Learning is Fun

     Summer semester has started, and I've hit the ground running.  This semester I'm doing Adult Health I, or Medical-Surgical Nursing, and Pathophysiology, or Fluid and Electrolytes, which are two rather hefty subjects, so I'm going to be pretty busy for the next couple of months.  Since I knew what I was getting into, I decided to start a few long-term activities with Monkey.  I already showed off the Human Body that will be something we can add to as we go.  Another thing we started was an ecosystem.  I found the idea for this project here, and I loved it!

Here's what you'll need:

3 empty and clear 2-liter bottles


clear packing tape


aquarium gravel (or fine, rinsed pea gravel)

water


de-chlorinator (optional)


rubber band


4-inch square piece of netting


soil


mustard, rye or alfalfa seeds


fish, snails or other aquatic life


elodea or other aquarium plants


duck weed


crickets, pill bugs or earthworms


a couple dead leaves or small sticks



Step 1:
  Cut the top off of the first clear bottle (make sure the labels are removed, you'll need the bottles clear so the sunlight can get through).

Don't cut it too short, just chop off the spout so you have enough of a bowl left over to fill with lots of water. This will be your "bottom floor."



Step 2:  
Cut the top and the bottom off of the second clear bottle, making a clear coupler that will eventually link the two other sections together.



Step 3:  
Cut the bottom off of the third clear bottle but save it, you'll reattach the bottom with tape after you fill it with good stuff and it will be your "top floor."

Step 4:  
In the bottom floor (the one you cut up in Step 1) put an inch of aquarium gravel and fill it nearly full with water. Make sure it's treated with de-chlorinator to take out the chlorine or, if you don't have any on hand, you can set out the water in a shallow pan for 24 hours and the chlorine will evaporate.



Step 5:
  Choose your guests!  We used two little guppies, male and female. We also chose a couple of different plants from Petsmart's fish section.  The guppies live quite happily by eating the plants and algae that accumulates in the bottle, keeping the system in balance.  The plants help keep oxygen in the water and filter the water.

Step 6:  
Now fill your top floor. Place the piece of netting over the neck of the bottle and secure it with the rubber band. With the bottle upside-down and the bottom off fill with about an inch of gravel then with a couple inches of soil and plant your choice of seeds (alfalfa, rye or mustard work well and are easily found in health food stores).



Step 7:
  Choose your top floor guests. You can use pill bugs or an earthworm or crickets.  We chose two earthworms and three crickets. Let them loose among the grass seeds and throw in a few dead leaves and a stick or two for decomposition.



Step 8:
  Replace the bottom to your top floor bottle and secure it with packing tape. You might want to have the top edge fit slightly down inside of the bottom edge (and that's when the bottle is upside down and the soil is in the spout) because as moisture collects in the top part it will trickle down the walls and if the seal isn't tight you'll get water on your counter. Fix this problem by putting the edges down inside of the edge they're to join up with.

Step 9:
  Slip the taped up bottle down into the coupler, secure it with packing tape and then slip the bottom edge of the coupler down into the top edge of the water-filled bottom floor. Secure it with packing tape.



Step 10:  
Place in a well-lit spot where sunlight can get through the clear plastic to do its work. Sunlight will allow photosynthesis which will keep the cycle in motion. Keep an eye on your guests, we lost our original pair of fish, and had to replace them.  Thankfully Petsmart has a exchange policy if the fish die within a certain amount of time.  We lost a cricket, but the other two seem to be doing great.  The whole thing is really quite cool to watch.

      This is our ecosystem after about a week and a half.  There's grass growing up top, and more algae is growing in the bottom.  You can even see condensation at the top of the bottle.  I used that to help Monkey understand how rain works.  That and another Magic School Bus episode, Wet All Over really brought it all home for her.  

     I've been doing a lot of hands-on, scientific-type projects with her mainly because I want her to grow up thinking of learning as something fun and enjoyable.  I don't want her to drag her feet about school or learning.  I want her to be excited about new ideas and new concepts.  I think that's the biggest problem kids have in school, but if they're excited about what they're learning, they may actually want to learn more.  

