Safari Park

Half of number 13 on my new year's to do list was accomplished when we took the campers to the Safari Park and Zoo.

The guide likened this group of animals that hung out at the gate to crossing the border at Tijuana. Thanks again, Dad, for that sweet backpack you bought me while waiting to cross back into the US!
LLAMA! I have loved llamas ever since I saw The Emperor's New Groove. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's one of Disney's best.

Feeding the bison. I touched its nasty purple tongue. I'm glad it was mostly focused on the feed and not chomping off my pointy finger.

The zebras were my favorite (excluding the llamas, of course). The elk you see in the background came running up to the wagon and bullied the zebra away. You can't feed the zebras anyway because they bite.

I pulled a muscle in my back while fighting the camel for my bucket of feed.

I forget what this animal is called, but I love its face and its horns are super cool.

We took a break from the sun at the giraffe feeding pavillion. We watched the llamas hustle the entering vehicles (who drives their car through?) and made up dialog. The llama in the middle would stand in front the car until someone would put their bucket of feed out the window. Then the sneaky llama would go back in front the car. Several of the cars tried to nudge the llamas out the way. It was hilarious.

Kangaroos are funny. Have you ever seen them up close in real life? I feel like they felt right at home because I thought for a second I was in the Australian desert. Actually I don't know what their habitat is like down under. I just wanted to convey the fact that I was melting.

From the Kitchen

Tomato and Basil Pasta from August 2010 Living. Deeeelish. I cooked the tomatoes in a sautee pan in some olive oil because I don't like uncooked tomatoes (and that's putting it nicely).

Kicked Up Corn Maque Choux. We bought corn, a red bell pepper, and an onion from the market yesterday. It all came together beautifully with some butter and heavy cream (as all things involving butter and heavy cream do). I made this last night when we went to Billy's for beer can chicken, corn hole, and Bananagrams. You'll notice that the picture is of fish and potatoes. That's because I had some extra corn and leftover onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno that I put in the freezer and I HAD to have some more corn maque choux today.

Thanks, Emeril for kicking the corn maque choux up a notch. Now I have to kick my work out routine up two notches.

From the Kitchen

Last night's dinner. Garlic-Jalapeno Shrimp (would have been better with fresh gulf shrimp, of course) and Rice with Peas and Cilantro. Both from Living's May 2010 issue. I wore gloves this time when chopping the jalapeno and I was saved from jalapeno hands.

Dinner was completed with Caramel Custard. Yes, apparently our ramekins are gargantuan. (Gosh, that's a good word.) Also, yes I made custard. The caramel part was tricky. I burned it the first time. Like, it was smoking. But I wasn't going down without a fight. Anyway, it was yummy.

I had been looking forward to tonight's dinner mostly for dessert. Summer Vegetable and Chicken Hash (Martha Stewart, again) far exceeded my expectations. We ate every last bit of it. The flavors were spectacular.

Now let's get to the important part. Peach and Basil Crumble. I bought fresh local basil at Whole Foods. It's been sitting in a coffee cup on our counter since Saturday taunting me with it's tantalizing aroma waiting for the peaches that we bought at the market to ripen. (I realize that there may be dangling participles and I apologize. You get the point.)

Oh my goodness. Yum. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The peach and basil combo really got my attention since I had a cocktail in Paris with the two in it and it was/is probably the most delicious beverage ever created.

Sorry I don't have links for the recipes, but you can probably find them at marthastewart.com. Right now I have to go do something important like eat more crumble. Ciao.

Break Time

Michael needed a break from working on his personal statement. So we went bowling. At the register, the lady offered to put our names in and asked if we needed help finding bowling balls. We didn't have to leave one shoe at the counter. Once we sat down at our lane someone came up and asked if we needed anything to eat or drink. That's what I call service!

There were multiple projection screens hanging above the lanes with music videos playing on them! The only letdown was the arcade.

My score is on top. I say we just go with our combined scores. We're always better when we're together.

From the Kitchen

I roasted chicken! And it was yummy and juicy... and easy!

The entire meal was from Martha Stewart Living's April 2010 issue. It consisted of: Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon and Olive Oil, Roast Chicken and Scallions, and Warm Potato Salad with Goat Cheese.

We finished the meal with Honey Rice Pudding. I think I should have cooked it longer, but it still had a delightful taste.

