Grandma's Kitchen Table

Whisk Wednesdays: I am admitting defeat this week!

     This day has gone less like I planned than even I anticipated.  I am admitting defeat on getting anything posted for Whisk Wednesdays this week.  Seriously, this is just going to need to wait until after swimming Zones as I am trying to factor in my regular gigs with all this extra running around for swim practices, being gone for four day weekends with swimming, etc., and soup is just not being processed, what can I say?! 

      Rather than rush it all and drive myself and everyone around me crazy, I am going to just admit that I cannot get it done and posted today.  Matt's birthday is tomorrow and Grandma and Grandpa are only able to go out for dinner this evening due to weekend guests arriving tomorrow, so we are going to shelve everything else after 5:00 when I deliver the meals I made, and go out to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa to enjoy celebrating Matt's birthday tomorrow.  It was a tough choice:  soup or celebrating...well, I know which one you would all pick, too, so celebrating it is! 

      See you next week...will check your blogs tomorrow and see what wonders you created this week!

Operation Baking Gals: Rounding up the Bakers

      I know, you all saw the title of this and thought it was going to be family reunion news, right?  (Baker being my maiden name and all.)  But, no, this is a different sort of round up.   

     

Susan (click on her name to view the site) has sent out a request for TWD bakers, and others, to consider baking a homemade baked good once a month to send to our servicemen in the Middle East.  She is coordinating it as the first shipment is going to someone she personally knows who reads her blog and commented about the soldiers really missing baked goods they used to have at home. 

 

      Each month the serviceman selected will receive the boxes and then divide them up there.  Susan saw this as an opportunity to...well, serve!  Serve up baked goods, that is...and it sounded like a fine thing to do.  I'm in.  She is hoping that if we all post about it, others will take up the whisk and bowl and participate in this very worthy endeavor. 

      The photo is my first entry, Irresistible Brownies, from the Nestle site linked below. 

      If you would like to bake for our troops also, please visit Susan's site and send her an email indicating such...she will guide you from there. 

      Please note:  there are several restrictions to baking goods for servicemen.  The Nestle Baking Company site has them posted, so I will direct you to click here for the baking restrictions (and acceptable recipes are also found on this link), and also on the site is a click for the US Postal requirements regarding baked goods entering the Middle East.  It just makes things a whole lot easier if you know this straight up and are willing to factor these things into your contributions. 

      Make a difference:  Bake!

Whisk Wednesdays: Will post by 8:00 p.m.

    'Tis another busy Wednesday of cooking for the priests, another family, a funeral, and my guys.  Oh, and two trips for pool foolery as we are practicing for Zones.  They drained the CHS pool for maintenance, necessitating a new and not-improved drive of maybe 25 miles round trip to another pool, as opposed to the 10 mile round I currently drive.  I will try to have the post up by 5:00 Wednesday afternoon...who am I kidding, check after 8:00 p.m.  Only two more weeks of all this chlorine craziness and then by the time the next round comes, THE BOY WILL HAVE HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE, leaving me plenty of weekends to get my whisking commitments completed and filed in a timely manner.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Summer Fruit Galette

       This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Summer Fruit Galette, can be found on pages 366-367, and was chosen by Michelle from Michelle in Colorado Springs.   

      This was so much fun to make.  Really easy, and very tasty!  If you don't like fussing a lot with baking, but want something home baked, try this one! 

      We had our choice of stone fruits, and Matt wanted peaches, so peaches it was for us. 

      I made a smaller size dough and used only two peaches (they were very large, so it would probably be more like 3 regular size peaches in off-season).  The dough came together nicely, just as before when we made the blueberry pie...same dough recipe.  The assembly was very quick...marmalade (we used peach), honey cracker crumbs, and the fruit, dusted with a little sugar. 

       I baked it in the oven, while I assembled the custard mix...again, very easy, egg, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla...and after 25 minutes the custard was poured onto the whole thing and baked for another 15 minutes.  How easy was this? 

      I have never made a galette before.   The fruit was soft, but not mushy, the crust was flaky like maybe a danish type of flakiness, and the bottom was not at all soggy. 

      I am very surprised that with Dorie's recipes, you can have success straight away...sometimes it takes a couple of times to get a recipe just right, but I have to say that I am very happy with results on the first try with Dorie's recipes.  That, in my mind, makes a great cookbook!   I am going to make galettes more often from now on.  And, the taste:  well, here is one very happy teenager (Matt) enjoying his very large piece. 

      Next week's recipe is The Black and White Banana Loaf, found on page 232, and chosen by Ashlee of A Year in the Kitchen.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

Around the Senior State Pool: Day 4 - 200 Freestyle

       Last day of the senior state today, and I am thinking that might be a good thing actually.  Shoulder aches, disappointment is running high, not too excited to get back down there today, and he may just need a bit of time to just relax and put things into perspective today. 

 

      Matt swam the 200 Free this morning, added time, so no finals appearance for tonight. 

      The Fab Four (Charles, Andrew, Stevie, and Matt) swam their 400 Freestyle relay this morning, and while they finished first in their heat, it was not finals material for tonight, so we are, officially finished for the day/meet. 

       All in all, we had a really great time with some very nice new swim times, and while I was thinking, "Ah, we can relax, and have some time, and maybe Matt and I could get away for a bit of a vacation before school starts and go someplace where we can stay in a wonderful hotel, visit wonderful museums, eat in wonderful restaurants, and do various other wonderful things for say a long weekend or a week or something along those lines:  like maybe NYC." 

      And. Then. I. Heard. The. Words.  "Oh, Mom, I think I will swim zones after all and just take it easy, like one swim a day and just have fun with it since I am not going to Nationals."   What????  What????  WHAT????  I didn't actually say that, but I was thinking it. 

      So, alas, one more round of chlorine infused air before hanging up the goggles and suit on this season.  It all begins on August 6th and goes through August 10th.  Here. In. Indianapolis. At. The. Nat.  (Because I haven't spent enough time there this year and all.)  Okay...I'm ready!  I'm excited!  I'm all for it!  Let's swim!

Around the Senior State Pool: Day 3 - 100 Backstroke

      Another day at the pool.  Matt's big swim was today, the 100 Backstroke. 

       This morning he went in seeded 5th with a time of 1:01.63, swam it with a time of 1:02.92, and even made it back for finals in the top heat.  Photo at the right shows Matt and The Kevin side-by-side in this stretch.  He wasn't too pleased with the swim, but he rallied by the time he headed back to the pool for the evening session with the hopes that it would be just the extra determination he needed to see at least the 1:00.29 time he would need for a Junior National cut in that swim, which was his goal from the very beginning of this meet, well, really from the beginning of this long course season, actually.   

      During the finals, the top heat winners are led in for the final swim with much fanfare and a little parade...the photo above shows the 100 Backstroke entry with Matt in the first position in a light blue shirt (the team state shirt this year that reads:  Carmel Swim Club on the front and on the back:  No Themes, Just Dreams).  These little parades always give me goosebumps and bring tears to my eyes...we are just so proud of everything Matt has accomplished this year.  It is wonderful to get to watch him walk out like this.

      The photo to the left shares the heartbreak...I am sure you can all do the math and figure out the shoulder did not hold up, he lost concentration going into the wall and it messed up his turn offsetting his stroke.  He could not recover it in time to save the race. 

