Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Date Night


No, Lou and I did not go out on some romantic evening. He left. He and Murf went to Spokane on Sunday afternoon and came back Monday evening. Frannie and I took the Daddy free time to our advantage and went to see Mr. Poppers Penguins and made gelato. Frannie is in the dress yourself stage (sometimes) and decided to accessorize for the movie. We had a great time seeing the Big Movie and spending time holding hands and laughing at them.  Last night, we made gelato and walked to Jefferson School to play on the playground. Frannie wanted to ride her bike, but I wanted more hand holding and talking as we walked to the school. She also got to spend some Murf free time with her chicken and we let her walk around the yard while we ate dinner outside. Good news, Frannies Peas are blooming and she is so excited! She took JuJu Bee over to show her and explained how special the peas were to the chicken. So lesson to me, spend some time with your children outside of the norm and do something simple. Frannie will have some adjusting to do in the next few weeks once the baby comes and I hope to do more simple things with her and enjoy the time we have together while we have it. Date night with Frannie is just as good as Date night with Lou. Sorry, but it is true-I love them both more than they know.



Stracciatella Gelato

I made these with the farm fresh eggs I get from a co-worker so the gelato was very golden in color but yummy and custard like. Lou said it is good, but not like gelato. I'll be trying other recipes here shortly and give the scoop as we try to find the perfect gelato recipe...you have been warned. I also could not find a vanilla bean in town (didn't exhaust every resource) so I substituted milk. I thought that was an excellent idea and was very happy with the outcome.

You can make the custard base a day ahead for this chocolate chip gelato.
6 servings

  • PREP TIME: 30 minutes
  • TOTAL TIME: 3 hours (includes chilling and freezing time)
May 2011

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil

Preparation

  • Place milk in a medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to a simmer, whisking often. Whisk sugar, yolks, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan; stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and a thermometer registers 170°-175°, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain into a medium bowl. Stir in cream. Chill custard until cold, at least 2 hours.
  • Stir chocolate and oil in a small sauce-pan over low heat until melted; let cool.
  • Process custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Slowly add all but 1 tsp. melted chocolate during the last 30 seconds of churning (chocolate will form small chips). Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle remaining chocolate over gelato in zigzag lines. Serve immediately.


    Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/stracciatella-gelato#ixzz1Qa8iK7IM

Thursday, June 23, 2011

37 weeks

This week I have hit a huge mark in my pregnancy-37 weeks. It has been a long path to get to this point and I have a hard time believing that it is almost over. So far, the baby has stayed very healthy and strong and likes to let me know that yes, someone is in there. He is not like his sister and is in a good position for delivery and getting ready to go. He is also growing a ton. The rumor is that he'll be around 9 pounds. Trust me, I don't eat like I should be having a big baby. The only thing different with this pregnancy compared to my first is that I don't have the energy to make the time to get out hiking or exercising. No names picked yet, sorry.

#1 37 weeks

#2 37 weeks

How your baby's growing: 37 weeks

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.


                         Baby, fetus at 37 weeks - BabyCenter

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Getting OUT

This weekend we packed up the subaru sans black dog (have you ever noticed how many subarus have black dogs) and took our first holiday without her. Luna loved getting out and going to new places no matter how cramped she was in the subaru or how long the trip. We got Lunas ashes back too and Frannie wanted to bring her with us. I told her we had to stop taking Luna with us b/c at some point, we have to move on. It would have been nice to have taken her on one last adventure, but she is on her own adventure now.
So, where did we go? Some of you already know, but we made a return trip to Holland Lake Lodge. We stayed up there for a night in a cabin to celebrate Fathers Day, our Anniversary (which is today) and moving on. I needed to get out of Helena to process the changes to come and the changes which have come to pass. We were thinking about waiting until after the baby arrived, but I wanted to have the time off now. Also, summer is very busy for them with weddings a reunions and it would have been hard to find time when they could have us. We should have waited b/c I dont think Spring has even started to show its face. This Spring was hard for most of Montana. Lilacs have not bloomed there yet and they havent mowed their lawn. It was quiet and relaxing and Murf enjoyed being wet 24/7. We went for hikes and a canoe trip and came home. Lou got to enjoy Fathers Day reading and relaxing.  It was the first time Ju-Ju Bee was completely alone for a night. We all made the trip and can move on through the up coming changes, the changes which our family is adjusting to and got to spend some more time in the rain before summer hits. I think that we'll be coming back to this place in the years to come and especially to share it with baby brother.

Happy Fathers day dads, Happy Summer, Happy Solstice, I hope you all are drying out.

Trying out the beds

Taking in the view

Settling in...

Hiking

Is this Montana or Alaska-where did this weather come from?