   Well that's my soap box for the evening.  Now how about I get off of it, and leave y'all with a recipe?  This one comes from The Wholesome Dish, but I made a few adjustments.

Very Berry Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
serves 4

1 TBS cooking oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp Tony's (or your version of a season-all)
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cup strawberries, diced
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
1 TBS poppy seeds
2 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3 TBS honey
1/2 tsp salt

Heat cooking oil in a skillet.  Season chicken breasts with Tony's, and add to skillet.  Cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Remove from skillet, and let rest 5 minutes.  Cut into chunks.

While chicken is cooking, assemble salad in a large bowl by adding spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and walnuts.

Also, prepare salad dressing my mixing together Greek yogurt, poppy seeds, white vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and salt in a small bowl.  Top salad with chicken chunks.  Serve with dressing.

Enjoy!

   This is seriously the best salad I've ever had!  The dressing was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.  I loved it!

Things I've Learned from my Cat

     My cat has quite the personality.  He's my bratty diva, and he knows it.  I know not everyone is a cat person, but they should be.  After all, there's lots to be learned from cats.  I've compiled of list of life lessons my own little fur ball has taught me.

1.  If someone dangles something in front of your face, walk away.  That's right, you're too good for that "carrot before the horse" mentality.  Walk away with your head up, and once you've put some space between yourself and that arrogant asshole dangling the thing, turn around and attack their hand with all your strength.  That'll teach 'em.


2.  Don't let anything stand in your way. No, really.  If something is standing in your way, maul that sucker until it's an unrecognizable heap of shame…then play with it.


3.  If you want something, go for it.  I suggest by taking a running leap.


4.  If someone has the audacity to try to cage you, put up the world's biggest fight.  You're too full of life and potential to be held back by four walls.


5.  Let your feelings show.  That's right: happy, sad, manic, it's all good.  If you get urge to sing the song of your people at 3 am, go for it, and the neighbors be damned!


6.  You're not fat.  You have extra protection from disembowelment.  (Seriously, it's a thing.)


7.  If you claim something, that makes it yours.  Just make sure you hide it really well to make sure it remains yours.


8.  Take naps.  How else will you be able to party all night long?  Concerned about the neighbors?  See #5.


9.  If someone's not giving you the attention you deserve, demand it!  That's right, go full-diva.  Strut your stuff right in their face, and if that fails, lay down on their laptop.  That'll teach 'em!


10.  It's good to have a dog for a best friend.  Who else would you pin your bad gas on if not for the lovable mutt laying next to you?


     And since you sat through my randomness, regardless of your affiliation with cats, you deserve a banana split.  For breakfast.

Breakfast Banana Split (Greek Yogurt version)

Inspired by Pinterest

1 banana, split lengthwise

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 TBS honey, plus extra for drizzling  

Fruit of choice, diced (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pineapples, etc)

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

Mix yogurt and honey together.  In a separate bowl prop up two halves of the banana; dollop the yogurt mixture between them.  Top with fruit and oats.  Drizzle with extra honey as desired.  Enjoy!

Calories: 351
Fat:  1.5 grams
Carbs: 76.1 grams
Protein: 15 grams

Vitamin A: 2%
Vitamin C: 39%
Calcium: 18.9%
Iron: 7%

*These numbers are based off of the types of fruit I used, so if you decide to go with a different combination of toppings, your numbers will be a bit different.

Breakfast Banana Split (Cottage Cheese version)

1 banana, split lengthwise
1/2 cup cottage cheese
Fruit of choice, diced

Prop up two halves of banana in a bowl.  Dollop cottage cheese between the halves, and top with fruit(s) of choice.  Enjoy!

Calories: 229
Fat:  2.6 grams
Carbs: 42.3 grams
Protein: 11.3 grams

Vitamin A: 8.4%
Vitamin C: 44.9%
Calcium: 15.2%
Iron: 2.6%

*Same disclaimer as above.