      These are times it is difficult being a parent...being supportive, but realistic, being encouraging, but not too much so that the child thinks you will be disappointed if the goal is not met...they really should have classes in this sort of thing.  I was hoping for being somewhere in the middle with all this support business.  So, this evening the swim came and went, and while we have visible proof via actual hardware, the 8th place finish was not quite what he had hoped for in the long run.  Places 1-8 in regular swims get to ascend the podium and receive a medal for their efforts, so here is a nice photo of Matt receiving his medal. 

      Going up the podium:  Matt, Andrew, Justin, Dillion, Zack, Geoff, Austin, and The Kevin taking the first spot.  These are boys Matt has been swimming with throughout the years.  It was just wonderful seeing them all up there together. 

      We are very proud of all that Matt has accomplished this year in swimming.  He far exceeded anything anyone thought possible for him as a 15 year old.  Tomorrow he will swim his last swim for state this year, the 200 Freestyle, and then he will have a chance to rest the shoulder, regroup a bit before he starts the short course season next month.  The great deal is that once you have a time, it's yours, you get to keep it and work from there, so he has two new best times in the 50 Free and the 100 Free, and he still has that very good time in the 100 Back...all great places to start for the new season.  While he has to relinquish the dream of Junior Nationals this year, the dream continues for next.

      Thanks for all your encouraging emails, calls, and messages...they were all very sweet and so kind of you to be so supportive.  Junior Nationals are every year...he'll be there next year!  And, in the meantime, we still have that 200 Free to swim tomorrow...go, Matt!

 

Around the Senior State Pool: Day 2 - 100 Free

       Photos from yesterday at the pool.  It was a good day.  Matt swam the 100 Freestyle, going in with a 55.75 seed time, swimming a 55.22 in the morning during prelims, and finishing the night in finals with a 55.31, and 12th place for the 100 Freestyle at state.   Ta Dah...not bad at all in an aging up year!  The photo above shows Matt trying his hardest to keep up with those older kids on the return 50 of the 100...he is in lane 7 (lane one being furthest to the right).  He and Justin were the only 15 year olds to make it back for finals, Justin finishing 24th, I think...he has been swimming against Justin, who swims for another Hamilton County team since he was seven...it's always fun to see them swim together each year...sometimes Matt wins, sometimes Justin does...they always enjoy competing against each other.  

      Yesterday was also Harrison's birthday, so he has now aged up and needs to swim with the 15 and aboves...a big jump as that includes everyone over the age of 15, and the guys' bodies are just so much stronger the older they are.   Harrison had a swim off last night to try to get into the finals, but alas, he was just a tad slower than the other guy.  Photo at the right is the walk away from the blocks after the elimination...no smile, but not too disappointed either...Harrison always rolls with the punches.

      The photo on the left is of Cameron, who is from northern Indiana and was Matt's roommate at the fancy pants Arizona camp in June.  They were all hoping Cameron could get his Jr. National cut then in the 100 Breaststroke, but it was not to be.  Last night he went into finals with a 1:07.91, needing a 1:07.89 for the cut.  After finals, he finished with a 1:05 something as I was so excited for him that I forgot to write it down...he finished first at state and got his Jr. Nat cut!   The coach of the winner hands out the medals, and his coach was not able to be there, so standing in is Chad, one of the coaches that coached them all in Arizona at the camp and meet.  Matt really enjoyed Chad as a coach.  Congrats to Cameron!  

      In that same race, Scott D. of CSC medaled and here is a nice shot of Scott coming back from the podium.  Please pray for Scott's family.  His mother Cindee, is one of the CSC coaches (Matt thinks so highly of her as a coach), Scott swims with Matt, and Scott has a brother Brian...a couple of days ago Scott's dad, Ken, was riding his bicycle and was struck by a motorist, apparently thereby forcing Ken into the oncoming traffic where he was struck again.  Ken is in very serious condition, in an induced coma, at this time, and many prayers would be appreciated.  Prognosis uncertain, will keep you posted. 

     

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

      The CSC girls' 800 Freestyle Relay finished first last night, much to everyone's excitement, as they really had to swim their hearts out to achieve that win...a touchout at the very end, making things very exciting for the crowd.  Congrats to Rhiannon, Sarah K., Carly, and Elizabeth! 

      Matt swam on the 800 Freestyle Relay last evening.  Photo at the left is Stevie, Matt, Andrew, and Charles waiting not-so-patiently in line for their turn to swim.  They went in seeded fourth and finished third, probably because they were all determined to get a medal at state one way or another, and only the top three places get a medal for relays.  Hardware being very important to this crowd always.  If you have hardware, you have proof. 

      And, the last shot of the evening is of the boys and their medals as they headed out to sleep on all the glory and prepare for the next day.  Reading left to right, Matt, Charles, Andrew, and Stevie.   Yep, it was a pretty great day for them. 

Around the Senior State Pool: Day 1 - 50 Free

       Welcome to the 2008 Indiana Long Course State Swimming Championships which began yesterday and continues through Sunday. 

       The finals session begins, traditionally, with the Lucky Duck Toss.  The hosting team rep stands atop the highest diving board in the diving well section and tosses out little Lucky Ducks to the finalists below.  Swimmers all grab a Lucky Duck (Matt got number 23) and if your duck's number is called, you win a prize...usually some nifty sporting stuff.  The interesting catch this year was that the heater in the diving well was on the fritz, so the water was something like 65 degrees in there...the swimmers were all debating whether or not it was worth a Lucky Duck to get in and try at all.  I know I would have taken a pass...our pool at home we keep at around 85 and that is just perfect in my book. 

       Yesterday's swimming news:  Matt swam the 50 Freestyle, went in with a time of 25.73, swam a 25.20 in prelims, barely squeezed in (24/24) for finals where he swam a 25.27, and finished the night in 21st place at state for the 50 Free.  Not bad at all, considering he was the youngest to qualify for the finals, so he was quite happy with it since he dropped time also.   (Photos show coming into the wall for the finish, Matt in the closest lane in the photo and Alex B. from the Arizona camp group next to him winning this heat, exiting the pool, before turning around to see his time, and a big smile knowing he did a fairly good job of the swim.)

       Yesterday's meet swims were just the 50 Free and the 1500.  It was really strange going into finals last night as Matt was the only CSC swimmer to qualify, so there weren't any other CSC parents or families there, unlike usual where the place is loaded with CSC swimmers and families.   Coach Chris with just one swimmer...you know, sorta like our high school season, with one swimmer and all, just sitting on the bench all by himself.  All the rest of the days, Chris and Matt will have plenty of company on that bench as Carmel is well represented and will do well at the meet. 

 

        And, just a couple other shots as I was apparently in the picture taking frame of mind last night.    (And this pun goes out to Jessica at Horned Froggy as she is so the punster.  Enjoy, Jessica!) 

 

        Matt swims the 100 Free on Friday; 100 Back on Saturday; 200 Free on Sunday.   Thanks for all the cheering emails...much appreciated!

 

Thursday's Favorites Fare

      Today's photo is one of those cute little things my husband does that makes me love and appreciate him more the longer I know him.  I was very busy getting ready to leave for Bloomington for a five day stay last week and thinking that I should really shop and fix food for Mark and Alex while we were gone so they would not have to scrounge about each day.  Mark said, "You don't have to do a thing for us, we have it all taken care of, you just concentrate on getting everything done for you and Matt to leave and leave the rest to us."  How sweet was that?  As I was getting ice from the freezer before we walked out the door, I saw what you are seeing in this photo...his answer for taking care of it all...Pizza phone numbers and coupons.  I just chuckled and left town thinking what a prince he was...he was willing to eat pizza several times so that I could not worry about fixing them food before I left.   Yep, he's a keeper. 

