Shelli Armstrong's Blog, page 10
November 6, 2012
Romney
Why I wanted Romney to win:
There are lots of reasons, but I can sum up my reasons in three or four points. I wanted Romney to win because I trust him more than Obama, I think he's a hard worker, I know his morals and his standards and I agree with them.
I wanted him to have the opportunity to prove himself. There have been so many things that Romney has had to spend his entire campaign fighting against (e.g. his Mormonism) that he didn't have the chance to really focus on the real issues. He also had to work against the people in his party who kept making absolutely ridiculous comments ("legitimate rape", etc.) that had nothing to do with him.
And with the economy being the big issue, I think that Romney is the man better suited for the job. There was a lot of criticism towards Mitt and his inability to give his plans to HOW he was going to balance the books and create jobs, but, I attribute that to the fact that he needed a chance to see the books.
Watching some of the news programs and the coverage on the election, there have been comments about what's next for the Republican party? The thing that I like best about Romney, is that he is a moderate. Is the GOP lamenting the fact that they didn't chose someone more conservative? I hope not. If the uber-conservatives that have made news throughout the campaign, the ones that have alienated women, the Hispanic voters, etc., are representatives of what the conservative side is supposed to be There was a comment that the Democrats are more representative of the landscape of America, while the Republicans are looking backwards. I didn't think that was true of Romney. Despite his Mormonism, despite his wealth, despite the stickler things that he has been criticized for this past year, I think that Romney was the man we needed to do the job and I think that he is forward thinking enough to have done it.
But the election has been called. There's not much hope that there is a stack of Romney ballots in Ohio and among the other swing states that will change the tide. Four more years with circumstances largely the same. I think America can weather it. I'm not saying that we won't be worse for the wear, but I think we'll survive. I'm interested to see how Obama will run these next four years, now that he doesn't have to worry about an upcoming election.
Siiiiiiiigh.
There are lots of reasons, but I can sum up my reasons in three or four points. I wanted Romney to win because I trust him more than Obama, I think he's a hard worker, I know his morals and his standards and I agree with them.
I wanted him to have the opportunity to prove himself. There have been so many things that Romney has had to spend his entire campaign fighting against (e.g. his Mormonism) that he didn't have the chance to really focus on the real issues. He also had to work against the people in his party who kept making absolutely ridiculous comments ("legitimate rape", etc.) that had nothing to do with him.
And with the economy being the big issue, I think that Romney is the man better suited for the job. There was a lot of criticism towards Mitt and his inability to give his plans to HOW he was going to balance the books and create jobs, but, I attribute that to the fact that he needed a chance to see the books.
Watching some of the news programs and the coverage on the election, there have been comments about what's next for the Republican party? The thing that I like best about Romney, is that he is a moderate. Is the GOP lamenting the fact that they didn't chose someone more conservative? I hope not. If the uber-conservatives that have made news throughout the campaign, the ones that have alienated women, the Hispanic voters, etc., are representatives of what the conservative side is supposed to be There was a comment that the Democrats are more representative of the landscape of America, while the Republicans are looking backwards. I didn't think that was true of Romney. Despite his Mormonism, despite his wealth, despite the stickler things that he has been criticized for this past year, I think that Romney was the man we needed to do the job and I think that he is forward thinking enough to have done it.
But the election has been called. There's not much hope that there is a stack of Romney ballots in Ohio and among the other swing states that will change the tide. Four more years with circumstances largely the same. I think America can weather it. I'm not saying that we won't be worse for the wear, but I think we'll survive. I'm interested to see how Obama will run these next four years, now that he doesn't have to worry about an upcoming election.
Siiiiiiiigh.
October 30, 2012
Costumes
I believe in dressing appropriately for the occasion. If there is a color associated with a holiday, I believe in wearing it. That means green on St. Patrick's Day. Harvest colors for Thanksgiving. Red and/or green for Christmas. I believe in wearing something nice to a wedding. I believe in dressing up for the symphony or the opera. I don't think sweat pants are suitable for the Thanksgiving table.
I believe in costumes.
I believe in costumes.
October 21, 2012
Broccoli Soup
I made a delicious soup on Friday night that was SO easy, as well.
The original recipe called for:
1 lb. chopped broccoli
1 small onion
2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 can of white beans
You're supposed to cook the onion in a pot in olive oil, then add everything once the onion is ready. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to a simmer until the broccoli is cooked.
And then you are supposed to blend it all up.
Since I don't really like soup that I can drink, I prefer it laden with foods to chew and extra crackers to make it thick, I didn't like the idea of blending it. I also didn't like the idea that it called for nothing to flavor it besides the onion.
So.
I decided to add it a few other things, and it ended up being delicious, as I said.
Take the original recipe:
1 lb. chopped broccoli
1 small onion
2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 can of white beans
ADD:
dash of chili pepper
jalapeno flakes
2 cups (roughly) of red cabbage and green cabbage
cilantro to taste
When ready to eat, add a dollop (or more) of Greek yogurt.
I don't know, maybe it sounds gross.....No............... It can't sound gross. It was so good. I'll definitely be eating it again and again this winter. Plus, it's healthy, right?
