tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964345538401449302024-03-06T22:39:58.858-07:00A Need to CreateTammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.comBlogger1240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-71276677696877168752015-10-27T20:53:00.001-06:002015-10-27T20:53:36.730-06:00AVS Halloween PartyOn Monday AVS had their annual Halloween party. Ellie and Kohlton had a different costume idea, but they are saving it for next year. They opted for a pretty comical set of costumes. Ethan and Ellie had unbelievable thrift store luck and found the perfect items to put together a sailor costume. He has been wanting the 13 button trousers for as long as he had been on the ship. He wanted me to make a pair, but time did come available. The kids went to the ARC and searched, not finding any, they were leaving that area of the store when another customer approached them saying, "Excuse me. I did not mean to listen to your conversation, but I think these are the pants you are looking for." And they are indeed perfect and brand new. <br />
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<b>Buttery Sourdough Buns</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/buttery-sourdough-buns-recipe"> King Arthur Flour<br />
</a><br />
Dough<br />
1/2 cup sourdough starter, fed or unfed<br />
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour<br />
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons salt<br />
1 large egg<br />
5 tablespoons soft butter<br />
2/3 cup lukewarm water<br />
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Topping<br />
4 tablespoons melted butter, divided<br />
1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional<br />
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1) Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.<br />
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2) Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here — and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it's just about doubled in bulk.<br />
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3) Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.<br />
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4) Roll and pat the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 12" x 16". Put 2 tablespoons melted butter in a small bowl, and add the paprika, if desired; it's there for color, and accentuates the buns' swirl, but omit it if you wish. Spread the dough with the melted butter.<br />
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5) Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a log.<br />
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6) Cut the log in 1" slices, using a sharp knife, or a piece of dental floss looped between your fingers.<br />
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7) Lightly grease two 8" or 9" round cake pans. Arrange 8 buns in each pan.<br />
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8) Cover the pans, and let the buns rise for 60 minutes, until they're noticeably puffy. Don't let these buns rise too long; you want them to have enough rising power left to expand nicely in the oven. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.<br />
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9) Uncover the pans, and brush each bun with some of the remaining melted butter.<br />
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10) Bake the buns for 22 to 25 minutes; they'll color only slightly.<br />
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11) Remove the buns from the oven, and turn them out of the pan onto a rack. Brush with any remaining melted butter. Serve hot or warm. To reheat, place the buns on a baking sheet, tent lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.<br />
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12) Wrap any leftover buns airtight, and store at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.<br />
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Yield: 16 buns.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2011/12/30/buttery-sourdough-buns-a-new-take-on-sourdough/">Click here to see the King Arthur Blog entry about this recipe.</a><br />
<br />
nutrition information<br />
Serving Size: 1 bun (53g) Servings Per Batch: 16 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160 Calories from Fat: 60 Total Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 4.5g Trans Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 190mg Total Carbohydrate: 20g Dietary Fiber: 1g Sugars: 1g Protein: 4g<br />
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* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.<br />
reviewsTammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-32346999606592313472015-10-22T19:17:00.000-06:002015-10-22T19:17:24.443-06:00"Glow in the Gardens" and a Chicken Dijon RecipeOn Wednesday evening, Larr and I went to the "Glow in the Gardens" event at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I love lights and I love doing holiday things, so when I saw the poster for this event this past summer, I knew I wanted to go. I had originally had visions of a whole family excursion. I guess I was hoping for a sort of revival of the fall fun we had when the kids were little. But, that was not to be. I just have to let go of those ideas.<br />
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Anyhow, Larr and I tried to go last week, when the weather was perfect and it was a Hollywood movie kind of night. Lots of other people had those same visions, and so we could not even get a parking spot. Last night was supposed to be rainy, so it was much less crowded than it could have been. <br />
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Dotted around the decorated areas where people gathered you could find these man-made trees where you could send a wish to you dread relatives. It was a start to their Day of the Dead event that is coming up.<br />
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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ODSsuwXBNod_YDwqFZaPmI_vNdjq-KGEwVTHMqT-_-H905uSrIGlXpyXvsb5NKSl_bWNJNzuaR6C-goV4vNQmkUID4bEOpRq_R4HhyE5Q3-BUgb6OMaDToDyt4ktEllHB1KBNfdnERM/s1600/_DSC7956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ODSsuwXBNod_YDwqFZaPmI_vNdjq-KGEwVTHMqT-_-H905uSrIGlXpyXvsb5NKSl_bWNJNzuaR6C-goV4vNQmkUID4bEOpRq_R4HhyE5Q3-BUgb6OMaDToDyt4ktEllHB1KBNfdnERM/s640/_DSC7956.JPG" /></a></div>The reflections of the lights in the trees on the lake were also a bit magical. The event was pretty quiet and calm, which I loved. Larr and I were able to notice the lights reflected on the water, the warm color of the wood illuminated in the gazebo and the glow of the leaves that were lit up from behind. <br />
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As you can see, dinosaurs were the theme of the evening.<br />
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<b>Chicken Dijon</b><br />
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4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts<br />
3 tablespoons butter<br />
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
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1 cup chicken broth<br />
1/2 cup half-and-half cream<br />
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard<br />
<br />
In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter/margarine for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from skillet and place on a warm oven-proof platter.<br />
Preheat oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C).<br />
Stir flour into skillet drippings. Add broth and deglaze skillet by stirring vigorously until flour is somewhat dissolved and liquid has the consistency of a sauce. Add cream. Simmer, stirring, over moderate heat for about 10 minutes until sauce is a little thick. Stir in mustard and heat through.<br />
Pour mustard sauce over chicken breasts. Put platter in warm preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, then serve!<br />
Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-14801250126497095692015-10-16T08:05:00.002-06:002015-10-16T08:05:41.649-06:00Daily Musings Journal and Two Hands PaperieI spent Thursday evening at Two Hands Paperie at an art event, the unvealing of the <a href="http://mountainmermaidstudios.com/daily-musings-journal/">2016 Daily Musings Journal.</a> It was created by a friend of Mia's, Lee DeYoung. The journals we worked with are an outgrowth of the journals that she started making for herself about 6 years ago, when she was drawing each box by hand.<br />
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I like the fact that a whole week can fit on just two pages. The size of the boxes makes it seem less intimidating. It was fun to look through her journals and see how her style has evolved. It has gone from handmade boxes filled with light handwritten entries, to colorful, fun entries. <br />
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Lee was very generous and shared copies of a few pages for us to play with. I opted to buy journal and begin adding light decorations to it as I am going to give it as a gift. I am adding lines of fun washi tape to the top of each page. I might gather stickers or other fun add-ons to make it into a little kit. <br />
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It was fun talking with Lee. This is a journey in her life that she had not expected to take and I think those can be some of the very best journeys. She started out selling to just a few friends. They showed their journals to others, some of whom also bought the journal. <blockquote></blockquote>She also hosted the "Daring Doodlers" challenge recently, which received more than 400 entries. You can also see what Lee is up to on <a href="https://mtnmermaid.wordpress.com/">her blog</a>. Today she is headed to Chicago to do the same kind of event there. I am excited for Lee and I hope her success continues to grow!Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-77971661766203079842015-10-12T22:10:00.001-06:002015-10-12T22:10:50.896-06:00Sunlight, Paper, Ink, Wax and Inspiration + Cabbage Rolls RecipeThis fall is one of the most glorious ones that I can remember. I don't know if that is because it is in fact one of the most beautiful falls, or if I am just making a point to notice. Fall weather in Colorado can be bipolar. The year that Ethan was born, on Labor day in the very start of September, it snowed as we were bringing him home. I remember because I did not have the right clothes for him. In the past we would have already had some serious snow, but not so far this year, and I don't know when it will come. Other years, the first snow of any significance was on Halloween.<br />
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Either way, I made sure to get out in the fall air and enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin, especially on my face. <br />
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On Saturday I went seeking artistic inspiration. I was a bit stuck on how to begin the castle that I must build in a few short weeks, so I thought talking to other artist might help. <br />
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My first stop was at the <a href="https://origamiusa.org/pcoc2015">Pacific Coast Origami conference</a>, which was in a hotel in Boulder. The portions of the public exhibit and vendors was very small, but interesting and the people were very welcoming. I took a number of photos to show my students who like to give a go at origami<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBJLrnq5j750Pz1Ue6lLl84Q9_icypPk6ev3bXNoyi4n8vYuS6_k_1smqIaDTUqF5uSRpDlbIMQMMaWyHS7XsDobEyC_a_3FoveOl6KhyyGU-qv60EQYSwESb7wnDbxamLAhUsE_RKtk/s1600/_DSC7857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBJLrnq5j750Pz1Ue6lLl84Q9_icypPk6ev3bXNoyi4n8vYuS6_k_1smqIaDTUqF5uSRpDlbIMQMMaWyHS7XsDobEyC_a_3FoveOl6KhyyGU-qv60EQYSwESb7wnDbxamLAhUsE_RKtk/s640/_DSC7857.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuZxs8Sh025yBFmYoBspTMUmiNC9wQ30C6Uwmh_npy8nXD7u3NfhjR2YjDKOA0axlNjv4vmKKkFUdTuge8Dl2qlOcjLeBXUSVM8K5MmrV0idkNVmgRBdyna9eaN3J_6M2-LvPAJjxv2c/s1600/_DSC7858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuZxs8Sh025yBFmYoBspTMUmiNC9wQ30C6Uwmh_npy8nXD7u3NfhjR2YjDKOA0axlNjv4vmKKkFUdTuge8Dl2qlOcjLeBXUSVM8K5MmrV0idkNVmgRBdyna9eaN3J_6M2-LvPAJjxv2c/s640/_DSC7858.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPRi1OOeTWW6oMigAth2zdR5G94kbTG3kWFvn6w0m1p3Go929IkaCvD2GkQ2JYIOtDwTxm2Q6E8dh5OKUfYjiPLVJN_ZpFN17r7Ts5yMcLsBYBNOg9oxDLFndz-73UHoyZr5zAGMYe_0/s1600/_DSC7861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPRi1OOeTWW6oMigAth2zdR5G94kbTG3kWFvn6w0m1p3Go929IkaCvD2GkQ2JYIOtDwTxm2Q6E8dh5OKUfYjiPLVJN_ZpFN17r7Ts5yMcLsBYBNOg9oxDLFndz-73UHoyZr5zAGMYe_0/s640/_DSC7861.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTJMGWVg3xZaKv0dIxcZPr_D1fkkWozoLqUpNEcYFcVdAjrFcYd35XDViAeqYaxPgp_wYVsHsRVwF_d2B3JLjFHMQv18cUfC4-KAwxrNgMzidcU-9_A2PdjZ17HdoLpuXPBe2opFaq2c/s1600/_DSC7863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTJMGWVg3xZaKv0dIxcZPr_D1fkkWozoLqUpNEcYFcVdAjrFcYd35XDViAeqYaxPgp_wYVsHsRVwF_d2B3JLjFHMQv18cUfC4-KAwxrNgMzidcU-9_A2PdjZ17HdoLpuXPBe2opFaq2c/s640/_DSC7863.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqpMJnmzIULoubFPbe1n5PLc7Oj5RDjhzeyuJryBy0k0ewdtZbtjUoJKrmj1bCOxQOosBndEY27w9d2lnqFvdLUZF1pDBctALnc4p0FK9Pa4a3v_SdYj9huFTKsUHU-lGcovSo7W_7LQ/s1600/_DSC7868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqpMJnmzIULoubFPbe1n5PLc7Oj5RDjhzeyuJryBy0k0ewdtZbtjUoJKrmj1bCOxQOosBndEY27w9d2lnqFvdLUZF1pDBctALnc4p0FK9Pa4a3v_SdYj9huFTKsUHU-lGcovSo7W_7LQ/s640/_DSC7868.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcuuqTqtnmDQj0aY6mVqRtHMW_cTH9CJvJh5_w4yfCWM2wmBY3kNo2x5pd498dMxhe5bWg45LdtP1_hQ6ksOjzCUYDhG195F4U2eq-c8yf6kY-7BqU83zB5HaIeq5HhfSuQj-n975mEc/s1600/_DSC7870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcuuqTqtnmDQj0aY6mVqRtHMW_cTH9CJvJh5_w4yfCWM2wmBY3kNo2x5pd498dMxhe5bWg45LdtP1_hQ6ksOjzCUYDhG195F4U2eq-c8yf6kY-7BqU83zB5HaIeq5HhfSuQj-n975mEc/s640/_DSC7870.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh_FVyTSmOfzkXkeWvGGcWuPqfdpT6y-D9ndVFeHE7s6M4qUyLsjkdw5aZnWeCXXhEBDWCnmHXfTODmU47SW3OTFAtbyeuacXJME2HeUKz3LLM2MStJbFMMF9cMhpRLJVnTylLDMuB2A/s1600/_DSC7875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh_FVyTSmOfzkXkeWvGGcWuPqfdpT6y-D9ndVFeHE7s6M4qUyLsjkdw5aZnWeCXXhEBDWCnmHXfTODmU47SW3OTFAtbyeuacXJME2HeUKz3LLM2MStJbFMMF9cMhpRLJVnTylLDMuB2A/s640/_DSC7875.JPG" /></a></div><br />
From there I set off to visit as may studios as I could fit in a day. It was the final day of the Boulder Open Studio event which takes place during the first two weekends of October. I have been before, but it had been years. I wanted to talk to other artists, I wanted to see what they were creating and I wanted to see how they organized their spaces. I had expected to be dazzled by a host of spacious rooms with great ventilation and windows or plexiglass garage doors that allowed the sun to stream in. I was surprised to find that many of the studios were in tiny, often dark, rented spaces. Each artist made his/her space very personalized and many of the spaces were inspiring, but I also went home feeling like the cozy set up that I have in a what used to be a spare bedroom, quite sufficient. <br />
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My favorite part was talking to the artists.<br />
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I first encountered <a href="http://susandouglass.com/susandouglass.com/Welcome.html">Susan Douglass</a> who is a retired geologist. She creates very moving sculptures from her retired vellium maps from places she has been to. The shapes of her sculptures imitate some natural feature, whether that be weather, rocks, water, etc. I loved how close I could get to them. She also does a series of painting about weather. The one I have below I think is an interpretation of snow. <br />
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Liz Quan has a studio next to Susan. Liz creates exquisite porcelain sculptures. Her studio and art made me wish that I had the patience to work with that stubborn clay. I could imagine myself sitting in the sun streaming from the window in her studio carving away at the beginnings of small clay pieces. Then I remembered that porcelain and I do not get along very well, so I settled back into admiring her work. <br />
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Next up, I stopped in to see <a href="http://alixchristian.com/">Alix Christian's studio. </a>I know her from Two Hands and I wanted to see her space. It was my favorite studio of all. The previous tenants were leather workers. They lined some of the walls with old, worn wood and Alix's husband made wonderful, shallow shelves to hold her framed pieces. <br />
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Alix's talent style has many different styles. I was very inspired by her kid-like pieces. I may create some art like hers with art my children made when they were young. Alix is very positive and inspiring. I hope to be able to take part in one of her open studios some day. It is a bit of a challenge for me since they take place on week days.<br />
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I also stopped by a shared printing studio and encountered a few artists that I know from going to Anderson Ranch. It was nice to have a chance to chat with them.<br />
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I was also very smitten with the art of printer, <a href="http://www.theresahaberkorn.com/">Theresa Haberkorn</a>. I am very interested in trying out wood block carved prints. I love the personality in these pieces, especially the piglet pieces. She gave me permission to show the printing blocks and the prints. <br />
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<a href="http://www.phillewisart.com/">Phil Lewis</a> had the most beautiful, gallery like space and lots of interesting art. I enjoyed learning about how his artistic processes have evolved over the years. He was kind enough to allow me to show you in the photos below. <br />
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I picked my way through a intentionally created community to see the artwork of Lee Heekin. I would have liked to talk with her about her art, but she was not there. I am very intrigued by the encaustics that she creates. It appears that she makes the boxes and does a multi-layer wax pour. After it is cooled and set, she afixes a lightbulb into the back of the box. The idea is very thrilling to me. <br />
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The best surprise of the day came from meeting <a href="http://www.mollyhargarten.com/">Molly Hargarten</a>. She and I like so many of the same kinds of things and have such similar artistic interests that I could imagine that we might become friends. We talked about artistic processes and realizations that we have both made. I even asked her if she would like to get together and make art some time. She had many wonderful pieces, but the red-winged blackbirds were my favorite, hands down. After leaving her studio, I was so uplifted that I decided that was a good place to end my self-guided tour. There were at least 150 more studios I could have visited, but I was satisfied and ready to head home. <br />
<br />
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<b>Cabbage Rolls</b><br />
<br />
2 pound lean ground beef<br />
1 large Red Onion, chopped<br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
2 pounds cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces (I use about 1/2 a med. head of cabbage, the weight is approximate)<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 can Tomatoes, Fire Roasted, Chopped (about 14 oz.)<br />
¼ cup chopped parsley<br />
1-2 TB Basil, dried<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
½ teaspoon black pepper<br />
Salt to taste<br />
2 cup cooked rice<br />
1 large pizza dough, or bread dough<br />
<br />
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.<br />
<br />
Heat a pan on medium heat and add ground beef until cooked. Drain off the fat. Remove and place in a bowl.<br />
To the skillet add onions, garlic and olive oil and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add in the cabbage and cook longer, until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add in tomatoes, parsley, basil, lemon juice, salt & pepper (if using) and stir well. Finally add cooked rice and the cooked ground beef.Stir well to mix.<br />
<br />
Divide the dough into balls about the size of a racket ball. Roll each one out on a floured board. Place about 1/4 cup of the cabbage mixture in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to make a pocket. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Repeat until they are all constructed. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot rolls with butter right after removing them from the oven. <br />
<br />
