Showing category "resources" (Show all posts)

Creating a Cotton Candy costume for a toddler

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, October 28, 2012, In : Home 

If my 2-year-old understood Halloween or at least the concept of dressing up for candy, I have no doubt she'd dress up as a princess or as Jesse from "Toy Story." But, she doesn't. So I selfishly decided that I wanted to make her a costume of my choosing!

It's been an emotion and stressful few weeks on the job front and I needed to get into the "crafty mom" mode as an escape. It just popped in my head one day, "cotton candy." The idea stuck, so that's what I made a cotton candy costume!

We'll s...
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Waste not... recipes for disguising foods for the family

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, October 1, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

Okay, I admit it. I LOVE to “sneak” healthy food into the meals I make for my family. I rejoice in the triumph of getting them to eat right when they don’t know it. I absolutely do cartwheels when what I have disguised can throw off its cloak and becomes a favorite food. 

One such triumph was spinach. I used to secretly add it to my homemade marinara and chopped it up beyond recognition for salad. Now everyone eats it without a fight... except for stewed tomatoes and spinach, but I think...
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Reuse, refresh and renew an antique bedroom set

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, August 6, 2012, In : Home 
Two weeks ago we bought a home! If you've been following our journey you know it's taken a lot longer than we thought with many twists we didn't expect, like living with my in-laws for almost a year. You'd think after everything we would have rushed right in and moved in, but that didn't happen.

I paused when standing in our new home holding the key in my hand for the first time. The house was our clean slate to make ours. I asked my dear husband for time to move in to make sure everything was...
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Green Chili - vegetarian and pork recipe

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, July 7, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

I slow cooked one 7lb pork loin and I've made Barbecue Pork sandwiches and Tamales. I have just enough pork left over to make the green chili for the tamales. Since my father-in-law is a vegetarian, I also make a vegetarian green chili.

Ingredients:
12 chopped roasted green chilies - the amount of seeds will create your level of heat OR 1lb can of whole green chilies

2 cups chopped tomatoes or roasted tomatoes
Half a finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbs flour
2 cups of water - separated
Sea...
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Tamales: pork and vegetarian recipes

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, July 7, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

I love tamales and I enjoy making them even though it’s time consuming. I definitely haven’t mastered a technique, but it’s fun trying. I’ve only done this a handful of times and learn something new each time. Eventually, I’ll get it just right.

My father-in-law is a vegetarian so I’m making both pork tamales and green chili with cheese tamales. It’s my first try at the vegetarian tamales. 

What you need for tamales: corn husks, masa tamale dough, and meat or vegetarian filling.

...

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Barbecue shredded pork recipe

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, July 7, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

The meat:

Slow cook pulled pork 

The sauce:
20oz can all natural tomato puree or 1lb of your own stewed & pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 medium finely chopped onion
1 small finely chopped green pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
Cayenne pepper
Sea salt
Paprika
Chili powder
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Ingredients:
  1. Drizzle EVOO In a large sauce pan and heat on low 
  2. Mash garlic cloves into bottom of pan and add chopped onions and green peppers
  3. Saute until oni...

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Slow cook pulled pork for tamales and sandwiches

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, July 7, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

In the freezer I found an almost 7lb pork loin and immediately I know I want both tamales and BBQ shredded pork. Can I do both with this one big chunk of meat? I’m going to try!

We like our meat full of flavor and spice (who doesn’t?) To me, this means using the same slow cooked pork for both tamales and sandwiches can be done. So, here I go:

Ingredients:

6-7lb pork loin (if you only want half the amount only 1 dish, use 3-4lb pork loin)
Lemon pepper or whatever meat rub you have on hand
Extra...

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No Sugar Mango Mojito Recipe

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, July 5, 2012, In : In the kitchen 

Mojitos are one of my favorite drinks, especially on a hot summer day or on a holiday like today.

