tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101525132024-03-23T12:08:27.811-06:00Katie's WordsRandom thoughts about life, kids, books, food, health, pregnancy & birth, religion & spirituality, politics...
Also easily summed up as "whining about sugar since 2005"Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-18197832451788516122011-11-01T09:28:00.005-06:002011-11-01T09:46:06.692-06:00Green Polka Dot Box Videos and BlogThe <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/officialsite">Green Polka Dot Box</a> (GPDB) has recently started a blog. You can see videos of the founders, employees, and stocked warehouse. <br /><br />Check it out here: <a href="http://greenpolkadotbox.wordpress.com/">http://greenpolkadotbox.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br /><br />What's going on with the GPDB Launch? <br />GPDB was supposed to launch today, November 1, 2011. The warehouse is stocked with products, ready to go. I've been personally invited to the warehouse and can go see it in person to verify it is there. However, the website is still going through some growing pains, and isn't quite ready. The GPDB team has been working long hours to implement and test features, and I think it's best that they delay the launch a little, rather than open the website with bugs. I was a computer programmer for a while in college, and they have my sympathy! <br /><br />By the time you're reading this, the free one-year Club membership offer may not be available, but you'll still only pay $50 for a one-year membership. Go to <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/officialsite">this link </a>and click on "Membership Plans Starting as Low as $50". If you'd like to be able to refer others and earn a small reward (2-10%) off their purchases, you'll pay $125 per year (similar to the cost of a Costco Executive Membership, where you only earn 2% back on your OWN purchases). Click on the same button at <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/officialsite">this link</a> and you'll see the option for a Rewards membership. If you'd like to invest $2000 in the GPDB Startup and earn $2000 in free product credits back immediately, and $2500 in additional free product credits over 18 months (plus a whole list of other benefits), you can learn about that at the <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/officialsite">same site</a> too. Just click on "Learn About the Founding Trust Membership" for a 7-minute overview webinar, or click on "Membership Plans Starting as Low as $50" for a more detailed 35-minute webinar.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-9353177208910821572011-10-29T10:28:00.006-06:002011-10-29T11:43:51.832-06:00Green Polka Dot Box - What is happening?You've probably seen an ad about The Green Polka Dot Box(TM) and have found me searching for more information. What is <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">The Green Polka Dot Box</a>? Who is behind it? Are they going to launch soon? How long have they been around? Is this a scam? Many of your questions can be answered by <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">watching the webinar on the Green Polka Dot Box website</a>. Maybe you're like me, and you prefer to read over watching a webinar, or you just want the opinion of someone who isn't working for the company. If that's you, read on!<br /><br />This is really long. If you read it and still have a question, please let me know -- I will do what I can to find an answer and get back to you!<br /><br /><strong>What is The Green Polka Dot Box?</strong><br />The way I like to describe The Green Polka Dot Box is that they are like Costco + Your Favorite Health Food Store + Amazon!<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">The Green Polka Dot Box is membership based, like Costco, and prices are reduced up to 50%.</span><br />Everyone who shops at Costco pays a membership fee for the privilege of shopping there. There are different levels of membership at Costco, just like at GPDB. With Costco's higher level membership, you get 2% back on your own purchases. GPDB currently has three levels of membership:<br /><br /><em>Club Member</em> - For now, Club membership is FREE. GPDB is still in pre-launch, and they are offering <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">FREE one-year Club memberships</a> right now. This promotion was supposed to end a few days ago, but if you click on that link right now, you may be able to sneak in and get a free membership. All you have to do is click on "Watch the Webinar and Get a FREE One-Year Membership". The webinar will give you details about how GPDB works, particularly about how their Rewards Membership and Founding Trust Memberships work.<br /><br />If you don't get in before the <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">Free membership drive </a>closes, you will pay $50 per year for a Club membership. Club members receive unlimited shopping privileges and access to the LEARN section of the website, coming in 2012. Club members do not receive rewards on the purchases of members they refer to GPDB. This is like your basic Costco membership. I've learned that just based on my purchases of spinach and spring mix (I'm a <a href="http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/?AFFID=45672">green smoothie girl</a>!) at Costco, I save more than my membership fee each year. GPDB will be the same for my organic non-perishables. GPBD also plans to add perishable foods, including non-GMO-fed/grass-fed/pastured meat, dairy, and produce, soon. They are starting with non-perishable packaged items though.