Sunday, July 29, 2012

Weekend Doings


Found our bee traps strewn about the yard Saturday Morning.  We have hung bee traps for years to keep away the yellow jackets with no attention given to them…until now.  Apparently, the syrup tastes like honey.  Haven’t seen any bears, but you always know they are out there!



Amelia has always loved being in the garage with dad.  She tinkers.  Thought I would catch a photo of her showing her safety skills!


My niece is planning her daughter Olivia's 1st birthday party.  I cannot believe I will miss it! sigh.  I told her I would try a couple recipes for her.  Here is an appetizer  that both tastes and looks fabulous.

Marinated Tortellini Skewers
Ingredients
1 package (10 ounce) tortellini, cheese, refrigerated package (I used frozen and cooked according to the directions)
1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup vinegar, balsamic
6 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped
3 cloves garlic, fresh, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black, ground
8 ounces tomato(es), grape or cherry
Preparation
Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients. When cooked mix in the tortellini. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours. Thread tortellini and tomatoes on to skewers using more tortellini than tomato on each skewer. Serve at room temperature.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Books, ipads and Ellsworth

I am so happy that Amelia enjoys all her books.  Each night we read her at least 3 books (usually more) and she is sitting quietly listening thru the entire story now, unlike a few months ago where she would grab the book before we finished.  She even enjoys “reading” to us and to her stuffed animal buddies.

Don’t get me wrong, she loves the ipad and iphone too!

Have not posted an Ellsworth Elephant lately, so here you go!  Enjoy!




Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Mama Moose with the babes


Was at the kitchen sink when I spotted what appeared to be a lone moose, but after seeing some branches bending we realized there was a baby. Amelia was ecstatic! I am sure they heard her when I propped open the door to get a few pics.  Tried to be quiet, but Amelia kept shouting "Baby Moose"!  They turned around and headed the other way.




Where there is one baby moose there might be two.  Sure enough another was spotted!


Can you spot them all?




Friday, July 20, 2012

Eagle River Nature Center


Gorgeous Day 3

3 in a row…not sure I can contain myself and it’s suppose to be nice tomorrow then turn for the worse on weekend…figures.

We headed to Eagle River Nature Center for a good dose of hiking.  I kept saying to Amelia we are going for a hike and she looked bewildered and said “Slide?”, I corrected,  “no…hike”  “Slide??” “no…hike” then she said “no hike?” sigh.


No slide…just nature.  The Nature Center is at the end of Eagle River Rd. and about 20 minutes from the house.  It was Amelia’s first trip.  There are quite a few trails to follow, one being the infamous Crow Pass…eegads.  Eagle River to Girdwood.  25 miles.  No thank you.  I have one friend that did this and said she burst into tears.  Another does it all the time and loves it.  My guess, I would be crying my eyes out. Hahahaha. 


We opted for the Rodak Trail, ¾ of a mile and accessible by stroller…my kinda of trail! (more laughing).  We got to the beaver viewing deck and then headed back with me carrying her.  She loved going in, but apparently was tuckered out after ¼ mile geesh.

There is a $5 parking fee and a hands on nature exhibit with a small souvenir selection and even some ice cream available for purchase (no it was too early for that). 

It is a great trail for kids and Amelia genuinely enjoyed herself even without the slide.  She particularly enjoyed finding the signs along the trail that explained the glaciers and  wildlife, gasping when she saw one up ahead.


 Checking out some cottonwood that falls like snowflakes from the trees.  This was a blob of it.


 Behind her:  Cow Parsnip.  DO NOT TOUCH.  Interesting article on this plant that is everywhere in AK, including our yard, mixing in with our rhubarb and ferns. 
 Ugh, we don't need any itchy rashes thanks.


  
Lots of bears at the Nature Center, but you feel pretty safe on the short trail we were on as it is close to the center and lots of voices being heard even at 10am.  Still, they could be lurking anywhere.  Boo.




I have done the Albert Loop Trail, pre Amelia, with friend Chelsea during her visit.  Quite enjoyable even when we had to ditch our shoes and socks to wade thru high water due to a beaver dam. Good times!

I usually take visitors on our Eagle River day during their trip.  It is close, relaxing and you can say you hiked it in AK!



Enjoy the Weekend!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Alaska and a Swimming Pool??


Alaska has been ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS for the past 2 days.  

View Northeast of the Chugach Mountains

View to the South and the Alaskan Range

Gorgeous Day One
What started out as a cool morning and a trip to the playground and a picnic on the deck…ended with a splash in the pool, that I never thought we would use!  
Visited a new playground...not as nice as our favorite one at her soon to 
be elementary school...but fun nonetheless!

Notice the hot dog she kept flinging on the blanket...silly girl


A bit of Hopscotch...Amelia style - Just run.

