A Great Day

Garett and Grace stayed here today and we had the best time! They're 21 months old now. Garett finally has almost all of his teeth, and Grace is talking up a storm. Sorry this photo is a bit blurry - that's what I get for not wearing my glasses and making sure it was focused. No sight sweeter to this former preschool teacher than this one. They were so intent on these books! Eventually they made their way to my lap so I could read to them. That was probably my favorite part of the day. Well, that, and naptime. :o)

Dinner's in the Freezer

I taught my first Community Ed class tonight about freezer cooking. I think it went quite well, and I wasn't nervous at all. I had 12 people sign up and all of them showed up and paid to hear me! They were a great group - asked lots of questions and shared some tips of their own. They asked for a follow-up class, so I'll have to check into that. I teach this same one again in Feb/March. There were several people who wanted to come tonight, but couldn't because of harvest, so I was asked to do a second class.This was fun! :o)

Pumpkin girl

Grace was here for awhile today and enjoyed playing with the gourds and pumpkins. She didn't feel well, though, so it was a short day and she went home right after her nap.

My week thus far...

Jessica cooks: Monday we planned and shopped, then Tuesday she cooked. She made sour cream chocolate chip muffins, sausage biscuits, chili, and browned hamburger for future spaghetti with meat sauce meals. She was home for Fall Break and we enjoyed having her and Megan hang out here.

While she cooked, I hung out to lend support. Kept myself busy with the checkbook. See my helper in the upper left corner? He gave up lying amidst the papers and settled for just being near them...
Wednesday morning found us driving to Grand Island in some sweet snow flurries. Randy had to be at the Surgery Center by 6:30. Nothing major, just an outpatient procedure, but when he offered to drive home, I politely declined. :o)

This morning the yard was glistening in the sunlight when I went outside. I didn't really capture it like I wanted, but you get an idea of the frosty morning we had. I had to run to Lincoln this morning, then spent the afternoon working on my presentation for the Community Ed class I'm teaching next week. Worked at the theater tonight for a couple of hours.

Tomorrow I will have Grace for the day - I'm thinking we'll plant some tulips since it's supposed to be a decent afternoon weather-wise. I'll let you know...

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.
~Carol Bishop Hipps

Study Buddies

Yeah, I've been procrastinating with my schoolwork the past couple of weeks, but today I spent several hours studying and writing essays and interviewing preschool teachers. I did all of this DESPITE the help I got from "the boys". I got my books and papers, etc. out on the table and went to get a paper clip. Came back and found them lounging on my things. They must want a degree, too.

Little punkins

Took Wyatt and Grace out to Earl May's today to get pumpkins (Garett was still sleeping). They loved the animals - fish, birds, various rodentia, and Grace wanted to get in with the bunny. Wyat was a little freaked out by the parrot that flew around the store and kind of sat on my hand. :o)

We picked out many little pumpkins and they both helped load the wagon. Little Grace would grit her teeth and try to pick up nice big ones that probably weighed almost what she does. I distracted her by filling some bags with tulip bulbs and letting her load the wagon with those.

Wyatt was my wagon driver. He pulled, pushed, turned, and went in reverse, maneuvering the inside of the store as easily as the parking lot. It was a big wagon, too. People were impressed.

We stopped at the shop and gave Mommy a pumpkin to have at work, then took some home so Garett could have one, too. When I left, Wyatt was hauling them around the house, lining them up in various configurations, counting them, and protecting them.

It's not a very good photo - neither would look at me and I couldn't see much on the camera screen in the sunshine. Oh well. We had lots of fun even if my photographic documentation doesn't show it! :o)

The progeny of Bob & Elsie...

After this afternoon, there had to be a cousins post. Had to be.

Patty and Toni started it all, wanting to know who came where age-wise. Now, there are 32 of us - I had to look things up. Fortunately I have a copy of the "The Samual Adams Family of Lawrence County Illinois" (published 1980 by Barbara P. Quealy - all our parents got one) and we're all in there, so it was easy to list everyone. A few errors in dates, but pretty accurate.

Then I challenged them to list the cousin's children and grands. Long story short, we got a pretty comprehensive list made of the descendents of Bob and Elsie: 7 kids, 32 grandkids, 36 greats, and 15 great-greats (those are the ones we know of). (There are some steps in there that we'll add when we get that information.)