However, I don't like the sugar that is a part of the drink. Some mojitos are way too sweet for me. So I started making my own without sugar, but are just as tasty or even as sweet. For the first time I tried a flavored rum, mango to make mojitos. The mango flavoring made the drink even sweeter, almost dangerous to the point you can forget you're drinking rum!

Ingredients:
Rum - favorite white Rum, ...
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Tradition: family, fun and fireworks. Now #NoFireworksFun

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, July 2, 2012, In : Home 

My best memories from my childhood are all my family get togethers over all the holidays. The 4th of July was always the best… bare feet… summer… Grandma's homemade ice cream… Grandpa's grilling… cousins… slip-n-slide… running through the sprinklers… and the grand finale of our own fireworks show!

All the men surrounded the grill and set up a variety of fireworks displays. The spinners nailed to a post was so awesome! All the women gathered in the kitchen talking and catching u...

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I broke my funny bone

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, In : Home 

We're two weeks into the Montano Family Challenge and the only update I have is: I broke my funny bone.

No joke.

Well, okay I didn't actually break any bones. I have ulnar nerve damage from hitting my elbow a.k.a. my funny bone extremely hard on a corner of a desk at work a few weeks ago. Whatever injury I caused didn't heal and now the nerve is inflamed to the point that I have only tingly feelings in my pinky and ring fingers on my left hand. The pain radiates from my elbow through my...
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The Montano Education, Fitness and Health Challenge

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, In : Home 

Summers for my boys, stepsons now going into 6th and 7th grade, always include books and lessons. School is not easy for either of them. Making them do lessons  during their summer break doesn’t always go over well. The procrastination and excuses get more creative, and frustrating, year after year.

Sometimes I wonder if we’re doing more harm than good. I don’t want to give them any more reasons to not like school. This year we were hit with screaming, angry, frustrating comments of...
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I lost my name, I mean my website

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, May 28, 2012, In : Home 
Well, I messed up with my website... as in I no longer own it. We got a new checking account and I apparently inputted my info wrong. So when auto renewal for the domain came around, it failed and I didn't realize it. The alert email ended up in spam folder. I was able to use the website for months without knowing anything was wrong. On Friday someone else bought/registered mistymontano.com. :-\ 

I just hope it's another Misty Montano who is going to use it and not someone who is going to do v...
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Chicken tortilla cabbage soup

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, May 27, 2012, In : In the kitchen 
I love to cook but haven’t had the time. When I am off I often end up in the kitchen, and this time is no different. This Memorial Day weekend when most are thinking BBQ and sun I’m thinking soup, tamales and pulled pork.

First up, chicken tortilla cabbage soup. You read right - I’m making up my own soup combination to get both chicken tortilla and cabbage soups in the pot.

Ingredients:

2 large, bone-in, chicken breasts
1 10oz can all natural, low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp sea salt
1 sma...
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Third time wasn’t the charm

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, May 24, 2012, In : Home 

This contract lasted less than 10 days. I think this is much better than being less than a week from closing, which is where we were with house number two. At least we didn’t pay for another appraisal and the inspector gave us a discount.

I know how lucky and blessed we are to have been taken in by my in-laws while we go through this. I believe what everyone is telling us, “all this means is that there’s another better home waiting.”

Onto house number four we go...

We’re learning so...


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Living with my in-laws: hear from my mother-in-law

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, In : Home 
Our realtor is more optimistic than we are that we'll still get the house we're trying to buy. We just don't trust the seller to be reasonable at all so we're preparing to lose the house and starting the search over again for the 3rd time. In the meantime we're still lucky and THANKFUL to have been taken in by my in-laws. 

I've shared my thoughts about how it's been living in a multi-generational home, but don't take my word for it. Hear from my mother-in-law Carolina.