These travel well. Sometimes I add a bit of Worchestershire sauce to the mix if it needs a bit of kick.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-44934705987235934302015-10-09T07:24:00.001-06:002015-10-09T07:24:22.570-06:00A Touch of Frost and a Flash of Color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZcOGY3TZYgdWqgv8h4CepHywsWVQGMffvNX7JfSQA_s3Jdpf0VvBMFv1MYU-gr_0bP0YnUORGb7alYqlpq8pcfnlzybrkmFMIhnsoMZJQnW3Ic3xMECLBUgutP3XVCz5Z0kyl55FvNI/s1600/DSC_0004rs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZcOGY3TZYgdWqgv8h4CepHywsWVQGMffvNX7JfSQA_s3Jdpf0VvBMFv1MYU-gr_0bP0YnUORGb7alYqlpq8pcfnlzybrkmFMIhnsoMZJQnW3Ic3xMECLBUgutP3XVCz5Z0kyl55FvNI/s640/DSC_0004rs.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan and his friend Brandon went for a drive in the mountains yesterday. They had hoped to catch the fall colors, but that was short lived this year. They found a different kind of beauty instead.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdCAn3ad9Dt8cpq-KxTlow3ifoZk4B_UYis1TlPofABM_60oQREeclbLdJyyO_CEVrha6_JudHdf1Zgh150_c13SslVa0UROt7SC1lG6EgTbl9yZ8Za3l1YL4RH27O-c9VCBOuo061p0/s1600/DSC_0005+rs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdCAn3ad9Dt8cpq-KxTlow3ifoZk4B_UYis1TlPofABM_60oQREeclbLdJyyO_CEVrha6_JudHdf1Zgh150_c13SslVa0UROt7SC1lG6EgTbl9yZ8Za3l1YL4RH27O-c9VCBOuo061p0/s640/DSC_0005+rs.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlAmVxirAttouwPIYA3tpDAwogDcfqzXXT2DtGJjOfsitc_2f_EzopXjekIcXudZhjovHDv0z7z0Ya2AHa_hDuTnN8syP6slHg6n9Tg1SnG2fLUueJgjwnPDYGHAKm2WasT8hZzaANMI/s1600/DSC_0009rs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlAmVxirAttouwPIYA3tpDAwogDcfqzXXT2DtGJjOfsitc_2f_EzopXjekIcXudZhjovHDv0z7z0Ya2AHa_hDuTnN8syP6slHg6n9Tg1SnG2fLUueJgjwnPDYGHAKm2WasT8hZzaANMI/s640/DSC_0009rs.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVBHvZlglSagkJqEjx29l_bRz3X4f_Zys4gDzFhCA_AzYV6Muo9WzB3x8fHi41IjG7EsskS_ExBKPA_sp1ZQknPWKhrdQA-lshjpwXWH-Rr0d6h7UY6u4KYXc0qEHS8zu3iJ51OIFXtM/s1600/DSC_0016rs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVBHvZlglSagkJqEjx29l_bRz3X4f_Zys4gDzFhCA_AzYV6Muo9WzB3x8fHi41IjG7EsskS_ExBKPA_sp1ZQknPWKhrdQA-lshjpwXWH-Rr0d6h7UY6u4KYXc0qEHS8zu3iJ51OIFXtM/s640/DSC_0016rs.jpg" /></a></div>In the morning, everything wore a coat of frost. It was as if they were dressed in gossimer gowns.<br />
<br />
As the day progressed, it warmed up and the melting dew caught the light, looking like diamonds.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDUvKR4_nUFFHfgpru9aGTUAsQsjYv4b5FnjU7fvGVuzsymlkW72_Ho6DpwBAyGScY_oXpTNGi3RvuKlTBtTcQ7t9OknqJb2iBXawSE8JYk1WmbsZ0IN90Z_CeFsTTG2AoDK2vGaF9ns/s1600/DSC_0019rs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDUvKR4_nUFFHfgpru9aGTUAsQsjYv4b5FnjU7fvGVuzsymlkW72_Ho6DpwBAyGScY_oXpTNGi3RvuKlTBtTcQ7t9OknqJb2iBXawSE8JYk1WmbsZ0IN90Z_CeFsTTG2AoDK2vGaF9ns/s640/DSC_0019rs.jpg" /></a></div><br />
On the way back they stopped in Breckenridge for lunch and found the blue trees that were part of an art celebration in August. Many trees were painted blue with a paint that will fade over time. The result was striking.<br />
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It is gratifying to be reminded how talented my son is. Both kids seem to have inherited their photographer's eye from their father.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-32762355844668006202015-10-02T19:50:00.001-06:002015-10-02T19:50:40.676-06:00A Paper Boat UpdateA while back I posted a photograph of the paper boat that I had started. The process has been slow, but steady. I think it is nearly done. I want to figure out how to add fairly lights to the masts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joFrewsn_KyzvUFHJWkf_gFcymA4r9u9s9Ojd6Xalh39Kg41tusIHD9YAyYIqAY-Aow3Sf3Sx0eyqU_3NfXN_3vS7LvVWDDVcH3A6-znvRJh5Ivj2wg3vU818gnFJge6E8JYHH880I0/s1600/_DSC7851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joFrewsn_KyzvUFHJWkf_gFcymA4r9u9s9Ojd6Xalh39Kg41tusIHD9YAyYIqAY-Aow3Sf3Sx0eyqU_3NfXN_3vS7LvVWDDVcH3A6-znvRJh5Ivj2wg3vU818gnFJge6E8JYHH880I0/s640/_DSC7851.JPG" /></a></div>Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-31631120175128943762015-10-01T11:36:00.002-06:002015-10-01T11:36:36.391-06:00Birds on the Brain or Visiting Owls - An Audubon Event and H is for Hawk, an Amazingly beautiful novel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wuYotQpr6NLRyEVqJuCxRjvi3kiS2zTtO4kMEKRr_AYtM8cbS-uzNtkKia9odS048uUTzmVIY2sJYJjBJAJDSxPCY7-7pyYGlFCBg19dOdjdZ5YDdI8U7zezZGswotGYm4gy_GViuJ0/s1600/final+H+is+for+hawk+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wuYotQpr6NLRyEVqJuCxRjvi3kiS2zTtO4kMEKRr_AYtM8cbS-uzNtkKia9odS048uUTzmVIY2sJYJjBJAJDSxPCY7-7pyYGlFCBg19dOdjdZ5YDdI8U7zezZGswotGYm4gy_GViuJ0/s640/final+H+is+for+hawk+cover.png" /></a></div>Birds seem to be a subtle theme in my life right now. Part of it comes from the enjoyment of listening to Helen McDonald read, H is for Hawk. It is an astoundingly beautifully written book about how a grown woman comes to deal with the death of her father by training a goshawk. I am smitten with the writing and drawn to the story. I am sure that part of that has to do with the fact that the narrator is working through dealing with her father's death, and I am entrenched in that in my own life. Sometimes that grief is palatable and on the surface. Sometimes it is so present that I feel like I could reach out and grab it. Other times it is like an alien disease that has gripped some one or other of my family and I do not have the antidote to kill it. It must simply run its course. With the holiday season nearing, I know that it will take a more central stage in my own heart as I will miss Don keenly when we do our traditional holiday events. Sometimes I think I should stop listening to the book since it makes me feel sad, but still I am transfixed by it, eager to breath in the next beautiful bit of writing and marvel at her talent. <br />
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Reading H is for Hawk reminds me of my friend who is a falconer, without a falcon. Reading this makes me wonder if what McDonald loves about training her goshawk is what my friend loves about being a falconer. It also causes me to look to the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a hawk or a falcon, which sometimes happens.<br />
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This past weekend, Larr and I got a chance to learn about and see some owls at an Audubon sponsored event. It was a small event, but interesting. <br />
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All of the owls were rescued from other places and are too injured to return to the wild.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqjcEvfNlDlpXR0-85_EGU2XfbR7d946-Za8McoRef_Tm8E2M-j1pou4duMG0svFB_0PoWcrkdP9pya3yYX4SbhGulZ8iGGeOB7BxKg2D-r_H0M-7Um1KwRabiH5-GX_kFlMI22E3vt0/s1600/_DSC7815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqjcEvfNlDlpXR0-85_EGU2XfbR7d946-Za8McoRef_Tm8E2M-j1pou4duMG0svFB_0PoWcrkdP9pya3yYX4SbhGulZ8iGGeOB7BxKg2D-r_H0M-7Um1KwRabiH5-GX_kFlMI22E3vt0/s640/_DSC7815.JPG" /></a></div>This tiny owl was with its sister when they were attacked. The other bird did not survive. This one had a broken wing that healed wrong, which means that it cannot go back into its proper position or fly correctly. She was no larger than a can of soda.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39jf0riLARJmJTp0FOda8XgcDlHwGuoV-J12UPO_enK3DyT2JgGCWwrOvcTKjdBiBDFpy24ZMOqDLRp-iijVYK5tW35qFsLlVy7dIV_jvX9iqW7bjyBGpbZkyzgyVXTe2mDeGiGKHq7E/s1600/_DSC7824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39jf0riLARJmJTp0FOda8XgcDlHwGuoV-J12UPO_enK3DyT2JgGCWwrOvcTKjdBiBDFpy24ZMOqDLRp-iijVYK5tW35qFsLlVy7dIV_jvX9iqW7bjyBGpbZkyzgyVXTe2mDeGiGKHq7E/s640/_DSC7824.JPG" /></a></div>This little guy is a burrowing owl that lives in abandoned prairie dog holes. He had been mistaken for a prairie dog and was shot. He was a bit more wary of people than the tiny owl.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wqWGrCAe-8EvxEgQoO-UH2AqcLouxahtUVQTSPsKog62jyvpzfo7RlX29FanPOFtbqva7sYKOELIO2pLxseVbT4Bud0N277Ye-Oii8oZ20_Qv-hRLirOPgS1WEiDHDdDuN0vEOvS0_U/s1600/_DSC7825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wqWGrCAe-8EvxEgQoO-UH2AqcLouxahtUVQTSPsKog62jyvpzfo7RlX29FanPOFtbqva7sYKOELIO2pLxseVbT4Bud0N277Ye-Oii8oZ20_Qv-hRLirOPgS1WEiDHDdDuN0vEOvS0_U/s640/_DSC7825.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgMt_GzNByS3dUNFaCQHKBlzaOzN9h92KVWcPaw83YRoTi7oWl3_TFyaO7o0wcCht3npPjFFEO4wTrgUdUtRqoUYOrI8N0-z19c9EMBoA6dK0fdaEbs5nmfrKQyeibXb1GdvlSQdD1kA/s1600/_DSC7833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgMt_GzNByS3dUNFaCQHKBlzaOzN9h92KVWcPaw83YRoTi7oWl3_TFyaO7o0wcCht3npPjFFEO4wTrgUdUtRqoUYOrI8N0-z19c9EMBoA6dK0fdaEbs5nmfrKQyeibXb1GdvlSQdD1kA/s640/_DSC7833.JPG" /></a></div>This big, beautiful girl came from Alaska where she had been hit by a car, somehow survived three or four days on the ground since she could not fly. They think she managed to climb part way up a tree to survive. She was shipped to Denver for a special surgery and has lived here ever since. She is an old, crotchety bird, unhappy at having to be on display. She likes to bite her handlers, but she is glorious to look at.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7mR-WDpuy80lX2S3gb0osIp95f44xnz0fCrqe5iDQkngqUPHQhd146GeTp1ibZcyt927y8dUWx-sksfw8UbEtDJffZTacFP2nNNXpPXcvF1r8naGTDwn7k5I8qy8ogSST6Xzw_Q4cHM/s1600/_DSC7828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7mR-WDpuy80lX2S3gb0osIp95f44xnz0fCrqe5iDQkngqUPHQhd146GeTp1ibZcyt927y8dUWx-sksfw8UbEtDJffZTacFP2nNNXpPXcvF1r8naGTDwn7k5I8qy8ogSST6Xzw_Q4cHM/s640/_DSC7828.JPG" /></a></div>You could not actually touch any of the live birds, but they did have feathers and wings that you could feel.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1inR-YrxsRH-slUaQob2nE35_wn5qrDmPQXfr5Hi-WTTgDGMbbEz_90LQzVkDRQ5dzonE9sROA76zZ6rKf5aR1-rn5ev8IkbicTF8yr_vC7iH84aJiIMJb-D4qMNCh5ragbXWRqtmUA/s1600/_DSC7837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1inR-YrxsRH-slUaQob2nE35_wn5qrDmPQXfr5Hi-WTTgDGMbbEz_90LQzVkDRQ5dzonE9sROA76zZ6rKf5aR1-rn5ev8IkbicTF8yr_vC7iH84aJiIMJb-D4qMNCh5ragbXWRqtmUA/s640/_DSC7837.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1GXZoiqigJXrN7Kjzs_y_6o2mj0H_Gsv9fPXkNKYpp3dNTt_ElyVzzCK06t25sgnjDohrlPNRvg_T1wkhEdfx30QMVEgQCogco_UsJ_ZtmgsHnc00HBZn3K15Y3aFS8v0Tv7e3xIVTI/s1600/_DSC7839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1GXZoiqigJXrN7Kjzs_y_6o2mj0H_Gsv9fPXkNKYpp3dNTt_ElyVzzCK06t25sgnjDohrlPNRvg_T1wkhEdfx30QMVEgQCogco_UsJ_ZtmgsHnc00HBZn3K15Y3aFS8v0Tv7e3xIVTI/s640/_DSC7839.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1272GV7yZRb9md2RsHuMgQ1WwOIoZb9fyGA8ZkUPORff08IT4fZcLw31dyEcZYKRD7FFWnDLYqrlhzFTZDfAQpbf0qXo6h65p7DenOjoG1AEF2dCvm3yFLcpN1GLEfTjj60r6MzbtenU/s1600/_DSC7844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1272GV7yZRb9md2RsHuMgQ1WwOIoZb9fyGA8ZkUPORff08IT4fZcLw31dyEcZYKRD7FFWnDLYqrlhzFTZDfAQpbf0qXo6h65p7DenOjoG1AEF2dCvm3yFLcpN1GLEfTjj60r6MzbtenU/s640/_DSC7844.JPG" /></a></div>They also had an interesting collection of skulls and bones. Bird bones are hollow, making them very light.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXeAH9sdG5Dlr5sGqR6XjWZ1sTYWBeBngbYu7B-DxWV36WlOeruaN7r4Ib0LZc-y4dut_twGrM2_qM-sR-6dQsImAtNDwmIOcIZbn4VNt0kMm_jRmui87ZXIRxzRemsCmKRWvs-yEQUA/s1600/_DSC7842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXeAH9sdG5Dlr5sGqR6XjWZ1sTYWBeBngbYu7B-DxWV36WlOeruaN7r4Ib0LZc-y4dut_twGrM2_qM-sR-6dQsImAtNDwmIOcIZbn4VNt0kMm_jRmui87ZXIRxzRemsCmKRWvs-yEQUA/s640/_DSC7842.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZajWWAf6ieAboGFo8cA3zH5-rFdFBt94L0_pXd2yrip8_2IsuZk1DmUxM6dnsPpcdqK-JQ3LCKmPcAXbLsYpa2xCcbCzv0a-DWuJrNiKpiFX7XIWpURoLDQsa3Q7VB2gyC_eZvkAqcxs/s1600/_DSC7843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZajWWAf6ieAboGFo8cA3zH5-rFdFBt94L0_pXd2yrip8_2IsuZk1DmUxM6dnsPpcdqK-JQ3LCKmPcAXbLsYpa2xCcbCzv0a-DWuJrNiKpiFX7XIWpURoLDQsa3Q7VB2gyC_eZvkAqcxs/s640/_DSC7843.JPG" /></a></div>Owls cannot digest all of the parts of the things they eat, so they spit up these fur and bone pellets every single time they eat. The organization had collection of them from a family that has a tree on their property where owls live. Both of the adults are dentists who collect the pellets, put them through an autoclave to sterilize them so that people can dissect them and discover what is left over from an owl meal. It was interesting, but I did not take the time to do one myself. I was mostly interested in getting photos as reference for drawing.<br />
Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-31694639200708862412015-09-27T10:52:00.000-06:002015-09-27T12:15:08.242-06:00 What Homecoming Looks Like+ Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops & Zucchini Bread & Baked Eggs with Bacon and Spinach RecipesLast week was Homecoming at my school. I thought it might be fun to show you a glimpse of what it looks like on Homecoming Friday and at the Homecoming dance. (I'm sorry the photos are not very good. I used my cheap camera and it was on the wrong setting. Bummer!)<br />
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This year my school went from a grades 9-12 school to a grades 7-12 school, and so the 7th and 8th graders experienced their first pep rally.<br />
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Here are my young kiddos, my 7th and 8th graders.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmUH5fB-HUcl0_8yiB6bJXTgQ-QzeFIdNmaNFfECWEw5BiJ7BbFNxkuzcHkFBJrVXZYAi09nkE627x9UAVkZXxxM-8dutFKVk1baXuyaRGImAz3T5Ef6NyA9uwS06_1M4xzV_Mzh4GO0/s1600/DSCF4732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmUH5fB-HUcl0_8yiB6bJXTgQ-QzeFIdNmaNFfECWEw5BiJ7BbFNxkuzcHkFBJrVXZYAi09nkE627x9UAVkZXxxM-8dutFKVk1baXuyaRGImAz3T5Ef6NyA9uwS06_1M4xzV_Mzh4GO0/s640/DSCF4732.JPG" /></a></div>I have them first hour and they are a great way to start my day. <br />
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The band played, the cheerleaders cheered and tried to teach the kids how to respond. At first they were a bit unsure as they were still using their best we-are-in-an-assembly behavior since they did not know that they could be silly in pep rallies. We taught them how to do "the wave." The 7th & 8th grade StuCo kids did their best to run a couple of activities. Some of it was a bit clunky. One girl got lost in the script and cried. Her best friend bounded out of the stands to the gym floor, hugging her and offering reassurance. The kids cheered. They are such good kids. The girl dried her eyes, took que from another girl, and then picked up where they left off. By the end of the hour, they were thrilled and exclaimed with joy and happiness upon leaving to go to class. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi5tQJfjWnL-D4AJnH1bBoDqCOa4Kx_t20ar4U20uY_dKNAcuP7tNu3Xq_GSAoJcshPgGlFm1zSV4RC9uj2w7D6ITanJThKuuV8o4LEt5rfXlePNbIdnxT9ede1edM7VYUH5EqkGJLQ0/s1600/DSCF4735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi5tQJfjWnL-D4AJnH1bBoDqCOa4Kx_t20ar4U20uY_dKNAcuP7tNu3Xq_GSAoJcshPgGlFm1zSV4RC9uj2w7D6ITanJThKuuV8o4LEt5rfXlePNbIdnxT9ede1edM7VYUH5EqkGJLQ0/s640/DSCF4735.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjois-2vzjtpkA8veK4u-ho4qppSfRFyn_roGMQYNnGElnttEwx7FNfG7Xmccu-mb60-We6s_iolrRY4ztUSmFE9wNjayJFcngtNTXHRnbyXzXCKk5Ajh2CzdidISxWLUwitLbA5OT5uE4/s1600/DSCF4736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjois-2vzjtpkA8veK4u-ho4qppSfRFyn_roGMQYNnGElnttEwx7FNfG7Xmccu-mb60-We6s_iolrRY4ztUSmFE9wNjayJFcngtNTXHRnbyXzXCKk5Ajh2CzdidISxWLUwitLbA5OT5uE4/s640/DSCF4736.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZTDUjoxwihbh0z31xOZx7Q7B7PvPS0qFqkFPN9iPmGkrTvujeZsYQCmABHh1LfyknMgWOoXGyPLhmMWuL6MSqfSRYhEitdZg5SiWZqjDRGLDMoEd9HORETeDlZrDwLUkxYIycnDOwJo/s1600/DSCF4739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZTDUjoxwihbh0z31xOZx7Q7B7PvPS0qFqkFPN9iPmGkrTvujeZsYQCmABHh1LfyknMgWOoXGyPLhmMWuL6MSqfSRYhEitdZg5SiWZqjDRGLDMoEd9HORETeDlZrDwLUkxYIycnDOwJo/s640/DSCF4739.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLNtpDLba1bgUTKgTLgl2F3WIPy5z-iltlVwez2wyrr-9D6_pZFr1oHgq3NmirjATNqTATKgvuEqBlm6JQxChwKzwKP9pu9OJ5J7AAvvn6S2TX0lOAmwLDWioS3GrwJSpDDdh9q2kuo/s1600/DSCF4740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLNtpDLba1bgUTKgTLgl2F3WIPy5z-iltlVwez2wyrr-9D6_pZFr1oHgq3NmirjATNqTATKgvuEqBlm6JQxChwKzwKP9pu9OJ5J7AAvvn6S2TX0lOAmwLDWioS3GrwJSpDDdh9q2kuo/s640/DSCF4740.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA64pPoJIQpMsIh_yuyCzom18L2V9eJi5kp756GUW5XgrEntfLud42WNbjanhAUfrhkXHWeobrqLR6Pxm3h1-tQDMj6P5l3aJbyz_LmkBK_Id9BMFJ5G55cMGo3huX5-YLi-9KPu5kwI/s1600/DSCF4741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA64pPoJIQpMsIh_yuyCzom18L2V9eJi5kp756GUW5XgrEntfLud42WNbjanhAUfrhkXHWeobrqLR6Pxm3h1-tQDMj6P5l3aJbyz_LmkBK_Id9BMFJ5G55cMGo3huX5-YLi-9KPu5kwI/s640/DSCF4741.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKNEzah8ckur8YPtA12xWU5X-FfUO2Y-rrLYRuoDuz5CojCRm0nGCysQNaq_vgLetU8yZWvM28D2Q2skEuLb3ukgyzf6l2_yAVDxxUIZdb_xIpaZsbZcAy9BE4DOJGLEm-FgQkp6oHvk/s1600/DSCF4742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKNEzah8ckur8YPtA12xWU5X-FfUO2Y-rrLYRuoDuz5CojCRm0nGCysQNaq_vgLetU8yZWvM28D2Q2skEuLb3ukgyzf6l2_yAVDxxUIZdb_xIpaZsbZcAy9BE4DOJGLEm-FgQkp6oHvk/s640/DSCF4742.JPG" /></a></div><br />
At the end of the day we had the high school pep rally. It was fun, too, but much more rowdy. I need to remember to bring earplugs next time. Once again the band played, the flags did a routine, the cheerleaders did a fun routine that included having some of the boys dance with them. There were silly, rigged contests where the seniors won (of course, they always win, that is why it is rigged.) And the kids were so good. <br />
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That afternoon there was a BBQ, a Powder Puff (Junior Girls vs Senior Girls Football game), a soccer match, face painting, car decorating, etc. and the Homecoming game. We won 44 to 0. This is the second year that we won, after a 12 year loosing homecoming game streak. It was exciting!<br />
<br />
Saturday night we had the Homecoming dance. The kids were lovely, fun and pretty well behaved. They loved doing the line dances. The music as a mix of popular dance music and Mexican line dance music. Many of our Mexican kids going dancing every week, and so most of those kids know the moves to the dances. It was pretty cool to watch. Even the principal danced along. I tried to take a few photos, but it was too dark to see much.<br />
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<b>APPLE CINNAMON PORK CHOPS</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/apple-cinnamon-pork-chops/?crlt.pid=camp.qgX2HOr7qdpz&crlt.pid=camp.hrfTzmmtPPrW">Gimme Some Oven</a><br />
Thick, juicy pork chops are topped with a creamy, sweet, cinnamon-y apple and onion topping. It's comfort food at its best!<br />
<br />
PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 20 MINS TOTAL: 25 MINS<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
<br />
4 Ribeye (rib) pork chops, bone-in, about 3/4-inch thick<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
3 tablespoons butter, divided<br />
2 apples, peeled (optional), cored and thinly sliced<br />
1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced<br />
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
Pinch ground cayenne pepper<br />
2/3 cup apple cider<br />
1/3 cup heavy cream<br />
DIRECTIONS:<br />
<br />
Generously season the chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Immediately add the pork chops and cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Let chops rest for 3 minutes.<br />
<br />
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Immediately add the apples and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and cayenne. Stir in the apple cider and cream. Add the pork chops, nestling them into the liquid, and cook until the internal temperature of the pork reaches between 145 degrees F. (medium rare), with a 3-minute rest, and 160 degrees F. (medium), 3 to 4 minutes per side.<br />
<br />
Serve the chops with the apple mixture spooned on top.<br />
<br />
The author of this recipe submitted it to <a href="http://www.porkbeinspired.com/2013/11/hot-off-the-press-cooking-for-comfort/">Cooking Comfort - E-cookbook, put out by the Pork Counsel</a>.<br />
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<br />
<b>BAKED EGGS WITH BACON AND SPINACH</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-eggs-with-bacon-and-spinach-360549">Epicuruous </a>(from Bon Appetit Mag.)<br />
<br />
6 slices applewood-smoked bacon<br />
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach<br />
2 whole wheat or sourdough English muffins, split horizontally, well toasted<br />
4 large eggs<br />
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream<br />
Special equipment: 4 1-cup ramekins<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels. Pour off drippings from skillet; reserve drippings. Add spinach to pan, sprinkle with pepper, and toss over medium heat, 1 minute. Transfer to strainer set over bowl to drain. Brush four 1-cup ramekins with drippings. Crumble bacon.<br />
<br />
Place 1 toasted English muffin half, split side up, in each ramekin. Divide spinach among ramekins, then sprinkle bacon over, dividing equally. With back of spoon, shape well in center of each ramekin. Gently crack 1 egg into well in each ramekin, keeping yolk intact. Drizzle 1 tablespoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Bake eggs until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 14 to 16 minutes.<br />
