Chimichurri in a Hurry.

Last night was a bit of a scurry. I had a lot to juggle. 1st off was the dentist. Three kids. Check, complete. No cavities. Cool princess wand pen and a new tooth brush. Now 3:30pm. Drop-off of kids and a quick pickup of their after school mess in the house. Tossed chicken into a bag of Italian dressing. Grabbed the delicious Butterfinger Blondie Bars and I was off to drop them off to the home who was hosting the swim team pasta dinner. All seemed well. Drove past a grouping of un-marked police car-looking vehicles. Thought for a moment, what's going on? Thought maybe there was a politician in the area and they were serving as security. Glanced at WHO-TV interviewing a police officer. Still didn't really think seriously about it.  No sirens.

I went to my hair appointment and didn't even think of mentioning the odd cluster I had passed to drop the goodies off. Enjoyed my hair spa moment and then raced home. Now 6:15pm. It was time to throw together dinner, argentine style. Andy lit the grill for me. And I began my cooking journey in a hurry. I quickly prepared an authentic Chimichurri sauce, prepped the steamed broccoli and prepared the cous cous in the midst of grilling my chicken breasts. I'm a beginner griller which I can say this year's journey has been great at introducing me to. For whatever reason, Andy has stepped back from the kitchen as I make way through this wild journey I have created for us.

Dinner complete at 7pm. Enough time for Katy to quickly eat and change into her leotard. It's her 1st night at Chow's Gymnastics and she's really excited. Arrived at 7:30pm. It was time to relax and watch Katy do her tricks. Received a call from my hairdresser-friend who told me about the break-in three doors down from her. I knew the home and the family. 2 men from Louisiana stopped by and entered the home, thinking nobody was home after ringing the doorbell. Little did they know that the woman was in the shower and couldn't hear. She heard noises in the house and entered the living room where they were standing, holding buckets. Seeing her, they quickly exited through the window and fled. Which brings this story back to me dropping off the dessert bars.  The scene come to find out was a search in the woods for the criminals... thank goodness they caught the hoodlums. 

My mind often wonders, thinking back as this perfect plot for a movie untwists, as you rewind the events. Nobody was hurt. All is good.  This crazy thing called life has so many definitions. So many paths that cross in story lines. It continues to amaze me. LIFE. 

Grilled Argentinean Chimichurri Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 

3 tablespoons cooking oil 

3/4 cup packed Italian parsley

1 tablespoon cider vinegar 

2 garlic cloves, halved 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

1 lemon (peel and juice)

Directions:

1)  Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil; sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.

2)  Grill chicken on rack directly over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling time.

3) For Chimichurri sauce, in small food processor bowl combine parsley, the remaining oil, the vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper.

4) Process until nearly smooth. 9 Serve chicken topped with Chimichurri sauce, lemon peel, and juice.

Argentina so far has been simple. Meat. The excitement here has kept us from focusing on the culture of the country we're in. I'm sure they have similar chaos.

Don't Cry For Me.

ARGENTINA!!!! The Truth is I never left you. All through my wild days. My mad existence. I kept my promise. Don't keep your distance....I really need to sit and watch Evita again. This song has such emotion.

We enjoyed our 1st meal last night in Argentina. Meat. Something the kids LOVE. I found this recipe that called for soaking a fresh rosemary sprig in red wine and sea salt for 3 hours at room temperature. Then pan searing NY Strips and finishing them off with the marinade. Very flavorful meal.

There could have been a few tears worth noting. Monday, need I say more. Also, Elie got her braces on yesterday. She gets to hang out with them for 2.5 years! She's taking it well, despite her slight lisp as she gets used to a mouth full of metal plus a bonus Distol Jet that is permanently placed on the roof of her mouth. Andy and I shed a few tears at the monthly payment plan for the next few years. Braces have gone up $800 since Hannah sported hers a few years back. Crazy. Maybe we should pre-pay for Katy now!

I won't lie. It's been a somber few weeks. Andy's uncle was diagnosed with cancer, stage 4. A dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. I want to cry. I buried my tears in a movie Sunday night and it wasn't even that sad. News like this wipes the pep out of a person. My mojo is gone. I'm short (mood) and can't seem to get excited for much. But then I think, quit with the pity party. It's not about me. It's about these two awesome individuals who are marching forward, ready to fight and fix their woes. They are the one's saying, "don't cry for me", rather "fight for me". So the band of life plays on. We must create the music that will make everything happy again.


