Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

We started making ice cream at 8:45 on a work night. Halfway through grating the chocolate chips, Katie had had enough and she went to play a game on the computer. Kevin came in to help grate the chocolate and left the kitchen in a chocolate massacre. There were melty chocolate shavings covering every flat surface in a 10 foot radius. I started to analyze if he did more harm than good, but then figured that he grated all of it in less than 3 minutes, plus it was already done, so I should count my blessings and give him a big ole' kiss.

After the ice cream was in the freezer I sat down with the laptop to check Facebook. There it was on Katie's status: "I'm so bored."

WHAT THE HECK!??! I'm staying up late for HER ice cream, and she sneaks off to write about how bored she is. What gives?

Then she made up for it, plus some, with this sweet note on my windshield:

(And she laughed the whole time she helped me write this post. Here is a refresher on the nickname Megasaurous Wrecks.)

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 1/2 C milk

2 3/4 C sugar

1 t salt

2 1/2 C half and half

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

6 C whipping cream

12 oz (2 C) grated semisweet chocolate

2 t peppermint extract (or less - it was pretty strong)

1 1/2 green food coloring

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream, peppermint extract, and green food coloring.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Freeze in ice cream freezer.

While ice cream is freezing, melt the chocolate and spread it thinly on the back of a cookie sheet. Put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, then use a metal spatula to scrape off the chocolate, which will break in thin, rough chunks.

When ice cream is frozen, after removing dasher, immediately stir in chocolate chips.

The Poor Little Piggy

See how sweet this girl looks? The little piggy doesn't think so. This is what she said on our Christmas drive:

"I hate pigs because they are smelly. I want a piggy so I can hit it, and if I miss it's behind and hit it in the head, oh well. Then I would put it in a stampede of wild mustangs. Then I would make it into bacon and then eat it."

For the record, Miranda was against the piggy abuse.

Fruit and Nut Rolls

Every night I have been reading a couple of chapters of "A Homemade Life" and it is absolutely wonderful. I first bought the book when I was planning to go to a book club. It is the "Wine and Reads" book club and the rule is that you have to bring a bottle of wine and read the book, but they don't enforce the part about reading the book. This time they asked everyone to bring a recipe from the book to share.

The night before the book club meeting I was 2 chapters into the book and googled the location of the meeting. The neighborhood was close to a sketchy one in St. Paul, but it may have been OK. At the last minute I cancelled because I:

1) Hadn't finished the book

2) Hadn't made a recipe from the book

3) Wasn't too sure of the neighborhood

4) I'm not a big fan of wine. I prefer non-fiction to wine any day of the week.

That was two months ago and until now it has been sitting untouched on my bookshelf. As soon as I started reading, though, I have been hooked. Molly tells a story about a time in her life when a certain food was special for her, then she offers the recipe. Not only is she a great writer, she is a sweet woman living an incredible life.

This is the first time I have even considered eating anything resembling fruitcake because it just seems too old. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you, but it felt truly odd stocking up on prunes and walnuts.

Any time chocolate is around I think of Aunt Louise. She is the chocolate professional of the family. She isn't actually professional because she doesn't sell her artwork but she makes all these fabulous looking treats that taste every bit as good as they look. If she were here my chocolates wouldn't look so pathetic. Wanna move in, Aunt Louise? I have a spare bedroom with your name on it, and I'm ready to supply you with any and all chocolate supplies you desire.

Fruit and Nut Rolls

1 C walnuts

1/2 pound pitted dried cherries

1/2 pound dried figs

1/2 pound dried apricots

1/2 pound pitted prunes

1-2 T Grand Marnier, brandy, or apple cider

1/2 C powdered sugar

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Put the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse to chop finely. Transfer to a large bowl. Put 1/2 the fruit into the food processor and pulse to chop finely, but don't turn it into a gummy paste (no fruit pieces should be bigger than a pea.) Repeat with the rest of the fruit. Stir the fruit and nut mixture well. Add 1 T Grand Marnier and stir to incorporate. Pinch a small piece of the mixture and squeeze it in your palm. If it doesn't hold together in a tight ball add another T of Grand Marnier.