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<b><br />
Zucchini Bread</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/6698/moms-zucchini-bread/?internalSource=hn_carousel%2001_Mom%27s%20Zucchini%20Bread&referringId=348&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&referringPosition=carousel%2001"> Allrecipes.com<br />
</a><br />
3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
3 eggs<br />
<br />
1 cup vegetable oil (or 12/ cup Veg. Oil & 1/2 cup Applesauce)<br />
2 1/4 cups white sugar ( i used 1/2 cup Brown Sugar and 1/2 cup White Sugar as we like our muffins less sweet than the recipes calls for)<br />
3 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 cups grated zucchini<br />
1 cup chopped walnuts<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).<br />
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.<br />
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.<br />
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-70557846070175143322015-09-23T20:14:00.001-06:002015-09-23T20:14:14.089-06:00Happy First Day of FallI find creative inspiration in many places; most recently I was inspired by the new fall cup at Starbucks. I went in to get coffee for my husband and came away with the coffee, a box of Pumpkin Spice Latte instant beverage packets, a clean, unused fall Starbucks cup and a head full of excitement. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7grKj4HYlS2IvQpR122E6Hcx7VFoUum61tm9EkW22ZabcnEe5qkYitxUGASn2ovUNc35ZH6AwrOdEeXrtSE-PBcXq1QiZ-JttX-9wOn8YNmzba7OP1NfhnBxgeMHOLhWFcSuKRUes3c/s1600/Fall+Cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7grKj4HYlS2IvQpR122E6Hcx7VFoUum61tm9EkW22ZabcnEe5qkYitxUGASn2ovUNc35ZH6AwrOdEeXrtSE-PBcXq1QiZ-JttX-9wOn8YNmzba7OP1NfhnBxgeMHOLhWFcSuKRUes3c/s640/Fall+Cups.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The arrival of fall is exciting for Ellie, and so I have marked the occasion with small surprises for many years. When the kids were younger I would set out fun fall things like crazy socks, fall scented lotions, etc. This year it was a bit more decorative and a low key. I spent some of my lunch times drawing, painting and cutting out the assorted leaves, pumpkins and branches that I made. I scattered them on the table with mini pumpkins and the packets of Pumpkin Spice Latte. I was very pleased with the way it turned out. I went to bed, excited and hopeful that it would make today a tad bit more special for the kids (or young adults, really).<br />
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Ellie decided to dye her brown. I like it. Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-52379685753406265962015-09-21T22:10:00.001-06:002015-09-21T22:10:48.644-06:00A Gondola Ride and a Hike in VailLarr and I went to Vail for the weekend for a bit of relaxation and a chance to see the aspens as they begin to turn golden. On Saturday we took Gondola 1 up the mountain, then we walked along Upper Fireweed trail to the Bahn Gondola in Lionshead. We took our time, taking plenty of photos and stopping to enjoy the sun in a meadow near the top of the mountain.<br />
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Ethan needed to get out of town and into nature. I believe that he also wanted to try out the new tent that we gave him for his birthday. It is an excellent tent. <br />
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They headed out towards and camped near Buena Vista. On the way, they caught sight of a bear. It was kind of an exciting thing for the boys. I think it worried the bear. It kept looking back to see if they were following him. He could not know that all they wanted was a few photographs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Opb7aSh-BcTH56gwXma1xbNsOxne38QvmvKOvAvdXvYl-AlKjGMHnt9ghqnjOvS6-2Psj9h2-MhjuuZW7xr6awIqOPekx-1aOjMY6_877QDtMwNRKdy-zPheaxiO3y76Hs3uPW0yOSw/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Opb7aSh-BcTH56gwXma1xbNsOxne38QvmvKOvAvdXvYl-AlKjGMHnt9ghqnjOvS6-2Psj9h2-MhjuuZW7xr6awIqOPekx-1aOjMY6_877QDtMwNRKdy-zPheaxiO3y76Hs3uPW0yOSw/s640/DSC_0019.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNJ4xJ3z_He2YiezJeETInGupoAQFTHAWE6VJ8J5xQ_A2d7tlybg_Yex6ClyvLHMaW4r5WVL8ufVntIQAfs9w-QPzxBuNSfrsFi4D92PRGDt6TTLSgQNWgPKaHL__CAZL3Ar9JBmnfB8/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNJ4xJ3z_He2YiezJeETInGupoAQFTHAWE6VJ8J5xQ_A2d7tlybg_Yex6ClyvLHMaW4r5WVL8ufVntIQAfs9w-QPzxBuNSfrsFi4D92PRGDt6TTLSgQNWgPKaHL__CAZL3Ar9JBmnfB8/s640/DSC_0027.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivitf4voyET8yYlJWrbUrqx7HzA2pg6U5tG8ZN_h1Gcoa5AbphZy-uZpHD21xsrL4OAf7oFyZ2TuujuJMuGNDII0RcVqGaJbPT3fsdJr5RDL-vJYfcCFV2cTlwnVmeM7p0Ejy-LQS8HNY/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivitf4voyET8yYlJWrbUrqx7HzA2pg6U5tG8ZN_h1Gcoa5AbphZy-uZpHD21xsrL4OAf7oFyZ2TuujuJMuGNDII0RcVqGaJbPT3fsdJr5RDL-vJYfcCFV2cTlwnVmeM7p0Ejy-LQS8HNY/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6z3MrBRMWCz35dpHzUKebLw78LImY4GTa6QolBOLHMCZ7qhSUsnGl5eXorWfRDHdsxZsNroSDfi3FYPLnLuiWmggcJ9jX99-vPp5DKI3-gWCuXSCAET-SjqORy5csjkApwXHLjYCZMc/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6z3MrBRMWCz35dpHzUKebLw78LImY4GTa6QolBOLHMCZ7qhSUsnGl5eXorWfRDHdsxZsNroSDfi3FYPLnLuiWmggcJ9jX99-vPp5DKI3-gWCuXSCAET-SjqORy5csjkApwXHLjYCZMc/s640/DSC_0032.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHCGHNd2TwT4gt1waYpDY3_-Zo-zeBRn9jL0m7BeqoGMOT1kk_KySTcTLByV78z_J6V4lmYBMuZI1nJmT7PRhwAZ4Tx2wRFlrlL78mvRdElJVlfPcCQY9Z0VGb9Fcc05Zk2_cVqy_0lA/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHCGHNd2TwT4gt1waYpDY3_-Zo-zeBRn9jL0m7BeqoGMOT1kk_KySTcTLByV78z_J6V4lmYBMuZI1nJmT7PRhwAZ4Tx2wRFlrlL78mvRdElJVlfPcCQY9Z0VGb9Fcc05Zk2_cVqy_0lA/s640/DSC_0036.JPG" /></a></div><br />
We went to Buena Vista every summer when the kids were racing bikes. We also went just as a get-away as some friends own a tiny house in town. Coming round the bend on the north side of South Park (the very same that the cartoon is based on) is always a treat. It has so many connections with fun times with the family. I think it might be the same for Ethan. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw6OuD98u5_RbCkLUxoAvszDGMQ3n6fP6uEVwbehQb0BvfirSAqj-9UXl5enHJ0vu4MBDQ-ltdSgfWr15jRqM3hOXRxkTy9o2FB_C-cBPFD6MnuDt-P90UPEBhnix2ZBBg3f-zK6Wmw0/s1600/DSC_0065mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw6OuD98u5_RbCkLUxoAvszDGMQ3n6fP6uEVwbehQb0BvfirSAqj-9UXl5enHJ0vu4MBDQ-ltdSgfWr15jRqM3hOXRxkTy9o2FB_C-cBPFD6MnuDt-P90UPEBhnix2ZBBg3f-zK6Wmw0/s640/DSC_0065mod.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0aRjO_Mo5V6f23PqT5-dfs9IjzsW2Exbf7bi9q7aygvQmSs5h5rwHcgNTrLjDGsU48pUkXckWUqOvwWCZlwSxqgm69A2NCGMrPyFyY8CagtmB3YWIFYQD1fUG3ZPP27NhcfBNqo_WJQ/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0aRjO_Mo5V6f23PqT5-dfs9IjzsW2Exbf7bi9q7aygvQmSs5h5rwHcgNTrLjDGsU48pUkXckWUqOvwWCZlwSxqgm69A2NCGMrPyFyY8CagtmB3YWIFYQD1fUG3ZPP27NhcfBNqo_WJQ/s640/DSC_0076.JPG" /></a></div>On another day they went four wheeling and encountered an odd, troubling sight. They found that some folks from Kansas were trying to go over the trail in their minivan. We're talking about a 4-wheel drive trail. Other 4-wheelers simply waved at the family as they trundled past. The family had purchased a map from town that said it was a good road. Ethan's Delorme Atlas showed it as a trail, a 4 wheeling trail. It was clear that they were in trouble and scared so Ethan and Brandon helped them out, alternately giving them instructions on how to drive over the rock gardens and sand pits. Other time Ethan drove the van for them. <br />
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When the boys encountered the family, they were praying because they thought they were going to die.The parents both in their late 70's and overweight. Their adult son was about 35 and has mental challenges. What they thought would be a nice drive turned into much more than they had bargained for. They were also not prepared for the day as they did not have the right clothes or enough water. Before the boys rescued them, they had considered abandoning the van and walking down the mountain. There was a point where they all got out of the van to walk a part of the trail while Ethan drove through the rock garden. After the 15 minutes of walking, they were tired and done. At that point in the day, the family was about 30 miles out of town. There was no way that they could have walked out. <br />
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It took a while and the van suffered some damage. The woman, white knuckled, learned to not stop when driving in a sand pit. I would imagine that they also learned about the importance of being prepared when you go exploring in nature. <br />
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At the bottom of the mountain Ethan and Brandon intended to bid them farewell, but the family was insistent on taking them to dinner as a token of thanks. They said that they were sure God had sent Ethan and Brandon to save them. At dinner the husband leans over to Ethan and says, I want to show you something. I want you to know who you saved, and as he did that he pulled out a photograph of himself dressed as Santa. He smiled jovialy and chuckled a bit. " You see," he says with a twinkle in his eye, "you saved Santa Claus." <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxL5-OB9-qfGQMZ3HIf6DoKlD3DGBP7VLvSZhgLh9xoa-Wyi1ACxlDC2amcz2VlsfWpYqaf_kulpuc7_zG5_0y9HNhH4jjMquEDPjRWnIAKQ41K-Sut6KH863NJl9cBTc_thp1Ue1MkSw/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxL5-OB9-qfGQMZ3HIf6DoKlD3DGBP7VLvSZhgLh9xoa-Wyi1ACxlDC2amcz2VlsfWpYqaf_kulpuc7_zG5_0y9HNhH4jjMquEDPjRWnIAKQ41K-Sut6KH863NJl9cBTc_thp1Ue1MkSw/s640/DSC_0088.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBpKzXv41j1vUGWXCnd9fJy8K7r1G91yokuNaIqlnUkmHCVJJg7Tq00ObwOdA79yrL7S635EzsWhXuLasFODHwDRorDU-3oKH3XgVMNmK7Af-KSOKhMpgt-cvVmuGERE5D_lk0vZEOao/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBpKzXv41j1vUGWXCnd9fJy8K7r1G91yokuNaIqlnUkmHCVJJg7Tq00ObwOdA79yrL7S635EzsWhXuLasFODHwDRorDU-3oKH3XgVMNmK7Af-KSOKhMpgt-cvVmuGERE5D_lk0vZEOao/s640/DSC_0106.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZ1mWFMFPnpMYtSqNTlVpRVRtMqKIkiBqV519Lny5N4Qy2AnvZXLjlE4DJezBs1oh-t109ocTpj_lmcgAS7BUtuGvHYyV2MAOCrOgY3U7fJ3JtNXZXKYS5qFArCkWveKt7hSplXV0K1Y/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZ1mWFMFPnpMYtSqNTlVpRVRtMqKIkiBqV519Lny5N4Qy2AnvZXLjlE4DJezBs1oh-t109ocTpj_lmcgAS7BUtuGvHYyV2MAOCrOgY3U7fJ3JtNXZXKYS5qFArCkWveKt7hSplXV0K1Y/s640/DSC_0121.JPG" /></a></div>Later that night the boys relaxed around the camp fire. Ethan tried his hand at star photography. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4X7VevxVFvGmafXQra4KxiwLSwlLithOqbLwE3ZjLzKvuechkLiY3odBLR8dV04dahpTfTqeEtKNXsLAaOFGa-FY3RmrKle6noMIkS4tbiCkiXLXjg9eacfCKJkpzrKPWJT1j9HjXRU/s1600/DSC_0136modjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4X7VevxVFvGmafXQra4KxiwLSwlLithOqbLwE3ZjLzKvuechkLiY3odBLR8dV04dahpTfTqeEtKNXsLAaOFGa-FY3RmrKle6noMIkS4tbiCkiXLXjg9eacfCKJkpzrKPWJT1j9HjXRU/s640/DSC_0136modjpg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W3ddAZEOIRxav5BSgGv6RYSotOEVYmLN3eztrrEuQ31XKBj5Mam1FhnzA-qGVf2rBMaVxCdmNmOE4S8_ZiM9GQzjx6PgdQ_B8mIH_laC9_PnmNN9fsu0xmCfULg6Jbm_5iL0uaz0xD8/s1600/DSC_0139mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W3ddAZEOIRxav5BSgGv6RYSotOEVYmLN3eztrrEuQ31XKBj5Mam1FhnzA-qGVf2rBMaVxCdmNmOE4S8_ZiM9GQzjx6PgdQ_B8mIH_laC9_PnmNN9fsu0xmCfULg6Jbm_5iL0uaz0xD8/s640/DSC_0139mod.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwfrD1O-_3CBvcfjUlrhhRgC98706o7Pok_dRwH7SvyqjKbdBeOd9p2kFdBVf82mV05I6ZK2lnEizt8HqDAhPvK0quTUpjLWB9x-erH17NG2EH7TxjTKZh6LCwYDVgAlaLGngdbwmlf4/s1600/DSC_0156mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwfrD1O-_3CBvcfjUlrhhRgC98706o7Pok_dRwH7SvyqjKbdBeOd9p2kFdBVf82mV05I6ZK2lnEizt8HqDAhPvK0quTUpjLWB9x-erH17NG2EH7TxjTKZh6LCwYDVgAlaLGngdbwmlf4/s640/DSC_0156mod.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iHoEfXNgkvUgcuSw66h3EXYiky2yLq498sL2T9I7KdpKQJ_7B8nJWQ9xblVUbzxooDURPhWJq6Dvg0R1r83knwnJOXZTje0mzszU4rLv0kkhcwCJeYqMoi_As4osX7XIvXo_pE6RvMU/s1600/DSC_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iHoEfXNgkvUgcuSw66h3EXYiky2yLq498sL2T9I7KdpKQJ_7B8nJWQ9xblVUbzxooDURPhWJq6Dvg0R1r83knwnJOXZTje0mzszU4rLv0kkhcwCJeYqMoi_As4osX7XIvXo_pE6RvMU/s640/DSC_0158.JPG" /></a></div>By the time they returned home, I think the boys felt satisfied with their trip. I am sure that they would have been happy to have camped for a longer time, but at least they were able to get away for a short while and try out the new tent, which is a good one. <br />
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It is still hot here, but we have a bounty of vegetables from our friends, so I decided to make a lovely Italian Sausage and Tortellini soup and garlic bread for dinner. I will stop on my way home and pick up some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese to put on top of it. <br />
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<b>Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-italian-sausage-and-tortellini-soup-223635">The Kitchn<br />
</a><br />
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Serves 2 for dinner plus leftovers<br />
Neutral cooking oil, such as canola<br />
1 pound bulk hot or mild Italian sausage<br />
1 small yellow onion, chopped<br />
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced<br />
1/2 cup dry red wine (or substitute chicken stock)<br />
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano<br />
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock<br />
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon brown sugar<br />
Parmesan rind (or a small hunk of cheese), optional<br />
1 (9- or 12-ounce package) fresh or frozen tortellini (see Recipe Notes)<br />
2 cups roughly chopped spinach<br />
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste<br />
Shaved Parmesan and extra-virgin olive oil, for serving<br />
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Drizzle a tablespoon or two of oil into a large Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat until shimmery and sizzling hot. Add the Italian sausage (do not break it up yet) and sear until golden-brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Once the sausage is lightly browned on both sides, start aggressively breaking it up with wooden spoon. (The goal is to get some delicious caramelization in the bottom of the pan as opposed to just steaming the ground meat in its own liquids.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to another bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.<br />
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 15 to 20 seconds, just until you start to smell its aroma. Add the red wine and increase the temperature to high. Allow the liquid to cook out at a raucous boil, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release any delicious brown bits as it bubbles.<br />
Add the canned tomatoes and juices to the pot. Then use kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add the chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Parmesan rind. Season with kosher salt — start with about a 1/4 teaspoon — and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the tortellini. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tortellini is warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes.<br />
Add the spinach to the pot and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Remove Parmesan rind if used.) Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and a dusting of shaved Parmesan.<br />
<br />
For an easy side, use any leftover spinach to make a salad with your favorite vinaigrette, and add some frozen garlic bread if desired. Leftovers keep getting better; reheat with additional chicken stock or water, as needed.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-21711252612523081182015-09-14T06:50:00.000-06:002015-09-14T06:50:45.904-06:00Celebrating Ethan's and Kohlton's BirthdaysLast night we celebrated Ethan's 22nd and Kohlton's 19th birthdays. It was a fun party. We made good food, spruced up the yard with our outdoor party decorations and invited fun people to our party. Everyone bought more food and/or drinks to share. It was casual, silly and wonderful. I was visiting and relaxing a bit, so I did not get many photos. Most of the ones I took did not turn out; Larr took the good photos. Thanks goodness for him.<br />
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I also made a few modifications to the carnitas recipe. I will make those changes to the recipe I posted yesterday some time soon.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-29554762134427035142015-09-12T08:39:00.001-06:002015-09-12T08:39:47.251-06:00Launch and Radar + Recipes for Carnitas, Green Chili, Refried Beans and Bacon Wrapped Crispy CrackersLast weekend Larr and Ethan went to a very special warehouse sale. The owner had amassed military equipment from long gone war era. The place flooded in the 1960's and the stuff in the warehouse still wear the grime and a bloom of rust from that event. The man hosted one last sale and is closing up shop. Larr and Ethan purchase launch and radar controls that were likely Korean War and from World War II. They consider them to be treasures. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo5kYU39e8smpxwisBn7XVTqOslS9wFtJj37abrguMjqI8TYcxOqkIdllt9AvX-_YbxCbHf0hWN7r7D0EiPbfEjehyphenhyphenRpMoNwAPvgWWmcwS7uCwABlBB9o_bGJfuNotfhBxQMKy8ItMkw/s1600/DSC_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo5kYU39e8smpxwisBn7XVTqOslS9wFtJj37abrguMjqI8TYcxOqkIdllt9AvX-_YbxCbHf0hWN7r7D0EiPbfEjehyphenhyphenRpMoNwAPvgWWmcwS7uCwABlBB9o_bGJfuNotfhBxQMKy8ItMkw/s640/DSC_0229.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIbOzIHDkorhSH1ZpzbuV4kEmpkMX43_bnxkP1K_N9AXrnhRDCEEI_YsnlEVkfM2oJkPnUWMuO96f59vOtU4srsI-Ekh4y8FnLkqBp_JpBhZpRyLzs32H8AV1G5uQ4N2L2h-NDX1EYk8/s1600/DSC_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIbOzIHDkorhSH1ZpzbuV4kEmpkMX43_bnxkP1K_N9AXrnhRDCEEI_YsnlEVkfM2oJkPnUWMuO96f59vOtU4srsI-Ekh4y8FnLkqBp_JpBhZpRyLzs32H8AV1G5uQ4N2L2h-NDX1EYk8/s640/DSC_0231.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mdr4HxPVXbT45KjsLbKsHuNB7gRSv2tS5LDlrHlStX0CcTIkNlk90oCiJHUvgMGtOWle0sfNQIyMjS-EdhzQqMIEf1D9-JFz2_3vsKg8gpJ67MPyurmvSKknP7022BcAaOQzwGyjBZw/s1600/DSC_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mdr4HxPVXbT45KjsLbKsHuNB7gRSv2tS5LDlrHlStX0CcTIkNlk90oCiJHUvgMGtOWle0sfNQIyMjS-EdhzQqMIEf1D9-JFz2_3vsKg8gpJ67MPyurmvSKknP7022BcAaOQzwGyjBZw/s640/DSC_0240.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-5w1rVMZCE78YpTSpQxdZ5Dq7_HyLLCNxVm9FeC5ZtEpcQPCU1HC74CLuSp5lQ4coznj9CQyrgXahlxLuV_P3cty6SA-NQMfiRQJ7nGzsQ1Sx5S-nMk7ND3Do-N8xH6QKk20Qa1_Yf4/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-5w1rVMZCE78YpTSpQxdZ5Dq7_HyLLCNxVm9FeC5ZtEpcQPCU1HC74CLuSp5lQ4coznj9CQyrgXahlxLuV_P3cty6SA-NQMfiRQJ7nGzsQ1Sx5S-nMk7ND3Do-N8xH6QKk20Qa1_Yf4/s640/DSC_0244.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFqOHOovq-dESHbc7Y1Lv709C-QvprhnTeJh2knvkzBdUg4stl4sjbbBOe793jZAXsFsaahQ9saVuu38hMKhcVATFo2LmV-sEn7l9NxL7F8IKRw48vwTHMa8Pconiwb4ASD_ZfkGPgBI/s1600/DSC_0248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFqOHOovq-dESHbc7Y1Lv709C-QvprhnTeJh2knvkzBdUg4stl4sjbbBOe793jZAXsFsaahQ9saVuu38hMKhcVATFo2LmV-sEn7l9NxL7F8IKRw48vwTHMa8Pconiwb4ASD_ZfkGPgBI/s640/DSC_0248.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVA08W74J3PTeNA_8JniH1lXxyLoD1kqjn8vdFsTu6a-zuWESp6j75d70J6g-JLyM_9gUx41uqPYsKm-Ooecg8oDh9IJ2LsYXJNT3XZ9x42Mz_eoxnoVQt6Do_9aZMT1sQA2yLqLDxxA/s1600/DSC_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVA08W74J3PTeNA_8JniH1lXxyLoD1kqjn8vdFsTu6a-zuWESp6j75d70J6g-JLyM_9gUx41uqPYsKm-Ooecg8oDh9IJ2LsYXJNT3XZ9x42Mz_eoxnoVQt6Do_9aZMT1sQA2yLqLDxxA/s640/DSC_0250.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I spent my time working on the paper boat and cutting up some of Grandpa Don's shirts that I am going to use to make a quilt. We are working to find ways to keep Grandpa Don with us and this is one way. I hope it will look good when I am done. It is very different from my usual style.<br />
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Tonight we are hosting a double birthday party for Ethan and Kohlton. I was originally going to serve grilled pizza and spicy meatballs, but those fell through. <br />
<br />
The grilled pizza is good, but a bit too fussy and needy to be a good party food for a large group of people. We were going to have the meatballs for dinner one night. I made the meatballs and sauce. They smelled WONDERFUL! The next morning I put them in the crock pot to cook while I was at work. When I got home I found that I had not actually turned them on. It was a big bummer. I was looking forward to tasting them. However, I did not have time to make more, so we are switching gears. <br />
<br />
I did not want to repeat any of the usual backyard party food that we have had before. After talking with some of my co-workers, we came up with what the students and I think are a good set of dishes. My Mexican students assure me that this will be wonderful and awesome. Craig Pena dictated the recipes from memory and Delia helped me with quantities. I started the carnitas last night. I also made brownies. I have beans cooking I write this. Once done, I will begin the green chili and the traditional birthday pies.<br />