Rosemary Steak

Ingredients
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 New York strip steaks, cut 1-inch thick

Directions
1. Combine the red wine, salt and rosemary in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Heat a large griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place the steaks on the hot pan, and cook for about 8 minutes per side, or to desired degree of doneness. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (62 degrees C) for medium rare. Pour in the wine mixture, and allow it to boil for a minute. Serve steaks with sauce.

* I prepared a 12 oz and 8 oz. steak. You can see the size difference. I would definately go with the 12 oz. thicker steak moving forward. The thin steak isn't as juicy. I also tried to make a reduction with the marinade and scalded it. Apparently you need to keep an eye on it. It did make the kitchen smell wonderful. LOVE Rosemary.

Mixed Up Vowels.

Tonight's meal could have easily been a bust. I was bombarded with three kids and their tales of the day. Take a number, people. My brain can only handle so much. Between trying to coordinate doctors appts for the girls (since I missed their physical date last Friday), and discussing what classes Hannah has going to drop/change, I wasn't exactly ready to focus on dinner. We also hit the 2nd day of school blues, tired Katy created a little drama during my prepping. Lets just say, I nearly threw in the towel after burning my onions, creating a mess of a pot. I thought, it's just an onion. I took a deep breath and forged on. And enjoyed a little tear from the onions...bonus.

I fed the girls traditional broiled Tilapia, knowing there was no way they would eat this meal. Hannah claimed tonight, "whatever you're making smells real bad. It's making our eyes burn." Must be the Serrano Pepper I added in the end of the meal prep. I must admit, I'm a little nervous to try it. I will await Andy's arrival into the kitchen before I sample it. Ok, it was a bit fishy, but I guess I should have expected it, coming from the fresh river waters of Slavonia.  Interesting. It sounded like our country...

Oh no, complete jinx failure. I found the recipe and mixed up my vowels! Apparently, Slavonia isn't my country after all. Icing on the cake! Slovenia is where we are...at least so I thought. Now it's completely too late to throw in the towel since the meal has been prepared. So I will cross-cover our neighbor, Croatia where Slavonia slumbers. Crazy times. Just call it a day trip, really. A few hundred miles away. Europe's not that big:)

The Paprikash style comes from the neighboring country of Hungary. The recipe comes from the Osijek area in Slavonia, which has freshwater rivers. You see, this isn't a normal Paprikash dish, it a Fish Paprikash. And fishy it twas. I didn't serve it with warm crusty bread which would have added a lot to the meal. All and all, it was flavorful for the combination of spices involved. I'm glad we tried it. It was adventuresome. It's really a lesson in geography at the end of the day which makes this year of travel so awakening for me. Would I ever have thought of discussing these countries a year ago? I guess we can all use a little back to school days to our advantage.

Slavonian Fish Paprikash
Serves 5 (I halved the recipe for Andy and I and there was still  a lot of leftover)

2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 onions, minced
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon hot paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 pounds various freshwater fish (such as trout, pike and catfish), cleaned and cut in large pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine
1 to 2 small hot peppers
1 package (16 ounces) wide egg noodles, cooked

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté. When soft, sprinkle in both the sweet and hot paprika, stir and then add the tomato paste. Pour in 8 cups of water, add the salt and put the fish in the stockpot.
Simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes and then add the wine and hot peppers. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Add noodles (homemade or fresh noodles are the best choice).

You say Slovenia, I say Slavonia... tomato, tomoto.. potato, pototo. Happy is.

School Eve.

Twas the night before school and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... maybe because Hannah is at Office Max with Andy, Elie is on her way home from soccer and Katy is outside, soaking in the last air that summer is going to give her. The dreadful tomorrow awaits in the dusk. School.

It's not fair, the kids in Slovenia don't start school until September 1! Well, I guess we're over achievers... I might add, we didn't start school before Labor Day back in my day. Of course those were the days when we walked to school without parental guidance. And played in the woods without adult supervision. Really did everything independently of parents (so we thought) until we heard our name being screamed out when dinner was ready. Long are the days....of freedom.