<br /><br /><em>Reward Member</em> - A Reward Membership is $125 per year, or $75 this year if you get the <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">free membership</a> and then upgrade to a Reward Membership. Reward members receive the same benefits as Club members, plus they can receive up to 5% discounts on everything they buy, and up to 10% PolkaDotRewards on the purchases of members they refer, based on the number of members you refer to GPDB. You only have to refer 20 members to get the top percentages. PolkaDot Rewards are points you receive based on the value of products purchased by those you refer to GPDB. You can use your points to shop at GPDB, or if you accumulate a lot, you can receive them paid to you in cash. One point is worth $1 US.<br /><br /><em>Founding Trust Member</em> - The Founding Trust Membership offers so many benefits - it would probably be quicker and easier if you <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">watch the webinar</a>. It explains everything in detail. Briefly though, as a Founding Trust member, you get the following benefits:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>You will immediately receive 2500 Reward points you can use to shop at GPDB.</li><br /><li>Your annual membership fee is waived.</li><br /><li>You receive a lifetime 10% discount on all your purchases.</li><br /><li>You receive 5 FREE Reward Memberships each year to give to your friends.</li><br /><li>If you choose not to spend your 2500 Reward points quickly, you can earn up to 2000 MORE Reward points over 18 months.</li><br /><li>You earn a 2% perpetual reward on the cash value of all the memberships of everyone you refer, everyone they refer, and everyone they refer, forever.</li><br /></ul><br /><br />Just like Costco, you will receive big savings from GPDB because of their bulk buying power. However, there is one important difference -- GPDB buys in bulk, you do not have to! You can buy one can of this, and one package of that -- regular sized cans and packages! You can save up to 50% at GPDB. Just take a look around the site and compare prices of the things you buy most often. If you don't find what you're looking for, remember that GPDB is adding organic, non-GMO products all the time. <br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">GPDB is like your favorite health food store.</span> <br />Just like your favorite health food store, Green Polka Dot Box focuses on clean, organic foods. GPDB has promised to never offer products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO). The more we learn about how devastating GMO foods can be to our health and small farmers' livelihoods, the more important this will become. There are more details on GPDB's <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/about">'About' page</a>. <br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">The Green Polka Dot Box is like Amazon.</span><br />GPDB is all online! You shop online from the convenience of your home. It's as easy as shopping on Amazon. If you buy $150 worth of products at a time shipping is FREE. Wow. The cost of shipping could easily eat up your savings, but with free shipping, you can't lose. If you purchase less than $150 at a time, shipping is still very low. <br /><br /><strong>Who is Behind The Green Polka Dot Box?</strong><br />I was introduced to Rod Smith, CEO and Founder of The Green Polka Dot Box, in 2009. Since that time, Rod has worked tirelessly to bring GPDB to fruition. I have personally spoken with Rod on the phone and corresponded with him through email. He has always been willing to talk to me and answer my questions. And you know what, I'm not that important to him as far as a financial benefit or bringer of business to GPDB. I've believed that GPBD was a wonderful thing, and wanted to use it myself, but I haven't worked very hard to refer other members. Rod has never seen a dime from me. Regardless, he has talked with me and answered emails quickly whenever I've had a question. GPDB is a HUGE undertaking and Rod has a HUGE vision. Despite challenge after challenge, Rod has persisted in bringing GPDB to the world. If you want to talk to him yourself, give it a try. I'm not going to give out his phone number, but it's worth a try to <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/contacts/">ask him to contact you</a>. I'm sure either Rod or someone else working directly with him will give you a response. <br /><br />Rod is an entrepreneur. He was the founder and former CEO and Chairman at InContact. That company is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InContact ">still around today</a>. If you're looking for fancy credentials, Rod can't help you there. He'll tell you that straight up -- look at his <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rod-smith/16/4b2/b61">LinkedIn page</a>. What he does have is determination, vision, and drive. Just like some of those other "dropouts" we read about -- Steve Jobs and Bill Gates come to mind! <br /><br /><strong>Is Green Polka Dot Box Going to Launch Soon?</strong><br />If you've been around for a while, you know that GPDB has overcome several heavy challenges. As GPBD was on the verge of launch, and the economy tanked, virtually "guaranteed" funding fell through at the last minute. This happened to businesses all over the country. Most of those other businesses gave up. Rod has persisted through all these challenges, and moves ever closer to launch. He came up with the idea of the Founding Trust Membership to raise capitol, rather than referring on big banks and other sources of funding. As of right now, Rod still plans to launch the buying website on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. But Rod's also committed to getting things right. If the company needs some more time, I'm OK with that. It may be frustrating, and it might worry you a little. But I've seen Rod persist and push since 2009, and he was persisting and pushing even before that. I don't think he's going to give up any time soon. <br /><br /><strong>How Long Has Green Polka Dot Box Been Around?