So, after playing with this all afternoon, and spending hours on the phone chatting with Debbie and Barbie, and emailing back and forth with Patty, I'm compelled to search out the definitions of cousins. You know, first cousin, second cousin, removed, etc. Here's how to figure it out (from Wikipedia):

The name of the cousinship is not determined by oneself, but rather is always determined by the generational level of the individual most closely related to the ancestor in common. Cousinship is actually a description of three individual's relationships with each other. Oneself, the cousin, and the ancestor in common. The following assumes there are no double cousins:

Step 1: To work out if two people are first, second, or third cousins, count back the generations to their common ancestor. For example, if the common ancestor is one's grandmother, that is two generations. If it is one's great-grandmother, that is three generations.

Step 2: Take the closest descendant of the common ancestor. For example, if one of the cousins is a great-great-grandchild (four generations) and the other is a grandchild, just consider the grandchild for now.

Step 3: If the closest descendant of the common ancestor is a grandchild (two generations), the cousins are first cousins; if three generations, second cousins, and so on.

Step 4: If the cousins are both separated from the common ancestor by the same number of generations, there is no "removed". If the number of generations from the common ancestor is different, that difference is the number of "removed"s.

For example, if one is a grandchild of (2 generations from) the common ancestor, and one's cousin is a great-great-grandchild of (4 generations from) the common ancestor, then one and one's cousin are first cousins twice removed.

Still with me? Shake your head, rub your eyes, and don't worry about it. We're FAMILY. That's all that matters.

Another birthday day!

Found out that today is my cousin Toni's birthday - HAPPY WISHES TO YOU!

Today also is my Uncle Tom's birthday - he passed in 1993, but I know he was thought about and loved today {{{Patty}}}.

Last, and NOT least, today is my Father-In-Law's birthday! What a happy day to celebrate his increasing health and well-being.

Happy Birthday Bob!!

just dessert

Ever since we returned home from our cruise, Greg and I have been searching for a particular recipe. I think it was our second night in the dining room that the dessert menu read "Light Almond Espresso Cake". I don't care for coffee, so I passed on that one. Can't even tell you what I ordered instead, because once I got a taste of that Light Almond Espresso Cake, I didn't want anything else. Greg let me have ONE bite of his, and Leslie gave me a couple bites of hers. YUM. No coffee taste, no almond taste, just rich, gooey chocolate encased in crispy, chewy phyllo, with a side of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. (Yes, my eyes rolled up inside my head after my first bite!)

We have Googled and searched and read endless recipe lists looking for something that just might be the world's best dessert. Tonight I believe I hit the nail on the head. It's called "Chocolate Peanut Butter Phyllo Purses". Obviously I left out the peanut butter, and I must say it was a very close approximation of what we had on the ship. I kept involuntarily going "mmmm" when I'd take a bite. Kitties wondered what was up. :o)

I'm posting the recipe here since I doubt I could find the link again. And the photo, well try not to lick your moniter!

Oh, and we ate this right before we watched "Biggest Loser". (Heehee.)

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PHYLLO PURSES

Flourless chocolate brownies

9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

Chocolate ganache

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons sugar

6 17x13-inch sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream

For brownies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until thick and pale. Stir chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Press down edges until even with middle of brownies. Cool completely. Using 2 1/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

For ganache: Bring 1/4 cup whipping cream and vanilla extract to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Refrigerate ganache until firm, about 1 hour. (Ganache can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter rimmed baking sheet. Stir peanut butter and 4 teaspoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Cut each phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form twelve 13x81/2-inch strips. Place 1 phyllo strip vertically on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Place second phyllo strip horizontally across first, forming cross; brush with butter. Stack 2 brownies in center of pastry. Top brownies with 1 tablespoon ganache and 1 tablespoon peanut butter mixture. Gather ends of phyllo strips together over brownies to form purse. Twist ends closed. Brush purse with melted butter and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form total of 6 purses. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appétit

R.S.V.P.

March 2001

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday
to Tonita today!

from my kitchen window

This was taken this morning shortly after the sun came up. You can see the sunlight making the top of the tree glow. I saw it from my kitchen window and went outside to look and knew I needed to share. Enjoy.

Play date

Garett and Grace were here yesterday. It went well and we got lots of playing done! :o)

They are 20 months old now and each very independent.

As soon as they came in the door, the kittens took cover. Grace spent a good part of the day stalking Tucker, and was saying his name pretty clearly by the time she left. At one point I found her pulling his tail to get him out from under the furniture.

We got out Jessi's Little Tykes dollhouse and she was in Heaven. Furniture and people and a little car to drive around. Doesn't get much better than that. :o)

Garett mostly ignored the kittens, choosing instead to amuse himself with pouring the cat food in his lap, then running his fingers through it. Tactile experience, yes, but smelly. I'm just thankful he didn't eat it!