Tonight I decided to kick off the week Slovenian style with an old fashioned Minestrone. Andy came into the kitchen and said it smelled like Slovenia, basically different from normal American cooking. He must not have smelled the hot dog cooking in the microwave for kid #3... the ingredients are very healthy. Anything with cabbage in it makes it healthy, right? I may even shed a pound overnight. The soup is still simmering, awaiting the household to reappear. I thought I would use this window to capture the blog. Will let you know how it tastes tomorrow.


Primorska-Style Minestrone
Ingredients: 
2 l (8 cups) water or stock (i used chicken broth, low sodium)
1 kg (2 1/5 lb) diced vegetables – cauliflower, celery root, carrots, cabbage, leek, kohlrabi, etc.
50 g (1 3/4 oz) smoked bacon (I used 4 strips)
2 tbsp oil
1 finely chopped onion
4 tbsp rice (I used 1/2 cup Orzo, seemed more fitting)
2 tbsp tomato purée or 5 fresh tomatoes (I thought I had tomatoes, used tomato sauce)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions:
Sauté chopped bacon and onion, then add vegetables, and fry for another ten minutes. Add water or stock, and let it simmer. When the vegetables are almost done, add rice (or Orzo which takes 9 minutes to cook. I let simmer for another 30 minutes), tomato purée, and salt. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. If you are using fresh tomatoes, sauté them at the beginning with other vegetables.

Additions: I added minced garlic. Salt and pepper. A dash of paprika. Onion powder.

Happy School Day to all! Happy is.

A New Week. New Country.

I continue on in the journey of traveling the world. I really didn't mean for last week to fail completely, it was quite good. I just need to work on the timeliness of my posts and not get behind. School starts on Tuesday so routine will help the cause. This week is my week and I've pondered countries. I wasn't that organized today so I found that I'de done some research, planning ahead which lands us in SLOVENIA this week. 

I know, you're wondering where the heck Slovenia is. My kids have already asked. I will tell you, it's a country in Central Europe, surrounded by neighboring countries like Croatia, Austria, Hungary and Italy. There is a lot of influence from the neighbors in Slovenian cuisine so I think we will do just fine here. Not to be mistaken with Slovakia which sits below Poland, next to the Czech Republic (might need to research this country next).What is the country that Princess Bride is from? I know it has an "onia" on the end of it... p.s. Ashley, I'm saving Belgium for fall months...:)

Tonight, Andy was in charge of dinner. We landed in Italy on our way to Slovenia and ate a wonderful Lasagna. Lasagna in August. The question of the night... "why are we having Lasagna?"...the reply, "something different"... 

Happy is a Sunday night, 48 hours before school starts back up. Relaxing. 

A Blog Gone Bad.

Dang it. I really had this week planned in my head on dining in the Caribbean. I envisioned covering off on the many Islands that make up the area. It's not a total fail, really. And I will explain....

MONDAY
I traveled to Cedar Rapids for a meeting. Therefore, I was proactive in getting the Caribbean Crock pot ready to go. And it was a success. The girls actually commented on how good it was. I served it with Cous Cous and Broccoli and carrots and realized my kids LOVE cooked carrots. Who remembers these things?

TUESDAY
Meal gone bad. Not really bad but a lack of communication. I had a recipe to doctor up half the steaks in a caribbean rub and cook the potatoes in a caribbean manner but Andy jumped in and took over with his method of preparing the meal. He may have been feeling guilty for not helping in the kitchen since he's been painting our bathroom or something. It was random and too quick to stop. It was a moment that was better off me going with the flow. So our nearly caribbean meal was served. It still tasted wonderful.

WEDNESDAY
A Fair to remember. No cooking.

THURSDAY
Caribbean Pork BBQ Sandwiches. So delicious, using the leftover pork from Monday nights meal. No complaints. A thumbs up!

FRIDAY
This is where the humor of the Blog Gone Bad happened. I was telling friends and family about the week and it just happened, I blurted it out... lots of laughter.