 

She takes care of us, cl...
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Still living with my in-laws and I'm a statistic

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, May 7, 2012, In : Home 
For a few weeks now we’ve been talking about a story Jace Larson is working. And for weeks I’ve sat silent with a slight smile while we talked about the story on adult children living with parents. I am an adult child living with parents, well with my in-laws. As you know from previous writings what was supposed to be a 4-week stay while we closed on a house, has turned into a 9-months and still going stay while we try to buy a house.

It’s been a blessing. It’s not always been easy. It...
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Russian baked cheese and apple pie; finally I made the time

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, February 13, 2012, In : In the kitchen 
Finally tonight, over two months later, I’ve been able to bake! It’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to do since Thanksgiving. My colleague Anastasiya posted in November about an apple cheese pie, a Russian recipe passed to her from her grandmother. Not only did she share the recipe with me, but she also bought me the Farmers Cheese, a Russian cheese only found in Russian or Arabic stores here in Denver.


I tried to make the time to try this simple recipe, but after a couple of weeks I realiz...
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Joy of Thanksgiving - my thrill of cooking, menu, recipes and getting back to healthy

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, December 2, 2011, In : In the kitchen 


It’s the Thursday after Thanksgiving... so yes, a week after Thanksgiving and today is the day I finally got back on track with that healthy family affair I wrote about. Hey, a week is nothing compared to the weeks it’s been since I’ve made it to the gym!

In the last few weeks I’ve been sick, the family has been sick and my baby girl has been having nights like she did as an infant - up a lot. My gym time, as I wrote, is in the morning. My sleep has been decreased quite a bit so I’ve...
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No energy to cry

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, November 10, 2011, In : Home 
Crying has always been a release from me. More accurately it's been an automatic release that's often left me wondering, "why am I crying?" It's something I've never completely understood. I know my emotions and hormones play a part.

I don't break out in sobs and fits all the time in front of those around me. No, it's mostly private tears that just come and go. My tears are saved for those closest to me… usually. There have been a few extremely uncomfortable moments when I cried in front of...
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A family health affair

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, In : Health 
Pregnancy changed my body. Birthing my baby girl changed my body. Breastfeeding changed my body. Stopping breastfeeding changed my body. Going back on birth control changed my body.

It's been almost two years since I found out I was going to have a baby. I don't think my body is done changing! Pregnancy, age and life in general have provided me with a reality check about my body, and in turn, my health.

I've been active on Twitter lately participating in #HeartHealth chats. Two chats have been...
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The side effects of saving time: health and money

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, October 29, 2011, In : Home 



Time - there is never enough of it. I don’t think anyone will disagree with me. It’s something that’s always said. I’ve always said it.

I wish I could take back every time I said it. I never knew what I was talking about… until now.

When I say it now there’s an edge of desperation, panic even in my head, if not also seeping through in my voice.
I always feel behind… behind with my family, behind at home, behind at work. I’ve never felt this far behind before. The reason: li...

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We've moved in with my in-laws

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, September 5, 2011, In : Home 

Well, we didn’t sell our house as we wanted.  We had it on the market for over 60 days and had less than a dozen showings.  We listed it as a rental and took a dozen or more calls each day from people asking about it.  Within two weeks we had a signed lease with tenants to move in during September.

So, we’ve rented our house, but don’t have a new house to move into yet.  We’ve moved in – or rather still in the process of – moving in with my in-laws!  I am extremely grateful tha...


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Night at Denver County Fair brings back memories

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, July 31, 2011, In : Home 



We went to the first Denver County Fair at the National Western Complex Friday night.  The boys had a blast taking their little brother on rides, and of course riding the big rides themselves. I think the most fun they had were in these Hamster Water Balls.  All I know is that if we had these things at home they'd be nightly activity... ahh, how quickly they'd go to bed after fun in these balls!



I wasn't surprised there weren't many rides available. The complex isn't big enough to hold m...

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Resurfacing

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, July 3, 2011, In : Home 


It's been 10 months since our baby girl was born.  I've written so little, even though time after time I said to myself, "I have got to share this moment!"  Yet, I rarely did.  So much in our lives has happened and writing just kept being pushed lower and lower on my to-do list. 

