Two More Down

Two more have bit the dust. Saturday brought us a delicious bowl of French Onion Soup and a hearty meatloaf. The soup was particularly good. I used Fontina Cheese for the first time and it was quite good. I also bought some special little soup bowls that can go into the oven. The meatloaf was pretty good but I think I need to give it one more try.

I have also been trying to cook eggs-over easy. I have about a 50% success rate, I still have trouble cracking the yolks sometime. I also need to give poaching another go.

That brings the total to eight episodes complete and 72 more to go.

As for the other project, the lights are installed and hopefully wired tonight.

5 Down...So many more to go

So the first weekend of the great cook book challenge has come and gone. We have completed several applications from the book including: Steak, mashed potatoes, caesar salad, buttermilk biscuits and yummy gravy. I started with some familiar and simple dishes just to get in the swing. They all turned out really good. The hardest thing was a mental issue with the caesar dressing and the raw egg you crack into it.

The biscuits and gravy turned out all right. Not sure it can beat my wonderful wifes rendition. Also i am not sure that making biscuits vs. buying "Gran's" is worth it. Looking forward to another big weekend. Heading over tonight to buy the materials for project number two (the boy's bedroom). Also have a chicken soaking at home for some fried chicken tonight.

Time for an adventure

So I have decided with my abundance of free time I am going to take on a few new projects.

My first project is to Finish the Boys bedroom downstairs. The goal is to finish the epic undertaking by Christmas for a special Christmas morning with the boys. Chelsea and I are debating on whether to do the room as spaceship, outdoors, pirates, or whatever else we can think of. If i get crazy ambitious I might start this weekend. I will try to post photos of the phases of construction.

The second big adventure I want to take on is inspired by the movie Julia and Julia (yes I did cry during this movie, at least my Uncle Chad can appreciate where I am coming from). I have a great new cook book entitled Good Eats by Alton Brown (yes it is based upon his show, yes it is super nerdy, and yes I feel like it is cooking porn and I enjoy the heck out of it). 80 different cooking methods with multiple recipes in each should take me the better part of forever. I am going to cheat and skip episodes I think are not good (Tofu I am looking at you). Hopefully this will expand the cooking horizon in our house and find us some new Good Eats. I will try to comment on applications and how I thought they went. I am also going to try and get two special little helpers. So stay tuned friends and family.

Comments work now

Not that it is important or that comments will be left, but I think they work now.

Life in Disguise

Did you notice that the world got a little bit dimmer Saturday afternoon?

On Saturday a friend left to go back to where we all strive for. Sadly she left behind a family that is confused, friends that don't quite understand, and a world that needs more people like her.

Today my faith says that she is in a better place, that I understand that this is part of the plan and that a divine force is at work. Unfortunately my heart doesn't quite agree with my faith. Today three little girls can't say good morning to their mommy, a little boy has no one to kiss his ouchy and a man I love and respect has no sweat heart to tell "I Love You"

I guess the plan now is to push forward and seek to remember. Remember the good times and the impact that she had on our lives and the lives of others. To remember to tell people that you love them because in the blink of an eye they can leave this life. When we are brought face to face with our mortality we can either respond in fear of the unknown or in hope of a brighter future.

Thank you Heavenly Father for letting Taylia cross my path, letting me know who she was. I look forward to the morning that I can see her again.

Julia and Julia

So it has been quite the delay since my last post. Seems like life is so busy this just fell a ways down on the list of things to do. I barley have time to right in my real journal let alone this.

Last night we watched the movie "Julia and Julia", and for those aware of my condition (the wife being pregs) i did indeed cry and several times during the movie. So you may be wondering is this a sad movie? The answer is NO, I am just a mess. I did quite enjoy the movie and would highly recommend. It is slow in parts, actually mostly slow, but dealt with something that i love, cooking. I really understood the Julia's and there love of cooking because it is exactly how I feel. Anyways Redbox it for a dollar, it is worth it.

A Door to the Soul

Have you ever heard the saying "The eyes are the window to the soul" If this is true then music is the doorway to the soul. While the eyes may allow you to glimpse what lies in a persons soul, music is a direct conduit to the interior.

At work I have been listening to a lot of Pandora during the day. I have slowly been refining my list and feel like it has taken me to a special spot. While listening to the music I find myself filled with hopes, dreams, desires, and reflection. For example take this line:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

-John Lennon 1971

Still a poignant reminder that the world is full of violence and war all in the name of countries whom may or may not represent the people that live within their border, which themselves are only imaginary lines on a map. Do you really think ithe people of Lhasa really wanted to be part of the People's Republic?

Another line that I love:

I gave up coffee and cigarettes
I hate to say it hasn’t helped me yet
I thought my problems would just dissipate
And all my pain would be in yesterday

- Michelle Featherstone

It reminds me that you can destroy the outward signs of the things that are affecting your life, but unless you address the underlying problem then the pain will still be there. And finally the last line for today

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back

-Death Cab for Cutie

I think about this line a lot and how it relates to parenting. Some people think that you can only be an authority figure to your children and some think that you should only be their friend. Now I don't claim to be an expert but I think that it has to be a blend of both worlds. If to much to the authority side then you have kids who lie and sneak, to much to the friends side and you have unruly hellions battling the prospect of teen pregnancy. My thought are to let you children know that you will be there best friend but they have to abide by the rules laid out. I think respect on both sides equals a relationship that is beneficial for all.

So find yourself a hope, a dream, or a reflection. Its waiting for you in a song.