Tonight was NOT a blog gone bad, rather a Blog Too Good to share. Some of my favorite peeps in the whole wide world collided in our own life's journey to share fellowship and love for one another. The stars were aligned. It was simple. Short and forever in my heart.

Our Caribbean cuisine was Caribbean Burgers, spiced up with a Jerk Seasoning and served with a Ketchup Caribbean Island sauce mixture. We had pineapple which was supposed to be sliced in rings but ended up in wedges. Oh well. The flavors were still there. My sister, Deb added a chicken skewer to the mix, marinated in the Island Sauce.

So we really have dined in the Caribbean. Just not in a routine manner that we're used to. School starts next week so adjusted structure will soon follow. Meanwhile, it's my week choice for a country next week and I haven't a clue. Would welcome suggestions if you have any (that come with recipes:)

 Life filled with Journey. Happy is.

A Fair to Remember.

2012 is the year I went home from the fair as if I had eaten at home. Much too good, what's happening to me? I tried to get someone to bite on my last attempt of ordering a funnel cake walking towards the gate and I had no nibbles from my family. Elie replied, "I hate Funnel Cakes"... thank god. I saved the calories and was at the gym at 5:45 am for my usual Thursday meeting with my exercise team.

The Iowa State Fair is such a great experience because every year you approach it differently. Sure you have your traditions, like the big yellow slide, lamb jerky, horse barn and the largest boar. Meet Reggie, the big Boar who beat out Buddy for the blue ribbon. Weighing in at over 1,200 pounds. It's no wonder he's snoozing. I wonder if he can even stand?

But then you add a little flair to the experience to make it seem like new. For example, Ye Old Mill. Sure, we've supported the Mill in years past. I was always the one who stood back with Katy in the stroller or Andy took her as she got older. Now it was my turn. And I must say, I was ready to do it.

At least until we began our journey, gradually lifting high above the crowds. Ok, so I have a little height anxiety. Like the fact they don't strap you in with a belt of some sort. We're free. And it appears that the bars are safe as every person we passed was hanging over them like a security blanket. Me on the other hand tried to remain calm. Laughing to mask the fear. I thought, cool I will take photos. Only one was captured. Then I quickly put my phone back in case I were to drop it. Katy began to notice my fear. Maybe it's when I stroked her hair and said, "oh honey, it's ok there's no reason to be scared or nevous"... she looked at me smiling and said, "mom, I'm not scared"... oh fine so it's me. It's when I grabbed her pigtail to hold onto when she began to get nervous for me! It could have been the laughter to turning to tears moment too. Thank goodness the end was nearly there. I began to feel more confident, letting go of the security bar, screeching "look at me Katy, no hands"... she laughed, "we're two inches from the ground, mom"...

Ok, so that new moment doesn't need to be repeated. So we move on. Katy found her "new" at the fair. The wall of icee flavors. We passed it at the beginning of the night and she wouldn't order a drink until we went back, hours later.  Guess what flavor she chose?

We saw a random pumpkin hanging out, 2nd place. I would have voted 1st for this beauty. The color and shape was much better than the opaque winner.

I wanted to eat the new bacon wrapped double fried corn dog, but passed. Andy and I shared sweet potato fries and a Gismo (Italian Beef sandwich). Elie and Katy each had a Corn Dog. Nothing sweet. beyond the potato. I guess we are all better on a week night vs. the weekend.

We stopped by and sampled products from an asparagus farm from Oklahoma. We ended up purchasing hot pepper asparagus jelly and BBQ sauce. Another something to remember.

 The visual "new" to the fair were these cement ice cream cones that kept popping up everywhere. It was an artist judged contest and it made the fair feel even cooler than it already is. We love the Iowa State Fair.

Every year we say, we don't need to go every year but something always brings us back. Even if it's for a few hours. Wednesday night was new for us. What wasn't new is running into people we know at the fair in this great city of Des Moines. That is tradition, wondering who we might bump paths with. Happy is life's sweet journey.

Hug a Lefty!

That's me!!! My sister Barb and I were tagged yesterday in an article announcing the fact that it was International Left-Handers' Day. Finally.... recognition is here for the Left-Handed people in the world. We're a minority, really. They say only 10-13% of the world population. Fighting for correct scissors, spiral binders and ink that doesn't cover our poor little pinky after writing. Apparently, this celebration has been going on since 1992. Dang. I could have really leveraged this through the past two decades. Maybe I did back in the day, just can't remember.

