Sunday, September 27, 2009

Sisters Four Becomes Friends FIVE For A Week

On September 25th, at 5:05 in the morning, 5 friends left home....headed for the beautiful Colorado mountains. The temperatures stayed in the 50's all day...and sometimes we even drove 55...through the construction zones. Interesting little tidbit, no? 

Our very good friend turned the big 40 this month and that's our excuse...reason for this trip. Pretty good one, if we do say so ourselves!!!

Tera, Alicia and Sage


The 11.5 hour drive went well...and we laughed. A lot. Here are some quotes from the trip. We'll title them "You Had To Have Been There" moments:


"You Had To Have Been There"


"Isn't the point of one person driving so that the other four can sleep?!?!" ~ Anna...guess we were all having too good a time to sleep, and Anna thought we were wasting our chance to catch up on some shut eye.


"I haven't been using the gas, and we're still going through about a quarter of a tank an hour." ~ Anna...this was our indication that she had driven too long and needed a break!!! In her defense, she did explain that what she meant was that she had the cruise control on.


"I don't recognize this at all." ~ Alicia, as we were nearing Salina. Then...

"Oh that rest area! I DO recognize this!!!" 


"Fall is creeping upon us." ~ Sarah

...noticing that things were looking more autumnal as we went further north. We thought that her wording was hysterically funny....an indication that we had been in the car too long.


"Enjoy the moment while it lasts, girls." ~ Sarah...when some one commented that we still had a long way to go.


"I can't wait till she has a double chin!" ~ Alicia...referring to the fact that Anna always looks great. 


"OH!!! Look at that poor little spare tire that car has on!!!" ~ Tera


"In my world ponies eat rainbows and..." ~ Sage


Okay...so maybe you didn't laugh. Go sit in a car for about 10 hours and then read this again. You might find it more humorous! 

  

The cloudy skies made a fantastic back drop for the sunflowers and sorghum fields we passed...or was it milo?

    


We arrived in Georgetown in time to unload, enjoy our Chinese food that we picked up in Denver and then head out the door to attend a book signing held at the Community Center.



We so appreciate the use of "Grandma's Dollhouse"


There is something very appealing about living in a small town, where you can walk the two blocks to the main street. The night was beautiful, crisp and chilly as any good autumn evening should be, and what an experience to be able to attend such a special occasion. 


Sarah, Anna and Alicia


The book: THE COLORADO WHOOPENHOLLARS  ~ Living a Good Life Despite the Great Depression. 

The author: Jean Rutherford Duaine. 

The subject: stories about the "Whoopenhollars" (aka the five Rutherford children) told to them by their father through 75 year old letters he sent when he went to work in a CCC camp during the depression. 

Four of the "Whoopenhollars" were there that night, including our very dear friend Buff Rutherford. In all, there were 35 Rutherfords and Rutherford descendants.  They shared a glimpse into their history through stories and pictures and even a song that their father had always sung to his daughter Jean...beautifully sung for her by her nephew and his wife and two children. After we got our books signed we snuck behind the table and got our picture taken with the four - Bill, Buff, Glen and Jean. 



Tera, Sage, Anna, Sarah and Alicia

Bill, Buff, Glen and Jean


This trip is supposed to be very relaxed...no plans, no schedules, no alarm clocks. We woke up to a gorgeous day, and around noon meandered back into town to see what was happening at the Georgetown Aspen Festival. Lots of vendors, food, a book sale...and friendly people everywhere. 

  



 








Walking home

The aspens are just beginning to turn, and Tera is busy snapping pictures. What a lovely time we're having so far!!!








This picture was taken at Dillon Lake today. Alicia and I went to Frisco to church and snapped this on the way back. Yes, that's a dusting of snow on the mountain. Here in Georgetown it's warm and lovely. We're having company this evening, and we're going to make an apple crisp recipe out of my favorite cookbook, "Pie In The Sky". We'll let you know how it turns out...




Until next time...

