Salad (with tortilla chips)
1 can black beans, drained
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt
2 cups corn kernels
about 1/4 red onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Pepper
Cayenne
In a serving bowl toss tomatoes with salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes to bring out juices. Add beans, corn, and onion and mix well. Add cilantro, lime juice and oil. Stir to coat. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Serve immediately, or set aside for 30 minutes for flavors to intensify (I served it the next day and it was just as good).
Turkey-Cranberry finger sandwiches (aka Thanksgiving -on-Bun)
Wheat rolls
Pulled turkey
Stove Top turkey stuffing, prepared
Cream cheese
Cranberry sauce
Layer ingredients on wheat roll and serve cold
Fall Fruit Dip1 can solid pack pumpkin
80z package of cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tsp pumkin spice (or a tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, dash of nutmeg, etc)
Beat cream cheese and pumpkin together until smooth; stir in sugar and spices, Chill and serve with sliced pears and apples.
Punch: Old Orchard Apple Passion Mango Juice (2 frozen cans); 2 cans water; 3 litres ginger ale; ice.
Chili w/ cornbread- I had other people bring these items, but they were delicious. Also, I had planned to make Peanut soup, but considering the guest list, I settled on an Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup (Chicken broth, celery, carrots, fat egg noodles, choped white chicken---99% fat free and YUMMY). However, Peanut Soup is so good, I want you to have the recipe. Same with the cider.
WEST AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP1 cup chopped onion
1 TB vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cayenne or other ground chiles
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
4 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 TB sugarchopped scallions,chopped
roasted peanuts
Sauté onion in oil until it is transluscent. Stir in cayenne and ginger. Add carrots and sauté a couple minutes more. Mix in potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes(until the vegetables are tender).
Puree the vegetables with tomato juice (and some of the cooking liquid if necessary) in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the pot. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
Check sweetness and add sugar if necessary. Reheat gently, using a heat difuser if necessary to prevent scorching. Add more water, stock, or tomato juice to make a thinner soup if desired. Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions and chopped roasted peanuts.
Spiced Cider
2 qt. apple cider
¼ c. brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. nutmeg
4 whole cloves
zest of one orange (optional)
Combine the cider, light brown sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and orange zest in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Strain the spices from the mixture and discard. Return the cider to pan and keep warm. The cider is ready –serves 8.
There! Now go have your own party, and don't forget to delegate.
Last weekend, Addie helped me clean up her room and earned this Princess poster. Here she is posing with her new poster and her tiara.
It's still warm enough to hang out on the lawn! Rich and Addie made the most of it by watching for shooting stars and the northern lights the other night.
Here is a preview of Addie's Halloween costume, as modeled by Heidi. We made a great big Strawberry Shortcake hat and Heidi loves wearing it. She has a smaller Apple Dumpling hat.
Here's the front of the house in the sunset.
There's Matt trying to make Jake laugh instead of cry. Jake was asleep when we got there, but early Saturday morning all the little munchkins got up and were so happy to see each other, they just ran around in circles giggling! Anytime I wonder why we make these silly trips, I am reminded that we are, at the very least, building the relationship between the little cousins and that is a very worth-it thing. I love that they are always so happy to get together. Of course we always have fun with Amie and Matt, too. Amie had a Pampered Chef party and the boys worked on designing and pricing a bathroom in the basement, so it was productive and instructional and fun!
Heidi playing in Uncle Matt's backyard
Addie playing with Aunt Amie's soap dish in the back yard; she and Heidi kept fighting over the "Nemo"--then we found there was a lotion pump AND a soap dish, so they both could have a "Nemo." Luckily, Jacob didn't care about the fish--he was loving Heidi's baby doll!
Jacob & Heidi in August 2004 right after Jake moved to Montana.
Heidi and Jacob October 2005--they are getting big and play so cute together!
Addie loves her new fish! Thank you, Nana!
"Just press the execute button" 
The west side of the town where I was born.
The east side (my side) of the town where I was born.
