TreasuresInTerraCotta

I've mentioned before that Christmas break is one of my favorite times of the year.  Of course, I love Christmas, but I always thoroughly enjoy the week between Christmas and New Year's when extended family is still around and the kids are home and husbands are off and there aren't any appointments and the house doesn't get cleaned and there aren't any other committments.   Of course we spent some time building and assembling.  Calvin compleated a DaVinci style catapult!  Then launched clay balls all around the house.  The day after Christmas we decorated bikes and had a "parade."     And we spent a few hours at the park playing baseball.   And doing lots of snuggling and lots of reading.  Especially of all those new books.   Then one day my sister got very ambitious and decided to make homemade pasta (and homemade sauce and salad dressing and car...

Visiting with our State Representative...and Uncle! The flag of the United States...100 years ago and today.  Arizona's Centennial Celebration at the State Capitol and my cowboys celebrating in style. The copper top of the Old Capitol building. The anchor from the USS Arizona sunk in Pearl Harbor. Ditat Deus God Enriches The original chambers when Arizona became a state. The Great Seal of the State of Arizona from three floors above in the historic capitol building. We got to be on the floor with Uncle Ted for the convocation, Pledge of Allegiance and the points of personal privilege where the kids were introduced.  Many desks are graced with the representative political symbol... Elephant or Donkey! Calvin drew the elephant for Uncle Ted.  In the Speaker's seat with the Great Seal above. My Cub Scout learning his civics and citizenship lessons.  Storms in the desert on the way home! I Love You Arizona ! And more than all, on this Valentine's Day and ...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and today did not disappoint. We were in the country at my cousin's farm with a majority of my dad's side of the family.  Isn't that a pretty serving table?  Nothing too fancy, but a lot of good home cooking there.  My Aunt Mary K always makes homemade rolls.  My Uncle Bruce always cooks the turkey and cornbread stuffing.  My Grandma always makes cranberries.  My Cousin-in-law Marti always makes chocolate pie.  My Cousin Beth always makes pecan pie. (And even though she was 400 miles away, she still arranged for a pecan pie to appear on the dessert table!) We were talking about how everyone has their "staples" so we always know what to expect. Good thing, because I always like to make something new. This year I made mashed sweet potatoes from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook. They were yummy! And I made a fruit salad so there was a healthy option on the table! ha There were 28 of us this yea...

It's Labor Day weekend and we celebrated in the usual way...a Progressive Dinner.  For five years now we've been choosing a theme, searching for recipes, comparing notes and then traveling to three houses, one for each course of the meal.   This year's theme: Cowboy Grub Oh, it was a fun theme!  I was in charge of appetizers and I served: Corn salad/salsa with chips and quesadillas Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos Henry Weinhard's Root Beer  Corn Salad: In Progress Sometimes our themes lend themselves to dress-up!  Cowboys and Cowgirls playing Wii   Main Course: Cowboy Meatloaf Cowboy Beans served in a Mashed Potato Texas Star Dessert:  Peach Cobbler in a cast iron skillet Served with ice cream Two cow pokes all tuckered out!  The proposed theme for next year is Food On A Stick!  Want to join us?  The more the merrier.