</strong><br />A lot of people have contacted me asking if I've been pleased with GPBD's service. As I've noted above, GPBD has not officially launched yet. I've been aware of GPDB for 2-1/2 years. Rod was working on it before that. I haven't bought a thing from GPDB yet - no one has - but I have been pleased with their high quality, quick, and personal service in resolving questions and membership issues. <br /><br /><strong>Is Green Polka Dot Box a Scam?</strong><br />I've emailed Rod Smith, founder of GPDB. I've talked to him on the phone. I talked to him on the phone today, actually. I told him I've received questions from people, wondering when he's going to launch. He invited me to the warehouse here in Utah, offering to give me a tour, so that I can personally see all the products they have in stock, ready to ship. So no, I don't believe Green Polka Dot Box is a scam. I'm a consumer, just like you. I have a Rewards membership, and I've referred a few people to GPBD. I have talked to Rod, but I don't have any special insider knowledge. But from what I see, no, GPDB isn't a scam. Is it fail-proof? No, of course not - no business is. Other than Founding Trust members, GPDB hasn't taken a dime from anyone yet. There is no risk to starting with a Club Membership or Rewards Membership -- GPBD doesn't even ask for your financial information when you sign up. Get your <a href="http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/invite/freetoday">free Club membership</a> today!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-45029405287353626452010-08-11T14:28:00.003-06:002010-08-11T14:32:24.427-06:00That Feels BetterUp through September 2009, I really didn't write anything personal/emotional on this blog. I did a lot of verbal vomiting about my divorce and other struggles on this blog between September 2009 and March 2010. I just went back and deleted them all (I still have them as drafts) and I feel much better now! Sharing all that really was too much for me -- I am by nature a very private person. I want to be able to help others who are going through the same thing, and I don't mind my closest friends knowing all that I said, but I don't want it out there for the world.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-36811565595112841182010-05-29T12:05:00.003-06:002010-05-29T12:14:17.483-06:00The radio hates meI have several country stations on my radio presets. The other day I was feeling pretty crappy about being divorced and having given up on marriage. I got in the car and the first song said: <blockquote>"They called them crazy when they started out<br />Said seventeen's too young to know what love's about<br />They've been together fifty-eight years now"</blockquote><br />No thanks; I don't want to listen to that today!! So I changed the station and heard this:<br /><blockquote>"Ooh, we had our ups and downs <br />All along the way<br />She had a chance to leave<br />But chose to stay<br />What a beautiful day . . ."<br /><br />"Day eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty-three<br />Well, honey that's fifty years<br />Yeah, here's to you and me"</blockquote><br />No thanks; change the station again:<br /><blockquote>"I could just see you, with a baby on the way<br />And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray<br />What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more<br />But I've said that before<br /><br />And now you're my whole life<br />now you're my whole world. . . "</blockquote><br /><br />I love that country songs promote committed lifelong marriage -- it's usually so inspiring! But I do NOT appreciate it when I'm already feeling depressed about my marriage being gone!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-78637725950826836132010-03-12T18:25:00.001-07:002010-03-12T18:27:49.634-07:00Me Ordering Sushi on the PhoneMe: Can I get a Las Vegas Roll?<br />Him: I can't hear you.<br />Me: Can I get a Las Vegas Roll?<br />Him: What?<br />Me: A LAS VEGAS ROLL!<br />Him: A what?<br />Me: A! LAS! VEGAS! ROLLLLL!<br />Him: I can't hear you.<br />Me: Can I place a to go order?<br />Him: Sure, what would you like?<br />Me: A Las Vegas Roll.<br />Him: OK, 10 minutesKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-73893117455542901152010-03-04T00:56:00.004-07:002010-03-04T01:09:21.519-07:00First Video Blog: Asparagus Soup RecipeOf course this isn't a <i>real</i> video blog with me actually showing my face; you didn't think I was that brave, did you? I might do a video blog outside, but inside my apartment? Noooooo way. So anyway, here it is -- a nice little recipe for Asparagus Soup. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwxJWx9KShm51Xa4wZmgcnYSN8WhBLgJirgPlxSPOKFJcmpx1jkXR_vstdddnhzh2R0Dc0B0YGCkGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Additional notes:<br /><br />- This was actually a camcorder test, not intended to be a post, so it's totally unrehearsed and missing half the information. A normal blogger would redo it, but I'm NOT normal!<br /><br />- I'm kind of congested in this video.