 

READING:  Team of Rivals:  The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin...it won the Pulitzer Prize, but I am certain you all are not going to count this as my "reading fare easily recognizable by the general public."  Too bad...it's a good one.  I am having to share it with Mark as he has been taking forever with this book, and since he leaves it by his chair each day...well, the temptation is just overwhelming and I have been helping myself, being careful not to get too far ahead so when he reads it, it still has that nice crisp clean fresh turn of a page and all.  While a bit of chocolate sitting about doesn't tempt me, historical reading fodder always does.  It's good he knew that about me before we married.  Sacrificing reading material at will has always been a part of the compromising around here.  On the other hand, he never has to share his chocolates.

POOLSIDE READING:   Psyche sheets...swim programs...heat sheets...you know, real POOLSIDE reading.   

LISTENING TO:   John Mayer...trying to figure out what all the fuss is about...maybe...still not sold.

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking); Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan)

FAV NEW FIND:  The mattress stitch for sewing my completed knitted items together...thanks, Lin!  I have had to slow down a bit on the knitting with all this running around we do in the summers, so it felt really good to get to the shop and learn something new for my knitting jones.   Quilting, I have decided, needs to be on hold for finishing up until the boys are back in school...quilting is not portable for me at this point.

FAV THING TODAY;   Matt took off time in the 50 Freestyle at Senior State...we always love a new best time.   

GOING TO:   Spend the weekend at the Senior State Swimming championships keeping our fingers crossed for a new best 100 Backstroke time with a Junior National cut attached. 

PRAYING FOR:   Everyone traveling, especially Nan, Alex, David, Jonathan, and Chad; Samantha in California; Shari in Canada; Kathy, Al, Michael, Jacob, and Christopher embarking upon a five month stay in Abu Dhabi, and really for all the kids and families on the road this summer...everyone seems to be going somewhere all the time.   Please join me. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Julienne Darblay

       Ta Dah...last week's class assignment, Julienne Darblay (Creamed Leek and Potato Soup with Julienned Vegetables), which is found on pages 133-134 of Le Cordon Bleu At Home.  Can you even believe it?  Thanks for being patient...you are being patient, right? 

      I usually try to do these cooking bits on the weekends, but since my weekends are spent breathing chlorine fumes for the foreseeable future, who knows how timely these posts will be until the long course swimming championships are finished...probably not very.  Justsoyouknow.  

       We love this soup.  Love, love, loved it.  I am the soup queen...I would be a happy camper if I had nothing but soups and salads for the rest of my life.  Seriously.  I think I was led to Whisk Wednesdays by something in the universe telling me there was going to be Soup Learnin' in the near future.  Happy to be here. 

      I made the stock before I left for Bloomington last week as I figured I had made stock enough times that it would be fairly effortless, and it was, producing a very flavorful stock, I might add.  Probably my preferred stock recipe from here on out actually.  I like making stock and then parking it in the frig overnight so that I can scrape as much of the fat from the top as possible (it hardens when cold and you can just lift it off easily).  Works really well and gives the stock a nice clean taste without all that fat floating about.  I also like making stock as I can control the salt added.  We are not really crazy on the salt around here (Mark getting his daily fix in potato chips and all), so this has immense appeal for me. 

      The rest of the soup I threw together this morning as Wednesday is my cooking day for others...and a busy one it is today, so it's anyone's guess whether I will get this week's soup finished or not today...not by 5:00 for sure, so this may be the only post tonight. 

      Julienne vegetables are not my thing yet...my knife skills leave a little, a lot, to be desired.  I figure I have nowhere to go but up, so I am looking forward to that.  In other words, don't look too closely at the veggies.  I tried...I had plenty of rejects, which is nice as I like eating rejects that have no calories and are actually good for you.  After steaming the veggies (yes, I know, I was supposed to dunk and boil them in water and then toss the water, but maybe the original recipe person didn't know you lose a lot of nutrients that way, so I steamed instead) and setting them aside,  I processed and strained the leek/potato mixture, reheated it, added the little bit of cream, and here it is...one very fine bowl of soup! 

      This soup is time consuming...well, more time consuming than purchasing it already made anyway.  I like the fact that it is assembled in various steps and therefore fits in really well with how I cook around here.  You know, up at 5:15, do a little something before heading out the door to swim practice, come back do a little more, go back to retrieve swimmer, come back do a little more, head out again for whatever, come back do a little more, and on it goes throughout the day...my kind of cooking, bit by bit, and it all comes together brilliantly at the end.  I like this French cooking because so far all the steps can be done in small bits and all those bits add to layers and layers of flavor...very nice.  

      I will make it again.  And again.  And again.  (Just not today...and if I don't get this week's soup done after dinner tonight...might be golf involved, what can I say...too early to tell for sure...then I will post two soups next week...I think.  I know, I said that last week, too...I am proving to be totally undependable in these matters, but I will definitely try. )

      More chlorine all this weekend and all...Matt is swimming 50 Free; 100 Free; 200 Free; and 100 Backstroke...keep those good thoughts coming, okay? 

      Julienne Darblay...don't you just love saying that?  It sounds so sexy.  Hop on over to the other Whisk Wednesday members and see what we are making this week...more soup!  Click here and then click on the blogroll members sites. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

       This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, can be found on page 415, and was chosen by Amanda from Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake.   The photo at the left shows the cobbler assembled and ready for the oven in all its rustic glory.

      I was able to find both fresh sweet cherries and fresh rhubarb with no problem, so the recipe went together just like Dorie said it would, and turned out wonderfully well.  I didn't make any changes, just stuck to her basic recipe and followed it word-for-word.  (Each week the person who selects the recipe for the week puts the recipe on her/his site, should you wish to try one or two before purchasing the book.  So, you can click on Amanda's site above for the recipe this week.  The book is well worth the purchase.)

      We liked the cute little dough dollops on top of the fruit, and the combination of unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, and ginger in them was really nice.  Very easy, very tasty, very popular. The dough browned nicely and the juicy sauce thickened during the 50 minutes of baking time, leaving the fruit with a pleasing little resistance, not at all mushy.   The dishware is a little messy, but the dessert was deliciously perfect.  I had mine warm with a little ice cream, the guys wanted me to whip cream for theirs.

       We ate half of the 8 by 8 dish and sent the other half over to Ron and Sue and the boys as Dorie indicated it was best the day it was baked.   Heedless of this advice, Mark and Matt each kept one small bowl of it for breakfast.  (Actually, they would have done more damage to it on the first run had they not been to the county fair earlier in the evening, making their way through various food lines and hopping into the car with gigantic elephant ears and chocolate shakes for the road.  Good thing fair is only once a year is all I can say.   I don't know how they were going to sleep at night.)  

      I would definitely make this recipe again, and as far as Sue's family's opinion, she may just weigh in here in the comment section, although she tends to be rather shy about doing that usually.  It takes something really powerful, like last week's chocolate pudding, to bring out her braver side! 

      The last photo, is of course, my favorite little small bowl and the ice cream scoops were made with the tool to make melon balls, so if you are judging portion size, etc., keep that in mind.  (And, to my friend CC who has been asking if these small portions are for Mark and the boys:  No, I am not serving "poor Mark" the "Barbie portions" over here and putting him on a "starvation diet."  These little ones are my servings, the guys all help themselves to one, or two, regular size portions.  So kind of you to think of them, CC.  So far, it doesn't look like they are starving.  And, yes, you can have a double portion when you are here.)

