Today.

Today was yet another busy day in the Ghan house.  We didn't really do anything productive as far as unpacking and organizing goes, but we did go shopping for about a million hours (slight exaggeration) and did some miscellaneous stuff around the house.

I planted my vegetables today!  They are doing very well.  I can't wait to have my own eggplants, yellow squash, and tomatoes :)  After I planted them, I let Mo and Feckle out for the first time.  Boy, did they love it!  

Puppy officially chased away his first "stray" cat that was in our backyard by the hay.  He felt pretty tough.  

Feckle found a bug and decided to eat it, only to spit it back out and play with it for a little while longer. 
 
My parents sold their sailboat today. YAY!  To celebrate they bought a lawn mower and an awesome computer.  Get money to spend money, right?  I am happy for them.
I also got to talk to Alice today too!  I wasn't expecting her to call me from China but it was sooo nice hearing how she has been.  I can't wait for her to come back so we can have some fun and enjoy summer!


I got my bareback pad from my parents!  I was able to use it for the first time today. Man, that pad is AMAZING.  Buck was well behaved when we walked around the neighborhood with my mom and Tango, but then he turned into a knuckle head when I actually asked him to work slightly.  Despite his atrocious behavior, that pad made me stick to him like glue and I felt safe.  He's a good horse...if you don't ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do.  It's pretty intimidating when a half ton horse wants to run you over because he wants to be with his friend in the pasture.  For the first time ever, Buck actually hurt me doing just that yesterday.  I'm really looking forward to going to New Mexico in a few weeks.  Buck has some pretty thick walls that need to be broken down and New Mexico is the only way it's going to happen.

Oh, and I found a rather large snail in our front yard.  His name is Snail Man and he enjoys long strolls along the flower gardens, but hates salty additives. 

It's Exhausting

Life isn't exactly what I would call perfect, but I'm trying my hardest to stay positive.

This morning I woke up and looked out my huge ass bay window in my room as I lay in bed (seriously, it's huge.  Pictures to come after I paint my room).  The sky was blue and swirled with clouds.  There were two male mallard ducks chasing after a female.  Their movements in the sky were stunning!  It made me smile.  When I look out my window I see a huge alfalfa field and Antelope Island.  It really is such a beautiful place.  I feel like I can breathe out here.  Although I love the house and the views, I still feel very unsettled and it is exhausting.  I feel like I've been in the moving process for two months between Cedar City and now this new house.  One day it will all be over.
 
A lot of work needs to be done at this house, but nothing that is unmanageable.  It just requires a lot of time and help from other people.  On the third day we had some pretty serious septic tank problems.  It had to be

pumped, unclogged, and then some piping needed to be replaced.  The lawn is in awful condition.  OJ doesn't even want to touch parts of it.  The previous owners didn't take care of their land very well.  Luckily it's an easy fix, but it's again going to take time.  Nearly all the walls in the house need to be washed or repainted either because they have patch work done on them or they look filthy. Welcome home, right?  I make this house sound like its a disaster.  It isn't.  It's a beautiful home that has been, for the most part, well taken care of.

Last night OJ got out and refused to stay put in his pen.  He kept escaping.  My dad told me to tie him up to a rope so he stayed in place.  So I got the rope, but as I opened the door to the back yard, I look down to see OJ.  He had curled up and fallen asleep on the doormat right outside the door.  It was the sweetest thing I had seen in a while.  Needless to say, I didn't tie him up and he slept the night away on the doormat.  He is extremely lonely during this time and is craving any sort of affection.  He will follow you around, lean his head into your body, talk to you...he is so social and is in an extremely unsocial environment right now, unfortunately.  Hopefully that will change for the little guy when we bring the horses over this weekend.

Logan and I are no longer together.  Things got out of hand and I realized I deserve much better.  I'm too young and too good of a person to settle for someone less than me.  It's sad.  I love Logan very, very much, but he needs to work out his own life before he can start working on a relationship.  We will still remain friends, but for the time being we are taking a break from one another.  Two years is a long time to stay with a person, but I've spent the last four in relationships pretty much from beginning to end.  I don't consider that a bad thing because I am a happy person (I must have done something right), but I think I'm going to fly solo for a while.

Oh, and Jacky got me a bottle of yummy wine as well as this bad ass mustache ring.  Pretty sweet gifts.  I loved the wine and I wear the ring nearly every day.

As a side note, I can't decide if I want to get hair extensions next month (Yes, this means I must be on drugs).  I think I'm going to go in and get a quote done to see how much it will be and let that be the deciding factor.

Turning Twenty

I really wanted to make this post yesterday, on my actual birthday, but that didn't happen because of laziness on my part.

Although I didn't technically "celebrate" my twentieth birthday on the day of my birthday, that's okay.  I had an amazing day anyway!  I woke up to Puppy laying on my chest and staring at me, waiting for me to wake up.  When I finally did open my eyes I'm pretty sure he sang Happy Birthday (kitty version) to me for the next fifteen minutes.  It was pretty freaking adorable how much he was using his dinosaur noises to express whatever he was feeling that morning.

Alice and I went shopping for new clothes later that morning.  I spent $60 on three amazing pairs of jeans and a hoodie I won't be able to wear until next Fall.  But hey, a bargain is a bargain!  I was in desperate need of some new jeans.  I've been wearing ones I go horse riding in for the last two weeks.  Gross!We came home and I had a Jamba Juice out on the back lawn.  OJ stood beside me and Puppy and Freckles laid down next to me.  OJ has been really upset lately because we tore down his pen (his only home for 10 years). I haven't seen him this upset since Foxy passed away.  But he calmed down for the time I was out there.  