Put the powdered sugar in a pie plate. Use a small cookie scoop to measure and roll into a ball, then roll in the powdered sugar, shaking off any excess. Set aside at room temperature, uncovered, for 24 hours.

To finish line a second baking sheet with parchment paper or a SilPat mat. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. Working with one ball at a time over the sink, use a spoon to dollop a bit of chocolate on top. Shake the ball lightly to coax the chocolate down its sides. The chocolate will not coat it completely - just the top half, as if it were wearing a hat. Place the ball chocolate side up on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls until you are sick of it and then put the chocolate in a baggie and pipe it over the remaining balls.

Place the baking sheet uncovered in the fridge and chill about 2 hours until the chocolate has hardened. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 weeks.

A Dog After My Own Heart

As a kid, Christmas was the holiday that drove me the most crazy. I waited and waited, and it just never seemed to arrive. Santa may have brought presents, but he sure milked it first. The worst part was that there were some presents sitting under the tree waiting to surprise me with something wonderful. Mom liked to get her shopping done early, so it was a long wait and I don't like surprises.

There were several occasions when Christmas just didn't come soon enough. I had waited as long as I possibly could, and then took it upon myself to take matters into my own hands. I took one present and held, shook, and rattled it, then held it up to the light. Nothing gave away it's contents, so I tried to unwrap it as neatly as possible. When my dirty deed was done I would try to wrap it back up so it would look exactly like it had before I touched it. It never worked. A crumpled present with torn paper and a half roll of tape holding it together was tucked back under the tree where hopefully nobody would notice before Christmas morning. It not that I'm naughty - I just don't like surprises. Well...I should say it's not JUST that I'm naughty.

Age brings all things wonderful, and this story is no exception. There is absolutely nothing I want, and I therefore I don't wonder or even care what is under the tree. But Harper - he's a naughty little doggie. I looked under the tree today and saw a present that was half opened. This time it wasn't me - but it did resemble the shoddy re-wrapping jobs of my youth.

Little Harper couldn't wait until Christmas. No wonder he found his way into our family.

Brown Rice Veggie Sushi Rolls

Rolling sushi is hard. I rolled it up. It was too loose so I tried again. No matter how I struggled, a tightly rolled sushi roll eluded me. Finally, I gave up and sliced the dang roll, even though it was not as tight as the professional ones.

One of my high school teachers had a sign "The Problem with 'Good Enough' is That it Never Is." It took me years and years before I realized that his sign was wrong. Although it had good intentions, it left out the need to prioritize. Some things are worth striving for perfection, and some things are meant to be done quickly just to get them out of the way. I could spend 6 hours trying to get the sushi rolls rolled tight enough, but in the end a loose roll is good enough. The extra 5 hours and 55 minutes to make it perfect would be a waste of time.

And me? I am good enough just as I am. Loose sushi rolls and all.

Note: Do no attempt to make sushi rolls with rice that doesn't have any rice vinegar. My first attempt was with over cooked rice and no vinegar. I figured that it wouldn't make much of a difference, but it was an unsalvageable flop. A little bit of rice vinegar makes a huge difference.

Sushi Rice:

2 C brown rice

2 C water for cooking rice

2 T sugar (or 1 T sugar, 1 T mirin)

4 T rice vinegar

Filling:

julienned vegetables including avocados, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, and bean sprouts

mayonnaise if desired

nori

Wash rice under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain for 15 minutes. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Do not stir. Cook, covered, until all water is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes.

While rice is cooking, combine sugar, vinegar, and mirin in a small saucepan and heat to dissolve sugar, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl add cooked rice and lightly fold in vinegar mixture. Let cool to room temperature but do not refrigerate.

If desired, lightly saute any crunchy julienned vegetables such as mushrooms and carrots.

To roll sushi:

Place a piece of plastic wrap over a bamboo sushi mat to make rolling easier. Place one sheet nori on top of plastic wrap. Sprinkle lightly with water. Spread about 6 T of rice evenly over nori, leaving 1/2 inch bar on the top and bottom. About 1 inch from the edge nearest you, put several rows of vegetables. Put the mayonnaise in a small baggie and cut a tiny hole in the corner. Squirt a thin strip of mayonnaise alongside the vegetables.

