Karen's Dangling Conversation

Kale isn't just for Green Smoothies!

2012-01-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

I've had this recipe forever it seems and I just decided to try it the other day! I used the flat kale (lacinato) variety. They turned out yummy......and oh so spicy so if you don't like spice you can tone down the chili powder a bit. I love kale chips and here are some of my favorite recipes I have found!

Spicy Chili Lime Kale Chips : A Recipe from Michelle Pfennighaus

Michelle Pfennighaus’ recipe for Chili-Lime Kale Chips, from her blog findyourbalancehealth.com.

Chili-Lime Kale Chips – A Recipe from Michelle Pfennighaus

Do you have a small love affair going on with kale? If so, I’m not surprised. I got my hands on some kale this week and turned it into a new version of kale chips that I couldn’t stop bragging about for days. You know how it is when you really nail a recipe and it turns out amazing and you do a little happy dance and proceed to eat all of it immediately? It was like that…

Serves: 2 to 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

1 head of green curly kale
Juice of 2 limes
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup cashews, ground to a powder
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Rinse kale leaves and shake dry. Tear leaves into chip-sized pieces. Reserve the stems for another use, like vegetable stock.

2. In a large bowl, combine kale with all other ingredients. Mix with your hands until kale looks wet and seasoning is evenly distributed.

3. On two large cookie sheets, spread out kale leaves the best you can so they are flat and not overlapping.

4. Bake for about 8 minutes. Flip and move chips around to cook evenly. Bake another 8 minutes or so. When they are done they should be absolutely crispy. Once crisp they tend to burn quickly so check on them every minute or so towards the end!

This one is from the Green Smoothie Girl and it is a winner for sure! Just don't breathe on anyone after you eat them because you will have dragon breath for a while.....but it's so worth it!

DILL PICKLE KALE CHIPS

¼ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Original Crystal Himalayan Salt
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. dried dill
1 C cashews
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

16 kale leaves

Blend first 8 ingredients in high-speed blender, adding a minimum of water to make it blend. Pour into a shallow bowl and dip one side of kale leaves into mixture. Dehydrate kale chips, dipped side up, until dry and crispy, below 115 degrees in dehydrator. Do not seal in Ziploc bags or Tupperware, or they lose their crispiness. I leave them in the dehydrator racks or put them on a plate until they’re gone.

This one I haven't tried yet but they look yummy. It is a recipe created by my friend Stacy Stowers, a wonderful traveling raw food chef! Check out her blog here.

This was my favorite picture of Stacy's Cheesy Kale Chips! A reformed cheeto addict!

CHEESY KALE CHIPS

3 bun. curly leaf kale
1 C raw cashews, soaked OR 1 C Tahini
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
juice of 1 lg lemon
1/3 C nutritional yeast
Opt dash of Cayanne or Chipotle Powder
Sea salt to taste

Tear kale leaves into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.
In a food processor, process cashews and lemon juice to a hummus consistency paste
Add all remaining ingredients except kale. Process smooth.
Place kale pieces and 1/2 cashew mixture in a large bowl,
Massage cashew mixture into kale pieces, massaging each leaf individually.. When cashew mixture runs thin, add the remaining 1/2 of the mix.
Place kale pieces one by one on Teflex covered dehydrator trays, and dehydrate at 110 degrees for 2 hrs..
Remove trays from dehydrator and transfer chips from teflex sheets mesh covered dehydrator trays (easy way: Place a mesh sheet over the dehydrator tray with the chips. Cover the mesh sheet with another dehydrator tray. Flip the assembly and then remove the first dehydrator tray, and the teflex sheet.)
Dehydrate for 5-6 hours more, until crunchy.

And last but not least a very plain variety but tasty all the same! I have tried these and they are yummy. (I would back off on the salt a bit!)

Love this pic!

Totally Addictive Kale Chips from

Tessa the Domestic Diva: Wholesome, Allergy-Friendly Living

1 head kale, Lacinto/Dinosaur or Curly

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional flavor add-ins: sesame seeds, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, maple syrup,sesame oil. The options are really limitless.I have used Annie's Asian Sesame Dressing even. I keep it simple for my kids, but have really enjoyed playing with the spices and options out there.

So have some winter fun making kale chips! So easy and a really great healthy snack! Enjoy!