      Next week's recipe is Summer Fruit Galette, was selected by Michelle from Michelle in Colorado Springs, and can be found on pages 366-367 of the cookbook.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

Round Trip: Sunday to Sunday

      First of all, a very happy birthday July 16th to my father-in-law, Emil.  The photo was taken last Sunday in Elwood and shows the three July birthday boys...all rolling over the "6"s this year...Emil is 86, Mark was 56 on Saturday, and Matt will be 16 on the 31st.  A little celebrating was a must and enjoyed by all. 

      Monday we spent in swim practice, shoulder therapy, packing, etc. so that Tuesday morning after the 6:00 a.m. practice we could make our way south to Bloomington for the Speedo Championships in time for lunch at Lennie's where they make a great French Onion Soup and many other fine menu items....check it out if you are going to Bloomington...I'll go with you. 

      Photos are from the team dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bloomington after the afternoon practice at the IU pool.   (Left:   Josh, Stevie, and Nick on one side, and Harrison, Charles, Andrew, and Michael on the other;  Right:  Devon, Sam, and Lauren)

      Wednesday was the first day of the meet...Matt swam the 50 Free seeded 74/131 (but in that field, only 2 other 15 year olds ahead of him, so he is doing just fine being amongst the youngest there).  Unfortunately, he didn't swim that well and added a second to his time, so he was feeling a little unhappy with himself after that swim.  No time to be blue, however, as we were ALL celebrating after this swim because Harrison (pictured left), YES, THAT HARRISON, set a new club record in the 50 Freestyle, topped it off by it being also a new Indiana State record for 14 year olds in that swim, sent it over the top by qualifying for Junior Nationals with that time, and hit it way out into space by being...are you ready for this...the number one 14 year old 50 Freestyler in the United States at the moment!   Way, to go, Harrison.  We are so proud of you!     

Josh, Harrison, and Rhiannon hanging out in our suite between swims.  Michael stopping by for a chat.  The swimmers all floated between rooms visiting and playing various games, etc. between the morning and evening sessions. 

      Photo is dinner that evening for quite a few of the swimmers, all in a very festive mood, looking forward to the next day.  (Left side:  Lauren, Nick, Matt, Harrison; Right side: Sam, Josh, Charles, and Mike)

      Thursday Matt swam the 200 Free, seeded 122/161 (but only 9 other 15 year olds ahead of him).  He did better on this swim and took off two seconds, so he came out happy and encouraged. (Photo is Matt and Harrison hanging out checking emails on computer and iPhone...lots of texting, messaging, emailing about the meet back and forth between swimmers here and ones not here wanting to know how it was all going, etc. 

      Banners at the IU pool...my two Big Ten favs side by side, Indiana and Iowa.  It's nice to sit in the stands between the two. 

      Friday was Matt's 100 Backstroke and it did not go well.  He woke up with a very sore shoulder and in warm-ups he said he just knew it wasn't going to be his best swim as it was really bothering him.  He went in seeded 27/111 (no other 15 year olds ahead of him), and added two seconds, thereby not even qualifying for finals in the evening.  We had a long talk over lunch at Lennie's (Lennie's being oh-so-close to the pool makes it so very nice), just he and I as Mark had to head back to work after coming down to see the swim, and by the time we left, he was feeling better about it all...disappointed, still, but more optimistic about what he has accomplished this year on a whole.  

      Photo left is Saturday morning, Matt intent on focusing on getting a better time in the 100 Freestyle.  He was seeded 69 /167 (3 other 15 year olds ahead of him), and he took off just a little time, but he was happy about that with the state his shoulder was in and the fact that at least he finished with 2 of 4 new best times...always nice to take home new best times.  (Photo shows him in the bottom lane with red cap coming into the wall for the finish.) 

      It was great time, we all love being in Bloomington always, and as we headed out of town, we stopped for lunch at the Limestone Grille, hugely popular with us, and then headed north to home.     (Photo is Matt beside the limestone wall before we sat down...I know, one usually does not arrive here dressed like this, but it was Saturday lunch, and at the end of the service, and Hilary was waitressing, and she was delighted to see us no matter what the swimmer was wearing, so what can I say?)   The menu at this restaurant is amazingly wonderful.  There is always a nice mix of the familiar and the not-so-familiar, changing monthly with the addition and subtraction of various seasonal specials.  I always get a cup of the snow crab soup, and then we always like to share a dessert as they have lovely desserts.  Matt was all for sharing my lemon dessert as he likes lemon as much as I do, but then, he said, "You know...these chocolate selections are really sounding very good to me..." and I figured a kid who swam for four long summer days probably deserved another dessert, so he had a chocolate one all to himself and then polished off at least half, if not more, of mine.  It's good to take teenage boys out when dessert is involved...they can always be counted on to eat the other half. 

      The last fun shot of the meet, Charles, Nick, Matt, Harrison, and Josh...looking happy and ready to roll for senior state this week. 

      When we arrived home, we were greeted with the shock of our lives...ALEX HAD CLEANED HIS ROOM.  I had indicated that if the room was not spotless, and then some, when I returned, he would not be traveling with Nan on the Aunt Nan-and-Nephews Vacation which was to begin early Saturday.  (I figured he wouldn't take that very seriously and I would be forced to use the upcoming Driver's License as hostage to get that room cleaned.)  Surprise, surprise, the room is very clean, and then some.  Apparently, he thought I might not be kidding around about the trip with Nan and didn't want to take any chances.   So, Alex is off with Nan, David, Jonathan, and Chad for the yearly week of fun and frivolity. 

      Since yesterday was a bit crowded with things-already-on-the-calendar, we decided to celebrate Mark's birthday today, so he got to plan the day.  He thought maybe Kelties for brunch and then the IMA for an afternoon of art.  Hmmm...this sounded more like a birthday I would plan for me!  I wasn't going to mention that, however, until afterward, just in case the plans might get a second thought or two.  I was happy not to have it involve any type of ballgame actually...I figured he would pick things along that line...and he almost did pick the Reds game in Cincinnati, but Matt had to be at a meeting by 3:00 at church. 

      Turns out Kelties had lilies for their flowers this week (always have to call and check that out as for some reason they are big on lilies and I am highly allergic to lilies), so we ended up having brunch at Wolfgang Puck's at the IMA and then seeing the To Live Forever:  Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum at the IMA.  What a great birthday...I don't know when I have enjoyed Mark's birthday more! 

      Okay...so now you should all be delighted with this little round trip excursion and those who tuned out long ago, that's okay, too.  What's up for this week?  Gee, more swimming...senior state starts Thursday...and need I say it:  Please keep good thoughts for that 100 Back...we would just like to get there on that one sooner rather than later.  Have a great week. 

Around About Now

     Well, around about now you are probably wondering how the swimming went this morning and all I can say is that there will be another opportunity next week at Indiana Senior State Swimming. 

      We knew it wasn't good this morning when the shoulder wasn't feeling the groove and while his 50 down was looking good, after the turn, we could see it was going nowhere near his best time...ended up adding two seconds to the 100 back best time he already has, so we are not in finals for that this evening. 

      He has one swim left, the 100 Free tomorrow, but needs to drop at least two seconds from that swim for a Jr. Nat. cut, and I don't think the shoulder is going to see it through.  I've been wrong before, but that's my best guess.  Keep all the good thoughts...he is in a good frame of mind as his coach was very encouraging and supportive, so that is helping the attitude immensely...that and a nice lunch at Lennie's!  Still can't get photos to post...those will come later.  Kids are all having a fun time and enjoying the time together.

Driving Around Bloomington...