Roll up the nori, first rolling the mat over away from you and pressing to shape the roll, without catching the edge of the mat. Moisten the bare edge of nori (the furthest away from you) with a little water and press against the roll to seal. Try several times before giving up and calling it good enough. Repeat for each additional roll.

With a sharp, wet knife, slice each roll into 1" pieces. Serve with sliced pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi if desired.

The Secrets of Houseplants

The first plant in the photo has never flowered, but was started from a deep magenta plant, and the second and third plants have blossomed with bluish-purple flowers several times. This time, however, the third plant was the only one that continued as it had previously. The second plant is now producing a pinkish-purple blossom with a white frilly edge. How did it switch? Have the African violets in my office been fornicating when I am not watching?

No Use Cryin' Over Spilled Perfume

I have about 7 bottles of various perfumes under the bathroom sink. As they rotate through use, Kevin always comments on how yummy I smell when I wear 5th Avenue Nights. No other fragrance gets any comment whatsoever.

It came into our home after a fateful night at class. Kevin was sitting, waiting for class to start, when a girl sat down next to him. The moment she walked in he was surrounded by a wonderful fragrance. When he asked, she said it was 5th Avenue Nights, and she got it at Macy's.

For the next two weeks, he commented on how good it smelled. Really? How it that possible? I thought it was a passing phase, but as the weeks went by and he was still commenting, I finally decided to stop by the perfume counter and try it out. I wasn't all that impressed: it smelled nice, but very light and very much like baby powder. And it cost $50. Hah! I wasn't going to spend so much for a bottle of perfume.

Then he STILL kept commenting. Finally, another two weeks went by and I broke down and found a bottle on Amazon.com for $35.

Just this morning I spritzed it on my wrist, then looked at the bottle and thought about how long it has lasted. I had been using it consistently for a year and it still had 95% left. Then, I put it away right before I got out my hair dryer. As I pulled the dryer out of the cabinet under the sink, about 4 things were knocked out, including the bottle of perfume. I left everything on the floor until I was finished blow drying my hair, and as I was putting away the perfume I realized that the bottle must have hit on a corner, cracked, and the only thing holding the broken pieces together was the label on the front of the bottle. Dang. The WHOLE UPSTAIRS smells like powder. All the perfume is soaked into the rug and refuses to leave even after it has been rinsed for 30 minutes.

Amazon? It still has a bottle available, and I just finished ordering a replacement.

Colcannon [Sweet] Potatoes

Both Hali and Mom have been telling me about colcannon potatoes. How is the world have I never heard of this recipe? My image of myself as the cabbage queen is now completely dashed and I am scrambling for new cabbage-licious recipes.

Since I had 3 pounds of sweet potatoes that have been looking at me I used them instead of regular potatoes. It is absolutely F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C. The best thing about it is that it is a simple, earthy, delicious, wholesome meal.

Colcannon Potatoes

3 lbs potatoes or sweet potatoes, cubed and steamed or boiled

1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped

4 strips bacon

Cook the bacon and crumble it on a large frying pan. Throw in the cabbage and cook the cabbage until it wilts. Toss it together.

Mash the potatoes in a ricer or with a potato masher. Throw in some milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Put the potatoes into the cabbage and mix it together.

Enjoy the simple life while savoring this delightful meal.

Pumpkin Bread

As a kid I would look forward to dessert. When dinner was finally over, out would come the brownies and to my horror nuts would be laced throughout the chocolaty goodness. I vowed that no matter what I would never, ever put nuts in desserts. Because that is what old people do. And even now I don't want to admit that I have crossed that barrier that separates the young from the old. So no nuts will ever grace my sweet breads or my desserts.

This bread was calling to me for two weeks before I got around to making it. When it finally would not be ignored any longer, the ingredients came together into a dense, moist loaf of pumpkin goodness.

I brought one loaf to a friend with a new baby and when he picked up the bag his eyebrows shot up and he said, "Whoa! This is heavy!" Yep, it is.

