, but Stan mused that if they ever figure out how to slow down light, that he wouldn't be surprised if it turned into matter. Which made me think of the replicators on Star Trek, you know, you walk over to the box on the wall and say "earl gray tea, hot" some light appears and out of the light comes your tea*...
So I said to Stan, "like a replicator!", with which he immediately agreed and then I thought to clarify... "the Star Trek replicators, not the Stargate replicators". And Stan again agreed, thinking outloud though, that the theory could stand for either.

At which point I sighed, shook my head and asked Stan "Did we really just have a conversation in which we had to clarify which Star-series we were eluding to!?"

We're such old married geeks!!!




*before I get hate-mail from less casual Star Trek geeks let me disclaim - yes, I know, the replicator is transporter technology - taking matter stored in bulk and spitting it out in a different form. Turning light into matter is just my cool hypothesis of the how.

Cilantro & Pepita Salad Dressing

Tastes just like the house dressing at El Torito! We don't live anywhere near one anymore, so I had to go find a recipe for it.

This one's modified from one I found on Recipezaar (206911)

Servings: 8 servings

You'll Need:
Food processor
Large bowl
Whisk


Ingredients:
2 medium anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled and seeded*
1/3 c roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 t crushed/diced garlic
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1-3/4 c oil (I used EVOO)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
5 T crumbled Cotija cheese

2 bunches fresh cilantro, stems removed

1-1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c water

Preparation:
Place all ingredients, except 3/4 c oil, cilantro, mayo and water in food processor.
Blend to combine, then add cilantro 1 bunch at a time blending well.
Add final 3/4 c oil while blending.
In large stainless steel bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and water until smooth.
Add blended ingredients and mix well.

Arrange romaine lettuce on a plate, ladle dressing over lettuce and top with diced tomatoes, crumbled Cotijo cheese and pepitas. (try not to lick the bowl clean)

*broil on low on a wire rack about 6 minutes each side, or until skin blisters. Remove and allow to cool. Peel off skin, scrape out seeds.

Twits

My company just announced that you can now follow them on Twitter.

Seriously.

We have some really neat products and all, but who needs hourly updates on an industrial manufacturer? Even a cool one.

A number of my customers still have dial-up. Only a handful have a website. (Yes, really... we are a construction trade afterall. Some of these guys rarely if ever see a desk anyway.)

As a company, we block Facebook, MySpace, Gmail, YouTube and various others... but we fully support being a Twit?

I give up.

Banana Split Muffins

These are a favorite. Modified from my M-I-L's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, usually made in mass around Thanksgiving time. For Stan, Thanksgiving is not complete without them. I liked the base recipe because it didn't require butter, like a traditional banana bread.

Don't be afraid to experiment with these. I've tossed in yellow squash, butternut squash, wheat germ, almond flour, chopped dried cherries, almond extract... Pretty much, you can't go wrong with these muffins!

Banana Split Muffins
Preheat oven to 350, line or lightly grease muffin tins.

Combine in microwavable bowl and warm, but don't cook (1 minute on power 8):

1-1/4 c oats

1T multi-grain hot cereal mix

1-1/4 c milk

Add to oat mixture:

2 mashed bananas ( or 3/4-1 c squash, applesauce, pack pumpkin)

2 eggs

1/4 c oil (I use olive)

1 t vanilla

Stir with a whisk, then combine with wet mix above:

2 c flour (half all-purpose and half whole wheat or other)

1/2 c sugar 

1 T baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg (especially good with the banana)

Stir until just combined then add:

1/2 c chocolate chips

1 c chopped walnuts

**Stir less if you like cakier muffins. Stir extra for a chewier, bread-like texture. 

Fill muffins 3/4 full and bake 20 minutes at 350F. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks. Once cooled, store in airtight container. Makes 24.

If you want to get really fancy, put a small dish with water in the oven while they're baking. (Increased humidity is the same thing that makes bagels fabulous!)

I've been enjoying the "If You Care" unbleached muffin liners in the health market at HyVee. They act like parchment paper - have excellent release and stand-up. And they're a lovely brown-wrapper sort of color. I won't buy anything else now. I'm spoiled!

updated 12/13/2010

Frozen Fruit Salad

As much as I'd like to take credit for this yummy salad, it came from 30 Day Gourmet.

Frozen Fruit Salad
When we go camping, I create individual servings by using an ice cream scoop to fill foil muffin liners, then freeze. I transfer the individual cups to a single layer in a zip-top bag and keep in the cooler or camper freezer for an afternoon snack. For a meal at home I follow the recipe, using a 9x13 pan.