     Hello...we are in Bloomington at the swim meet through late Saturday night.  Yes, I know, there have been no posts, photos, or newsy bits and my only excuse is that we have tried.  We have tried from the hotel (not my choice as it is where the team is staying and let's say that fancy internet connections were not a top priority in the reservation procedures, being more important to be located near the pool and all).  The advertisement for "free high speed internet" was obviously written in the stone age and believe me, there is nothing high speed about it, taking about five or six minutes to just get one email to load and read.  I am not really all that patient with such...especially when there are things to do, people to see, places to go, etc., down here in Hooville. We have even tossed the computers in the car and driven around to various cafes with free internet, etc. and I still can't get a photo to download and post with the written blog, so I will just wait until I return north on Sunday and post both photos and prose together. 

     Have a great week...tomorrow morning Matt's 100 Backstroke will be about 9:45 a.m., so please think positive thoughts for him...he has his hopes up way too high...if he makes it, I will try to post a quick line in the afternoon. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Sorry, No Post Today

Hello, fellow Whiskers and Whisk Wednesday readers.  I am sorry to say that there will be no post today about the wonderful French soup we are all making because I am in Bloomington at the swim meet and although I made a valiant effort at trying to get the soup made before I left, I only got as far as the homemade stock, and it is parked in the freezer at the moment so that it will be viable when I return on Sunday. 

      Hopefully, next Wednesday I will post both recipes...not ideal, but the best I can do this week.  I get half credit for getting the stock made before I left, okay?  Thanks!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Pudding

       This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Chocolate Pudding, can be found on page 383, and was chosen by Melissa from It's Melissa's Kitchen.  

 

      Chocolate.  Lots of it.  I knew it was coming eventually.  The guys here were delighted.  This recipe uses a lot of equipment, well, let's just say a lot more than the boxed kind where you whip it together with one bowl and whisk.  Considerably more.  When I finished making it, I had chocolate from one end of the prep area to the other in an alarming quantity.  Well, okay, maybe not all that much, but when you don't really care for an ingredient, it seemed like a real mess.  I kept thinking, "This had better be the best darn chocolate pudding EVER if I am going to make this EVER again."  I needed a pot, a food processor, a prep bowl, various measuring cups and spoons, and any number of steps to create this pudding.  

      And, the result?  Well, although I was hoping that the boxed J-E-L-L-O would be just as good, therefore saving me a lot of prep and cleanup, the pronouncement here was, "This is absolutely the best pudding I have ever had.  Ever."  (Mark)  "Oh, this is so very very good."  (Alex)  "Mom, this is really great.  I hope we can have this again."  (Matt)  So, I think I'm stuck...stuck making it again.  And, truthfully, I think I can clean up my act a bit in the prep part.  Oh...and my opinion on the taste, you ask..."Yeah, right, I am not eating this, even in the name of research...."  If you like chocolate (there are two kinds in the recipe), you will no doubt love this pudding.  I served it with freshly whipped cream and I think there is one little bowl of it left...may have to share that about with someone who loves chocolate and looks forward to reading my TWD post each week.   

      Next week's recipe is Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, was selected by Amanda from Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake and can be found on page 415 of the cookbook.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.

What's Going on Around Here? Well...

       Good golly...I took a few days off here just to regroup a bit and there has been no end to the calls and emails asking if I am okay...you are all very sweet to think of me.  Really, I am fine.  I just wanted a few days of quiet and reflection...one just needs to do that sometimes.  This was one of those times.  And, now  I am back, and ready to roll out of town for sectionals tomorrow. 

       Before heading out of town, however, the CSC Summer State Swim Party was tonight and CSC had a lot of state qualifiers as you can see from the group photo.  I can't begin to tell you the names of all the little ones, but Matt's group is composed of, by and large, the swimmers sitting in the front row.  (Michael and Elliot are in the second standing row, the first two boys in; Ali is up on the right in front of the boy with the red bandana.)  Here's an attempt at the ones who appear most often on the blog and in conversations.   Sitting in the front and reading left to right:  Mike, Johnny, Mickey, Rhiannon, Jessie, Trish, Carly, Daniel, Megan D., Matt G., Matt F., Harrison, and Andrew.  Then in front of them are Lauren S., Matt S., Samantha, Megan J., Josh, and John.  In front is Charles. 

     

      The swimmers are always a lot of fun and when I was circling around, camera in hand, there was the great cry of "I want to be on the blog!"  So, here are some tables

of swimmers who are at their photogenic best and humoring me with nice snapshots of them that I will treasure forever.  (Left:  Trish, Daniel, Rhiannon, Matt S., Megan D., Jessie, and Mickey.  Below are Matt F., Matt G., Johnny, Ali (wet hair), and Caroline I.

 

At left:  Harrison, Andrew, Mike, Charles, and John.)  And, for those I didn't get, sincere apologies as we needed to leave early this evening to get Matt to another meeting at church that was scheduled for the same time. 

       And, lastly, the bad news.  After shooting the above photos, I headed back towards Mark, saw him chatting with Rock (Matt's Guerin high school swim coach), and thought, "Oh, great, a chance to chat with Rock and see how everyone at his house is faring this summer."  Rock has been coaching with CSC over the summer and I have been kidding Chris about "stealing Guerin's swim coach." 

      The first thing I heard after "Hi," was this:  Rock:  "I have some bad news."  My heart sank...bad news always seems to come in little pockets of pairings. I definitely didn't want any more bad news.  Mark:  "Rock has brain cancer and only a year to live."  OMW, the look on my face must have been really devastating because they both quickly chimed up and said, "No, no, no...really, it's not that, but the real bad news will seem much better now." 

      Rock has accepted an offer from a school in Alabama and will be leaving Indiana in a month.  While we are, of course, very happy for his promotion, which is a big deal and comes with a big paycheck, we are also very sad at losing such a great role model, coach, friend, etc. not only for Matt, but for all of us.  

      Oh, and you would all be very proud of me as a few sad tears did not come until I was talking to Laurie and Buddy about it later, when I looked over and saw...well, this next photo, which is Rock telling Matt.  Matt handled it all pretty well, but he was so looking forward to motoring with Rock on the high school swim circuit again this coming year.  We were very lucky to have had everything work out for last year the way it did, and Rock indicated that it would all work out....Guerin is all about providence, after all.  

      Okay...so, once again...we are In. Search. Of. A. High. School. Swim. Coach.  Anyone?  Anyone at all?  It will need to be someone very special and terrific to fill Rock's fins.  After all, his current team set all new swim records at Guerin and had 100% attendance at Indiana State Swimming this year! 

      It just seems I find wonderful people, and before I know it, my time with them is up...it's all just a little overwhelming when it happens.  But to Rock: we are very happy for you and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  Best of wishes in your new adventure...they are very lucky to have you!

Whisk Wednesdays: Billi Bi aux Paillettes (Mussel Soup with Cheese Straws)

       Billi Bi aux Paillettes (Mussel Soup with Cheese Straws) pictured in a small bowl, an appetizer portion.

       Whisk Wednesdays has rolled around again, and this week we all (flash:  we are up to 11 of us now) made Billi Bi (Mussel Soup) on page 313 from the book Le Cordon Bleu At Home, with the option of also making the Paillettes (cheese straws) found on pages 209-210 and 313, as Shari had already prepared the cheese straws in another lesson. 