Pumpkin Bread

5 small or 4 larger bananas, mashed

1-28 oz can or 2 15-oz cans pumpkin

3/4 c brown sugar (or leave it out if you want)

1/2c honey

1/2 c oil

4 eggs

5 c whole wheat pastry flour (or whatever flour)

2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

1 t salt if

4 t pumpkin pie spice

2 t cinnamon

up to 3 C any other extras such as flax seeds, wheat germ, bran flakes, or cranberries.

Mix everything in a large bowl, stir to combine everything, then fill 2 greased, waxed paper lined loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Apple Butter

This is apple butter and strawberries on oatmeal pancakes.

In the true spirit of fall, we have procured a bunch of apples. It all started on Monday. I had the day off and was making cookies when John called Kevin. That started the ball rolling, and before we knew it we were driving to pick 2 large apple boxes of apples from Farmer Bob's apple trees. Bob and Karen are super friendly and they also happen to grow really tasty food. We are so grateful that they have shared some of that food with us.

Being a picky eater, I would never touch apple butter as a kid. But the past 10 years have been eye opening, and I am currently reaching out to various food groups. Some foods aren't my favorite, but I try to eat a lot of things just because they are healthy. If I tell myself that nutrient dense food is tasty will it become true? It is working to some degree because I have been craving lentil soup lately. Maybe that means I am growing up.

Nah......

First, we washed and quartered the apples. Apparently the skin contains a lot of flavor and the core has a lot of pectin, so it is best to cook it all together and then get the skin and seeds out later. Then we put about 1 inch of water and a splash of apple cider vinegar in the biggest pot we own and added apples until they were about 1 inch above the top of the pot (they cook down so you will be able to put the lid on completely in a few minutes). We cooked them on medium high for 1-2 hours, until they were super soft.

We bought a food mill at Fleet Farm just for this momentous occasion. You turn and turn and turn, and the peels and seeds stay on top while apple mush is squeezed out the bottom. Then I fluttered my eyelashes at Kevin. He thought something was in my eye. Finally, he agreed to take a turn. When he started turning it went a lot faster. At least it seemed that way to me.

The first batch was made with a potato ricer instead of a food mill. It didn't go well.

1-2 teaspoons of apple pie spice went in now and we stirred it all together in the crock pot. You can also add sugar, but we didn't bother. I am trying to train my mouth to like flavors besides sweet.

Prop up the lid with kabob sticks so that the steam can escape.

The crock pot took over from there. 12 hours later it had reduced by about half. It gets really dark and caramelized, but doesn't burn. Well, the sides are burned but the stuff in the bottom is perfect.

Apple Butter

1 crock pot full of apple sauce (about 2 pots of quartered apples cooked and strained)

1-2 teaspoons of apple pie spice (or more)

2-4 cups of sugar (optional - this amount sounds crazy-high to me)

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I am so done making desserts for a while. The first step for me is to remove the "sweets" blogs from the list that I follow and sign up for a few healthy ones instead. But this coffee cake is extraordinarily yummy, so it is totally worth the break in etiquette.

The first time I really paid attention to coffee cake was during seminary. Connie made this awesome coffee cake and I recently asked her for the recipe only to realize with horror that it was a combination of nothing but sugar and Crisco. So I found this recipe instead.

For some reason I have been on a pumpkin streak. Last year in November I really stocked up on canned pumpkin. I wanted to make sure I could find it during the year, and I was positive that I would eat pies and smoothies and all kinds of fantastic creations all year. Not so much. This month is the first time I have delved into pumpkin since last Thanksgiving.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake By Libby’s Pumpkin
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup (16 ounce can) solid pack pumpkin
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Streusel (recipe below)

Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl. Add 3 eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream.

Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar and pie spice. Spoon half of batter into 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spread to corners. Sprinkle half of the Streusel over batter. Spread pumpkin mixture over Streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over pumpkin mixture. Spread remaining Streusel over top. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Streusel
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats or quick oats or chopped nuts
Combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until blended. Stir in oats. Take one big bite just to make sure it is OK.