Spring-time Recipes

     I love this time of year!  The weather is beautiful.  The birds can be heard chirping away outside my window.  The blackberries are beginning to ripen.  Everything just screams, "Spring!"  I come alive during this time of year.  One of my favorite things to do it take Monkey for a run and then walk home, picking blackberries along the way.  Pretty soon, my favorite you-pick farm will be opening, which means even more fresh produce.  There's just no down-side to this time of year.  Well, except snakes, but we're not going there this time.

     With the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies at the store and in my own garden, it's so much easier to eat healthily this time of year.  Which is helpful, considering it's about time to drag out that bathing suit again.  In honor of bathing suit season I'm going to share a couple of healthy, yet simple meals.  The first one, Grilled Chicken with Strawberry and Pineapple Salsa, comes form the American Heart Association, and it was different, but in a good way.  You'll have to click the link to get the recipe.  It's copyrighted, and I'm not that big of a rebel (You hear that, Mom?).

     In addition to attempting to eat healthier, I've also been pressed for time in the mornings.  Thankfully I don't have to sacrifice nutrition (or taste) for simplicity or speediness.  Lately I've been throwing a few things in the blender, and drinking my breakfast.  This time of year is perfect for smoothies, thanks to all the fresh produce that's available.  Here's one of my latest concoctions:

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie
Makes 2 servings

1 banana sliced
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 TBS honey

Put all ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until nice and smooth!  Enjoy :-)

     Now I'm off to study for my final exams, one more week, and then I'll have a three week break!  I'm not going to know what to do with myself!!!

I'm Never Running Again

     I am never running again!  Nope.  That's it.  I'm done.  100% complete.  No mas.  And this is why:  You know those people who tell you once you've faced your fear, you can accomplish anything?  They lied!  Tonight I faced my fear.  I looked him straight in his scaly little face, and I ran in the other direction.  Literally.  I hauled butt and didn't look back.  I'm calling BS to that whole "face your fears" adage.

   
     So what happened?  Well tonight while I was just running along, pushing Monkey in her stroller, about to complete my third mile when I happened to glance down, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a stick.  Keep in mind I don't have contacts anymore; I lost my last one.  So now I'm sporting glasses, and my peripheral vision is pretty much non-existent.  So all I saw when I glanced down was a stick.  A squiggly stick.  And I thought to myself, "I probably shouldn't run over this stick because Monkey was already complaining about too many bumps earlier".  So I swerved, barely missing the squiggly stick with the front tire of my jogging stroller by about 2 inches, and that's when my "squiggly stick" reared back and hissed at me!  Immediately I took off running at a pace I haven't managed in months, and in my mind all I could think was, "HOLY SHIT!  Holy Shit! That was a snake!  Not a stick!  A snake!  OMG!  We almost died!  I almost died because of a stupid squiggly stick that was really a snake!!!  Holy CRAP!  Is he chasing me?  I'm pretty sure he's chasing me!   OMG! I'm being chase by a squiggly, hissing stick!!!  Is this what adrenaline feels like?  So, right now my adrenal medulla is secreting epinephrine and norepinephrine, and that's what's causing the increased BP and increased heart rate, and this is what it feels like?  This is so cool. "  Then the panicked side came back.  "OMG! You nerd! Stop reviewing what you learned in Anatomy and RUN!!  Knees up.  Knees up! Knees UP!!!  OMG!  Why am I cold?  It's 100+ degrees out here, and I'm cold.  Oh, cool so is this what they mean by you have ice in your veins?  Omg!  If you don't shut up nerd and get your knees up that snake is going to get us!  CURSE YOU DEMON SNAKE!!!"

     Needles to say I didn't stop running until I made it safely back to the sidewalks next to my subdivision.  Even then, my eyes were still darting from side to side, scanning for the demon spawn of Hell.  Being on the sidewalk was little comfort, considering my little run-in didn't happen in the woods or when I was running through the recently torn down subdivision where the grass is unruly and hasn't been cut in a month.  Where did all this encounter take place, you ask?  On the newly paved asphalt sidewalk they created specifically for runners, the one that is near the woods, yes, but they mow it and trim it at least once a week.  That's where Mr. Demon snake decided to hang out.  With half his body on the sidewalk someone had just run past!  So that whole "they're more afraid of you than you are of them?"  Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on that one too!