Beat together:
8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar (or splenda)

Stir in:
1-1/2 c sour cream
20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
~30 oz or 2 lbs frozen fruit (I found frozen mixed berries at Costco, 1 bag made 2 batches)

Put into serving dish(s) and freeze. Thaw 15-30 minutes before cutting if using 9x13 pan, 5-10 minutes if using muffin liners.

Bunnies eat carrots.

"Bunnies eat carrots. Not wood chips. Just carrots. Wood chips are dirty and yucky. Carrots are cold and yummy."
I'm going to go out on a limb & guess that Alex tried to eat wood chips on the playground today.
They also had thei Easter party and MDA Hop-a-Thon. Auntie Valerie sent him the cutest bunny ears and a Lightning McQueen basket. I'm hooked on the ears though - they're SOOO cute!! (so is the kid wearing them) hehe
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I am One of Seven

http://www.vinceantonucci.com/2009/03/so-acts-6.html

This really struck me. Ask anyone, no secret, Stan & I are not "touchy-feely" Christians. We are planners, doers, supporters. We're the logistics behind the people who are touchy-feely. And we're happy to fill that role any day of the week. We have no desire to go on a prayer walk - but ask us to plan one and we'll bust out a map with timelines and notes about the neighborhood demographics.

We are Stephens.

But we're given crap for it and I don't think that's fair. I think there's such a critical place for planner-doers in a healthy, growing church.

If all you have are a bunch of really inspired visionaries there's every possibility that they'll swirl around being fabulous - but without purpose and planing, it becomes near to impossible for outsiders to find a place, to get on board.

The bigger you grow, the more it's necessary for planning & purpose. And that's proven in this scripture. After infrastructure was added, the church grew and did even more amazing things, including the addition of some of the most unlikely people.

So I'm not going to feel lousy about not being a touchy-feely Christian anymore. I'm going to embrace the me that God made. The detail oriented, hospitality gifted, creative, organized, planner doer. That's me. And since I'm asking for less judgement from the touchy-feely people, I'm going to be less judgemental of them - because they do some pretty awesome things for God too.

Babe Count: 2

It's a quarter after 8 and I've already been called "babe" by 2 different customers.

Not that it necessarily bothers me... considering they call this "babe" when they need technical advice usually only gained from men twice my age. But it's noted.

Of all the words exchanged, somehow, this appears in my mind in neon lights. Not offensive in passing, but impossible to ignore.

And then.

Ever have one of those days, no, weeks?

The new year has come and gone and I haven't even stopped long enough to think about a resolution, let alone resolve upon it.

I have, however, come to once again question where I am and what I'm doing... only to find myself at a total loss for answers, leading me down a trecherous path of self-reliance that ends only in a pool of pity and mild depression.

And then.

And then I talk to a sage girlfrieng who reminds me to breathe, pray, count my husband not as the enemy, but as the hero by my side, (did I say pray), and that she could find a new year in a different culture every month of the year for me to decide to start all over with.

And then.

I'm reminded of how much faith I have that God's doing great things in our life and thru Stan's work. And that the sacrifices I am giving are an integral part of that - and suddenly I don't feel quite so out of control anymore. Still a little, won't lie, I'm still supressing evil urges to rip people's heads off... it's just not my own anymore. (I know you've all been frustrated enough to want to rip your OWN head off at some point or another...)

And then.

I laugh a little and the cloud that's been following me around lifts a little... and a little at a time I find I've let the sunshine back in and without anything in life's circumstances having really changed, I feel better.

Remembering to pray can do that for a person.

Throwing Mother Nature under the bus...

Read this article, laughed and had to share... They're building a giant snow-santa in China.

My take away: That it's OK to throw Mother Nature under the (diesel) bus now that we're in an economic downturn.

The Reuters reporter sites that the effects of global warming are taking their toll, making the build process more hazardous, and admits that snow had to be artificially made (gasoline powered snow-making machines I'm sure).

He then wraps up the story by siting a tourist who says it's all worth it to "stimulate the economy and consumption".

Seriously.

If you're on the man-made-Global Warming, hydrogen-powered wagon, aren't consumerism and fuel consumption claimed to be the primary causes?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? No - Be patriotic! Buy, Spend, Use!

Catch-22. I give up.

But what to call them...?

I created a new cookie last night... and am now at a loss for what to call them. I think cookie names should be descriptive and fun. It should give people an idea what they're about to bite into; but the name itself shouldn't be a mouthful.

Help me out if you would (and make a batch to enjoy for yourself too).

