Family Summer Vacation

The POPrs Cousins in Duck, NC-1999

The summer after my Mom died, I received a phone call that changed my life. It was from my oldest brother, Moker. He invited my family to vacation with his, in North Carolina, at the Outer Banks. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and it's a short hop to the beach. We don't, and it isn't. But...

This brother is 7 years older than I am. When I was 9, he was driving. Every Saturday morning, he had to take me to my swimming lessons at the YMCA, in the neighboring town. I used to charge his friends a nickel to talk to him on the phone. I'd hang up if they didn't promise to pay the next time they were over. I was a PEST.

When he went off to college, I was only 11. I guess you could say we weren't tight. So when he called so many years later and extended the invitation for the beach vacation, I felt like Sally Field when she won the Oscar, and she got up on stage and said "You like me! You really like me!" We went.

And have been going ever since.

Soccer Boy in his Speedo (sorry)

We have stories. Memories. The time we went to the restaurant and realized, in the middle of dinner, that we were one child short (he was downstairs back at the beach house, asleep). The time I was pregnant with Soccer Boy and refused to get back in the car after a rest stop in Milwaukee, 90 minutes from home, with 16 hours more to drive. The time we went crabbing and Uncle Moker got bit when he was showing the kids the "right way" to take a crab out of the net. He shook his hand violently, and the crab hung on. Blood flew all over. The kids may have learned a few new words that day!

Reading on the beach. Getting sun poisoning, and an itch so bad it just could not be soothed. Having ice cream on the Boardwalk on a hot summer night. Then going home to walk the beach with flashlights and look for ghost crabs. Boogie boarding. Eating crab. Eating more crab. Buying T-shirts to wear 'til they wore out and we went back the following summer to restock. Sitting on the beach with a bucket of Rocks (Rolling Rock, from Latrobe, PA, for the uninitiated).

Floating in an inner tube and watching dolphins, then realizing I was too far from shore and unable to get back in alone. Being towed back to shore by a cute young college boy in a yellow kayak. The walk I had on the beach with my oldest just last summer, when he confided in me that maybe getting married in the fall might not be a good idea.

And Cornflake Monster. But you have to wait until tomorrow to hear about that!

We Need to Clean Up Our Act

Our dishwasher has been out of commission for a week. So, we've gone back to the good old-fashioned method~washing dishes by hand.

I hadn't really realized how dependent we were on the modern miracle of KitchenAid until the dishes started stacking up in the sink. And getting on my last nerve.

Yes, the family knows how to do dishes by hand. We frequently employ the sink, the faucet and the good ol' drying rack after special occasions, when we have too many dishes to load. But with four people coming and going at all hours of the day and night this summer, and no one specifically assigned to "dish duty," things have become a tad chaotic.

I'll wash the breakfast dishes. Then College Girl might come through with a coffee cup and put it in the sink. And when the stack becomes less-than-manageable, The Wild One and Moker start leaving dishes all over the place.

Yes, I'm going a littel nuts here. And I'm really afraid that our friends the ants might come back for a visit before we get the dishwasher problem resolved.

I'm the first to admit that my kids are lazy. But when I drafted the girls to help with the dishes last night after dinner, it was as if I were speaking Russian to them, and asking them to paint a stack of nesting dolls.

My Mom always had the kids form an assembly line: one for washing, one for drying, one for putting away. And after a little bit of "who's on first, what's on second?" last night, we were humming like the well-oiled machine I remember from my childhood.

Until Moker came through and put his ice cream bowl in the sink. Without even rinsing it out.

Men.

Fx4: We're in the Army, Now!

OK, I confess. I don't have the most consistent parenting style. That's why I was surprised to take this quiz and find out that I apparently fall under the category of "Sgt. Strict."

Of course, it never helped that I had two little girls with such different personalities. College Girl was compliant; I could put her down on the living room rug in front of Sesame Street, and she'd be good for a couple of hours. Well, I never did that, but I imagined it, several times.

The Wild One, natch, lived up to her nickname. In addition to constant attention, she demanded to be fed when she demanded to be fed. Let me share a little soap-opera drama with you.

Picture this: SAHM, with 2-year-old and 5-year-old underfoot, gets an offer she can't refuse. An old friend has enough Frequent Flyer miles to take two people~that would include moi~to the Cayman Islands for a loooooooooonnnnngg weekend.

The only catch? Moker would be flying solo during our Girls' Weekend Away.