The original recipe called for:
1 lb. chopped broccoli
1 small onion
2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 can of white beans
You're supposed to cook the onion in a pot in olive oil, then add everything once the onion is ready. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to a simmer until the broccoli is cooked.
And then you are supposed to blend it all up.
Since I don't really like soup that I can drink, I prefer it laden with foods to chew and extra crackers to make it thick, I didn't like the idea of blending it. I also didn't like the idea that it called for nothing to flavor it besides the onion.
So.
I decided to add it a few other things, and it ended up being delicious, as I said.
Take the original recipe:
1 lb. chopped broccoli
1 small onion
2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
1 can of white beans
ADD:
dash of chili pepper
jalapeno flakes
2 cups (roughly) of red cabbage and green cabbage
cilantro to taste
When ready to eat, add a dollop (or more) of Greek yogurt.
I don't know, maybe it sounds gross.....No............... It can't sound gross. It was so good. I'll definitely be eating it again and again this winter. Plus, it's healthy, right?
Horseback Riding
The offer came unexpectedly, but I jumped on it as soon as it was out of his mouth. A guy in my ward is from a farm up in Idaho. He mentioned that a group of people were invited to go and ride his family's horses. I've been wanting to go horseback riding for ages. Forever, really. So I immediately agreed to go, coerced Elsie into going and invited Megan at nearly the last minute.
The last time I was on a horse, I was still quite young and at my dad's Uncle Murray's place in the hills of Kentucky. He put us up on the horses and was going to let Amy and me ride off into the forest, without supervision...without instruction. I chickened out. It has since been a regret, because I never knew when my next opportunity to ride would be.
I loved it.
Loren was kind of the same way. He put leads on the horses and had us get to know them while he had to help his brother on the farm. When he got back, he saddled our horses, gave us tips on how to get up on the horse and then we set off. Mine and Megan's horses were very docile, and sort of lazy. Megan had a hard time getting Studly to move; I had a difficult time with Buck. Elsie, on the other hand, had a very spirited horse. The one thing they all agreed on, was the fact that they wanted to go home.
We had a hard time keeping them pointed in the right direction. When we were traveling away from the farm, they were slow and thickheaded. When we started heading back, they would trot along much more quickly.
It was so great!
The weather was perfect. Absolutely gorgeous. I loved riding, but I know that I need a lot more practice and I probably need to look up tips online or something so that I don't break my knees the next time. I'm a little sore today, though that was to be expected, and it really isn't as bad as I thought.
We ended the day at Maddox in Brigham City, which was absolutely delicious as usual. The bison chopped steak with mushrooms and peppers seemed like the perfect way to end my western-themed day.
October 17, 2012
The Loop
I say it every year, so I won't mention again how fall is my favorite season in Utah. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
October 16, 2012
Excuse Me
A friend of mine posted this on Facebook and I tried to share it. For whatever reason, it won't post to my wall (though, I'm sure I'll wake up and it will be there five different times) and I just had to share because it made me giggle out loud and clasp my hands like an excited little girl.
LOVE IT!!!
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
My two favorite pies? Pumpkin and pecan. Or, pecan and pumpkin. It's so hard to choose which one to eat when I find myself standing in front of both at the Thanksgiving dessert table. I wasn't thinking about solving this delightful dilemma, (Why not just have one of each? Yes, please!) but that's what this recipe is. A delicious combination of fall's two greatest desserts.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin pie spice (I don't really know how much I added)
1/2 t. salt
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. pecans, chopped (I used whole pecans, and they were delightful)
1/2 butter, melted (this is half of what the original recipe used, but I couldn't justify a whole cup; also, I mixed the melted butter in with the pecans, and it didn't hurt the recipe, but I think it is supposed to help with the cake, too)
Cool Whip
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. (I used my mixer for this step.)
Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.
Run cake mix through a sifter to get lumps out and sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Serve chilled (or warm, though chilled is better). Top with a dollop of whipped topping.
Enjoy!
Found the recipe here.
Maui: Day by Day
I didn't do a post of everything we did while in Maui by day. If you are interested in reading it, you can find a sequence of events here along with a ton of other pictures: http://meganelizabethsturges.blogspot.com/2012/10/picture-overload-maui-edition.html
Mmmmm... Mama's Fish House sounds SO good right now.
Mmmmm... Mama's Fish House sounds SO good right now.
October 14, 2012
My Bookshelf
I have a new a bookshelf!
I've been looking for a while but haven't wanted to pay tons of money for particle board or, frankly, something ugly.
So my friend Katy found this on KSL, barn wood and an old door. And I love it! It makes our front room look like a home.
I added a few other touches to our living room yesterday when I was cleaning like a crazy person. I had a very productive day. My room is clean. My bathroom is clean. My living room and kitchen are clean. I went to a party. I went grocery shopping for the first time in two months. And I made a delicious pumpkin dessert.
October 13, 2012
Ocean Picture
This is a picture from our last night in Maui. It's probably one of the best pictures my camera has ever captured, for sure. Watching the waves roll in was one of my very favorite things to do, and I found a little spot that was secluded from everyone and watched as the sun began to set. It was perfect.