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<br />
<b>Carnitas</b><br />
<br />
1 large (4-6 pound) Pork butte/should/blade<br />
2 tea Kosher Salt<br />
2 tea Chili Flakes<br />
<br />
Combine the salt and chili flakes. Rub this onto the pork.<br />
<br />
Wrap the pork in 5 layers of foil. Place this in a slow cooker. Add about 2" of water to the slow cooker. <br />
<br />
Let cook for 8 - 10 hours on low. <br />
<br />
Consider saving the broth in the slow cooker to use in the green chili.<br />
<br />
Open very carefully, taking care to not get a steam burn or foil bits in your meat. <br />
<br />
Place the meat in a bowl and shred it using two forks. <br />
<br />
Heat a small bit of oil in a skillet. Place the shredded pork in the pan. It will form a thick (about 2") pancake. Crisp it on both sides before serving it. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<b>Green Chili</b><br />
<br />
4# Pork Loin, diced<br />
1 1/2 tea Salt<br />
3/4 tea Pepper<br />
1 tea Cumin<br />
1 tea Garlic Powder<br />
1 tea Onion Powder<br />
3-4 cups Roasted Green Chili, chopped<br />
Chicken Broth (or broth from the Carnitas)<br />
3/4 cup cold Water<br />
1 cup flour<br />
<br />
Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder to make the seasoning. Season the diced pork with the seasoning mix.<br />
<br />
Sear the seasoned pork in a hot skillet with a small bit of olive oil. <br />
<br />
Place this in a pressure cooker that has a metal rack in the bottom to keep the meat from touching the bottom of the pan. Add in the green chilis and enough broth to almost cover the meat.<br />
<br />
Cook under pressure for about 20 minutes. Open carefully. The chili will be watery. <br />
<br />
Place about 3/4 cup of cold water and 1 cup of flour in a mason jar. Seal and shake to combine. Add to the hot chili, stir to thicken over medium heat. <br />
<br />
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<br />
Refried Beans<br />
<br />
1-2# (2-4 cups) Pinto Beans, dried, rinsed, picked through to get rid of ugly beans, rocks, etc.<br />
Water (1 part beans, 3 parts water)<br />
1 TBL Olive Oil<br />
1 TBL Garlic, Minced<br />
1/3 cup Olive Oil<br />
1/3 cup Flour<br />
<br />
Place your prepared beans, olive oil and garlic in the pressure cooker. Add cold water (about 6 cups per pounds of beans) to the pan. Cook on low pressure for about 45 minutes.<br />
<br />
Open safely and test the beans by running a wooden spoon around the inside of the pan and tasting the beans to see if they are crunchy. If so, add more water and cook the beans more.<br />
<br />
In a pan, make a roux by heating the olive oil. Add in the flour and heat, stirring often, until it is a nice almond color. Add this to the beans. Heat the beans to a boil, if needed. Transfer this to a slow cooker and let them cook for at least 2 more hours on low heat. Mash the beans before serving them. <br />
<br />
<br />
1 – 4 tablespoons of oil and 1 – 3 teaspoons of salt per 2 cups, 1 pound, of dry beans. After extensive testing, Presto recommends 4 T. oil, 3 teaspoons salt for best results. - See more at: http://beaninstitute.com/beans-101/pressure-cooker-tips/#sthash.e5jZGdX1.dpuf<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Bacon & Brown Sugar Crackers</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="www.plainchicken.com/2014/09/bacon-brown-sugar-crackers-football.html#FrDVzhg9b37M4IGo.99">Plain Chicken </a><br />
24 crackers<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 250. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top. <br />
<br />
Wrap each cracker in a piece of bacon and place it on the rack. Sprinkle with brown sugar<br />
<br />
Bake for 2 hours or until bacon is crispy.<br />
<br />
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Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-4509736455268193082015-09-08T19:51:00.000-06:002015-09-08T19:51:19.034-06:00Light and Shadows - a Day at the Denver Botanic Gardens + Lettuce Wraps, Pork Chops with Wine & Garlic, Crock Pot Meatball Sliders with Peach Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Grilled Pizza and Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls RecipesThis past weekend was really lovely. We had a special family dinner to celebrate Ethan's birthday. I worked on the large paper ship I am making, I hung out with the family and I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens. That was probably the most fun thing we did. <br />
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We kicked off the weekend with a casual, fun family dinner in honor of Ethan's birthday. My mom joined in the fun. She bought presents for Ethan and Kohlton. She gave Kohlton a bag of assorted toys which were immediately put into loud and silly use. We closed up the evening with time around the fire. We have been able to do that nearly every night for a while. I love it. <br />
<br />
I spent time putting the sails and rigging on the boat. I will share that later.<br />
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On Monday Larr, Ethan and myself went to the Denver Botanic Gardens. I wanted Ethan to see the new succulent and cacti greenhouses. I also wanted to practice photography. Sunlight through leaves and shadows caught my attention and became the thread that united many of my photographs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIbl4ZQCv-tSrc2n8bZHhEKsMyV_QWtOS-L26Pq_a7aRiiDVo1lXDZSQgrYnPHtb5t8O_4oPFUNjtZJ1mK9rk__H37HraMX3XY73rM-l1zFs9_ewq02tER7ds_oIidHaYdzG6UXgHvbI/s1600/DSC_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIbl4ZQCv-tSrc2n8bZHhEKsMyV_QWtOS-L26Pq_a7aRiiDVo1lXDZSQgrYnPHtb5t8O_4oPFUNjtZJ1mK9rk__H37HraMX3XY73rM-l1zFs9_ewq02tER7ds_oIidHaYdzG6UXgHvbI/s640/DSC_0253.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_XFUenGg0UqVZr5c2IyC_9RVv7q9nIgsE2YWf_ZWZ-HPS9p_vl-qHrA-_SEFHTqswm4KhRiho8GGwpfK91z4Y0I8GSSApjHsgfajjbWboEr8GlVfodmAekBff0fNsFFqJzS0qEhketE/s1600/DSC_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_XFUenGg0UqVZr5c2IyC_9RVv7q9nIgsE2YWf_ZWZ-HPS9p_vl-qHrA-_SEFHTqswm4KhRiho8GGwpfK91z4Y0I8GSSApjHsgfajjbWboEr8GlVfodmAekBff0fNsFFqJzS0qEhketE/s640/DSC_0256.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnMF6gMmEGdT9Hn2kdP8IcRMSQ6_KUbDQkLa4TuXdFhkhBJphQxUQee02ishYIdkZClsOT0V2klYc0ygCoYsqBnpW9m2ChhGnXJYwrt2g9m-0vYcw7i24GmtK6N66_BJu5GGYRvoZQuU/s1600/DSC_0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnMF6gMmEGdT9Hn2kdP8IcRMSQ6_KUbDQkLa4TuXdFhkhBJphQxUQee02ishYIdkZClsOT0V2klYc0ygCoYsqBnpW9m2ChhGnXJYwrt2g9m-0vYcw7i24GmtK6N66_BJu5GGYRvoZQuU/s640/DSC_0257.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc4g-S1CdRKxV6VEZlNV_nd3fTYq8gI7VjYPsWw18jNkp0PSOSG6z39ZnLqqfCqJzBMbHxLQm0Eep8r6c7_ZeguxaT1-U84N0wqZEWBihE0A5YgRxMmrXdFi4Z3mSBe2qdOLlA0OrEc4/s1600/DSC_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc4g-S1CdRKxV6VEZlNV_nd3fTYq8gI7VjYPsWw18jNkp0PSOSG6z39ZnLqqfCqJzBMbHxLQm0Eep8r6c7_ZeguxaT1-U84N0wqZEWBihE0A5YgRxMmrXdFi4Z3mSBe2qdOLlA0OrEc4/s640/DSC_0269.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQu0YEZlCjW9NP2IZ_sjlYl_mtipjOlEY4SABXyrVmKHRsjg6m5L5BnQmVzWCINM4hf_c7aFK0AtVaO2VjggDu_7lJLiz9EbRiTzjpxWQff9VG0ywdz3R8_8T-6NMkpdjGIQIF0hz1Nw/s1600/DSC_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQu0YEZlCjW9NP2IZ_sjlYl_mtipjOlEY4SABXyrVmKHRsjg6m5L5BnQmVzWCINM4hf_c7aFK0AtVaO2VjggDu_7lJLiz9EbRiTzjpxWQff9VG0ywdz3R8_8T-6NMkpdjGIQIF0hz1Nw/s640/DSC_0299.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1HYPNfXWOeJN6zVKqSE-JHfHFMJ7hFgZam3-0CqtfjRTjMnkzm7_g5wUFYEE0Iw8wsfgvSbmi1GUBKztdyHJp6RxFVNx5gcVhblbH4_jlM4sHtiEg1dkMuMcza3iDcA9-L50G9x4yhQ/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1HYPNfXWOeJN6zVKqSE-JHfHFMJ7hFgZam3-0CqtfjRTjMnkzm7_g5wUFYEE0Iw8wsfgvSbmi1GUBKztdyHJp6RxFVNx5gcVhblbH4_jlM4sHtiEg1dkMuMcza3iDcA9-L50G9x4yhQ/s640/DSC_0300.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDQXxBf6dUPJk68hvkRDlAa9JdDhK8dMTSEikpjeg0hyJfD9O9H8sgHphldet-IAa00oTy7PlG0f_Y7eJIQoTLPDIhVlNXa7X6C5CvmF58vw2qePlruCLTucn-CStK4Uq1tzK3fT3md8/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDQXxBf6dUPJk68hvkRDlAa9JdDhK8dMTSEikpjeg0hyJfD9O9H8sgHphldet-IAa00oTy7PlG0f_Y7eJIQoTLPDIhVlNXa7X6C5CvmF58vw2qePlruCLTucn-CStK4Uq1tzK3fT3md8/s640/DSC_0302.JPG" /></a></div>The Gardens added some new greenhouses filled with succulents, cacti, etc. that I wanted Ethan to see. I had hoped that we could go inside, but that was not an option. He enjoyed looking in through the glass just the same. It made him especially happy when he saw plants in their greenhouse that he has at home.<br />
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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FonqS4WwL_2T0FooFjpv76ZjTZZrl3m7xcZ1L0ZwlqO2fJq8_js1dK34PO_R6d1d8M60HRX6nuTPKyot6lOccyvMYl-bLlZiElxvekyTm1nEGZaywuO5wEKLzS9EOYJyxLUb8UXhFn0/s1600/DSC_0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FonqS4WwL_2T0FooFjpv76ZjTZZrl3m7xcZ1L0ZwlqO2fJq8_js1dK34PO_R6d1d8M60HRX6nuTPKyot6lOccyvMYl-bLlZiElxvekyTm1nEGZaywuO5wEKLzS9EOYJyxLUb8UXhFn0/s640/DSC_0416.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It was so much fun to go to the Gardens with Ethan again. We used to go often when the kids were little. It had been long enough that Ethan was seeing it with new eyes. It was really fun and interesting to see how he still is drawn to and loves the same parts of the garden as those that attracted him when he was little. I loved seeing his enthusiasm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELflmCScsWrJfYBi4VabJi3WOYgCoT8fe-aO8NdH4X8l7lEaniq437niST8K0C-gzfyKHdtiRZsWE_Ix93ejOg-qKzrFu-DilJFaVlij8Dpc5m0_CR9K9NONNKgfY8v5wlPB834osLbY/s1600/DSC_0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELflmCScsWrJfYBi4VabJi3WOYgCoT8fe-aO8NdH4X8l7lEaniq437niST8K0C-gzfyKHdtiRZsWE_Ix93ejOg-qKzrFu-DilJFaVlij8Dpc5m0_CR9K9NONNKgfY8v5wlPB834osLbY/s640/DSC_0365.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkTtWbmbsN0Bq_L8WiiMp7V9yZwv_wANsnAXKOHjI-k6hoJe-x0w_Ua-UvvuoS-SfXzL3Zby8p2o-h6h91M_CgijdMC8vFaBW5HFSxo0P_sgn2BIVbpZDQYq6tZgyYzmjgua8kwt3NiI/s1600/DSC_0366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkTtWbmbsN0Bq_L8WiiMp7V9yZwv_wANsnAXKOHjI-k6hoJe-x0w_Ua-UvvuoS-SfXzL3Zby8p2o-h6h91M_CgijdMC8vFaBW5HFSxo0P_sgn2BIVbpZDQYq6tZgyYzmjgua8kwt3NiI/s640/DSC_0366.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKQNmdj4vdiuyAA2F7UdxRdTzoFkJMOc_NmqeXLYs09QtqkvH4umrBy0Mk-sgG-ojemXQkUIoc7MO9xWeku9eW8YYmVTRNPQHA3LErDw-XARl1VmoJXAhYdJQi1NtrjEEpWLZdmjmAzs/s1600/DSC_0367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKQNmdj4vdiuyAA2F7UdxRdTzoFkJMOc_NmqeXLYs09QtqkvH4umrBy0Mk-sgG-ojemXQkUIoc7MO9xWeku9eW8YYmVTRNPQHA3LErDw-XARl1VmoJXAhYdJQi1NtrjEEpWLZdmjmAzs/s640/DSC_0367.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtxB23cy-aNtf-nrIhw9dib1bW0hAiTAE2kF9zNfRkji6wwhV_JYo_BNPMm0GzwrDEJBOBvMJaiAqyFo1A3UgUTp1XZ6sO2UAUhkvKFd4zrfoTIeDWRpyNim0AyLNHwNRsgxrJjNbPCE/s1600/DSC_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtxB23cy-aNtf-nrIhw9dib1bW0hAiTAE2kF9zNfRkji6wwhV_JYo_BNPMm0GzwrDEJBOBvMJaiAqyFo1A3UgUTp1XZ6sO2UAUhkvKFd4zrfoTIeDWRpyNim0AyLNHwNRsgxrJjNbPCE/s640/DSC_0377.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QTIhKWyhBfzcA7ShbYEfbhLAq0ZCF0l17zqN2UseHZQs84YqDXCd_sIGZujUIe9bSHbKBvb84NbsviQg7YkpGMUeWftj0DGU_RcQgGL-vbUTLo9rE4rRvVqGT3h8Ehm1Q1DzFRUC3w0/s1600/DSC_0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QTIhKWyhBfzcA7ShbYEfbhLAq0ZCF0l17zqN2UseHZQs84YqDXCd_sIGZujUIe9bSHbKBvb84NbsviQg7YkpGMUeWftj0DGU_RcQgGL-vbUTLo9rE4rRvVqGT3h8Ehm1Q1DzFRUC3w0/s640/DSC_0379.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwVE7VjYY0N2uapGy-iBep3A-cnwEK8vdgn1CCcihPaCgRwD0UqWYi2zY4jfsfRGq09jalQWZ5sTVhqUIxD5PAIsILmlkas3lBwWgDrsnLPhaeUwWcGztxbloO0bPmsC0JaHCjys8l-0/s1600/DSC_0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwVE7VjYY0N2uapGy-iBep3A-cnwEK8vdgn1CCcihPaCgRwD0UqWYi2zY4jfsfRGq09jalQWZ5sTVhqUIxD5PAIsILmlkas3lBwWgDrsnLPhaeUwWcGztxbloO0bPmsC0JaHCjys8l-0/s640/DSC_0381.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU45eDw3Wm6FJWetw8I74NRLQqAUsG-NB2rHSAA_qa14To80bcHpZMssTWsT2NttqNIzuZNOLXIxzz9IsrG20QGfjCsL8vjZxjSAmkld3e7z_QBjHQ58iGnrv18rbFGOugu9WPcYm01k/s1600/DSC_0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU45eDw3Wm6FJWetw8I74NRLQqAUsG-NB2rHSAA_qa14To80bcHpZMssTWsT2NttqNIzuZNOLXIxzz9IsrG20QGfjCsL8vjZxjSAmkld3e7z_QBjHQ58iGnrv18rbFGOugu9WPcYm01k/s640/DSC_0420.JPG" /></a></div>Larr, always talented and with good timing, managed to get a photograph of a humming bird who did not seem to notice that we were just a few feet away.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ41LI31hf6Ix90cDO7USyRmWXu6AFE7EzlbFxFCTFYvwOHao1y6JKXVKTQ7cIFL1W_Jb9TDUkc0KfaHkYjBAW5h-Cdc779ZqgVt0pBJ_KResXMcIcg5cL5KQ_0cZEqCeEvsIxwckXq74/s1600/DSC_0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ41LI31hf6Ix90cDO7USyRmWXu6AFE7EzlbFxFCTFYvwOHao1y6JKXVKTQ7cIFL1W_Jb9TDUkc0KfaHkYjBAW5h-Cdc779ZqgVt0pBJ_KResXMcIcg5cL5KQ_0cZEqCeEvsIxwckXq74/s640/DSC_0387.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSuSHycjanXH9D9pu0SJRcFJoz_JaMcFSwx5KtmQTTZUVP-ABpHwINMbkN7s77Oqhk2PXz022BSEC-NKR_fOtepMZ66qKhZYekiEmduvrHk3n3ofalEGeWkqOfLDHo_eDOcqKsrIIpdA/s1600/DSC_0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSuSHycjanXH9D9pu0SJRcFJoz_JaMcFSwx5KtmQTTZUVP-ABpHwINMbkN7s77Oqhk2PXz022BSEC-NKR_fOtepMZ66qKhZYekiEmduvrHk3n3ofalEGeWkqOfLDHo_eDOcqKsrIIpdA/s640/DSC_0388.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<b>Lettuce Wraps</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/lettuce-wraps/"> Pioneer Woman</a><br />
<br />
1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce<br />
1/3 cup Soy Sauce<br />
2 Tablespoons Grated Ginger<br />
1 Tablespoon Sriracha<br />
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar<br />
3 cloves Garlic, Grated<br />
2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Strips<br />
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro<br />
8 whole Butter Lettuce Leaves<br />
1 cup Bean Sprouts<br />
1 cup Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage<br />
1 cup Julienne Carrots<br />
1 cup Cucumber Slices<br />
2 Tablespoons Chopped Peanuts<br />
1 cup Cooked Thin Rice Noodles<br />
Sweet Chili Sauce, For Serving<br />
<br />
For the chicken and marinade: Mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, Sriracha, rice wine vinegar and grated garlic in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken strips and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours.<br />
<br />
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.<br />
<br />
Remove the chicken strips from the marinade and grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the peanuts and cilantro.<br />
<br />
For the lettuce and fillings: Set out the lettuce, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and rice noodles on the serving platter.<br />
<br />
To assemble, use the butter lettuce leaves to contain the chicken and fillings. Add some chili and hoisin sauce, then roll them up and eat!<br />
<br />
---------<br />
<br />
<b>Pork Chops with Wine and Garlic</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/pork-chops-with-garlic-and-wine/">Pioneer Woman</a><br />
<br />
6 whole Pork Chops (medium-to-thin)<br />
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil<br />
2 Tablespoons Butter<br />
Salt And Pepper<br />
1-1/2 cup Red Wine<br />
1/2 cup Beef Broth (more If Needed)<br />
1 whole Bay Leaf<br />
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar<br />
18 whole Peeled Garlic Cloves<br />
1 Tablespoon Butter (additional)<br />
<br />
Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and sear them on both sides until they're nice and golden, about 2 minutes per side. (No need to completely cook the chops at this point.) Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside. <br />
<br />
Reduce the heat to medium-high, then throw in the whole garlic cloves. Stir them around and cook them for several minutes, or until they get nice and golden brown. <br />
<br />
Pour in the red wine, then add the bay leaf. Stir around and let it reduce, raising the heat if necessary. Cook the sauce for several minutes, or until it's nice and reduced and thick. <br />
<br />
Stir in the beef broth (you can add more if it needs the liquid) and add the chops back into the cooking liquid, arranging them so that they're swimming in the sauce. Allow the chops to cook in the liquid for a few minutes, then pour in the balsamic. Shake the pan to get it to distribute, then cook for a couple more minutes, or until the pork chops are done. <br />
<br />
Remove the chops from the pan once more, then let the sauce reduce a little more if needed until it's very thick and rich and the garlic is soft. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. <br />
<br />
Arrange pork chops on a platter, then pour the whole skillet of sauce (including garlic) over the top.<br />
<br />
Serve with a green salad. <br />
<br />
*You may substitute white wine for a slightly lighter sauce.<br />
<br />
----------<br />
<br />
<b>CROCK POT MEATBALL SLIDERS WITH PEACH CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.kingshawaiian.com/recipes/crock-pot-meatball-sliders-with-peach-chipotle-bbq-sauce/?pp=0">King's Hawaiian<br />
</a><br />
1 pound Package ground turkey<br />
1 pound Ground pork<br />
1 Large eggs<br />
3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons Chili powder<br />
1 teaspoon Paprika<br />
1 teaspoon Garlic powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon Salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper<br />
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/4 cup Beer or chicken broth<br />
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/2 Onion<br />
3 Garlic cloves minced<br />
1/4 cup Peppers and sauce from canned chipotles in adobo, minced<br />
2/3 cup Ketchup<br />
1/4-1/2 cup Beer or chicken stock<br />
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard<br />
1 tablespoon Molasses<br />
1/2 cup Peach Preserves<br />
Pinch of salt <br />
<br />
Step 1<br />
For the meatballs: In a large bowl, add the first 10 ingredients and mix with your hands. Once the ingredients are combined, shape into meatballs. You can use a medium sized cookie scooper or 2 tablespoons would work. Add olive oil to a large skillet at medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, do not over cook. You just want to give the meatball a nice sear. Cook meatballs in batches - don't over crowd the skillet. Add cooked meatballs to a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Once all of the meatballs are in the slow cooker, pour in beer or broth. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.<br />
<br />
Step 2<br />
For the sauce: In a sauce pan set at medium heat, add oil & onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and stir. Cook until fragrant. Add chipotle peppers and sauce. Stir until combined with onion & garlic. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, water, mustard, molasses, and peach preserves. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.<br />
<br />
Step 3<br />
Once the meatballs are cooked, remove from slow cooker. Drain out the liquid. Return meatballs to slow cooker and cover with BBQ sauce. Turn slow cooker setting to warm and cover with lid. Let the meatballs sit in the slow cooker for at least 10 minutes. Serve BBQ meatballs on slider rolls.<br />
<br />
-----------------<br />
<br />
<b>The Best Pizza Dough for Grilling</b><br />
<i>via: </i><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-the-best-pizza-dough-for-grilling-recipes-from-the-kitchn-204472">The Kitchn</a><br />
<br />
Makes 8 small pizzas<br />
1 2/3 cups water<br />
1 to 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
5 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons salt<br />
<br />
If you want to use the pizza dough that same day, use 2 teaspoons yeast. If you are going to let the dough rise overnight, use 1 teaspoon yeast.<br />
<br />
Mix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Let stand for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir the oil into the yeast mixture, then add the flour and salt. Mix with a spatula until a shaggy, floury dough is formed.<br />
<br />
Knead the dough on low speed with a dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, or knead by hand on the counter for 6 to 8 minutes. When kneaded, the dough should form a smooth ball, feel smooth to the touch, and spring slowly back when poked.<br />
<br />
Use a pastry scraper or knife to cut the dough into 8 lumps. Grease a baking pan lightly with olive oil or baking spray. Place the dough lumps in the pan and turn them over so they are coated with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.<br />
<br />
To Make Pizza the Same Day<br />
Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.<br />
<br />
At this point the dough can be used immediately, or refrigerated or frozen for later use.<br />
<br />
→ How long the dough lasts in the fridge: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. After that it should be cooked or frozen.<br />
<br />
<b>To Make Pizza the Next Day (or Later)</b><br />