Just noticed I have not given any planting updates.  Will do that soon.  
Attending to her flowers she planted way back in May. 

  A game of hide and seek

 Bathing Beauty

It's hot for the little Alaskan girl...except she just got back from the East Coast where it was 90...faker.

The pool actually has a dome that inflates half way to keep you in the shade, but Amelia wanted it down as she was “afraid”.  Sigh.

 Gorgeous Day 2
The next day brought us to the zoo, completed by a barbeque and more quality time in the pool!  Since we are remodeling our deck, we had to strategically place it for full sun to warm up the water.  By the second day, I moved it where we haven’t tore up boards and a bit room to get in and out…but had to add some warm water.
At the Zoo...full of style

Having a chip in the pool.
 It was cool at first 

If only Alaska was like this all the time!  It hit 73 (but feels so much warmer with the dry air).  Today is another beautiful day and suppose to be the warmest so far!  A trip to Eagle River Nature Center is in order!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Horses, Barns and a Wannabe Cowgirl

Horses, horses, horses…since we have returned home we have played with them endlessly.  My Little Pony’s, Barbie and her horse, all her Schleich Horses, and any other horse she can find.  Andrea gave us a few of her dolls when we were visiting, a few of them are capable of horse riding, hooray!  Amelia even tried her Polly Pockets on them….Polly Pocket’s legs only go in scissors, so they were straddling and holding on for dear life.

Wonder where this obsession has come from?? 
Uh...let me tell you. 


Bonnie's Barn that's where.  My sister has horse fever.  Ever since volunteering for a horse rescue group, she has become an addict, building a barn and acquiring 4 horses, namely:  Moose, Annabelle, Baby and Melman (named after the Giraffe in the Madagascar movies and appropriately so). 

Each morning during our visit we strolled out to spend some quality time with the quartet.  Giving them carrots and standing there watching them.  Amelia is scared to death of them, but in awe at the same time.  Won't actually feed the carrot to them or touch them, but insists I do it and in a hurry!  She runs into the tack room and grabs the bag of carrots, but once in view of the massive beasts, demands to be held and points to which one should be fed first.  Melman was the winner in that category each time...he is the least threatening, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place were up for grabs.

Melman, Moose, Baby and Annabelle

Each morning she played with the gate chain.  Yelling something to Annabelle (her white nose you see in the barn stall) and then pretending to open it or lock it up, I couldn't figure out which.  This occupied her for at least 1/2 an hour each morning, running over to give me something (a key I would imagine) and then running back to attend to the gate.

We brought our handy dandy horse rain boots all the way from Alaska for the sole purpose of impressing the horses.

With pal Abbigail.  Nothing like sweeping up the barn after a morning at the beach. 
Funny, I would never put those two things together growing up! 

Her dad grew up on a farm, surrounded by horses. 
Perhaps...she is a country girl at heart.    






She was to have her photo taken in her country look, however, major breakdown in sued, so I took my own out by the fence.  It was my fault...scheduled the session way too late in the day, without a solid nap and no more time to reschedule as we were leaving the next day.  I have had pictures done at Portrait Innovations since she was 3 months as they are $10 for a decent package that includes a 10x13 which is cheaper than printing them!  
Will try again at Christmas.

All the kids find a soft spot in helping their mother out here and there with horse duties.  Here is Matt at the top of the world, helping his mother (in the hay wagon) secure a tarp. Notice I wasn't helping again...just taking photos! I sense a pattern.
   

Back home, we have secured our own Annabelle, Melman, Moose and Baby in the barn.

Yeehaw.
    






Sunday, July 15, 2012

Rhubarb Crumb Bars


OK I admit it, I have not been able to grow much in the time I have been in AK.  Tomatoes…dead, cabbage and cauliflower…eaten by moose and rabbits,  zucchini…ok I got one last year.  A few things: beans, lettuce, potatoes all do pretty well in our cold Alaskan summers. 

OH…and Rhubarb.  TONS of Rhubarb.  In fact, so much Rhubarb I have a hard time using ½ of it.  I usually freeze a bit, but the end of the summer we generally do not want anything to do with Rhubarb until the next summer!  I really don’t like it either…which complicates it even more.  

I made Rob’s favorite rhubarb pie before we left and came home to mega growing rhubarb so made Rhubarb Crumb Bars from Martha’s site.  Shared a few with our neighbor Jim and gobbled up the rest. 

Amelia loved the Crumb Topping


  • Rhubarb Crumb Bars

    For The Streusel

    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
    • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For The Cake

    • 1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    • 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour.
  2. Make streusel: Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Make cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with rhubarb and top with streusel.
  4. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into 16 bars.




Enjoy!