Imagine my surprise when I got a call at the hotel.

"What's wrong with The Wild One?"

"Gosh, I don't know. I'm in a hotel thousands of miles away. Is she still breathing?"

"Of course she's still breathing. But she's also hopping up and down in the kitchen and banging her head against the wall."

"What time is it there?"

"About 5:30."

"She's hungry, silly guy."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. They eat early, remember? Did you forget dinner?"

"You mean if I feed her this will stop?"

"Yup."

"Thank God."

Well, she was only two. And she hadn't quite learned to use all her words yet. Playing along with Candid Carrie, and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Have a wonderful weekend!

Please Give Us the 4-1-1 for Our 9-1-1

Moker and I need your help. We're tired of the same-old, same-old. Being Empty Nesters and all, we cook for two, but our repertoire is growing thin these days, and leftovers (I'm used to cooking for a gang o' peeps) are losing their appeal.

Do you have any quick, delish, wonderful dishes that you can share? To paraphrase Wimpy, I'd gladly pay you on Tuesday for a recipe, today!

Wordful Wednesday: Spring Snowstorm

If you think snow isn't possible in April, think again. While I was visiting my peeps last week, we had a crazy, blowing, ice-snow mix that went on for a couple of hours. In April. The official Month of Spring.

Of course, last week's precipitation was just like spitting in the ocean compared to the Spring Storm of '96. Here are College Boy (holding the sign), Shark Boy (holding the baby) and Soccer Boy (in his warm and cuddly snowsuit) standing on Aunt Julie's back deck.

Yes, you read the sign correctly. Snow. On April 15th. Must have been a present from Uncle Sam, huh?

As Moker always says, "Wisconsin has two seasons: Nine months of winter, and three months of tough sledding!"

Participating in Angie's Wordful Wednesday. Come join the fun!

Negotiating the Highway of Life

After posting the Lombard Street pic last Wednesday, I started to think about how the years have just zoomed by. About a dozen primo memories came crowding to mind.

Like the time I went to the DMV with College Girl~then 15~so she could take the test to acquire her permit. She passed with flying colors, and I tossed her the keys to my Blazer.

"What do you want me to do with these?" she queried.

"Drive us home."

"In the car?"

"That's what I was thinking, sweetie."

I should note that rush hour had just started, and the kid~seriously~looked like she was about to pee her pants at the prospect of negotiating traffic that time of day. But we made it home~safely, I might add. That was the one and only time I felt like I was driving with my Mom instead of my Kid behind the wheel.

It wasn't long, though, before she was zooming hither and yon in my old bucket of bolts, and Moker and I were staying up late, hoping she'd make it home in one piece.

Then there are the tales of trying to teach my girls how to drive a stick. Why is it that getting started is so difficult with a manual transmission, but they really know how to get that engine racing in the upper gears?

As we've negotiated the Highway of Life, we've run into a couple of speed bumps along the way; most of it, though, has been a pretty smooth ride.

Bucky Badger LOVES Pop'rs!

Happy Saturday, everyone! Remember, our Great New Pop'rs St. Patty's Day Giveaway runs through Monday night at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more info on that, please Click Here.

Our little friend Jammin' is back today. She's a big fan of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Looks like Coach Bo Ryan's Basketball Badgers will be getting an invite to the Big Dance, although from the moans and groans I hear from Moker when he's watching them play, the team isn't as stellar as it has been in years past.

We have a shrine, of sorts, in our basement, dedicated to Bucky Badger's 1994 appearance in the Rose Bowl. Moker was there, butofcourse. I stayed home with the kids. Considering all the crazies who attended, I think I had a better view of the actual game!

Jammin' will be back tomorrow, with more info on Pop'rs Prizes. Stay tuned!

Why You Should Eat Your Veggies!

In honor of "friendship Month," Mary Beth over at Blogmania is featuring bloggers that have developed enduring friendships through blogging. And guess who she featured first? I hate to brag, but listen to what MB said about me:

"You can feel her energy in her writing, which is quite an accomplishment. I can only imagine how spunky she is in person. From what I have seen, she is devoted to her friends and family, to promoting Pop'rs and to living life to its fullest."

Why thankyouverymuch, Mary Beth! Here's the full interview with Veggie Mom, if you're interested. And the photo above? Taken last summer, when we could get all 10 of us together at the beach!

