Burley a-go-go

Who said they don't know how to have fun in the Burley-Rupert area? Here's proof...
My favorite is the old guy in the Minico Spartan's jacket. It's funny and very sweet.

Mangoooo Quinoaaaa Salad...so good!

If you have never tried quinoa, this is a fantastic place to start. Quinoa is becoming more and more popular because of its awesome nutrient content. I bought a bag at Costco. It looks like a grain and cooks like rice, but it is actually a seed and it super nutritious. It is grown in Bolivia and is imported to the USA. What a great way to support the Bolivian economy.

Here's how:
1 chopped tomato
1 chopped cucumber
1 chopped avocado
1/2 chopped Bermuda onion
1 chopped red pepper
2 T. lemon juice
2-3 cups mixes salad greens
4 cups COOKED and cooled quinoa

Toppings:
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 mango chopped (you can buy a bag of frozen mangos in the frozen fruit section of the grocery store. It's easy and quick to use!)
1 cup chopped jicama

Mix tomato, cucumber, red onion, avocado and peppers with lemon juice, sprinkle with sea salt.
Divide onto 4 plates and top each with one cup quinoa. Then add cilantro, mango and jicama
Top with dressing:

1 cup fresh mango (I used frozen and it worked great)
1/2 cup safflower oil or canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup) This was a first for me. A sugar substitute - also available at Costo
1/4 c. lime juice
1 T. rice vinegar (or balsamic)
1 t. fresh grated ginger
2 t. seal salt
1 clove of garlic

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. My oh my. Get ready for a taste sensation. The dressing is especially amazing. It makes enough for future salads.

A legacy of love

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 15: 13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

His life is a legacy of love and I'm so grateful for the gift he gave us all.
He lives. He loves us.
Happy Easter.

The walking wounded

(chick to enlarge the pictures)
Yesterday I had a very sobering experience. I attended an event called the Clothesline Project at UVU. Twice a year tee shirts are hung up in a large room that have various statements or testimonials written on them by someone who was abused in a myriad of sad and terrible ways. The color of the tee shirt represents the type of abuse that was suffered by the author of the writing on the shirt. Yellow shirts represent individuals who are survivors of physical assault, pink, red or orange represent survivors of rape or sexual assault, blue or green represent survivors of incest or childhood sexual abuse, lavender or purple represent survivors of attacks suffered due to sexual orientation, black for those disabled as a result of an attach or assaulted because of a disability, grey or brown for survivors of emotional, spiritual or verbal abuse and white for individuals who died as a result of violence.

There we hundreds, maybe even more than a thousand, tee shirts handing in the room. All the shirts in the display were made by people in Utah County who visited the display, reflecting the reality that violence is a problem everywhere, even in Utah County

The main objective of this project is to raise awareness of these crimes that are going on in our very own community. The statements I read were written by people who have suffered abuse in all the ways described above, right here in our own little happy valley. We don't often see or even think of the insidious types of abuse that are being inflicted on innocent people right under our noses. We go about our lives, generally unaware of the neglected or abused wife or husband, child or son or daughter who lives near by.

Another objective of the Clothesline Project is to educate those who have been abused and to let them know of the resources they can access to help them. There is also the need to educate all people so that this abuse is stopped, so that it is brought out into the light of day and shown for the evil that it is. Writing the tee shirts also gives many of the abused a way to release their hurt, betrayal and anger and to move on and heal. We need to send a message that this type of behavior is wrong, immoral and so very damaging to those who are the victims. One of my good friends is the victim of severe childhood abuse that has scarred her mind and soul in unrepairable ways.

Do we need stronger laws? Do we need better enforcement of the laws we have? Do we need to speak out when we see or hear of abuse in our own circle of influence? Do we need to protect one another and say that this behavior is not OK and that we won't be quiet about it? We need to act to stop it, one person at a time, one family at a time, one neighborhood at a time, one state at a time and finally, one nation at a time.

Eat to Live

Think about that phrase...eat to live. Usually we live to eat. Switching things around can be the difference between such things as life and death, illness and wellness, mobility and immobility, happiness and sorrow, living life to the fullest and being home-bound. At least as far as EATING goes, it can turn your life around. You can feel better, lose weight and have more energy.
About a month ago, my friend Patsy and I went to a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point. It was all about how to eat healthy and how to cook with more fruits and veggies in mind. It was excellent. We got to sample some really good recipes and see how to make them. I'm now a BIG advocate of this book:

You can get it here. for $10.00. That's all it costs. I promise it will be the best $10.00 you've spent in awhile. It is full of sound medical research, good advice, tips on how to achieve success, several weekly meal plans and recipes and just good nutrition advice. I want to buy one for everyone I know. In addition to eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, it promotes eating more whole grains and legumes with less meat and less dairy. It makes sense to me.


We were also introduced to this book on how to feed kids better. It has some great suggestions, recipes, snack ideas and meal plans to help feed kids better. If you have a child who suffers from a lot of sicknesses, I think it is a very good idea to carefully consider their diet. You can get it here for $10.87.

I've also decided that when I reach 80 years old, I'm going to eat to die...that is, I'm going to eat whatever I want and never exercise again!