sometimes after school...

grilled pizza: ambrosia with cheese

All summer long, I meant to post about this little tradition of ours. But I wasn't ever able to get good pictures of the process. We usually had people over when making it, and I would forget to actually use the camera I would so thoughtfully put on the counter with all the pizza toppings so as not to forget. Anyway, I finally got some pictures- they are not great, but will convey the general process.

The dough

We prefer to use whole wheat dough on the grill. (Though white works well too) I use a recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food that I found on Natalie's recipe blog that she keeps with her friend. I've noticed that the dough is so much more lovely after it has been frozen and thawed. My recommendation is to make it a couple of days ahead (it will keep in the freezer up to 3 months), so that the yeast can go through the freeze/thaw/rise routine. I'll usually make up a double batch, let it rise, divide it up and then stick it in the freezer. Then I have dough ready for a few pizza nights.

The sauce

Walmart's Best Value brand Thick and Zesty Spaghetti Sauce. It is made from a seasoning packet found on their isle of gravy/sauce mixes. I make it according to directions, omitting only the oil. (If I have spinach in my crisper, I'll shred it up and throw it in for good measure. Shhh.)

The process

• Light up the grill on medium heat.
• Thaw/prepare dough and roll into circles.
• Take the crusts to the grill and put them down on direct heat.

• Let them cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Then bring them in, grilled side up, and sauce and top. The bottom of the crust will still be raw.

• Return them to the grill, this time on indirect heat.
• Close it up and let them cook for 7-10 minutes.

The crust will get crisp. So will the exposed pepperoni- my favorite part. The pizza will taste different from anything made in the oven. Has anyone tried this before? How do you make your pizza?

two

We celebrated Grant's second birthday this week.

It is still shocking to me that he is two.

He had a fun night. We invited some friends over to eat grilled pizza off of Lightening McQueen plates.

I made a cake that looked like a 4th grade art project. He was pretty happy about it though.

Gracie helped him open all his presents-

and he didn't mind one bit.

She also helped him blow out his candles. This was good because I unknowingly bought trick candles. There was a lot of blowing.

He was covered in chocolate and swimming in new toy cars and trains by evening's end. Happy birthday little man!

busted

The first official day of Fall brought a very large rain cloud. Grant must play outside in the morning. It is essential to his happiness. So, guess where I found him today. At least he put his shoes on. Please note his "I'm busted" face. He got nice and wet, and then I made him come in for lunch- which made him very unhappy. Nothing a tootsie roll couldn't brighten up. Hope you are having a Fallful day today too!

Blessings

• Cori played in a golf scramble with our neighbor last weekend. Their team ended up taking first place, and Cori won this $50 gift certificate to the golf course. His first winnings. He was considering going pro for a few days afterwords, but I think the glow has worn off. A little.
  
  
• Extreme Makeover Home Edition has been in town for the last couple of weeks. Sadly, we were not in the loop enough to volunteer. All the volunteer spots were filled within hours of being posted online. But the community has been abuzz. It has been fun to see everyone come together. We see the blue and yellow volunteer t-shirts everywhere. Everyone is still talking about it. Reportedly, because of the enthusiastic support of the community, the house was finished ahead of schedule AND Freeport set the record for the most volunteers to help on a house to date. This really is a great community.
  
  
• I'm so grateful that music is such a predominant part of our Sunday worship. I've been playing the organ for about a month now, and have really missed singing the hymns. But I enjoy putting my head together with whomever is conducting to discuss tempos etc. (I hate it when a hymn drags or is played too quickly) It is a little thing to contribute. But I'm grateful to be a part of it.
  
  
• Tonight it started raining. I love the change of the seasons.

big city fix

Cori was in Chicago last week for a conference. Grace didn't have school on Friday, so the kids and I went out on Thursday night to stay with him. A free night at a Westin is a terrible thing to waste. Thursday night also happens to be the night when a lot of the museums downtown have free admission hours. Grace and Grant acquiesced to being toted around the Art Institute for a couple of hours (Tickets usually run $18 a person!).

In front of American Gothic

In front of Serat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.

I'm glad to see that my efforts to refine my children are not going to waste. We didn't have time to see it all. But we cruised through the special exhibitions and spent some time perusing the American collection (Mary Cassatt galore- I was in heaven!) and their Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections.

Chicago is a really fun city. I snapped this shot while stopped at a light on our way out that night. The next day, we decided to use public transportation in lieu of paying the incredible rates they charge for parking downtown. In one day, the kids got to ride a train AND a boat- twice! This is probably what they will remember about the whole trip.

On the water taxi

We spent the afternoon wandering the Magnificent Mile and taking in the sites of Millennium Park.