<br /><br />- I start with <b>4 cups</b> chicken broth/stock made from chicken carcasses. You could also use vegetable broth. If you have no broth/stock, start out by sautéeing some garlic and onions in oil for a few minutes. Even if you have broth, onions and garlic are really good in this soup.<br /><br />- I used 4 <b>small</b> potatoes this time, but it doesn't really matter; it's really flexible.<br /><br />- Cut the woody ends off the asparagus before adding to the soup. Also, you can set the asparagus tips aside (maybe steam them separately for a bit) and use them to garnish the soup.<br /><br />- Blend in small batches and be very careful so you don't kill yourself with boiling hot soup. I like to blend until it's completely puréed. <br /><br />- I said "one teaspoon" of salt, in case you couldn't hear over the "moooooom". Start with less though. It's really gross if you oversalt it. <br /><br />- Just add a little lemon. I added the juice of 1/4 lemon to the pot and that was good. Then I added the juice of another 1/8 lemon to my bowl, and that wasn't so good. <br /><br />- If your broth didn't have any fat in it, add some olive oil, butter, or something fatty at the end. You need fat!<br /><br />- The amazing thing is that this soup is so good with so few ingredients -- broth/stock, potatoes, asparagus, dill, and salt.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-60675608434713633382010-02-05T22:30:00.002-07:002010-02-05T22:37:25.888-07:00Faith UpdateI've posted a little bit about my crisis of faith over the past few months. I've had struggles with the LDS church for a long time, as long as I can remember. But as I contemplate the options ahead, I am just not content with the agnostic/atheist option. If I was to stop attending the LDS Church, I don't see myself ever believing in any other religion. If I left the church, it would be because I don't believe in God at all, and I just don't see that happening. Well, sometimes when I'm discouraged, I can easily see it happening, but generally I can't. <br /><br />I don't know if I've mentioned gifts of the spirit here before. The scriptures say that some are given the gift of believing and to some it is given to believe on their words. I think I naturally fall into the second category. And the thing is, I DO believe what others testify of. I believe that often we manifest the answers and feelings that we want to feel, but not always. There are just too many amazing things that I feel cannot be explained away. <br /><br />It is really weird, because I am hesitant to post this because I don't want to lose any of my friends who don't believe or aren't religious. Of course I don't think they would immediately dump me as a friend, but they'd likely feel that this is an area where we don't connect, and that would cause a small loss to the friendship. But I need to quit worrying about what others are doing and quit choosing the choices others have made. I need to do it my own way. <br /><br />I've tried to convince myself that I've done the necessary work to receive the gift of believing, but looking at it objectively, I don't think I have. I don't know. I go back and forth. So many doubts, but such desire to believe. It's almost impossible to make sense of this, so as usual, I'll just randomly chop the post off in the middle of a thought.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-90733213889195580642010-02-01T22:26:00.002-07:002010-02-01T22:27:42.471-07:00I didn't copy!I just went over to The Pioneer Woman site, which I haven't done in ages. One of her posts is called "What I Love". I SWEAR I didn't copy when I was titling my post the other day!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-39251842588387729552010-01-28T22:08:00.004-07:002010-01-28T22:18:24.901-07:00How is this possible?I came across <a href="http://www.standard.net/topics/gay-marriage/2009/12/16/mistrial-gay-bashing-case-juror-admits-knowing-key-witness-retrial-wo">this article</a> about 6 weeks ago in the Ogden Standard Examiner. The part that I want to mention is when they asked potential jurors "Have you or anyone you know been involved in a homosexual relationship?" The article says that <span style="font-style:italic;">"Few among the jury panel of 35 people answered 'yes'."</span><br /><br />They don't say how many 'few' is, but I am amazed. I grew up in the geographical area covered by this newspaper. Very quickly, off the top of my head, I can think of 6-7 people I knew from that same area who have been involved in homosexual relationships. It is amazing to me that there are people living in the same area who don't even know a single gay person. I'm guessing that a lot of it has to do with age. I'm thinking that if all the jury panel were my age or younger, the answer to the question would have been yes for everyone.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-64884779140117190862010-01-28T14:45:00.001-07:002010-01-28T14:45:46.038-07:00Oh yeah!<a href="http://theoatmeal.com/quiz/velociraptor_bed"><img src="http://theoatmeal.com/img/quizzes/generated/14_31_seconds.jpg" alt="How long could you survive chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor?" /></a><br /><p>Created by <a href="http://theoatmeal.com">Oatmeal</a></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-74123053929939910332010-01-28T00:02:00.008-07:002010-01-28T00:38:54.938-07:00Things I LoveI forgot that I was supposed to occasionally write uplifting and/or happy posts on this blog. Oops. <br /><br />So, here are two things I love. <br /><br />I love my curls! My curls are wild and can never be tamed; I love that! They won't give in, and neither will I. As a teenager, I tried to keep my hair as straight as possible. I haven't done that for years. If I wear it up while wet, most of it will be relatively straight when it dries, and sometimes I'll even put it in very gentle steam rollers to relax the curls a bit. But I threw out the round brush and flat iron entirely. A few years ago I set out to truly love my hair, and now I do. My curls are part of me, and I love them. Here is a crazy one. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO1PIblkHr4uzuntVArj0yfTwJIefA4oBn6KBo65g1xiHMzUW7qeMVEKnlrTHK7HxtTPyP5Mk0o5zp6-z0PTEH4ExGSK9XAzZe9vOu-XiDhl-spB39F-brhU6oCbNeXMD8YwT9g/s1600-h/001curl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 71px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO1PIblkHr4uzuntVArj0yfTwJIefA4oBn6KBo65g1xiHMzUW7qeMVEKnlrTHK7HxtTPyP5Mk0o5zp6-z0PTEH4ExGSK9XAzZe9vOu-XiDhl-spB39F-brhU6oCbNeXMD8YwT9g/s320/001curl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431690083641161314" /></a><br /><br />It starts out thick and spiraling, and then kind of fizzles. I have a whole crop of shorter hair at the nape of my neck, and sometimes it mingles with other curls and I end up with this. <br /><br />Here is a picture of me and my baby with our lovely curls:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-kh1kIH30E2qZ_yYMPcngAMU_I383ncTcGkQPvUxbFlMkLY9M6cPKbnHqdeHVVYr2TLLhxxcWqbFF2VkdqoXFKRthFBQBc7sB-1pfjvvlPe9DpAdJcvfKXBGOaONFkjd0mqdxg/s1600-h/001KatieBabyCurls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-kh1kIH30E2qZ_yYMPcngAMU_I383ncTcGkQPvUxbFlMkLY9M6cPKbnHqdeHVVYr2TLLhxxcWqbFF2VkdqoXFKRthFBQBc7sB-1pfjvvlPe9DpAdJcvfKXBGOaONFkjd0mqdxg/s320/001KatieBabyCurls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431689855044004082" /></a><br /><br />The other thing that I love is my freckles. I refuse to wear any kind of makeup that would cover them or obscure them at all. Sometimes I look in the mirror and despair because I need to get more sun and brighten those freckles back up! This is a marked change from when I was younger. I remember hearing about a woman who got rid of her freckles by religiously wearing sunscreen for two years. I wondered if I had the discipline to do that. Now I wonder why I would ever want that!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-8404806337491360132010-01-16T11:05:00.001-07:002010-01-16T11:05:38.828-07:00I See You<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O4jYr4502M0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O4jYr4502M0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-16287895385517267222010-01-15T17:13:00.004-07:002010-01-15T17:27:20.121-07:00Arrgh!!<blockquote>If comparing the immoral nature of serious crimes such as pedophilia and murder with homosexuality would, in the end, lead one to abandon immoral homosexual conduct and find peace, joy and love, in a straight life, then that act of comparison is worth the effort many times over.</blockquote><br /><br />I came across this comment today. This person is trying to defend an LDS person's comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, murder, and rape. Seriously?! Seriously?!???!! No matter how True Blue LDS you are, how is there any way you could defend this? This makes me livid! And no, this guy is not only defending the <i>theoretical</i> comparison of these sins, he is defending saying these things to real, living, breathing, feeling gay people, in order to help them <i>decide</i> not to be gay. And the worst part is, he insists that this is done out of LOVE. Love!! <br /><br />This is not the place to pick apart the guy's (il)logic. I could go on and on about that. I am just here to discuss my gut reaction to it. I want to scream and rant and shout and explain and convince until I am blue in the face. Yet I can't, because that will destroy <i>me</i>. <br /><br />Some people can have these discussions and let it roll off them. I can't do that. I used to 'debate' and 'discuss' (argue) on the internet every day. Just ask Chandelle (I am guessing we argued about nutrition and/or the Church). I was miserable. I got angry online and it carried right over to my family life. I take things way too personally and am unable to stay dispassionate and stick to logical arguments. When I see comments like this, I want to respond to be supportive of those who may be deeply hurt by reading the vitriol, but I just end up looking like a ranting lunatic in the end. In the last three months, I've engaged in probably 3 'discussions' that went beyond 'friendly'. And I just can't do it. I don't know if the rest of my life is so out of order that getting involved in these debates sends me over the edge or what, but I can't do it right now. <br /><br />What do you do? Do you stay silent and let those terrible disgusting words sit unchallenged?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-89721863837872831842010-01-13T19:45:00.004-07:002010-01-13T20:57:28.909-07:00Coconut 'Milk'Most nutritional philosophies that I have studied, including veganism, vegetarianism, raw foodism, and traditional foodism, all agree that grocery store milk is bad news. It comes from cows who are raised on feed lots and pumped up regularly with antibiotics and hormones. Bacterial counts are often very high or are reduced by adding bleach. The milk is adulterated during the processes of pasteurization and homogenization. There are entire websites dedicated to the badness of milk, but I'll stop there.