     I have eaten mussels time and again, always at a restaurant, never having purchased or cooked a mussel before, I was rather looking forward to doing both this week as we happen to be a mussel-loving household.  Indiana, not known for the availability of fresh anything-from-the-sea, I called my favorite seafood restaurant, and inquired about the possibility of obtaining two pounds of as-fresh-as-possible-still-smelling-of-the-sea mussels.  So, this week, my new friend is Rob, who set me up with mussels fresh off the plane, guaranteed to have been swimming in the sea mere hours before their little flight.  (Making lots of new friends with all these cooking gigs.) 

 

      While the mussels were, for the most part, cleaned very nicely, there was a certain satisfaction in scrubbing them a little myself, removing a beard or two, and making sure that they were all tightly closed (2 pounds of mussels was about 70 mussels, 3 of which I discarded before the boiling as they had a chip or were not closing tightly when tapped, and 3 which I discarded after the boiling as they did not open).   How fun...I bought, cleaned, boiled, and shucked all these with no problems arising at all.   These little guys were all very plump and nicely sized...if anything, might get 3 pounds next time just because we are a mussel-loving household and these were so easy to fix. 

       It was a hit...we all enjoyed it.   I did have one portion of soup left over for the next day and found that reheating it (I removed the mussel bodies first and set them aside so they would not get toughened in the process, adding them back in when the soup was hot, which was enough to warm them back up) was great and perhaps even more flavorful than the day before, probably because the flavors had a chance to sit and meld together overnight, etc.  Which, leads me to think that I can prepare this soup a day before and reheat it, as I detailed, the day I want to serve it.  A big plus in any sort of thoughts on entertaining with it.

  The cheese straws were also a big hit.  The boys, all three of them, munched and munched.   I had never made puff pastry before, from scratch and all, and I have to say, it was very satisfying and fun.  There's something magical about it...creating all those layers and having it turn out!  I was really nervous about trying this at first, but Shelley emailed me that she and her girls had a great time making this, so I just started and before I knew it, it was finished and I still cannot believe how nicely the cheese straws turned out on my first try.  A big hit...wow...I can make puff pastry...who knew???  (I sorta kinda took photos but in the process lost track of taking one of them on the tray when they were baked...they looked so cute all lined up and all.)

      So, what would I change, do differently, or eliminate?  Not much.  I would add more mussel bodies as the recipe directs you to squish up half of them in the boiling process of the broth and then moosh them to get all the juices out before discarding them.  So, half your little mussel bodies get dumped...I am thinking more mussel bodies would be welcome in our house. 

      The first time I make a recipe, I can never figure exactly how long it will take or exactly what size pots I will need, and which steps I can do in my unique way of cooking, i.e. I cook throughout the day various bits and pieces and then somehow it all comes together at mealtime.  (Mostly this is due to running kids here and there and other various commitments, etc., so I learned to cook in small frames of time and assemble at the end.)  Anyway, now that I have made both of these recipes once, I can see where I can do it my way with no problem. 

      Oh, and I would make the cheese straws (their directions said 1/2 inch by 3 inches) larger as, let's face it, there are guys here and this size only means they need handfuls to be satisfied that they are getting something substantial.  While I was content to put three on my little plate, they were mounding up a considerable number more than that on their plates. 

      Other than that...it was all very good as is and I will make this again, especially in the fall and winter when curling up next to the fire with a cup of this and a few cheese straws on a cold evening seems immensely appealing. 

      If you would like to see how the other Whisk members fared, please click here and then on each individual member's blog.  Next week's recipe is Julienne Darblay (Creamed Leek and Potato Soup with Julienned Vegetables) found on pages 133-134 in Le Cordon Bleu At Home.   We'd love to have you join us!

 

Tuesday's with Dorie: Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie

      This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Double Crusted Blueberry Pie, can be found on pages 361-363, and was chosen by Amy from South in Your Mouth.    

 

      Mark's dessert of choice is always pie, so I knew he would be looking forward to this week's baked goods.  The crust went together easily, as did the blueberry filling.  (I have found Dorie's recipes to be exceptionally well thought out and detailed.)  One of my favorite things about baking in the kitchen is that I get to use my Granny Franny's bowls, measuring cups, rolling pin, etc. as when she died, I got to have them.  It is so nice using them and remembering all the wonderful times I had through the years, cooking and baking things in her kitchen in Keota, Iowa, and using all these items with her.  It's just always a special time for me. 

     

      I did need to tent a piece of foil over the pie to keep it from browning too much on top, but that is pretty standard for my oven and pie crust.   

      I had never heard of the bread crumbs trick for keeping the bottom crust less soggy in a fruit pie, but this did the trick and the taste of the breadcrumbs was not detected, so am keeping that in my arsenal of baking tricks.  (Dorie suggests sprinkling quarter of a cup of unseasoned breadcrumbs onto the bottom crust before filling.)  The filling was great...not too sweet, not too runny, and just delicious.   

      We shared the pie by taking it to Buddy and Laurie's 4th of July party as this makes one very large blueberry pie.  The blueberry is not as popular of a flavor with Mark and Matt, who are the primary eaters of pie around here, so it was good to have a place to share it around.  The photo shows Buddy enjoying the thought of getting to eat this pie...a more appreciative audience for a nice pie, I cannot imagine!   Buddy, being both a lawyer and a judge and all, was just the person to do a bit of judging on Dorie's pie recipe and he deemed it mighty fine.  The comments about the pie at the party were all very complimentary, everyone knowing they were being used as "guinea pigs" for testing as I had not a clue how it would taste, etc. until someone cut into it and tasted it.  I had a tiny slice, and it was very good.  Dorie makes a great pie.       

      Definitely a keeper...I would definitely make it again, using different fruits for the filling (just because the guys here like other fruit pies better, not because there was anything wrong with the blueberry filling at all, it was very good), and definitely using that bread crumb trick to keep the crust from getting soggy on a nice juicy fruit pie.   

     Laurie at TWD is on vacation, so I am not sure what we are baking for next week.  Guess you will all be surprised when next week rolls around.  Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there. 

      Oh, and I did a crazy thing by joining up at Daring Bakers this past week.  Yikes.  Shari was so encouraging and inspiring with her entries that I decided I would give it a whirl as it works somewhat the same as TWD, where everyone bakes the same recipe, however, it is a little different than TWD in that in Daring Bakers you only need to bake something (and post) once a month, the recipe is secret among the members and given out the first of the month, leaving you to bake it sometime during the month, until it is reveal day at the end of the month.  Once a month...I figure I can do that to learn something new.  If the guys get tired of baked goods, there is always something during some part of the month where donating a baked good is required, so that's a good goal.  Since this is a crazy busy month with swim meets, I am beginning in August, not doing the one this month.  Where am I going with all this baking?  Who knows...something new to do for a bit...my guys are all enjoying it, and in the end, that's what's most important to me. 

      Go buy Dorie's book and bake this pie...you will be amazed how easy and tasty it all works out! 

Rounding Out the Weekend's Bits

      Hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday.  Here are a few photos from the weekend, nothing earth shattering, but I have all sorts of email this morning asking where I have been and why I haven't posted anything for days on end.   First photo is Matt helping Steven with his fireworks at Grandma and Grandpa's on Friday.  Alex, David, and Jonathan were all busy looking after their own rockets and what not, but Matt has a soft spot for Steven, and vice versa, so the littlest often gets a helping hand from Matt.  

      After the pre-show in the driveway, the boys headed down to the school grounds in Elwood for the town fireworks show, as they do each year, and light even more sparklers and things while waiting for the show to start.    (Left to right:  Alex, David, Matthew, Jonathan, and Steven.)  I don't know what it is with little boys and fire, but they are all just thrilled with the idea of playing with all these things each year.  They scare me to death...I try not to be around watching as I am more likely to keep saying "Oh, be careful," and the first rule of lighting fireworks is for a certain amount of danger to be present, or so my husband tells me it is with boys.  It's better if I just don't even peek while they do it all. 