At The Crown Fountain. Grace is all about striking a pose these days. The idea behind these fountains is that they project digital images of people's faces so that the effect is this:
Kinda gross, actually. But we took off shoes and socks and played in it anyway. Can't wait to get back!

stuff we have for dinner when cori is out of town

summer reading

Art Held Hostage: The Battle Over the Barnes Collection John Anderson

I'm not entirely sure why I picked this one up. I think I was craving a documentary with narrative flair. David McCullough kind of stuff. This book was more like a 237 page newspaper article- interesting at parts, but not narrative at all. So unless you have a sincere interest in the Barnes Foundation, the origins of the silver nitrate treatments that are put in the eyes of our newborns, or the life of a very aggressive businessman/art collector/philanthropist, I would not recommend this particular read.

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

I first read this book in the 8th grade. All I could remember about it was that there was Gatsby and a girl named Daisy. And that someone gets run over by a car. It was past time to revisit the novel. I loved reading it again. It was new and fascinating through my adult eyes. The novel was written as a reaction to the economic boom of the 1920's. Fitzgerald contrasts the public fascination with money and glamour with warnings about the lack of morality and the extreme materialism that accompany such admiration. The themes and warnings of the novel are, to me, remarkably pertinent to society today. And I too am fascinated with the glamour of the 20's. Descriptions of the fashion, the cars, the parties, the mansions... mind candy, all of it.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

My mother-in-law lent me this book and I got hooked almost immediately. It is definitely in the running for being my favorite read of the year. The story is set in post WWII England. One of my favorite aspects of this time period selection is that the authors explore the hardships of rebuilding after the war. Many WWII chronicles end with the victory and cheering of D Day. But this story uses the end of the war as a beginning. It suggests that, in many ways, putting the pieces back together after the war was as hard, if not harder, than living through the war. It has a bit of everything: a very eclectic group of characters, love stories (without any love scenes), unexpected friendships, literary reviews, history, geography, anatomy (one of the characters pursues the art of reading ones future by examining the topography of the skull), wit, and just enough real-life ugly stuff. That it is about a writer living in London during the 40's was enough for me, but I was very surprised by how much I loved this book.

The China Study T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
I borrowed this book from a friend at Church. It is about the process and results of testing that have been done connecting diet to disease development and treatment. In general, the studies conclude that there is a strong correlation between meat and dairy product consumption and the acceleration at which cancers and other diseases present and grow. In other words, if you have genetic disposition for cancer or diabetes, you are more likely to contract these diseases if you eat foods that are high in animal proteins. Furthermore, he concludes that diet regulation can reverse cancer growth. The book also delves into all the efforts that have been exercised to keep this information from the general public. I learned a lot of new things, about amino acid absorption and protein production in particular, that have been very useful. We won't be going Vegan anytime soon. Remember, I'm married to Cori- a card carrying carnivore. But I have begun making some changes that are for the better. I'm learning to make more plant exclusive meals, and we are eating less cheese and less meat. Whole grains were already a priority for me. I couldn't help but think of the guidelines outlined in the Word of Wisdom- We should eat meat sparingly, eat all the herbs and fruits in their seasons, and that grain is the staff of life.

don't forget to fly your flag today

in other news

We got a new car a couple of weeks ago- thus marking the passing of a favorite member of our family, Senior Rojo the 4 Runner. He was Cori's dream car for so long and we didn't like the thought of being without him. But big Rojito was developing problems that would have been more money than he was worth to fix. I was dreaming of a nice 7-8 passenger Chevy Tahoe or GMC Acadia, fully loaded, which we could then fill with children. But due to financial constraints and the head count around here, these weren't realistic options for us quite yet. We got a Ford Edge, Ltd. for a great price. We walked away from the dealer twice. It was an hour after they had closed and we were buckling the kids in to leave ( a final time) when the dealer came running out. He had just 'remembered' another incentive he could use to get the price into the range we wanted. Anyway, I drive the new car, and Cori gets to drive the Accord now. He is in the midst of an identity crisis, poor guy, and still misses the 4 Runner. But we love the Ford more and more every time we are in it. It is nicer than any car I should be allowed to drive. It is also smarter than me, and I don't know how to feel about that.

I still daydream about Tahoes and Acadias and more children. All in good time.

And we are working on a name for the new car. It is very important that things have a name around here.

These flowering plants line the walk up to our front door. They have been on the verge of blooming for a couple of months and finally opened up. We were so excited. That is until the honey bees came. (You can click on the picture to enlarge it and count the bees. I dare you.) There are so many bees out there that I can hear the humming from inside the storm door. Those of you who really know me can appreciate the great trial this is for me. I do not deal with bees. At all. It has been a healthy confrontation of a ridiculous fear. I get to run the gamut of bees at least twice a day. Honey bees are so mild and so busy. In my head I know that if I mind my own business, they will mind theirs. But still. Some days I just use the garage instead.

I still miss this girl every day she goes to preschool. She, on the other hand, loves preschool more and more. Growing pains. (For me!)