Triple Ginger Cookies

The day finally arrived that I have been waiting for for several months. Ever since the cool days of spring burned into the heat of summer I have been dreaming of a whole houseful of tiny ginger cookies. Now that it is cool enough to bake again, it is time to break out the oven mitts.

Thank goodness I started the cookies as soon as I got home from lunch with a friend - otherwise my plans would have been ousted in favor of fixing apples and cabbage.

This is my favorite photo. The flour is on top, the crystallized ginger on the bottom left, and the fresh ginger in the measuring spoon. There is also powdered ginger which has already been mixed into the flour. There. Is. A. Lot. Of. Ginger. In. These. Puppies.

And they are oh so chewy and gingery. Yum. Double Yum. I almost went into sugar shock from just three tiny cookies. They are pure, unadulterated sugar.

Love at first sniff. Since it is my birthday, Kevin didn't even complain too much about the intensity of the ginger smell. He's such a great hubby.

Triple Ginger Cookies

1/2+ cup large-grain sugar (i.e. turbinado)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2/3 cup fine grain natural cane sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup crystallized ginger, then finely minced
1 t lemon or orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350F degree. Line a couple baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper or a Silpat mat, place the large-grain sugar in a small bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt.

Heat the butter in a skillet until it is just barely melted. Stir in the molasses, natural cane sugar, and fresh ginger. The mixture should be warm, but not hot at this point, if it is hot to touch let it cool a bit. Whisk in the egg. Now pour this over the flour mixture, add the crystallized ginger (make sure it isn't too clumpy), and lemon zest. Stir until just combined.

Use a small cookie scoop, then tear that ball in half. Roll it into a ball and then into the turbinado sugar. Place dough a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies puff up, darken a bit, get fragrant and crack.

Safety First

Lucas was the first. No one else had accomplished such a feat. He felt like he deserved an award. What did he pioneer, you ask?

He was the first employee to have an accident at the new building. While pushing hardware into a frame, his hand slipped, and the metal corner of the frame tore the heel of his palm deep enough to require 4 stitches.

While he was at urgent care, Eric and Chris glanced at his cube. Given the new information of his being prone to attract accidents under normally safe conditions, there were far too many sharp corners in his cube to be considered safe. Something had to be done and they were the men for the job. After commandeered several roles of bubble wrap they went to work putting it on every corner they could find. While desperately peering into his cabinet, they decided it was just too dangerous in there, so they taped the door shut.

A week later Susie tripped in the parking lot and sprained her ankle. What have you brought upon us, Lucas?

The McGillicuddy Mystery Has Been Solved!

Grandad Neves drove us around the hills when we were kids. He would always stop and check up on Mrs. McGillicuddy. Strangely, we would go in to say 'hi' and find all the cupboards bare, and Mrs. McGillicuddy was no where in sight. She must have gone to the grocery store.

Last weekend we went to a party and I saw this:

Ah-hah! Now I know where Mrs. McGillicuddy went! Dr. McGillicuddy, her husband, was busy drinking away the grocery money at the bar and she was trying to retrieve him.

Good luck, Mrs. McGillicuddy, good luck.

When the Black Beans Attack

Saturday was a great day to cook some black beans. They had been soaking all night, so when I got up I put them into the pot, took Harper outside, and sat down to check my email.

Two hours later I came upstairs to find a boiled over mess.

It is hard to see, but there were purple streaks staining the counter, streaks of yellow and blue all over the stove (how did those colors separate??) and black liquid running down the oven and pooled on the floor.

Gingerbread Cake

Ginger. Ha a more delicious word ever been invented?

Shockingly, Kevin does not like ginger. I found this out the hard way. We were walking around Minnehaha Falls, and we stopped in the snack shop for ice cream. Harper was with us, and we couldn't all go inside, so I went in alone.

Inside the gift shop I was confronted with an issue. Kevin wanted cookies and cream, and one of the other ice cream flavors was ginger. Great. We had the flavors figured out. Two cups with one scoop each was $1 more than two scoops in the same cup. What is a cheapskate to do?

I got both scoops in the same cup. Ginger was on the top and the flavor infiltrated the cookies and cream. Kevin was very, very cranky because he couldn't eat his cookies and cream, and he didn't want to go back inside and get another cup. Ahhh... It took several months, but we finally moved past the ginger escapade.