Tell us a little about yourself, your family, etc......
Well, there are 10 members of the “extended” Pop’rs Family. First off, there’s Uncle Lynn, my BIL, the creator of the incredibly good-for-you, wonderfully fun Pop’rs…the whole reason I’m online, urging everyone to Eat Your Veggies! Uncle Lynn is married to Aunt Julie, whose bailiwick is yummy food, homemade quilts, family photos, gardening and, of course, the dogs, Moses and Rowdy. Aunt Julie is also my hubby Moker’s Little Sis. Uncle Lynn and Aunt Julie have four boys: Big Bear, Shark Boy, College Boy and Soccer Boy. On my side of the family, there’s me, Veggie Mom, who’s married to Moker, Aunt Julie’s Big Brother. We have two girls: College Girl and The Wild One.

Besides blogging, what are some of your hobbies?
Let’s see…I love to read, garden, go for long walks…I’m a fairly decent cook, and a pretty good writer, so I’d include those in my interests, too. But as far as being crafty? That’s Aunt Julie’s side of the family! Except for coaxing day lilies out of the soil every spring, I’m just not that handy!

How did you get started blogging?
Well, Uncle Lynn wanted to get the word out this new seasoning he developed at his plant in Northeastern Wisconsin. He thought it would be fun to blog about Pop’rs, and asked me what I thought about the idea. Several of my friends have started blogs, so I naturally was pretty enthusiastic. On June 16th of last year I finally got my feet wet! It took me a while to find Veggie Mom’s “voice,” but the rest, as they say, is history!

What do you like best about blogging?
I consider Eat Your Veggies! to be a forum not just for Pop’rs and the Pop’rs Family, but for my visitors as well. I love sharing my everyday thoughts and dreams. Plus, as a blogger I have a built-in “sounding board” in the blogging community. I love the freedom that the Internet brings. I can be sitting here in my dusty basement, and communicate with others halfway around the world! I also enjoy meeting new friends and making common connections. And I get a lot of encouragement and advice, which is nice!

You have such a strong network of online friends. Which bloggers have you created an especially strong bond with?
I’m close with several blogging buddies. Susie, from Susie’s Homemade is one of my faves…she and her wonderful husband, Jeff, just redesigned my blog, which is awesome! I also have a strong affinity for Karla at Zander and Me, and The Lovely Mannequin, at Fractured Toy. Mannequin’s friends, Frankie and Cupid, are the best…plus they’re featured in my new redesign as well. Check out the Polaroid in the upper left-hand corner that’s labeled “Pop’rs Pals”!

Do you share any common threads with your fellow blogging friends?
We all love sharing stories about friends, family, work and food. Especially food! And every time Uncle Lynn hosts a Great New Pop’rs Giveaway, I seem to make even more bloggy buds. Wonder why that is?

Any fun vacation plans in 2009?
The Pop’rs Family vacations every summer at North Carolina’s Outer Banks. We’ve been going there for years, and consider this lovely strip of sand more of a sanctuary than a vacation spot. Last year we were able to get all 10 of us there at once, which was a very special treat! Other than our annual beach getaway, though, I’ve been saving my sheckels…with two kids in college, I can’t afford a fancy vay-cay right now!

Living the 10th Commandment

When I was younger, I just knew where I was going, and what I was going to do with my life. Then reality hit.

Family. Job. Mortgage. Life.

For a while there, I had a difficut time following the 10th Commandment. No, not the part about coveting my neighbor's wife...the rest of it: desiring all those material things that can make a 20-something drool.

My life has turned out so differently than I had ever anticipated. It has become richer, fuller, more satisfying. Not perfect, but getting there.

We're in a new chapter, Moker and I. As Empty Nesters, we don't see The Girls as much as we once did. College visits, winter break, the occasional chance to catch a sporting event...and Bleacher Booty.

What is it the T-Shirt says? Life is Good. Well, it is!

She Has the Time

Don't forget: To enter our Bloggy Pop'rs Giveaways Carnival, Click Here. Just Comment Away!

The following was scribbled as part of the Random Complexity Writing Challenge, over at In Search of Giants. Word Count: 603.

She lights the candles, one by one. Five different scents, in different stages of meltdown, scavenged from the right-hand cabinet of her mother-in-law’s dining room hutch. The hutch that Julie and Lynn U-Hauled clear across the country one Spring, along with a table, seven chairs, and four young boys eager to see their cousins.