He also took all the pillows off the couch and used them to cushion his diving practice on the floor. Then he thought my tossing pillows on top of him was the best fun! :o)

Oh, and there were a few photos around that had Randy in them. Grace was always amazed to see him and would point and say "Daddy!". I'd say, "Yes, there's Daddy." Until she pointed to the antique print of Jesus on the dining room wall and said, "Daddy!". Okay, I was laughing too hard to answer her.

Please don't eat the daisies...

Tucker just loves the daisies. He was all over me while I was trimming them up. Then, he'd sneak onto the dining room table and inch his way over to the vase. I'd head over to get him, and he'd snatch a flower petal, jump down, and run away.
I moved the vase onto the kitchen counter and he jumps up there now. Argh!
See the photo frame on the counter? Yeah, it's broken. He was chasing a fly and jumped off the table to catch it and knocked a bunch of pictures down.

Yesterday I had to shut him in the bathroom while we had supper - he really wanted a fajita!

He's a naughty kitty. Greg calls him "the bad one". I feel like the mom in the "NO, David" books. He's going to think his name is "No, Tucker"...

Hard to believe, but it's true...

Age ain't nothin' but a number

Randy had his 40th birthday on the 15th, but we didn't get to celebrate until yesterday when Alan and Angela could be here. The photo is one of Randy's presents, though we have yet to determine who will wear them... :o)

Seriously.

Yes, I am one of "those" people who have been waiting. Waiting to see if Izzy really quit. Waiting to see if George loves Callie. Waiting to see who Meredith chose. Waiting to see what happened to the panties.
I was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried. I've never liked Addison - ever - and I felt awful for her. My heart broke when Bailey tried to get to Omar to comfort him, and when she apologized to Denny, I wanted to sob. Izzy lying on the bathroom floor in her prom dress, grieving and angry. And when Christina climbed in bed with Burke and started to cry, that just did it.
I'm not sure about the Mer/Der/Finn thing. I can't see her with Finn at all. I've been mad at Derek ever since he chose Addison, yet kept Meredith hoping, so I'm not sure he deserves to have her.
Okay, I sound like a lunatic - it's a TV show. But I can't help myself. I am an addict.
Seriously.

another Birthday!

The weekend of sadness and hormones is over and now it's time to celebrate!


Today is Caleb's 18th birthday!


Happy Birthday, Nephew Caleb!!

Birth day

Today would have been her 62nd birthday. I miss her.

I wish she could see how great my kids grew up, and how wonderful my marriage turned out to be. I wish she could know the rest of her grandkids - how intelligent and funny and loving they all are. I wish we could have seen her grow old - white hair and wrinkles, being a Grandma and Great Grandma.

I am glad for all she taught me - how to cook (she really said to me, "A GOOD wife will never serve a TV dinner to her family for supper!" - little did she know I'd marry a man who LOVES TV dinners!), how to keep a home clean and welcoming, sing songs to comfort and entertain, instill independence in my kids, and how to love my family.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

What makes a family?

I finally got my college books at the end of this week, so tonight during the slow time at the theater, I got started reading in my Home, School, and Community textbook. The first chapter deals with defining what a family is and I found it very interesting. The "Ozzie and Harriet" family of the 50's never really existed. It seems that between 1890 and the late 1940's, the divorce rate in the U.S. was climbing. After WW II ended, women left their jobs and went home to have babies - thus the "baby boomers" (of which Greg and I are in the tail-end). After they had five or six children in as many years, women had to depend on marriage to survive economically. Those TV families were a fantasy, an unrealistic depiction of American life. A frustratingly unattainable goal.

Then the book asks us to draw a picture of our "ideal" family, and a picture of our actual family and compare. In my case, they'd be the same picture. You see, we have what is considered the "ideal family" in America. Two parents, two kids, boy older than girl. How did we do that? :o)

Thinking back to my childhood, my "ideal" family would look pretty much the way it was. Two parents, five kids, loads of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and all of my grandparents.

Were we the "ideal" American family? Lord, NO! :o) But who they were, made us who we are. Made us strive to be educated, adventuresome, respectful, and open-minded. Showed us how to work hard to support our families, love our babies, and treasure our family above all others. They maybe didn't teach us these things consciously, or with great finesse, and there are some significant things I wish could have been different, but they were what they were, and each generation tries to do better.

Can we ask more than that? That each generation tries to do better? They make us proud, and thankful that we have such a rich family heritage to pass on to them. . .