In spite of all the trouble it has caused, ginger will always hold a special place with my taste buds. This cake was dense, rich, and completely satisfying of my craving.

Gingerbread Cake

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C butter, softened

1 egg

1 C molasses (I used half black strap, half regular)

2 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t ground ginger (I used 1/2 t ground ginger and 1 t grated fresh ginger)

1/2 t ground cloves

1/2 t salt

1 C hot water

Grease a 9 inch square pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees, until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

The Stunning Sunset.

I was held captive as the breath taking colors of the sunset glittered and glimmered, vibrant and alive, then slowly faded to smokey and alluring and finally disappeared into the calm night. As the scene unfolded, I was washed over with the realization that I am OK. My life today is better than it was a year ago. I am more peaceful. I finally have a sense of my self-worth.

What does this sunset represent? The closing of a chapter in my life? The chance to see the betrayal that gave me a back-handed slap fade into the glorious moment where I am now wholly submerged? Does the past dishonesty affect my ability to enjoy this exact moment? Absolutely not. In fact, I feel more awe as a witness to this amazing scene than I have in my entire life.This sunset is not unique. Color splashes the horizon twice every day.

This sunset is unique. This is the very first sunset that has ever spoken to my soul. This is the first time I have realized that even though life is nothing like I hoped it would be, it is a thousand times better than I could have dreamt.

(Photo by Kevin in Wyoming)

Noise from the Cube Farm

That Willie. He sent an email to the whole company:

"I would like to ask every one's cooperation in reducing the noise level in the cubicle area. It is distracting and disruptive to work flow. We need to reduce the number of lengthy and noisy discussions, both technical and personal, that are taking place in people's cubicles. I would ask that you try the cafeteria, breakout areas, or the picnic tables instead. We all need to work harder at this goal, myself included. Thank you for your understanding!Willie"

Obviously, I knew he was directing most of his angst in the direction of my group. So I responded, "Were you writing this just to me? Sheesh...you didn't need to cc the WHOLE COMPANY on a private email."

He wrote back, "This way nobody can tell that we think 75% of the noise is from your area."

Ha! Not likely. Everyone knows we are noisy. So I forward Willie's response to Kurt, who takes the offensive and responds to Willie, "Only 75%! I'm hurt. I would place us/me closer to 96%."

Willie, unwilling to give up any ground, responds, "In the That could be, but since I haven't heard your annoying phone ring tone for a while, I downgraded the score accordingly."

Cabbage For One

Bob gave us some corn. Lots and lots of it. When Kevin went fishing with John he learned that Bob had some vegetables, so we drove to his place to pick up a few. We left with the back of our car loaded with 8 1/2 dozen ears of corn, 4 bags of tomatoes, a summer squash, 1 bag of apples, and a cabbage twice as big as my head.

Kevin doesn't eat cabbage. I will eat every single morsel of this ginormous beast of a vegetable.

He doesn't eat cabbage but he does shuck corn. And shuck corn. And shuck corn. And blanch it, and cut it, and freeze it. Anybody have any corn recipes? Or cabbage recipes?

Sour Cream and Chive Potatoes

The night before we left Wyoming, I headed out with the kitchen shears, on a mission to bring home some fresh chives. It was already dark so I grabbed a handful, cut, grabbed another handful, cut. Then I looked to the right. What is that over there? In the darkness it looks kinda like chives.

Uh, oh. What have I been hacking to bits?

Mom was very gracious. If she was crying on the inside, she didn't show it when I revealed my armful of flowers. The only thing I could think to do was get out a vase and put them in it. And hope people thought that were intentionally cut.

But dang it - she hasn't invited us back yet.

Sour Cream and Chive Potatoes

1 pound potatoes

1 bunch chives, cut into small pieces

butter

sour cream

salt

pepper

Boil the potatoes in their skin until soft. Use a ricer to mash them. Put a couple of slabs of butter and a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream on the potatoes. Cut the chives and put them on everything else. Stir just enough to mix so they don't get sticky.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary, Darling!

