Been watching....Human Planet

Yes I'm that kind of person who can not get enough of nature shows. You're not? Well you're seriously missing out. When the BBC Planet Earth and Blue Planet came to DVD I was THRILLED!  It was the only thing I asked for when Christmas came around. Needless to say I got it and Christopher was surprised as he had never watched these shows before. Over the Christmas break I was entirely glued to my TV, mouth agape. I'm usually a quite TV watcher but I'm telling you planet earth has some DISGUSTING footage. One episode was so disgusting (exciting) that I screamed, shrieked and made chris come and hold me. Lets just say it the episode in question "Caves" depicts a 300ft mountain of bat feces and beetles. Oh they also have an episode that contains "Zoombie Ants" SOOOO scary!!!

Anyway this is about Human Planet but I will say it did NOT disappoint it was AMAZING. After every episode I added another place I wished I could travel to and see these incredible people myself. It's also full of shocking human feats, unbelievable living conditions, and people eating disgusting foods (my personal favorite). Trust me if you don't scream at one point of another you didn't watch it right.

It's incredible to see such amazing things and how life is for other people. It makes me wonder if I'm in the wrong genre of film and should move into Documentary. Then I remember how much ridiculous work filming is and begin a new dream about an office job.

I demand that every person go on their Netflix account and watch all of these documentaries; Blue Planet, Human Planet, and Planet Earth, save the episode of planet earth "Caves" for last it's a guilty pleasure of mine. Oh if you have a "clean freak" OCD friend with you allllllll the better.

0 Calorie Noodles

So I thought I'd let everyone and I knew about these noodles a few years ago but here I go again. I LOVE these noodles they are my absolute favorite. As pasta is a major "no no" on diets I always have a really hard time as I adore bread and pasta. But these Shirataki noodles have really been amazing. They are 0 Calories and taste like exactly like what you cook them in. The only thing I could compare them to is Roman noodles, except they are extremely filling.

There are a few different brands and all are good! The miracle noodles are nice because they are sold at Good Earth, and made in the USA. They also come in different types like fettucini, rice and rigatoni all at 0 calories. ( you can order these in bulk from Good Earth for a discount) Whats not to love? They are though a little bit more expensive , and come in smaller sizes then the Chinese brands.

The Shirataki Yam noodle is the exact same as the Miracle noodle, but it is half the price but are only available at a Chinese markets. I usually go up to S.L.C to the larger markets up there. My friends and I split a box of 50. As they expire in years not weeks a large amount isn't a problem. 

This brand is also cheap but are 5 cal. a bag and are sold at Many land Market, in large packages. 

When I first started researching these noodles I was sure they were a myth or must be bad for you. As I researched I did find a doctors warning: Not a sufficient source of nutrients if over consumed, consumers may starve to death. Anne and I laughed for days about that. Well with a disclaimer like that who won't want to add it to your diet.

One of my favorite things to make with them is pad thai (well my low cal style)

I scramble one egg, add the noodles then add a tiny bit of chicken stock, or chicken flavored consomme', 1 Tlb of peanut butter, and some franks hot sauce. Along with some bean sprouts, cilantro and scallions it's delicious. and the only calories are from the eegs and veggies HURRAY!!!

'Hungry Girl' recipe

200 cal Low Mein with chicken (i personally like it with out chicken)

3 packages Shirataki Noodle
1 bag frozen Chinese-style stir-fry mixed veggies (about 12 ounces)
8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into strips
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup reduced-sodium or light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons chicken-flavored consommé (powdered)
2 no-calorie sweetener packets

Underwater Family Photos

I've always loved water. I think it's the most amazing thing on this earth. I've also been thinking about having pictures of me and Chris done and I really want them to be done underwater. 

I'll have to wait till Christopher gets back from Oklahoma but this idea could be amazing and now I just have to find a photographer who knows how to do underwater shoots.

CSA Farms and Gardens

A few friends and people in my family have been buying shares from the local CSA ( Community Supported Agriculture) in California, and it made me curious about the CSA options around here in Utah. As I did my research I found that Roberts Ranch is the CSA provider in Utah county and they offer a quite a few organic share products like vegetables, grass feed beef, fruits, eggs or honey.

I know that the Church as really been pushing awareness of Childhood obesity and keeping our bodies healthy and I can't help but think this would be a fantastic way for Christopher and I make better choices and have more vegetables and fruits in our diet, as well as support the local economy.

Most of the shares last about 16 weeks which is prefect for me as I don't know how long I'll be in Utah. But I'm was surprised how accessible it is. The Pick up area for me is right down the street at Wills Pitt Stop. Though you don't get to choose what you will receive each week I thought it was still a fantastic way to try new things and eat more of what is in season.

I did more research into what CSA's do for people and the community and the research showed that 85% of our food is imported from another state meaning that we lose billions of dollars to shipping costs and lose the income from the food to farmers out of state. By buying food from local farmers we keep food dollars in the state save the environment with less pollution. 

I remember hearing these facts before but never found finding and buying local food before to be accessible or convenient. I would buy things at the farmers market on Saturday down in Provo but I hardly ever remembered to go. I figure most people already know about all this but I didn't and I figured maybe there is another girl out there who would be thrilled to know this is available 

And honestly I'm not a beef eater. I'm a Chicken and fish sort of girl but I know my sisters have struggled to find grass feed beef, and here a source locally raised and freshly butchered that delivers. so I thought I'd let you all know.

The grass feed beef is more expensive then you'd think it would be but most of my friends go in on it together. It was really the best beef I'd ever had. It tasted entirely different then the beef I'd been used to.

If you live in Utah you can find a CSA near you here.

Working Hard

I love working with my friends and as I'm going back to school this summer I probably won't be working on anything for a long time. Anne and everyone is leaving to Ireland this week and I will really miss them. I'm sad they are going without me and I won't see my Irish friends but I really need to finish out my degree in Fine Arts so I can figure out what I really want to do.

Jen and Justin

So anyway we were wallpapering a room for a commercial for Intermountain Heath Care LiVe campaign. It was harder then you would think, but we had a good time. It was a long day of shopping and working and dressing the set I didn't grab anymore pictures then these but I can't wait till the commercial comes out and I hope it all turns out ok. If you see this wallpaper in a commercial that's the one we did.

Jen blending into the wall

Anne and I
 It was a long day but when the commercial comes out it will be good.

Here are some of the past commercials Anne did for LiVe.

This one is my favorite because we took the chairs from my mom's house.