Hot and Cranky

It's hot and I'm crabby of it. One menopausal and let's keep it real here, overweight woman in 90+ weather makes for one crankly old lady.

Here are some of the ways I am beating the heat:

I made the hot tub into a cold tub, I just grab a book and soak.

Find someone with a real pool.

Hubby built Hawley a pup pool. That way he isn't panting on my patio creating more heat in my zone.

Keep dinner plans easy peasy with an Edaleen ice cream run.

Actually the guys are gone this evening and I am going to drive to Sonic in Ferndale, crank up the AC in the Element, have dinner and chill. Diet cherry limeade slushy, oh my!

Army Strong

I couldn't be more proud. Or humbled. Sam is enlisted in the United States Army.

He leaves for basic training in September to Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Then on to AIT for Medic training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

Hubby and I went to Seattle this morning for his swearing in ceremony. Sam left last night and spent the day with doctors and taking care of his paperwork. He is in good health and ready to serve.


Everything took place at MEPS*. All branches of the military leave from MEPS in Seattle. We saw many kids leaving today for the Marines, the Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard. It was humbling to see all of these soldiers and future soldiers making such a huge commitment for their country. They are all so willing to serve the United States and care so deeply for freedom. I'll never forget today. I had some teary moments watching the good byes.

My guys belong to God and I will be praying that He keeps Sam under a close watch. I trust that He can watch Sam wherever he goes to serve.

*Military Entrance Processing
*Oh, and if someone could find me a military acronym dictinary that would be very helpful...

My Glam Life

I know that this week it has seemed as though I am living the beautiful life. On Monday I went to boot camp, for a pedicure and then to the yacht for a seven hour lunch. Lovely. The life I was meant to live.


Let's have a reality check here, folks. Let's put things into perspective, shall we?

Do you or don't you? Wash the socks, I mean. When socks are this dirty in the laundry basket do you wash or toss? Spray and Wash isn't free, you know.

Hubby tried to tell me that four yards of compost from Smit's was too much. Nah, I always run out and I want enough.

Now no guy in their right mind will make eye contact with me because if they do I ask them to fill the wheel barrow and dump it on a flower bed. Everyone is sick of the whole thing. Meanwhile the rest is on my parking spot...

And we have two cords of firewood to stack.

Nothing glamorous about my life today.

If you don't have plans this weekend stop by for a party! A work party, that is...

A Boating Luncheon

Shelly is lounging in the salon of 4 My Girls, lounging now, but earlier she was creating up a storm. She brought a homemade boursin, a shrimp pate with a carmelized onion topping, served with rice sesame crackers. Stop by her blog and beg for the recipes.


Sheryl made a yummy Mexidip and Dor took care of the bar.

Just call me the Barefoot Contessa. Please. I loved those episodes where Ina packs up a lunch or supper to take on the boat for Jeffrey. She always has the right size container for just the perfect salad that is a meal unto itself. I found this recipe and had just the right container and garnishes too. Love it. The girls made me promise to share the recipe.


THAI Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar*(I used seasoned because it's what I had in the house)
1 tablespoon Asian garlic-chili sauce*(I used Asian sweet chili sauce because that is what I had in the house)
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes*(I used less because not everyone likes heat)
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Salad
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta*(I used 12 oz.)
3 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into strips*(I used my cash and carry frozen chicken breast)
1 cup julienne-sliced carrot*(I used the shredded carrots that I buy at Haggens)
6 green onions, chopped*(I used three, Dor doesn't like too many onions)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish*(I brought my Grandma's nut chopper on the boat and quickly garnished while on the boat)

DIRECTIONS
To make the dressing, place the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons of chicken broth together in a blender or bowl of a food processer. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin the dressing to your taste by adding more chicken broth or water.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place pasta into a large mixing bowl.
Add the chicken, carrots, green onions, red pepper, celery, and cilantro to the bowl with the linguine. Pour the dressing over the noodle-chicken mixture and toss until mixture is evenly coated.

*Oh come now, you didn't really think I'd follow the recipe word for word, did you?



Our hostess saying good bye. I'm not really sure if she said to come again though...

Oh, and one more thing Doreen doesn't like about boating is that boats don't have brakes. She's right about that, good thing we went NO Where!

Going NO Where

To go No Where we did have to first drive to the Blaine Harbor. A very pretty harbor with beautiful hanging baskets, parks and plants.

Once we were on the dock we were on the lookout for Sheryl's boat, where we planned to spend the day onboard going No Where. It was perfect. The weather, the boat, the laughs, good food and friends were all great.

