Weekend on Old Mission

One of my favorite places in the world is right here in Michigan, Old Mission Peninsula.  Mike and I were excited to be able to visit it last weekend and share it with Freddy and Becky (Mike's cousin).  Ken and Janet are amazing friends and are always so happy to have us for a visit.  Their home is beautiful and relaxing and their friendship always warms my heart. 

We drove up Friday night as I mentioned in my previous post and on Saturday Mike and I let Becky and Freddy sleep in and we went for a punishing 23 mile ride on the peninsula.  It was tough!  Then after some breakfast we all headed into town to accomplish some things.  Freddy joined myself, Janet and Becky for a downtown shopping jaunt and Mike and Ken went to visit some bike shops and look at boats.  Freddy and Becky found some excellent souvenirs and Janet took me to a great delicatessen shop.  I made a couple of cheese purchases that I look forward to trying out this week.  A peccorino romano and a spanish blue cheese that I can eat!  Yummm.  We all met up a couple of hours later at the famous Moomers.  Moomers is a ice cream place just outside of downtown Traverse that was voted #1 in ice cream on Good Morning America recently.  Quite an impressive resume, so we had to try it.  It was sincerely enjoyed by all.  I had a yummy draft orange soda, as I have ice cream allergies, while everyone else snacked on the creamy ice cream flavor of their choice.  Freddy tested out blue ice cream because he had never seen BLUE ice cream before.  We also stopped on the way back to pick up some bread from a local bakery for dinner that evening.  Dinner was exciting, both because it was delicious and because while grilling the chicken excess grease in the bottom of the grill ignited and shot flames 4 feet high!  Some of the chicken breasts needed some trimming to remove the... umm, charred bit, but it still was delicious.  Janet made a very yummy spinach salad to go along and we had a great dinner on the patio.  Then we cleaned up in a hurry and zoomed off to do a few more errands before we went to the drive in theater!

Our Saturday night activity was a visit to the Cherry Bowl drive in theater.  We saw a double feature of Despicable Me and The Other Guys.  We all loved Despicable Me, but The Other Guys was only so-so.  We didn't get back until 2 am and we all were very sleepy.  

Sunday morning we vowed to take another ride and so we were up bright and early to head out.  We took a flat route this time and it was very enjoyable.  Janet joined us and we rode with her for a bit.  When she turned around we rode on and totaled about 18 miles.  We would have went further, but there were a number of biking events going on and the roads were very congested.  After we showered up, I made us all crepes for brunch.  We put together several fillings and everyone filled their own crepes with the items of their choice.  After packing up and helping Janet a bit more with her computer we left Ken & Janet with many thanks and kisses.  We shot up to the lighthouse so that Freddy and Becky could see it and we waded around in Lake Michigan a bit.

We meandered home taking small highways showing Freddy a bit more of northern Michigan.  We stopped for dinner in Cadillac and then finally made our way back home.  It was an exciting weekend and we all wish we were still gazing out Ken & Janet's windows on to the bay rather than back to work and practice.  We're hoping to get another visit in before the winter.   If not, we'll definitely venture back after it snows.

First Taste of Northern MI

Thursday was Freddy's first football scrimmage.  It was such hard work watching the game that we had to head north.  Becky joined us from Cleveland Thursday evening as well.  Then, Friday at about 4 pm we headed towards the peninsula.  We arrived by 7 pm and made dinner with Ken & Janet and listened to a huge rainstorm.  My dad would have paid for the amount of rain we watched come down.  We had a great dinner of burgers and then we watched a movie.  It was a nice night.  This morning bright and early Mike and I headed out for a bike ride.  What a good training ride the peninsula had in store for us.  22 miles of hills.  Whew!  I was tired!  But it felt good and was much needed for we have less than 2 weeks and we'll be headed out on the DALMAC.


We have lots and lots of plans for this weekend and we won't even get half of those things done.  But we'll sure have fun doing what we can fit in!!

The New Adventures of Old Becki & Mike

Well, last week we started a new adventure with a new son from a new country.  We have been going non-stop ever since.  Freddy joined us from Finland on Wednesday, August 4th and will be staying with us for a whole year.  The only reason I have time to write in my blog is because I am starting my new hobby as a hockey/football mom tonight.  We are at the ice rink so Freddy can meet his coach and some of his new teammates.  He just walked past me and he was the size of the stay puft marshmallow man. 