I took Squeak's to a friend's BBQ last weekend and for the first time I thought, "I feel good.  I am back."  I am trying to organize myself more and give myself actual writing goals.  I'm good at 140 character Twee...

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I am proud to be Mrs. Shawn Montano

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, June 28, 2011, In : Home 


It never fails.  I get flushed and swell with happiness when I am recognized through my husband, Shawn Montano!  I absolutely love introducing myself as, “Hi, I’m Shawn’s wife!”

I am very proud of my accomplishments with my career and the recognition I receive through my career, but my greatest accomplishment is my marriage to Shawn and our family.

I am having a hard time with the appropriate words right now to correctly express my love for, admiration of and pride in my husband.  T...

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Montano Mojo Chili Recipe

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, March 13, 2011, In : In the kitchen 

I had a blast cooking up this batch of chili for the Women's Bean Project Chili Cook Off.  I'm not one to really follow recipes.  I look at them.  I compare them to other recipes for the same dish.  I then close the book or turn off the computer and go to work making my own variation of the dish.

When it comes to chili I always think of Christmas Eve at my grandparent’s house.  Every Christmas Eve Grandma made a batch of chili and a pot of oyster soup.  For years I made my chili as clos...


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Cheers to 2011!

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, In : Home 
Click to play this Smilebox greeting
Create your own greeting - Powered by Smilebox
Make your own free digital greeting card

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Deciding I'm not stuck

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, January 3, 2011, In : Baby 

She’s almost 18 weeks old.  Today she gets her 4-month shots.  Today I turn 33.  Saturday was my 10-year anniversary of full-time employment at the station.  It’s an over-said saying, “time flies”, but it’s an absolutely true statement as I seriously don’t know where the time has gone.

It felt like I had just gotten a handle on learning how to be mommy to my baby girl when all of a sudden it was time for me to go back to work.  BAM!  The patterns and adjustments I had made for m...


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She rolled!

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, January 3, 2011, In : Baby 

Opening Christmas presents must have been too much excitement for Squeaks because she full of excitement and movement.  So much so that she rolled for the first time! (16 weeks old)





Oh my.  I have a mobile infant.  My house is a death trap that must be padded and made safe!


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Milestones for mommy, baby and the cat

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, In : Baby 


She's 10 weeks old.  I can't believe how fast, and  yet how slow, the time has gone by.  I return to work in two weeks.  I know I'm not ready for it.  I try not to think about it, otherwise I breakdown into a gushing puddle of tears.  So I focus on Squeaks who is developing and amazing me every day.

We already talk.  She squeaks (hence the nickname) and coo's.  I talk or sing back to her.  She smiles.  I smile.

When upset she squeaks short bursts of "aah aah" with her mouth wide open, and in a ...
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Fall break was filled with pumpkins, caramel apples & healthy chicken salad

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, November 1, 2010, In : Home 
I love fall for all the obvious reasons: colored leaves, crisp air, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, carved pumpkins, caramel apples, fall break, harvest of gardens and the smell of roasted chili peppers.  This year I didn’t garden because I was pregnant.  I admit a little sad that I’m not canning/roasting/freezing/drying anything.  (I could have stocked up at farmers markets to still do all of this, but learning to take care of an infant is taking all my energy!)

I feel like I missed summer a...
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Cue the ooos, aaahhhs, oooohhhs! Squeaks and Boys were on TV

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, October 28, 2010, In : Baby 
I told my husband weeks ago that the moment an opportunity came up for Squeaks to be on TV that he'd jump all over it.  He fervently denied it.  I just nodded and smiled.

Of course, I was right!