She turns on the water, and lets the faucets run full-out. The hotter, the better, as she recalls. Sometimes she wonders if she’ll end up like one of those frogs, the ones in the experiment. Her high school Biology teacher once told her that if you put a frog in a pan of cold water on the stove and turn on a burner, he’ll never know he’s being boiled alive. She always thinks of the frog as the steam starts to rise.

She goes to the back closet and gets down the old terry cloth bath robe. Not so white any more, but just as soft. A slight yellow tint around the cuffs. The robe she used during her hospital stay after the birth of their first little girl. An emergency C-Section. The baby was coming out sunny side up, the doctor said. The procedure—they called this gutting and stitching a “procedure”—lasted less than 10 minutes. Thirteen hours of labor, 10 minutes of delivery, one week in the hospital. Moker went out to buy her a robe so she would be comfortable during her stay.

She closes the bathroom door, turns out the lights, gets into the tub, and sinks in a profusion of orchid-scented bubbles. Twists off the cold tap and lets the hot run a few minutes more. The hotter, the better, as she recalls. Then she thinks about the frog.

Her long legs (a 34-inch inseam, to be precise) don’t quite stretch all the way out in this standard-issue tub. The formica (Julie always wonders when she’s going to replace it—the answer is “no upgrade needed.” She likes the ’70s effect) casts an unsettling glow. The candles sputter, the bathwater laps a tiny bit over onto the tile floor.

She has time to think.

For 22 years, life turned itself—and the two of them—topsy-turvy. She started off on the journey of motherhood without a clue. In fact, when the first precious little bundle came home from the hospital and pitched a screaming fit, Moker asked, turning the baby over onto her stomach, “Do these things have an ‘off’ switch, or what?”

The years rushed by in a cacophony of clichés. And before they knew it, they were sitting through yet one more of life’s little truisms: high school graduation. The youngest was about to embark on a journey of her own. Then the girls had their Honda loaded down, with more than 15 pairs of shoes. Cue Kenney Chesney, if you please: “There goes my life.”

Empty Nesting has its moments. Time to talk to one another in an uninterrupted flow of thoughts. Time to try to remember what life was like almost 22 years ago. Time to ask how we got on this merry-go-round to begin with, and wonder if we’ll ever get off. And if we’ll be able to remember all of this sweet, wild, wonderful ride.

Time to ponder what’s coming next, as well as what has come before.

Time to take a bath, in the orchid-scented bubbles that the youngest gave her Mommy as a Christmas present. An unexpected gift, to the woman who has spent the last 22 years wondering if anyone was really paying attention.

Life’s still rushing by. But now she has the time.

He Feeds More than My Soul

The following was scribbled as part of the Random Complexity Writing Challenge, over at In Search of Giants. Word Count: 335.

We met in college. We shared the same major. But that was where the similarities ended.

Moker admired Dirty Harry. I had a passion for Barbra Streisand. I swam laps. He thought Speedos belonged only on effeminate young men on the beach at St.-Tropez.

The man was a golfer, for goodness sake! He wore Polos even off the golf course. The only folks I’d ever seen in Polos—especially those in shades of chartreuse and tangerine—were effeminate young men in Greenwich Village, during a college summer in NYC.

My Best Bud Debbie said we were “meant for each other.” That she could tell we were “soulmates.” But there the clichés ended. Because it wasn’t meant to be.

But the more I saw of him, the more we became comfortable in our ways. The Dirty Harry fan took me to more than one Chick Flick. And I even once rose before the sun did and, discarding my usual uniform of jeans and a T, donned khaki and a Polo to attend a PGA Golf Tournament with him.

We were there 12 hours, and I have to say that I enjoyed myself—because he was there.

He’s Norwegian, from the Upper Midwest. I’m a Southern Gal. He’s parsimonious in his prose, sometimes going hours without a single word to anyone. I can talk a blue streak, with anybody, anytime.

Debbie was right, of course. As the ’80s turned into the ’90s, and the New Century dawned, we watched the seasons of married life fly by. Two kids and years beyond college, we’re still together.

And no, this isn’t a post commemorating our anniversary. That comes up in the Spring. Today, I’m honoring a note he left on the kitchen table. A memo, of sorts, just a quick FYI, scribbled in a Husband’s Scrawl, which greeted me when I returned from doing laps yesterday morning.

“Hello...I’m cooking dinner tonight.”

That’s all he had to say to win my heart yet again. He had me. After “hello.”