Mission Mountains

Lake Happiness


Our cabin-Happy Fathers Day Daddy!


Supreme rock thrower - she loved the rocks

View from the front  lawn

HLL new dog Wanda

First canoe trip - she loved it

Calm morning on the lake

Lodge view from the lake

Two weeks later

Sorry for the delay in postings, but my life has taken a turn inward and I have been processing a lot of things. First of all, adjusting to life without big black dog tails thumping when people enter a room or a mad scramble from a black dog as the vacuum approaches (for that matter, not using the vacuum as much b/c there isnt black dog hair taking over), a big nosed brown dog finding his way all by himself (not so hard for him but more of an adjustment for me) and a three year old who always asks about Luna and what she is doing without us. My body hasn't stopped changing that is for sure. This little baby is taking over in a big way and I have been adjusting to my inward growth. Here are some pictures to capture the last few weeks.



Peony drip drying. We have had a very wet end to Spring

Peas!!

Murf waiting at the chicken fence-his new favorite post

Crazy Silkie Chicken-how could you not love this bird??

Ju-Ju Bee taking a rest in the coop

Ju-Ju Bee foraging

Monday, June 6, 2011

Black Dog...we'll miss you more than you know

This weekend, my black dog of twelve years, was no longer with us. If you ever met her, you know what kind of loss we are experiencing. She was kind and loving to all that met her. She didnt ask for anything and was always happy to be with you. I took her all over the country in those twelve years, drug her with me rather, and she had a life more rich than most dogs. I think she enjoyed fishing and being next to me on a salty day at the beach and that is where I would like to leave her.

Luna came to me back in 1999 when things in my life were in a transition point. She was at the humane society in Tacoma, WA, 6 months old and digging at the pen when she saw me. I only went in with my roommates to license their dog and was not expecting to find such a gift. I went home that day, went to work at the point defiance zoo & aquarium and sat and contemplated the adoption with the wolves. The wolves helped me to decide my fate by howling when I asked them what to do and I went and picked up a black lab mix that needed medical help. She was sick and I had help her get a better start in life. From there we lived in assorted places, she got in a dog fight and went through more medical procedures. We traveled the state, fell into different relationships, moved to Olympia, Alaska and then Montana. She lived with me in my car, in a boat, she lived with me anywhere. She went through College, Cancer and Childbirth and everything that I threw her way. She did it all and I can never thank her for it. I gave her the best life I could as a twenty something and treated her like my daughter. When she started to get sick and have her liver start to fail, I didn't know how long I would have with her. She tore her ACL chasing a cat two years ago and it didn't phase her. It was a surprise to me last week, after 6 years of being ill, that the she couldn't pull through anymore. Everything seemed to get bad at once. I knew that after our weekend away in Idaho that she was more than just tired. Not eating and showing more and more signs of terminal illness, I took her to the vet to see how bad she was and then on Saturday, I took her in to the vet for the last time. She was ready and  I was ready to see her not suffer anymore. I am not sure what to do now that my Black dog is gone or how to keep going. I'll think of her everytime I see a squirrel, go on a hike, sail a boat, ride a bike, take a vacation, or just enjoy a beautiful day smelling flowers. She was a special creature and I feel like she made me a better person by having her in my life. Thank you Luna, Thank you. We love you more than you know.

I can't come to looking at pictures right now, but here is what I took before she left us.


Sitting under Luna's favorite tree 

Luna RIP 6/4/2011


Chicken Killer-Qu'est-ce que c'est

This weekend, our noble beast became a chicken killer. Murf was like a viking warrior pillaging a village and Frannie saw it all go down. She was screaming, "Murfs got my popcorn-Murfs chomping my popcorn".  It was hard to watch and brought tears to my eyes as our happy little flock was pillaged by a griffon. He pushed through the chicken wire and got in with his great strength. There was one little black bird that managed to escape the carnage...Murf is a bird killer, 100%.

watching the happy flock in their new home-


Ju-Ju Bee the survivor

Ju-Ju Bee going solo

Friday, June 3, 2011

Sandpoint or Bust!

It seems like a month ago that we were enjoying a long weekend in Idaho, but it was only a few days. It was so nice to visit friends and relax in the woods. Frannie and the dogs had fun and we escaped the rain and flooding in Helena. Clearing out the mind is always good for the soul.


Taking a break on the hike


North Idaho Orchid


Forest Opera


Grouse Creek Hike
The chicks are doing well and their new home is almost finished. We painted it green and hope to have them move in this weekend. It is amazing how much they have grown. Frannie and I can honestly say that Acorn is a rooster and wont be with us long. The little black birds are growing too and we have no idea if they will be roosters.  Stay posted...