Yummy chewy, oatmeal, cranberry, orange-y with chocolate chips, cookie yet-to-be-named...

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp (1 cube) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange flavored dried cranberries
(sub.: 1 t orange zest and increase regular dried cranberries to 1 cup)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Add oats, cranberries and chocolate chips, toss to coat.

In a large bowl or food processor, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract (and orange zest if using).

Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons on to cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cookies.

Christmas Marshmallows

Powdered candy canes add extra zip to these melt-in-your-mouth mallows!

If you don't own a stand mixer, borrow one... You'll be happier making this recipe if you do!

Servings: 90 mallows (approx)


Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot tap water
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 envelopes (or 2 T plus 2 1/2 t) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water

2 large egg whites*
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
*if egg safety is a problem in your area, substitute powdered egg whites reconstituted according to manufacturer's instructions

Sift together:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup corn starch
3-4 candy canes, powdered in blender.

Oil bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 x 2 rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with confectioners' sugar blend. You can also line with parchment paper, dusting bottom only.


Preparation:First, in a large bowl, or in bowl of a standing electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand to soften. (add an extra tsp of water if necessary to wet all gelatin)

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt over low heat, stir to combine then increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, 10-12 minutes.

As sugar mixture comes close to temperature: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they hold stiff peaks.

Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Removing any un-dissolved bits before whipping.

Beat sugar and gelatin mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about 5 minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. Be careful this taffy-like mixture doesn’t take over your hand mixer!

Beat whites and vanilla into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar blend evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert onto a large cutting board. Lifting up 1 corner of inverted pan loosen marshmallow with fingers and let drop onto cutting board. With a pizza cutter (or large knife) trim edges and cut marshmallow into generous 1-inch cubes. Sift remaining confectioners' sugar blend in large bowl and add marshmallows in batches, tossing to evenly coat.

Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1-2 weeks.

My Brother, the Chef

This is my brother Charles. He is a chef. It took him a while to find his passion, but it certainly is that! He's so happy... happier than I've ever seen him in his life. He's working hard and doing well for himself.

Everyone at the restaurant where he works wanted to come meet his family - so you know they like him, that they wanted to see where he came from. (well, that or they think he's crazy and wanted to see the loons he grew up with... but I'm gonna stick with the story that they like him)
The food at The Wilshire was amazing. I could go broke eating there and be happy doing it. I've never had such AMAZING food. Now I understand why people make lives in the culinary arts. There is a whole world of food out there I never even knew existed! And my little brother is a part of the club! How cool is that?!
And then he made the gravy for Thanksgiving. I think our friend Marilyn said it quite appropriately "I just want to pour it all over my fingers [so that I can lick them clean]". It was truly awesome. And then he made pot d'creme... let your tastebuds imagine with me: the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted, rich, smooth, creamy, not so sweet that it overwhelms you but just right - turn that into the tastiest chocolate pudding you've ever had and you're close to what Charles made. And he just whipped it up! :) He's so comfortable in his skin. I'm so very happy for him. (and sad that we don't live closer to enjoy his culinary musings more often!)

Hooray for Charles. For coming and spending time with us, for sharing the passion that is food, and for being my happy, sweet brother again. It's so good to see you doing so well!!! I love you kiddo. Even if I do have to look up to you nowadays! :)

Family Thanksgiving

This is my family!
Richard, Charles, Ben, Papa
Stan & Alex, Me, Mama


This is an outtake of my family:


I don't even remember what Alex did but Richard's girlfriend, Debi, was snapping the photos and doing her best to be a loon and get Alex's attention for a good picture!

It's the first complete Yoder family photo since Alex was born! He'll be 3 in January... you'd think we were all cameraphobes. Isn't it a great looking picture though!? I'm so happy we all got together - and that we have proof!

*and if my brothers are listening... I'm calling dibs on Raindrops! :)

Cruise Control

I got my first speeding ticket this morning. Big one.

And I feel really bad about it, because it's money we just didn't need to spend.

I don't actually feel bad about the speeding, however I realize now that my habit of speeding isn't a line item in our budget. Nor am I willing to make it one.

Which means it's a habit I have to break.

Hello cruise control.

Whatever sound it is you make when you're annoyed at yourself, but not pissed off because you knew you were going to get caught some day, and really you're only upset because you have to take it home to your husband and it's going to impact your shopping, and result in a good deal of razzing from here on out even though it's your first (and not his)... and that you managed to go ticketless longer than your Mom did... even with her 6th sense for when a cop was around. And, and, and...
That sound, whatever it is - INSERT HERE.