Six Leap Frogs

 

Utah has four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction. We’re in the middle of the road construction. These past few days I’ve driven on several freshly paved roads that don’t have lines painted on yet. It’s very disorienting, and weird to remember that before the turn of the last century, this is how all paved roads looked. According to the story, one day in 1911 Edward Hines, chairman of the Wayne County Board of Roads in Michigan, was driving behind a leaky milk truck. He noticed the steady stream of milk “painting” the road, and had an epiphany. He imagined a line painted down the center of the road would in no way impede traffic, but might reduce accidents. A contemporary of Hines’ – Dr. June McCarroll of California – claimed to have the same idea after she was nearly hit by a truck. But she didn’t have a leaky milk truck story.

Bear Paw

 

This year’s garden got off to a rocky start. We planted radish, beet, carrot, onion and sunflower seeds, but the quail and squirrels wiped us out. Then we replanted with tomatoes, peppers, corn, eggplant, beets, and Swiss chard. The tomatoes are delicious au naturelle, and we had some of the peppers in Philly cheesesteaks Monday. Last Thursday we enjoyed the first of the chard in this recipe. We harvested only the outer leaves, so there should be lot more to come.

 

Sautéed Swiss Chard

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 small red onion, sliced

1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems sliced, leaves coarsely chopped separately

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

 

In a large frying pan, sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Stir in chard stems and heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add leaves and keep cooking until wilted. Toss with lemon juice, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Chickadee

 

Back when there were three TV stations (plus UHF), Daddy used to pay us to find The Thing (1951) in the TV Guide. The whole movie takes place at a remote arctic outpost, so it’s especially fun to watch when the A/C isn’t pulling its weight. Watching James Arness imitate a veggie stir-fry is a bonus. Daddy’s favorite film for hot summer nights was The Mountain (1956), starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, and a lot of ice and snow. My favorite “cool” flicks are The Day After Tomorrow (2004), where everything north of the Mason/Dixon line freezes, and The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with an entire planet of ice. I also love The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and Frozen (2013). If you don’t mind R-rated movies, I hear the hedge maze at the end of The Shining (1980) will make you forget how hot it is outside.

Five Aloe Veras

 

“I share three recommendations which I think are particularly relevant: First, don’t underestimate the importance of doing what we can to rescue others from physical and spiritual challenges. Second, gratefully accept the Atonement. We should strive to exhibit joy even as we face the challenges of life. Our goal should be to live optimistically on the sunny side of the street. I’ve observed my precious companion, Mary, do this her entire life. I’ve appreciated her sparkling, uplifting approach even as we’ve faced problems throughout the years. My third counsel is to set aside time to faithfully contemplate the Atonement. There are many ways to do this. Attending sacrament meeting and partaking of the sacrament are especially significant. Equally important is attendance in a temple. The temple provides a continuing remembrance of the Savior’s Atonement. Even more important, temple attendance allows us to provide a spiritual rescue for our deceased loved ones and more distant ancestors.” – Elder Quentin L. Cook

Two Red Diamond Stars

 

I own at least half a dozen kids’ cookbooks. Most of them I bought for Heather, as the recipes are bare-bones simple; easy enough for her to follow on her own. She DOES use them, but not the way I’d expected. Mostly, she thumbs through them to find a dish she likes, then leave the book open on the counter as a not-so-subtle hint she’d like ME to make it. Now. Here’s the recipe “we” cooked Monday:

 

Oodles of Noodles

 

16 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon honey

A dash of hot sauce (We like Cholula.)

Toasted sesame seeds

 

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. While it cooks, whisk together peanut butter, oil, soy sauce, water, honey and hot sauce on a large bowl. Drain cooked spaghetti and toss in bowl with peanut sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Ravenchase

 

“Set aside time to sew. We can be grateful for many advances in our sewing world. We’re glad to have new products to make the process more efficient, new books for reference and enjoyment, new classes to expand our horizons, new exhibits to inspire, and new friends to share our enthusiasm for all forms of needlework. Perhaps, though, you’re feeling frustrated because you have more ideas than actual time for executing them. A few suggestions: Be realistic about what you can do. Choose a project that will give you pleasure, and work at it steadily. Make sure your work space is efficient and your equipment is up to date. Take advantage of small blocks of time and you’ll be surprised how much can be done.” – Barbara Gash, Detroit Free Press

Five Leapfrogs

 

I miss the Ben & Jerry’s that used to be at Gateway Mall (I miss pretty much everything that used to be at Gateway). They carried flavors you couldn’t find at the grocer, like oatmeal raisin, or this:

 

Black Walnut Ice Cream

 

2 cups cream

1 cup milk or half-and-half

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon black walnut extract

1/2 cup chopped black walnuts

 

Stir together all ingredients except nuts. Process in an ice cream maker according to directions. Fold in nuts, then freeze at least two hours in an airtight container.

 

Black walnuts and black walnut extract can be hard to find locally, but they’re both available through Amazon. If you’ve never tasted black walnut ice cream, it has a richer, more earthy flavor that you’d expect. And well worth the trouble.