Read This!!!

Please Read This!!!

Need a Laugh?

Read these posts from The Coal Creek Farm (formerly known to me as The Country Doctor's Wife's Sister's Blog). I laughed so hard at How We Met Part 4 that I spit (yes, spit) coffee out onto our keyboard & monitor (oops!).

Perfect Timing!

Later today I get to visit Miranda. Miranda is my hair stylist. She is a miracle worker. I have needed a cut & color for weeks. With these tough economic times, I have decided to stretch my visits out to 12 weeks instead of the usual 8. Those extra 4 weeks are NOT fun! Not. At. All. :(

I was stressing a little bit because I don't get paid until tomorrow - but my appt is for today. I really didn't want to take the money from savings to pay for the appt - but rationialized that if I had to, I had to (this IS an important appointment, after all).

I got some GREAT news when the mailman arrived. I received two checks from my vision insurance company. Hallelujah & thank the Lord....the company reimbursed me not only for my exam, but for my contacts too! I was hoping for one or the other - but for both - that was wonderful! And the timing: couldn't be more perfect!! Thank you Jesus!

On my list to bake this week....

Peach Pudding Cake....sounds delicious!

Find the recipe here.

Also...I LOVE browned butter...here is a recipe for blueberry browned butter muffins. Yum!

Praying for Stellan...You can too!

Poor little Stellan, his family & doctors need everyone's prayers more than ever. Click on Stellan's picture to read what is happening or click here. Will you pray?

Big Blue Monsters

This morning at the blueberry farm, the owner told me that I could pick from the commercial bushes if I would be willing to pick the bushes clean. Would I??!! I picked two bushes clean and the berries I got were monsters (good monsters!) Most of the berries I picked were either this size or a little smaller! Worth every penny!

Make this!

I LOVE sour cream. You know the way Homer Simpson says, "Mmmmm...Beer." That is what I say when it comes to sour cream. Love it! I baked some sour cream muffins for the first time today (I had to use up yesterday's leftover crumb topping). They are very tasty & definitely have the sour cream taste. I put lots of butter & a giant glob of Laurel's strawberry jam on top. Deliciousness!

Sour Cream Muffins

In a medium sized bowl mix:

1 3/4 c flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2.5 T sugar

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

In another bowl beat together:

1 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten

2 T milk

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 400* for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Make This!

I have exactly 10 oz of blueberries left from our harvest on Saturday. How do I know this? Because I measured & hid the container in the fridge. I had to make sure I had enough to make Blueberry Crumblies. I found this recipe on Noble Pig. I plan to bake it later today. Yum!


**NOTE: These bars are YUMMY! Next time...I will make 1/2 a recipe of the topping as I thought it was way too much for my cake. I have saved the other half in the fridge to put on a coffee cake, muffins, or if I get to pick more blueberries this week - another batch of these. I think I may even add some lemon zest to the cake mixture. Try the recipe....it's great!

Braided Bangs...not!

My friend Jodie gave me her latest issue of In Style magazine. There were several photos of celebs with their bangs braided. How cute! I talked Nas into sitting still and letting me try the style on her. Well...it didn't work. I can French braid hair - but only one braid down the back or two on each side. For some reason...the bangs are impossible for me to braid. Poor Nas...she was a good sport and chatted on Facebook the whole time.

See the International Space Station!

All this week the ISS will be visible! Check out this site to find out when you can see it!!

http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/

I LOVE Firemen!

I have to give a big shout out to the three firemen who came to my house today. What super guys! I called them to come over and check out my fire alarm/carbon monoxide detector as Omid couldn't find anything weird with the furnace. I was expecting one person to come out. Instead...three came with a truck. What the firemen found was that I had two smoke detectors (one goes with the alarm system) and no carbon monoxide alarm. The culprit: DUST! How embarrassing! They were so great and nice & even put fresh batteries in my detectors. These guys also loved Remy and each gave him a pat.

A shout out to Matty: While I was upstairs with the firemen, he took a pix for me of the truck...knowing I would want to blog about it later. Thanks Matty!

I want to make this!

Rainbow cake - check out the vivid colors! On my list to make 'one day' this summer! But I won't frost it as I think it looks so cool unfrosted. It reminds me of a tie dye shirt.

Check it out here.

Sun & Fun on the River...& a Scary Morning

My mom, B & Cayden came down for the weekend. We spent Saturday a.m. at the Barn House sale, then stopped for 45 minutes at Meadowglenn Farms (picked 12 lbs of berries) and spent the rest of the day on the Columbia. B & Mom


Cayden enjoying the warm water.

Omid dropped us off at an island to sit in the sun.

He took the kids tubing. Here is Matty. He wanted to go fast....
Omid went fast & Matty got sprayed!