Gran Torino's Quite a Ride

I think I might have mentioned that Moker and I are Empty Nesters. We've done a few fun things since September. Gone on "field trips." Stayed in and dined on Jambalaya. Last night we took in a movie, and grabbed a pizza afterward.

When we first started dating, Moker was a big Dirty Harry fan. John Wayne, too. And, of course, Jack Nicholson, when he was younger and even crazier than he is now.

For Date Night, Moker chose Gran Torino, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. Eastwood says this might be his last flick. Talk about powerful. Sort of Dirty Harry gets PC, only not.

Have you seen any good movies recently? What do you recommend?

Rolling into 2009

Here's Patch on the back deck~in a much milder season, of course! I thought I'd kick off The New Year with a Pet Post, considering the recent news. Have you heard?

A national poll revealed two days ago that more folks kiss Their Pet than Their Human to usher in the New Year. Women are 4.5 times as likely to spend New Year's Eve with a pet than men are. And Democrats are more likely than Republicans to spend New Year's Eve with a pet, according to the Zogby/Times Square New Year's Eve National Poll.

"We've discovered over the four years that we've been conducting this survey that people love seeing in the New Year with their pet," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance. "I guess it's that pure joy and unconditional optimism that animals have that people love to be around." The poll was reported by the Scripps Howard News Service.

Moker and I stayed in last night, toasted the New Year, then hit the hay. What did you do to herald the Start of 2009? Have a Happy!

Christmas All Wrapped Up

Moker and I did a rare thing last night...we went to dinner and to the movies. Yup, a Real Date!

We saw Four Christmases, which lends a silly and somewhat bittersweet spin to the Holiday Spirit. Yes, Reese Witherspoon's Epiphany is pretty much cliché. But this Christmas Confection is just that...quite a lot of sweet, innocent, festive fun. Plus, Vince Vaughn shows his comedic chops once And again. Witherspoon made me laugh out loud several times.

This 21st-Century Christmas flick put me in mind of Holiday Fare from Christmases Past. My Top 10, in no particular order, are:

10. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)-The little girl is a tad annoying, but Santa is One Fine Gentleman!

9. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)-The Original...of anything...is usually better.

8. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)-Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed...What's not to love?

7. Holiday Inn (1942)-Irving Berlin wrote the songs, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sang and danced their way through the film. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. Need I say more?

6. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)-I have a particular soft spot for all made-for-TV Charlie Brown flicks. And for Charles Schulz and his Misunderstood Anti-Hero.

5. Annie (1982)-OK, this was released in June, but I always consider Annie a Christmas Production. Aileen Quinn, who played several of The Orphans on Broadway, is a great Annie, and Carol Burnett is The Best Miss Hannigan. And then there's Bernadette Peters as Lily St. Regis and Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks...I could go on, but I won't.

4. Annie (1999)-If I can't have Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan, I'd want Kathy Bates. A fun bit of trivia: Andrea McArdle, the Original Annie on Broadway, has a cameo in this film. Kristen Chenoweth of Wicked fame plays the role of Lily St. Regis. This particular Annie was released in time for Christmas.

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)-An Original and a Classic. A Classic Original. Boris Karloff is the narrator. Priceless!

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)-Ron Howard, Director; Jim Carrey, the Grinch. Need I say more? Oh, one more thing...I have no clue why this re-make does not have an exclamation point in the title!

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)-Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid are So Awesome Together! "Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead? "

So, what did I miss? What are your favorite Christmas Classics? Do Tell!

Up to Our Keisters, and Beyond!

We had such a lovely, uneventful Turkey Day Holiday, celebrating with family and friends. So, we knew that Getaway Sunday, the Busiest Travel Day of the Year, Might. Come. To. This.

No, this shot isn't current. It was snapped by a TJ, whom we presume is a UW-Madison student, judging by his profile. It was posted on his blog, Feeding Milk to Chickens, in February 2008, the last time The Badger State had a snowstorm of monumental proportions.

That day, Wisconsin suffered snows that Shut. The. State. Down. And we're talkin' schools, government offices, the whole proverbial Ball of Wax. OK, we're Mixing Metaphors here, but still...

Southeastern Wisconsin, from Madison to Milwaukee, is forecast to get something along the lines of 10 inches today. According to Moker, and his Profile of Wisconsin for Blog Around the World, we Hardy Cheeseheads enjoy weather akin to "Nine months of winter, and three months of tough sledding."