Spiced Broccoli and Coconut Milk Soup

2012-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

I had some broccoli I needed to use up the other night and soup has just been sounding so good lately. So I was hunting down a healthy version of broccoli soup without regular milk or cream or wheat flour. I was so pleased to come across this lovely version with coconut milk (which I love) and it's a little spicy too....bonus! I ended up loving this soup so much I had to make it again. This time a much bigger batch! Here's where I found the original recipe at EASY NATURAL FOOD. So whip up a batch to enjoy, I can guarantee the kids will love it too!

Spiced Broccoli and Coconut Milk Soup

2 tablespoons oil (ghee/coconut oil)
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Red chili flakes (to taste)
4 cups (approx.) chopped broccoli (about 2 large broccoli heads)
2 small/medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large celery stalk, sliced
2 ½ – 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (depending on how thick you want it)
½ – ¾ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
1 cup coconut milk

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot.
2. Add onions, sauté for 10 minutes or so.
3. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and red chili flakes. Stir for a couple of minutes until the spices become fragrant.
4. Add the broccoli, potatoes and celery. Mix the vegetables in with the spices.
5. Add the stock, salt and pepper. Simmer until all vegetables are cooked (about 25-30 minutes).
6. Remove from the heat. Blend (I use an immersion blender) until smooth, taking care if the soup is still very hot.
7. Stir in the coconut milk, then serve with a dash of yogurt (yum!).

The Beagles Excellent Adventure for Martin Luther King Day!

2012-01-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

We couldn't just let a whole day off of school go by without planning some kind of a Beagles adventure. So after much research and some heated conversation we finally settled on going some where that we had never been. Drum roll please.........The Tracy Aviary!!!!!!!!!! And off we went!

For lunch we went to Lone Star Taqueria! Best Fish Tacos in the U.S.

It's Your Birthday S H O U T HOORAY!

2012-01-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today is Amanda's birthday! A very important birthday! A 21 years on the planet birthday! Hooray! Amanda I'm so glad you were born! You are so fun to be around and you help us to laugh even when we want to cry! We had a fun weekend celebration with dinner out and movies and pedicures and birthday dinner at home! Can't get any funner than that! Love you my sweet Manda booboo girl! You're the best!

It finally feels like Christmas

2011-12-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

Me and my friend the Grinch!

Okay so I'll admit it! I've been feeling a little Grinchy this year. I didn't want to put up the Christmas decorations. The only reason they got up was because my cute girls Liz and Amanda helped me one day and we did it all at once and in a hurry and whatever got left behind never made an appearance this year. I didn't want to shop for presents. As far as I could tell no one in our family needed a thing! I knew I wouldn't be sending out cards this year, if I did it would only say, "Meh!" I think if I could have I would have stopped Christmas from coming, just like the Grinch!

To be fair it has been a most difficult year for our family. We have had so many challenges it has been tough to keep putting one foot in front of another. We have dealt with death, open heart surgery, stage 4 cancer diagnosis and much, much more. When things like that are happening it is hard to think about anything but the situation at hand.

We decided to run away for Christmas and went with my sister and her family to Hawaii, a great distraction for their first Christmas without their Dad, arriving home the day before Christmas Eve. Hawaii had done nothing to put me in the Christmas mood but here I was facing a house full of guests and family expecting all of the usual Christmas traditions.

I sat down that night to watch The Christmas Box with my sweet almost 87 year old mother, visiting from Seattle. It occurred to me that this may be her last Christmas. She reached out and put her hand on my leg and I took her hand and she began to cry. I put my arm around her to comfort her the best I could. We watched the movie together, tears rolling down both our cheeks by the end.

Later as I sat in prayerful meditation at the end of the evening, I felt the most beautiful heart opening as I thanked my Father in Heaven for these life experiences. As hard as they are sometimes they give way to the most exquisite moments. Some are exquisite with JOY and others are exquisite with PAIN but each one makes me who I am. What's more important is they make me more who I want to become. I would not have traded a moment........okay, maybe there was a moment or two I would like to have traded.....but not really. Which one would I have traded? Holding our still born baby granddaughter for the first and last time, sitting with my brother-in-law as we waited for my sister to come out of surgery, breathing with another sister as her husband lay dying even though we were miles apart.

As I learned in my yoga class today Christmas Eve has a huge amount of heart chakra energy. I truly felt it last night. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." I am so grateful for that selfless gift. I am grateful that my own heart is learning to love the way that God loves.

Welcome Christmas
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome Christmas
Dah who dah-moose
Welcome Christmas
While we stand
Heart to heart
And hand in hand

Fah who for-aze
Dan who dor-aze
Welcome welcome
Christmas
Christmas
Day.

