Get a room kitties

Our kitties are so funny to watch. Some days they are a little bit more affectionate than others. This day they were all over each other.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Those of you who know me know that I'm pretty frugal.The other day I re taped our laundry basket and sewed some sock holes. Is that called darning socks? I don't know. I usually just throw holy socks away, but I'm trying to be better about reusing things.

Another Fun Weekend

Last weekend we went down and visited my sisters, Wes's brother and some friends. It was so fun. On Thursday night after our adoption seminar my sisters and I went to Twilight. It was so fun!
On Friday night we got babysitters and went to Thai chili gardens for dinner. I loved their mango dessert. So, today I found something that might be similar to it. Here it is:



Coconut Milk Sticky Rice with Mango on top - Kow Neuw Moon

Sticky Rice is a core ingredient of thai desserts and northeastern thai food. Here's how you make it easily.

________________________________________

2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sticky rice
2 pinches salt
1 cup coconut milk

The Traditional Method Using a Steamer:
Soak the sticky rice in enough water to cover the rice for at least an hour and even overnight. Take your steamer, put water in the bottom and cover the steam section with cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Pour the sticky rice on the cheesecloth, cover with the lid and put it on the stove on medium to high heat. The sticky rice should take about a 20 minutes of steaming to cook and will become translucent when done.

The Microwave Method:
I learned this method from my friend who has mastered microwave cooking to such a high level of proficiency that she has earned the title 'the microwave queen'.

Soak the sticky rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a bowl. Soaking the rice is very important. I have tried this method without soaking the rice first and it was disastrous. The rice was undercooked and inedible. The water level should be just above the rice, which comes out to be 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more). I recommend using a non-plastic container because you may melt the plastic in the microwave. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave for at full power 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from the top to the bottom. You will notice that some of the rice is translucent or cooked and some still has white center or the uncooked portion.

Heat it up again for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it is done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent. If it needs more cooking, I recommend heating up and checking every 3 minutes or so. How long it takes to cook really depends on your microwave.

Putting it together:
Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer. Hard boiled coconut milk will curdle. Add sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The sticky rice will absorb all the coconut milk. The rice should be a little mushy. Spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice at serving time.
Mango on Sticky Rice - Kow Neuw Mamuang

Mango on sticky rice is a traditional summer dessert because mangoes are in season during the summer months of April and May. When I think of mango on sticky rice, I think of the days when school is out--the carefree summer.

1 mango, peeled

Peel and slice ripe mango. Place sticky rice on a small plate and top with mango. Spoon the coconut milk on top of the mango and sticy rice.

Enjoy, I had a ton. We ordered it for Lilly and I ate about half hers and then shared one with Wes. I just couldn't get enough.

New Years

For New Years we stayed home and had a nice dinner. It was so romantic. Sitting at the table with Wes. We had candles lit....and kids hanging on us and running around in the living room. It's the thought that counts. We tried. We have been playing Hand and Foot a lot lately. That was fun to play.

Entertainment for the Bored

As my kids get older it becomes harder and harder to keep them entertained. The other day they were getting a little restless, so I turned on the jets in our bathtub and filled it with bubbles. They loved it! First they played next to it with cups and spoons and then they couldn't resist and they had to get in.
The other day Ethan and I washed our car in the garage. It was too cold to wash it out in the driveway. He felt like such a great helper. I have discovered that each job that the kids help with doesn't have to be perfect. Just as long as they put the effort into it. :)

Christmas recap

I know, I know a little late. I have just been really busy with Taxes, my preschool stuff and our adoption paperwork.
We went up to my parents for Christmas. The first night we stayed in a hotel, which was great fun! Wes and the boys went swimming while Lilly and I hung out on the swing.
It snowed a ton up there. If we didn't have a four wheel drive we would have been snowed in.
A lot of my siblings live up in Idaho, so it was so fun to visit with them. Liz and her family came up to. I just love my family!

I've been tagged

My sister Liz tagged me. She did this thing where you go to google and type in your name and see who else in this world share the same name as you. Here it goes...

These are the pics I found for my name.