An evening at Chino Latino was a fabulous way to celebrate. Above are the monkeys they served hanging from our glasses. It was especially fun because the menus were printed just for us with a big, "Happy 4th Anniversary" on the bottom.

Our fortunes for the night:

Kevin:

"You strike me as a bottom."

and

"Studies show that only 50% of people wash their hands after using the restroom. Guess which of your tablemates didn't make the cut."

Megan:

"There is a full length mirror in the bathroom. Use it."

and

"Careful, your face could freeze like that."

Not great fortunes, but infinitely better than the one Kevin got a few years ago: "Make sure it says deodorant AND antiperspirant." He was sure the fortune was wrong for him, so he took another cookie, and the new fortune said, "Make sure it says deodorant AND antiperspirant." The waiter confirmed that the fortune was right for him.

Speaking of the bathroom, it was beyond strange. I walked in, and was immediately confronted with a line of men washing their hands. HOLY CRAP! I turned on my heel, and a woman grabbed my arm and said, "Yeah, it's weird, but this is the right place." Then she lead me to the women's section. The men's and women's bathrooms had shared sinks, and then there were rooms leading to the separate toilets. Sheesh....way to freak a girl out. If I had had to go even a tiny bit more, there would have been a big mess right there on our anniversary.

The Fountain of [my] Youth

Dad would take us to a spring on the mountain when we were kids. He used to fill up the water jugs from the pipe in the spring, and we would run around while he worked. This summer, he agreed to take us there again. We set out in two vehicles, bouncing and bumping until we stopped at the base of these rocks.

You can see the water as it breaks into the world - right in the middle of the mountain.

Dad stood around and silently mocked us while we played in the water.

Kevin drank right from the pipe.

Joel drinks from his hands, not the pipe. This water is COLD! Those fingers of his must be freezing.

Amanda gets in on the cold mountain spring water action.

Aspen drinks out of her hands.

Even Harper decided he was thirsty.

Mike, Amanda, and the kids are wet and dirty. But, what the heck, this is as good a time as any for their family portrait.

HOLY MOLY! Joel sure did drink a lot of water!

Of course, Aspen wouldn't get into the 'cousins' photo. Mike tried to pull her and we tried to threaten her until, finally, Hali bribed her with a packet of Ramen noodles. Then she ran right over and took a happy photo.


You will also notice that we are safety gurus. The kids rode in the back of the pickup during a lightning storm while the adults observed them from the comfort of the cab.

After we were done at the spring, Kaitlyn and Cienna help work the sheep.

These guys are the hard workers.

And here Mom is threatening me with her stick if I take a picture of her. But she is so beautiful so I am risking the beating she might give me the next time she gets her hands on my hide.

Clafoutis

Kaitlyn found a recipe that she wanted to try. It is French (pronounced kla-FOO-tee) so she kept saying "oui" (pronounced "we"). She pestered us for a solid 3 days before we were broken down enough to make it with her.

What does she think of it now that it is made? "It is nasty." It is actually pretty good if you like custard, which Katie does not like (unless it is in the middle of a donut).

Clafoutis

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/3 C flour

1/3 C sugar

1/4 t salt

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 C fresh or frozen fruit

Blend all ingredients except fruit in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into a quiche dish or ovenproof glass dish. Put fruit on top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until clafoutis is not very jiggly.

He Ain't No Snake Charmer

He came staggering in the door proclaiming, "I hate snakes!"

Kaitlyn and I rushed to see what happened, only to be confronted with a bloodied head that was being dabbed with a bloody rag. Uh, oh.

"DID YOU GET BIT BY A SNAKE??" Thank goodness the answer was no.

He was shooting his rifle when he felt something move under his foot. He looked down to find a snake wriggling, trying to get out.

Although he is a tough toughy, the shock of a snake right under his shoe was too much. He tensed up, which caused his finger to squeeze the trigger and the kick knocked the scope right into his head. He spent the next couple of minutes flat on the ground. It is unclear if blacking out was part of the ordeal.

The snake got away and Kevin did, too.

And just think....I was worried about MYSELF when Kevin started stockpiling weapons....

He ain't no snake charmer but he can hit a penny at 75 feet.