Blackberry Pie

2011-11-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

Our thanksgiving would not be complete without Blackberry Pie. Preferably with berries picked with our own hands in Seattle! Seattle is where I grew up and it is the land of wild blackberries. Everywhere! I never appreciated it until I moved to Utah which is NOT the land of wild blackberries. This was my latest foray into blackberry picking and it was so fun! So this year I am so excited to know that I will have real Seattle blackberries in my favorite Thanksgiving Pie! Thank you God for blackberries, they are so amazing and sticky and sweet!

Mom's Blackberry Pie
Makes 1 pie

Crust:
2 cups flour (can use part whole wheat)
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup butter
Mix flour and salt, then cut in butter with pastry cutter. Add 2-4 Tablespoons ice water and mix with fork until a ball forms. Form into two balls and flatten. Roll out two pie crusts. Line pie pan with one and cut slashes or decorations in the other.

Berry Filling:
1 quart frozen blackberries, thawed (or fresh if you can get them)
1 1/2 cups sugar, (or to taste)
1/2 cup flour (or a little less if you like your pie juicy)
Mix berries, sugar and flour lightly and pour into unbaked pie crust. Put second crust over the top and seal the edges. Before baking brush pie top with half and half (milk will work) and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes or until nicely brown.

Let cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Our family tradition is to eat left over pie for breakfast!

“Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton, Bags by Bloom and Harvard Common Press”

Almond Milk....as simple as 1,2,3!

2011-11-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have bought almond milk from the store for quite a while now. The other day I needed some and I thought, DARN, I have to run to the store and then the light bulb went on! I have almonds, I have water, I have this really fancy KTech blender! So why not make my own almond milk! So I did and it is amazing...so much better than from the store! Give it a try, you will love the results! For a very informative article about knowing where your almonds come from hop on over to Whole New Mom.

Almond Milk Recipe

1 cup raw almonds, soaked over night
3-4 cups filtered water
1/2 a vanilla bean (scrape out the seeds, that's what you want)
4 dates (any kind) soaked for 1 hour

Place all the ingredients in a good high speed blender and blender for about 3 minutes.

Now comes the fun! It's almost as good as milking a cow!

So there are two ways to use the almond milk. You can use it just as it is with the pulp or you can strain it. If you strain it be sure and save the pulp, dry it in a dehydrator and use it later as almond flour.

I discovered the best straining bags come from the paint store. Yep, just go to your local paint store and ask for a paint strainer and it works perfect for this!

This is how I store my almonds in a recycled pickle jar

Soak them in a canning jar overnight. Never put away your canning jar funnel, I use it over and over again in my kitchen

My 20 year old Ktech Champ! Ignore the vanilla and agave here!
I found it much better to use vanilla bean and dates!

Here's the handy dandy paint strainer!

Now just milk this baby like a cow! LOL! It is fun!

It leaves you with all the fiber in the bag, be sure and
dehydrate that and use it for almond flour!

Look how lovely and bubbly it is!

Again with the canning funnel....told you I love it!

And there you have it! Creamy, lovely, yummy almond milk! Keeps in the fridge for about 5 days!

Linked with love to Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Linked with love to Traditional Tuesdays @ Whole.New.Mom

THE Most Amazing Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

2011-11-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

I had always heard about my friend Jennifer’s amazing eggplant sandwiches. She said that her kids loved them and ate them up for dinner no problem! So one day when all my purple eggplant stars aligned I texted her for the recipe. I had an eggplant in the crisper drawer and I had just gone to Costco and for some reason could not resist the amazing crusty mini breads they had that day. Mmmm, they smelled so good and were so fresh they were still warm. She quickly responded and before I knew it I had made this most amazing dinner. And guess what! She was right my kids ate them up...every bite!

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

by Jennifer Cragun

You will need:

1 Medium Eggplant

2 red peppers (or any other colors you like)

1 large sweet onion

Olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Goat Cheese

Cilantro

Salt and Pepper

4 Amazing crusty mini loafs (at Costco) or any kind of sprouted bread

Slice the eggplant length-wise in thin slices. Slice the peppers and onions. Coat a pan with olive oil and add the vegetables. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil on the vegetables and mix with your hands. Drizzle a little Balsamic over them and place under the broiler. Watch careful and stir often as they cook until beautifully brown and soft. Take from the oven and stir in the goat cheese and the cilantro. If you like you can return to the broiler for just a few minutes to soften the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the bread and then layer with the eggplant mixture, I added fresh tomatoes on top and a few sunflower sprouts just for fun. I like to serve these open face but my kids like to top with the other half of the bread. Either way they are yummy!