<br /><br />Vegans, vegetarians, and most raw foodists believe that milk of any sort is bad. Traditional foodists believe that raw milk fresh from a pasture-raised cow is basically the nectar of the gods. However, that comes at a price. I used to get raw milk from a farm south of me, and when I stopped buying it, I think it was up to about $6/gallon. In addition, I was paying the drivers who picked up the milk each week. It ended up coming out to about $50 per month for only a gallon and a half per week. <br /><br />Since raw milk was too expensive for us, I've occasionally tried to find substitutes. I like the taste of homemade almond milk quite well, but my kids think it is gross because I leave the bitter skins on. I also typically need to add vanilla and a bit of sweetener, which can inflate the cost quickly. I keep reading on raw food blogs about how you can make some quick coconut 'milk' for recipes by blending dried coconut and water. I finally tried it today. It's fast and easy and the kids (at least 1) actually like it!<br /><br />I used 1 part dried unsweetened coconut to 3 parts water and blended it in the Blendtec until it was totally pulverized to a powder. I then strained the 'milk' through a woven towel, squeezed all the liquid from the coconut pulp/flour, and put the flour into the dehydrator to dry it out. The resulting 'milk' tastes fantastic on its own. I tried adding more water to reduce the cost, but if it's too watery, it doesn't taste very good. <br /><br />I am calling this 'milk' because this is nothing like the coconut milk you buy in can. This is a thin coconut flavored beverage similar to the consistency of 1% cow's milk. I would use it on cereal, smoothies, or to drink. It is fantastic as a base for hot chocolate. <br /><br />I'm not sure if the leftover coconut pulp/flour is exactly the same as commercially-sold coconut flour, which is made by grinding coconut fiber after most of the oil has been removed, but it's similar. It's definitely similar enough to be used in raw treat recipes that call for coconut flour, <a href="http://blog.vivapura.net/2009/09/28/raw-cacao-chunk-cookies/">like this one at Vivapura</a>. <br /><br /><b>Cost Analysis</b><br />I bought some dried coconut (sulphured) at the health food store. It was $3.50/pound, which is about 6 cups. You'd end up with 18 cups milk using the 3:1 ratio. That comes out to $3.11 for 1 gallon of coconut 'milk'. That is a pretty great price for an alternative milk. If I remember correctly, almond milk or rice milk from the store is about $8/gallon. <br /><br />Even better, in the group buy I just completed, I sold unsulphured unsweetened dried coconut for $2.08/pound, which included my profit. This would decrease the cost for a gallon of coconut 'milk' to $1.85, which is right about the same cost as grocery store cow's milk. <br /><br />When considering cost, you also have to remember that in addition to the 'milk', you're getting free coconut 'flour' as well. <br /><br /><b>Nutritional Profile</b><br />I looked up FitDay.com's entry for "Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened". Using my ratios above, there are 6 cups coconut to a pound, and that makes 18 cups coconut 'milk'. So 1 cup coconut 'milk' uses 1/18 pound coconut, or 0.89 ounces. The nutritional profile for that amount of dried unsweetened coconut is:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPL_rOGD0upPxOvG9K2ZAm-TnI85iMZv45Tyx6c7VvHugoBmPGP_GhHJcjHokBtbrZVrJ31oH_X6VQvWB5k1vzwXiNZLnMenWz2ujPol0iz6t7sfIwdHTi2EhPq-PBbuSGwHRqA/s1600-h/CoconutNutritionalProfile.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPL_rOGD0upPxOvG9K2ZAm-TnI85iMZv45Tyx6c7VvHugoBmPGP_GhHJcjHokBtbrZVrJ31oH_X6VQvWB5k1vzwXiNZLnMenWz2ujPol0iz6t7sfIwdHTi2EhPq-PBbuSGwHRqA/s320/CoconutNutritionalProfile.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426437961961434930" /></a><a href="http://www.fitday.com">From FitDay.com</a><br /><br />Of course this assumes that you are consuming the coconut pulp, which you will not be if you throw it away or dehydrate it, put it in your freezer, wait 6 months, and then throw it away (like me).Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-56109486031221289362010-01-13T14:51:00.002-07:002010-01-13T14:52:23.199-07:00Template Woes, Part III apologize for my layout. I was going to fix it a long time ago but forgot about it. If the post is long, it looks OK, but if the post is short, the banner at the bottom messes everything up. The banners don't fit properly, and my 'Older Posts' link somehow disappeared into cyberspace. Just know that it's on my list of things to do eventually, ha ha!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-38074715783210736112010-01-13T14:49:00.004-07:002010-01-13T14:51:02.741-07:00This Little PiggyMy mom always plays <i>This Little Piggy</i> with YoungestSon's tiny little toes. This morning as I was putting on his shoes, I grabbed his feet and started "This little piggy went to the market. . ." He immediately pulled his foot away and in his cute 2-year old way said "No, Grandma do it!" I didn't understand at first and tried again with the same result. I guess that is Grandma's game and no one else can do it!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-89390305426476455012010-01-08T12:26:00.003-07:002010-01-08T13:03:01.017-07:00Durian!Ever since I heard about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian">the durian fruit</a>, I wanted to try one. The durian fruit is said to be quite delicious, but it smells awful. In Singapore, <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Singapore_MRT_Fines.jpg">they've even banned durians from mass transit</a>! You've got to browse through the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian">Wikipedia </a>article - some of the descriptions of the durian's smell are fantastic!