St. Louis & Nauvoo

Bop and I in St. Louis...if you couldn't guess. This is how pictures usually are when you're traveling the two of you and there isn't anyone around to take your picture.



We finally found a nice man to take a shot of us. Kind of a lot of pavement in the shot, but beggars can't be choosers.



We had fun looking at the arch in the hot sun. It really is an amazing thing to see in person.





Going up in the arch was a different story. They take you to the "tram" room and put you in front of a door that looks only high enough for a child so I was immediately skeptical.



Then my worst fears were realized. We were going to travel up the arch in a mork and mindy time machine...or maybe it was a washing machine. Let's just say 5 grown adults inside a tin can is a tight squeeze as we jerked back and forth to the top.



At the top you get to lean over at a 45° angle and look out tiny windows down to the brown murky water on one side, or the capital building on the other. It wasn't spectacular. My advice if you ever go, enjoy the beauty and amazement from the outside and skip the ride to the top.





After that we had our rental car trauma. A dead battery, so we called hertz, who called AAA who jumped our car, which we drove back to the airport and got another one. The good news in all of this is we got a new car with a GPS in it, which saved our lives in getting to the next phase of our trip. Let's just say we were a little lost, heated words were exchanged followed by wanting to kiss the woman in the GPS device for finally getting us to Nauvoo. We stayed at the Zion's Mercantile right next to the temple.







We saw Bops Aunt and Uncle and spent a lot of time with them in Carthage. The spirit was very strong there, just like it was the last time we were there with my brother and sister in law. We cried and really enjoyed hearing the testimonies of our family.





We got to witness Bops Aunt and Uncle in a play. It was so fun!





We spent our last day cruising through the rest of the sights. One of our favorites was the trail of hope and reading the touching journal entries from those that left their homes behind and the faith that they had to endure such a trial.









On a final note, we did have 2 days of wonderful weather, but also 2 days of serious are we going to have a tornado weather. Giant hail, gusting winds and major rain.

Quilting Inspiration

Well, I know I'm not supposed to start another quilt before I finish the one I'm currently working on, but while we were in Nauvoo we went to a quilt shop and I found fabric I couldn't live without.

We also saw some really beautiful old quilts in many of the homes and sites we visited which got me really excited thinking about using an old-fashioned pattern with fun modern fabrics. Who knows where this will go, but it's fun to think about!

Going Green

Green is my favorite color, but the idea of going green is a little daunting to me. In our office they have taken away our paper plates and plastic utensils much to my horror. We now have to rely on our sketchy dishwasher to get our dishes clean so I have to go hunting for a fork without goo on it. That said however, I do really want to try and make a difference in the world I live in, so I'm going to try and do my part. If you're like me and kind of don't know where to start, here is an article I found interesting that gives some simple (and doable) tips. http://www.50waystohelp.com/

Cream Biscuits

This is our new favorite biscuit recipe. We got this from a friend at a monthly religious study group we participate in.

Cream Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese

Bake the biscuits immediately after cutting them; letting them stand for any length of time can decrease the leavening power and thereby prevent the biscuits from rising properly in the oven.

Makes Eight 2 & 1/2-Inch Biscuits

2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ C Grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
1 & ½ C Heavy Cream
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 



Whisk together flour, cheddar cheese, sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt in medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough from bowl to countertop, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in bowl. In 1 tablespoon increments, add up to 1/4 cup cream to dry bits in bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened. Add these moistened bits to rest of dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds. 



Shape the dough into a round, 3/4-inch thick. Following illustrations below, cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or cut into wedges with knife. Place rounds or wedges on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Much to my astonishment last night when we got home from work, I noticed our party lights that were meticulously placed along our front fence were yanked off! Not only were they yanked off and some of the holders were out of the fence, 11 of the light bulbs had been stolen. Not broken off, but carefully unscrewed and stolen. I WAS PISSED! However, I had to remind myself that when I was a teenager, I traversed the neighborhoods of Bountiful and purposefully removed one Christmas light on peoples outside trees so the whole tree would not light up. I put plastic forks in peoples lawns so when they mowed their lawns, the plastic forks would get sucked up and hit the blade and scare the person mowing the lawn. I put dish soap in sprinklers, so it would make bubbles all over peoples lawns. I also did my fair share of toilet papering the neighborhood. So I do not deserve to be upset. Our lights being yanked off and stolen is a direct product of me being an obnoxious teenager 20 years ago. I hate Karma.

