How To Successfully Cook Brown Rice

A While back I was searching for a sure-fire way to cook brown rice...since many of my attempts have turned out less than tastey and less than appealing and my rice cooker doesn't like it. I found this interesting method...and I have to say that it works for me!

Bring AT LEAST 4 cups of water to 1 cup of rice to a boil (I like a little more water).

Boil for 30 minutes.

Drain.

Place the rice back in the pan and cover tightly for 10 minutes.

Voila! Scrumptious brown rice that isn't crunchy, sticky, pasty, or burnt.

*You can add spices to your boiling water too.

So many thoughts have encompassed my mind and life lately. I consider blogging about them, yet I can't seem to formalize them into words or sentences or paragraphs that make sense. They're just thoughts and random feelings. Tears for people lost. Anger over trivial things. Frustration at having to clean something, anything, again. You know the drill....

I think Aaron's funeral (my SIL Nicole's big brother) has affected us all. His viewing amazed me and I continue to think about it. It started at 5:00. We got there around 4:45 and within minutes there were over 200 people in line. By 5:30 the chapel was full, the line was out the door, and people were still streaming in. Wow. Really. It made me wonder...If I died, would people flock to my viewing? Who have I helped and loved and affected enough that they would mourn for me? Hmmm. I feel like I am falling short here. Really. And so I think and ponder and consider the changes that I can make...

Jason and I have also been talking about obituaries. What are the kinds of things that would be put in your obituary? What's special about you? Here is my problem...I am very un-unique. Hmmm. Once again, I am falling short. Really.

Don't get me wrong. I am not having a pity party. I don't need your words of encouragement...trite as that may sound. I am simply self-evaluating and feeling like I am coming us short of where I really want and need to be. I mean really, half of the time my big accomplishment for the day is taking a shower. And don't tell me how important being a mom is either. Because I know. But it's not like I am the only person on the earth struggling with keeping my house clean. I know some amazing people and sitting around my house thinking about doing laundry simply doesn't fit into the 'amazing' category.

So from the death of someone that seemed to be truly special...I will evaluate and re-evaluate and take from him the chance to be a better person...and maybe someday I will achieve 'amazing' or 'special' too!

In the mean time...here are the things that I think are amazing and special about my husband...

Jason is a most unique genius. I call him cocky, but mostly as a joke because really he is confident and secure in who he is. He never, ever, tries to make anyone feel inferior and he never flaunts his knowledge to strangers in hopes of making a quick impression. In fact, Jason would like nothing better than to save the world, one person at a time, with his knowledge and know-how. Jason can fix anything. He can build anything. He can do anything. And he is good at just about everything...And I am trying to think of something he is not good at just so there can be one thing...oh, yeah...sympathy. Ha ha. Jason is very goal oriented. Everyday, every minute involves a goal that he is evaluating and re-evaluating. He thinks non-stop. And from all that thinking...magic happens. Math formulas are created, marathons are run, houses are built, parties are planned. Jason is very logical. He thinks about any given situation and always, always, always, takes the most logical direction. He ignores the mundane or trivial things that others often let get in the way...like pain and emotions. He simply acts, evaluates, and continues to move forward. Jason is also all about fun. He is the party planner, the one who will drive all night to make a trip to Disneyland more pleasant for everyone, the one who finds a gourmet recipe to try, the one who has single-handedly inspired friends and family to run, run, run, the one who never misses playing a good basketball game, the one who will listen and contribute to an all-night chatting session, the one who will willingly sit through a chick-flick, the one I love.

A Few Things that make me Happy...

SHELVES In MY CLOSETS
Thanks Dave (and Fancy Nancy)

HOMEMADE BABY FOOD!
Made out of Millet--supposedly much better for a first food than rice

THE ANTICS OF A TWO-YEAR OLD
I can't remember what I was cooking, but I heard Nikell turn on the water and tell me "it" was cold and she needed to make it warm, "okay?" I agreed and then looked over to see her washing all of my eggs.

SISTERS WATCHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER
This is what happens when you nurse and can't get to an owie. Big sister has to help out.

