Fortune Tells

Sometimes the fortune that appears in a cookie is the right one--a message from the random beyond that rings true to a thing occurring in the center of your self or your choices.  Such it was a while back as the wife and I were at a Chinese restaurant and I found the message above.  Sure, the message might fit a wide number of people, but don't we see ourselves in the things that happen around us?  So there I am, being messaged by fortune that the course of my life is true. 

A Snow Day. Relax!

The snow kept coming down today, and we just got a notice that there won't be school tomorrow, so it's an opportunity to relax a bit (just a bit!) and go back over some pictures from the past weekend in Minneapolis.
One of my favorite photos is this one from my visit to the Highland Grille in Minneapolis with my daughter, her boyfriend, and their little bundle of joy.  She was a good little trooper and already is a little sweetheart.

It's Smoothie Country

Two Healthy Smoothies

After we got our new Ninja blender at Christmas time, it sat in the pantry without being used.  But that changed when the wife and I decided we needed to change our eating habits and do something different to be more healthy.  So it's had a lot of use in the last three weeks, and we have taken in a lot more fruits and vegetables since then.
On most mornings, we start with some pineapple, bananas, berries, yogurt, and a variety of other things we find rummaging around in our refrigerator.  We've made a staple of kale, for example, grinding it fine and freezing it in ice cube trays which we can throw in with the fruit.  Spinach, too.  It made a difference to blend those leafy veggies beforehand; the first ones we made were bulky and chewy and too much like a salad.
The Ninja makes good work of it all; it's no-nonsense and blends things well, its whirling Ninja blades getting the mixture to rise and blend and fall until the consistency is good and thick, but not chewy.
So far it seems to have done us good, and the flavor is super tasty.

Exchanging Sweetness

The end of the fall semester often brings the opportunity to gather together and share, and this December was no different.  A group of cooks in our College of Arts and Sciences made goodies to share, exchanging half a dozen sweets to carry home, so that the wife and I were able to enjoy treats from colleagues, some of which appeared at that night's birthday party for yours truly.

Treats at the cookie exchange 2012

The cooks and their guests

Among the goodies were molasses cookies, Russian tea cakes, bourbon balls, and many other tasties.  Best of all was the sharing that goes with the exchange.  

October 25, A Day to Celebrate

When the wife's birthday comes around, we take the chance to get out and do something a bit different to make the day special and to celebrate the event.  So, this year we buzzed out of town and did some things that she likes to do, which, in this case, involved eating some good food, doing a little shopping for clothes and other stuff, and feeling lots of different kinds of yarn.  Anything the wife wants to do, I'm her man. 

Crawford's in downtown Sioux Falls

We also did some things for yours truly, which involved picking up some new tires for the bicycle and having a good "old-fashioned" down at Crawford's, where we had some excellent food (blackberry ribs and walnut-encrusted pork chop) and dessert (midnight chocolate cake).  Yum!  Beautiful place, too. 

We also picked up a copy of the new Joe Walsh album, "Analog Man," but we forgot it in the trunk and haven't listened to it yet. 

Looking Forward to a Darn Tough Winter

Winter has come.  Snow has fallen, wind driven and cold, covering most of the leaves that never got raked, the wood that didn't get moved yet, the snowmobiles that have rested since spring came, the porch floor that didn't get painted.  So now some of those are hidden, temporarily, until spring comes round again.  Meanwhile, the wife and I are happily facing a short week, just one long day and one short one, then a Wednesday free from duties, then a Thursday for giving thanks.

One item on my thankful list is this dandy pair of Darn Tough socks, a gift from my daughter and her beau.  They're guaranteed to last as long as I hope their relationship does--meaning, for a lifetime.

I've been dogging on the blogging, but we have been busy, gone to Sioux Falls for a weekend getaway on Veterans Day, where we enjoyed a stay at the Holiday Inn, dinners at Parker's Bistro, Phillips Avenue Diner, and Bros Brasserie Americano.  All great places to eat.

In addition, we enjoyed an evening with the Carpe Diem String Quartet and picked up a copy of their Montana CD, which extends the enjoyment of the weekend.  It's awesome, tough and beautiful, like Montana itself and this fine Vermont pair of socks.