Hotel Nauvoo Buffet

Small mid-west towns are funny. Your dining options really are minimal, and everything shuts down at 5pm, 6pm at the latest. We did find a place [everything seemed to be buffet style], at the "Hotel Nauvoo."



We had dinner there twice. We dined amongst the "pretty-pretty fake plastic trees," arranged to look like a forest in one of the hotel parlor rooms. As for writing my restaurant review, this establishment was really the only option. Or eating a "rot-dog" and Diet Coke at the local convenience store. Beep and I watched people devour the chicken livers, as we both sort of gasped / gagged in awe. We stuck to the four starches. Pasta Salad, Mashed Potatoes, Cooked Corn and Bread. We did get more adventurous as the evening progressed and had some protein. My final recommendation...When in Nauvoo, plan on being bloated from the meal options.

Historic Nauvoo

We just got back into town after traveling around Illinois and Missouri. We had a great time, even after a few set backs with a rental car breaking down, horrible heat, and SERIOUS red neck types of people. YIKES! As we get time, we both will be posting more about our trip and spending time in St. Louis and Historic Nauvoo. We saw my aunt and uncle on their LDS mission in Nauvoo and Carthage. All and all we had a great time. We even treated ourselves to first class air transportation on Northwest Airlines. I think I'm becoming more high maintenance with time and age. I'm never flying coach again if I can help it! :)

More Mini-Mission Reunion

So I'm taking advantage of my daily smoke break and posting to the blog...



We all got to have one on one time with Emily playing "Etch-A-Sketch!" And she often refers to herself as "The Princess!"



All of us had a great time last night, and look forward to visiting again soon.

Mini-Mission Reunion

So Beep and I had two of my former missionary companions in town over this weekend. It's hard to believe that we were on our LDS missions over 14 years ago. I'm feeling extra old these days, and all three of us are getting gray hair. Funny!



We all have stayed very close with each other over the years. We had a good time reminiscing about our missions and what we did and did not do, and remembering all the little details. We all had a good laugh. Also chatted about common other companions we had in the field that we did not care for very much.



We talked about sneaking out to the concerts to keep our sanity from tracting and reactivating less active members, and all the incredibly interesting people we ran across. It is sort of funny to me that all the "die hard" companions I had on my mission are the ones that have left the church and are basically agnostic, and those of us that had "balance" as missonaries are still involved and hold the gospel fairly firm in our lives.

T & S, have had Emily and are expecting their second child shortly. They are up here for a week visiting people and seeing how much the region has changed since 1994. R & S, have relocated to the region a few years back and live in Monroe WA, so we are able to get together with them more frequently. S grew up on the east side.

Snappy Dragon

We celebrated a friends birthday this weekend at "Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon." I love Chinese food, and this place is a local establishment we frequent all the time. We ventured away from our typical pot stickers to steamed Hom Bow for appetizers. I decided I HATE steamed Hom Bow, and much prefer them baked. The insides still tasted good however. We then all split three dishes family style. Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken and Seared Green Beans. I could eat the seared beans EVERY TIME we go here. Beep and I order it every time. Now I want it again for lunch today. If our Seattle Friends have not visited this place...YOU MUST GO IMMEDIATELY, but skip the Hom Bow.

Zayda Buddy's

So with company in town 2 weekends ago, we ate out quite a bit. We went to Zayda Buddy's Pizza. This is the second time we have visited this establishment on Leary in Ballard. We've decided that...WE LOVE THIS PLACE! I ventured out of my typical pub fare and had the "Tator-Tot Casserole." I was a little hesitant initially. When it was served I thought to myself, "Seasoned ground beef, Tator-Tots, cheddar cheese and chef's secret sauce...what's NOT to like about this main dish!" It came with a great salad with beets and blue cheese. Beep had a salad and cheese pizza and we all split a dense chocolate brownie a la mode for dessert afterwards. We're sold on this neighborhood joint. We'll be going again.

Bipolar Weather

I am a tad confused on the bipolar weather as of late. 82 degrees last weekend and ready to turn on the air conditioner. This past weekend, moving the snow off our cars and driving around in slush and sleet. No wonder I'm getting sick again. I guess I shouldn't wear cargo shorts and flip-flops in the snow here in Seattle. Looking forward to vacation this week. I hope the weather at our destination is a tad warmer.

Lasagna Bolognese

I'm excited to make Lasagna this weekend as we have company coming into town. This is a recipe that I've made for family and friends from time to time. It incorporates specifics from my family recipes, as well as from Beep's family. This, alongside with crusty bread and tossed salad...rustic Italian doesn't get better than this!

