Goofy Mama

Tequila Lime Pizza

2013-06-16T19:54:00.001-05:00

This pizza was pretty freaking amazing. Wow. Such unique flavor combinations that came together just perfectly. I highly recommend this pizza. All my kids love it as well. (Here is the original recipe.)

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small yellow or white onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces silver tequila
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

FOR THE PIZZA:
Pizza Dough (use whatever you want, or use my recipe here)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup halved and quartered grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mango
1 lime, halved and sliced
chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

To make the tequila-lime sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add heavy cream and tequila and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until sauce thickens slightly and reduces, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F for a dark or nonstick pan (425 degrees F for all other pan types). Grease pan and roll out pizza dough to desired thickness. Prebake crust 8 minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with tequila-lime sauce, then add another 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle on toppings -- shrimp, bacon, tomatoes, coconut flakes, mango and lime -- and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 6-10 minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired, slice and serve.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

2013-06-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

This was not good (original recipe here).

4 ears fresh corn, shucked
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
9 large egg yolks

1. Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the corn cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break the cobs into thirds and add them to the pot along with the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, then turn off the heat. Using an immersion mixer or a blender, puree the corn kernels (not the cobs). Infuse for 1 hour.

2. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then turn off the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Add a cup of the hot cream to the yolks, stirring constantly so they don't curdle. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes.

3. Pass the custard through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the solids, discard solids. Let the custard cool, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche with Caramelized Onions

2013-06-16T19:44:00.001-05:00

Made this for Father's Day today, and it was extraordinary. Got the recipe here, and made it pretty much exactly as it said, which I don't usually do (except, I used a pre-made crust, because I don't have a pie pan, so I needed something to put it in).

For the crust:

1 cup of white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbsp ice cold water

For the filling:

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups of spinach
1/2 cup brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Goat cheese
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped chives

Directions:

(For crust) Begin by combining the flour, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix the butter into the flour mixture until there are pea-sized (or smaller) pieces of butter. Gradually pour the water in, one tablespoon at a time while stirring the mixture. Grasp the dough (still in the bowl) and mix with your hands, gently. Place dough on heavily floured countertop, and flour your rolling pin. Roll it out gently until it's about 1/4 inch thick and large enough for you pie pan. I used a fluted dish and pressed the dough into the flutes. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up while it's cooking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and season with a pinch of pepper. Stir and spread out to cook until they start to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add the brussel sprouts, stir to combine and cook for about another 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and cook over medium heat until the asparagus is fork tender.
Whisk together egg, egg whites, milk, chives and nutmeg. Spread the vegetable mixture in the bottom of the prepared crust. Sprinkle goat cheese to taste. Pour egg mixture over top.
Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let quiche rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to settle and serve.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon and Gorgonzola

2013-06-09T14:18:00.001-05:00

Along with the uniquely flavored ice creams we've been making for Ice Cream Sundays, we're also going to start making some uniquely flavored pizzas. Here is our first. (It's based on this recipe, but I had to adjust to make more.)

Pizza Dough:
2-1/2 tsp dry yeast (buy this in bulk at the co-op and you will save a bunch)
1 T sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 T olive oil

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let sit for 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Spread it on a pizza pan (we use a cookie sheet).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion
1 red onion
3 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
8 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch thick batons
18 dried mission figs, stems trimmed, cut into quarters or small pieces
8 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

Directions

1. Preheat the oven 500 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until the onions have softened and turn a deep, golden brown, about 25 minutes.

3. Cut the bacon and cook it up.

4. Cover pizza dough with the toppings: the caramelized onions first, then the figs and bacon, and finally the Gorgonzola. Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Bake for 7 minutes.

Azuki Bean Ice Cream

2013-06-09T14:06:00.003-05:00

Our latest for Ice Cream Sunday. (Based on this recipe.)