Sage for the Sisters Four 


BOK CHOY ( Chinese Cabbage ) WITH MUSHROOMS


Ingredients:
Chinese cabbage .... 1 bunch
Mushrooms ........... 8-10
Garlic paste ........... 1 tbsp.
Soy sauce .............. 1 tbsp.
Green chilli paste .... 1 tsp.
Ajinomoto ................. a pinch
Salt ................ to taste
Corn flour ..... 1 tsp.
Oil
Method:
1. Cut the chinese cabbage into big pieces and the mushrooms into halves.
2. In a wok heat a little oil and saute the garlic paste.
3. Stir in the vegetables and saute for a while stirring continuously.
4. Add the soy sauce, chilli paste, salt and ajinomoto.
5. Mix the corn flour in quarter cup of water and add to the vegetables. Stir it for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with plain rice, fried rice or noodles.

Under Construction!

I'm making some improvements (I hope, anyways!)...bear with me, I'll try to be quick!

tak suka, dan benci




MALAS nak update blog. sbb leteyh + ngantok.
esok ade kelas pagi2 lg. tp kan. alang2 tgh geram.
sbb ade perasaan x diundang dtg, meh sini nak ckp terang2.
tak terang lg pergi pasang sportlight bebnyk ok.


TAK SUKA
org yg suruh aku jd diri sendiri, tp die tuh yg dah lupa diri. hilang diri.
sdngkan aku mmg jd diri sendiri, cuma aku perbaiki diri.
nak taw 1 bnde? aku bangge jd diri aku sebenarnye.

TAK SUKA
org yg budget die baik sgt lah. budget die tuh bagus sgtlah.
tp terang - terang kau pun benci aku. kutuk aku.
skodeng aku memanjang. ishhhh...
x berubah - ubah. ingt dah insaf. mengong~


BENCI.
semua pun dah maklum. sy benci lipas kan.
maaflah. semlm + hari ni je ade lebeyh 12 ekor tekorban.
innalillah~

BENCI.
dan dr dlu lg. bad habit jgklah kan. aku mmg pntang.
org ade bnda / brg same cam aku. cam beg ke, bantal ke, ape ke,
yg sejibik sejibun. mmg aku x akan pakai dah bnda tuh.
mmg tak ske. nak buat mcm mane. kecuali... bnda yg mmg x leh elak.
cthnye. berjuta kot org ade tudung / shawl hitam.
gediklah aku kalo x nak pakai jgk.

BENCI.
makanya dr perangai atas ni, aku pantang org nak tiru aku.
tak kesah tiru gaya aku menulis ke, gaya aku berckp ke, PANTANG.
lg cam hampeh kalo ko yg tiru aku ni, org yg mmg anti aku.
and, yg hilang diri sdiri jgk tuh. HOI. benci lah perangai ko tuh.
diulangi. tak payah terhegeh - hegeh nak tiru aku sgt.
tayah ssh payah nak buat / dptkan ape semua yg aku ade.


sbb ape. sbb. skali lg aku tegaskan. hidup aku biaseee je. biaseee sgt. aku sdiri pon. biaseee teramat lah sgt. makanya. bodowla kalo ko tiru. bodowla ko sebok nak skodeng manjang. bodow jgkla ko lupa diri. bodow jgklaaa ko nak cari salah aku je, tp, ko jgk nak jd cam aku.


jd. tlglah. stop pretending. stop being copycat. stop being a drama queen. mmg stupid dam-dam la nak buat aku berdose je kan. nak marah ko manjang, buat darah tnggi je aku. plz ye. jgn tiru aku. jgn jd diri aku. n jgn budget ko bagus or kenal aku sgt. pdhal ko skit pon x kenal aku. btw, see, aku x perfect pon. kalo marah. marah jgk kan. ok? terima kasih.


owhhh ye. b4 terlmbt. nak ckp skit, just, repeat blk ape yg ko ske ckp. "be urself". haa. aku ckp blk dkt ko. ok? ko tu lg perfect la. ko tu yg kene blaja trime diri seadenye. and, poyooonyeee ko. kalo ko depan aku aku bwk cermin. biar ko nmpk dlm cermin tu diri ko.


mintakkk maaf la kalo trase. tp, sape mkn tomato terase masamnye.

sekian.