Freddy has been settling in very well and has made friends fast.  It is what we expected from him because been talking with him since April, but still it was great to see it actually happening.  After arriving, the very next day he went to a football conditioning practice.  Then by Sunday night at midnight he was an official part of the St Johns football team and he started 2 a days.  We have officially tired him out which I thought would take a bit longer, but we did do a number on him.  

Thursday was a day for him to unpack and poke around the house while Mike and I were at work.  He got his bearings quickly and on Friday we picked up Walker at the farm for a full day of activities.  Walker gave him a complete tour of the farm that took almost an hour!  Walker left no equipment unexplained.  It was great!  Then we spent the rest of the day running errands with Walker, Sarah and CJ.  We went to the market, out to lunch and to Sam's in Lansing.  Friday night and Saturday were spent getting ready for the party Saturday night.  The welcome cookout was fantastic and Freddy got to meet many of our best friends and family.  It was a wonderful party into the wee hours of the morning.  Freddy slept in on Sunday and then Sunday night he headed off to football practice.  He said the first night/day of practice was pretty confusing, but today he said he actually knew where he was supposed to be running when they called out the play numbers.  Monday night we wanted to see if we could all ride together efficiently for the upcoming DALMAC, so we went on our 20 mile loop around Rainbow Lake.  It was a great ride and Freddy was feeling pretty good afterward, so he thought that it would be a good idea to meet up with the hockey team tonight.  It appears that he was wrong.  He is tired!!!  Good thing we have nothing planned tomorrow and Thursday.  I think he will need the evenings to recover a bit.

We have a fun weekend upcoming.  We will be at the pond for our annual community group campout.  Freddy has practice on Saturday and we are planning a longer bike ride for Sunday.  Maybe 40 - 60 miles.  We'll see what Freddy can do.  One thing is for certain... he will not be gaining any of that "American Weight" if he keeps this up!


The adventure continues...

Relaxation??

Last weekend was a relatively new experience for me.  I was at home.  I had no plans for Saturday and Sunday and I did this thing called relaxation.  Weird!  To my surprise, Mike told me over the weekend, that other people do this "relaxing" thing all the time.  Now, I'm not saying that it was a bad thing.  I thoroughly enjoyed every Hallmark and Lifetime Original movie that I watched, but I sure felt weird doing it.  After stating to Mike for the 3rd time that I felt like a schlub, he assured me that this was perfectly acceptable in the real world and that I would have to accept it.  So, Sunday I embraced the relaxation and enjoyed it.  First thing this morning I flung off that weird stage and headed back into my world.  We just got back from cycling  : )

Although I have abandoned the relaxation thing, I did do some really  fantastic cooking over the weekend.  I made some more bread, I got some zucchini from the Farmer's Market and made a delicious recipe titled "Zesty Zucchini" that we had made previously at Cooking Divas.  I, of course, spiced it up a bit and changed around a few of the ingredients and it was delicious!!  

Between the rain showers, I made it outside on Sunday to pick wild blackberries.  It made me think of my grandma, because my mom says she used to do the same thing every summer.

I live in her house and I imagine that I was picking from the exact same bushes she did.  I ended up with a lot more than I thought I would and I'm excited to use them a couple of different ways.  Last night I began by making a blackberry compote with peaches and orange flavored rum that I put over pan fried venison steaks.  We both thought it was amazing!

 

The remaining compote I am thinking about turning into a dessert pizza tonight with cinnamon & sugar.  Then I even have about a cup of berries left to make something else still.  I'm going to carefully consider their use.  My arms, hands and legs paid a scratchy price for picking and I want to savor my berries!  While I was enjoying climbing through the brush picking berries I also began to wonder why I don't use the many, many, many elderberries I have about and I have another tree with berries that I think are edible??  I'm going to have to look into that one.

Not in chronological order, but Friday we did have a few things going on and it was a really fun day. Walker and I went on a geocaching adventure that saw us, swimming, visiting half the countryside and finding a home for some dumped cats.  Joey joined us later and we did just a few more caches.  Then that evening we had Liz & Christine over for dinner.  Chis brought a Mediterranean feast of hummus, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, grape leaves and falafel.  It was delicious!  I made an arugula walnut pesto pasta to compliment and we stuffed ourselves.  Not too much mind you, because we all still had the energy to head out for a little geocaching.  We witnessed Liz & Chris get their first cache and they joined us in finding one that had before eluded us.  To finish off the night we stopped in the Maple Rapids bar and kicked back a few cold ones.  What an enjoyable day! 

So, in conclusion... relaxation was great for trying new recipes, but I think that I would be as big as a blimp if I did it all the time, because I cooked so many amazing recipes!  Good thing we started training for the DALMAC today!