Four at the Forecast Saturday Night

Alfredo pasta with chicken

The Forecast Restaurant in Howard finally drew us in for dinner (now "supper" on the menu) to celebrate the father-in-law's 75th birthday.  The wife and I joined her folks and enjoyed four of the dishes on the menu.  Since I was running the Sioux Falls Half Marathon on Sunday, I wanted the hand-made pasta.  Rich and creamy, the pasta was very tasty and included a nice salad, as did all the other dishes.  I added the chicken.

The birthday guy ordered the braised pork belly, which we all tried.  The pork was tasty, but the cabbage and spatzle, a German specialty mini-dumpling, was especially good.

Braised pork belly with spatzle and cabbage

Chicken with red pepper coulis

The wife ordered the chicken with red pepper coulis, a thick peppery sauce, just a little spicy, with a good peppery taste.

Walleye with vegetables 

Mrs. Birthday ordered the walleye, after being told it was out, then hearing word more was ready (popular that night).  It came in a parchment envelope, steamy and cooked with veggies, just right.

New York style cheesecake with blackberries

Desserts were nothing to crow about, but all were very tasty, including the cheesecake, the chocolate mousse, and the lemon pie.

Chocolate mousse

Lemon pie

The folks at the Forecast are working hard to get it right.  It's a start-up, and I suspect some of the wait staff has never enjoyed the experience of dining in the kind of high-class restaurant the Forecast is aiming for.  I hope they get there.  The chef has the right touch, and he's working his tail feathers off to get it right.  

Get on over there and try the fare. Then let the chef know what you think of his work.

The Grasshopper and the Ant

Roasted tomatoes for sauce

 This evening the wife spent putting away some of the summer harvest, cooking tomatoes and making sauce, chopping jalapenos and making jelly, then canning them up and setting them aside for later.

Meanwhile, someone else was having a bowl of ice cream, browsing the web, fixing the router, sending email, and wondering how eating ice cream was going to get him through the half-marathon on Sunday in Sioux Falls.  Maybe if he saw The Tinder Box on Saturday, that would help.

Jelly and sauce in process 

Finished jalapeno jelly and tomato sauce

He Cooks! He Makes Zucchini Disappear!

Yes, he can cook.  How about a little Italian Zucchini Pie?  Right out of South Dakota Magazine, this little number dispatched several of the garden club-sized vegetables that seem so abundant these days, and it fed us both with plenty left over for round two.  Yummy!

The recipe is in the July/August issue of SD Magazine, print version.  Enjoy!

First Leg, Roundabout Journey Home

The wife is pretty happy with this quick
 point-and-shoot of Narada Falls as it tried
to mist up her camera lens.

A long hike resulted in this self-portrait with
the mountain crowding into the shot.  Pushy mountain.  

We are happy to share our BMW with the mountain!

We hustled out of Seattle today and watched Mt. Rainier loom closer and closer until--there we were, in the park, sun shining, car making smooth German BMW noises all along, top down, wind in her hair.  Yep.  Sunshine, a day Seattleites dream of.  After a stomach and budget stretching last evening in Seattle, it was time for bagels and peanut-butter, which we picked up at the Safeway in Enumclaw, where Creation Fest was buzzing and the teenage Creationists were hogging the Safeway unisex bathroom.  But it was happy days on the mountain, with lots of viewing and some vigorous hking, after which we managed to find our way to the happy little Relax Inn in Chehalis, WA.  Then for some pie at the Kit Carson Cafe, and we're all set for the night.

My Little Rustic Tart

Fruity, crusty

Sweet, fruity, definite crust but soft and warm inside, that's how I like my rustic tarts, as the wife calls her little creation last night, a delight after a delicious meal.  Peaches, blueberry, and some kind of sweetness.  Very tasty!  I'm feeling better already!

All Hail the Pie that Heals

The wife has taken such good care of me over the past few days, keeping things easy and feeding me well as I rest on the couch, keeping my leg up and healing.  All I had to do was peel some apples, and she managed the rest, making the crust and the goodie.