Squeaks "told" the boys stories yesterday morning.  The video of this aired this morning.
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Trial and error to soothe my fussy baby

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, October 22, 2010, In : Baby 
We call her Squeaks because she squeaks more than she cries.  So far only two things really make her cry, hunger and gas.  Otherwise she gets fussy, like when fighting sleep.  She crinkles up her face and lets out one or two loud squeaks until she’s comforted in some way.

Most of the time these fussy spells are calmed with various tricks. My husband discovered that she loves bouncing on the exercise ball. We hold her, sit on the ball and bounce.  Within seconds she’s happy again. (I knew t...
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Lyra: Heroine, Harp of Heaven, Constellation and Mythology

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, In : Baby 
Lyra Belacqua a.k.a. Lyra Silvertongue is the heroine in the trilogy His Dark Materials.  Our Lyra is our heroine as well!  We read, or rather listened to, the trilogy together and fell in love with the girl who saves the world.  This is rather fitting seeing as my husband's all time favorite trilogy is Star Wars, which as we all know, is based on the one who can bring balance to the force

.




Lyrics | Kate Bush - Lyra lyrics

Lyra is also our shining star and rightly so has her own constellation ...

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She entered the world with such drama (unabridged)

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, October 18, 2010, In : Baby 
Too much, or too many details? See the abridged version!

“Please make it stop! PLEASE!”

I can feel how scrunched and tight my face is.  The plastic that used to be cool is now hot as I squeeze with a death grip that has turned my knuckles white.  I can’t control my rapid breaths.

I’m supposed to be breathing steady even breaths but that’s impossible.  I open my eyes to find my husband’s face and apologize, “I’m sorry!  I don’t mean to push!”

From somewhere in the room I hear ...
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She entered the world with such drama (abridged)

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, October 18, 2010, In : Baby 
A gush of water with the force of an uphill water coaster shot the Baby out into the doctor’s raised arms.  My body jolted with shock.  How did he catch the Baby?  His arms were raised over his left shoulder as if he’d gone long to catch a football.  I swear the Baby, coincidentally shaped like a football, had flown threw the air a few feet!

My eyes searched for my Baby... A VAGINA!!  I see a vagina!!!  I have a Baby Girl!

I turned my head to find my husband’s face.  Had he seen?  Was he ...
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A maternity photo shoot shows beauty

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, August 29, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 
My dear husband asked me a few months ago if I would take pregnant belly photos. I immediately thought of the artistic and nude pregnancy photos I’ve seen. While I really think those are beautiful shots, and generally the private areas aren’t shown, I wasn’t sure I could pose like that.

Over the next weeks I kept looking at various galleries from various artists. I admired the women, in different states of dress, who embraced their bodies and pregnancy. Truly beautiful.

I thought of t...
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How life changes in less than two weeks

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, June 6, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 
27 weeks and 4 days pregnant... with an entire hot summer to go until due date of September 1st.

  1. Maternity pants that didn't fit, now fit.  Last time I wore my maternity jean capris I continually had to pull them up because the safety pin I had been using to keep them in place broke.  This time they stayed in place just fine.  There's still plenty of room for me and Plurk to grow!  (This should make my doctor happy.  At 24 weeks I had only gained 8lbs the entire pregnancy.  I was encouraged to...

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I can't help but play in my flower garden

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, In : Flower Garden 
I hope to move from our house soon and, if not soon, then in the next year.  If there is one thing I could keep as mine, it would be my flower garden.  It’s been a labor of love and frustration.  I decided to plant it years ago when I couldn’t keep grass alive due to the intense southern sun exposure.  The first year water restrictions went into place was the last year I saw grass in that area.  That was also my first summer at the house, so I had no idea what kind of watering that sectio...
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From morning sickness to the first ultrasound and disbelief

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 
New Year's Eve and early January


I've now taken four pregnancy tests, two of them digital so there's no trick lines to play with me. All four positive. I am definitely pregnant; I think.

My stomach issues since early December when I was on antibiotics have only gotten worse and then out of nowhere actually getting out bed became very difficult. I figure this is morning sickness, maybe.