Sheryl and Doreen got busy in the galley. (Notice I didn't say kitchen. I learned some boatingese, 'port, starboard, aft, salon, galley, head'.)
I pretty much know it all now. Watch out yachting world, here I come.

That's a joke. We all know boats are fraught with DaNgEr! I'm not keen on leaving the dock.

Doreen and I are not boaters, Sheryl and Shelly are boaters. They know boating etiquette, such as to run out and help another boat tie up. They are comfortable on a boat. Dor and I, not so much. It's the motion, the dangers and all the rules that we don't like, so we are happy tied up at the harbor.

Sometimes we did pretend to go somewhere, but don't worry, we went No Where.


We may be going No Where on the 4 My Girls, but we're all still going places in life! Here's to fifty!

Cheers!
Next I'll share a boating recipe, just like Ina Garten does on her show.
Stay tuned...

Love the Weekends

Saturday evening we went to the country for dinner, to BIL Bill and my sis, Jodi. I biked as far as I could get until Hubby drove up and picked up my bike and me. I made it almost 4.5 miles, next time I'll leave earlier, I think I could have made it the whole way but would have been late. Sunday I biked at Birch Bay.

Cookies with an 'S' for sisters or for Sam. Becky made cookies for sistas and for Sam whose chocolate pie she had eaten. Really, she made them for sisters but she is trying to make up with Sam so he got the leftovers.

BIL Bill and my sister Jodi are in between building houses and are renting a view with a house. Gorgeous views of the mountains, ponds, hay and wheat fields. The guys are enjoying the view while we were walking the hills and touring the ponds.

Grandiflora had a big sale this week and I went twice. The second time I got these treasures on the cheap. I'm looking for ideas for the tall glass and silver container. Maybe pasta on the kitchen counter, shiney brites at Christmas, leaves and nuts for Fall or seashells for Summer. Any creative suggestions would be appreciated. It was regularly $62.95 for sale price $16.00... Yes, I know it's not a bargain if it has no purpose. It'll come to me.

Gotta run, I'm going NoWhere today!

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Pt. I, II, III EDITS!

There is just no sense in crying over spilled milk and frankly, it is the only thing that hasn't spilled here this morning.

The girls only plan to go NOwhere have been put on hold, we are all moms and aunties, we get it, stuff happens, kiddos come first, we'll go on Monday.

However, while I'm on the phone adjusting plans I dropped the half and half (full, of course) as I was taking it out of the fridge.

It is everywhere, I'll be finding spots on the walls for months kind of everywhere. Seriously.

I empty the fridge, wipe everything down. At this point I'm having a pity party for one because yea, I thought I was going Nowhere with girls only and now I am cleaning the fridge. And my house needs cleaning, and I'm home so today may as well be the day...

I have just about everything back in the fridge when I drop the yogurt.

Just a teeny tiny yoplait, but when it hits the ground there is a far reaching splat, down the shelves and on the floor. I think it hit every shelf on its way to the floor. Yep, sure enough, every shelf. Even underneath shelves. Clever little yoplait. Peach, by the way.

Well, let's just take everything out of the fridge again and start over. I hate cleaning the fridge, let alone twice in one hour. Urrrrgggh

But there is no use crying over spilled milk, or half and half or yogurt...

Up and Onward!

Edited to Add:
As I am mopping and moping I see this on my fridge and I start laughing. Because every time I read this note from Becky I can't help but laugh...

Hawley is lucky to have Becky and we are too.

Edited to add AGAIN:
So I clean the house and then decide to go to Safeway and get some groceries. It takes me a bit because I have two new recipes so I'm looking for all the ingredients.
When I get to checkout and start to unload the groceries I hear one of the Safeway employees come behind me.

Him-"Ma'am, excuse me, you have a trail of milk coming from your cart."

Me-"No surprise here."

Him-"Whoa, this is bad" as he runs for the paper towels and clean up crew.

Me-"Not surprised."

Him-"Oooh it's big leak coming from your milk."

Me-"Yep , it's a mess, not a surprise, but, yes, a mess."

Him-"We'll get you a new cake mix, milk and oh look at the cilantro, and the ice cream cartons, it's froze right on there."

Me-"No surprise here, it's been happening all day, just sorry to involve you."

Him, the Checker and the other boxer-"Ma'am, do you want carry out?"

Me-"No, but thanks, there is just no sense in all of us getting hit in the parking lot."

Him-"Yes ma'am, and thank you."