College Football Snackies



Question to bloggers: how can I get my text box where my posts go to be wider? There's so much wasted margin room...I hate that! Also, I've had some requests to not use white font so people can read blog posts on their Google Reader. Is there a way to change the font color of ALL my previous posts to make that transition easier? Thank you!

My poor Illini got pummeled by the Buckeyes yesterday...*tear*. I figured we were in for a tough game, but not even a field goal? Ouch! Yet, we were still able to enjoy ourselves with good drinks, good friends, and of course, good food!

Our weekend beer of choice as of lately has been Michelob Ultra -- lower in carbohydrate than nearly all other light beers. I'm gearing up for my 30 days as a diabetic, I guess!


And as for our snackies: Buffalo Chicken dip - yum! While it's certainly not THE healthiest thing in the world, it's a nice treat...especially if you enjoy it on celery stalks like myself! Also, in adopting this recipe into my arsenol, I did some research on "wing sauce". Ends up, there's more to wing sauce than mild, medium, and hot! Hooters wing sauce, for example, has 80 calories and 9 grams of fat (5 grams of saturated fat!!!) in just 2 tablespoons! Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce contains 15 calories and 1 gram of fat per tablespoon. Both are packed with sodium, though...beware! Anyways, the Buffalo Chicken Dip is a fun crowd-pleaser, and a lighter version of many football weekend snackies!




Buffalo chicken dip


1 package (8 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1/2 cup fat-free ranch dressing
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby Jack cheese blend or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (2 medium)
Whole grain crackers or celery sticks, if desired 

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in dressing, buffalo wing sauce and water until blended. Stir in chicken and cheese. Spread in ungreased 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch pie plate; cover with foil. 

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Stir and top with onions. Serve hot with crackers or celery sticks.

Our OSU friends brought over chili...and if anyone knows how to make chili, it's them! It ALMOST makes up for the fact that they're OSU fans. And here they are in their OSU jerseys and their poisonous nut necklaces (*eye roll*)!

Josh and Tiffany


 Josh and Tiffany being silly...and our ugly red couch

And here's our happy family...even Pinky (our snake) came out to join the party yesterday (he's crawling on Mark's arm)! Not a great picture of anyone, especially of me...trying to hold up our 35+ pound bundle of joy!





Lily caught a nap at half time...

Enjoying a relaxing Sunday with plenty of sleep and the usual fresh fruit smoothie beefed up with flaxseed oil and protein powder - yum! Enjoy the rest of the weekend, thanks for reading!

Tender Fillet of Veal in Breadcrumbs with Herb Roast Potatoes and Red Cabbage Salad

Veal can of course be a very expensive meat to buy but it is so delicious if prepared correctly that the outlay is more than worth it every so often. This tender fillet of veal just melted in the mouth and went very well with the accompanying herb roast potatoes and red cabbage salad. This recipe is for two people.

Ingredients

2 fillets of veal
12 (approx.) baby new potatoes (unpeeled)
1/2 small red cabbage
1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro in USA)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 eggs
5 to 6 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the potatoes in to a large pan of boiling, salted water to parboil for fifteen minutes and the oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6, a flat baking tray inside to also heat.

Chop/shred the red cabbage with a sharp knife and put it in a fairly large bowl. Add the coriander and white wine vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir very well and cover until required.

Put one tablespoon of sunflower in to a large mixing bowl and add the herbs, seasoning with salt. Stir well. Once the potatoes have boiled for fifteen minutes, drain them well before adding them also to the bowl and swirling them around until they are evenly coated in the herb and oil mixture. Put them on to the baking tray and in to the heated oven for another fifteen minutes.

Break the eggs in to a shallow but wide dish and beat with a fork. Place the breadcrumbs on a large dinner plate and evenly spread them out. Add a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large non-stick frying pan and bring up to a medium heat. Dip each fillet of veal in turn firstly in to the egg then pat both sides in the breadcrumbs and repeat before placing them carefully in to the warmed pan. Fry for ten minutes, turning them over carefully after five minutes, then turn off the frying pan and leave them to rest for the final few minutes of the potatoes' cooking time.

Plate up your meal and enjoy your dinner.