FOR THE AZUKI PASTE:
1/2 cup washed azuki beans
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt

FOR THE ICE CREAM:
2 fresh vanilla beans
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1-1⁄2 cups milk
1-1⁄2 cups heavy cream

1. For the azuki paste: Put beans in a saucepan full of water, bring to a boil, then drain in a colander. Return beans to pan, add 3–4 cups water, cover, and simmer until beans are very soft and have absorbed all the water, 30–40 minutes. (Azukis cook faster than many other varieties of bean.) Stir in sugar and cook over low heat until sugar has dissolved and beans form a soft, chunky paste. Add salt and allow paste to cool.

2. For the ice cream: Slice vanilla beans lengthwise down the center with a sharp paring knife. With your fingers, spread beans open, then scrape out and reserve black seeds, discarding pods. Put seeds in a small bowl, add 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and mix well.

2. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 3⁄4 cup sugar, vanilla–sugar combination, and egg yolks, and beat until mixture becomes creamy and turns a pale yellow. Add milk and cream and mix well into a custard-like consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use, preferably overnight.

3. Pour custard into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. About 10 minutes before ice cream is ready, feed the azuki paste into ice cream maker. Serve immediately or freeze in an airtight container to keep ice cream soft until ready to use.

Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream

2013-06-02T19:26:00.002-05:00

This is my least favorite of our Ice Cream Sundays so far. It wasn't creamy enough and the flavor was too subtle.

Nevertheless, here is the recipe (adapted from here):

2-1/3 cups milk
2 T loose leaf green tea
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, more if desired
1/3 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, tea, grated ginger and 1/3 cup sugar. Heat to just under boiling. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing on the solids to extract all the good flavors. Return the milk to the saucepan.

Heat the milk mixture gently until bubbles form around the edge.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks on high speed of an electric mixer, adding the remaining sugar, until the yolks have thickened and become a pale yellow.

Whisk 1/4 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, blending thoroughly, then whisk the egg mixture back into the milk remaining in the saucepan.

Heat this mixture gently on low, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly, coats the back of the spoon, and leaves a track on the back of the spoon when you run your finger across.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Pour into a glass container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Stir in the cold cream prior to processing in an ice cream maker.

Popcorn Salad

2013-05-22T16:11:00.001-05:00

Remember when my kids made food videos? I didn't post this one, of Ocean making Popcorn Salad,

originally, but I want to have it on here now. For posterity's sake.

Here is the recipe. It sounds weird, but it is actually quite good.

Ingredients:

16 oz bacon, cooked and chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise (See recipe below)
1 cup celery, diced
1-1/4 cup cheese, shredded
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 T chives, minced
8 oz water chestnuts
12 cups popped popcorn

*Mayo Recipe: 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1-1/4 cup olive oil. SLOWLY whisk olive oil into the mixture.

Mix all the ingredients except for the popcorn (and save bacon and 1/4 cup cheese). Add popcorn and stir. Sprinkle bacon and the 1/4 cup cheese on top.

Basil Gelato

2013-05-19T19:36:00.001-05:00

It's Ice Cream Sunday. Today, it was Basil Gelato. It was good and interesting. I got the recipe here.

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt
6 egg yolks

Instructions

Combine basil, milk, cream, sugar, zest, salt, and yolks in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a 2-qt. saucepan and heat gently until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer; chill in the refrigerator. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds

2013-05-12T12:08:00.001-05:00

We are starting a summer tradition called Ice Cream Sunday, featuring unique (and hopefully delicious) ice cream flavors.

This is what we (and by "we", I mean Vernon) made today. It is based on this recipe. It was really yummy.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk

4 tsp. cornstarch

1-1/4 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Peel of 1 orange

3 tbsp. mascarpone cheese, softened

1/2 cup puréed roasted beets

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, stir together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch; set aside. In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add orange peel. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in milk/cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

2. Place mascarpone cheese in a bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture; stir in beets. Pour mixture into a plastic bag; seal, and submerge in a bowl of ice water until chilled.