Also, we've been scarfing down Red Beans and Rice and cornbread. When my mom and dad and brother visited they brought a can of Blue Runner creamy red beans for each month. We're already down to half and they visited in May. Anyway here's how we do it:

Chippy's Red Beans and Rice

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper. chopped

1 lb sausage

3 cans Blue Runner Creole Cream Style Red Kidney Beans

Tony Chachere's Famous Creole Seasoning to taste

2 cups uncooked rice

Cook the rice.

Slice the sausage. (We like it bite sized.) Cook the sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat until it's starting to brown. Remove the sausage and add the chopped veggies. Cook them down in the sausage drippings as much as you'd like. I like mine a little crunchy. Add the sausage and the red beans. Turn down the heat. Season with Creole seasoning to taste. (You can also use salt, black pepper, and cayenne if you don't have the Creole seasoning.) You don't want to burn it so stir it every now and then. The red beans might seem thick but give them some time. If they still seem too thick you can add a little chicken broth. Don't add water.

Well that was more difficult than I thought it would be. Anyway, if you find yourself needing to shout your love for this dish from the mountain tops or ...um... from your chest then this shirt is for you. I owned it once but it shrunk into tiny proportions.

To Market, To Market

No, we didn't buy a fat pig, but I did feel like doing a little jig this morning when we left the City Market. After 13 1/2 hours of sleep I woke up and suggested we go to the market for breakfast and fresh fruits and veggies. It was exactly what I needed to kick start the weekend (after the sleep, of course).

Here's our loot. The corn and tomatoes will go into a chicken hash on Monday. The peaches are for a peach basil crumble.

The blackberries are for our bellies whenever we want 'em and that jam, it might have been a bit of a splurge. But it's so delicious.

Be prepared for some awesome cooking. I raided my issues of Living and I'm sure I found some winners.

Camp

I apologize for posting 37462836 posts all at once. I am exhausted. Our weekends have been nonstop. I was looking forward to last weekend to do nothing, but I might have overindulged in drinks on Friday and spent Saturday recovering. Needless to say I am looking forward to this weekend so I can do things such as knit, cross stitch, blog, read, and anything else I fancy.

Now, camp. Camp has been awesome. We were expecting to be at capacity with around 100 campers, but we've been averaging 60 campers a day. This year camp is packed with awesome field trips and programs. Here's a list of what I've done and loved so far.

Funland - I spastically screamed my way through Laser tag and got all nostalgic swinging away in the batting cage.

Massanutten- an indoor waterpark (which usually totally freaks me out because I have to be barefoot and waterparks are usually packed). I was pleasantly surprised to find it not so busy. We could go down the slides and enjoy the other attractions with little or no wait. This also goes down as one of the best days at camp because I was given a Silly Band and a plastic glitter ring.

Crochet club- I am running a crochet club four times a week with around 12 campers. We're making headbands. It's awesome.

Camp explore- We go to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center and do fun Lewis and Clark things like a scavenger hunt in the woods and making stuff out of clay. I made an elephant and I can't wait to see how it dried when my group goes tomorrow. I hear we'll be using compasses this time.

Capture the flag on the soccer field. 'Nuff said.

And last but not least I'll have to say that my fellow counselors this year are awesome. So is my boss. Camp is much less stressful and I can't believe there are only three weeks left. I feel like I've been saying that a lot. Definitely time to slow down a bit.

Survival of the Cutest

I promise I won't rant too much about Theo's allergy issues this year. I'm sure I did it enough last year and if you really want to hear the details then feel free to poke around through July- September's posts. In short, the itchy feet are back. The cone of shame is back on except this time it's larger and has duct tape on it. He's currently on an antihistamine, a steroid, and now Atopica which is an immuno-suppressant. If the Atopica doesn't help then we're seriously considering allergy testing him.

So basically we decided that Westies have survived due to their cuteness. Theo would not make it in the wild on his restricted diet. We also think he would try to befriend and cuddle a bear which would not go over well.

How can you not love that face? I'm telling you. It's the cuteness.

Two Years

On our cotton anniversary we went to The Local for dinner where they wrap their silverware in cotton napkins. My sweet husband bought me a box of Godiva truffles even though we decided that dinner would be our present to each other.

It's difficult to believe that two years have passed. I guess time flies when you're having fun.