It's New Year's Eve. The boys were with their mother for the holiday this year. We've always celebrated big as...
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Tricks with wine to keep baby secret

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 
Dec. 24th

I'm wide awake again way earlier than normal. This time I forgo the internal argument and head straight to the bathroom to take test number two. This time I do it wide awake while never taking my eyes off the test. Sure enough the faint vertical line shows again making a positive sign, again.

I walk back into the bedroom holding the test and plop back down on the bed. "Well?" Shawn asks? "Positive. Again." I respond. I'm not as shocked yesterday but I still can't believe...
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Later the same day still in shock...

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 

Dec. 23… later in the day. (What happened earlier in the day.)

I’m walking in a haze.  My eyes aren’t truly focusing unless I’m concentrating on something.  The voices and sounds around me jumble all together.

An hour later I’m walking around like nothing in my world has changed.  There is no thought of pregnancy swishing around in my head.  I’m functioning as if that plus sign had never happened.

Thirty minutes later I‘m in a haze again.

Back and forth like that I go.

My mom c...


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The voice in my head knew I was pregnant

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 
I've written some blog entries since finding out I was pregnant, but haven't posted any until now. At first it was I simply couldn't post because we weren't telling anyone about baby until the end of the first trimester. Now I'm almost 15 weeks and everyone knows, but I've still been dealing with morning sickness, which has until recently been a 24-hour event for me. I've not had the brain power to post anything.  Then I had a medical issue (blog to come) and now currently a cold w/a...
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Embracing the female condition as I am pregnant!

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, February 11, 2010, In : Being Pregnant 

Today (Feb. 10) the Girl Scout Cookies I ordered were delivered. I look at the three boxes of goodness, one of which my all time favorite Thin Mints, and want to cry. No, I'm not on a diet or depressed. I'm PREGNANT! And I praise the heavens that Thin Mints freeze so nicely and will be waiting for me one day when I'm not sick.

As happy, excited, scared, anxious, exuberant, joyous, that I am, so far my first trimester - which is almost over as I'm 11 weeks - has been hard. I'm always naus...

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Put you in a chocolate coma hot chocolate recipe

Posted by Misty Montano on Monday, November 16, 2009, In : Home 
I am a dark chocolate lover. I don't like chocolate that is too sweet. So while my stepsons played outside on this snowy day I decided to make homemade hot chocolate.

Let me make this clear; I made up this recipe just today and my nine-year old actually thought it was too much chocolate! "Oh man there is way too much chocolate!" he exclaimed. The rest of us sipped it down in chocolate happiness and Dad also drank the mug that was "too much chocolate."



Chocolate coma hot chocolate (4 servings)...

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Drying Serrano pepper

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, September 10, 2009, In : Drying 

I picked almost all the Serrano peppers to dehydrate. They're so little to work with I find drying them is the easiest way to preserve them. When It's time to use them I crush them and toss them in whatever I'm making.

I have a Nesco Dehydrator that I use for everything from making jerky, to drying fruit, to making fruit roll ups. (Although now is the time my husband would object to tell you I am not telling you the truth. The truth is I haven't used the dehydrator in over a year and he just ...


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Freezing crushed Roma tomatoes from the garden

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, September 10, 2009, In : Freezing 
The tomato plants are coming back to life after the hail beat them down! Among the dead leaves these Romas are ripening nicely!

I decided there weren't enough tomatoes to go through the entire canning process. I chose to stew and crush the tomatoes and to freeze them.







I first peeled the tomatoes.

1. wash the tomatoes and make a tiny slit with a paring knife going under the skin slightly


2. put the tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute


3. remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and plung...
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Roasting peppers to freeze for use through the winter

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, September 10, 2009, In : Roasting 
I love growing an abundance of various peppers so I can can, freeze and dehydrate them for use through the winter. This week I picked an abundance of hot banana, sweet banana, mammoth jalepenos, big jim, poblano, and anaheim to roast and then freeze.