ENJOY!

This recipe is linked up to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Just in case you still have zucchini coming out your ears....

2011-11-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies......yes you read that right!

Have you thrown out any zucchini this summer? Come on, you can confess to me! I won’t tell. Well, the other day I was supposed to make a big plate of cookies for my friend who was getting ready to send her first born out into the big wide world via a mission! In Mormondom we have this really lame tradition of calling up all our relatives and close friends and inviting them to come and hear our cute missionary child speak in church on the Sunday before they leave to go into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) and then we invite all of them plus half the ward over to our house to meet and greet that same cute missionary child and since we have invited them all over then we feel obliged to feed them something. (Like we’re not already stressed enough about having to send our kid half way around the world!) Well, my friend had the good sense to just serve cookies and milk (thank heavens)! I won’t even go into the times my sister Diana has served the entire ward plus family a huge dinner buffet, and then there was my other sister who recently fed her entire ward waffles and ham....okay, not going there!

So back to the cookies. So I offered to bring over a big platter of cookies. Well, here’s where the adventure begins. I was just going to make plain old Chocolate Chip Cookies but Amanda happened to be home that night and had her friend Alena over. So Alena says, “Why don’t you put zucchini in them...my Mom does and they are great and you can’t even taste the zucchini.” Well, being the Whole Foods Nut that I am, this sends off all kinds of bells in my head. I had no idea you could put zucchini in chocolate chip cookies. So, I got on the internet and found this little gem of a recipe. It really turned out amazing and the funniest part of the night was when Amanda and Alena grated the zucchini! (I took a picture for you, it was hilarious) So if you have any leftover zucchini try this recipe out, it was really quite delicious and I like to think a little bit healthier for you!

Notice...

how......

it's a two person job!

I love how they didn't think to cut it but just grated this huge Fred Flinstone zucchini!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1	egg, beaten
½	cup butter, softened
½	cup brown sugar (or Sucanat)
⅓	cup honey
1	tablespoon vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl:
1	cup white flour
1	cup whole wheat flour
½	tsp baking soda
¼	tsp salt
¼	tsp cinnamon
¼	tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture:
1	cup finely shredded zucchini
12	oz chocolate chips

Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking
sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350F degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.

THE VIEW FROM MY BICYCLE

2011-10-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE VIEW FROM MY BICYCLE THIS MORNING. I AM FILLED WITH GRATITUDE AT THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD WE LIVE IN AND FROM TIME TO TIME I JUST LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY HEAVENLY FATHER, CREATOR OF SUCH BEAUTY. THIS MORNING I TOOK THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS VERY, VERY PERSONALLY. I HOPE YOU DID TOO! TAKE IT PERSONALLY....IT’S FOR YOU!

Top Ten Things I Love About Turning 51....

2011-10-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

I got blackberry pie!

I got a darling new basket for my bike!

Breakfast on a tray made by Mackay!

Such cute birthday balloons!

Lunch with my sisters!

I found a list the other day. It is something I wrote on my 50th birthday. I wanted to put down some of the things I loved about turning 50! A whole year has come and gone and I am now officially in my fifties as I turn 51 this year. I kicked off my birthday week by having my first ever colonoscopy and then went and had a mammogram just for fun! Hah! See how I laugh in the face of danger? Truthfully, not always so fun as the years keep climbing but I'm thinking I am doing pretty good for my age and so here's that list....with a few additions as I brave my way through the fifty something years.

1. The grey streaks in my hair.....if the truth be told I can't wait for a whole head full of beautiful grey hair.

2. I'm stronger and more flexible than I was in my thirties! (Thank you Yoga!)

3. I hear 50 is the new 30!

4. The laugh lines around my eyes.

5. When someone older says, "You're just a BaBy!"

6. That I don't feel 50! (Or 51)

7. When someone acts surprised that I'm actually 51. (Even if they are faking it!)

8. That I have had the opportunity to see 18,615 sunrises and sunsets.

9. I'm officially old enough to be a Grandma! (Sadly no grandkids yet!)

10. Living on this beautiful planet for 51 years.....sharing all the laughter and tears with my lovely friends and family.

Linked up to The Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda

The last of the Garden Wars......and the lucky winner!

2011-09-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Liz's watermelon hasn't been picked yet.......I think it will be a good one!

I hope you had fun following along as we had a friendly garden competition. I really think my kids and their gardens out shined anything I did in the garden this year. We are picking the last of the produce.