I will confess, it's been a mixed bag of love being left-handed. Early years nearly left (stop, no pun) me scarred. Like in Kindergarten for example. Guessing circa 1971. It was time to cut and paste. Easy assignment for most. Cut the shape, paste it on the page that matches the shape. Recess was the reward after finishing. Recess for most. Except for me and the larger boy for his age. We sat inside, watching the kids playing outside. Not sure why the boy was there. I was there because I couldn't operate the scissors and was too shy to tell the teacher.

Other annoying times in childhood occurred when playing softball. Apparently pitching to a left-handed player that is short doesn't bare well for the pitcher. Or really for the batter, me. Too often was walked after being clobbered by the ball in my back... I retired from softball, but not until after receiving my nickname, "Lefty". Bittersweet.

So I began to teach myself to be right-handed. Like golfing and throwing a frisbie. My grandpa always said I would be a much stronger golfer if I played right-handed. Maybe it's really because he didn't want to rent "lefty" clubs so I could share my grandmas....hmm. Actually just came to my mind 30 years later. At any rate, I learned to play right-handed, though couldn't give up putting left-handed. I also did find spiral binders in college that the spiral was on the right side. Heaven. Though, more expensive if I recall.

I'm proud to be left-handed. It's different. I get to choose my spot at the table most often so as not to bump elbows with the commoners. I tried to get my kids to be left-handed as babies. From changing the spoon in their tiny hands or gently saying no-no when they reached with their right hand for a toy. Nothing was going to work. All three girls are right-handed. I'm the only one who squeezes her hand into her softball glove to play catch with the right glove. It is hereditary. So maybe grandkids will be blessed with this uniqueness.

From what I understand, the right brain hemisphere controls the left hand and vice versa. Apparently, that's where the creativity, spacial awareness, music, gestalt (whole picture), dimension and emotional expression comes from. Versus the left hemisphere (right hand) that is linear thinking, writing, language, science, math, list and logic come from.

Maybe on a natural level but I also believe you can teach your brain to do the opposite. Or funny, a teammate today told me a story about how he was so into the analytics and science and engineering in his brain, yet he is a very talented graphic designer. Maybe you throw dominance of brain into delivery from the other side. Maybe I'm a really creative list maker...

I will come back tomorrow to share my week of the caribbean with you. Though I'm not feeling as bronzed as I should be for August. Hot weather in July kind of burned the desire to worship the sun.

Happy Is being Left-handed. And all that.


* Not my hand. Found the image from Indiana.edu.

Carpool Moms.

If Dance Moms are branded, why can't Carpool Moms be... This week was our carpool meeting for Elementary school. I told Andy Wednesday night was the meeting and I was hosting it.  He looked at me and said, "can't you handle this on email".... I replied, well, we need to address new riders and potential outsiders that are trying to catch a ride... more complicated than an email....

I confess that I hate Dance Moms.... I mean the reality show on TLC... the girls are obsessed and I'm so sick of listening to Abby's snarly whine.... some of your might relate:) So, I coined us as Carpool Moms. It's a club, really. We need a name (next meeting agenda item). There are four of us in the pool. I drive most mornings due to my career and everyone else tends to the afternoons and taking care of my orphan at the end of the day. It's all good. The carpool crew consists of my neighbors, Tonia, Kristen and Amy.

We are so fortunate that the world aligned us to be neighbor-mates, really. We are the village. Not undermining our dear husbands who are the rocks. But the mothers watching out for the babies as if they were our own. Doesn't matter the age. All kids are our babies. God love them and god love my neighbors.

So the plan to hang out on our patio backfired. We had a terribly wonderful storm (we need the rain) and it was too wet. The party moved inside. I set up the dining room to be a place we could escape, like a cozy restaurant in the east village. We noshed on nibbles from Norway, including Smoked Salmon and Jarlsberg cheese. Plus many other great flavors that everyone contributed to.  What a delightful evening. We were able to escape the routine on a Wednesday night. Funniest part was after 9:30 we quickly realized the matter at hand. Everyone started throwing out the days they would drive. It got so crazy that I'm down to 3 mornings a week vs. 4-5 last year. I offered more wine to cut my days back even further... :) Next year, definately....