The Fight Against Cold Sores

There were a few things my husband neglected to tell me before I agreed to marry him...one being that he is a carrier of the herpes simplex virus, i.e. COLD SORES! To be honest, I don't think I had ever encountered a cold sore before I got married. Then, one day, boom, a had a sore the size of California, was wondering what hit me, and feeling extremely betrayed by the one I agreed to spend the rest of my life with. Imagine my horror when my 11 month old daughter contracted this virus and was knocked flat for 2 weeks with cold sores covering her throat and mouth. No, I'm not bitter. I just think there should be some kind of form you fill out before you get married so you're not suddenly and shockingly one day lost under a giant yellow pussing scab.

So, over the years, I have tried just about everything in my fight of this unexpectedly shared virus. Home remedies include 1. Lysine 2. Garlic 3. Olive leaf extract. Some people swear by them. Personally, I think it depends on your body. Try them and see.

Here are the stages, just for your information.

COLD SORE STAGE: #1 - LATENT - Here the herpes simplex virus (also referred to as the cold sore virus) is hiding in the nerve ganglia near the back of the jaw on the same side as your sore usually appears.

Your cold sore virus may "sleep" for weeks or years without incident. Your body's defense "soldiers" keep them in check. When there is stress in another part of your body, the defenses may drop at this location. Then the virus may wake up and travel to the surface to replicate.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 2 - PRODROME - The cold sore virus reproductive cycle begins here. The cold sore virus travels down your nerve fibers to the surface. This movement causes your cold sore target area to itch or tingle. You may even notice a burning or dryness sensation. This stage could last a few hours to a few days before entering the more intense cold sore stages.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 3 - INFLAMMATION Your cold sore virus has now arrived at the surface and begins it's reproductive cycle by entering the cells at the end of the nerve. This causes a lot of swelling and redness at the cold sore site as your cells react to being invaded by the herpes cold sore virus .

COLD SORE STAGE: # 4 - PRE-SORE - Cold sores at this stage are defined by the appearance of cold sore vesicles. A full blown cold sore is not one big blister but a grouping of small blisters called vesicles. You will notice these vesicles as tiny, hard pimples or red bumps that are painfully sensitive to the touch.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 5 - OPEN SORE - Your most painful and contagious of the cold sore stages. All the vesicles break open and merge to create one big open, weeping sore. Depending on the severity, you may develop a fever and swollen lymph glands under the jaw.

The weeping fluid is teaming with newly born cold sore viruses. Touching this fluid, you could easily spread the cold sore virus to another part of your own body or to someone else - either by direct touch or shared objects such as hand towels, telephones, and faucets.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 6 - CRUSTING - A cold sore will develop a yellowish crust or scab as it begins to finally start the healing process. Your cold sore is still painful at this stage. More painful, however, is the constant cracking of your cold sore scab when you move or stretch your lips, as in smiling.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 7- HEALING - Cold sores, once scabbed over, begin healing from the inside out. As new skin forms under the crust, you will experience continued itching, irritation and some pain. Your cold sore virus is now retreating back to the nerve ganglia area where it will sleep until the next opportunity.

COLD SORE STAGE: # 8 - POST SCAB - Cold sores at this stage no longer have a visible cold sore scab and your skin has healed.

But use caution - under your new skin, healing is still taking place as the destroyed cells are regenerated. This produces a reddish area that may linger for another 2 to 14 days - depending on your personal healing speed.

You are still contagious until this red spot disappears. This waiting is the most frustrating of the cold sore stages.


Yeah....so here is my solution. Once you hit stage #4 and you can see all the little bumps that are full of viral crap (yes, I said crap)...take a needle and poke them. Poke 'em till they drain. Then wait a couple of hours and poke them again. This is a good point to put garlic or lysine or toothpaste or a big giant band-aid on it too :). Don't squeeze them, don't irritate them, just poke them to release the viral crap (yep, there I go again).

I have done this two or three times now and have successfully avoided stages #5 and #6--the worst part, which makes me a happier camper and a little less bitter towards my virus hoarding soul mate.

P.S. 89% of the bitterness in this post was for humor effect...please understand my need to over-exaggerate. My marriage is happy and no, Jason, I am not mad at you...anymore.