We're just a Tad Concerned today, though. The East Coast Branch of The Pop'rs Cousins are traveling back to school at Larry U. Today. In the Snow. Hope the precipitation doesn't dump enough to cover poor ol' Mr. Lincoln's Head in front of Bascom Hall. But ya never know!

On a much more positive note, The Green Bay Packers play Carolina today at Lambeau Field. Snow is forecast. Go, Pack!

Aunt Julie Hosts *Recipe Week*-Part Deux

We had such a Fun and Successful *Recipe Week* in September, that Aunt Julie has decided to do it again! Every day, between now and next Sunday, we'll be sharing Yummy Recipes with all of our Bloggy Friends, as part of Aunt Julie's *Recipe Week*--Part Deux.

At the end of the week--next Sunday, to be precise--we have a little ol' surprise in store for ya! We'll be asking readers to submit Yummy Dishes of their own to share, as the lead-up to our Next Pop'rs Giveaway!

Today's recipe is an Old Wisconsin Favorite, which we start thinking about just as the leaves begin to turn. Hot Beefs go really well with Cold Beer, and put us in mind of a Packer Party. The above pic, BTW, captures Uncle Lynn and his Mom, Pearl, right in the midst of tailgating at Historic Lambeau Field.

So, think about us Packer Fans as you're pulling out your crock pot, browning the meat, and setting the whole thing on "low" so it can simmer throughout the day. Go, Pack!

Aunt Julie's Hot Beefs
1 chuck roast (three to four pounds)
Small amount of olive oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 envelope Lipton's Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 beer, can of beef broth or water (your choice)
Whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Brown the roast on top of the stove in a little olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle the roast with salt & pepper as you're browning it. Transfer the browned roast to a crock pot. Add the envelope of Lipton Soup Mix, and about an inch of water, canned beef broth, or beer. The Pop'rs Family prefers the "beer option." Let the roast cook on "low" all day. At dinnertime, the meat will shred very easily with a fork. Stir it all up, and serve with a little juice on toasted buns. Aunt Julie likes sliced pickles on hers, and maybe a little ketchup. Moker and Veggie Mom love sliced raw onions and ketchup. Maybe even a little Texas Pete instead of ketchup!

Lay's Kettle Cooked Jalapeño Chips are a lovely accompaniment to this delightful repast. And have another bottle of beer, while you're at it!

~Tomorrow: Aunt Julie's Beef Stoganoff!~

Say Cheese!

Aunt Julie's cousin, Jim, lives in Norway with his family. He's originally from Wisconsin, but has taught school back in The Old Country for years. Jim recently came back home for a visit, and stayed at The Pop'rs Family's house.

To thank Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn for their hospitality, Jim sent them an Authentic Norwegian Osthyvel--or "cheese plane," for you non-Norwegian neophytes. Julie Eliz took this "arty" pic, natch!

Aunt Julie and Moker--my Hubs--grew up with an Osthyvel in their house. No Proud Scandinavian living in the Upper Midwest would dare be without one! But Cousin Jim said Julie's wasn't authentic enough. So he sent her the Real Deal.

"Jim said that our grandfather Borger, who was a carpenter, would have used a 'hyvel' to plane wood," Julie Eliz explains. "And 'ost' is Norwegian for 'cheese'. We Norwegians certainly have a knack for creations of enduring beauty and simplicity, don't we?

Read this fascinating post on the blog Clivia's Cuisine about this marvelous Norwegian invention! Who knew?

Field Trip!

About a month ago, I mentioned that Moker and I are Empty Nesters. We've definitely turned a different kinda corner in our lives together.

The house is silent--or, at least more s0 than it has been in years. We get to watch the TV where we want--and there's hardly ever an argument about which channel to switch to. We've had salmon more than once in a long, long while in recent weeks. And we never hear the Pitter-Patter of Little Feet ever--unless it's one cat chasing the other around in circles. No midnight calls, no Shrieking Mee-Mees, fussing over clothes, the car, or Who Has to Empty the Dishwasher Today.

That said, we do miss College Girl and The Wild One. CG is finishing up her last year at Larry U. in Appleton, Wisconsin. TWO is a little froshie at the same venue. We hear good news from the Freshman Front. TWO's made a lot of friends, and is challenged enough by schoolwork that she spent most of Thursday in the library studying for an Art History test. Good for her!