      So, we had fireworks in Elwood on Friday, then on Saturday there were fireworks at the end of the Symphony on the Prairie, pictured at the left here, which are always a big hit and much anticipated each year, the boys never tiring of this from year to year and aghast at the thought of ever missing it, like last year when Matt and Mark were in Italy over the 4th.  (Photo courtesy of Alex who is using it in his 4-H scrapbook this year.)  The stage is lit very attractively and since Conner Prairie is a historical venue, depicting a farm in 1836 Indiana, there aren't any lights to interfere with the fireworks display out in the middle of the farm fields.  They shoot the fireworks off to the 1812 Overture, of course.

      And, finally, last night at Buddy and Laurie's party, Buddy had a stunning display of fireworks that Matt is still raving about as he just thinks Buddy rocks with all his crazy fun ways.  It was the perfect day to sit around their pool and chat and eat barbecued brisket and just enjoy the day.  Here is a nice photo of Matt and Ali before everyone else arrived and Ali changed into her swimming suit as I figured this was a better shot that one of Ali in her very pretty bikini looking oh so lovely, being shown on the Internet and all.  Since the butterfly is Ali's stroke of choice, we requested a swim off between her and Matt in the butterfly, but she declined saying it was her "only day off of swimming competitively," so we will never know if she can take him on that stroke or not...it's not his best and I think she could do it.   This morning at practice, Laurie was picking Ali up and I said, "I can't believe you are up, dressed, in full makeup, and functional after that very late evening last night..." She just chuckled and said, "Well, it might look like all that, but I am tired this morning."  It was a great party. 

      In other news, no photo currently available due to the sensitivity of the subject to be discussed, all skateboarding has been called to a halt for the swimmers.  Coach Chris arrived back from the Olympic Trials in Omaha to the news that JJ was sporting a wrist brace and 'fessing up to the apparent cause, i.e. skateboarding dos and dares, and while I don't know the whole story, apparently all the boys have decided that one Junior National championship swimmer injured is one too many and skateboarding will be sidelined.  Raising boys certainly helps one understand one's husband a lot more, let me tell you.  

      Okay, this makes two posts today (only because I am a lightening fast typist and I am doing laundry, pumping off the pool cover from the rain earlier so I can swim, and fielding various requests for transport to and from various venues)...and now there is a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich calling my name, with a side of cantaloupe and a nice glass of ice water properly condensed and wonderful looking with the water droplets running down the side...Yahooo...it's summer!  Have a great week! 

Roundabout

      106th and Keystone...located about one mile from our house and a road we used to use numerous times every single day...closed June 1st...it gets worse. 

      If you do a quick Wikipedia search on my city, you will read that it is known for something called a "roundabout."  Yes, indeedy, the same sort of traffic pattern sported in Paris around the Arc de Triomphe and at Columbus Circle in NYC.  If you do a search on "roundabout," in the article, you will see, under the heading "History," a wondrous little moving diagram demonstrating how the roundabout works on any given day, click here for perusal. 

      I'm all for the roundabout actually.  (Well except for maybe all this road construction clogging things up to no end around here, see photo right.)  There are several located near my home that I have occasion to use daily and they work wonderfully well, I have no problems at all with them.  A few miles distant, however, still in Carmel, the roundabouts are designed a little differently and on any given day, it is pretty much a crap shoot as to whether or not I will be in the right lane to advance north on Hazel Dell Parkway...I have taken to driving Gray Road and just disposing of the entire business of that crazy little strangely designed roundabout altogether.  

      Our mayor has gone "roundabout crazy" here...really...truly.  (And, I say this with respect as I do, after all, need to sit next to him at Mass occasionally and all.)  On June 1st, things got really wild and the city closed 99th, 106th, and 126th Streets at Keystone Avenue to make changes.  Changes?  Changes to the city's main north/south thoroughfare, negotiated at a traveling speed posted at 50 miles an hour (which many take to be just a mere "suggestion" as to the true speed often traveled along there), changes that will change forever how Keystone Avenue will come to be traveled from here on out? 

      Yes, you guessed it, and if you live in the area, you are dealing with it on a daily basis...they are creating roundabouts at these intersections...and not stopping there, for I do believe there are more planned and when it is all finished...we will be virtually The City of Roundabouts. 

      I haven't seen Margaret since all this began...she lives on the other side of Keystone, usually just a short mile and a half away, but now with construction, it's something like about 5-6 miles to get to her house from here.  While this is a bit of a problem, driving here and there about the city avoiding my main routes and all, the real fear I have is that once they finish, I will never be able to leave my house again. 

      The little animated diagram in Wikipedia looks lovely, all the little vehicles behaving in an appropriate manner, nary a sign of them crashing about.  I have, however, visions of 25,000 people using this roundabout each morning (let alone the hundreds of thousands that use this route during the day and evening) clueless on how a roundabout actually works, the slamming on of brakes, the honking of horns...you know, much like when the football players descend on CHS during our early morning swimming hours for a month each summer, only worse, much worse.  

      The diagram also shows little blinking lights indicating, I assume, turn signals...and I have to say that in these past years of learning all about roundabouts from the many we now have in existence, I have witnessed few, if any, actual uses of turning signals in any sort of manner in negotiating the roundabouts. 

      Until I see the Keystone roundabouts completed for myself, I have a fear that these are going to be similar to that crazy roundabout at 131st and Hazel Dell and that I am going to be located permanently 5-6 miles from Margaret because I won't be able to guarantee that I can negotiate the correct lane without crossovers to make the transition.  My husband, darling that he is, has tried to explain this to me by saying, "Everyone to your left has the right-of-way in a roundabout...once you are in the roundabout, you have the right-of-way before anyone merging into it."  Okay...that helps, but near as I can figure out, that wacky one at 131st and Hazel Dell defies any sort of reasoning and seems, most of the time, like driving dodge 'em cars.   (Mark also shared that he had already envisioned me driving the new setup like that scene from National Lampoon's European Vacation where Clark Griswold and his family keep circling around Parliament and Big Ben in London, going around and around as they can't get merged into the off portion.  So, if you see someone at 106th and Keystone circling about over and over and over...it just might be me and Blue Bernice...be nice, let me over, okay?) 

      The section at 106th and Keystone is scheduled to be finished early next year...or so the thought is at this time.  Oh, boy, I can't wait!  I'll be ready for a good challenge around about then, deep into winter and all. 

Thursday's Favorites Fare

       Photographic evidence that I actually suggested a shopping trip today.  Really.  I did.  I was running low on shown items and they were having a sale...five bucks each through the weekend (in case you want to make a trip yourself)...yes, indeed...my favorite vanilla scented items at such a nifty price on a rainy day seemed like a great deal.  What's not to love about smelling like a warm vanilla sugar cookie every day?  That, and Matt talked me into taking him to get a new pair of sunglasses which was right up the street from the warm vanilla sugar store.  It so counts as a trip to the mall this month. 

READING:  A Separate Peace by John Knowles...Matt has this on his reading list for Guerin for the summer and I have never read it, so I figured I would sneak in reading it while he was at swim team and/or otherwise occupied.  From now on when people discuss the "subtext" of this book, I will have read it and actually have an opinion.  Yes, I will have an opinion, one way or the other. 