Salad... it's what's for dinner.

The salad I made last night for the surprise Bachelorette Dinner/Party was a big hit and several people wanted the recipe.  So although I am extremely insecure and I have to say that insecurity is against my religion, so basically I'm sinning here for you...  here it goes.  My first recipe posted on my blog!  It just feels a little intimidating thinking about the amazing food blogs I read (like David Lebovitz, 101 Cookbooks, Closet Cooking, Gluten-Free Goddess, Maangchi ).  I just want to be as great as those!  I will try my best and pretend I'm not worried about sucking this up.

I'm going to re-create the salad later this weekend and post some pictures as well, but for now you'll have to do with the recipe.

Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts, Goat Cheese and a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

I adapted this recipe from several others: One by Kate Edwards in Bon Appetit March 2010 - onions, one from the Bon Appetit January 2007 issue - walnuts and one from Heidi Swanson's blog 101 Cookbooks.

10 oz of arugula (I used whatever was ready in my garden a combo of rocket and sylvetta)
3 large red onions sliced into half moons
olive oil
4 oz herbed goat cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups walnut halves
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
chili powder
red pepper flakes

Dressing
 4 tablespoons soy or canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper


For the onions heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté until golden, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and let cool.

For the walnuts, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the walnuts and toast in the butter for about 2 or 3 minutes.  Then add Worcestershire and toss or stir to coat all the nuts.  Then add in the brown sugar and toss or stir to coat all nuts as the sugar melts.  Then sprinkle in chili powder, red chili flakes and salt to taste.  Make sure the sugar is all melted and then spread the nuts onto parchment or wax paper to cool.

For the dressing, just whisk together all of the ingredients.

To assemble add the arugula and onions to a large bowl and toss.  Then add the dressing and toss.  Finally top with the walnuts and cheese crumbles.

Whew!  There I did it!!  Hope you all like it!!

Yard Sale!

I have officially stopped in at my first yard sale for the year.  Now, I know that compared to the professionals (like my sister!) I am way behind the ball, but there never seem to be any open when I am free.  Why don't they keep yard sales open as long as stores??  I just don't get it.

Anyways I got two fantastic purchases.  A new 1960's style pitcher and an old hand crank juicer.  It's called the "Juice-O-Mat."  Totally love them and I spent $2 for both.  I'm a wheeler and dealer folks!

Here are my beauties...

He that is busy is tempted by but one devil; he that is idle, by a legion. - Thomas Fuller

We are so busy that I'm not sure if any devil can catch us in order to tempt us. If he did,  I'm sure we'd blow by the temptation with all of the things keeping us busy.

Two more very busy weeks/weekends have passed and they were filled with work, dinners, a graduation, a wedding, cycling, projects, parties and even a little bit of sleep. Two weekends ago we attended Lisa's graduation and had a delicious German congratulations dinner for her.


At the dinner I attempted my first try at Spaetzle. In the end I prevailed, but it took many tries. I owe big props to Chef Martin Block as I watched his video instruction as a primer that day before I tried to do it myself. Lisa said it was great and that she had never had homemade Spaetzle before!! She also said it was way better than the Spaetzle that they had when they dined in Germany in Epcot. Haha! Disney Chefs! I have prevailed over you!! Suzzy made an awesome beer braised brisket that I could eat for every meal for the next decade. It had an amazing flavor. We rounded it out with stuffed kohlrabi, a green salad and some other things that I have forgotten. What I haven't forgotten though, are Mom's 3 loaves of beer bread each made with different grains. One was an ancient grain mix, one was spelt and the third was oat. We have some exciting things happening in the Moore girls' kitchens.


Then on Saturday we worked in the yard and attended Caleb & Teresa's wedding. It was a good day/night. The ceremony was early and very close to my favorite burger establishment. So after a drink with the family at the sports bar we jetted off to Birch Run to get Jeanna open toed shoes and to get me some Halo Burger! It was delicious and I finally talked Mike into buying a t-shirt for me. It says, "Seven days without Halo Burger, makes one weak." I love it! We had a great time at the reception and we had a "few" beers. See the pictures for the full definition of what a "few" means.


Sunday we finished off the weekend with some relaxation and a little buggy work/barn cleaning.  No one faint, but Charlie convinced Mike to clean up the barn.  It looks great!  Charlie & Mike have been at work ever since turning our extra buggy frame into the Sageman-mobile.  CJ is very excited!

To Be Continued...