If you don't need the dough until the next day, place the covered pan immediately in the refrigerator and let it rise slowly overnight or up to 24 hours.<br />
<br />
Before making the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.<br />
<br />
You can also of course remove just one or two balls of dough and return the remaining dough to the fridge. If removing just part of the dough, prepare a baking sheet or countertop surface by greasing lightly with oil or baking spray. Place the dough balls on top, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel while they rise.<br />
<br />
<b>To Grill the Pizza</b><br />
Preheat your gas grill with all the burners on high 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to cook. (Alternatively, start a charcoal grill.) Once heated, turn off or lower half the burners, creating an area of direct heat and an area of indirect heat. (Alternatively, bank a charcoal grill to create areas of direct and indirect heat.) Set up a workspace near the grill with space for shaping the pizza and bowls with sauce and toppings.<br />
<br />
Working with one piece at a time, pull and stretch a dough ball in your hands into a round. Once it becomes large, drape it over your fists to continue stretching it into a large, thin round. If it feels more comfortable, you can also do this on a greased work surface.<br />
<br />
Flip the shaped pizza onto the grill over direct heat. Close the grill. Let the pizza grill until the bottom is just barely cooked and shows char marks, 1 to 3 minutes. Every grill is different, and depending on yours and how long you preheated it, this time could vary.<br />
<br />
Use tongs to flip the pizza over and move it to the indirect heat. Quickly spread it with sauce and spread a thin layer of toppings over top. (Don't over-top the pizza as this will interfere with it cooking quickly and completely.) Close the grill and cook until the toppings are warmed through and the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Again, time on your grill may vary. Use your sense of smell; if the pizza smells like it's scorching, open the grill and rotate the pizza into a cooler spot.<br />
<br />
Use tongs or a large spatula to slide the finished pizza onto a cutting board. Cut the pizza into slices and serve. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough; as you get into a rhythm, you can start a second pizza over direct heat while the first pizza is finishing over direct heat.<br />
--------------<br />
<br />
<b>Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Rolls</b><br />
<i>via:</i> White on Rice<br />
<br />
Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls<br />
<br />
Yield: Serves 3-4Total Time: 45 min<br />
In his cookbook Vietnamese Home Cooking, Charles Phan has a great story behind these spring rolls and how his Mother has a very unique twist by adding a smear of homemade mayonnaise to moisten the wrapper. We suggest you get the book to understand how she does all this, as well as how he makes his full version of the rolls with his peanut dip. The recipe we're sharing today is our own recipe that we serve with our hoisin peanut dip.<br />
<br />
<br />
For the pork and shrimp spring rolls:<br />
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
about 1/2 pound (8 oz) boneless pork loin or shoulder<br />
1 (8-10 oz) package dried rice vermicelli noodles or "rice sticks", cooked to package instructions.<br />
1 small head of lettuce<br />
1 medium cucumber, cut into thin strips<br />
fresh herbs: mint, asian basil. Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese perilla or cilantro<br />
about 12 (8-inch) rice paper wrappers or rice paper spring roll wrappers<br />
<br />
For Hoisin Peanut dip:<br />
1/4 cup hoisin ( If hoisin dip is too thick, add water to thin out the dip)<br />
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.<br />
1 teaspoon rice vinegar<br />
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil<br />
<br />
<br />
To make the dipping sauce: Combine combine all dip ingredients together and blend well. Add a small bit of warm water and blend again, if the sauce is too thick. <br />
<br />
Cook the noodles as directed on the package.<br />
<br />
For the rolls, start by preparing the pork. Cut the pork into thin strips and saute in a pan with a bit of butter. <br />
<br />
If the shrimp is not precooked, cook or grill it. <br />
<br />
Lay out your ingredients and fill an 8" x 8" pan with warm water. This will be used to soften the rice paper wrapper. I have included a video below to help you, should you need it.<br />
Add warm water to a large bowl. Quickly dip each rice paper wrapper in warm water for a few seconds and lay on rolling surface such as a cutting board or plate (they will still be slightly stiff).<br />
<br />
Lay your lettuce first on the soft spring roll wrapper, then add the strips lettuce, herbs, cucumber, noodles and pork.<br />
Roll spring roll till you have about 1/3 of rice paper left, then lay about 2-3 pieces of shrimp, cut side up in a row and finish rolling. The shrimp will lay on the outside of the spring roll when you are finished rolling.<br />
Serve with the hoisin peanut dip.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/16DDC-dndwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Read more at http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/pork-shrimp-spring-rolls/#3od6ptYq2itk7H6Q.99Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-14578626854381126922015-09-05T21:41:00.001-06:002015-09-05T21:41:37.988-06:00One of My Favorite Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2bskB4dXD5pO0zmbW5zH6pxQnZL2lpqP77paYF7RNnwpPdh00387Wax8Rw889uns76fcfL5ClB78N8m70hJtqCU7mdW3_jIj-I_nLha39KSRlou3jYeS5MYL3WJxwFZgCMr13auOvQY/s1600/rsbunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2bskB4dXD5pO0zmbW5zH6pxQnZL2lpqP77paYF7RNnwpPdh00387Wax8Rw889uns76fcfL5ClB78N8m70hJtqCU7mdW3_jIj-I_nLha39KSRlou3jYeS5MYL3WJxwFZgCMr13auOvQY/s640/rsbunting.jpg" /></a></div>One of my favorite things, a thing I look forward to all year long, are the evenings we spend sitting around a fire in the back yard.It is a casual kind of time together; free from the distractions and lure of phones,computers and dishes in the sink. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0SvzlnFeRxVyAoHfnzS8Z0yuNB5JLYvV-UqznmhjAxJzCznKgRMf-jp0xDJH7YTrImprwCzsPr4K9DB3r-5BX-H3ryfYY0rS5kHI4QYaXtJ-3BzlSRpNBb2OZ2h3PKcuPN414eLqQGc/s1600/rsFamily+around+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0SvzlnFeRxVyAoHfnzS8Z0yuNB5JLYvV-UqznmhjAxJzCznKgRMf-jp0xDJH7YTrImprwCzsPr4K9DB3r-5BX-H3ryfYY0rS5kHI4QYaXtJ-3BzlSRpNBb2OZ2h3PKcuPN414eLqQGc/s640/rsFamily+around+fire.jpg" /></a></div>Sometimes just a few of us talk. Sometimes we listen as one of the others plays a guitar or ukulele. Sometimes I relax and listen to night sounds, trying to pick out the different layers of sounds made by the various bugs who celebrate the evening. The other night we even tried to guess what bugs they are, how big they are and how many of them that there are. I listen to those same sounds when I am falling asleep at night. During the hot summer nights, those bugs quiet themselves, and so I take this nightly music as a confirmation and celebration of the cooler temperatures we have in the fall.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsDvY5nYG6hrWo4N01YReqBFkZC2E0HoQzNzf-s6ndgFj4otYn5ypTJ0XBqoVNbpC7NL1DRzdtGSCWg0xUhYDACmd25-AaCzjJDnOcIZWyAdOYrrHrqV0TOSHGf6Z2NllVMo9V2WdlMA/s1600/rsFire+up+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsDvY5nYG6hrWo4N01YReqBFkZC2E0HoQzNzf-s6ndgFj4otYn5ypTJ0XBqoVNbpC7NL1DRzdtGSCWg0xUhYDACmd25-AaCzjJDnOcIZWyAdOYrrHrqV0TOSHGf6Z2NllVMo9V2WdlMA/s640/rsFire+up+close.jpg" /></a></div>Some nights I find myself mesmerized by the dancing flames. Right now we have termites in some of the wood in our wood pile. (If you sit close enough to the pile, as listen closely, you can hear them chewing.) While I am not thrilled that they are there, and I worry that they might migrate over to our house, I do like the way that wood burns. The termites create a very fine sawdust and when you bang two of those pieces of wood together over the flames, you get a spectacular, if very brief, light show. It feels a little like magic. On those nights, I think about how I might go about painting what I see. I've never come even close to capturing it, but I like to think about how I might be able to do it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftm4KymXPJaP1VKXJBUN-PM5xeaCeogzc8WjV7Xw6GcinQXwWsIt8sTIXvLyp0ZK7Js5DD2NIoX-snjuMlhBKx3GgBfuKOG4V9mzSYypuH_AMt_ppFqq3uoC3B34RXy-q4Ahm9auPWpA/s1600/rsMarshmellow+and+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftm4KymXPJaP1VKXJBUN-PM5xeaCeogzc8WjV7Xw6GcinQXwWsIt8sTIXvLyp0ZK7Js5DD2NIoX-snjuMlhBKx3GgBfuKOG4V9mzSYypuH_AMt_ppFqq3uoC3B34RXy-q4Ahm9auPWpA/s640/rsMarshmellow+and+fire.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5tjaw7fo0XajtW7AFN-h6SFMP2NqlrZWQmopTC18grNKQqfZ33Y3OujHigYY6TFhqiCiAx-52EDGSFYeynohiH_x-1c21CIRCGBbh4IYnvX_CGtOopbBkSHomL2lnlBwGeJ6eAej2Aw/s1600/rsSmores+plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5tjaw7fo0XajtW7AFN-h6SFMP2NqlrZWQmopTC18grNKQqfZ33Y3OujHigYY6TFhqiCiAx-52EDGSFYeynohiH_x-1c21CIRCGBbh4IYnvX_CGtOopbBkSHomL2lnlBwGeJ6eAej2Aw/s640/rsSmores+plate.jpg" /></a></div>Some nights we roast marshmallows and have S'mores. Those nights are fun, too. They are often a bit louder and sillier than the nights where we admire the fire.<br />
<br />
Some nights, like the night Ellie took most of these photos, I bask in the joy of having my family around me, all of us enjoying being together. I am so thankful for those times. <br />
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Hopefully we will have fall for a while here in Colorado. I hope for them so that we can have many more nights around the fire. Each one is a gift.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-52428578651549372332015-09-03T08:11:00.002-06:002015-09-03T08:11:53.766-06:00My Boy Turns 22!Last night we sat around the fire visiting and making S'Mores. Before I excused myself for the evening, I wished Ethan a happy last day of being 21 as he turns 22 today. A year ago he was on The Boat, and though I am sure he would be happy to still be there, I am happy to have him home with us. I am so proud of the good, honest, hard-working man of integrity that my son has become.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipETbYoy52tI3PztGWriFnSD15x6F-Qtvjxxhd4jmTradaX6qoll5ZjBNePKWfNLGP31XORVNlMbzsOwyfarm76tRdm3BHjejw3dnNdEFCSRm_OVfsVqQP27FeKXSzSd1O_KxCJXTyAeQ/s1600/DSC04441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipETbYoy52tI3PztGWriFnSD15x6F-Qtvjxxhd4jmTradaX6qoll5ZjBNePKWfNLGP31XORVNlMbzsOwyfarm76tRdm3BHjejw3dnNdEFCSRm_OVfsVqQP27FeKXSzSd1O_KxCJXTyAeQ/s640/DSC04441.JPG" /></a></div>It has been a rough year and we are all still dealing with Grandpa's death. However, those hardships have been an opportunity to see how amazing Ethan is. He set his own exciting and fun life aside to help Grandpa end his with dignity and grace, surrounded by love. Ethan is a strong and steady force, especially when we are dealing with the stuff left behind from that life. He takes that on even though he could have turned away and made himself unavailable. He did not. He faced it head on, make careful, thoughtful choices and did a lot of heavy lifting. <br />
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He continues to be a steady influence in his sister's life. I am so thankful for that. The two of them have a special, strong and supportive relationship. Sometimes he has the special magic that helps her. Often he can work that magic when I cannot.<br />
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Ethan is willing to take on tasks to improve our lives, like rewiring the crazy electrical job in our front computer room so that we can have a really fun and very bright light. (I love bright light!) He also makes dinners and bakes wonderful bread - those are delightful and such a gift to me when I come home after an extra long day at work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2rgnVUwRDouF-1yu_DtWZK9Hz2XKdg2I9DCDQ3Mf1Yr30r2uOS2-24aykndrqMPSVj3WaJS_wbVJdQQL51dM4XfVKR5uFhYHLFhOVd7EYTU7rlL23J3CFG4qv8tK0z2qdBraAbEqunw/s1600/DSC04466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2rgnVUwRDouF-1yu_DtWZK9Hz2XKdg2I9DCDQ3Mf1Yr30r2uOS2-24aykndrqMPSVj3WaJS_wbVJdQQL51dM4XfVKR5uFhYHLFhOVd7EYTU7rlL23J3CFG4qv8tK0z2qdBraAbEqunw/s640/DSC04466.JPG" /></a></div>. <br />
Ethan brings fun to make things. He is often a lively spark at a gathering, always thinking about and discussing interesting things. <br />
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Ethan often amazes me with what he knows. He has a large store of useful and sometimes random information. If he does not know something, he will seek it out, if he is interested in learning about it.<br />
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Ethan has done some soul searching that has resulted in his changing the course he thought he was going in his life. He thought that he was going to become a miner, and he might still do that, but he is rethinking that. Mining is hard on a man, physically. He has resigned from his job at the open pit mine and is preparing to take a new direction. He is thinking about starting college in the spring. And we are there to cheer him on. <br />
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My boy, all grown up, you are so loved. Happy 22nd birthday.<br />
Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-18028018392991380492015-08-30T09:48:00.000-06:002015-08-30T09:48:53.114-06:00Doctor Jones, I Presume + Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken & Veggies and Marinated Flank Steak RecipesThe beginning of the school year is in full swing and still very intense. I have been going to work an hour early and staying a few hours (or more) late every night. I am thankful that the kids have been able and great about stepping in and helping by making dinner a few times, though it was weird not to have an First Day of School photos to take this year.<br />
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Ethan and Ellie have made some wonderful dinners that were plentiful enough that I was able to take some to work the next day for lunch.<br />
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We've also been busy trying to get our home more organized. We've finally begun to fix some of the things that needed repair or replacement for a while. This includes our new faucet. It is pretty fun. Larr and I put the kids in charge of picking one and installing it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoXhvbgpfvdHViSqiYALj7UQMhIBZ8GYKBdbt0Gy8ORC68xQR3V8JE6-d00ngV6uyzlgoTeyJ3RyltlXdzYMpEPwocJ_9dV9ZDR4TEyTlVe61UvM6qmNCfJQN-0pP4hP8-GeCfQCrMdQ/s1600/DSC_0214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoXhvbgpfvdHViSqiYALj7UQMhIBZ8GYKBdbt0Gy8ORC68xQR3V8JE6-d00ngV6uyzlgoTeyJ3RyltlXdzYMpEPwocJ_9dV9ZDR4TEyTlVe61UvM6qmNCfJQN-0pP4hP8-GeCfQCrMdQ/s640/DSC_0214.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We did the same thing with the new light in the room near the kitchen. Ellie reorganized the space and picked out a new desk. It makes the space feel significantly less crowded and I love the new location for the printer. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONrcrxDk2xF8fylrc7ywUBNXPGjgTMwcPYprtdGbR7ocYnpxp2hl21-JpCIOwEddf0YSH7LmcLUV1vvHqvZOLDgtrE8NPq5MMPbZkGrbfBLrCcboNVLkeA_QrqQSQx84gr_rbOi49zSo/s1600/DSC_0216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONrcrxDk2xF8fylrc7ywUBNXPGjgTMwcPYprtdGbR7ocYnpxp2hl21-JpCIOwEddf0YSH7LmcLUV1vvHqvZOLDgtrE8NPq5MMPbZkGrbfBLrCcboNVLkeA_QrqQSQx84gr_rbOi49zSo/s640/DSC_0216.jpg" /></a></div>They also picked out a new lighting fixture that Ethan installed. It is very different from our traditional 1970's style ceiling fan that was there before. It was a good bit of work for Ethan to install. The previous owners of the house had done some creative wiring. Ethan got Uncle Doug on the phone and the two of them figured it all out. I like them a lot. They transform the space. I kind of feel like I am in the office of Indiana Jones <i>(from the Indiana Jones movies)</i>. I feel like I should have a leather hat and whip at the ready. The kids thought that was strange. Whatever, I love how it reminds me of the Indiana Jones ride at Disney Land. As you wind through the line to get onto the ride, you walk through several scenarios, one of which is his office. I even hear the theme music in my head, just a little bit. The kids are pretty sure that is weird. But then again, they don't appreciate how Larr and I can come up with a few lines from a song for most the topics that bring up. That drives them a little crazy. Oh the fun we have around here. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BYMRmfkFz-hzz5vs0l7Hbnht3uc-Z77td9FdzU8F4X2Sj0PM8Mq4SwzlKD8bXBoTMy1_Q4IBZtgQRTVZT2iC3jfhRKc-abKisdvMqBwC_k0e7zngjboqTsfL7hPqfBjIzYLgkoOIWow/s1600/DSC_0215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BYMRmfkFz-hzz5vs0l7Hbnht3uc-Z77td9FdzU8F4X2Sj0PM8Mq4SwzlKD8bXBoTMy1_Q4IBZtgQRTVZT2iC3jfhRKc-abKisdvMqBwC_k0e7zngjboqTsfL7hPqfBjIzYLgkoOIWow/s640/DSC_0215.jpg" /></a></div>We are going to get more retro style bulbs, and then it will be even more like I. Jones' office.<br />
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I've also spent some serious time reorganizing my art supplies cabinet. Here are the before and after photos. It looks worse in the photo than it felt to me when I stood there and picked out art supplies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSz_wK1CSlqFMqdbO599EpESp4nnnkWWHcv0ReZN34lfJpVbSwjH5jqh5iHODdJb4iIk6amgG_YO6w8LXTN5h1vfypWEZniNgFdIb2EhC1UTAQpz5MhbwvLN1dFynPVUGLpChmi3WlHs/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSz_wK1CSlqFMqdbO599EpESp4nnnkWWHcv0ReZN34lfJpVbSwjH5jqh5iHODdJb4iIk6amgG_YO6w8LXTN5h1vfypWEZniNgFdIb2EhC1UTAQpz5MhbwvLN1dFynPVUGLpChmi3WlHs/s640/DSC_0202.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkBBlgPdU3yPwu9art69gvsvzj8pHZC3fxq8IyhSzqaOZgX83Hq382c2s4Jj4QcZwacXDIX9_aq7A76gLAJY2o-WrHp5kzjmM5OcBeE-8KGJ2XdOhnyU_n1uYlei5AxbdVi7DcpZB6nI/s1600/DSC_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkBBlgPdU3yPwu9art69gvsvzj8pHZC3fxq8IyhSzqaOZgX83Hq382c2s4Jj4QcZwacXDIX9_aq7A76gLAJY2o-WrHp5kzjmM5OcBeE-8KGJ2XdOhnyU_n1uYlei5AxbdVi7DcpZB6nI/s640/DSC_0212.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Ellie says that she is proud of me for getting rid of some stuff and making the items so much more accessible. It amazes me that I got rid of two whole, large trash bags of stuff from the cabinet, and it is still full. I am hopeful that this system will work well. Time will tell.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8r7OH2Qmy_lyB-7AFYXcc8sAJ3hfJIdNv8A2i_URSsXGyla_j1wY-6pXE-2mP92jycKefyTbd2TvYs4NCIFNb9sNcBXmB0jPN8LDV0YcXJBAkrBJsX0h_l6XcucvIL5Cq5Cd23AP_nUk/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8r7OH2Qmy_lyB-7AFYXcc8sAJ3hfJIdNv8A2i_URSsXGyla_j1wY-6pXE-2mP92jycKefyTbd2TvYs4NCIFNb9sNcBXmB0jPN8LDV0YcXJBAkrBJsX0h_l6XcucvIL5Cq5Cd23AP_nUk/s640/DSC_0211.JPG" /></a></div>Larr was busy in the workshop integrating and organizing his tools. He incorporated the tools he received from his father into our tool collection. He also organized the tool cabinet that is not shown here.<br />
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Whew, that was a lot. Next, I need to clean out the built in closet in my art room. I decided to take a break and make some art before I make another mess. The mess that I made to organize that cabinet was a bit frustrating and stressful. The piles seemed to multiply like gremlins.<br />
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Here are some of the things we will have for dinner this week:<br />
I made a lasagna. I also made some flavored rice. This will speed things up during the week.<br />
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<b>Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Lemon-Yogurt-Chicken/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i15"> Allrecipes.com</a><br />
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1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt<br />
1/2 lemon, juiced<br />
1 tablespoon lemon zest<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
4 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1 tablespoon paprika<br />
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
1 (5 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8<br />
pieces<br />
<br />
1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon Harissa<br />
1 pinch salt<br />
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1. Whisk together the 1/2 cup yogurt, the juice from 1/2 lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, paprika, herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.<br />
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2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.<br />
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3. Combine 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and harissa in a small bowl. Set aside.<br />