I'm not sure how many people can say they enjoyed their Wednesday night as much as us. I think we need to rethink the weekends and start celebrating life's moments when the moment is there. Routines are meant to be broken. That's the fabric of change that keeps us alive and growing.

Happy is my carpool moms. My village. My friends. So proud to be a part of such a fine group of courageous women.

Ham Balls.

I know it might not sound Norwegian, but I've traced this recipe to the end and the end is Norway. It's Elie's week and her request was Ham Balls. So I decided to backfill the country to fit her meal request. Well, the trail took me to many possible destinations. I first thought we were going to Holland because the recipe was linked to the Pennsylvania Dutch. How easy, I thought. Well, a day before our week began, I realized that the PA Dutch aren't dutch at all. Their name stems from the Germans. "Deutsch". It appears that the german-speaking immigrants settled in PA. And the name somehow translated to Dutch. Scrambling, I quickly turned to Sweden but knew they weren't the official Swedish Meatball that we are all familiar with. So I ended in Norway. And that's my story.

Monday night was a busy night. I prepped the meatballs, all 6 pounds worth, so they would be ready to pop in the oven for Tuesday's meal. Come to think of it, I still have meatballs in the basement freezer that I need to pack in zip locks for future use. Anyway, they are really easy to make, just time consuming with the amount I made and the steps involved. Worth the effort. I now have a meal in the freezer waiting for busy September to begin and a bunch of appetizer size balls to have on hand for all the parties we're invited to (a girl can dream)....

So here's the recipe from my foodie pal, Deidra P. They made everyone in the house very happy.

Ham Balls
3 lbs. ground ham
2 lbs. ground pork
- or - 5 lbs Ham loaf from Fareway!
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups crushed graham crackers (some add more up to 1 1/2 boxes)
2 cups milk

Sauce
2 cans tomato soup
2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups brown sugar (1 lb)

Stir and simmer the sauce for an hour. Mix and form balls. Place in 2+ 9 x 13 glass pans. Pour the sauce over. Bake 1 hr. 15 minutes @ 350 degrees. Watch carefully-may need a little water so they don't burn.

I made one pan. Froze the balls and remaining sauce separately to save space in the freezer. I will make another batch of sauce for my appetizer batch once I get invited to that party:)

Enjoy-

Norway is Calling.

Norway. Feels like the home of my ancestors who are responsible for my fair skin! The week kicked off with a favorite, Salmon with fresh homemade pesto pasta.  Salmon is quite popular in Norway. In fact, they are once of the largest exporters of it. Norwegians eat fish three to four times a week. No wonder they are among the healthiest countries in the world.

Last night was a night to get organized. I worked late. Had to grocery shop and then prepare dinner. I even prepped for tonight's meal. Stayed up late to watch the Olympics and fold clothes. No wonder I'm exhausted today! I worked out this morning. It was a tough one.  I usually have a ton of energy but all I want to do is go back to sleep. Crazy. You would have thought I had Turkey last night...

Fresh Basil. New Experience.

Winding down from the week in England. The weekend was low-key, a must for our hurried schedules. I was able to catch up on organizing a few unkept areas of the house, including a start in Katy's room and closet. I also harvested my first basil and made a batch of pesto. And while looking for the ice cube trays to freeze into cubes, I ended up cleaning the tupperware cupboard and had Elie and Katy go through the water bottle cupboard. They filled 2 Target bags full of unwanted bottles. And I finally found the cube trays.

We enjoyed watching more Olympics as we prepared to feed the homeless last night at the Catholic worker house. Aunt Barbie and Ben came over and we sat outside for what seems to be one of three times this summer, both because of time and hot weather, watching Andy pull three butts off the smoker. It was a beautiful evening. The kids were busy playing Gymnastics, down to the pre-wrap and duct tape, just like Gabby!