This was Mackay's little crenshaw melon
and even though the snails had had their
way with it we cut it in half and enjoyed it!
(not the snail part silly the other half was just fine with no snail slime)

Amanda's prized Casaba was the best melon by far!

It made a wonderful fruit salad.

Don't they just looked T-H-R-I-L-L-E-D?

A lovely garden array!

Fresh out of the garden cantaloupe, yum!

Liz's green beans were amazing!

So this brings us to the question of which kid won the Garden Wars contest? Grand prize was set at $100.00! Honestly I just couldn't decide. Here's the thing: they all did a great job planning and planting their gardens and looking after them for about 3 weeks. After that they pretty much all ignored them except when I ordered them out there to weed. I did most of the harvesting, which I didn't mind at all, that is the funnest part of gardening. I would say Amanda gave the most loving care to her garden, tying up her melon and all. Mackay was the funniest about his garden spraying it the middle of the night and throwing fits because the tomato plants got too big. I loved Liz's cause she planted some stuff from seed....that takes a lot of faith! Her's was also the biggest producer with zucchini and green beans beating everything else hands down. So here is what I decided to do. Call it a three way tie and split the prize money! So nicely done Beagles kids....I hope you learned a thing or two about gardening. Mostly I hope you found out how miraculous it is to watch a garden grow.

Super Easy Tomato Basil Soup

2011-09-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been one of my favorites this summer. I think it is the best soup and the best spaghetti sauce ever! It takes all of about 5 minutes to make it.

Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup

2-3 large tomatoes, fresh from the garden
Fresh Basil
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Celtic Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Wash and core tomatoes and put in a blender (Blend-tec or Vitamix) add several large leaves of basil and two pinches of salt. Blend until smooth. With blender running add the olive oil. Now blend until it warms up and you can serve it straight from the blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. This can be served as a soup but it is also wonderful on spaghetti squash and pasta. Enjoy!

Just showing you these are not he most beautiful tomatoes.

And certainly not the most beautiful basil

.....but with a little luck and some blending

They make a beautiful soup!

Enjoying Fresh Herbs from the Garden

2011-09-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

I was making my usual cup of tea this morning and I thought you might enjoy having this recipe. It's not really a recipe but since I enjoy seeing a step by step with pictures I thought I would do that for you. So you can enjoy a cup of herbal tea with me today. Normally we use dried tea, loose or in little tea bags but I thought I would try just cutting some herbs from the garden and see how it tasted. I used the mint growing right outside my back door in a pot. (You should always grow your mint in a pot....otherwise it takes over the world in short order.)

Pick your mint and put the leaves in a mason jar, bruising them a little.

I also add loose raspberry leaf tea it's very healing

Stick all that in a jar

Heat the water just until it is about to boil. Pour
into the jar and cover with a lid. Let it steep for about 20 minutes.

Strain it into your favorite tea cup.

Add honey if you like...love this one I get at the health food store.
Sit back and relax, take a deep breath and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

A Weekend in Seattle

2011-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

My sister and I took a trip home to Seattle to visit Mom and Carol and check up on how things are going now that the cancer treatments have begun. We are happy to report that all is well! Everyone seemed good and happy and thriving. Such good news. I also learned that "Cancer" is a word not a sentence. This from a giant poster at the hospital while we were with Mom for her radiation appointment. Ha, ha, I had to laugh....good point.

So we arrived on friday morning and went over to visit with Mommy. She was doing fine just reading and wasn't expecting us until Saturday. We had a nice afternoon chatting and poking around the apartment complex, which is great by the way, I almost wished that I could live there. Just out the back door of Mom's apartment it looks like this:

And further down the path they have square foot gardens that the residents can rent and use for vegetable gardens. Lots of tomatoes and herbs and lettuce growing there.

So lovely.....and Jeanette kept seeing the cutest little frog....isn't he fun?

We of course had to make a Spud's run first thing when Carol got home from work.

It is still sooooo good! I'm a Spud's girl and not so much an Ivar's girl.

