So glad to be out of the house

I am pretty sure my children had cabin fever. Between the many sicknesses and crazy episodes, it's possible I was suffering from it as well. Today was a beautiful day.


He is getting big. Very independent and oh so smart, Ledger loves to be outside.

My unwilling model.
Big boy driving the tractor at Wheeler Farm.
This terribly dirt animal is a cow. Winter got to milk it. Mmmm fresh milk from a disgustingly dirty beast.
LOOK! She did it! She got milk to come out!
He like the camera.
Winter look at mommy.
This is her dramatic moment when she decided I wasn't going to leave her alone.
Classic case. There is something in the hole that you want. You squeeze your hand in so you can reach it out. Only problem is now that you have something in your hand, your hand is too big to come back out of the hole.
Looks like it should come out, but it won't.
Hard as he may try, it's not going to fit.
It was a good day :)

Cheese Fondue

Once upon a time a 16 year old Virginia girl worked at the Melting Pot. Fast forward 10+ years, here is a guide to a similar cheese fondue. This is a guide NOT a recipe. It changes every time I make it and that is part of the fun. Enjoy!

Begin by putting warm fresh beer into a double boiler. 1/2 bottle for two people, full bottle for 3-4.

Then add mustard powder. About a table spoon.Let bubbles combine. Bring double boiler to a boil. Let beer heat up to hot. It won't boil but you want it very hot.
While the beer is getting hot prepare your cheese. You will need 1/3 swiss 2/3 cheddar for a cheddar fondue. You need the swiss for creamy texture. You can do 1/4 swiss and 3/4 cheddar but no less on the swiss. For an extra delicious cheese use Gruyère as a sub for the swiss. Buyer beware, it can be pricey. Gruyère is sweet but slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. It is often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming with age more assertive, earthy, and complex. Gruyère is generally known as one of the finest cheeses for baking, having a distinctive but not overpowering taste. I shredded my swiss with a food processor.
Now comes the secret ingredient. The cheese needs to be coated with flour. It helps the cheese from clumping together once it begins to melt. Flour is also an excellent way to emulsify the beer and oils from the cheese.Add a little at a time. By now the cheese is getting to be room temperature and may be already trying to stick together.
Super easy way to mix and keep your hands clean, ziplock.Finished product should look similar to this.
This is enough for two batches.A fork is the best tool in the kitchen for mixing up the cheese and beer.
Take one handful of the cheese combo and put it into the hot beer.
Bubbles are a good sign everything is as it should be.
The cheese that was just added should be melted and stringy.
Add a few more handfuls. Let it get warm before attempting to stir it all together.
Three additional things to make this amazing.To peel the garlic you can crush it first with the flat side of a knife.
This is a garlic press and probably the most used gadget in my kitchen.Before adding those yummies, stir up your cheese. It's all in the wrist. You want to fold it over itself so the hot cheese on the bottom lays onto of the cooler cheese on top. Again, again, again. If it gets all chunky and you think you are ruining it, be calm. Make sure it is heating up and give the cheese a little more time to melt down.
Creamy and smooth.
Add fresh ground black pepper.
Worcestershire sauce.
Pressed garlicMix until all are combined. Cheese should be ribbon like with pulled through the air. Thick but smooth pancake batter.
Yum yum!
Dippers are up to you. We usually like corn chips, apples, pears, carrots, broccoli, and bread. We have had lots of others too. Cheese is good on most things.
Well that is it. My secret revealed. I have had the knowledge for a very long time. Sorry I didn't share it sooner.

Taking on another project

After two long years of waiting, we have purchased the play place of my dreams. Cory has agreed to take on another project for me. This one will keep him and the kids out in the backyard for 40-48 hours (according to the instructions) over the next couple of weeks. When we first moved into our home in Farmington, getting a nice playset was one of the first things I wanted to do. Fast forward two years...
This is our new 9 foot slide! Really Winter is way more excited than I am, but I am pretty freaking happy!

Of course we choose to be green as can be. I know no one is surprised :)

The Sky Fort! It even has an ubber cool name.

I should have realized I was going to be expected to help with this little project when I saw this image on all the boxes. One of them weighted more than twice what I do so I was pretty useless in helping get that one out of the truck.

Four boxes total and one awesome slide. Shortly after getting everything in the garage the reality of this project hit me. Cory says we have to make a flat spot in the yard for it. Ha ha we have a huge yard, its all flat, right?! No. The slight slope that is in our yard counts as not being flat. That means yard work, lots and lots of digging and sod cutting, and dirt pushing, and wall building, and rock placing, and and and and. I can't bare it. I grew up in a condo where they take care of all the outside stuff for you. I hate yard work. I kill most plants. I thought we could just buy a play place and put it together. Ha ha ha not even close. A mile from being close.

Project progress to be updated soon.

I have a problem with food

Does that look good to anyone? KFC recently decided this was going to be released as a new item on their menu. I bet it smells good, but beyond that, it makes me feel really sick at the thought of eating it.

A few months ago I saw a great episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats. The show is usually good, informative and fairly funny. This particular show was about how he lost all those added pounds he was showing. Not your last 10 or 20lbs or some get trim for summer, but a change your life style of food. Everything he talked about made sense. He gives the example how usually people eat and eat and eat. But you would do that with your car. If you took your car in for a fill up everyday, you would need a place to store all the extra fuel. The same is true for food and your body.

Watch the clip, he explains it better than I can.

The short and sweet version, we all should be eating nutrient dense foods, instead of just energy dense foods.

When Cory saw the episode a few weeks ago, it really "spoke" to him. He decided he was going to change his ratio of nutrient rich foods and hopefully lose a little weight in the process. The four lists that now run things for his food consumption are:

Eat Daily

- Fruits
- Whole Grains
- Leafy Greens
- Nuts
- Carrots
- Green Tea

3 times a week
- Oily Fish
- Yogurt
- Broccoli
- Sweet Potato
- Avocado

He can have once a week
- Red meat
- Pasta
- Dessert
- Alcohol (if he did, he would be allowed once a week)

NEVER!
- Fast Food
- Soda
- Processed meals/frozen dinners
- Canned soup
- “Diet” anything

AND: Eat breakfast every day, no exceptions.

That's all fine and dandy for Cory, but what about me. WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT?! As most people know, I have the worst eating habits. No big deal because I am not 20 over weight or have high cholesterol, right? I could easily eat anything I want and there is no looming problem with that. The problem is that I don't really feel that way. For me it's not about what won't happen in spite of what I eat, but rather how much better I feel when I eat better. For me food doesn't really hold much joy for me. You see, for the most part it is just life sustaining. Unless it was really really good and I am talking about how much I LOVED it, it will always be "just ok." That's why I crave sushi, why I could skip a meal and really not miss it, why when I am pregnant I have to make myself eat, which usually makes me literally gag. I love thanksgiving because it is all my favorite foods on one day. Like I said, I have a problem with food.

Well, it has been a couple of weeks and it is going pretty well with the Alton Brown change. Cory is better with it than I am, of course, but dinner is always something tasty and healthy.

Cheers to change and better eating!