And their Parents? The Parentals are getting to know each other again. Last weekend, Moker suggested a Field Trip. I had to pause for a moment to figure out if I had time to get away. Did I have to take anyone to practice? Nope. Did I have to pick up anyone from work? Negatory. Did I have to fold someone's laundry, feed someone's cat, yell at someone to make the bed or clean up the bathroom? A Definite No. So, yes, I was free to get away. And intrigued, as well.

Back When the World was Very Young, we used to go over to Maryland's Eastern Shore to eat steamed crabs. There's a cute-as-a-bug Chesapeake Bay burg named St. Michael's, which is home to 19th-century houses, oystermen, antique and craft stores and a fab seafood place called The Crab Claw.

Moker and I headed out to St. Michael's. We ate crabs. We watched the ducks act all goofy in the inlet by the restaurant, as ducks are wont to do. We strolled around town, remarked on the variety of boats pulled up at the dock and sat on a bench on the main drag, eating ice cream cones. We took our time, and got to know each other again.

We love the girls. We really do. But I suspect we're going to love our time apart from them, as well.

I Will Rock You!

Appropriated from Tara R. over at If Mom Says OK, I've been double-dared to tell you how much I Rock. Tara received her challenge from Jen at Huckdoll's Hood, who in turn faced the challenge when Kelley at MagnetoBoldToo threw down the gauntlet. You, too, are invited to Play Along. This challenge is Open to Everyone in the Bloggy Universe. So, be Loud and Proud, and tell everyone Why You Rock!

10. I totally Rock because I started blogging in June and have surpassed the 10,0000th Hit and 100th Post mark, just short of four months out.
9. I'm an awesome Rocker because I can say the alphabet backwards. In my younger years, I could sing it backwards, too!
8. I live to Rock because I have an Awesome SIL and an Awesome BIL, who make an Awesome Product!
7. I love to Rock because I've finally figured out the Key to Gorgeous Geraniums!
6. I know I Rock because I believe that All God's Critters need a second chance!
5. I recently Rocked by Running a Downright Inspired Bloggy Giveaway!
4. I'm beloved for Rocking because Allie, Channah, Dawn, Mrs. 4444, Nik, Tracy, and Vicki are Very Happy Campers!
3. I will always Rock because Moker is in My Corner as The. Best. Hubz. Ever!
2. I Rock 24/7 because I'm blessed with two Independent Children who Still Love Their Mommy!
1. I'm Rockin' right now, because I'm an Empty Nester. Are ya jealous yet?

*Recipe Week*, Day #6: Moker's Poker Jambalaya

Here we are at Day #6 of *Recipe Week*, and we haven't asked you that All-Important Question: Are you having fun yet? We sure are!

Today we visit the Gulf Coast--specifically Dawn's Neck o' The Woods--and sample the culinary delights of the Great State of Louisiana! We came upon this recipe, though, in the oddest of ways.

You've met Moker, correct? He's my Hubz, Aunt Julie's Big Bro, and the one who introduced us to Texas's Banana Split Cake. Now that we've got that settled, let me explain about Moker's Poker Jambalaya.

We used to live in DC. As in Washington. Our Nation's Capital. Named for Our First President of the Good Ol' U.S. of A. While residing in The Capital City, we saw the sites, inhaled the ambience, and found lots o' fun things to do on the weekends!

One of those things, for Moker, at least, was playing poker. A friend of his introduced him to a game run out of a carpentry shop in suburban Maryland. And these craftsmen could cook! Moker never brought home much in the way of winnings, but he did bring home a few winning recipes! And over the years, we've taken those recipes, and tinkered with 'em a bit, and made 'em our own!

So, there you have it. Louisiana Jambalaya, by way of a suburban Maryland poker game, while we were living in DC. Got it? Well, get this!

Moker's Poker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced (we like andouille)

1/2 lb. ham, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

5 stalks of celery, chopped

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 16-oz. can tomatoes; do not drain!

1.5 cups of water

1 Tsp. thyme

1/2 Tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 Tsp. black pepper

1 Tsp. salt

1.5 cups rice

1.5 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

2 lbs. peeled shrimp

Directions:

Sauté sausage and ham until lightly browned.

Add onions, pepper, celery, green onions and garlic. Sauté until tender.

Add tomatoes, with juice, thyme, papper and salt; cook 5 minutes.

Stir in rice.

Add water and Worcestershire Sauce.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add shrip, and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, until rice and shrimp are done.

Tomorrow, we've got a Packer Party Treat for ya, so stay tuned!