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4. Remove chicken from bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels. Season with pinch of salt.<br />
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5. Grill chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and move to indirect heat.<br />
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6. Grill, turning often, with lid down until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).<br />
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7. Serve chicken with the yogurt Harissa mixture on the side.<br />
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*** Harissa is a North African chili paste. If you don't have it, you could make a paste with <br />
1 t. sriracha or chili garlic sauce<br />
1 clove of crushed garlic<br />
1/2 t ground cumin <br />
1/2 t. ground coriander <br />
1/2 t. salt. <br />
<br />
This makes a very moist and flavorful chicken. I marinated for about 6 hours and it was perfect.<br />
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Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies </b><i>(Crock Pot Recipe)</i><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://damndelicious.net/2015/06/05/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken-and-veggies/">Damn Delicious</a><br />
<br />
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs<br />
16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved<br />
16 ounces baby carrots<br />
16 ounces green beans, trimmed<br />
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves<br />
FOR THE SAUCE<br />
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce<br />
1/2 cup honey<br />
1/4 cup ketchup<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and pepper.<br />
Place chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, green beans and soy sauce mixture into a 6-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, basting every hour.<br />
OPTIONAL: Preheat oven to broil. Place chicken thighs onto a baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until crisp, about 3-4 minutes.<br />
Serve chicken immediately with potatoes, carrots and green beans, garnished with parsley, if desired.<br />
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<b>Marinated Flank Steak</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/marinated-flank-steak-part-one/">Pioneer Woman</a><br />
<br />
1/2 cup Soy Sauce<br />
1/2 cup Cooking Sherry<br />
3 Tablespoons Honey<br />
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil<br />
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger<br />
3 cloves (to 5 Cloves) Minced Garlic<br />
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes<br />
1 whole Flank Steak<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish. <br />
<br />
Remove flank steak from package and give it a quick rinse. Coat both sides of the meat with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 6 hours.<br />
<br />
Remove the steak from the marinade and place on a plate while you heat up the grill pan. Make sure to turn on your overhead exhaust fan as the cooking process can be quite smoky. <br />
<br />
When the pan is extremely hot, place the steak on a slight angle as this makes for more appealing grill marks. Cook without touching for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Rotate the meat about 45 degrees, keeping it on the same side, and cook for another 1 ½ minutes.<br />
<br />
Now flip it to the other side. Cook using the same method on the other side, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes, then rotating it and finishing the cooking process. I cook the flank streak to medium rare, which usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes total cooking time. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.<br />
<br />
When you’re ready, thinly slice the meat against the grain. That means find the directional striations/lines in the meat grain and slice perpendicular to it. <br />
<br />
Controversial Optional Sauce: Before grilling the flank steak, strain the marinade into a small saucepan. Discard what stays in the sieve. Add ½ cup of water to the marinade. Boil the marinade while heating the grill for the meat AND add an additional 10 minutes. The point of boiling, obviously, is to take away any risk of bacteria from the marinade. Also, by boiling for ten to fifteen minutes, the sauce will reduce and slightly thicken. Then just spoon a little into a dish and use it as a dipping sauce for the meat.<br />
<br />
(I think we will serve this for our family dinner.)<br />
-----------Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-19758934707667938962015-08-21T20:18:00.001-06:002015-08-21T20:18:34.680-06:00The First Full Week of the School Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbZztf_VKvELLIqpG-fJqxQ4qN-PkQwNo7nYZb1wlydM0FGgvG6KmDZMhsNY86RttbmgOzNzoqBq9_DcUZIG6nVJj-LclrzJF3aDrBy-2b9efn7-LcjySaAZXuVL_JCJmIneejW4WGpE/s1600/Tie+Dye+Teachers+Aug+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbZztf_VKvELLIqpG-fJqxQ4qN-PkQwNo7nYZb1wlydM0FGgvG6KmDZMhsNY86RttbmgOzNzoqBq9_DcUZIG6nVJj-LclrzJF3aDrBy-2b9efn7-LcjySaAZXuVL_JCJmIneejW4WGpE/s640/Tie+Dye+Teachers+Aug+2015.jpg" /></a></div>The student's first full week of the school 2015-2016 year is finished, and I am exhausted, but happy. <br />
<br />
Even though I have been teaching for more than 20 years, I think this might be one of the most difficult starts I have experienced. This year I am teaching four different subjects and all grades in my grades 7-12 school. I also teach in three different rooms and have an office in a temporary building outside that does not have any temperature controls. We also need to align everything we do to the IB standards. Two weeks ago I was not sure it would be possible. Now, I see that I can do it, but it will require very long days. I've worked 12-14 hours a day every day this week. <br />
<br />
However, many of my students from last year have stopped by to greet me and check in. My 7th and 8th grade students are enthusiastic. Many of my high school students seem posed to have a successful year. <br />
<br />
I'm working on getting into a groove where I don't have to stay so late to get everything done. I am hopeful, too, but exhausted. Thankfully, I love what I do.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-70600854516933835572015-08-16T22:33:00.002-06:002015-08-16T22:33:29.728-06:00Tie Dye Team Building, Puppies in the Pool + Slow Cooker BBQ Pork,Grandma's Best Cornbread, World's Best Lasagna, Slow Cooker Beef Broccoli, Easy Garlic Chicken, One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies & CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKED ZITI RecipesThe school where I work went from a grades 9-12 school to one that offers grades 7-12. As a result, we went from a staff of about 90 to a staff of about 180. It is a big jump, and so there have been activities to help the staff members from both schools begin to feel like a team. My favorite of there activities was the one that involved making tie dye shirts that we will all wear next Thursday once all of the kids from all of the grades has reported to school. A few people from the science department took this one on:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjejZ09lpndMJl3-7IhzySYrb1vBaxlHrsa_RmSnXHY3nZXYv65neU9v9HE2XHg5fUQAUwWJcFnDNbcVGFzfvHWOK4BKSh55wwu_q4nxCiPyLCB926g2vpR34ciobpPmNt8oWLpqzT8w/s1600/DSCF4684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjejZ09lpndMJl3-7IhzySYrb1vBaxlHrsa_RmSnXHY3nZXYv65neU9v9HE2XHg5fUQAUwWJcFnDNbcVGFzfvHWOK4BKSh55wwu_q4nxCiPyLCB926g2vpR34ciobpPmNt8oWLpqzT8w/s640/DSCF4684.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexMSUI4jjmm7At68AVKvjQDJPQJH1rt0bnYJgVGsFFqlNVSfoIfRWWqtX_rA2tgfgyEi9-V59bIEe8VoYSyS4qiaL7y0F-Ja0qvsjImhFxhmXqcDs9vY3JbEdAF6uiMyus2V3668uONU/s1600/DSCF4685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexMSUI4jjmm7At68AVKvjQDJPQJH1rt0bnYJgVGsFFqlNVSfoIfRWWqtX_rA2tgfgyEi9-V59bIEe8VoYSyS4qiaL7y0F-Ja0qvsjImhFxhmXqcDs9vY3JbEdAF6uiMyus2V3668uONU/s640/DSCF4685.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcCJPJwoeLilv0QyBv2k3FhpjKk_Q_iC7YAQRnPT-u9toBWy_tD1ubA1nTfGXPgNvPQ0gqmFQ6LG2NXG00GtQMGdxfJrszT8AFRz5zEXvlvyuylasJUP3YYb-Yd7H_kiWHdlOUAz27dA/s1600/DSCF4687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcCJPJwoeLilv0QyBv2k3FhpjKk_Q_iC7YAQRnPT-u9toBWy_tD1ubA1nTfGXPgNvPQ0gqmFQ6LG2NXG00GtQMGdxfJrszT8AFRz5zEXvlvyuylasJUP3YYb-Yd7H_kiWHdlOUAz27dA/s640/DSCF4687.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz80n1GIOv3xH_ys9s0U6QjXYzjtrIAPHjtrWfNix6zXNuIHjyhr0m1vUbRT-5B57JxCE0cYQzikiiqxu0qHUQHl_otmAJ0GNgF2o6uiDNIY-JKQf7V1cU0tgF2XBMCodNj0U5HXS-M0/s1600/DSCF4690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz80n1GIOv3xH_ys9s0U6QjXYzjtrIAPHjtrWfNix6zXNuIHjyhr0m1vUbRT-5B57JxCE0cYQzikiiqxu0qHUQHl_otmAJ0GNgF2o6uiDNIY-JKQf7V1cU0tgF2XBMCodNj0U5HXS-M0/s640/DSCF4690.JPG" /></a></div>I am excited to see what mine will look like once I unwrap it and wash it. I will share that with you later.<br />
<br />
I spent much of Saturday on school work, but Sunday I moved into regular Sunday mode. On the way to the dog park, Remmie and I discovered that it was a doggie swim day at the pool, so of course we joined in. Remmie had a grand time, though he is still unsure of the big pool. Never mind that. He made friends with a 13 week old German Shepard puppy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTZOc_5vf3enShZns47JdkcNny5AnpV12jtxeu4fciG39WMsqiywFEMVyxPjm0ulOAnDsckO4sh4NBUsaaO4PePMa-DRumK121NeMzhT3ru4b6inl12tp9ZxJxhLeIib-esecWoUk0so/s1600/DSCF4691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTZOc_5vf3enShZns47JdkcNny5AnpV12jtxeu4fciG39WMsqiywFEMVyxPjm0ulOAnDsckO4sh4NBUsaaO4PePMa-DRumK121NeMzhT3ru4b6inl12tp9ZxJxhLeIib-esecWoUk0so/s640/DSCF4691.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhVew9mKR5QV496Y6lVK0Dq3WhIxradXl7oFN2j-p5eX0CvY2RqDgfJLjuEuBlmmJz2GLFK_4xbYGDRIe0cbhSscTEI_ZU0AZhYmN1JOsxlV575ePlSlyU1u-Br0rE8OK-6FNCUqJ0Pc/s1600/DSCF4692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhVew9mKR5QV496Y6lVK0Dq3WhIxradXl7oFN2j-p5eX0CvY2RqDgfJLjuEuBlmmJz2GLFK_4xbYGDRIe0cbhSscTEI_ZU0AZhYmN1JOsxlV575ePlSlyU1u-Br0rE8OK-6FNCUqJ0Pc/s640/DSCF4692.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vuud0uqYyoSSZNSzJP28jWqYrm7exPrCkq0BcUCLVEim2RH4OrLvaERk7Hb20B6Rq1k9bgnXdppeznEPui0AnICe3BHe3L_9F2lkWF_gReXeKtf-KAAOmKToe7lQPm6I3m9totN08MI/s1600/DSCF4693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vuud0uqYyoSSZNSzJP28jWqYrm7exPrCkq0BcUCLVEim2RH4OrLvaERk7Hb20B6Rq1k9bgnXdppeznEPui0AnICe3BHe3L_9F2lkWF_gReXeKtf-KAAOmKToe7lQPm6I3m9totN08MI/s640/DSCF4693.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CJG_EslLwJKaBQxEiX24yJwmEYvHkZA_v7uOOGifHJtBKBh_w2WDbKupR2CmTXSzZKc7WolSptBREqTdabp_ky5NfUW1fbYWkg-G-kcd49Rd5UHrJAvdcWukikNJ42gXBG7RLkadx3k/s1600/DSCF4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CJG_EslLwJKaBQxEiX24yJwmEYvHkZA_v7uOOGifHJtBKBh_w2WDbKupR2CmTXSzZKc7WolSptBREqTdabp_ky5NfUW1fbYWkg-G-kcd49Rd5UHrJAvdcWukikNJ42gXBG7RLkadx3k/s640/DSCF4695.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_0EW1eKkhGxYwEDNw5g_VTJp511FpP-Bi15g0-33mxeTS2cfKDqPlKgVgmqzdw9QzF4hskylbvRGwQJ-Qm-Jajtj3dUaIOBC1mQ8jRX2HJvauxX-2ogPubbJMaJP8D8-6gYRiCjPuM/s1600/DSCF4696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_0EW1eKkhGxYwEDNw5g_VTJp511FpP-Bi15g0-33mxeTS2cfKDqPlKgVgmqzdw9QzF4hskylbvRGwQJ-Qm-Jajtj3dUaIOBC1mQ8jRX2HJvauxX-2ogPubbJMaJP8D8-6gYRiCjPuM/s640/DSCF4696.JPG" /></a></div>I thought that would tire him out. It did not. However, Ellie and Kohlton came home with new toys from the thrift store, so life was extra fun for the K9 on Sunday.<br />
<br />
The 7th graders show up tomorrow and I am shifting into school year mode. My school is starting an hour later now, which means that I get out an hour later than before. As a result, I have asked for help. Ethan and Ellie have agreed to be responsible for cooking at least one meal a week. This will help us get dinner on the table at a more reasonable hour and I will be able to work out more often. I also had Ellie pick out the recipes for the week last week, and that worked well, so I had her do the planning again. Here's what we will be having for dinner:<br />
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<br />
<b>Slow Cooker BBQ Pork</b><br />
<i>via: </i><a href="http://www.kludgymom.com/slow-cooker-ribs/#_a5y_p=1231241">Kludgy Mom Blog<br />
</a><br />
4 pounds pork baby back ribs (I used country style ribs)<br />
1/4 cup of barbecue sauce<br />
1/3 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1 tablespoon paprika<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
3/4 teaspoon black pepper<br />
3/4 teaspoon white pepper<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground oregano<br />
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />
1/4 teaspoon sugar<br />
<br />
First, you make your rub. It’s a nice blend of spices like paprika, chili powder, white pepper, oregano, sugar and brown sugar. (I triple the batch so I have more for next time)<br />
<br />
You slap that rub right on the ribs after you rinse them. We normally use baby back ribs, but we’ve done spare ribs too and they’re just as good.<br />
<br />
Stand your ribs on the long end and place in slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6 to 7 hours (my big slow cooker usually has these done in about 6). They smell AMAZING and are falling off the bone.<br />
<br />
Brush your favorite BBQ sauce on the ribs, place ‘em on a foil lined cookie sheet, and let the sauce bake onto the ribs for 5-10 minutes. Serve them up. Be everyone’s instant BFF.<br />
<br />
* Originally from <a href="http://bbq.about.com/od/ribrecipes/r/ble31003d.htm">About.com.<br />
</a><br />
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<b><br />
Grandma's Best Cornbread</b><br />
<i>via: </i><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grandmothers-buttermilk-cornbread/?mxt=t06dda">Allrecipes.com</a><br />
<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
2/3 cup white sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 cup cornmeal<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
DIRECTIONS:<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.<br />
<br />
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.<br />
<br />
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b><br />
World's Best Lasagna</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/worlds-best-lasagna/?mxt=t06dda"> Allrecipes.com<br />
</a><br />
<br />
1 pound sweet Italian sausage<br />
3/4 pound lean ground beef<br />
1/2 cup minced onion<br />
2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes<br />
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste<br />
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
2 tablespoons white sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves<br />
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds<br />
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning<br />
1 tablespoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley<br />
12 lasagna noodles<br />
16 ounces ricotta cheese<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced<br />
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.<br />
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).<br />
<br />
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.<br />
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />
* We will serve salad with the lasagna.<br />
------------------<br />
<br />
<b>Slow Cooker Beef Broccoli</b><br />
<i>via: </i> <a href="http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2015/02/slow-cooker-broccoli-beef.html">Creme de la Creme blog<br />
</a><br />
1.5 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced and chopped into 2 inch pieces<br />
1 cup beef broth<br />
⅔ cup low sodium soy sauce<br />
⅓ cup brown sugar<br />
1 tablespoon sesame oil<br />
1 tablespoon minced garlic<br />
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)<br />
4 cups broccoli florets<br />
2 tablespoons corn starch + 4 tablespoons cold water<br />
Learn Basic Steps for Safe Cooking<br />
<br />
Grease the inside of a slow cooker. Add steak, beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours.<br />
<br />
Minutes before serving, uncover the slow cooker. In a small bowl whisk corn starch and water until dissolved. Add to slow cooker and stir. Cover and allow to cook another 20-25 minutes.<br />
<br />
Just before serving, place broccoli in a large Tupperware, fill with ½ inch of water, and place the lid on in an off-set manner so that the container can vent. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain, stir broccoli into slow cooker, and serve.<br />
<br />
NOTES<br />
For a bit of a spicy kick, add a full 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes! <br />
<br />
* This will be served over rice.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Easy Garlic Chicken</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478?photo=183767">Food.com<br />
</a><br />
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
4 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
additional herbs and spices, as desired<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 450°F Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.<br />
In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.<br />
Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add additional herbs and spices as desired.<br />
Season chicken with salt and pepper. .Place breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.<br />
Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken.<br />
<br />
* This will be served with roasted Brussel Sprouts with a balsamic vinegar glaze.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/02/one-pan-balsamic-chicken-veggies/">Cooking Classy Blog</a><br />
<br />
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Italian salad dressing (I recommend using Kraft light Italian it's the perfect consistency for this and it's what I used)<br />
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp honey<br />
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)<br />
1 1/4 lbs chicken breast tenderloins<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed of tough ends, chopped into 2-inch pieces (look for thinner stalks. Green beans are another good option)<br />
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots<br />
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved<br />
<br />
In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside.<br />
<br />
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet. Cook about 6 - 7 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through (meanwhile, chop asparagus and tomatoes). Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate chicken to evenly coat. Transfer chicken to a large plate or a serving platter while leaving sauce in skillet. Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer veggies to plate or platter with chicken.<br />
<br />
Add remaining dressing mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes to chicken and veggies and drizzle dressing mixture in pan over top (or return chicken and veggies to pan and toss to coat).<br />
<br />
Recipe source: adapted from BHG<br />
<br />
* We will served roasted red potatoes with this meal.<br />
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<b><br />
CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKED ZITI</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chicken-alfredo-baked-ziti-recipe/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%2Bgimmesomeoven%2B(Gimme%2BSome%2BOven)">Gimme Some Oven Blog</a><br />
<br />
CHICKEN BAKED ZITI INGREDIENTS:<br />
<br />
12 ounces ziti (or any pasta shape)<br />
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)<br />
1 batch alfredo sauce (see below)<br />
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% low fat)<br />
(optional toppings: additional shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley)<br />
<br />
ALFREDO SAUCE INGREDIENTS:<br />
<br />
1 Tbsp. olive oil<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 Tbsp. flour<br />
1 cup chicken broth<br />
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)<br />
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/4 tsp. black pepper<br />
DIRECTIONS:<br />
<br />
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN BAKED ZITI:<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br />
<br />
Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of well-salted boiling according to package instructions. Drain. Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and alfredo sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.<br />
<br />
Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.<br />
<br />
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.<br />
<br />
TO MAKE THE ALFREDO SAUCE:<br />
<br />
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.<br />
<br />
Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Remove from heat and set aside.<br />
<br />