And this was after also making homemade pizza.  The pie goes especially well with Twin Peaks, where Agent Cooper shows his own affection for the pinnacle of foodstuffs.  (He prefers cherry, while apple is my choice).  

Better Day--It Only FEELS Like 21 Below

The sun comes up after our snowstorm

Northwest wind at 16, temp at zero.  That's better than yesterday, when things were much worse.  The wife and I did get out and about just a little--some grocery shopping, some lunch at El Vaquero, and mailing a package.  I went out again myself for another shopping spree (groceries only), and a stop at my mom's, but that was plenty for a very wintery day, and  I was glad to come home, stoke the fire, and settle back in for work on some Christmas gifts and school.

English Department Summit

 We met this afternoon as an English Department, our first official meeting outside the University this semester.  We got work done on a wide variety of fronts, made plans for future work, and enjoyed food and drink, including soup, bread, pork pies, and cake.  A good meeting all around, with good folks and true. 

Chicken noodle, chili, and pumpkin soup.

Last of the Summer Tomatoes

Five roma tomatoes are all that's left

The wife put together a great batch of chili today using the last of our summer's tomatoes, some sauce, and other goodies.  It's a nice way to remember what good it is to have a garden.

Monday Night Pie Conference

Monday night (I think it was . . . ) we had a little group over, where we enjoyed some great 4-H beef, some butternut squash, fresh from the summer's bounty, and this awesome pie that the lovely wife baked with her own two hands.  Participants were impressed with not only the taste of the pie, but also the LOOK!  RIP, pie.

All You Need to Know About the TCM Weekend (my version)

• The wife and I (taking Walter with us) went to Minneapolis on Saturday morning and stayed with my daughter and her guy.
• We enjoyed the TCM expo and picked up my packet.  
• We managed a trip to Trader Joe's in St. Paul.
• We loaded up on pasta at Buca di Beppo’s with DW, JW, KW, April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine.  We were joined by a couple, friends of Chester and April. 
• We went to the stage version of Louise Erdrich’s book “The Master Butcher’s Singing Club” at The Guthrie with April, Chester, Casey, and his girl Christine. 
• We survived a night of industrial-strength snoring from is, externally, at least, a fairly small dog.  
• I ran the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday morning, finishing in 3:45:22, on a beautiful day for running.  Number 1726, if you're interested in splits, times, or photos.  I was impressed with the cool stats they offer up now.  For example, I moved up in the pack from being in 3078th place after 3 miles to 2029th place at the end.  
• April, Chester, and the wife drove around town, cheering me on at various spots along the way.
• DW, JW, and KW also picked a spot near their home and cheered (posting this pic of me enroute).  
• We enjoyed some well-deserved lunch at the Highland Grill in Minneapolis.  
• We drove back, stopping at Jim’s Apple Orchard near Belle Plaines on 169, where we picked up some kickin’ root beer and some apples.
• We checked out the closed bridge south of Belle Plaines, just because you can never be too sure about those “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signs.
• We drove back through Belle Plaines to get on a road with good bridges.
• We recovered slowly over the week (and weekend).  

Birthday Present--So Sweet, So Delicious

We stopped by the B's to drop off CB's birthday present, and look what we got!  Some of the best damn caramel corn this side of the Lake County/Miner County line.

Hey!  Some of it looks gone already!

Are You Gonna Eat That?

Like we try to do every week, we stopped at the farmer's market near the Madison Library and, after assuring ourselves that we had at least one baguette, we sauntered past the tables eyeing and fingering the produce.  Lead veggie farmer Cody Carper had this beast at his stand.  "French," he said.  "Tasty."  But they weren't moving.

Two bucks.  He threw in an acorn squash.  

So now it looms in our kitchen like the pod of an alien colonist, or a sinister pumpkin ready for revenge over past mutilations.
But what the heck.  We're gonna eat that bugger. I hope my nose doesn't then take on the physical attributes of this flash gourd.

She's Planning for the Future

What do jalapeño jelly, spaghetti sauce, homemade catsup, chili sauce, pasta sauce, rhubarb steak sauce, salsa, and pizza sauce have in common? They all sit in anticipation and expectation for our later enjoyment, courtesy of the wife who has been busy canning up a storm.