Dear Reader,
    The Bored Navy Wife is currently suffering from a mental breakdown after our little adventure this evening, so she's going to go lie down now.  In a nice dark room.  Under some covers.  For a week.  In the meantime, I think it's safe to say that you won't have to suffer through another annoying attempt at a "motivational" blog about running for a long time.  You're welcome.

Sincerely,
The Demon Snake
aka "The Squiggly Stick"

P.S.  Here's a recipe:


Remember when I went back to the Eubanks Farm in Lucedale?  Well I got some yummy summer crops, and I'd like to share a few of the things I did with them.

First I sliced and pickled the jalapeños, using the same recipe I did when I pickled banana peppers.

 Next, using the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, I made Canned Tomatoes. *I don't have a formal ingredients list for this.  Because I was working in such small batch to save space, I lost count of how much I used.*

Start by gathering your jars (I used pint-sized).  Wash and dry them.  Heat jars and lids and lids in a saucepot of simmering water.  Do not boil lids.  Allow jars and lids to remain in hot water until ready for use, removing one at a time as needed.  (Or to save time and space, run them all through the dishwasher with the steam-dry option.)

Fill water bath canner half-full with hot water.  Elevate rack in canner.  Cover with lid.  Heat water to a simmer.  Keep water hot until used for processing.

Use fresh tomatoes at their peak of quality and flavor.  Use firm tomatoes free of cracks, spots and growths.  Prepare only enough for one canner lad at a time.  Wash tomatoes; drain.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and have a large bowl of ice water ready.  Add tomatoes to boiling water, and blanch 30-60 seconds, or until skins start to crack.  Remove from boiling water and dip immediately into ice water.

Slip off the skins; trim away any green areas, and cut out core.  Leave tomatoes whole or cute into halves or quarters.

Place tomatoes in a large saucepot, adding just enough water to to cover.  Boil gently 5 minutes.

Begin removing canning jars from hot water (or dishwasher), set jar on towel-lined counter.  Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1 TBS lemon juice to each pint jar. (If using quart jars, simply double the amounts).

Carefully pack tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Ladle boiling water (leftover from when you boiled the tomatoes) over the tomatoes.  Add 1/2 tsp salt to each pint jar (again, double for quart jars), if desired.

Slide a nonmetallic spatula between tomatoes and jar; press back gently on tomatoes to release trapped air bubbles.  Repeat procedure 2-3 times around inside of jar.

Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean, damp cloth.  Remove lid from the hot water (or dishwasher).  Place lid on jar, and screw the band down evenly, just until resistance is met.  "Fingertip tight".

Set all the full jars onto the elevated rack in the water bath canner.  Lower the rack in canner.  Water level must cover the lids on the jars by 1-2 inches.  Add boiling water if necessary.  Put lid on canner.  Bring water to boil.  Process pint jars for 40 minutes (quart jars for 45 minutes).

When time's up turn off heat, remove lid.  Let canner cool 5 minutes, then remove jars and place on a dry towel to cool, about 1-2 inches apart.  Let cool 12-24 hours.  Check seal by pressing on the cent of each lid and listening for the "pop".  If not sealed properly reprocess the can.  Store jars in a cool, dry place.




After that, I made Tomato Sauce, again using the Ball Blue Book.

To make 14 pints or 7 quarts, you'll need:
45 lbs tomatoes
Ball Citric Acid or lemon juice

Wash tomatoes; drain.  Remove core and blossom ends.  Cut into quarters; simmer 20 minutes in a large sauce pot, stirring occasionally.  Puree tomatoes in a food processor.  Strain puree to remove seeds and peels.  Cook pulp in a large, uncovered sauce pot over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, stirring to prevent sticking.

 Reduce volume by 1/2.  Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1 TBS lemon juice to each pint jar (double for quart jars).  Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Adjust two-piece lids. Process pints 35 minutes in water bath (quarts 40 minutes).

Ta-da!

And because Monkey has been on a Lilo and Stitch kick lately, I couldn't help but think of this clip tonight.