3. Remove orange peel. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions, adding poppy seeds during the last minute of churning. Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

Most Popular Things People Search for and Find My Blog

2013-04-14T18:09:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of the most popular things people search for and find my blog:

1) Some form of the name Goofy Mama (goofymama, goofy mama blog, goofy mama blogspot)
2) Chris Gaines
3) Lotus Birth
4) Walking Wings
5) Katy Perry Movie
6) Bristol Stool Chart
7) How to Jack Off

(So, now I know what I need to write more about if I want to get people's attention.)

And these are my most popular blog posts of all-time (half of them are recipes that have appeared on Foodgawker.com):

1) Greek Pastitsio
2) Stuff My Husband Has Put Into My Vagina
3) Macaroni and Cheese Pizza
4) Seven Layer Tortilla Pie
5) Sail My Vessel
6) Strawberry Chicken Salad
7) Chicken Chow Mein
8) The Katy Perry Movie
9) My Before and After Pictures
10) Coconut Oil is the Best Natural Lubricant Ever!


		(An enormous number of people have searched and found #2 just this week. Why? I don't know. Okay. Yes, I do.)

Brownies

2013-04-02T10:59:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, our downstairs neighbor boy came up and told us he had some brownies for us. (They oftentimes send up treats for us to eat.) So we were all excited to eat these brownies, and we uncovered the plate, and all that was on it was a bunch of brown colored letter 'E's.

So disappointing (yet so very, very clever).

Happy April Fool's Day to us.

What I Should Conquer Next

2013-04-01T19:34:00.001-05:00

Vern said to me, "Do you know what you should try to conquer next?"

I said, "Poker?"

"No."

"Rock Climbing?"

"No."

"Bowling?"

(These were all things I was thinking of mastering.)

"No."

"What then?"

"You should work on not punching someone in the face when they tickle you."

(I don't actually punch people in the face, but I do kind of make the motion like I'm going to punch them in the face. It's, like, a knee-jerk reaction that I just can't help. Apparently, I need to conquer that.)

Walnut Cake with Mascarpone Cream

2013-04-01T16:38:00.006-05:00

I made this for Easter, because I couldn't find all of the ingredients for tiramisu (where the heck does one find ladyfingers anyway???). The original recipe came from here. It's supposed to be a coffee cake, but I didn't have coffee, so I just made it without.

Also, it should be noted, as seen in the photo, that I should have let the cake cool completely before frosting it. There is supposed to be a middle layer of frosting, but it all got smooshed in and absorbed into the cake.

Cake

1 cup walnuts (about 4 ounces), toasted, chopped, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

Coffee-mascarpone cream

4 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon water
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese*
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Vern's Blog Posts

2013-03-19T18:20:00.001-05:00

From approximately 2005 through 2007, Vern had a blog on MySpace. I was reading through some of his entries, and I thought I would post some of the highlights here, on occasion (like, on the occasion when I can't think of anything else to write about). Enjoy.

This one is from January 21, 2007:

I (and by extension, the whole family) was listening to a cd today while making whole wheat pancakes when Allison asked who was singing the song that was playing. I told her that it was Jet.
To which she inquired, "From the 80's?"
To which I responded, "No, I believe that would be The Jets."
To which she said something about seeing them live when she was in Girl Scouts.
End Scene.

And this one from October 3, 2006:

And what's all the fuss about Grey's Anatomy? Allison flipped to it during Supernatural's commercial breaks last week. Is it supposed to be a comedy or a drama or what? I couldn't tell, and it didn't seem to do either one very well. All I can say is that it's no Scrubs.

Ocean's 10th Birthday

2013-03-12T09:48:00.001-05:00

My lovely daughter, Ocean, turned ten yesterday. Here is what we did:

Happy 36th Birthday (to me)

2013-03-03T19:32:00.002-06:00

I have a secret to tell you: I always feel a little bit weird on my birthday. You all know how I really like to celebrate my birthday and everything, but part of me just wants to curl up inside myself and sit there for the day. I just get really reflective on my birthday (I mean, much more so than my usual level of reflectiveness). And I just feel... weird. I don't know how else to describe it. And I get that feeling every year.