The next morning was the big event! You know, THE BIG EVENT, that hasn't happened in about 15 years! BLACKBERRY PICKING! Yes, the thing we dreaded as children because we were made into slave labor to go out and pick buckets and buckets of berries even if they would be turned into yummy pies, and delicious jams, we still felt a little like slave labor. I wanted to go blackberry picking! I have over the years been able to obtain blackberries in Utah. But somehow they just don't hold a candle to Seattle blackberries. I don't know if it is in the picking or if it is the climate or if it is the berries themselves but I gotta tell you, there is nothing like Seattle blackberries. So I hatched a plan. I decided to try a patch I had seen when we had stayed out by Southcenter. My hunches were good, not that that particular patch was still there but there was others that were great, right along a walking path. I was also in luck because someone had been there before me and cut in several great patches to pick from. I was miserably unprepared with closed toed sandals and cropped pants. I had forgotten what those stickers can do to a person. I had seriously underestimated the size of those blackberry branches, some of those thorn could stick you through a shoe! I was cautious but persistent and I like to think that my yoga training had done me some good here. By the end I was one happy, sticky and scratched up girl with my three pans full of blackberries!

Next on the agenda was a trip down to Pike Place Market. Me, Jeanette and Carol, (mom opted to stay home for this one.) Headed out for a whirl wind tour of the market, which happened to be packed with people because it was Saturday but we didn't care. We got to mix and mingle with all the eclectic people and sample yummy food and buy fresh flowers. Nope, nothing better! It is so fun! Even in a crowd.

Three Crazy Girls Heading off to the Market

We all agreed it only matters if Karen looks good in the picture!

I wanted to take you on a little tour of our fantastic accommodations for this trip. We stayed with Jeanette's childhood friend Kim. Her house is so darling I want to show you!

Super cozy bed....had a really hard time getting Jeanette out of it

Cute little corner of our room

Kim's cute office

Office and sitting room just off our bedroom

Kim's obsession with Sonny and Cher

This is where Jeanette and Kim were while I was picking blackberries....just saying, not BB.

Darling hallway

Cute kitchen

Fun dinning room!

See! Wasn't that darling? Special thanks to Kim and her family for putting up with us for the weekend.

On Saturday evening we had Esther join us for dinner and we ended up going to the very quaint and delicious Luna Park Cafe. I was not aware that near the West Seattle Bridge there used to be an amusement park called Luna Park. All that is left to represent is this cute little cafe.

We all totally enjoyed the little sign above Esther that said
"Flush twice it is a long way to Georgetown"
You have to be from Seattle to get that one....it made us laugh!

Hot Fudge Shake, yes that is hot fudge around the outside of the glass
totally yummy smooth hot fudge

So quaint!

Sunday was a really fun day, guess what we decided to do! We went to the grave yard! Doesn't that sound fun? Well, first we went to church and can I just say that 6th ward has changed, it is tiny now and not too many that I recognize. Sister Janice Christensen was still playing the organ, bless her and Sister Spendlove came in with a walker on the arm of Brother Simonsen. It was nice to attend church.

Next it was on to the grave yard. I really wanted to go and take some flowers to Daddy's grave and bonus Uncle Bill is buried in the same Cemetery. So off we went. It is quite a drive, about an hour out to Kent and through the countryside. I do love this Cemetery it is so beautiful and peaceful.

The beautiful widow

Mom, Karen, Jeanette and Carol

Mom, Esther, Jeanette and Carol

Daddy's Grave

Lovely flowers

Uncle Bill's Grave

Rest in peace Uncle Bill

Our plane was leaving on Monday afternoon so we spent the morning at Mom's doing some deep cleaning for her. Her apartment was in great shape but she can't exactly get down on hands and knees to clean so we scrubbed and cleaned everything really well before we left. As hard as it is having her so far away she is very happy in her little apartment and really doesn't have to go very far or do much. So it is perfect for now. I was very grateful to be able to go up and visit with her and help out in a small way. Carol is doing a great job keeping everything going.

We decided to head down to Alki for our final Seattle goodbyes.......until next time!

Beautiful Mt Ranier (from the airplane)

Goodbye Seattle, Mom and Carol! Big hugs until next we meet again! (Soon, I hope)

My Wish for All the World Today.....

2011-09-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

I wish.......

with all of my heart.....

For peace.....

Love.....

Happiness......

and health......

To fill the world.

Martenson Family Reunion 2011: Day 4

2011-08-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the morning of leavings and our sad goodbyes!
Until next time, bye, bye!

So long to the Martenson Family Reunion 2011

Good Times!

Martenson Family Reunion 2011: Day 3

2011-08-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

Breakfast was a little later on Saturday and the golfers took off a little later too. Pancakes and bacon and eggs......cooked to order by Bradley K Beagles! What a way to start the day!

The kids got some made to order fun just for them. Emily was the wonderful organizer of the Kids Make and Take Day!

Melinda brought her feathers......all proceeds went to the auction.