LISTENING TO:   The sounds of silence...no, not the one by Simon and Garfunkel, but just the sound of silence here at the house (well that and the ceiling fan whirling about in the family room as I sit typing here, oh, and the sound of the keys as I type, oh, and the sound of Matt running water in the shower, oh and the sound of Pippin and Vash chasing each other about for control of a particular toy, oh, and the sound of Rusty barking outside, and oh, and the sound of Alex rattling a box as he is getting a snack from the pantry, and oh, the sound of Mark as he is puttering about doing odds and ends as it is rainy and NOT a golfing day...okay, it is not so silent around here, but probably as good as it gets for this time of day) as yesterday was so hectic and busy that for the next hour I am just content to sit and listen to nothing. 

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking); Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan) 

FAV NEW FIND:  Okay, this is probably hard to describe, but it is a little quarter cup measure that is flat on one side with the measuring increments on the other and a little spout also on that side.  What, you say, is the use of this?  Well, when one is chopping things and you need, say a quarter cup, or less, (very common in a lot of my recipes), you can lay it down on its side and drag it along to pick up the required amount.  A regular measuring cup does not do a good job of this because it is round and the actual contact surface doesn't work for dragging along and scooping up things.  Oh, just trust me:  I love this little gadget...99 cents for such a great little kitchen helper.  Don't you love people who invent stuff like this?  You are so going to want one of these...I can feel the envy beginning now...okay, maybe not, but next time you are trying to scoop up a small amount of chopped something or other, you will think of this and say, "Maybe, maybe...." and I promise not to say I told you so.

FAV THING TODAY;   Watching the Olympic Trials in swimming each night.  CSC had two swimmers qualify, Trish and Jessie, both eliminated before finals, but still very fun to have them go to Omaha and actually compete!  Matt says it is difficult watching swimming...he just wants to swim, not WATCH.  He says that when he watches he can feel the tension in his own body when the swimmers step up to the block, get into position, etc. and that when they hit the water, he can just feel it like it was actually himself doing it and swimming.  It's just a lot of fun to watch swimming when you have a swimmer and you see those really great Olympic swimmers swimming the same strokes. 

GOING TO:    Carmel Fest starts today; Elwood for 4th of July family gathering of Mark's family on Friday and again on Saturday; Connor Prairie for Symphony on the Prairie on Saturday night; Buddy and Laurie's 4th of July Bash on Sunday; Indianapolis Indians game on Monday, and numerous places between times...what's up for the weekend there?  Happy 4th of July!

PRAYING FOR:  Unwed mothers, that they may be able to nurture their children themselves or that they opt for adoption, please join me. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Mayonnaise and Salade Messidor

      Whisk Wednesdays has rolled around again and this week we all (flash:  we are up to 7 of us now)  made mayonnaise (page 31) from the book Le Cordon Bleu At Home, using it in a recipe for Salade Messidor (Summer Harvest Salad), found on pages 30-31.  

     

 

      I had never made mayonnaise before, so I was eager to make this and learn something new.  It was so easy...I just followed the recipe from the book exactly and it came together just as promised, tasting very fresh with a little kick to it that jarred mayonnaise does not have going for it.  Very fresh tasting and nice...definitely a keeper.  I may never buy mayonnaise in a jar again.  Very simple to make: I still cannot believe how simple this was to make.  Who knew? 

       More artichokes...okay, now we are talking, as I am developing a new taste for artichokes. I cannot explain the difficulties that the others are finding with these artichokes (you won't be able to stop laughing at Shelley's take on the whole week's assignment on her blog today), as I am sailing through this artichoke business and loving it.  All I can think is this: artichokes are a big thistle...you don't eat much of it at all...most of it is "waste," but what is edible, and what you do eat, is heavenly when cooked correctly...a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that is addicting. 

      This recipe also consisted of several other vegetables, i.e. green beans, cauliflower, celery, and tomatoes, in a mayonnaise sauce and served in a prepared artichoke bottom (like a little cup).  A few chives from my herb pots sprinkled on the top, and we had one very excellent little summer salad, really, it was very good.  I would do this recipe again in a heartbeat.  (Thanks, Mary Ann for the lovely tea towel with the rooster and my initial "K" on it...it goes really great with this dish, don'tchathink?  So difficult to find tea towels, etc. in the wine color palate!)

      As there was no photo of the Salade Messidor recipe in the book, I did a web search to try to locate one and stumbled upon an excellent blog called Will's Eats by a Canadian gentleman who is cooking his way through the same cookbook we are using, albeit that it is only a sort of review for him as he has actually attended the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris.  Hop on over and check it out sometime.  (He gave me permission to link his site for your convenience.)   And to Grant, thank you for the lovely email and thank you very much indeed for allowing me to skulk about both your site and your flickr photos...I learned so much! 

      Because this recipe made a lot (a whole lot) of mayonnaise, and I decided to be judicious in the amount I actually used in the salad, I decided to give it a go in some of the ways we use mayonnaise (from the jar) around here, i.e. a light spread of it on a sandwich, in deviled eggs, in American potato salad, and since we had a roasted turkey breast for dinner last night with leftovers, turkey salad for sandwiches, all on small plates and in small bowls if you are trying to gauge sizes...you have probably all figured that out by now, right?  The sandwich bread would be baguette slices.    

      Have to say, yes, I do, that it was all absolutely delightful.  May have to switch back and forth between the homemade mayonnaise and the big H with the blue lid, which you just can't beat for quick convenience.  Give it a go, see what you think. 

      You can check out the other Whisk Wednesdays' blogs if you would like to do that by clicking Shari, Shelley, Sara, Becke, Glennis, and Teanna.

      Next week's recipes are:

Class 13, Part 1 • Billy Bi aux Paillettes (Mussel Soup with Cheese Straws) on page 311-313 (Puff Pastry directions on pages 209-210 and technique photos and instructions on pages 542-543) 

      The Cheese Straws are actually optional as Shari has done them already in another part of the class that we missed, so while those aren't required for next week, I am planning on having a go at them as I have never made puff pastry from scratch before, and this is, after all, why I am doing this:  to learn these things just for fun!  Come and join us...who doesn't love a good soup?

Tuesdays with Dorie: Apple Cheddar Scones

       This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, from the cookbook Baking:  From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, is Apple Cheddar Scones, can be found on pages 32-33, and was chosen by Karina of A Floured Apron.        

      Scones...oh, boy!  The recipe was easy to follow, it all came together as described.  The only thing I changed was that instead of 12 of them (very large), I made 24 as that seemed like a nice size portion for a scone around here. I decreased the baking time by about 7 minutes for the smaller size.      

      Since we are using a great deal of "butter allowance" at Whisk Wednesdays with the French cooking, and the cheese in the recipe already sported a dairy fix, I decided to make some cinnamon applesauce to serve with the scones instead of the wildly liberal display of buttery goodness shown in the photo in the book.  The guys approved the switch and enjoyed the scones with applesauce and/or a little cheddar sprinkled on top for a melty goodness. (The cheddar on top was an idea from my friend Ulrike in northern Germany.)  For me, the scones stood well on their own without butter or any bits of accentuation at the end.   In the top photo, are pictured three of the small scones (this is a small dessert plate they rest upon):  one plain, one with grated cheddar sprinkled on top, and one with the homemade applesauce.  The recipe is a keeper.  Definitely. 

      Next week's recipe is Double Crusted Blueberry Pie, was selected by Amy from South in Your Mouth and can be found on pages 361-363 of the cookbook.  

      Click here and then click on individual bakers' blogs at the site if you would like to see more of this week's recipe and the various ways people interpreted their quest.  Or, better yet, you can click and join us!  See you there.