Then Omid came back to get the rest of us. B & my mom didn't want to go tubing at all, but Omid convinced my mom to try it. My mom and I got on the tube together. My mom said, "I know where I am going when I die, I just don't want it to be today." Well, the next thing we know, the tube is flipping and we are in the water (I told her she jinxed us). Apparently, we were sitting too far forward and somersaulted in. Omid drove back to get us and pulled my mom in the boat. I decided to give it another try (that old adage about falling off the horse and getting back on...). I sat farther back this time and had no problems. My mom got on for another try too and did just fine. I should probably mention that Omid pulled us at about 2 mph too. :) After pulling us to shore, it was B & Cayden's turn.



Woo hoo!

Thumbs up for tubing!

Remy & his sporty lifejacket. Remy swam lots & slept good!

Exploring the island.

After we came home, Omid grilled a tuna & a London broil for dinner. It was good! We went to bed early as we were exhausted from the day in the sun.

Around 5:00 a.m. this morning, we all awoke to the carbon monoxide & the smoke alarms. Everyone went outside while Omid and I opened all the windows & doors. I called the fire department. They said to ventilate the house, then close everything up again to see if the alarms sound again. We did that while my mom & B took the kids (& Remy) to Starbucks. The good thing was, the alarms didn't go off. Omid thinks it is something with the furnace/AC he will be checking it out further today.

Make This!!

**UPDATED**
I erroneously put down 1.5 t of Knox...So sorry! It's one envelope!!! Hope nobody made it with the previous directions!!!

I just made this for dessert tonight. Sooooo gooooood (& so easy)! I just wish we had some blueberries left over to place in the bottom of the ramekins.

Panna Cotta

1 envelope plain gelatin (Knox)
2 t. water
2 1/2 c whipping cream
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1/4 t vanilla

Dissolve Knox in water. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat cream, milk, sugar & vanilla in heavy saucepan to simmer. Stir gelatin into cream mix. Cook & stir just long enough to melt the gelatin. Divide into ramekins. Let cool on countertop & then move to fridge. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

No more clutter/junk, please!!!!

My life is full of clutter! Clutter I have collected, or clutter other people keep giving me. It's madness! I don't want more junk!!! I have been stockpiling a bunch of stuff to sell at a garage sale...but everytime I try & think about organizing it...I feel exhausted. Noble Pig has a great post about organizing junk for a garage sale. Read about it here. There is light at the end of that garage sale tunnel!

I am heading to the Barn House Flea Market on Saturday. I have told myself I can't purchase anything new there until I work on my own garage sale items this week first.

Oly Weekend (part two)

Sunday was my dad's birthday. He & my mom decided on a Hawaiian theme. So...everyone had to wear a Hawaiian shirt or some kind of island get-up.

Birthday Boy!

Papa grilling the ribs & chicken.
Olympia had a major thunderstorm & Remy had to be medicated. The meds finally took effect while we were getting dinner ready. Remy decided to conk out in the middle of the kitchen floor.

I managed to get him to a more comfortable spot (where he wouldn't be in everyone's way).

Jungle Girl & Wild Boy of Borneo

Tom (checking out the Mariners score).

Nas & Sammee

Carli & Randy

Mom & Gary

Tammy & Papa

Remy & Nas

Cynce, B & Tammy

Poor B. She had a very funny photo earlier (which I deleted). She was mad at me for showing everyone before I deleted it. Here she is muttering something under her breath about me.

Here she is pretending (or was she?) to spit in my margaritas. B: I promise I deleted the picture!!

Dogs in their tropical gear.

This was one of 12 self portraits we took. One of us looked good while the others looked bad, etc. We finally kept one we could all agree on!

Oly Weekend (part one)

The kids, Remy & I had a busy weekend in Olympia. Saturday night, B's step-son, Kohl, had a gig at the old Eagle's ballroom in downtown Olympia.
There were two bands playing the show. Kohl's band is called Save it for Saturday.

Proud Dad: Tom
Sammee came along for the show.

View from the ballroom of East Bay Drive.

Matty: waiting for the show to start.

Cayden was all prepared with earplugs. It was loud!

B & Cayden
The Band.

Kohl (center)
The band was pretty good. They even passed out free cds to everyone.

Good luck, guys!

Skamania Lodge

Omid's aunt & uncle have been visiting the family for the past couple of days. We thought it would be nice to drive out to the gorge for dinner & attacked the all you can eat buffet at Skamania Lodge. Good eats!

It was a 45 minute drive to Skamania Lodge so we killed time by taking photos in the back of Omid's car.

What the heck, Mom?!

Photo op 1

Photo op 2

After dinner, I found Matty perched on this rock.

We had a great time!