I'm so Bossy

Now that I'm finished bossing you around, you can sit back and enjoy reading about what we've been up to.

We recently had two more visitors- my sister Myriam and her husband Dan. They stayed with us Friday through Monday. Yay! for three day weekends and cooler weather.

On Friday night we dined alfresco at Escafe. Thanks to Dan for suggesting it because it was absolutely delicious and a new favorite for special occasions. We had gelato at Splendora's for dessert.

We woke up early on Saturday to kayak seven miles down the James River. It took us around three and a half hours. The weather was beautiful and the river was clear and just under three feet so we could see to the bottom. We ate at Eppie's after showering then Myriam and I slept for two hours. I probably could have slept until Sunday morning.

On Sunday, the Fourth, we got up early again to attend the naturalization ceremony at Monticello where 71 people became citizens of the USA. The ceremony lasted around an hour. Tracy Ullman was the speaker and she delivered inspiration and comedy to the crowd. She became a citizen in 2006. She said that as a child growing up in the UK she saw Americans as having white teeth and confidence. The bit about having confidence was what she ended her speech with and I think she did a terrific job. It was a moving ceremony and if you're in the area next year you should definitely put it on your to do list.

We came home to make hot dogs, that spinach salad, raspberry sorbet with fresh whipped cream and Tito's vodka lemonades. After lunch Myriam and I made Lucy's chocolate pie.

Then we all lounged around until it was time to eat dinner (buffalo chili) and walk to McIntire Park for the city's fireworks display, which was super impressive. Pete met us at the park then walked back with us for more pie, cava, and Bananagrams. I'd like to note that Michael played with us.

On Monday we picked up sandwiches at the Market Street Market to picnic on Skyline Drive, where we were attacked by gnats and proceeded to feel icky from the curvy road. We made it back in time to pick up Michael and head to Timberlake's on the Downtown Mall for milkshakes. C-Ville weekly puts this as #9 on their list of things that Charlottesville locals do. I had been waiting for the experience for weeks. We arrived at 4:30. They close at 5. The first thing the lady behind the counter said to us was that they close at 5 and they were only serving drinks. Perfect, we said, that's what we were there for anyway. She made Michael's root beer float with hot Mug root beer from a 2 liter. Myriam and Dan's vanilla milkshake was thin, but my strawberry milkshake was perfection. The icing on the cake was when the lady TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS AT 4:45. I don't think that arriving 30 minutes before a store closes for a drink is a crime. If I wanted to order a three course meal I could understand your grouchiness. Needless to say I was very disappointed and will not be returning. Unless maybe we wanted to try the soda fountain concoctions. But we'd make sure to get there well before closing time.

We had a wonderful visit. We're looking forward to visiting the Mills' on their own turf.

Make this Salad

The same friend that told me about I'm Just Walkin' brought this salad over one night and I have been hooked on it ever since. Don't be afraid of the goat cheese if you are not a fan of it. This was my gateway recipe into liking it. A lot.

Note: I leave out the onions because I have become lazy since I like to eat this so much. I sometimes skip toasting the almonds for similar reasons (another reason being that I'm scared). I also half the amount of the spinach, vinegars, and olive oil (by the way I use olive oil- not veggie).

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese, and Almonds

1 lb spinach

1 C strawberries

Crumbled goat cheese

1 T butter

3/4 C slivered almonds

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1 T poppy seeds

1/2 C white sugar

2 tsp minced onion

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 C white wine vinegar

1/4 C cider vinegar

1/2 C oil (olive or veggie)

Directions:

1. Melt butter, cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted.

2. Toss spinach with toasted almonds, strawberries, and goat cheese.

3. Whisk toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and oil.

4. Add dressing to salad and toss (Might not need to use all of the dressing.)

I'm not sure who the creator of this recipe is, but whoever you are, you have created a masterpiece. Thank you for sharing.

Follow this Blog

A friend of mine told me about this blog. This guy (I think his name in Matt) is currently in Montana on his way from New York to Oregon. The coolest part is that he's walking, and he's not doing it for any reason besides the sake of walking. He posts a picture of things he sees along the way and only writes a little bit- if he writes at all. So it's not a huge time commitment, but it's definitely worth checking every day. (Especially since yours truly is seriously slacking on the updates.) Ahem. Yeah, so, follow it and let me know what you think.