<br /><br />So I've been kind of wanting to try one but haven't been too serious about it. Then Carmella of the Sunny Raw Kitchen <a href="http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunny-raw-kitchen-tour-adventures_05.html">wrote about durian</a> this week, and I decided I'd definitely try it soon, but I wasn't really sure where to get one. <br /><br />Today at work, my coworker (she is from China) and I were preparing our lunches and she said "I'm so embarrassed! My car smells so gross. My parents and I bought this fruit. . ." I said "Oh, was it a durian?" It was, of course. She said you can get them at the Thai/Asian markets around here. She was in California when she had hers, but somehow it stunk up her car (even though it was either frozen in a package or unpeeled in the peel/husk) and she can't figure out how to get the smell out. She said that once you start eating it, the smell isn't bothersome. She also said she likes to buy 1 at a time and eat it with someone else so that they can finish it off all at once. She said you DO NOT want the leftovers in your fridge!<br /><br />So maybe I'll sponsor a durian-tasting party here at work, to be held in the parking lot, ha ha. People around here are sensitive about the smell of COFFEE, so can you imagine how much they'd freak over a durian? I think that most of the women here would try it, but I don't think any of the men would come near it with a 10-foot pole. They stick to things like Wendy's, Lean Cuisine, or the same sandwich every day for years. I guess to get the durian here I'll have to tie a bag onto the outside of the car so my car doesn't get stunk up, ha ha.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-27345214780985335692010-01-02T20:23:00.002-07:002010-01-02T20:47:04.380-07:00I'll Be Back Up On My Feet<a href="http://popup.lala.com/popup/360569475234547226">Click here to listen</a> to the soundtrack for this post.<br /><br />I've got to get back on my feet. <br /><br />There are a few things I just haven't been doing. Like feeding my kids and myself actual food. We have eaten SO much fast food over the past few months. So much sugar/candy. So much junk. We've had every opportunity to eat well. We haven't been inundated with treats nor holiday parties. We've had plenty of money to buy good groceries. I just haven't gotten around to it. Today we've eaten toast, Wendy's, cookies, and brownies. The youngest two also fought over the last hot dog (and I never buy hot dogs!). Nice. I used to make detailed menu plans and grocery lists and follow them. I looked in my planner and the last weekly menu plan was from August, the week before TheEx left for Houston. I know I've made a few more menu plans since then, but I used to do it diligently. I feel so gross from all the junk. My skin looks terrible. I crave sugar and it does taste good, but I dread eating it because it's just so gross. I just feel 'ick'. <br /><br />Another big thing is getting a decent amount of sleep at a regular time. I was always so good at that until about 3 years ago. I progressively got worse until I was going to bed at 2-3 am many nights and regularly getting around 5 hours of sleep. I did better for a week or two, but I've gotten back to the very late and wildly variable bedtimes recently. One night it will be 2 am, the next night 9 pm. I feel exhausted and out of it most of the time. <br /><br />I have a lot of goals or intentions for the coming year. But I think the two I'll focus on first are good food and good rest. <br /><br />Anyway, this was actually meant to be a forward-looking uplifting post, because I got thinking of that Monkees song I linked to, and it's a fun happy song :-)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-31974982962924027222010-01-02T11:41:00.002-07:002010-01-02T11:44:17.151-07:00Awesome Christmas PresentIn order to get yesterday's negativity off the top spot on my blog, check out what I got from my mom for Christmas:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6ZXvo2i5G9S7ksBHvgVmCyR_pOsZImBPv5lWSlmL67xaf-1J9DsmqHjBN2Qssc4lSYwCHxvg6K-FNbNTfuSNa5L4Xj94JknqB9N8P5HA4GOBdUzcU3kuTuo6vEQfcqkL5V66Zw/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6ZXvo2i5G9S7ksBHvgVmCyR_pOsZImBPv5lWSlmL67xaf-1J9DsmqHjBN2Qssc4lSYwCHxvg6K-FNbNTfuSNa5L4Xj94JknqB9N8P5HA4GOBdUzcU3kuTuo6vEQfcqkL5V66Zw/s320/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422215031542220242" /></a><br /><br />Awesome, huh?!?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-67008658769537039242009-12-26T20:42:00.003-07:002009-12-26T20:45:52.472-07:00I Told YouA while back I told you that soon I would have incontrovertible proof that I am a ninja. Well, it's finally here. And don't be hating my hair/smudgy makeup. This is pretty much right after rolling out of bed on Christmas morning. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nscPViEHlYTPPFWXYtkOKNG0ZxzlvYDkRJEYiWI_ET1-korqU4tnOSttzX41WveQwXEERBqWzco-NoMkhMhayK1oUj7NL4I71I_PprSnM4cd4ArKz6coMAbb5mqTaURROQoJrA/s1600-h/035rotated.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nscPViEHlYTPPFWXYtkOKNG0ZxzlvYDkRJEYiWI_ET1-korqU4tnOSttzX41WveQwXEERBqWzco-NoMkhMhayK1oUj7NL4I71I_PprSnM4cd4ArKz6coMAbb5mqTaURROQoJrA/s320/035rotated.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419757068502350258" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-64199633913083482442009-12-21T20:35:00.003-07:002009-12-21T20:38:10.412-07:00On HoldThe breakthrough will have to wait. Through his actions, theEx kindly reminded me today in mediation of some of the reasons we are divorcing. I'm feeling more like breaking something than grieving. Good riddance, I say. I'll be back on track tomorrow or the next day - I've never been able to hold on to feelings of hate very long. And as for how this feeling actually manifests itself, I get very quiet and shut down. I just want to go to sleep. I've also been stuffing my face for the last hour (Thai curry, a raw date/nut bar, and coconut patties).Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-51925120417542363252009-12-21T14:45:00.002-07:002009-12-21T14:47:31.422-07:00Other side of the coinI am losing a lot. But there are some benefits too. For example, I can now freely listen to: <br /><br />- Bolero (TheEx was hazed into his fraternity with that song playing on repeat in the background for hours and understandably hated it)<br /><br />- Elvis (his mother listened to this a lot when he was a kid and he was all Elvised out)<br /><br />- military/soldier songs (he really wanted to be in the military and it was hard for him to listen to soldier songs)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-70330924390971192442009-12-12T19:25:00.005-07:002009-12-14T21:46:46.755-07:00You really want that mustard blendGoogle Analytics has been tracking my website for just over 3 years. I assume that's when I installed Analytics, since my blog is actually nearly 5 years old. Over the past 3 years, the top keywords used to find my blog have consistently been some variation of "Texadelphia mustard blend". As of today, my top 10 results are:<br /><br />1. katie words<br />2. katies world<br />3. texadelphia mustard blend recipe<br />4. texadelphia queso recipe<br />5. texadelphia calories<br />6. bajio grill calories<br />7. texadelphia nutritional info<br />8. texadelphia mustard sauce recipe<br />9. texadelphia mustard blend<br />10. katie's world<br /><br />I have a few things to say about this. First of all, if you're concerned about calories or nutrition, don't even bother going to <a href="http://www.texadelphia.com/">Texadelphia</a>. Seriously. No matter what your nutritional concern is, they probably violate it. But it just tastes so darn good. Mmmmm. <br /><br />Secondly, I posted once about trying to figure out the Texadelphia mustard blend recipe. But I never got around to doing it! So you're out of luck with that. Part of the reason I didn't do it is because the Texadelphia Cheesesteak with mustard blend is an entire experience. The mustard blend is great, but the cheesesteak itself is unique as well. I assumed that even if I found a cheesesteak in Utah and added my own mustard blend, it would never match up to the real thing. I'll just have to wait until the next time I visit Texas (they have locations in Houston, Austin, Dallas, or San Antonio).<br /><br />Also, as a little dose of reality, I don't really get THAT many hits on Texadelphia. Over the past 3 years, I've had 274 visits to my blog from people looking for Texadelphia. That's a lot, but not really, when spread over 3 years.<br /><br />I didn't look very closely at my results, other than to skim looking for the word Texadelphia, but these were two of the weirdest results I had:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"women" "typical passwords" "email"</span><br />First of all, I don't think you need to use that many quote marks. Second, mind your own business. However, if your wife is cheating on you and you need that password to confirm it, go for it! <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">average hair grow 40 feet per night</span><br />Um, I don't think you would call that average. But wouldn't that be awesome? You could go with a short spiky cut one day, and the next have it floor length. If I ever get my own world, in addition to all the hair being rainbow colored, it's going to grow as fast as the person wants it to.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-90943468117886356992009-12-11T15:15:00.004-07:002009-12-11T15:24:39.768-07:00Worst Christmas Song of All TimeWhich Christmas song do you dislike the most? I think this is one of my least favorites:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hZhoF9Isf0o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hZhoF9Isf0o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The benefit of this video is that it has sweet 80's style!<br /><br />Why on earth would people do covers of this song?<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ds6oTHYmqRc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ds6oTHYmqRc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2SateaTLZU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2SateaTLZU&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/asNJyfDKVlM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/asNJyfDKVlM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IF6mF0ebX6Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IF6mF0ebX6Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Even Glee is getting in on it?!?! <br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/niU6OZ71l9c&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/niU6OZ71l9c&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />And no, of course I didn't listen to all of those before I embedded them. Ew. I did have to at least listen to a few seconds to make sure it really was the same song. The one by Cascada (whoever they/she are/is) is slightly acceptable.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10152513.post-71919060361974500472009-12-07T21:55:00.002-07:002009-12-07T21:55:48.042-07:0090 Year Old DancerI thought this was pretty inspiring! I hope I'm this active when I'm 90!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9AjVtIQRzc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9AjVtIQRzc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0