Foodie Friday!!!

Before I talk about food I've made or want to make, I have to tell you about what I saw driving home from work yesterday. And YES it is food related!
It's something that will put a smile on everybody's face.
It's big and yellow and orange.
Can you guess what it is?
No? Here's the best hint, the license plate reads ..... YUMMY!
You know don't you! It's the ...

WEINERMOBILE!!!
Seriously can you not smile and wave when you drive past that! I know I did!
And "YUMMY" for the license plate, that just cracks me up! If you'd like you can read more about it here.
In other foodie news this week I took the recipe for mushroom lasagna,

and the recipe for butternut squash lasagna,

and made mushroom and butternut squash lasagna! The best of both and man was it tasty!
I also made this Plum and Raspberry Crumble, from the Barefoot Contessa, who I call my Julia Childs.
As much as I like to try new recipes some of Julia's are a little too fussy for me. Ina Garten's, (otherwise know as the Barefoot Contessa), recipes are updated versions that still have lots of flavor. She's my go to girl! Her an Giada De Laurentiis. Almost all of their recipes are exceptional.
As a matter of fact I'm combining the two again and using Ina's Roast Chicken recipe but with Giada's Roast Game Hen flavors for supper tonite! YUMMY!

I'm not getting older, I'm getting wiser

Years ago when I first started listening to NPR I thought, am I really starting to listen to "old peoples" radio?! Not being able to stand all the chatter and commercials on my music stations anymore I made the switch. Though I thought at the time "I"m too young to be listening to old folks radio" the stories and the lack of commercials kept me coming back. Today I can say I am smarter and more informed because of it. Not being much of a political or a business savvy person, I can now hold my own talking to the DH who IS both of those! (not to mention cute)
This morning they were interviewing John Vaillant the author of the book "The Tiger". What an incredible, true story! I can't wait to read the whole book! It's a story about a tiger that stalks and tracks the man who shot him and stole his food. Now I'm not a hunter nor do I play one on TV, but I would think rule number one, if you shoot a tiger, make sure it's dead! Rule number two never, never, never take food away from an "un" dead tiger!

The story then continues with the head of the anti-poaching unit who finds himself setting out to hunt the same animal he's suppose to protect. Sound exciting doesn't it! Here's the Amazon link to read more, or buy if you so choose. Plus how can you not resist a book who's first sentence is "HANGING IN THE TREES, AS IF CAUGHT THERE, IS A SICKLE OF A MOON." Now really!
As a bonus when I was at Amazon I looked up the other books Vaillant has written, first novel, "The Golden Spruce" about a ex-logger turned environmentalist who chops down a one of a kind tree, the only one of it kind in fact, to protest the destruction of the old growth forest in British Columbia. He then vanishes. Not disappears, vanishes... that my friends is a word of a good writer.
Now you know how much I love trees, including the ones that are vomiting acorns all over our lawn right now, (this of course would be different if I was the one raking). So it looks like I'll be buying both of Mr. Vaillant's books! I may just splurge and actually read, instead of listening to it on CD while I bead. Fall is the perfect season, after all, to curl up and read a good book.

Artist I admire!

Bead and Button just published the link to last years "Bead Dreams" participants. Once your at that site click on the top right "next" button to see all of them (and as always click to enlarge). Some artists use beads some use metal and some use clay or glass. All are are juried to get in. All have spent a lot of time making each pieces (hence the "NOT"). Here are a few of my favorites.

Yukiko Yamamoto

The ever colorful Suzanne Golden

This is something I have thought of doing myself chain maille with beads,
 but just didn't have 5 years of my life to spare! Artist: Lynn Davy

This piece won first place, and though it was amazing
(the watch over the heart really works)! I talked to
Diane Hyde at the show and she showed me a piece
that got rejected and it was so much more amazing
that this one.

This artist is one of my all time favorite. I went to her booth at Bead and Button first, thinking I'd get my pick of the pretties before the whole world got there, only to find out I couldn't afford them. What was I thinking?! Hours of details are carved into metal clay, that's right it's made out of clay, (metal clay to be exact) that, when put in a kiln, burns away the clay leaving .99 percent silver. Pretty cool huh! Luckily I could afford some of her pieces parts. Stay tuned to see what I do with them. Oh, the artists name is Christi Anderson.

Foodie Friday

Ahh the cottage, I was speaking of the cottage right?! Well the cousin that owns the cottage gave me some white fish awhile back. I don't think it's from that lake tho. I knew as soon as he gave it to me I would make fish taco's with it. Well tonight's the night!


And since it's fried I think I'll go healthy and make this zucchini and lentil patties to go with it.



And for dessert well I've been dying to make this again!



Enjoy your labor day weekend, as you can see I will be!!!

Warning: Tear Jerker!

The reason this story is such a tear jerker is because it fills your heart up so much it makes you cry. You really must read it! It's a short story but it's full of hardship, war and recognition, love and honor. And it's sad that it's just being told now.

Beauty of a Weekend

Well the weekend is over and everyone had a wonderful time. Weather was hot but it could of been worse. Almost 70 people showed up for the festivities! Everyone loves my daddy! Not more than me tho!

The camp is starting to show it's age, just like all of us. But there is beauty in all the crevisus and creaks.
Happiness in memories of the past, and in the here and now. Here are some photo's of a shed that's old as the patina shows. It is beautiful as it sits off in the side yard in the shade, telling stories to it's neighbors the ferns and moss.
I swear I did NOT put that turquoise drum there. Doesn't it add nice color to the shot!

My sister La and I both want this shed in our back yards. I'd give it to her in a heartbeat if it was mine to give. I love her that much!

It really is at home in with the moss and ferns, pines and birds.

We stayed at my cousins cottage on the lake. What a wonderful place. I'd have pictures if I hadn't left my camera at the camp. Wish I had pictures of it, and of the boys and girls diving off the boat house into the lake! The picture of that place will be in my mind tho, as the epitome of a summer vacation spot.