Four families have pulled together to prepare a meal twice a year on the 1st Sunday of the month. Last time we did it, it fell on Super Bowl Sunday...not the perfect date, but still very rewarding. So rewarding in fact, we added another day to the year. Our summer meal was Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Corn, Pasta Salad, Watermelon, Grapes, Bananas, Brownies and Milk. We also brought a 5 gallon tub of chocolate ice cream that they will use on another night. The bonus was the two bags of water bottles we donated which they loved.

Our plan was to drop Elie and Katy off at Grandma Jane's on our way down to the Catholic Worker House. However, our plans slightly changed when Elie arrived home from the Mall a little late. We had no time to make the drop so she and Katy were forced to go with us. It was a silent, whimpering ride. Elie has a small fear of "bums" and Katy is only 8 and really didn't need something else to have scary dreams about. But scary soon ended with another rewarding night. All the kids served the meal and it was ok. They realized that the homeless are real people. Katy didn't think some were homeless because one woman was wearing a dress and eye shadow...

The night ended with a meal with Grandma Jane. We went to the Drake Diner and caught up on life. Funny thing, life. We get so caught up in going going going, doing doing doing, that we sometimes forget the simple things that make you happy. I hope our kids enjoyed their new experience. Helping people.  What a crazy concept.

Happy is.

Flying Squirrel.

Oh Gabby, you make American's so proud. Especially those of us who live in West Des Moines and have experienced Chows. It's surreal to think that the gym down the street is becoming the most sought after place to build rising star Olympians. And not only are they great athletes at their skill, they have all the characteristics we sometimes forget about — what makes America and Iowa the down-to-earth, wholesome, gracious and sweet people we should be. Five stars for Chow and his discipline and for keeping the character in tow as he pushes for excellence. Well done.

I can't say our meat was well done, but it felt like it. London Broil. Nothing "London" about it. I have never prepared it before. And I can say, I most likely won't ever again. Our family likes their meat. Elie has been known to eat a leftover steak before soccer practice, nothing else. It's her comfort food. Well, not quite the comfort last night. It's one of the toughest cuts of meat on the planet.  It's not even a named cut of meat. It's a method of cooking. It originated in America. It's usually a round top roast cut. Too thick to be delicious like Flank. Maybe it was the marinade, though it came from my friend Martha Stewart. Hmmm.

Oh well, what the meat didn't deliver, the potatoes most certainly did. Salt & Vinegar. Crispy wedges that had a wonderful zing of vinegar. It would have been stronger but I didn't read the instructions soon enough for the hour bath the potatoes needed before roasting. They may have been crispier as I've just noticed that I didn't use the corn starch either. They were wonderful either way. The potatoes we will be keeping. We will say good bye to London...after the Olympics are over...


Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

Ingredients
10 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
Coarse salt
5 russet potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch




Directions
1. Bring water to a simmer in a large pot. Remove from heat, and add vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt, stirring until salt dissolves. Add potatoes, and let sit 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain potatoes, and pat dry. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and the cornstarch. Divide remaining oil between 2 rimmed baking sheets, and place in oven until oil is almost smoking, about 5 minutes.
3. Divide potatoes between baking sheets, and roast until golden brown and cooked through, about 35 minutes, rotating sheets and flipping potatoes halfway through. Season with salt, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cottage Pie.

A slice of heaven. Tuesday night we enjoyed an English Cottage Pie while watching the Fab 5 take the Gold in gymnastics while Michael Phelps earned the most hardware ever in the world in swimming. What a great night, all around (no pun). Watching the Olympics is the most exciting sport to watch. I would say it trumps a football or baseball game any old day.  These athletes are so inspiring. So dedicated. I can't wait for tonight's competition. Go Gabby and Aly!

I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website. There is nothing light about the flavor. It was so rich and wonderful. It will definately become a staple in our kitchen this fall and winter. It makes our own Fab 5 list of the best recipes of 2012.


English Cottage Pie
Ingredients
1 Tbl all-purpose flour
1 Tbl butter, softened
Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 8oz. pkg of button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 Tbl tomato paste (no-salt added)
1 cup fat-free, lower sodium beef broth
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbl fresh thyme leaves (I used ground)
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I purchased in the Dahl's deli)
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika (optional)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour and butter; stir well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and pepper. Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt. Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.
3. Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.