Origami and some really cute frames!

Flowers for the hair!

Margaret helping Aubrie Apple Orchard

Melanie and Liz really enjoyed the flowers!

Even Grandma Martenson got a flower to wear!

Froot loop necklaces were a favorite.

Simon and Andrew and cute little blonde Blake

Painted baskets for Mason and Caylee

Eliza was intensely painting her basket

Aunt Diana came for the day! What a miracle after her open heart surgery!

Darling Girls!

Later in the afternoon we got to go on a tour of the buildings not yet restored. It was really fun to see them and to hear what the owners future plans are.

The evening meal was a Pasta Bar with meatballs and Jared's famous alfredo sauce. Carol made a wonderful greek salad and Walmart did the garlic bread! Thanks to all the cooks that made this reunion so tasty!

We ended the evening with our family auction. It was filled with some major cute items. I forgot to get pictures but I do have one of the collage that Sara Perry did of Grandma Garner. And I took some of the things that I bought.

Grandma Garner Collage by Sara Perry

Pictures of Grandma Martenson with her parents by Diana Dunkley

Back to school basket by Karen Beagles

Wall Wreaths by Noelle Dunkley

It would be fun to post some of the other things that sold if you guys have pictures send them and I will post them.

We were just about to start the games again and the lights went out. We spent some time on the porch watching the lightening and telling ghost stories. Jana had the best one.....ask her to tell you sometime! Mindie and Jared and Liz, Amanda and I had a funny conversation in the hallway sitting on floor together. I tried to go to bed and couldn't sleep so I got up again and went down to join the group having very interesting conversations about boxes and strings in the great room. Such a fun reunion! We were all together and it made a huge difference! Always something to do and someone to do it with.

Martenson Family Reunion 2011: Day 2

2011-08-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

We started the day with an excellent breakfast cooked by Bruce and Brad. French toast, sausage and juice and milk! Yummy! Thanks to the two cooks!

Our plans took us next to the Steadman Farm where we had such a remarkable day of fun. This is a family owned ranch and they have turned their large yard into a wonderland of water slides, a zip line, sand pile and shooting range. There was something for everyone there. Even for the complaining golfers in our group, bellyaching because they had to come in from the golf course......I believe I saw them all having a blast on those water slides and Mike Trenck even took a trip down the zip line with me! The landing was the tricky part.

We brought picnic lunches and just enjoyed the day together splashing, playing and of course.....because Jon Krum was there, racing! "Abby, Abby, come and time me." I believe Jon did get the best time of the day! Of course!

We headed back to the Grove Campus for a few hours of relaxation and then we were served a dinner of Tacos, nachos and guacamole. The food was really good and we all had hearty appetites after our day of play.

After dinner we all gathered mid-campus at the wooden stage. We had our fun, family talent show....wow do we have talent! I had no idea! So here's the line up:

Sarah our beautiful MC and scouter of talents for the event!

And don't forget the appreciative audience....

.....waiting so patiently....

for the spectacular.......

.....show......

.....to begin!

We are talking WILD anticipation......Mackay is ready!

First Act: Logan (Benj's), Eliza and Abigail (Abby's) singing Love is Spoken Here
It was beautiful! Set a great tone for the evening!

Cute little Courtney(Jared's)! She was a spinning us round and round with her dynamite Hoola Hoop Act!
So talentent!

Mckenzie Barlow (Tyler's) was fantastic on the guitar!
She has some great back up singers and they sang Traveling Soldier for us!
A real tear jerker! (Abigail, Jessie (Jeanette's) , Logan and Eliza)

Robert Dunkley sang us a very hip, hop original song! Loved it!

Kealohi (Jana's) was a great back up dancer! Sassy!

Caylee Barlow (Tyler's) dazzled us with her dance moves.

Emily Orchard really got the McGrath/Orchard/Margaret involved!
This was a darling skit about Three Little Bears and cute little Blondie,

Dancing her little heart out was Alexis and Wade's daughter Caitlyn!

David McGrath captivated us all with his magic.....and all his magical assistants.

Jordan Dunkley......so smooth, so cool!

A fantastic sister duo, Caylee and McKenzie!

What a day! So fun.......and then the games began......I think a few people pulled an all nighter.....I specifically saw David Orchard and Benjamin Dunkley working on the puzzle around one am. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The Martenson Family Reunion 2011: Day 1

2011-08-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

We began our Martenson Family Reunion this year in the lovely tiny city of Albion, Idaho. Population 262.....I think we upped it by almost 25%! This was a beautiful rural setting.....the stars were amazing at night, the weather was perfect and we had so much fun together for 4 day! Whoot! Whoot! Let the games begin!