Classic Lasagna Bolognese

Béchamel sauce:

3 cups hot milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 each teaspoon salt and ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for assembly

Gently heat the milk over a low flame but do not boil. While the milk is heating put the butter into a sauce pot and slowly melt over low heat. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour gradually to avoid lumps and gently cook this roux. Using a wire whisk, very slowly begin to pour the hot milk into the roux, a little at a time. Avoid lumps by going very slowly. When all the milk has been added, add the seasoning, turn the heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. When finished allow to cool slightly.

Bolognese sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups canned plum tomatoes, seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 cup beef or chicken stock

Heat the oil and butter together, over low heat, in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook till wilted. Add the meat and, breaking up the meat with a fork or spoon, cook gently and stirring frequently. Season the meat with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow the wine to cook completely down to almost dry before adding the tomatoes and water. Adjust the heat to a slow simmer and, being careful not to cook too rapidly, cook the meat and tomato sauce for between 3 to 4 hours. Stir frequently to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot and keep an eye on this simmering pot. When the sauce has cooked for several hours and the excess water has cooked off, remove from the heat and allow to cool before assembling the lasagna.

Pasta:

2 pounds fresh pasta sheets, or cooked packaged pasta
12 quarts water in a large pot
2 tablespoons salt

Bring the 12 quarts water to the boil. Add the salt to the pasta pot, and cook pasta according to package directions.

Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread some Béchamel on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan. Top with a layer of pasta. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the pasta, top with a layer of Béchamel, evenly sprinkle on some additional grated parmesan cheese and top with another single layer of pasta. Do this layering process until all of the ingredients have been used and making sure that the final and top layer is Béchamel sauce with parmesan sprinkled on top. Sometimes I even sprinkle bread crumbs on top as well. Bake for 45 minutes until the top has begun to brown and the edges are crispy.

Starting The Home Study Process

Beep and I started going through the "piles" of paperwork as part of our home study portion of our adoption process. A tad overwhelming, but fun to be gathering all this information. We have our WACAP Weekend coming up the first weekend in May, to meet adoption coordinators, social workers, and others who will be involved in our experience. Each of us are spearheading various portions of paperwork to fill out. I took the financial statement that needs to be filled out. I thought to myself..."My anal retentive budget spreadsheet at home is WAY better and more in depth than what they want. I should just print ours out and submit it that way!" But, this is a lesson in following rules and third party procedures, so I too will comply. 

New Commode

We are the proud owners of a new toilet in our master bedroom. Finally a night we didn't have to sleep with the bathroom door shut to drown out the constant hissing noise our toilet was giving off. It's pretty nice, taller for maximum comfort and has a self closing lid. Bop and I spent a whole minute watching it close by itself (pathetic). It's the little things in life that give us so much joy.

Our Own Private Session

While attending a session at the LDS Seattle Temple last night, Beep and I quickly realized we were the only patrons in the ENTIRE session. By the time we started, one other sister who was an ordinance worker joined the session. But that was it. Let's just say that we cruised through the session in record time. I'm sold on 7:30pm.    

Old Friends

Last night Bop and I went to the temple, it was one of the fastest sessions I've ever been to. Anyway, after the temple we decided we were famished and went to Chili's. We were tired and staring at each other like a couple of zombies when I heard my name. It didn't really register at first, but then I heard it again. I turned around and found myself looking at my old roommate from when I first moved to Seattle! It's been 9 years since we lived together and 3 years since I've seen her last. She was by far the BEST roommate I've ever had. It was almost like living alone but with the comfort of knowing someone was there. We'd hang out every now and then and got along great! When I first moved to Seattle I moved in with a bunch of girls and had to share a room with someone I didn't know and slept on a mattress on the floor. All I remember really is hating living with SO many girls (6 I think) and long black curly hair EVERYWHERE, plus some serious snoring (I guess it was preparing me for life with Bop) The snoring was so bad I slept with headphones. Anyway about a month into it I met Michele at church and she hated one of her roommates too so we decided to move in together. I will never forget moving her and her roommate Marci out of their current living situation (moving in secret so we wouldn't have to see the hated roommate) and carrying a mattress between the three of us down the streets of the U district. It was great to see her and to catch up and relive all these early Seattle memories! 

Go Away Sonics!

Who cares about the Sonics? Why is it such a heated controversy? Let them go to Oklahoma City, and let the rest of Seattle society get on with life. But no...let's churn and waste MORE tax payers money on this and drag it out forever in typical Seattle / King County political fashion. Decision was made, get on with it. Why is this a big deal?