I feel kind of quiet and within myself, like how I am when I'm in labor. Maybe I'm feeling like I'm getting ready to give birth to a new year for myself (if that makes any sense). I don't know.

I used to have problems with my birthday living up to my expectations. (You know, because I take my birthday so seriously and I love it so much that I just want everything to go so perfectly.) But, over the past several years, I've taken control of my birthday and I organize it so that it meets my expectations (and if it doesn't, then I am the only one to blame).

The formula looks basically like this:

1) Go out alone for a couple of hours and enjoy my free birthday drink from Caribou Coffee (a spicy hot chocolate).
2) Go rollerskating with my family.
3) Have Vernon make me a cake.

It's a winning formula and a wonderful tradition. (See here, here, and here.)

But I'm trying to let go of my expectations altogether. I'm working on it, anyway. Like, when I was opening presents today, Ezra wanted to hand out the presents as he chose, but Ocean wanted to save her present for one of the last ones, which made him upset so he went pouting off to his room. So, instead of getting upset and yelling, "Knock it off, Ezra. It's my birthday," I let go of expectations, and just thought that in my head. And eventually he came out of his room and stopped pouting, and all was well.

So, anyway, here is my birthday:

After a breakfast of blueberry walnut pancakes, my solo trip to Caribou, and then a family trip to church, I opened up my presents. I got this card from Ocean:

Then we ate my birthday cake for lunch:

It was an ice cream cake with brownie layers and a cream cheese frosting:

This is us on our way to the rollerskating rink:

And this is us at the rollerskating rink. I look like Slouchy McSloucherton here:

I had a Groupon and it included a free pizza from the rollerskating place (Cheap Skate in Coon Rapids, MN), so here Peace is eating the pizza:

And this is me and Vernon. He is making that face on purpose (don't ask me why):

And this is just an extraneous picture, featuring my bangs, because I know you are all interested in that:

So, yeah, I am kind of inside myself most of the day. But there are moments, like when I am rollerskating around the rink, holding Peace's hand, and Mumford and Sons "I Will Wait" is playing, and Ocean and Vern are practicing rollerskating backwards in the center of the rink, and Ezra is racing around on his rollerblades and has gotten quite good... there are moments like these when the world will stop and I'll notice it all and think about how amazingly awesome it is to be here, in my life.

It's a good place to be.

Placenta and Nuchal Cord Charts!

2013-03-02T19:06:00.003-06:00

You know how I like to do those charts (See: Charts!, More Charts!, and Another Chart!)? Well, here are some more:

And a more general look at that:

And then this one:

How Do I Feel About My Bangs?

2013-02-22T15:09:00.000-06:00

How do I feel about getting bangs, you ask?

Well, I'm not sure.

I think my expectations were a bit unrealistic.

Looking back on it now, I'm pretty sure that I went into it with the expectation that having bangs would make me into a more beautiful person. But, instead, I look more or less the same. I still look like me. Except I have bangs now.

And I'm not any more beautiful.

I Got Bangs!

2013-02-21T19:36:00.001-06:00

It happened. I did it. I really did.

(I suppose I could have posed for a better picture. Those are my pajamas you're seeing.)

I Love Thomas Merton

2013-02-20T20:54:00.000-06:00

So, there is this Catholic Trappist monk who was also kind of into Buddhism and interfaith understanding who I really love. His name is Thomas Merton.

Here is a quote from him, in his especially awesome book, "New Seeds of Contemplation":

"A saint is capable of loving created things and enjoying the use of them and dealing with them in a perfectly simple, natural manner, making no formal references to God, drawing no attention to his own piety, and acting without any artificial rigidity at all. His gentleness and his sweetness are not pressed through his pores by the crushing restraint of a spiritual strait-jacket. They come from his direct docility to the light of truth and to the will of God. Hence a saint is capable of talking about the world without any explicit reference to God, in such a way that his statement gives greater glory to God and arouses a greater love of God than the observations of someone less holy, who has to strain himself to make an arbitrary connection between creatures and God through the medium of hackneyed analogies and metaphors that are so feeble that they make you think something is the matter with religion."