We started the weekend off with everyone settling in to our new digs. We had a fabulous dinner of Sticky Coconut Chicken, Jasmine Rice and Salad! All so delicious! Then the games did begin!

Miller Hall on the Albion Campus was our home for the weekend!

The campus we were on has a fascinating history. It was called the Albion State Normal School and it offered a two year teaching certificate. The campus was purchase in 2007 by the Mortensen Family. They have renovated it to be a family reunion center. You can read more about it and see their future plans for the entire campus here.

Potato Leek Soup

2011-08-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely soup for winter or summer days. It is easy to make and has no cream or milk, so it is very healthy for you! So whip up a batch and enjoy this creamy soup. It freezes well but be aware that when you unfreeze it, it looks like a gloppy mess. If you just put it in a pan and reheat it while whisking with a wire whisk it will heat up beautifully! I love to enjoy this with and open face grilled cheese sandwich or you can try this souped up version here.

Potato Leek Soup

3-4 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut up
3 cups leeks, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt
Black pepper to taste
Herbs for garnish parsley and chive

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash the layers carefully. Leeks push dirt up into the stem as they grow so be really thorough in your washing. Then slice into little half moons. I usually use about half way up on the leeks, into the green part.

In a large pot add the potatoes, leeks and salt. Then cover with water. Simmer on medium to low heat for about 40 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. You can cover with a lid while simmering. Next you whip out your hand held blender and just blend the heck out of the it until you get a creamy texture. If you don't have a hand held blender you can blend in batches until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper and add your chopped herbs on top.

Linked up to Traditional Tuesdays on Whole New Mom

Eating from the Garden

2011-08-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

We have made very many yummy meals from the garden so far this summer. I love being able to walk out and pick my lunch or dinner. We came up with this really tasty concoction a few days ago and I have had it three times since. I thought I would share it with you in case you would like to try it. You may not have thought about putting these flavors all together.

Open Face Grilled Cheese, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

So here is the very simple recipe to make this delicious sandwich!

OPEN FACE GRILLED CHEESE, AVOCADO AND TOMATO SANDWICH

Toast bread of choice, I use sprouted whole grain bread
Cover with slices of your favorite cheese, I use raw milk cheese
Melt the cheese under the broiler, watch close!
Add slices of avocado and tomato (from the garden) and sprinkle on your favorite sprouts.
Voila! There you have it! Enjoy!

I also paired this with a lovely Potato Leek Soup. Perfect!

Healthy Brown Rice and Veggie Stirfry

2011-08-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

What's a girl to do when her man and kids are all gone for the night? A healthy one dish dinner and add chopsticks for flair! The pajamas and eating on the back porch are a nice touch too! Here's the super easy recipe in case you want to try it!

Healthy Brown Rice and Veggie Stirfry

1-2 cups cut up fresh organic vegies (just go through your fridge and use what you have)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Coconut oil

Tamari

Stir fry the vegies in the oil until barely cooked. Add the brown rice and heat through. Add Tamari to taste and your done!

Put on your jammies and enjoy it on the back porch watching the sunset!

Gardening for your health!

2011-08-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

I love the garden season when I can just walk out in my lovely garden and pick the things that I want for my green shake of the day! Today it was a Happy Shake, made famous by Stacey Stowers and you can read about it here.

So we take THIS!

And turn in into THIS!

My Happy Shake!

Cheers from the Garden........

Garden Wars....may the firsts be with you!

2011-08-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

As you may have read we are having the "Garden Wars" at our house. You may like to see what some of these lovely gardens have produced so far! I'm not really sure how we are going to judge the best one because they are all doing great! Here is some of what we have enjoyed so far!

Amanda and Mackay had strawberries....yummy!

Mackay planted sweet 100's and they were the first tomatoes out of the garden.

Liz's cute little watermelon!

Mackay's melon....can't remember what kind...I guess we will find out!

Mackay's cuucmber!

Mackay's cute lil tomatoes

Amanda's carrot patch....hope Benjamin Bunny stays out!

Amanda's Casaba Melon!

Liz loving up her first zuch!

Liz's prize zucchini!

Liz's Garden is a jungle, this is her bean stalk....maybe she is planning to climb it! And her watermelon! Hmmmm
How will all her huge plants grow in this 3 foot square garden???? Stay tuned and we'll let you know!