I love the smell of roasting peppers so I roasted them in the oven. I lined cookie sheets with aluminum foil for easy cleaning. Then I laid out all the washed peppers on the cookie sheets.









I roasted the pepper at 450 degrees for 20 minutes then fli...
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Canning resources, salsa recipes and advice

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, August 21, 2009, In : Canning 

I am not one to strictly follow a recipe.  I rarely like to use true measurements.  I like to adjust as I go and learn along the way for what tastes best to me and my family.  I have learned that I don't have this liberty with canning.  There are acid levels and boiling times and more that need to be followed precisely to prevent spoilage.  I am not willing to let the hours of effort and work I put into canning go to waste just because I wanted to experiment!  (Not yet anyway.  Maybe some day...


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Canning roasted salsa

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, August 20, 2009, In : Canning 

I vividly remember the spicy dill pickles my Grandma Warburton canned every year.  I can taste the fake cinnamon apple rings my Grandma Baker canned every year.  I think I remember jams and a few other canned good, but nothing more specific than the make-me-pucker pickles and the zucchini  rings that were spiced and colored so you truly believed you were eating spiced apple rings at Christmas. 

Both of my grandmothers passed away in my early 20's.  I'm not sure why, but I was the grandchild c...


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Wrath of a Colorado storms hits my garden

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, August 8, 2009, In : Gardening 

An unexpected surgery and lengthy recovery kept me out of my garden for a good portion of the summer.  My loving husband and boys got in the garden boxes to weed when I couldn't.  Garden experts @gardnhelp gave me advice on proper feeding/fertilizing of my tomato plants which grew large, but with little to no fruit.  I did what I could with limited physical activity and a schedule that never seemed to stop with family activities and work.

I admit I have had only small hope for the tomato plant...


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YES! It's a tiger lily!

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, In : Flower Garden 


It opened this morning!



The lone orange in the sea of pink!

Tiger lilies are what my Grandma Baker grew by the porch.  They remind me of her and therefore are my favorite flower.  I can't express how happy and emotional I was this morning when I saw it had finally opened and saw that it was indeed a tiger lily.  I planted a bunch of them in the fall and didn't know if they had survived the winter and the late spring snow storms.
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My in progress flower garden

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, In : Flower Garden 
Grass simply would not grow on the south lawn in front of the huge evergreen at our house.  I've always loved flower gardens so I gave up the grass fight and turned that whole section of yard into a flower garden.  I tore it all right up, which included the grass that was growing.  Now I've got a yard with it's own mini-ecosystems and I'm truly at a loss at what to do.

I'd love to hear your suggestions on what I can do!



View from the street.



View from the front door.



My day lillies



Where I have t...
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Garden Boxes

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, May 31, 2009, In : Gardening 

I love to garden.  I love fresh vegetables through the summer and fall.  My garden takes me back to my Grandma & Grandpa Baker's home and Grandpa's garden that seemed to go on forever.  I try every year to create the garden from my childhood.  I try to make Grandpa proud. 

I grew up in Nebraska where you just planted the seed, added water and voila a beautiful and plentiful garden grew.  I quickly learned that Colorado gardening is not the same as Nebraska gardening and I'm pretty sure Grandp...


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About Me: No I'm not a mystic


I answer to many names Misty Lou, Misty Jean, Mistycal and even Extrafancy are just a few of the nicknames to which I answer. The most important names though are Wife, StepMom and Mom. With all these names it's sometimes hard to know who I am! This blog started as a Nebraska girl learning, trying, succeeding and failing at gardening in Colorado. Along the way in growing my garden, I grew my family too as I married a wonderful man and became StepMom to two precious Boys. Now our family grows more as we have a Baby Girl. So here is all of me as I share my family, home and garden. BTW my middle name is Jennifer; my name is Misty Jennifer Montano.