----------------Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-58200169950861290892015-08-10T10:24:00.002-06:002015-08-10T10:24:47.941-06:00Of Paper Ship Progress, Camping and a Bunch of Recipes for the weekThings have been a bit wild and busy, so I have not had time to post an update. Today is the first day of the school year, so this will be brief.<br />
<br />
I've worked a lot on the paper tall ship. I wanted to create a design that highlighted several different decorative papers, and something that is eye-catching. Here's what I have so far. I've installed tiny LED lights, which means that the cabins light up. I love adding lights to my creations. The switch is hidden inside of the time building on the deck. It lifts up to give access to the interior space. I am even thinking about adding lights to the mast. When I floated that idea with my family, I got a very mixed reaction, so I am not sure. I thought it might make it more magical since it will be displayed in the winter when it gets dark pretty early. I am hoping to work on the yards and the sails today. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwINMujcOAGLZy9oDKYQpeQqz8Vfqlw71Km80HPUs4yTYHCOnBHDbiJupjJx-bqsxGvpmzsdwjFAob7YZhp3KVtMfYGOJJ4A4OtbbmRYiFm9LyfWB8H2EI6GCl02HTXJj08Mk4JfSYq_E/s1600/Paper+Ship+with+Hull+Done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwINMujcOAGLZy9oDKYQpeQqz8Vfqlw71Km80HPUs4yTYHCOnBHDbiJupjJx-bqsxGvpmzsdwjFAob7YZhp3KVtMfYGOJJ4A4OtbbmRYiFm9LyfWB8H2EI6GCl02HTXJj08Mk4JfSYq_E/s640/Paper+Ship+with+Hull+Done.jpg" /></a></div>{Paper Ship in progress}<br />
<br />
I also spent a lot of focused time putting together a workshop that I will teach next summer, but then the subject and age group changed, so I am back to needing to do a lot of planning, sourcing, etc. The new workshop will be a lot of fun, I just need to wrap my head around it and come up with some fun, funky and creative projects to go along with teaching art history to young kids.<br />
<br />
I also spent some of the weekend camping with some of the families from AVS. One of the families owns part of a valley near Boulder and they have a summer house on part of the land. Remmie (the dog) and I were there from Saturday afternoon until lunch time on Sunday. It was wonderful to finally go camping. I have been wanting to go for the last two years, so it felt good to be out in the wild. I would have liked to have some of my family with me, but they simply were not available. <br />
<br />
We did a lot of visiting and eating. The highlight of the camping trip was when we saw a Moose family (buck, cow and calf) just a short distance away from us. The buck kept running back and forth in the river. It seemed strange. We heard that there was a big cat in the area, so we guessed that the moose was trying to distract it so that the big cat would not attack the baby. Later in the evening I set up my tent near that area. I slept lightly that night, slightly worried that the moose would return, or that the big cat might show up. Neither one did, though I could hear some sort of rodents eating grass throughout the night. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAA2qPxnelJCj4cXDbYG-Avwv068NsvgTh0B-akgP3kYQhz8X1QgcHydZCsN3rE9uj8WO4iZEB9cBuA2i3ltqDClEVJsmMhJjacFrQOqGW2hhpfN9ieminK_KvWow7REuLP6l1JkoJ4I/s1600/DSC7570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAA2qPxnelJCj4cXDbYG-Avwv068NsvgTh0B-akgP3kYQhz8X1QgcHydZCsN3rE9uj8WO4iZEB9cBuA2i3ltqDClEVJsmMhJjacFrQOqGW2hhpfN9ieminK_KvWow7REuLP6l1JkoJ4I/s640/DSC7570.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0cDKlg3FF6Bla69oqFjVpmP91IY9LqnW9NMtJCO0OwMYJabK6Ushpnolpf7RQRphKGrSwAj3_qHCj_CX9LaFuGuLwJfiQOcgeCe3YlGvXJ6p_5rZ9YOdyRlG4xZC8JzyC3kwswxf_c4/s1600/DSC7573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0cDKlg3FF6Bla69oqFjVpmP91IY9LqnW9NMtJCO0OwMYJabK6Ushpnolpf7RQRphKGrSwAj3_qHCj_CX9LaFuGuLwJfiQOcgeCe3YlGvXJ6p_5rZ9YOdyRlG4xZC8JzyC3kwswxf_c4/s640/DSC7573.jpg" /></a></div>{Camping}<br />
<br />
The next morning Remmie and I spend a while sitting outside of the tent, being calm, quiet and watching the sun peak over the mountains. I brought along some of my art materials and had a few people add images to my social sketching books. I had hoped to do more art, but that just did not happen. I am hopeful and prepared like that a lot. <br />
<br />
The first couple of weeks of the new school year is always super busy, so I prepped a lot of food for the week. Here's a few of the recipes I will be using:<br />
<br />
<b>Magic Custard Cake</b><br />
<i>via: </i><a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/magic-custard-cake/">White on Rice Couple</a><br />
<br />
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted<br />
2 cups Milk<br />
4 Eggs, separated<br />
4 drops White Vinegar<br />
1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar<br />
1 TBL Water<br />
1 cup Flour<br />
1 tea Vanilla Extract<br />
Powdered Sugar for dusting<br />
<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 325°F. <br />
<br />
Lightly butter a 8"x 8" baking dish.<br />
<br />
Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool. <br />
<br />
Warm the milk to lukewarm and set aside.<br />
<br />
Whip the egg whites and vinegar to stiff peaks. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light. Mix in the melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.<br />
<br />
Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until everything is well mixed.<br />
<br />
Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in.<br />
<br />
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top is golden. Allow cake to completely cool before cutting and then dust with confectioner's sugar *see Note 1.<br />
<br />
Note 1: For faster cooling you can place the cake in the fridge. Even after fully cooled, it will still be slightly jiggly.<br />
<br />
Recipe Source: WhiteOnRiceCouple.com.<br />
<br />
* The kids really enjoyed this one, especially Kohlton. I liked the fact that it was not too sweet. I think I could leave off the powdered sugar topping and make it into a breakfast item.<br />
<br />
------------<br />
<b>Cajun Style Grill Packets with Corn, Potatoes, Shrimp and Sausage</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/cajun-style-grill-foil-packets.html">Favorite Family Recipes</a><br />
<br />
8-12 pieces of corn on the cob (4 full cobs cut in half or in thirds)<br />
4 red potatoes, washed and cubed<br />
20-30 uncooked shrimp (peeled or not, it's up to you)<br />
1 Lb. smoked sausage, cut into chunks<br />
melted butter (or olive oil), to taste<br />
1/2 c. chicken broth (you may not need that much)<br />
Cajun/Creole seasoning (we like to use Tony Chachere's brand), to taste<br />
salt and pepper, to taste<br />
Instructions<br />
<br />
(Makes 4 grill packets)<br />
<br />
Heat grill to 400-degrees (you can do this in your oven, too, at the same temp.).<br />
Evenly distribute corn, potatoes, shrimp, and sausage between 4 heavy-duty foil sheets (appx 12x18 inches each).<br />
Drizzle melted butter and about 2 Tbsp. chicken broth over each foil packet.<br />
Season evenly (and generously), to taste with Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.<br />
Tightly seal foil packets by folding up the sides over the contents and tightly folding up the ends over the seam.<br />
Grill 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, flipping once half-way through (be careful opening the packets to check for doneness, the steam inside is VERY hot)!<br />
<br />
-----------<br />
<b>Stick of Butter Rice<br />
</b><br />
<i>via: </i><a href="http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/01/stick-of-butter-rice/">Thirty Handmade Days blog<br />
</a><br />
1 c. uncooked white rice (NOT instant) <br />
1 (10 oz) can of Condensed French Onion Soup<br />
1 (10 oz) can of Beef Broth<br />
1/2 c. of butter, sliced<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.<br />
<br />
In a 9x9 inch baking dish combine rice, soup and broth.<br />
<br />
Cut butter into slices and place on top of the mixture.<br />
<br />
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Remove cover and bake 30 minutes more.<br />
<br />
This can be doubled or tripled to feed more. Optional: small can of drained mushrooms can be added as well.<br />
<br />
-----------<br />
<br />
<b>Lemon Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken and Broccoli</b><br />
<i>via:</i><a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/03/lemon-fettuccine-alfredo-with-grilled-chicken-and-broccoli/"> Cooking Classy</a><br />
Yield: About 6 servings<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
12 oz dry fettuccine pasta<br />
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced into strips<br />
4 cups broccoli florets (from 1 lb broccoli crowns)<br />
2 Tbsp butter<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 Tbsp flour<br />
1 3/4 cups milk (preferably 1%)<br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
3 oz. light or regular cream cheese, diced into cubes<br />
1/2 cup (1.5 oz) finely shredded parmesan, plus more for serving<br />
3 Tbsp heavy cream<br />
1 Tbsp lemon zest, plus more for serving<br />
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
<br />
Prepare pasta in salted water according to directions listed on package, adding in broccoli during last 5 minutes of boiling pasta (so they will both boil together during last 5 minutes, then drain them together. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water just in case you want to thin sauce, I didn't use it but I always save some just in case).<br />
<br />
In a large and deep skillet or pot, melt butter over medium heat then add in garlic and flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. While whisking slowly pour milk into flour mixture, then cook, whisking vigorously to smooth lumps until mixture begins to thicken. Add in cream cheese and parmesan and whisk until melted (it will look lumpy at first but will begin to smooth). Mix in cream and season with salt and pepper to taste (I liked this with a fair amount of pepper). Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice.<br />
<br />
Toss drained pasta and broccoli into sauce mixture along with chicken (thin with reserved pasta water if needed). Serve warm topped with additional parmesan, lemon zest and pepper as desired.<br />
<br />
Recipe source: Cooking Classy, inspired by my Light Fettuccine Alfredo<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Chicken Tikka Masala</b><br />
<i>via:</i> All Recipes<br />
<br />
1-1/2 cups yogurt<br />
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice<br />
1 tablespoon ground cumin<br />
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or garam masala)<br />
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper<br />
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger<br />
1/2 tablespoons salt, or to taste (adjusted)<br />
4-1/2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces<br />
6 long skewers<br />
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter<br />
1-1/2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1-1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped<br />
1 tablespoon ground cumin<br />
1 tablespoon paprika<br />
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste<br />
1-1/2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce<br />
1-1/2 cups heavy cream<br />
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro <br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.<br />
Preheat a grill for high heat.<br />
Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.<br />
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Honey Glazed Salmon</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://damndelicious.net/2014/08/18/honey-glazed-salmon/">Damn Delicious<br />
</a><br />
<br />
4 salmon filets<br />
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
4 tablespoons honey<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
Zest of 1 lime<br />
<br />
FOR THE BROWNED BUTTER LIME SAUCE<br />
6 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
2 cloves garlic, pressed<br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
Juice of 1 lime<br />
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.<br />
<br />
To make the browned butter lime sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, honey and lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.<br />
<br />
Season salmon with salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge each salmon filet with 1 tablespoon flour and drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey.<br />
Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add salmon to the skillet and sear both sides until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.<br />
<br />
Place into oven and bake until completely cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Serve immediately with browned butter lime sauce and lime zest, if desired.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-1510761812489511352015-08-05T09:48:00.000-06:002016-11-28T22:48:13.495-07:00Cardboard Shipwright + Korean Style Pork Chops & Pork CarnitasI am so excited to tell you that I am creating the Two Hands Paperie holiday window display and I am super excited. I feel so thankful and fortunate for this opportunity. IT will be a fantastical night sky with a tall ship, a castle on a cloud and a 1915 style man on the moon. Each of those main pieces will light up. There will also be tons of stars and maybe more clouds. Although it will not be hung until November 22, I am working on the hard, intricate parts now. I love making things with paper; I always have. <br />
<br />
Right now I am building the ship. It is slow, but fun. There are not any patterns or books that tell you exactly how to make them, so I am figuring it out as I go. I am very inspired by the handmade boats that<a href="http://www.annwoodhandmade.com/"> Ann Wood</a> creates. I bought the book she wrote, and considered her advice, but what I want is more complex, so the patterns that she sells did not work for my purpose. Here's an example of her lovely work:<br />
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<i>{This boat was created by Ann Wood.}</i><br />
<br />
I was going to make my ship out of wire, but I could not get the wire to behave in the way that I wanted it to. After a lot of fusing and thinking about the wire idea, I ditched it and went with cardboard. It is much more familiar for me to work with. It took me about two days to fashion the skeleton as I had to think a lot about proportions, flow and strength. I want the ship to be pretty. I want it to hang gracefully and I want it to last. I don't want it to sag. Thus, I put in a lot of support, especially for the masts. <br />
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I made the deck as a separate piece to allow for adjusting or changing out the lights. I am employing a 4' string of tiny LED lights that are powered by watch batteries. This means that you need to have access to the battery part to change them out. To accomplish this, I built a tiny house like structure (that would be the way you get into the belly of the ship) that can be lifted off to gain access to the batteries. <br />
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<br />
I also made the deck slightly raised so that it does not sit directly on the lights. I also covered the windows with clear plastic (cut from packaging) and then a layer of yellow tissue paper to diffuse the light. Without the tissue paper you ca see the wire and the lights, which is not the look I am going for. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2MfI8KaPulY68Jf1vb5m4eszFKNWUobNQ3toma6gBWn3a2cW5zCOdzommyzUGaSRDG0x6866Dtge3v_XxMQutimW66BmItdI7R9bqNpBrGHsMcNZZqE-I-3iEYJP9xQWm_u84-sFWKE/s1600/DSCF4681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2MfI8KaPulY68Jf1vb5m4eszFKNWUobNQ3toma6gBWn3a2cW5zCOdzommyzUGaSRDG0x6866Dtge3v_XxMQutimW66BmItdI7R9bqNpBrGHsMcNZZqE-I-3iEYJP9xQWm_u84-sFWKE/s640/DSCF4681.JPG" /></a></div>
t<br />
The next challenge, which I am working on now, is to create a skin for the hull. I have applied strips of paper that are hot glued and taped in place. This surface will be covered with the decorative papers. I am just trying to figure out the best way to do this. Should I create a paper mache surface first? Will several coats of Modge Podge be the right product? I am going to have to think about this a bit more, though not too long. I would really like to get this piece done before I return to teaching on Monday.<br />
<br />
I love these kinds of challenges. They are a sort of puzzle to me. I told my kids that I maybe in my next life I could be part of the teams that make the model building or bigatures for the movies. They replied that they are tired of my putting my dreams on hold and that I should go for it. I reminded them that I would have to live someplace like Hollywood in order to make those. They said that it is time for me to find a way for me to make those dreams happen, even if it is not in Hollywood, that perhaps I could make the stuff and sell it. It is wonderful that they are so supportive. I think they have the idea that I have put all of my dreams on hold while they were little. I reminded them that being a mom was a dream of mine, too, and that raising them is a wonderful thing. I reminded them that we can have many dreams. I am thankful that my family is so supportive of the art I do.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, I need to get back to figuring out the proper way to decorate the hull.<br />
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<br />
<b>Korean Style Pork Chops</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/pork-main-courses/korean-style-pork-chops/">Jo Cooks</a><br />
<br />
4 pork chops<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
¼ cup soy sauce, low sodium<br />
2 tbsp honey<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
1 tsp ginger, minced<br />
2 tsp sriracha sauce<br />
black pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.<br />
In a medium size bowl whisk together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and sriracha sauce. Pour over pork chops and let marinade for about 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet for medium high heat. Add pork chops, without marinade, and cook for about 5 minutes for the first side, or until it gets a nice brownish color. Flip the pork chops and pour the remaining marinade over them. Cook another 5 min on this side.<br />
<br />
Place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking them. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until pork chops are completely cooked through.<br />
<br />
---------<br />
<br />
<b>Pork Carnitas</b><br />
<i>via: </i> <a href="http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2012/11/pork-carnitas.html">My Kitchen Escapades<br />
</a><br />
(recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated)<br />
<br />
4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
3/4 tsp pepper<br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 onion, peeled and halved<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
2 Tb fresh lime juice<br />
2 C water<br />
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves<br />
<br />
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, (this is my favorite one!) including the spent orange halves and juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.<br />
2. Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan. Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid. Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.<br />
3. While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces. Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot. Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper.<br />
4. Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat. Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-43598355086684954012015-07-31T16:07:00.001-06:002015-07-31T18:42:22.411-06:00Jeffco Open Space Trail Stewardship Season - Ellie's Crew and Colleagues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4dpqfHvq4yOMNjgHF4iJCsaUIVugPqB2qsFu8OKGrUhxnrw5fPPozdxWJ-psVmaRR2w6v0rfZChGHgVHk0iWzb7nIIYAyDwldIwmK0R3ujY15zCgefBLHcCdkoP4fVBMLPh7GE2Ti24/s1600/IMG_0605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4dpqfHvq4yOMNjgHF4iJCsaUIVugPqB2qsFu8OKGrUhxnrw5fPPozdxWJ-psVmaRR2w6v0rfZChGHgVHk0iWzb7nIIYAyDwldIwmK0R3ujY15zCgefBLHcCdkoP4fVBMLPh7GE2Ti24/s640/IMG_0605.jpg" /></a></div>The trail stewardship season ended with a fun picnic and a few prizes yesterday. I thought you might like seeing what it was like:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5W6HjNxvTgpMmOACf4VFdD0g8FMvb4X-PbHe0zgi-8De193TYjlFayG1TzI0C8-pi0dEGnOQ_bfT8DXC9WNie-QXOot4Y_xd5cYcbS6fmqMNZZijg4C7mjgx6P470GtekpbRKte0AWg/s1600/IMG_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5W6HjNxvTgpMmOACf4VFdD0g8FMvb4X-PbHe0zgi-8De193TYjlFayG1TzI0C8-pi0dEGnOQ_bfT8DXC9WNie-QXOot4Y_xd5cYcbS6fmqMNZZijg4C7mjgx6P470GtekpbRKte0AWg/s640/IMG_01.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisPNjM4DMMFYeBRLvf4G3k7vXdSA3bd24TLGhL1vOmnLv7fomb8HevOtfOSAPdHsQkQPGtDbkjtB7NU2y4hSmt1cmcKnP0r5mtABlMiNRbLiuLbNp_gE3OQVaTKm-iI-4mevMo9Y8ZLk/s1600/IMG_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisPNjM4DMMFYeBRLvf4G3k7vXdSA3bd24TLGhL1vOmnLv7fomb8HevOtfOSAPdHsQkQPGtDbkjtB7NU2y4hSmt1cmcKnP0r5mtABlMiNRbLiuLbNp_gE3OQVaTKm-iI-4mevMo9Y8ZLk/s640/IMG_02.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_xIoVYsjLc1TVo6WRAPUzxEEsBOS-9ip1YsQXW1K9G9zb8UCAkJBIcLRt0JZeHc-TRBb_v3-CXeXpGeT7Wbh3YPcjkqPR04Fkd3x1c-xlhJZWxQE0Y8mt3270Pb6Zi1XwNiMcHhLRgo/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_xIoVYsjLc1TVo6WRAPUzxEEsBOS-9ip1YsQXW1K9G9zb8UCAkJBIcLRt0JZeHc-TRBb_v3-CXeXpGeT7Wbh3YPcjkqPR04Fkd3x1c-xlhJZWxQE0Y8mt3270Pb6Zi1XwNiMcHhLRgo/s640/IMG_0312.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKthh6Xa-_3h8D8-09KyKnoXtWmu4PoLHxi4l_jVYZQObAFN8QcVqzkDpGhZ8XO0AK7ljkz3hfg827FfSwkSXeyT3o1DNvHy3trZxWUYVbH8DxcTc5Rac0Q2Uck12vmBW-fr2i-ebMzrc/s1600/IMG_0320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKthh6Xa-_3h8D8-09KyKnoXtWmu4PoLHxi4l_jVYZQObAFN8QcVqzkDpGhZ8XO0AK7ljkz3hfg827FfSwkSXeyT3o1DNvHy3trZxWUYVbH8DxcTc5Rac0Q2Uck12vmBW-fr2i-ebMzrc/s640/IMG_0320.JPG" /></a></div>The crew leaders are in blue. The kids on the crews wear yellow. I've also included pictures of Chuck and Amanda, the supervisors for the program.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBfAeNJRaSitujlx5FBwd5BA6zD7fD5uozCFYr2-S77UU8aKWU4Hu2pDsAg5dSGinBa0ZhLLptgza2cAUlpV4ycQNLRjhIu5U6sFmWQwI7altLwXTd8OEvl6580rRzprufHUpzG18vpc/s1600/IMG_024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBfAeNJRaSitujlx5FBwd5BA6zD7fD5uozCFYr2-S77UU8aKWU4Hu2pDsAg5dSGinBa0ZhLLptgza2cAUlpV4ycQNLRjhIu5U6sFmWQwI7altLwXTd8OEvl6580rRzprufHUpzG18vpc/s640/IMG_024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwk11WOUWCVg0T_-S4-dfUwcbWJ-2TtsLBN_NRYKNSIL70qUd3DDX1MbyGVeIoU036MrPJXd20KVxWdf8Rgc9srJV1fIbUkDEHrOGN7NSUBfE9Y_nzYIYKjCQFoaExbjKkvRzhrYRfYDc/s1600/IMG_070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwk11WOUWCVg0T_-S4-dfUwcbWJ-2TtsLBN_NRYKNSIL70qUd3DDX1MbyGVeIoU036MrPJXd20KVxWdf8Rgc9srJV1fIbUkDEHrOGN7NSUBfE9Y_nzYIYKjCQFoaExbjKkvRzhrYRfYDc/s640/IMG_070.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yU1L2dDtC0UUksfmyO0uKyqgE-MLmCMuuTMiAnGMQsolxTFqf5tdCAUwHXB30dKSoBDc1NDfHf87ouUVf4m9HB41lUH7U07-43bJKxhuvrlkQX87txA8OBMdzrLozOZoJzEKpqpduPQ/s1600/IMG_095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yU1L2dDtC0UUksfmyO0uKyqgE-MLmCMuuTMiAnGMQsolxTFqf5tdCAUwHXB30dKSoBDc1NDfHf87ouUVf4m9HB41lUH7U07-43bJKxhuvrlkQX87txA8OBMdzrLozOZoJzEKpqpduPQ/s640/IMG_095.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9uP2S0hByTM0cNL-uqnC66C2Jx8Rw1I919lcyaUitvbuy8q3pSBrV_1F4DnGW9mMezsBpt5Fy8MUpSAP0JAARZWJrAXC21dcZnmaMsyJYZtdnQ9cMxQl86O4w1lNTYAV_zaO1AK3I4Q/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9uP2S0hByTM0cNL-uqnC66C2Jx8Rw1I919lcyaUitvbuy8q3pSBrV_1F4DnGW9mMezsBpt5Fy8MUpSAP0JAARZWJrAXC21dcZnmaMsyJYZtdnQ9cMxQl86O4w1lNTYAV_zaO1AK3I4Q/s640/IMG_0161.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLyeklQefP7srg1QXkbZoDy0O_9vEMNGvNbvHa3PCh3UkjOtauoN1sNiXqRO5sh5EqQarHyclG97VNCHMcqG0XdoPpPRnxLWWB2PxqKRv_lNbbBIsKevQnGfCp4cRu_HmeghDqheCyP0/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLyeklQefP7srg1QXkbZoDy0O_9vEMNGvNbvHa3PCh3UkjOtauoN1sNiXqRO5sh5EqQarHyclG97VNCHMcqG0XdoPpPRnxLWWB2PxqKRv_lNbbBIsKevQnGfCp4cRu_HmeghDqheCyP0/s640/IMG_0162.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjZR9rdHt2O4fYndeOj-_-5_3Ya3sCEIX8WidtUWK4FYmaDxdXcrelCpN3aYI0rkDWAXA_G7fvGLKx36S9gNeTkp2fLWtQZUxZwBNtxgS5qNLFzV-JP_f82B-6MPNcgrnj0wHy3aiUUg/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjZR9rdHt2O4fYndeOj-_-5_3Ya3sCEIX8WidtUWK4FYmaDxdXcrelCpN3aYI0rkDWAXA_G7fvGLKx36S9gNeTkp2fLWtQZUxZwBNtxgS5qNLFzV-JP_f82B-6MPNcgrnj0wHy3aiUUg/s640/IMG_0204.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UkpwIbl3nFgneFtaI3gsbphQQk6IUn5YjxT-KGjznRJNUn3dvrKVIV08MNH2DkXTc1xn4qpQgxzlXYjabnBJQt_Npa9JS2kEPTQJB76y-xKKWbe5pnkvZBwI2dIEFWzoMz4ziHIMDCU/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UkpwIbl3nFgneFtaI3gsbphQQk6IUn5YjxT-KGjznRJNUn3dvrKVIV08MNH2DkXTc1xn4qpQgxzlXYjabnBJQt_Npa9JS2kEPTQJB76y-xKKWbe5pnkvZBwI2dIEFWzoMz4ziHIMDCU/s640/IMG_0318.JPG" /></a></div>In the morning they would meet at the central office and then ride a bus to the work location. I am pretty sure that they only worked at White Ranch this year, which is unusual since they usually get to several parks in a season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-3Qvxq7u0hRKKeIEnjA-yCvkdd4fraLittBLKkoHk_BGN8aAXgym66ikM1FIiF9lb0Lbu2W20o5vDBLeUN2Uq875wYvDvF5d-jBF0TI6D6ZgYA7O5lX8h5mZpnOKWQ9-2q9yrWCNJ-8/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-3Qvxq7u0hRKKeIEnjA-yCvkdd4fraLittBLKkoHk_BGN8aAXgym66ikM1FIiF9lb0Lbu2W20o5vDBLeUN2Uq875wYvDvF5d-jBF0TI6D6ZgYA7O5lX8h5mZpnOKWQ9-2q9yrWCNJ-8/s640/IMG_0177.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIeYSzxbckU6Vw3wvszUgN4dwb2LDyaBxPfVKdtZgg6cqz9RqS9BMzC1CdQnrDpv8zJYPzpsFXFMfz_xP8eyxATLg7yKCvBYjXYUD8VdXtav-Kh7I9PUDE0PfkNRDPBqR8KUeahxZlX4/s1600/IMG_0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIeYSzxbckU6Vw3wvszUgN4dwb2LDyaBxPfVKdtZgg6cqz9RqS9BMzC1CdQnrDpv8zJYPzpsFXFMfz_xP8eyxATLg7yKCvBYjXYUD8VdXtav-Kh7I9PUDE0PfkNRDPBqR8KUeahxZlX4/s640/IMG_0189.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTf63nYdc4vhovNjlyy_53kXx6ULsxlzOIB2ADCkVcPXPPZLT_Z5gytKx5Ko9ZQUCjX06-09HlGsQBOp70Eq7GSnq4IuWDyPq94HRsLUfji6SqFg1KQg5E_nFrNkLUBEXaQdP_HbxDDg/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTf63nYdc4vhovNjlyy_53kXx6ULsxlzOIB2ADCkVcPXPPZLT_Z5gytKx5Ko9ZQUCjX06-09HlGsQBOp70Eq7GSnq4IuWDyPq94HRsLUfji6SqFg1KQg5E_nFrNkLUBEXaQdP_HbxDDg/s640/IMG_0314.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivunbTWdei1XTGyqE_RET1PkG0JLC34x4Hhk7nEmU7AdxINcIU5vSKgKxqg67xfs0CRa5wQ48YiXE1D55hw_uByx1e4GiPtFEkMXug2Nl_V8p3k5yV7GjRYZR__mmP2ND7MKLmGfUKltE/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivunbTWdei1XTGyqE_RET1PkG0JLC34x4Hhk7nEmU7AdxINcIU5vSKgKxqg67xfs0CRa5wQ48YiXE1D55hw_uByx1e4GiPtFEkMXug2Nl_V8p3k5yV7GjRYZR__mmP2ND7MKLmGfUKltE/s640/IMG_0318.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Ellie really enjoyed being a crew leader and was thrilled when one of the boys on her crew won the silver pick award, especially since only six kids win awards of this nature. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaex2BQCn3YevgQX0hFRBZJKM3YBn9UBu6LJ559p77jxBg7xgPz0mcaeHpjr0ob4jM9OurtZODvGyQ_SH-2HCtQvm08ByO7VApuWm6maFExPJEUR2J040RjXdS757z8TRl3wlShhOPZJ4/s1600/IMG_0610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaex2BQCn3YevgQX0hFRBZJKM3YBn9UBu6LJ559p77jxBg7xgPz0mcaeHpjr0ob4jM9OurtZODvGyQ_SH-2HCtQvm08ByO7VApuWm6maFExPJEUR2J040RjXdS757z8TRl3wlShhOPZJ4/s640/IMG_0610.jpg" /></a></div>Ellie had fun and she also learned a lot. I would imagine that she would like to be a crew leader again, if she is not already employed doing something else next summer.<br />
Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-19332166915174096282015-07-29T21:32:00.001-06:002015-07-29T21:32:35.845-06:00A Few of My Favorite Mountain Ranges + Thai Chicken Salad RecipeI recently spent three days painting a mural of some of my favorite Colorado mountain ranges on the wall in the main room at Alpine Valley School.<br />
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The mural reminds me of the mountains that my father painted in my room in his house when I was little. I thought a lot about that while I was painting. I am thankful for being able to paint murals. It is really pretty gratifying to be able to create art.<br />
<br />
Here's what it looks like:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfXKqSHYarzQW1zSssNBvbTfEaOUwQFWTf2NFP2mfEKn2z-e-1_166aa-bh21AEaDTXwiwvKfC2alBlq_oPtgJ8ooVDSbrpDQQ6JOQkaQuSQsg5rl7NFKht0YdMJQizRTkm6Nm3M5Mjo/s1600/DSCF4672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfXKqSHYarzQW1zSssNBvbTfEaOUwQFWTf2NFP2mfEKn2z-e-1_166aa-bh21AEaDTXwiwvKfC2alBlq_oPtgJ8ooVDSbrpDQQ6JOQkaQuSQsg5rl7NFKht0YdMJQizRTkm6Nm3M5Mjo/s640/DSCF4672.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I began by picking out images of the Colorado mountain ranges that I love. I did this, instead of just drawing random mountain-like shapes, because it helped me keep them looking realistic and to scale. After I created the image, I put superimposed a grid over it to ensure the right proportions when I drew the image on the wall. Next, I painted the top or back ranges. This was so that I would be able to easily paint over any drips that occurred.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixok6dPbWjLk8M1YfeJrhrLQ2XeY8uaRJ33i-ZtKvHwjqyVqZQmP8iiWFzyPqkFygTA-fyy6fi2ESPMuTMMLlSmc4KFy8fZ_w6vo3q37HG-iz_nO2s6ANgMERGJ46UueQG-yxJrYtiyYY/s1600/DSCF4654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixok6dPbWjLk8M1YfeJrhrLQ2XeY8uaRJ33i-ZtKvHwjqyVqZQmP8iiWFzyPqkFygTA-fyy6fi2ESPMuTMMLlSmc4KFy8fZ_w6vo3q37HG-iz_nO2s6ANgMERGJ46UueQG-yxJrYtiyYY/s640/DSCF4654.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDj5W73815czLVf-S33xPzz2hjty4I0rMV9Z75Bm7ampnJ4bSY1BuKXhbHSuygNeqBzdZh6SB91fWgUoaGiQMxYPrU-Xe4C1DBTK5YNDpfiDOuvAQ13pmlQw6kt6bEKjJEwYWJoKgTyA/s1600/DSCF4655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDj5W73815czLVf-S33xPzz2hjty4I0rMV9Z75Bm7ampnJ4bSY1BuKXhbHSuygNeqBzdZh6SB91fWgUoaGiQMxYPrU-Xe4C1DBTK5YNDpfiDOuvAQ13pmlQw6kt6bEKjJEwYWJoKgTyA/s640/DSCF4655.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlnnwXPt8gTil7L19ZnoWhLw35007RUXXCpzE50yjhqZ7KQjHfTPXh-SZem3u_bDhNtKHAdJKJm5CgnbXzUDVDbVQEuc_WpRl5R7BJP4-dP8QieAvfl39jd7OC2Cj721PyVtvEmbbKC4/s1600/DSCF4656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlnnwXPt8gTil7L19ZnoWhLw35007RUXXCpzE50yjhqZ7KQjHfTPXh-SZem3u_bDhNtKHAdJKJm5CgnbXzUDVDbVQEuc_WpRl5R7BJP4-dP8QieAvfl39jd7OC2Cj721PyVtvEmbbKC4/s640/DSCF4656.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL5BaCfxAU6ot4fgRzEY5cdiBqj0Y5qGX0MkIyJzsyKOx56o4ZVU2Ik1E9Ncz_aUcJXmyivWy14TS6YCaa4VYuBFsXtlsxayAtBPGXZUmjkW_taSBKdZDcZlJCEBK9zCT-18r1g8hkOs/s1600/DSCF4657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL5BaCfxAU6ot4fgRzEY5cdiBqj0Y5qGX0MkIyJzsyKOx56o4ZVU2Ik1E9Ncz_aUcJXmyivWy14TS6YCaa4VYuBFsXtlsxayAtBPGXZUmjkW_taSBKdZDcZlJCEBK9zCT-18r1g8hkOs/s640/DSCF4657.JPG" /></a></div>Next, I painted in the finer edges on the top and bottom of the middle ranges of mountains. I did this so that the harder work would be done in the event that someone else wanted to paint along side of me. I also painted over the grid marks I made on the wall from when I drew the images on the wall. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o0imLmtQF8ka8wlj07XTJHBfe2iOvTQ22WWdF9oaIprzEg2xvmo8_izxDqIN21GJSPjmwPR5k5HycLecfB1EfISqw1OLlZefr5y4tYTQ2Mc9RCz8WQh2HuIosH2kCktnD4NuEaDO0Og/s1600/DSCF4660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o0imLmtQF8ka8wlj07XTJHBfe2iOvTQ22WWdF9oaIprzEg2xvmo8_izxDqIN21GJSPjmwPR5k5HycLecfB1EfISqw1OLlZefr5y4tYTQ2Mc9RCz8WQh2HuIosH2kCktnD4NuEaDO0Og/s640/DSCF4660.JPG" /></a></div>I then painted them. From time to time I would also add in some clouds. I painted the clouds in small spurts as it was not so easy to stand on the foot stool I had and reach up as high as I could extend my arm and brush to paint the clouds. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDiXHHQQGDQTSGyBZ1wE1Dgfdyv6kWl2iFcc3KdYfvAbi_YKYCMJrZ5vj29SWZc9uh2mMfefNab_72qiw5mfa5_VgxRdrldc_B8jVksQlSZyNyvIr4lODtYkkwjqBYMbWr_sYu1R99f4/s1600/DSCF4662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDiXHHQQGDQTSGyBZ1wE1Dgfdyv6kWl2iFcc3KdYfvAbi_YKYCMJrZ5vj29SWZc9uh2mMfefNab_72qiw5mfa5_VgxRdrldc_B8jVksQlSZyNyvIr4lODtYkkwjqBYMbWr_sYu1R99f4/s640/DSCF4662.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zd6rM9C0-BTJOP-r1BFgVGx_lYnosG9uiwWWYw1g5wdynMSLKcEelMUdVhzskuBVWMCFptmwFPbqOOr5UjWm1VLlC8hMHy27I4f6UvHi2ubvvWFteEsBSOZspm25bhMZtyo7GKDpfpA/s1600/DSCF4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zd6rM9C0-BTJOP-r1BFgVGx_lYnosG9uiwWWYw1g5wdynMSLKcEelMUdVhzskuBVWMCFptmwFPbqOOr5UjWm1VLlC8hMHy27I4f6UvHi2ubvvWFteEsBSOZspm25bhMZtyo7GKDpfpA/s640/DSCF4664.JPG" /></a></div>I also went back over the top mountain range, touching up the paint where it was needed, as I would do with the other layers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31r512Dk63U5ws172Z7GQYVhAl7a5nVkoeIUNmnyeYQRu1kphQqwdXQjMRwG_BtIuGCjKhQuZbIYQU4BiNceXGie2cRpytTyrGgDFoOg49XdsMJiYYzc6ephGS8IxKVIT5UCNFk6GFxQ/s1600/DSCF4663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31r512Dk63U5ws172Z7GQYVhAl7a5nVkoeIUNmnyeYQRu1kphQqwdXQjMRwG_BtIuGCjKhQuZbIYQU4BiNceXGie2cRpytTyrGgDFoOg49XdsMJiYYzc6ephGS8IxKVIT5UCNFk6GFxQ/s640/DSCF4663.JPG" /></a></div>Now it is nearly done. I just have a few more clouds to add in. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDFG4zUjttHK5Fl9yvoWYa1hN-zeX1M4KkGfJaERQJVbaqRiZOK0TxPwJpoW0Hst9OizqreLmEYTY8jleXVHieiyqQUASFLLLQvbQiICRvFyKKMdBQIcaHqCLGX0hrmumgMie1TxNXtQ/s1600/DSCF4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDFG4zUjttHK5Fl9yvoWYa1hN-zeX1M4KkGfJaERQJVbaqRiZOK0TxPwJpoW0Hst9OizqreLmEYTY8jleXVHieiyqQUASFLLLQvbQiICRvFyKKMdBQIcaHqCLGX0hrmumgMie1TxNXtQ/s640/DSCF4670.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OtjnRItbyD6T0WSWnK-iOXJLHpuKB4y7IvcSJG-XCIan-hfHxc2X30-1Ult7jHnG4_YgCwX_GQ1Oe9J-hOb3kl5kpK8CTpZHW5LVLK7lJZFCXNS-RKUlsjoLMlPfoHru2H3wVDjHt2w/s1600/DSCF4671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OtjnRItbyD6T0WSWnK-iOXJLHpuKB4y7IvcSJG-XCIan-hfHxc2X30-1Ult7jHnG4_YgCwX_GQ1Oe9J-hOb3kl5kpK8CTpZHW5LVLK7lJZFCXNS-RKUlsjoLMlPfoHru2H3wVDjHt2w/s640/DSCF4671.JPG" /></a></div>I am curious to see if they will want the mountain ranges to expand onto another wall. When I posted the final image on Facebook, lots of people "liked" and commented on it. I hope it helps make the school feel just a bit more special.<br />
<br />
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Here's a nice dinner salad that we enjoyed:<br />
<br />
<b>Thai Chicken Salad</b><br />
<i>via:</i> <a href="http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2013/10/thai-chicken-salad-with-spicy-peanut.html">My Kitchen Escapades</a><br />
(recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/thai-chopped-chicken-salad/">Taste and Tell</a>)<br />
serves 8<br />
<br />
Chicken marinade<br />
1/2 C vegetable oil<br />
2 Tb rice vinegar<br />
1/4 C sugar or 2 Tb Truvia<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped<br />
1 lime, juiced<br />
dash of salt and pepper<br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – about 2 1/2 pounds total<br />
<br />
<br />
Salad<br />
2 hearts of romaine, chopped<br />
1/2 large head of napa cabbage, chopped<br />
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped<br />
2 carrots, shredded<br />
1 red bell pepper, chopped<br />
5 green onions, chopped<br />
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped<br />
1 C salted peanuts<br />
<br />
Dressing<br />
1/4 C rice vinegar<br />
1/4 C Thai sweet red chili sauce<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
1/2 tsp sugar or Truvia<br />
pinch of salt and pepper<br />
<br />
Peanut Sauce<br />
1/4 C natural peanut butter<br />
2 Tb soy sauce<br />
1 Tb rice vinegar<br />
1 Tb Thai sweet red chili sauce<br />
2 Tb water<br />
<br />
1. In a ziplock bag, combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Mush it all around, then place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours to marinade. Cook the chicken either on a hot grill, 6-8 minutes a side or in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Allow it to cool a bit, then chop up all the chicken into bite sized pieces.<br />
2. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except for the peanuts, then add the chicken. Combine all the dressing ingredients then pour over the salad. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing. Dish out the individual servings of the salad.<br />
3. Stir together the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a small bowl. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, add a bit more water. Generously drizzle the peanut sauce over each serving of salad then top with the peanuts.Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496434553840144930.post-72805016638657771562015-07-26T23:29:00.002-06:002015-07-26T23:29:53.453-06:00Of Paws, Chickadees and Good FriendsThursday was a big day. I had a friend over whom I had not seen in over a year. Part way through the afternoon I received a call from Kohlton who called to tell me that my help was needed. Kohlton and Remmie went out to hike the trail that Ellie and her crew were working on. <br />
<br />
They started down the top trail at upper White Ranch. It seems that the hike was very steep and rough. Though the hike was long, it was not the longest one Remmie has been on, but the rocks were hard on his paws. Once they were close to their destination, Remmie started trying to take a lot of breaks, something that is unusual for him. Kohlton thought that maybe Remmie was just hot, or in need of a rest. Upon closer inspection, he found that Remmie's main pads on both of his front paws had begun to tear off and flap around like dried bits of leather. This was alarming and worrisome, so a Remmie rescue took place. It was clear that he would need to be removed from the mountain without his walking the rest of the way on his own. Ellie carried him for a short while, then Kohlton took him the rest of the way. That part took Kohlton about an hour and a half to hike.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1N2sWLJZgkw8goPJ7M4KhfXf6C8_MNapFV627P9ys9U0ddIajzFjIUCcDCWFQ335IO-5ZCByH9QL3kfvovdu5OSCT_Tluj0V8a7Px2dAjK_uTXAVKSljhi3P65Kj2VviUl_Ka1fEAPM/s1600/IMG_0625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1N2sWLJZgkw8goPJ7M4KhfXf6C8_MNapFV627P9ys9U0ddIajzFjIUCcDCWFQ335IO-5ZCByH9QL3kfvovdu5OSCT_Tluj0V8a7Px2dAjK_uTXAVKSljhi3P65Kj2VviUl_Ka1fEAPM/s640/IMG_0625.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERJBBfYpkYRZaXYEyGKVmru7izeV23jr0-hmfmvmuSTa8JnWHHhUsE3ZhC36X1m_k0k2QqwO4dl7EsjTaZA2pDmC8URBWkg4WYQ5YgzrX33O9ew0cDokjaWw_MkWA5J8AQLkpsu3nRY/s1600/IMG_0628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERJBBfYpkYRZaXYEyGKVmru7izeV23jr0-hmfmvmuSTa8JnWHHhUsE3ZhC36X1m_k0k2QqwO4dl7EsjTaZA2pDmC8URBWkg4WYQ5YgzrX33O9ew0cDokjaWw_MkWA5J8AQLkpsu3nRY/s640/IMG_0628.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-yj9mrW4lBql8s4JJ1Q3_oin0aFvZvZ4gROiJ2rSTzHqYhFBMyBvLZZ5vv5aThDtbPwXPfdRl1xCoDJc2KODpnia9f3_DOp2l2fBQNh6tGbPeR7DGt1w6FirQOIYgMbtm6GZMip49R8/s1600/IMG_0632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-yj9mrW4lBql8s4JJ1Q3_oin0aFvZvZ4gROiJ2rSTzHqYhFBMyBvLZZ5vv5aThDtbPwXPfdRl1xCoDJc2KODpnia9f3_DOp2l2fBQNh6tGbPeR7DGt1w6FirQOIYgMbtm6GZMip49R8/s640/IMG_0632.jpg" /></a></div>I am certain that Ellie would have like to be there to calm her dog down, but she had to finish her shift. Larr met Kohlton and Remmie at the lower parking lot to bring them home. I was going to go pick them both up, but Larr was able to get there faster than I was. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, I arranged for a vet. appointment. Our usual vet was booked until the middle of next week, so Ellie and Kohlton took Remmie to my mother's vet. That visit did not go well; both Remmie and Ellie were upset afterwards. <br />
<br />
That night Remmie was clearly ill and seemed to be running a fever. The next day was more of the same. As the evening drew near, Remmie seemed to be making a recovery. We were all relieved. <br />
<br />
Today he seems to be feeling much better, and my, is he ever happy to be better.<br />
<br />
Larr also did a wonderful thing for me. When we were much younger and new to our house, he put in a hook just outside of our bedroom upstairs. On that hook we hung a lovely, wooden birdhouse. I loved watching the birds at the feeder in the morning. Over time, the birdhouse fell apart and we did not repair it as we had become busy with baby Ethan.<br />
<br />
Now that I once again have a bit of time to wake up in a leisurely way, I love to listen to the birds again and I told Larr that I wished that we still had a bird feeder. Later in the week he brought home a large feeder along with three kinds of feed to attract different kinds of birds. So far the chickadees have been happy to discover our feeder. I look forward to see who else shows up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM4KRFNLCd61VnFma3WBpBnT43TqjplUBhmbaYwXKamlVhQ1B7t0pJew50qz5Y36oN9h_2Oz9Kd2fjyV0WnIVeoLyzw9W00I18tv1TJ9K8gkVPpB8R9AHeF_LpwMJjaynxjKSL1x46uU/s1600/Ethan+Austin+Hog+Gary+Cheyenne+Frontier+Days+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM4KRFNLCd61VnFma3WBpBnT43TqjplUBhmbaYwXKamlVhQ1B7t0pJew50qz5Y36oN9h_2Oz9Kd2fjyV0WnIVeoLyzw9W00I18tv1TJ9K8gkVPpB8R9AHeF_LpwMJjaynxjKSL1x46uU/s640/Ethan+Austin+Hog+Gary+Cheyenne+Frontier+Days+.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan and a few of his friends spent the weekend in Wyoming have a great time hanging out together and going to the Cheyenne Frontier Days. They attended some of the rodeo type events, attended the Keith Urban concert. Ethan was impressed with the concert and how much heart and soul Keith put into his performance. By the time Ethan came home on Sunday night, he was sunburned, tired and all pumped up from having so much fun.<br />
<br />
On Monday, Kohlton starts a brand new job. We are all excited for him. We hope it turns out to be a great opportunity for him. Tammy Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05351809005602843049noreply@blogger.com0