Moving is becoming bitter sweet.  As I sat on the grass in the shade I listened to the birds chirp and watched the horses graze.  The blue sky was spotted with white puffy clouds and the trees in the back pastures swayed silently.  I thought about how on my 8th birthday my parents bought me Foxy.  I thought about how  on my 13th birthday I made a movie with about 10 of my friends and Buck.  I thought about my 18th birthday how we celebrated my early graduation and me getting the internship at the cat park.  There are so many memories of just my birthdays alone that I am having to physically leave behind, but it's okay, because now new people (and there kids) can make there own memories here.  In the end, I am glad I got to spend one last birthday at my childhood home.  I will miss it.

Now for the gifts!  My birthday is kind of being dragged out due to the move.  I opened Logan's and Alice's presents yesterday, but I will be opening my family's gifts this weekend, and then in a couple weeks I'll be having my actual birthday party.  But as for what I got yesterday, I LOVE THEM.  Alice made me the most thoughtful gift I have ever received.  She gave me a bunch of things (including a cat shirt, YES), but my favorite was a box she made filled with reasons why she likes me and what she hopes for me in the future.  So perfect!  If you're reading this Alice, THANK YOU! :)  Logan got me an incredible gift as well.  He has always wanted to help me with my leg pain and I think he finally found a way!  He got me a 3Q calf, ankle, and foot massager.  This thing is truly amazing.  It almost immediately eliminated my leg pain and fatigue.  I'll be using this when my legs are keeping me up at night so I can actually get a good nights sleep for once, not to mention it's coming with me to New Mexico.  I'll really need it after twelve hour days out with the horses.  He also got me Sims 3 Seasons and Sims 3 Vacations, plus the Life of Pi DVD.  When things calm down I am going to go Sim crazy!  I can't wait to see what else people will get me in the next little bit.  I love gifts!

Well, I guess that's all for meow.  The move is going well thus far, I'm just excited to be done with it and live in a place that actually looks like a house instead of a vacant lot.

Put Good In, Get Good Out

Customized Japanese Veggie Soup
Everything in this recipe is by taste, so feel free to experiment by adding or subtracting certain ingredients to your liking.  Total Cook/Prep Time: ~20 minutes

1. Boil 3 cups of water
2. Add pieces of eggplant, mushrooms, yellow and red peppers, yellow squash, and tofu
3. Adjust the water level to your liking based on the amount of vegetables you put in 
4. Add one packet of Miso Soup mix (you can buy at Walmart in the oriental section)
5. Let boil for approximately 15 minutes
6. While boiling, fry up spaghetti-like noodles (boil them first, then fry in butter)
7.  Add noodles to veggie Miso mix and enjoy! 

***Adding grilled, lightly salted chicken pieces is an excellent addition as well***  

Eggplant Stir Fry
This is meant to be served with whole grain or white rice and is only part of a meal.             Total Cook/Prep Time: ~20 minutes

1. Add butter to large skillet or wok
2. Cut up approximately 2 cups worth of eggplant, add to skillet                                   *NOTE: Do not cut the pieces too small. Eggplant shrinks significantly when cooked*
3. Cut up approximately 1 cup worth of yellow squash, add to skillet
4. Add diced jalapeno (a little goes a long way)
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Stir frequently for approximately 15 minutes on medium heat, serve with rice.

***Adding grilled tofu to the eggplant and scrambled eggs to the rice is also a good idea ***   

Mushroom and Onion Stir Fry
This is meant to be only part of a meal.  I usually combine it with the Eggplant Stir Fry.        Total Cook/Prep Time: ~20 minutes

1. Add butter to medium skillet or wok
2. Add 2 cups of sliced sweet onion
3. Cup up approximately 2 cups of mushrooms and add them                                       *NOTE: Mushrooms shrink significantly when cooked.  Cutting a whole mushroom into three pieces is usually a good size to cook.*  
4. Add diced jalapeno for an extra kick
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Stir frequently.  Serve with rice when onions become soft.     

Healthy Spaghetti
Tired of greasy spaghetti?  ME TOO!  Try this instead :) Total Prep/Cook Time: ~30 minutes

1. Boil spaghetti noodles
2. Begin grilling diced chicken
3. Add cut up pieces of yellow squash, eggplant and sweet onion to your standard spaghetti sauce mix.  
4. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and garlic (to taste)
5. Top with freshly graded Parmesan cheese 
6. Serve with a side salad and/or garlic toast

Cream of Chicken with Whole Wheat Noodles

This is a filling, yet light meal that won't leave you feeling bloated or heavy.                         Total Prep/Cook Time: ~40 minutes

1. Defrost chicken (legs, breasts, or wings--it doesn't matter)
2. Use one regular sized can of Cream of Chicken, and one can milk.  Add fresh herbs and seasonings.  I used some salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.  Stir and pour of chicken in oven safe container.
3. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of chicken you are using).
4. Once the chicken looks like it is close to being done, spoon some of the Cream of Chicken over the chicken and begin boiling whole wheat noodles. 
5. Once the noodles are tender, remove the chicken from the oven.
6. Put the noodles on the plate, along with the chicken, and spoon out the remaining Cream of Chicken soup onto the noodles.  It makes them creamy and smooth!
7. Serve with your choice of vegetables