I just love him really a lot. That is all.

Montessori Schools

2013-02-18T12:56:00.002-06:00

I was talking to this lady from church about education the other day. Her kids went to a Montessori elementary school (J.J. Hill Montessori in St Paul, for those of you wondering), and she was wondering how they would transition to a regular school setting when they entered junior high. So, when he entered junior high (Ramsey Junior High in St Paul, for those of you keeping track), she asked him how he was transitioning. And he said, "It's easy. The teachers do all the work for you."

And then we were talking about how our church school (St Mark's in St Paul, for those of you still playing along) wanted to increase their enrollment (they're goal is 50 new students in kindergarten for the new school year, but it's been said that they would be happy getting half of that), and I suggested that they should make it a Montessori school because parents today (at least all of my friends) love Montessori and people are willing to pay for a Montessori education. I know I, personally, would rather pay for my kids to have a Montessori education over a Catholic one (which is what I actually do... but we get a HUGE scholarship.). I just don't see much difference (aside from being able to talk about God in school) between the Catholic school model and a regular school. (Vern used to be an elementary teacher and has taught in a couple of Catholic schools.)

Maria Montessori (the founder behind this whole thing) was a devout Catholic, but there is only one Catholic Montessori elementary school in the Twin Cities area, and that is way up in Blaine.

Maybe I should suggest that to the school board or something. Now, if only I were that type of person...

Retro Vernon (and This Is 36)

2013-02-17T16:10:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Vern and I stopped at this store called Retro Wanderlust in Hopkins, MN during our "Vernon and Allison Date Day", and I requested that he try on some shirts:

Then we went to the movie "This is 40" at the cheap theater in Hopkins, and it was weirdly, kind of embarrassingly, similar to our lives. As in, we had similar faults as the characters in the movie. Vernon said something about that, and I said, "It just means we are similar to Judd Apatow, and that makes us cool."

There is this one scene in the movie where the couple is having a nice, peaceful moment, and she says to him, "Why do we fight? It makes no sense at all?" And he says, "When we get in a fight, look in my eyes. Let’s remember this moment right now and know that we never have to fight."

And Vernon and I have had almost the exact same conversation, word for word. (Except, I went so far as to suggest a code word that would remind us not to fight and remember the peaceful time.)

Anyway, so then we were at church today, and (some of) the kids were being kind of frustrating, and Vern leans over to me and says, "This is 36."

And I say, "Am I 36? I'm not 36, am I?"

And we both thought it over for a bit and came to the conclusion that I was 35 (not quite 36). And so I said, "This is 35... when you can't even remember your own age anymore."

Ah... good times.

Warm Bodies

2013-02-14T19:42:00.002-06:00

I've been staring at my MOVIES tab, wondering why the heck I still have a MOVIES tab.

And then it occurred to me... I should write about movies again! (It was one of my New Year's resolutions, remember?)

So, I will.

And I will start with Warm Bodies. Which was awesome. So much fun. But also tenderhearted and meaningful. I laughed. I cried.

Vern said, "That was really well done."

Remember Rob Corddry, from The Daily Show? He was in it. But that doesn't really have anything to do with anything because his role wasn't really that big, but I was kind of excited to see him. Same goes for Dave Franco (James Franco's brother). He is always delightful. I've enjoyed watching him in the 21 Jump Street movie and on Scrubs.

Yeah, so Warm Bodies is about this zombie boy who, in the most unconventional way possible, falls in love with a human girl. And some other interesting stuff happens, and then it's over and you are delighted for having watched such an enjoyable little movie.

(Aren't I good at these movie reviews? It's a wonder I didn't do them more often.)

Our Annual Valentine's Day Picture

2013-02-14T08:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

We do a picture like this every year. Click this link to see years' past. (And last year's.) Oh, how the kids have changed.

Snowmen

2013-02-10T15:32:00.003-06:00

Good snowman making weather today.