We had a cloudy, rainy spell a couple of weeks ago that pretty much finished off our patio garden. Too much water with no direct sun has caused all our leaves to yellow and shrivel. But we feel like we had a good run for our first try. We got lots of carrots, tomatoes, and basil. We got a few bell peppers (though they didn't taste good), 3 pumpkins, and a teeny tiny water melon. The plant the water melon came from never grew bigger than a starter plant. Yet it produced a cute little melon that had fruit and a few seeds inside. We feel like we learned a lot and that we will be better gardeners next year.

when things get quiet during time out...

a word about small town living

Any holiday is reason enough to have a big parade, no matter how small the town. We went to our friends' house in Shannon to watch the Labor Day parade from their front yard. Shannon is quite small, but people came from all over to line the streets and watch.
Small town parades include all sorts of entrees not to be found elsewhere. If you have a tractor, a riding lawn mower, an antique bicycle, or a car for sale, enter them in the parade! If you are running for any public office or belong to any organization at all, and you can afford to throw out buckets of candy for a few blocks, come be in the parade!
This was the loot Gracie stashed in her bag. (I'm thinking about regifting it all at Halloween. Except the toothpaste. And probably the popcorn...)
After the parade, the party shifted from the front yard to the back to enjoy a little potluck BBQ. The weather was glorious. It was a lovely end to a great extended weekend.

mississippi palisades

We went camping Friday and Saturday at the Mississippi Palisades. Among the highlights of the outing: tin foil dinners, dutch oven spiced apples a la Cori, nature walks to look outs over the river, a full moon, and great seats to watch the trucks, boats, and motorcycles passing by. It is great to get out of cell phone range with one's children in tow once in a while. Even if it means feeding 10 or 20 (or 50) mosquitoes.

Blessings

sunset from our front porch

We have a three day weekend.

Football season has officially started at our house. I don't have to tell you how crazy Cori went during the game last night, nor need I mention how brightly the sun has shone upon us since the Cougars won. I take my place with Saturday widows everywhere this time of year. But I get to invite people over, wear blue and white ribbons in my hair, and eat things like bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers for dinner. And it makes me happy to see Cori so happy.

Church this weekend was so incredibly great. We got to participate in the baptism of a wonderful couple on Saturday. They were confirmed in Sacrament meeting today. Then Sacrament meeting was full of amazing testimonies. One of the boys Cori works with was ordained to a new office in the Priesthood during the third hour. And after church, one of our Primary friends was baptized. A few members of our congregation had lots of family visiting. Everything felt so full- the church benches, the music, the baptismal font, our faith, and certainly our hearts.

I am so grateful for Cori who is always worthy. Just before church started this morning, he was asked to perform the two confirmations. The last-minute notice was a bit nerve racking. But he had arrived prepared to worship and was confident and calm in doing what had been asked of him.

when daddy is pushing

grant attack

I munch on him all day long. So irresistible. This is the smile he flashes me when he is in trouble, by the way. Can you appreciate what I'm up against here?

Grant's vocabulary exploded whilst we were gadding about this summer. It has been a lot of fun discovering what goes on in his little head. He is very communicative and talks quite a lot--not that I can always understand it. I was worried that Grant might be a little overshadowed by the daily cinematic event that is his sister. But though he isn't quite as chatty as she is, he is not easily upstaged. He has developed a very mischievous way about him (see above, Grant winding up to swat his unsuspecting father) which has proven to be a good way to divert attention from his sister's soliloquies and reenactments. Overall, he still shows a disposition for being quiet and observant.

For all of his shenanigans, Grant can be really sweet. It helps that Gracie is a very sweet big sister (90% of the time), and sets a great example for him. He is happy to kiss booboos (see above) and loves to sit on laps. He went through a little phase where he always wanted to hold hands. I'm sad that phase was short lived, though at church he'll still reach his little dimpled hand out to be held once in a while. He does a dance of joy everyday when Grace gets home from school. He loves singing songs before bed. His current favorite is 'the Temple song', I Love to See the Temple.

Grant is still wholly obsessed with cars, trucks, planes, motorcycles, bikes, tractors, trains, and anything else with wings, propellors, wheels and engines. I am struggling to grow the borders of his reading repertoire as he is only interested in books with pictures of moving machinery. Well, he likes books with soccer balls, basketballs, and baseballs too. Sports balls remain his other great obsession. He uses 'soccer ball' the way other people use the words cool and awesome. I also catch him singing happy songs to himself, the lyrics of which are simply "soccer ball, soccer ball, soccer ball..."

He does not eat crusts. He does not eat peels. Period. But he will eat 5 bowls of mac and cheese in one sitting. And he will down impressive amounts of spaghetti when given the chance. If it were up to him, he would live on a diet of milk and pasta. But we made it a matter of the 'family business' portion of our FHE to discuss his milk consumption. With the help of family intervention, Grant has cut back to only 2 sippys of milk a day (Dr's orders) and has been much less picky at the dinner table.

I'll close this post with a little story. It happened while we were at the Nauvoo Pageant. Grant was cuddled in a blanket on Cori's lap. The pageant was great. We could feel the Spirit. It was all lovely. During the performance, Grant reached out his little hand to hold mine. I took it and after a minute or two he starting pulling me over towards him. As our faces approached one another I turned my cheek to receive a smoochy. Then Grant very gently extended the index finger of his other hand and poked me in the eye. He let go of my hand and laughed hysterically (so did Cori). The end.