I drove home carefully and then washed all my groceries before I put them in my clean fridge.

Now I am going to go and have something to drink on the patio and it's not going to be MiLk!

No surprise there.

Celebrating 50

Sheryl and I grew up together. We went to the same church and school, same college. We have laughed and cried together. We did one thing very differently.

She has three girls. I have three boys.

It has made our lives different in some ways. Okay, many ways.
Last evening her daughters gave her a surprise 50th birthday party. Frankly, sons can't pull off a party of this level. No way.

Yep, she is surprised!

Lisa, Kristin and Michelle put together a party that would make any mama proud. They learned from the best and it showed. Aren't they pretty?

Delicious food.

Stunning Bay view and sunset.

And just about the time I said to Shelly, "Do you think they thought of cupcakes?" They came out with the chocolate raspberry cupcakes. Perfect ending to a perfect evening.

Sheryl, Shelly, myself and Doreen in a pic toasting the camera. Any time the four of us are together, this photo happens. Seriously, I have years of these women in this pose.

On Friday the four of us are going to celebrate the big 50 with a girls only outing. I had my birthday in December and now they all turning fifty this summer.
So, where are we going to celebrate this occasion? You'll see...we are going NOWHERE!

Happy Birthday Miss Ad

The Jubilee, the 75th birthday of one of my favorite women is today.

Happy, happy 75th Birthday Miss Adelene! So wished I could have been at the party. Wishing you a very happy day and a great year.



I think diamonds are the gift of choice for a Jubliee celebrate, hope you get lots of diamond-like, platinum thoughts and wishes today!

Or maybe a diamond engagement ring as I am your personal wedding planner.
You go girl!

We Be Jammin'

Holly-grown raspberries+
15 cups of sugar+
3 boxes of surejell+
Miss Becky+
Mike's raspberry lemonade
(shared one, to keep our wits about us)+

=One really fun + productive Saturday evening.


Becky makes it look easy but it's not easy remembering why the timer is going off. Was it for 10 minutes of occasional stirring or 1 minute of boiling or 3 minutes of constant stirring and which bowl has what in it.
Jam it! Pay attention ladies.

All finished! I sent Becky home with Fisher's Scone Mix. The best there is! Origins at the Puyallup Fair, baked fresh at the Stone House on Sunday mornings, served with butter, jam and whipped cream.

Cheers!

Next up, fig jam and the figs are home grown. We also plan to make peach jam.
We be jammin'...

How Does Your Garden Grow?

This is a picture of my garden...
My pathetic leetle teeny garden. Some lettuce and zucchini in pots. A bigger garden than last year's, but still.

Yesterday I went to visit my friend Holly. I ran into her at the library where she asked me if I bought my berries. Ummmm yes, where else would one get berries? Apparently, one would get them from her garden. So late afternoon I went to Holly's garden/farm and picked berries, and lettuce (3 kinds) and cabbage, actually she picked all the lettuces and cabbage. I was kind of busy walking around with my mouth hanging open.
Her garden is amazing. And huge. And growing.

I. Will. Never. Go. To. Holly's house. Again. Without. My. Camera.

I'm soooo, sooo sorry.

You'll just have to take my word for it.

Her SIL Meagan is an artist and she used Holly's garden for inspiration for her paintings.

Becky is coming over for a jam making session tonight. Thanks Holly for the berries. And the inspiration!

Just So You Know

If you buy a half flat of raspberries it works out perfectly to make one Raspberry Pie and one batch of freezer raspberry jam. This includes eating a few berries as you work. If you don't make the jam now you won't be able to make the Raspberry Coffee Cake this winter... I love that Cream Cheese Raspberry Cake and now I am ready.

The Fourth of July 2009

I was at home in the morning to do some watering and baking.

Some guys---

Some gals---

Me with a teeny tiny plate of dessert---

Then and Now---Jodi and Melinda with a photo of themselves for the '76 Fourth of July Bicentennial Celebration. Mom and Aunt Clarice made them matching dresses and bonnets and then took them to Sears for a photo shoot. Ahhhhh...

It's all about the tank races. Chalked out and closely judged---

My Dad at sunset---

Someone modified their tank---

Okay, so it's not ALL about the tank races, the desserts rank pretty close to the top of the list too. Jodi made the Berry Flag pizza, Julie made the rice krispie treats and cut out cookies and I made the chocolate chip cookies and the brownie cupcakes.

The mini brownie cupcakes are what my guys refer to as the 'one biters'.

Fun Fourth, for sure!